And alas, England is ousted from this year’s World Cup tournament when they were defeated by the Croatians the small and young country in the Eastern Europe having such a small population of approximately 5 millions. Compared to such a mighty country wielding a Veto power in the UNO, England and UK, Croatia is a tiny geographically political entity which was earlier a part of communist Yugoslavia but in 1991 when Communism like a pack of Cards collapsed in Soviet Russia and Tito’s Yugoslavia, all the smaller pockets like Croatia seceded from their Communist Masters who earlier swallowed them in the pre - World War I and post World War II exactly what India did for some of the smaller states after the British surrendered India to Indians. Those days Indian stalwarts mainly the Congressmen under the leadership of Nehru using its brute Military might forced some the smaller kingdoms to merge with Delhi.
For example, to bring Hyderabad under his domain Nehru government butchered mercilessly so many people owing allegiance to Hayderabadi Maharaja who was refusing to join with Nehru's Bharat. In Kashmir their Maharaja also was not ready to join India knowing India one day WILL disgrace them and in the North India so many states including Assam, Sikkim and some more were forcibly brought under India’s banner. This type of hegemonistic policy India imbibed from Soviet Russia was very bad.
- My beloved Goa was invaded and annexed to India by Nehru like what Hitler did during the World War II makes India a traitor in the eyes of outside World and on top of it India shamelessly from the point of Nehru till now talk ill of Hitler calling Hitler a dictator when India in some aspects is worse than Hitler. h right Indian government had to enter into my Goa and grab it like Nehru’s father property? Did India and its leaders especially Nehru consult us Goans and got our approval for invading Goa and thereby beginning the process of liquidating Goa? Though I am against Portuguese ruling in Goa yet I still feel we were much better ruled - governed - taken care and better protected in all respects under the colonialists than under this corrupt Bharati regime which was manned by most of the "Rostad" available in this Rostad governed Bharat. It is from the Soviet Russia that India acquired all the Hitlerian tactics otherwise our Goa would have been competing in World Cup today as an independent nation just like Croatia.
- As per my information, according to Indian policy, New Delhi is working thru whichever government occupies the Centre's Throne, to deGoanise Goa because Indian policy makers want more and more non-Goans in Goa to alter the demographic structure of Goa tilting against Goans. For this reason every step the Government takes on GOA it is ferociously supported by the Centre. The influx of non GOANS descend on Goa was pushed by those anti-GOA policy makers in Delhi who doles all privileges to Delhikar in Goa. While many of the small scale merchants coming to Goa from India are financed by their agents including their religious congregations, to purchase land from Goa and buy Shops.
Coming back to the semi-final match between England and Croatia, the Croatians are the deserving winners though they were caught unaware with the very beautiful early goal that they conceded. But then after the Croatians roared like Lions usurping all the powers from England and thereby subduing England in every department of the game. The exchanging and passing of the ball, running, dribbling, heading and protecting their citadel, Croatia excelled well. England with this stuff of players has no right to figure in the final.
When England reached in the final in 1966 World Cup defeating Portugal in the semi-final with the help of questionable referee's decisions, they had gigantic players in their rank then, namely, Gordon Banks under their bar, Geoff Hurst in upfront along with Bobby Charlton, their skipper Bobby Moore orchestrating their moves like a Maestro and others including Jackie Charlton. Those players created miracles for the home English team to win that tournament. And above all outside the field they had a great general to guide and advise them on anything and everything pertaining to their game, their Team Manager Sir Alf Ramsey.
No doubt both the teams missed sure chances of scoring goals when their attempts hit the posts yet it should be noted that in football each team is having not only 11 players but plus 3, totally making it 14. Who are the last three? They are the 3 wooden pieces, that is, 2 goal posts and one Cross piece and their role is coming into picture in emergency time only when all the 11 players are beaten. These three wooden pieces are very important to protect you from conceding goals.
Now the final will be played on Sunday between Croatia and France the country that tasted the victory in this tournament earlier. Both the countries will enter the field without having a Hero and that both the finalists will be playing without having any individual hero, probably first time in the history of this tournament, it proves again that the game of soccer is necessarily a Team work game and not necessarily individual game. The 3 real heroes namely Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar gone home with their heads down in shame because they proved how shabbily they performed inspite of their high billing. I think the real hero in the final will be youngster Mbappe of France who has already indicated his skill to play high standard of soccer at this young age. HE will be a thriller to watch in the Final.
My prediction for the final ; CROATIA :2 – FRANCE: 1.
A.VERONICA FERNANDES.