Okay, we admit it, we’re still a bit sore about going out to Portugal in Euro 2004 in that penalty shoot-out in Lisbon…
Not to mention World Cup 2006, when Ronaldo managed to goad Rooney into getting himself sent off.
But there is no doubt that the better side won last night, with the Czech Republic having little to offer beyond stubborn defending.
We like the spirit of this tournament up to now, with a marked lack of soft penalty awards and hardly any dismissals. The officials have largely got it right.
So well done Ronaldo on your semi-final place and here’s a Kinas keyring to celebrate.. As UEFA explained in 2004:
“A boy was born who was destined for greatness, for on the day he was born all the constellations came together in the heavens and agreed to bestow upon him a very special gift – the talent and knowledge of all the greatest footballers, past and present. In naming him Kinas the boy’s parents wanted to recognise their son’s special gift, while also selecting a name that shared a close link to a significant Portuguese symbol, namely the five shields in the country’s coat of arms. It was such a special name that in a short time it became a registered trademark and started to be written as KINAS ™…”
Honestly, we didn’t make that up…
On the subject of bare-faced commercialism, you can buy ‘Got, Not Got – the A to Z of Lost Football Culture, Treasures and Pleasures’ online here in time for the wet weekend…
