Friday 1 July 2016

An then there were seven

Avoiding EURO 2016: A self-experiment — Day Twenty-Two


I know it. I know now which the famous eighth team in the quarter-finals is. Wales. It is Wales after all. I saw a news heading on Facebook saying that they will play Belgium. I really hope the dragons are going to devour the devils.

As I learned last week that only one of the ‘big four’ — Spain, Germany, France and Italy — can reach the final, the winner of that match will play Portugal in the semi-final. For they did win against Poland yesterday after all. The silence in the evening here in Little Portugal did not signify that the team had lost. It signified that it took time for them to win. A penalty shoot-out in fact. And the initial evening silence was interrupted by the occasional honking car and cheering chauffeur even later in the evening.

Damn. Poland out. So of the three left in this ‘half’ of the knock-out pyramid, only Wales is an acceptable winner for me. Not CR7. And please not the Vrietenvreters.

I also picked up that Iceland is now dealing with the host nation, and Germany will deal with Italy. So let’s hope for (but perhaps not bet on) Iceland vs Germany in the semis.

It does annoy me somehow that I found out, even by coincidence, who the eighth team is. I had almost guessed it but was far from sure. I mean: Wales? Cymru?? Seriously??? OK, it is a beautiful, an amazingly beautiful place. But football?



Anyway, you humongously beat Belgium when it comes to coastline. Now do the same on the green pitch. Please. Do.

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