yle Walker said this week that in Gareth Southgate This United Kingdom The team re-given the meaning of wearing this jersey and set a benchmark for future generations.
You won’t envy those who have to try to clear it next, because in fact, this extraordinary group of players has gone further-participated in a major tournament more deeply than any of their previous games, and surpassed To understand the significance of restoring the jersey, perhaps straightforwardly, inject it more than ever.
They reimagined the old three-point adage-“Remember who you are, who you are, and what you stand for”-proud of the diversity of the first point, and redefine the second by actually considering the third point. point.
Euro 2020: England’s road to the final
Whether they want it or not (almost certainly the latter) this team has been politicized, but they have accepted this challenge and that platform, both as individuals and as a group, have become a great force for good and against race Injustice and homophobia, we are committed to helping children trapped in poverty and investing their support and a lot of wealth on the NHS.
It is this that distinguishes this England team from the previous team; their humility, their humanity.
All of this, and of course their football.
Nostalgia and a certain kind of reverse-recent bias will make us unwilling to label the people we see, the things we see, better than people and their previous moments.
In all these dazzling euphorias, how can we wisely compare relative novice Kalvin Phillips-instead of the XI of many people four weeks ago-with the great man we have observed for ten years, Steven Gerrard or Brian Robson to compare?
But even though they won all the praise not only for “persisting in football”, because all their identities are rooted in their ability and willingness to influence things greater than themselves, this England men’s team is now purely sporting. Second only to one in the history of national sports, they may be equal by the time the sun rises on Monday morning.
1966 World Cup Final-England vs. West Germany
By reaching the England team to the first major tournament final since 1966, Harry Kane has surpassed the international achievements of Lineker, Shearer and Rooney, even before he beat them on the scoring list. The fearless Raheem Sterling pushed England to the edge of glory in a way that the fickle talents of Barnes, Keegan, and Gascoigne could never do. Harry Maguire and John Stones-yes, John Stones-built a platform to bring England to places that Butcher, Adams and Ferdinand all dreamed of but never reached. Only Gordon Banks stood in Jordan Pickford’s position tonight.
These are the games of their lives, and the games of our entire generation.
Anyone under the age of 30 will see England in Euro 96 during the single BBC halftime montage of this tournament, not when it is actually played. If you are less than 60 years old, you will have a hard time remembering a boy of 66 years.
Since the golden generation in the early 2000s came and went and did not impress any major events, we wondered if England would reappear.
The fear we feel is almost certainly irrational. People who have not yet been born will have children who will play for England in our lifetime, so it is obviously paranoid and premature to predict some irreversible recession. International football always goes back and forth. All major football countries have experienced peaks and troughs. From the perspective of football, England is still one of the most powerful countries in the world. The game in this country benefits from huge investment, almost unparalleled infrastructure, academy settings that have been underperforming for many years, and a domestic league that attracts the best coaches in the world to help cultivate talents.
Wally with the brolly: How England fans will remember Steve McLaren
However, from Wally with Broly to the lowest point in Iceland, from John Terry’s racism scandal to Sam Aradys and his pint of wine, things seem to get worse, not better, From comedy to chaos, from massacre to massacre. crisis. On the court, we are not creative enough and not active enough. Close it-well, where is that master plan?
Then this England team and this England coach lead us all, twice in three years, and even after 2018, we are worried that there may only be once in our lives.
Gareth Southgate knows that, as all of us know, major tournaments can unite the country like (more and more) very few others. Although the pursuit of glory is the core, he also knows-and admits after winning each knockout-what brings us together is not the desire for European bragging rights or world champion status, but the catharsis and ecstasy of the moment itself Those special summer nights, beer garden bags, Boxpark melee, pints of drunkenness, beer, singing, sound loss.
Euro 2020: England fans celebrate their historic semi-final victory against Denmark
So in order Wembley one more time. In some ways, this is what we want. Become a competitor again, part of the conversation. Coming here, in the final, not only was invited to a party, but also danced when the lights were on.
And, of course, if Italy wins, if football goes to Rome instead of going home, it won’t feel that way. But if all we want is hope, dream, and belief, then no matter what happens tonight, this England team has given us these and more.
