The day starts with the intriguing battle between the Magellan boys from Portugal and the Atlas Lions from Morocco. As we like to do in this blog, we are going to look at this game from a wider perspective before we get to the football.
On Monday, Morocco stunned the watching world with an astonishing victory in a penalty shootout over one half of the Iberian Peninsula, and therefore they are now to face the other country from that area.
It should be remembered that from the early eight century until late in the fifteenth century, the forebears of the nation now called Morocco, ruled over the majority of what is now Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese kicked the moors out in the middle of the thirteenth century and Espana fimally did so two hundred years later.
In Islamic ideology, land that was once under Islamic rule and that has been lost is only in a temporary state of non Islamic control. There are many of the more zealous types who would love to get one over the Portuguese as they did over the not very popular Spaniards,
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| How one of the Moroccan team visualized the victory |
Far credit to the Moroccans though, they gave their all and more, some of them could hardly walk at the end. It was a brave performance against a toothless Spanish side, and they should enjoy all the glory that they have been basking in over the past few days.
However, it will be a totally different kettle of Sardines against the high scoring, free flowing Portuguese. They like to cover every blade of grass in the search for new ways to score in the best traditions of that nation as they used to search the seven seas for new lands to conquer and exploit or explore depending on how you see it.
Portugal absolutely buried the Swiss mountaineers alive with an avalanche of goals and even a trusty old St Bernard dog, with his keg of brandy would not have been able to resuscitate the stricken Swiss players, although obviously that would not be allowed here with the ban on alcohol consumption in public.
Two to watch
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| Goncalo Ramos, Hot Property |
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| Hakimi, nerves of steel against Spain |
As the old saying goes, lightning does not strike twice, and Portugal will be waiting for EnGerLand or Les Bleus.
What is it about meetings between EnGerLand and Les Bleus that gets the pulses racing so much? It is obviously more than football as the first listed game between them took place in 1923. It is in fact nearly a thousand years of intertwined history dating back to the Norman conquest of EnGerLand in 1066.
It must be stressed that the Normans were not French, they were of course Vikings who had conquered and then settled in the area that became known as Normandy, The French did not like them very much and after the conquest, the mutual dislike spread across La Manche as the froggies call the English Channel.
People have heard of the 100 years' war, butt a state of simmering tensions between the inhabitants of those nations has been in effect as I said for nearly 1000 years. Crecy, Poitiers, Blenheim, Quebec, Wandiwash, Salamanca, Trafalgar and of course Agincourt to name but a few of the many battles between the two nations all over the globe where superior French forces were soundly defeated due to a mixture of French arrogance and complacency and bloody minded doggedness on display from the English.
The English call the French the frogs, the French call the English le Rosbif, pretty harmless stuff. When the EEC was first created, President de Gaulle did not want the UK included. The English think the French fickle and feckless, the French think the English unimaginative and emotionless. You get the point.
So, to the game, Les Bleus are definitely the favourites, they are the reigning champions and in Mbappe, they have one of the fastest and most lethal players in the world. They are of course not a one man team and are blessed with a variety of attacking talent, but they are suspect in defence. Against Poland in their last game, the Poles really should have taken the lead before Mbappe got going.
The fact that EnGerLand are the underdogs will suit them just fine. The froggies have not yet been tested and they may be found wanting due to those character flaws I mentioned above. This EnGerLand team is also very talented going forward and slightly suspect at the back so it will be a much closer contest than some people are expecting.
The last time the two met in a world cup was back in 1982, before French football underwent a massive change with the influx of players whose heritage lies in the French colonies which transformed Les Bleus into the potent force they are today.
Two to watch
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| Bellingham, Teenage Wunderkid |
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| Rabiot, a very Gallic profile |
Once more into the breech, dear friends, once more. Imitate the action of the tiger, stiffen the sinews, Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit to his full height. On, on you noblest English, Follow your spirit, and upon the charge. cry God for Harry (Kane)! EnGerLand and saint Gearge (Gareth)!
to paraphrase the great bard in Henry V Act III
It will not be easy, the match will be to and fro, but I have to go for an EnGerLand victory.
We will be back on Tuesday to preview the first semi final
I like being able to choose which team to root for by their history in ww2. And it’s aftermath…so the English have a lot going for them.
ReplyDeleteKettle of sardines... Nice
ReplyDelete