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Battles of the champions
Whoever wins Euro 2020 in Wembley, either England or Italy will carve out a piece of history.
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England's forward Harry Kane (5th-L) scores his team's second goal past Denmark's goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (front) after a penalty kick during the UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final soccer match between England and Denmark at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, 2021. (AFP/Paul Ellis)
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occer enthusiasts naturally have their own teams to support, but it is a fact that World Cup champions will feature in the two finals that will cap two prestigious competitions held in both hemispheres of the Earth this weekend.
The 1966 World Cup champion England will host treble winner Italy for the Euro 2020 trophy on Sunday, while the 1978 and 1986 world champion Argentina will take on not only arch-rival Brazil, winner of World Cup laurels for a record five times, but also Brazil’s home advantage in the Copa America final on Saturday (Sunday morning in Indonesia).
Whoever wins the Euro 2020 in Wembley, either England or Italy will carve out a piece of history. England is bidding to lift the elusive championship trophy for the first time, while Italy is eying Euro glory for the second time in 53 years, which will restore its pride following its shocking failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2018.
As for Argentina and Brazil, our vocabularies may not suffice to describe their prowess. In fact, the two countries are regular destinations of talent scouters representing top clubs that reign supreme in Europe and the world. Unlike the Euro 2020 final that will allow crowds to watch, the Copa America finale will be held in the empty Maracana Stadium due to the menace of COVID-19.
The star-studded Argentina-Brazil matchup is undoubtedly an ideal closing to the month-long tournament, which was moved to Brazil at the last minutes after Colombia and Argentina refused to host it. Both finalists reached the Saturday night showdown unbeaten, with Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi scoring six with five assists and Brazil’s ace Neymar hitting the net five times with five assists.
Brazil will be defending the Copa on its home turf, but nobody knows the outcome until the final whistle is blown. If we recall the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the host suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat in the semifinals to eventual champion Germany.
Similarly, England cannot take the home advantage for granted. Like England, Italy reached the final unbeaten. Perhaps Italy deserves more credit having gone through a tougher draw than England, which cleared its real hurdle in the form of the German team in the last 16. Italy’s road to the final included well-deserved wins over world number one Belgium and two-time champion Spain.
English fans may hope football will finally “come home” with a major title on Sunday, but Italy has proven it is ready to break their hearts. Under Renaissance man Roberto Mancini, who once helmed English giant Manchester City, Italy has transformed into a victory-hungry, joy-to-watch team with its attacking flair that helped it go unbeaten in a record 32 international matches.
Commentators may debate who deserves the respective championship trophies in Europe and Latin America, the world’s homes of soccer. But amid one of the greatest crises in the history of humankind, the teams competing in Euro 2020 and Copa America have offered a solace.
The world, including us in Indonesia, cannot wait for the soccer extravaganza this weekend, no matter who will emerge as champions.
