Is it? Or, isn't it?

I am writing this post shirtless. I have, without particular reason, been shirtless all day. I don't do this as a matter of course. It has to be because there is something in the air. Tonight's game has created an excitement that I literally have not felt in my lifetime. So after the usual drudge of hauling myself out of bed to get my daughter to an 8:30am swimming lesson; after too little sleep, I have settled into a day of what can only be described as anticipation. Normal routines have gone awry. I am a ball of energy. I've done pile-ons with the family, played loud music, paced around the house, drunk too much coffee, designed a red and white Rocket League car, resplendent with flag and crisp white boost trail, recorded said car scoring a worldie of a goal, filled my fridge with beer, and wine too, considered prosecco, realised the Italian connection, stuck with wine. I am frantic and it shows.

So I guess we need to consider the sliding door eventualities:

Scenario A: It's coming Rome!
The tournament's most promising and together team close out a win. Their blend of flair and ruggedness pays off. England are widely praised but doubts inevitably emerge about Southgate's propensity for caution. We collectively shift from a month of respecting our team, twisting the narrative and bolting this tournament onto the last however many and conclude that we are bottlers, destined to never win again, despite the wealth of talent our squad possesses. A new generation of players is scarred by defeat and we head to next year's World Cup with pressure ramped up tenfold and patience reduced by the same factor. We settle in, essentially for another generation of hurt. Baddiel and Skinner remix the song to replace the word "years" with "generations" and their song remains at #1 for a further 560 years.

Scenario B: It's coming home!
The tournament's most solid and together team closes out a win. The blend of stability and flair pays off. England are widely praised because of  Southgate's propensity for caution and he is lauded as a winner, a real tournament manager, prepared to, first and foremost, be hard to beat. We collectively shift from joking about our team being bottlers, and instead hail them as a generation of winners. They thrive off of the respect, and become a force for the next 3 major tournaments. Baddiel and Skinner launch a brand new single, celebrating the fact that our hurt has now gone, replaced only with joy, shirtlessness and Estrella lager, lots and lots of Estrella lager. 

Either is possible. I'm not sure anyone can confidently call it to be honest. I think the game will be a throwback. Tense, dirty, controversial, slightly lawless, infuriating, joyous. Enjoy it!