Viva Ukraino.

If you've been following the Ukraine in its first World Cup appearance, you know it has been a joltingly up and down. Decked out in my blue and yellow, I was disappointed to see Ukraine get their arses kicked by Spain in their first game, making it seem like the team's first appearance was going to be brief at best, perhaps bloody.

But then they came back and trounced Saudi Arabia 4-0, proving that their presence in the tournament was not a mistake. That was a rather stressful time around these parts, for reasons I have already mentioned, but once I turned on the game, my whole mood lightened. And the moods of a number of other people with broad faces and thighs. Did you see the sea of Ukrainian flags in Hamburg? My goodness.

Maybe not the Saudi fans though. And unfortunately this photo confirms one of the PP's worst fears. Budweiser has been advertising itself as the "official beer of the 2006 World Cup." He wondered if that meant that all over Germany (ahem), the only beer available in the stadiums would be Budweiser. It appears so. I suspect that even if Saudi Arabia had been winning, these two dudes' expressions would be soured by the beer in their hands.

And if you liked the song that I treated you to in my previous post about Ukraine, you might be wondering about the performers. They are TNMK, which stands for Танок на майдані Конго, or "Dance in the Congo Square," and they are one of the most successful hip-hop groups in the Ukraine. Do not underestimate Ukrainian hip-hop. You can listen to more of their music here, even if you do not read or speak Ukrainian or Russian. One of their fans has been playing around with Propellorhead and TNMK: i doi doi doi.

Ukraine plays Tunisia on Friday. Wish them luck: they have a decent shot at reaching the round of 16.