With the exception of the Scots, it looks like they are dancing in the streets of the British and Irish Isles. On Monday, Northern Ireland woke to the shocking news that the hardliners of both the Catholic and Protestant had agreed to officially stop killing one another and two days later their squad beat Sweden to sit atop Group F (game in hand). From press accounts, guess which one they were more excited about.
Ireland (with a game, even two in hand) is tied atop Group D after beating Slovakia. An apparently miserable English performance nonetheless puts them in a second place Group E tie with a...wait for it, wait for it...game in hand. Even the Welsh managed a win, though there is no game in hand, it was against San Marino and they are buried in fifth place of Group D.
These damned games in hand mean that the Irish squads are off until Fall and my three weeks in England in June will net me no more soccer pub craic than England v. Estonia, Scotland v. Faroe Islands and a Czech ass-kicking of the Welsh. Damn.
One of the joys of my 2002 trip to England was strolling to a Covent Garden pub at 9:00 AM on a Sunday morning to watch the Engalnd/Sweden match from Japan (or S. Korea). The place was packed and an absolute blast. And I spent the other three days across the street at Jimmy Ryan's Coach & Horses Pub (not the touristy Coach & Horses in SoHo or wherever) pretending to understand the old Irish ex-pats talk of the Irish squad and Richard Harris' drinking problem.....
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