1:20 a.m, 14th June 2006

The above date stamp is a mix of two nostalgic strains... one, it was the typical start of Prof. Shonku's diaries and two, it is the start of yet another Brazilian World Cup campaign!

After an excrutiatingly bad France-Switzerland match, the first flashes of redemption came when Ronaldinho did a couple of pirouettes (and a back-heel!) in a maze of a half-dozen Croatian defenders. Then, there were 8 Brazilians in a wave of attack and Cafu (of all people, the defender!) took what the commentators called a palm-stinging shot!
And then... Kaka ambled around the penalty box, wondered to whether to play like the Europeans and pass the ball to an unmarked Ronaldo, decided against it and scored the first goal of Hexa himself!

All the World Cups in my memory have had an abiding figure in the Brazilian campaign... not necessarily the highest scorer but generally the Big Man around Town!
1982 - Zico
1986 - Socrates
1990 - Umm... nobody!
1994 - Romario
1998 - Ronaldo
2002 - Ronaldinho
2006 - Will it be Kaka?

Anyways, as the half-time comes to an end, let me quickly add one more nostalgic strain in the Pensieve!
A team picture of 1982 Melchester F.C. team featuring the fantastic Roy Race! All Anandamela readers would jump up on recognising Rovers-er Roy - the long running B&W comic on the fortunes of an English (Premier?) League team.
I am quite thrilled myself to meet them after a very long time... the hot-headed Duncan, defender Blackie, goalkeeper Charlie, overseas player Paco and the others!
More on them later...