Viva Espana and for King and Country

 

In the battle of the body parts, the legs overcame the heads, in the end rather comfortably. Two good goals from their main men and another very contentious VAR decision to award a penalty, which was thankfully saved to right the wrong so to speak.

I am not going to give much space to the game tonight between Espana and the Brussel Sprouts. From which ever angle you want to look at it, the result should be a Spanish victory. Of course, this leads to all the pundits having the possibility of ending up with egg on their faces if the Sprouts did manage to pull off the sensational. The Sprouts definitely have the momentum after their last two victories, but I just cannot see it happening. Espana will bore them to death with seventy percent possession of the ball, and it will be a rather routine clean sheet victory for Espana.

On Saturday night, we have the tie of the round between the Vikings of Valhalla, the bogeymen from across the North Sea and the dragons of St George from EnGerLand. 

In the epic poem Beowulf, probably written in the 10^th Century at the height of the Norse expansion, the hero slays a dragon but is mortally wounded. Could this be an allegory for what may transpire on Saturday night?

EnGerLand and Scandinavia, as it is not just Norway are linked in so many ways. Most of the town names on the eastern coast and across the North of EnGerLand are of Norse origin.

Since the year 1947, Norway has sent a Christmas tree to Trafalgar Square as a mark of its appreciation to the support given to Norway during World War 2.

Monty Python and the Beatles both immortalized Norway with the dead parrot sketch featuring the Norwegian Blue (beautiful plumage) and the song Norwegian wood. Norway as a country resonates deeply within the English psychique.

Then came the football, the ninth of September 1981, in a world cup qualifier played in Norway.  Norway had never beaten EnGerLand before and then this happened and one of the most iconic pieces of sporting commentary was born.

 

Norway as a football nation has advanced enormously since those days, they have players playing all over Europe and one of their local teams, the delightfully named Bode/Glimt was a surprise package in the European Champions League this year.

Both teams come into this clash, fresh off very impressive victories, The Vikings dismissed the Samba Kings by two goals both scored by the questionably human. wrecking ball known as Erling Braut Haaland.

EnGerLand overcame adversity with a heroic they shall not pass type of performance, surviving a red card, the altitude, 82 thousand baying Sombreros, to break the Sombreros hearts in the Azteca stadium thus avoiding a modern version of human sacrifice to the Mayan gods.

This game is going to come down to a clash of two of the four contenders for the tournament golden boot. An award given to the highest scorer in the competition, they being the aforementioned Haaland and of course “Sir” Harry Kane, the embodiment of Henry V before the battle of Agincourt.

Kane

Haaland will he be able?

The other two focal players in this game will be the men tasked with stopping the previous two from scoring. Jordan Pickford for EnGerLand, you either hate him or love him, and I put the word hate first for a reason and the Norwegian goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. Interestingly he is the oldest player to ever play for Norway aged thirty five.

Pickfprd

Nyland

Both goalies played crucial parts in their team’s victories with Nyland saving a penalty against the Samba Kings when it was still 0-0 and Pickford producing two top saves, to deny the Sombrero striker Jimenez goals, from very good headers.

It will be difficult, as I wrote in my preview for the last EnGerLand game, the level of EnGerLand expects is ramping up, which I think is not a good thing. EnGerLand have to be aware of not rising to the occasion after their last game, which is something I do not think will be a problem for the Vikings.

However, I am going with a win for EnGerLand with Haaland to score for the Vikings as they go down with swords in their hands in a flaming Viking longboat on the way to Valhalla, a true warrior’s death, as happened at the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.

This will set up a probable semifinal between the Argies and EnGerLand, as that is what the Evil Empire wants to see.

Due to logistical reasons, I may not be able to get a preview out for the last quarterfinal but have given my prediction above. Los Gauchos to advance by crook.

 

Enjoy the games everyone.