Wednesday's football pieces

Today's the day that sorts the wheat from the chaff, and we've certainly seen a lot of chaffing recently. If England are able to start scoring some goals they might be able to get into the next stage, but that looks like a big if at the moment as the players seem to be wearing the weight of several worlds upon their shoulders.

• Spotted this on Indymedia. Bend it like Imperialism.
  
  
• Lewisham's News Shopper declares Anyone but England.
  
  
• They wont like the BBC's "rousing" spur to the England team, featuring Brian Blessed.
  
  
• WDM weigh up the ethical differences between England and Slovenia.
  
  
• Reading the Maps gives us reasons to support Argentina.
  
  
• Stuart Jeffries looks at the trouble with the French. The rows continue and are becoming more racist by the hour, as major sponsors withdrew support for the team, the BBC reports soul searching, which is a new euphemism on me.
  
  I guess this is to be expected as the French interior minister (Home Secretary) has been convicted of racism and they are debating a veil ban in Parliament soon. The deep vein of racism in French society is playing itself out on and off the pitch.
  
  
• CNN see the competition as a clash of logos and the NY Times looks at the financial goals some have of the Cup.