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The Hand-Picked Supporters

A Poem by Martin Tyler and Ally McCoist -- as Commentated During the Brazil-North Korea Game

(note: each of these phrases was said during the commentary in the order they appear in the poem, though not everything uttered by Tyler and McCoist is used)

The eye-catching Hong,

if you can throw a coat over them,

had a bit of bend and dip.

He takes it into tight areas--

an absolute blinder,

not pressing any panic buttons,

they won't go route one,

(clip it up high)

pass the ball when the player wants to receive it--

in dangerous areas he's more than capable.

Maicon rolls him one, but

doesn't have to go to hospital.

A voracious appetite for silverware?

A really expansive ball?

I was about to blame him myself,

inject a bit of tempo,

almost the case of too many Koreans,

concern in the North Korean ranks.

(They've bridged a considerable gap;

they've had some dangerous moments of their own.)

It's where they go from here--

you've just told it right:

Take a touch and deliver made us go 'oooh'

in that tournoi . . .

It grinds you down; you get second balls.

Dunga puffs out his cheeks,

and found another cul-de-sac to go down.

Oh! goodness me!

An extraordinary breakthrough:

It had a Brazilian stamp on it.

(The boys in the studio? Almost more Italian than Brazilian.)

It's a bit more samba-like now with a goal in the bank.

They're hand-picked actors from China; we're lucky boys

(that's the height of optimism).

We now have two Pak Nam Choys, or maybe not.

That's Brazil off the leash,

they've been jousting for it, now they'll play in tandem.

He's just so Brazilian, he likes to party--

Lucio with the leash off

a fantastic season, a wonderful season:

He didn't shirk anything. He didn't look moody.

That is just so Brazilian--

too eager,

Maicon on the burst,

just about to pull the trigger,

a moment from Maicon--

whether they're actors or not they're naturally exuberant.

And so is the scorer, his defenders left him exposed

from Ji. Gee-whiz!

They're a bit shaken, but stirred.

The hand-picked supporters are clapping their hands.