Anthony McIntyre ⚽ The finest match of the tournament thus far saw the finer team on the night exit the competition.
There would be no blaze of glory on this occasion for the Blazers. A dramatic dying seconds equaliser by Italy saw the Azzurri go through and the Vatreni go home.
It is amazing that a population of under four million can produce a team that was able to make its way to the world Cup final 6 years ago. Impossible to see either Scotland or Ireland do that with a slightly bigger pool of people to draw upon. Even if the Irish and Scottish teams were to unite and apply to enter competitions as Donkeystan, no appreciable change in fortunes would likely follow. The neighbours to both, much bigger in terms of population, lost in the 2018 semi final to Croatia. England regards itself to be in the top flight of international soccer, looking down its nose at the inferior Celts of Ireland and Scotland. Still, it would not face fraud charges if it swore on oath that it belonged to the same family of footballing donkeys, a reputation it still requires as it stumbles its way through Euro 2024.
There would be no blaze of glory on this occasion for the Blazers. A dramatic dying seconds equaliser by Italy saw the Azzurri go through and the Vatreni go home.
It is amazing that a population of under four million can produce a team that was able to make its way to the world Cup final 6 years ago. Impossible to see either Scotland or Ireland do that with a slightly bigger pool of people to draw upon. Even if the Irish and Scottish teams were to unite and apply to enter competitions as Donkeystan, no appreciable change in fortunes would likely follow. The neighbours to both, much bigger in terms of population, lost in the 2018 semi final to Croatia. England regards itself to be in the top flight of international soccer, looking down its nose at the inferior Celts of Ireland and Scotland. Still, it would not face fraud charges if it swore on oath that it belonged to the same family of footballing donkeys, a reputation it still requires as it stumbles its way through Euro 2024.
Despite misfiring from their first group game against Spain, the Blazers got their act together last night and seemed destined to make the last 16, leaving Italy to sweat on results from other groups. They would have increased their chances of progressing further had the real damage not been self-inflicted in the earlier group games. Having folded hopelessly against Spain, going down 3-0, as a prequel to last night's outcome conceded in the dying minutes of the game against Albania, a match in which they failed to make a shot on target throughout the entire first half. Their two second half goals should have put the game to bed but concentration lapsed in the 95th minute when the Albanians, plucky rather than lucky, bagged a point with a 95th minute equaliser.
The match in their grip, Italy with fewer ideas than Joe Biden, the Croatians failed to cover on their right. And home they go. Painful.
It is probably the last time we will see Luca Modric grace the field of international soccer. While the Vatreni were never going to win this tournament, the aficionado of the beautiful game would have benefited from an extension of his run. I guess we will just have to make do with the dull Italians before they get knocked out. In a month's time we will forget the name of their conquerors so insipid and uninspiring has Gli Azzurri been this time out.
Now onto England who are about to come out for the second half against Slovenia. That should help me sleep.
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They can look down their noses all they want , we still are the reigning Home Nations champions! Yeeeeeoooooo
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