Later today, France plays Portugal in the Euro 2016 Final.
It goes without saying that both teams have played splendidly to get to this point. There have been some tough teams in this tournament, and some big surprises by normally smaller, less significant teams. We have seen powerhouses like Spain, Germany, and Italy fall, while we have seen small countries like Iceland, Wales, and Northern Ireland pull off stunning upsets, making this a very memorable tournament.
Now, it comes down to these two teams.
Of course, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I happen to be pulling for France, being myself French. Nothing against Portugal, but I would dearly love to see France win this game, and notch another championship. This would be a third Euro for them (they won it last time that they hosted the tournament in 1984, and won it again in 2000, just two years after winning the World Cup tournament that they hosted in 1998).
France in recent decades has been remarkably successful in the tournaments in which they have been the host nation, which is highly unusual, because it seems like the pressure proves to be too much for most teams. So, France has bucked this trend, and hopefully, they will continue to do so with a win tonight.
Officially, I believe they enter the game as solid favorites, although anyone who has seen Portugal in recent years, and particularly in this tournament, knows that they are a dangerous team capable of scoring at any moment, with Cristiano Rinaldo.
Still, I am hoping for France's strong history as the host nation to help pull them through. Remember, they defeated Portuguese-speaking nations in numerous major tournaments in recent decades - Portugal itself in the 1984 Euro during the semifinals, Brazil in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals, Brazil in the 1998 World Cup Final itself, in the semifinal of the Euro 2000, and they beat both Brazil and Portugal in their remarkable run to the World Cup Final in 2006 (unfortunately, they lost to Italy in the penalty kicks). Moreover, France has beaten Portugal in the last ten meetings between the two sides.
History seems to be on their side.
Let's just hope that they manage to win at least one more time against Portugal, and that the streets of Paris will be celebrating tonight.
My prediction: for what it's worth, France managed to defeat some tough opponents to get here, but most especially Germany, a side that has a history of haunting France in these major tournaments. On top of it, Germany happened to be the defending world champions, having won the 2014 World Cup. So, France should be riding high after such a big victory, and it's hard to believe that the team that was able to handle the biggest bullies in European football will fall short tonight. So, I am going with France winning this one, 3-0. Of course, I would be happy with a 2-0 or even a 1-0 victory. So long as they win.
I am not going to be in Paris for this, but I was in Paris for the last time that they won a major tournament that they hosted. It was truly unforgettable, and despite the growing number of years (soon to be counted in decades!) since, that remains a cherished memory. There are times that you can kick yourself for missing opportunities, and there are other times where you feel truly content to have capitalized on opportunities. And for me, that was one time when I was so glad that I committed to going to France for the World Cup once my brother told me I was invited to go to the semifinal game that he had somehow managed to obtain tickets for.
Allez les bleus!
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