Chile claim another Copa and Wales win in the Battle of Britain!

By on June 27, 2016

What a forty-eight hours of sport we’ve witnessed this past weekend, from the final of Copa America Centenario in America to the Round of 16 of Euro 2016 commencing in France. International football was at its very best on two continents, with Poland, Wales, Portugal, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy and Belgium all advancing into the quarter finals of the Euros and Chile beating Argentina (again!) in the Copa America final.

There was a sublime bicycle-kick goal from Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri, Portugal’s dramatic extra-time victory over Croatia and Belgium’s convincing 4-0 victory over Hungary, with Eden Hazard showing how dangerous he can be. Not to mention there was also Italy’s toppling of reigning champions Spain and Iceland’s shock victory over England.

These are Richard Lewis’ best bits and another football parody song from this weekend’s highlights:

One Chance in France!

To celebrate Wales’ 1-0 victory over British rivals Northern Ireland in the last-16 stage of Euro 2016 in France, I present to you a Welsh based parody song using the most popular tune in the UK at the moment; ‘One Dance’ by Drake has spent a record eleven weeks at number one in the official chart.  Of course, it was also number eleven for Wales (Gareth Bale, who else?!) who delivered the crucial cross for another Gareth (NI’s McAuley) to score an own goal that sent Wales into the Quarterfinals.

Drake’s ‘One Dance’ main chorus now becomes my ‘One Chance’ chorus, because that’s all Wales and Gareth Bale need to win a match at the Euros:

One Chance

Bale, I like your gooooaals

That’s why Wales need a one chance
Got Wayne Hennessy in the net
One more time before a goal
Higher powers taking a hold on Ramsey
Wales need a one chance
Got Wayne Hennessy in the net
One more time before a goal
Higher powers taking a hold on Ramsey

Bale, I like your gooooaals

By Richard Lewis feat. Drake with Kyla and Wizkid.

Next up: ‘Will Grigg is on Fire’

A Messi Ending to a good tournament!

First Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden, and now Lionel Messi for Argentina — how many more talismanic figures will hang up their boots from international duty in the space of a dramatic week of football!? International football just lost a world-class talent now that five time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has said that enough is enough for Argentina.

The Barcelona forward retired from international duty after missing a crucial penalty in Argentina’s shootout defeat of the Copa America final in America, which Chile won for the second year in a row. It was a repeat of last year’s final — maybe Copa America could adopt a phrase from the nation currently hosting the Euros to describe the 100th anniversary year tournament, as it certainly feels like Deja Vu to me!

The decision might seem abrupt but it was borne out of years of frustration with the national team and Argentine Football Federation, this being their third major tournament final in as many years.  If he is truly done with the national team, this would be most regretful and unfair if Messi’s international career is remembered by a missed penalty and seem like he has thrown his toys out of the pram because things haven’t always gone his way on the international stage.

The twenty-nine-year-old was making his 112th appearance for Argentina in their second successive final loss to Chile since making his debut eleven years ago in 2005. The final ended 0-0 after extra time and by then both sides had been reduced to ten men with Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo seeing red on forty-three minutes for Argentina and Diaz heading for an early shower for Chile on twenty-eight minutes. Chile only won 4-2 on penalties and a quite Messi game ended with Lionel hanging up his boots with the national team.

Messi’s penalty miss in the early hours of British time gave him the Monday morning blues, it being Argentina’s first attempt in the shootout.  He ballooned his shot over the crossbar after Manchester United’s second choice keeper Sergio Romero had denied Chile’s Arturo Vidal. Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka may now feel relieved that even the best player in the world can take a poor penalty!

The final Sliva-lining of the spot-kicks went in Chile’s favor as midfielder Lucas Biglia also missed from twelve yards for Argentina.  Chilean substitute Francisco Silva then scored the decisive penalty from the spot.

“For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion.” — Lionel Messi

I suppose anything Cristiano Ronaldo does, Messi can do in a more dramatic fashion; Portugal’s captain also missed a penalty in their Euro 2016 group stage 0-0 draw with Austria earlier this month.

Messi has now lost three Copa America finals (2007, 2015, 2016) for La Albiceleste, with his only piece of silverware (or should I say gold-ware) coming from a gold medal collected at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Jean Beausejour, the former Wigan Athletic player, now has more international medals than the Barca star!

Argentina had a largely successful tournament, going into the final brimming with confidence following their 4-0 demolition of hosts USA in the semi-finals, only to run out of luck in another final. However, the Red Hot Chile Peppers have also been on fire this year, having thrashed Mexico by a historic 7-0 score in the quarter-finals and then beating Colombia 2-0 in the semi-finals to reach the final.

Winning the Copa America two years on the trot also guaranteed their qualification for the Confederations Cup in Russia next summer, alongside with World Cup holders Germany and the winner of Euro 2016 (or the runners-up, should Germany be victorious again).

There has been an unexpected Brexit in the UK over the last few days and now a shock ‘Mexit’ for the Argentinians. Looks like they will have to rely on Gonzalo Higuaín for their goals in the future. If there’s one consolation for Argentina it’s that they at least didn’t go out to a Peru handball in the group stages like Brazil.

Homepage photo credit: Fanny Schertzer [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

About Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis can relate almost anything to football and quite often does! You may have seen Richard's previous ideas and work in the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, from 2011 to present. He is a Manchester United and England fan, but has gone to see Leyton Orient play with his O's season ticket in the 2013/14 campaign. Aside from football, Richard has written articles on Doctor Who and studies English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. Aspiring sports journalist.