Look, it's coming home says England player Dele Ali to teammates in a group hug of celebration but will it be a fairy-tale ending for the Three Lions in Russia? Photo/Photosport
Look, it's coming home says England player Dele Ali to teammates in a group hug of celebration but will it be a fairy-tale ending for the Three Lions in Russia? Photo/Photosport
Opinion by Anendra Singh
Anendra Singh is the Hawke's Bay Today sports editor
Well, the Poms I know in Hawke's Bay seem to be sidestepping anything pertaining to the Fifa World Cup semifinals in Russia for fear of putting a hex on the chances of England progressing to what will only be their second final in the history of the tournament.
The ThreeLions won the cup in 1966, beating the former West Germany 4-2 in extra time in England, and their other best finish was losing semifinalists to West Germany in Italy on penalty kicks (4-3).
The build up to the England v Croatia semifinal in a 5.30am kick off in Moscow on Thursday has eclipsed the presumably more tense France v Belgium one at the same time in St Petersburg tomorrow.
The three Poms in the editorial department, who live vicariously through their compatriots in their motherland, have begun to lighten up in the humour department.
One of them quietly revealed when his son was born in 2016 the odds of Leicester winning the English Premier League was 5000:1. To put that in perspective, the chances of spotting the late Elvis Presley again that year was 2000:1.
That colleague's wife is expecting their second child, a girl, any time now so no points for guessing what he thinks the odds are of the Three Lions lifting the cup in Moscow on July 16.
On the flip side, another workmate is taking it to Nostradamus proportions.
Here's the take on the quarterfinals with a numerical 6,7 pattern for letters in country's names:
France (6) v Uruguay (7), Brazil (6) v Belgium (7), Russia (6) v Croatia (7), Sweden (6) v England (7).
Now add 6 + 7 and it equals "It's coming home." (If you don't count the apostrophe).
If England wins the cup for the second time he vows to tattoo "It's coming home" either on his back or his chest.
For those who are in the dark about the slogan, it emanates from the Three Lions (Football's Coming Home) video on YouTube that Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds produced in 1998 (first released in 1996).
The word from the keyboard warriors is the football anthem has climbed to anywhere from No 24 to No 1 on the UK Top 100 charts this week but what will they sing if they win the cup?
To keep it in humorous vein, one asked: "Why did the chicken turn around instead of cross the road?" Answer: "Cause it's coming home."
You may call it wishful thinking or even delusional but it's about a sense of belief in a tourney that has shown anything can happen and, so far, has happened.
A colleague attempts to put that rationale in context: "When England last won the world cup in 1966 Andy Murray wasn't playing tennis. You see, he isn't playing in this Wimbledon either."
Again, it doesn't matter that Croatia wasn't even a nation that year but was reborn out of a bloody religious war that led to the fragmentation of the former Yugoslavia.
All that aside, there's money to be made from the experiment Fifa is conducting in Russia.
For what it's worth, bookmaker sportsbet.com.au has revealed punters have got behind the $2.30 favourites England to win their World Cup semifinal against Croatia ($3.40) on account of holding four times more money.
When the tourney kicked off, the Three Lions were $17 chance to win the World Cup and they have since firmed into $3.50.
The bookie has taken bets of $6000 at $5.50 and $2500 at $11 on the Poms although one punter has $1500 riding on Croatia at $31, who are $5.50 to take the cup home.
"Aussies do plenty of Pommie bashing but judging by the support England are receiving there is a massive [number] of people who will be cheering for England to win," said Ella Zampatti, of sportsbet.com.au.
For the record, France remain favourites to win the bragging rights at $3 with Belgium third ($3.75).
In some respects, England do come across as more likely to advance to the finals because Croatia had an exhausting quarterfinal that left some of them reaching for the soothing balm, including goalkeeper Danijel Subasic with his heavily strapped knee.
England have locked horns with Croatia five times since the turn of the century, winning three and losing the others.
A youthful Three Lions had shown enough at the previous World Cup in Brazil they had the propensity to blossom into a respectable unit.
With the stars aligning with the moon and sun, that has transpired to a certain degree but should they stumble along the way mostly because of the burden of a nation in agony for 52 years they shouldn't despair. That's because they'll be better for it in 2022 in Qatar.
But that was then and behold what's in store but this is now.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric will be a handful for England in the Fifa World Cup semifinals. Photo/AP
Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic are the best midfield combination at the tourney and England will have their work cut out although Croatia's defence will have to bring their A game.
Frankly, it's England's first litmus test because Colombia's lack of discipline in the second round didn't push them to the brink.
If there's a criticism of the Three Lions, it's that they may be undercooked a little. On the other hand, they will have the freshest legs among all the other qualifiers and a goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, who my colleagues feel should be knighted with coach Gareth Southgate.
"I was 8 years old when Southgate missed that penalty in 1996 and I was left crying so it's time for him to redeem himself," he said.
Forager Raheem Sterling hasn't found the net for his country for two years but it's myopic to suggest he should be dropped because he does enough to be a thorn in many defenders' backsides.
Now for what is and should be billed as the match to watch for the purists, it'll be a test of French exuberance over Belgium's experience.
It'll be interesting to see if the referees will allow Marouane Fellaini to get away with as much as he did against the Brazilians in the quarterfinals.
The 30-year-old lanky midfielder almost comes across clumsy in his lazy tackles but the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann will bait him.
