Finally, after nearly a month of average soccer, we’re down to the final two at Euro 2016.
Don’t misunderstand me: I’ve enjoyed this tournament, as it has provided us with some highs, some lows, and a whole whack of in between.
But it hasn’t provided us with a classic match as of yet, and I suspect the final will fall short on that score, too.
Here are my thoughts on France’s semifinal win over Germany.
• France was quite superb on Thursday, a far cry from its opening match against Romania where a terrified group of children relied on a Dimitri Payet last-minute goal to rescue them. Today, this was a team of men, buoyed on by the occasion, and looking anything but nervy. I remember commenting during the 2014 World Cup that France would be a major force at home at Euro. It was a common opinion, but it is still nice to be right.
• Defensively, this France side will never be compared to their 1998 team, but they did do enough to snuff out several German attacks. It needs to be noted that Hugo Lloris is a world-class goalkeeper. His name isn’t often mentioned in the same sentence as the Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon or David De Gea, but he has been simply brilliant, and today he denied Germany sure goals with some breathtaking saves.
• Antoine Griezmann has been a fan favourite at Atletico Madrid for a few years now, and it is so nice to see him jump into the front window of the world’s top forwards.
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• Olivier Giroud is incredibly slow!
• Didier Deschamps has his critics, but he has made several brave tactical switches throughout this tournament. He is the first to admit a mistake and rectify it, and he was spot on today with his team selection.
• Germany is still Germany. Obviously the absence of Mats Hummels, Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez turned out to be bigger than I thought, but the team played well. They could have won, and they should be feared in Russia 2018.
• Germany falling at this stage just reinforces how truly legendary Spain’s great run was from 2008 to 2012. To win three tournaments is something we may not see for a very long time.
• So, it’s France vs. Portugal. Two teams with two very different styles, tactics, and pizazz. You know what? Maybe we will see that classic after all.
Sportsnet’s Soccer Central podcast (featuring Thomas Dobby, Brendan Dunlop, John Molinaro and James Sharman) takes an in-depth look at the beautiful game and offers timely and thoughtful analysis on the sport’s biggest issues.