London dawns gray and humid, it's 18 degrees and it's raining. Today is the day. England has been waiting for 55 years this Sunday. Five decades have passed since that both Hurst at the end of 1966 World Cup, that historic phantom goal that crowned the English world champions at old Wembley. Long time. Too much.
In the same scenario, although completely renovated, tonight the match that the English expected so much (follow the game live on AS.com). Unless Italy remedy it, they can become the best team in Europe for the first time in its history. Throughout this month, improvised songs from the UK, and more specifically in London, have sounded Three lions, the unofficial anthem of The Lightning Seeds that rumbles in any corner of the country. “It's coming home”, says his handwriting. And that is what his people expect, that Euro come home (in this case, stay home).
England has gotten used to live with failure of his selection: the hand of God, the penalties of Italy 90, those of 96 with a failure of Southgate (today coach), the red card to Beckham in France, Calamity James, the non-goal of Lampard in South Africa, the fiasco of Rooney, the hit against Iceland …
At the same time as her league, the Premier, became the more powerful and captivating the world, the selection went from bump to bump. It took a deep remodeling of the model for get to today. The FA put a series of technicians in training categories to give the teams a style. A big flow of footballers between youth teams. The results came in. England DNA was born: people on the right foot, fast and upright.
Visible head. Southgate was the U21 coach when players like Stones and Kane passed through his hands; later, already as an absolute technician, coordinated growth of many other young people who today have at his disposal in the European Championship: Pickford, Rice, Mount, Sterling, Rashford, Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Sancho… Some were U-20 world champions and others, U-17. Something important was sensed.
The first brushstroke arrived with the semifinals of Russia World Cup and the confirmation is being the Eurocup. Southgate has been shaping the team. Only the position has danced on the right. Saka is the headline, with Grealish and Sancho as alternatives. Foden, touched, could miss the final.
English history speaks of necessity; the italian, from Resurrection. Only three years ago Italy had to see the World on television, a blow with terrible consequences for such a winning team. Far from sinking Italians molded a team which has become a almost perfect machine. He has 33 games without losing under Mancini's orders and has the Eurocup burned, since he only won one until today.
The dizzying team that was seen during the tournament gave way to another more suffering in the semifinals, but equally victorious. The Azzurra It has been superimposed to Spinazzola injury, his best man, and has found in the enthusiasm of a hungry team his recipe for conquering Wembley. The clear example is Chiesa, the young man who has given a knock on the table to say that here he is and here is Italy. No matter how much England play at home, no matter how much they have everything prepared for a big party, Italy is always Italy.