What can I say about short films? A lot of them are good and can often promote an emerging director. The latest Shorts forum I saw was Forum 6: City slickin‘.
As you can tell by the title, the series revolves around situations in cities. The cities in the six shorts are in Spain, Belgium, Jordan, France and two in the Unites States. All six make for some great tales:
-Budget Paradise (USA – dir. Latajh Simmons-Weaver): Chester is a non-binary artist looking for an area to paint in peace and inspiration. They are told to leave one public place. They go to an art store and steals $97 worth of paint. They try a café for artists, but the cashier gives them attitude. They try a hotel for a two-hour stay in a suite promising to pay. The model they hire attracts them, but the hotel owner demands they pay.
Trying to get art done wherever and whenever. A common artistic dilemma. This adds humor as Chester finds bad place after bad place, has to steal paint, gets caught up in a street dance and the the one place they can find, it demands pay. A humorous story how one steals paint and coaxes their way into creating their art.
-Our Room (Spain – dir. Jaime Claret Muxart): Gal-la is a disc jockey at a Spanish radio station for its classical music show. She brought along her younger son Marius to watch, but he’s bored. She is also unhappy in her setting. She thinks to how her French-speaking husband Paul is into electronic music. It’s there she decides to quit and the three of them can start their own home radio station that fuses classical music and electronica with Marius’ keyboard!
It’s hard to picture something like this happening in real life where they can make a radio station at home, but it makes for a fun story. I believe the theme of the story is about family relations and family closeness. The beginning seems a bit drawn out or elongated. The ending, however, is happy and you’re left convinced that’s how it should be.
-Father Alphonse and the Fight Between Carnival and Lent (Canada – dir. Diana Thorneycroft): Father Alphone is a new priest and his first mass is to be on Ash Wednesday. As he readies himself, it’s Fat Tuesday and all the people in town are having a blast with all their pre-Lent debauchery. Something his strict father forbade him to do throughout his life. As he walks through town, he’s shocked by all the debauchery but finds himself in an unexpected tangle. That leads to a humorous and unexpected ending.
This short by Winnipeg animator Diana Thorneycroft was inspired by the 16th Century Belgian painting The Fight Between Carnival And Lent. This charming stop-motion short is a case where life imitates art for the new priest and he get tangled in with behaviors his strict father would condemn of! It’s cute and humorous and a delight to watch.
-Ambush (Jordan – dir. Yassmina Karajah): In a conservative area in Jordan’s capital Amman, a hall is turned into a techno club and makes a lot of noise in the normally quiet neighborhood. Hasan, a young man, watches the club from his family rooftop and anticipates an encounter one day. One of the attendees, Jana, is a recovering alcoholic wresting with her own love issues. Can they connect?
The story has two themes in one. One is about people’s desire for love. The other is about how what we see from the outside isn’t completely what we think it is. Hasan watches from afar and thinks they’re all having fun while Jana shows a reality Hasan can’t notice from that far away. As time passes, you think they won’t connect. The ending could get you thinking otherwise.
-There’s A Devil Inside Me (USA – dir. Karina Lomelin-Ripper): Teenage girl Teresa is about to be confirmed at her Catholic church. She struggles in her confirmation class as other girls have attitude. As she struggles with her faith, she dons a nun’s habit as a mass is taking place. An altar boy mistakes her for a real nun and hands her all the collection money. What’s she to do with the money she’s given? Especially after her bratty little sister lost a tooth and swallowed it?
Watching a film like this can cause one to question is this is blasphemy or just simply a film about a mistake that happened. Teresa makes for a believable story of a teenage girl who’s trying to work things out with her life, her faith, her romancing boys and her place in the family. It does make for a bizarrely far-fetched comedy that gives an ending you can laugh at either way you see it.
-No Skate! (France – dir. Guil Sela): Isaac is a student who’s hired to promote swimming in the Seine River. He notices Cleo, his colleague, get into a fight with her skateboarder boyfriend. He sees it as a chance. She’s reluctant, even though they do date and she gets him to spend the night with her. Cleo insists it’s just a friendship, but is it?
New love can come from the unlikeliest of people in the unlikeliest of places. Even the type where one tried to make like it’s not really love. This is a boy-meets-girls story that is slow and leads to an ambiguous ending. Even if you’re left undecided if this is new love or not, the story is funny and charming.
And there they are. Those are the six short films part of the City slickin‘ forum. All of them were unique in their own way and all six had a good story to tell.
Carmen Maura (left) plays a mother who refuses to let her daughter sell her flat in Tangier, Morocco in Calle Málaga.
For this year’s Academy Awards, Morocco’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category is a Spanish-language film: Calle Málaga. It presents a tense story set among beautiful scenery.
In Tangier, Maria Angeles is an elderly Spanish woman. She’s of descendants of Spaniards who fled to Tangier to evade the Franco dictatorship of Spain. After Franco died and democracy was introduced, many Spaniards returned back to Spain, but Maria remained with her husband and daughter. Over time, her daughter Clara returned back to Madrid, married, and had a family of her own as Maria stayed in Tangier at the Calle Malaga flats. Having her daily coffee, talking with her best friend who’s a nun who’s taken a vow of silence, watering her plants, and embracing the horizon at night, her life in Tangier is all she asks for.
One day, Clara returns to Maria. It first appears that it would be a happy family visit, but it’s something else. Since her divorce, Clara has been cash-strapped. Especially since she has to both work and raise her two children. It’s gotten so dire, Clara thought it best to sell Maria’s flat. Maria is crushed, but Clara thinks she did the right thing. Clara feels Maria will have a better quality of life being around her daughter and grandchildren. Besides Maria’s husband died 20 years ago and most of the people she’s known her life have either died or migrated back to Spain.
Maria protests but Clara reminds her the flat is in her name and she can do what she chooses. Clara states the only other option is for Maria to go to the Spanish nursing home in the city. Maria first chooses the nursing home. As she’s transported there, the house’s old belongings go for sale or for pawning so the empty flat can sell. Maria is not happy with her life at the nursing home. It’s missing all the vitality of her own life and she’s also very able to take care of herself.
One day, she fakes a situation where she’s flying to Spain to be with her daughter. The only other person who knows this is the cab driver who’s to pick her up. What Maria really does is move back to the flat that used to be hers. She returns and the neighbors are happy to see her back, but all her furniture is gone. To add to the frustration, the tenant holding the flat for sale lives on the floor below.
Her first goal is to make enough money to get all her furniture back. Her pension doesn’t pay her enough. What she decided to do is turn her flat into a café for friends to watch La Liga football games. In turn making a new friend with the young Khalid who’s helping her out with new visitors. It becomes a popular hangout. One day, she catches the tenant at the suite and puts him in a situation that she is to hold fort until it’s sold. She reminds him she’s in control. She gives her friend the nun quite the story.
Over time, she learns of the antique shop selling her furniture. She confronts the salesman named Abslam about getting her furniture back. She also tries to use her makeshift café as a chance to coax him into helping her further. Over time, it becomes more and she starts to feel love for the first time since her husband’s death. She learns that Abslam was never married. The romance grows and she has quite the story to tell Sister Josefa.
As time passes, it becomes evident Maria’s secret will run out. During one of her games, the tenant comes to visit and tells her the place is sold. She’s brokenhearted and doesn’t know what to do. Also that day, Sister Josefa dies. Maria sees her in her deathbed to tell her last feelings. The following day, the day before the new owners are to move in, Clara arrives and is surprised as she sees one of her mother’s parties. It’s there Maria confronts Clara tells of her choice. The film ends with no telling what happens the next day, but telling of how it appears things should be.
This is one story that’s not too heavy on its core social topic. The topic here is ageism. The daughter who has the flat in her name feels she can make decisions for the mother, but the mother is able to decide her life for herself. Maria wants Clara to know this but is afraid to at first. It’s over time she’s able to amass the courage to tell her. This is a common problem among families.
I’ve seen films or shorts of people who don’t want things to change at first and are unwilling to accept change, only to accept it and eventually embrace it in the end. Maria is different. This life in Tangier and her flat is the only life she’s ever known and the only life she wants to know. One would find this a bad thing for her not to accept change, but it’s her choice. Mind you the film is more about Maria’s refusal to change. It’s also about Maria finding vitality in her own age. Most people Maria’s age would feel they’re at the end of their life. Instead, Maria sees a chance for a new beginning. She may refuse to change her living situation but the changes she makes like her makeshift football café, her new young friend Khalid and her new love with Abslam add to her vitality.
This is a great film by director Maryam Touzani. The story she co-wrote with husband Nabil Ayouch is a nice calm story where the intensity is in the moments of heated discussions. It makes for a nice story about a woman and the life she feels she was meant to live. Instead of this story being a super-heated story about ageism, it’s a calm story about what is meant to be and is given a nice calm vibe.
Carmen Maura owns the film. Outside of Spain, Maura is most famous for her frequent collaborations with Pedro Almodovar. Here in this film, she handles her role with immense class and her personal charm adds to the film. Ahmed Boulane is also great as Abslam. Playing a man who feels love for the first time also adds well to the film. Also great is Maria Alfonsa Rosso as the mute Sister Josefa. Her performance with her body language adds to the comedic elements of the film. The best technical element has to be the cinematography of Virginie Surdej. The cinematography of the city images and the panoramic nature of Tangier adds to the story as it’s one of the best elements at telling the audience why Maria can’t leave her old life behind.
Calle Malaga tells a story about a woman who finds a purpose in her life in her age and finds a new life. It’s also a cinematographic delight to watch with the scenery adding to the storytelling.
Balomania is about balloon artistry in Brazil. An art that’s illegal in its country of origin.
Is setting a big artistic stylish balloon in the air a crime? Balomania is a documentary that focuses on the popularity of balloon art in Brazil that is illegal.
The film begins with Danish-Spanish filmmaker Sissel Morell Dargis detailing her move to Brazil at 19. She soon became a graffiti artist and became known popularly as ‘Simba.’ During her first years, she noticed what she thought were stars floating from the favelas of Sao Paulo. Her Brazilian friends told her they’re balloons and they were launched in the air by a secret society called the ‘baloeiros.’
That discovery started a fascination in her of that ‘balloon world’ that still continues to this day. The balloons are the hot air balloons launched without passengers. They come in all sorts of artistic designs. Some include a wide banner hanging from underneath it. Some include hundreds of small burning candles in colored cups whose arranged image adds to the balloon’s allure. Some even include fireworks. These balloons are very expensive to make but those involve with it believe it runs in the blood and is passed from generation to generation. This group of balloon launchers she meets with launches balloons once a week.
This balloon culture is also illegal in Brazil. In the past, it was common for Brazilians to release such artistic balloons in the sky. Then in 1999, the government felt it was happening more often than it should and they criminalized it. The government claims the reasons for these bans on balloons are because of public safety, air flight safety and for environmental issues. Dargis feels there’s something more underlying to it. Possibly classism of peoples.
She meets with the many men involved in this balloon culture and are part of these ‘balloon mafias.’ She meets the artists, the crafters, the launchers, and the catchers who catch the balloon in time so that no one is arrested and will eventually have to relaunch that balloon one day. She meets with those like Zulu, Tron, legend Sergio and young father Jaba. They talk of the balloon works they’ve done in the past. They talk of how expensive it is and how they don’t get paid anything for it. Just the thrill of dazzling people who view them. Jaba talks of how he wants to break the record of the biggest balloon ever launched.
Over the ten years, Sissel films this sub-culture, she showcases the balloons crafted and launched, the catchers who catch and relaunch, and the personal lives of many of those involved. She especially focuses on Jaba as he is a father to a six-year-old son and Jaba’s seen as the future of this balloon group. Sissel also films news stories of how the governments feel they’re not doing enough to stop this and feel the best solution is to toughen the jail sentences to 5-8 years. Sissel also gets opinions from people in Jaba’s favela who speak their mind about it. The favela has divided opinions. Some feel criminalizing this is just an excuse to distract form the real problems of the nation like defeating poverty, drug crime and corruption. Some people do favor the criminalization and see it as a safety threat. We even see one case where a balloon launched in the night burns up in a similar way the Hindenberg burned up. Jaba’s son tries to convince his grandmother that it’s art.
The COVID pandemic hits Brazil. Sissel is reminded her filmmaking of this balloon underworld was a distraction to her main purpose for life in Brazil, which was making video games. Sissel did however create a video game about balloon launchers called Cai Cai Balao. During those years that passed, Sissel wonders if Jaba achieved his goal. Balloon godfather Sergio has died. Jaba left creating and launching balloons for the sake of becoming a responsible father to his son. The project of the balloon of Jaba’s dreams, the biggest balloon ever with half a ton of fireworks, did not die and is carried on by his group. Although he’s not an active member anymore, he is still part of the group. The influence never leaves. We see it being launched in the air successfully with more than a hundred men involved..
I think it’s a common thing that can happen in any nation at any time. Even in the nations with the most freedom. A style of art that the nation’s government feels uneasy about or so much contempt for, they criminalize it. We’ve seen it before in the past with genres of music or literature. Paintings and statues have also come under government scrutiny for centuries. Here in the big cities of Brazil, we have balloon launching. The setting off of these eye-catching balloons. It was done commonly in the 80’s and 90’s but the government criminalized it because it was done too much and fear of safety both in the air and on the ground. If I was a Brazilian politician, I wouldn’t criminalize it, but I would have people who know how to do it properly licensed to do it.
Here in this documentary, it presents the art and those involved through a variety of angles. Since this is about the balloon art, there has to be a lot of scenes of the crafts they launch in the air. It’s part of Brazil’s culture. It’s eye-catching. There’s a set of people who are involved in this and it’s like a whole culture of these baloeiros. It’s an art that costs in the tens of thousands to make and they get paid nothing for it. It’s also the passion for it where you’re still a part of it even after you’re no longer active with it. It’s something these men do sometimes at the expense of family relations. It’s also a source of controversy among the public. Is launching an artistic balloon in the air a crime? Is it worth having these alleged criminals in prison for years? The film also uses news stories, talk from politicians and even debate from citizens about this. One scene I liked is the debate between Jaba’s son and his grandmother who thinks it should be criminalized. She asks him why he thinks it’s art and his response: “Because it’s very beautiful and if it’s beautiful, it’s art.” Smart way of thinking!
This documentary is an accomplishment for Sissel Morell Dargis. It’s natural for a creative person who takes an interest in some topic or some subject to want to do a film about it. This film is ten years of film footage from Dargis of those involved with the craft, those who watch and those who fear it. It succeeds in getting the audience interested in those involved with the craft as it succeeds in dazzling their eyes with the images of the balloons created and launched. It also succeeds in convincing one that the criminalization of this craft is foolish while also presenting the side of those who support the criminalization. Although it appears to side more with those that consider it art, it still tries to let you decide for yourself. It’s no surprise that due to the nature of touching on a craft that’s criminalized, Dargis has to do most of the filming on simple hand-held cameras. The documentary is as intriguing to watch as it is about the filmmaker making her point.
Balomania is an intriguing documentary that shows the art, the artists, the tricks of the trade and the opposition they face. It’s also about the director making the film and making friends along the way. It’s an art documentary that becomes a lot more.
Paris will join London as the only two cities to host the Summer Olympics three times.
On Friday, July 26th, the Games Off The XXXIIIrd Olympiad will open in Paris, France. This will be the third time Paris will have hosted the Summer Olympics, having hosted in 1900 and 1924.
One thing about these Olympics Games is these will now be back to full crowds. You may remember the Tokyo Games were delayed by a year and had to be held without spectators. You may also remember the Beijing Winter Olympics were also quite limited in spectators. Now that the pandemic has been mostly tamed down, Paris can be a free-for-all and the crowds are back. Also I got back my ambition to do pre-Olympic blogging. Something I haven’t done since the 2018 Winter Games.
With every Olympics comes many an athlete or team that will be heavy favorites or athletes of curiosity. Here’s my look at fourteen athletes at the Paris Games who you should keep an eye on.
-Noah Lyles/USA – Athletics: The American sprinters have been struggling to get themselves back to the top for almost 20 years. First there was the setback of Usain Bolt and other Jamaicans. Then there was Italy’s Marcell Jacobs winning in Tokyo and the men’s really team failing to qualify for the final. Seeking to put the US back on top is 27 year-old Noah Lyles. Back at the Tokyo Games, promise was noticed as he won a bronze in the 200 metres. At last year’s World Championships, he won the 100m, 200m and was part of the winning American relay team.
This season, Lyles is ranked World #1 in both the 100m and 200m and even recently ran a personal best in the 100m of 9.81. Lyles will have rivals in Paris. In the 100m, he will be up against Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala who have posted faster times this year. Expecting to challenge Lyles in the 200 is Tokyo silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek who finished second to him at the US Olympic trials. Also rivaling him is Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo who finished second to him at the 2023 Worlds in the 100 and third in the 200. If all goes well for Lyles, he could be one of the stars of Paris.
-Sha’Carri Richardson/USA – Athletics: Many will remember before the Tokyo Olympics, there was a lot of news of Richardson being disqualified from the Olympic team for testing positive for marijuana. It was a shock to many. Sha’Carri was undoubtedly disappointed. Unnoticed at the time was the then 21 year-old sprinter was still young and her best years were still to come. At last year’s World Championships, her talent arrived when she won the 100m, finished third in the 200m and was part of the US’s winning relay team.
For most of this year, Sha’Carri has kept it low-key. She hasn’t been to too many competitions and bypassed the Diamond League this year. She did prove herself to be a force in the 100m in Paris after winning the US Olympic trials in 10.71. Her main rival Sherlock’s Jackson of Jamaica is injured but that won’t stop her from having rivals in Paris like Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Talou-Smith, St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Jamaican legend Shelly-Anne Fraser-Price looking for one last Olympic gold. Paris could be Sha’Carri’s moment and the possible start.of a long legendary career.
-Yaroslava Mahuchikh/Ukraine – Athletics: Back at the Tokyo Olympics, Yaroslava was 19 years old and seen as a rising talent with her bronze medal in the high jump. Then the war started months later. Many Ukrainian athletes had to find new ways to train or even leave Ukraine to seek refuge in another country. Mahuchikh first traveled by car to Belgrade to compete at the World Indoor Championships. Shortly after, she found refuge in Germany to resume training. Since her move, her career skyrocketed with silver at the 2022 World Outdoor Championships and then gold last year. Just last month, Mahuchikh broke the 37 year-old world record in the women’s high jump!
She is a heavy favorite to win the high jump in Paris, but she will have competition. She will face rivalry from Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers who beat her at this year’s World Indoor Championships as well as another Australian: 2022 World Champion Eleanor Patterson. Whatever happens, Mahuchikh’s triumphs are not limited to inside the athletics arena.
-Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone/USA and Karsten Warholm/Norway – Athletics: The biggest action in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics came in both the men’s and the women’s 400m hurdles. In both events, the winner broke the world record by a huge margin, the second-place finisher finished in a time faster than the pre-Olympic world record and the third-place finisher’s time was a small fraction short of that pre-Olympic world record!
It’s interesting to see what has happened since to both men’s winner Karsten Warholm and women’s winner Sydney McLaughlin. Both won their hurdles event at a World Championship since. Walholm has still continued his consistency with major victories, and won the 2023 World championships but finished 7th at the 2022 Worlds. McLaughlin has also won the 2022 Worlds and has even knocked almost a full second off the world record since Tokyo. She missed the 2023 Worlds due to a knee injury. Both runners will face rivalry here in Paris. For Warholm, the two other medalists from Tokyo — US’s Rai Benjamin and Brazil’s Allison dos Santos — will rival him in Paris. McLauglin’s top rivalry will come from 2023 World Champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands and her own teammate Shamier Little. Only time will tell if both repeat as Olympic champion here in Paris, and if they break the world record again.
-Eliud Kipchode/Kenya – Athletics: One thing about social media these past ten years is that there are so many athletes being promoted as GOATs. One of which is Eliud Kipchode who’s commonly seen as the GOAT of marathon running. Personally I still want to think of Abebe Bikila as the GOAT but Kipchode’s feat of eleven major marathon victories, four Olympic medals including two marathon gold’s, and breaking the world record twice, it’s very tempting to call him the GOAT. Even his time-trial marathon run under two hours sparked buzz.
The crazy thing about marathon races, especially at the Olympics, is that it is the hardest to predict. Many favorites have succumbed to the course or the weather conditions and unknowns have often ended up the winners. Despite his illustrious career spanning almost two decades, Kipchode will face rivalries from 2023 World Champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda and from his own teammate Benson Kipruto who has won the fastest marathon time this year. Whatever the result, Kipchode will add to his greatness here in Paris.
-Simone Biles/USA – Gymnastics: Simone Biles is an athlete loved by many, shunned by others. For many years, she was dominant in gymnastics having won a stack of World Championships and at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was the queen winning four golds and a bronze. In between Rio and Tokyo was the revelation of the predator doctor Larry Nassar. Biles was one of his former patients who testified against him. Then at the Tokyo Olympics, she had a mental lapse called the ‘twisties’ and needed to bypass most of the competition. She did leave Tokyo with a silver and a bronze, but many people, most of whom don’t understand the dangers of gymnastics, labeled her a quitter or a loser. She would come back at the 2023 Worlds winning four golds and a silver.
Despite being the queen, she will face challenges from Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade and from her own American teammates in Jordan Chiles and defending Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee. Whatever happens in Paris, it will add to Simone’s greatness.
-Carlos Alcaraz/Spain – Tennis: One thing about tennis is right while there are a lot of greats, there are also young guns looking to dethrone them. One of which is Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Right at a time that seems dominated by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz appears poised to dethrone them. The 21 year-old has already won singles titles in Wimbledon, the US Open and most recently his first French Open victory. The latter is an advantage as the Olympic tennis competition will also be in the Roland Garros arena.
One thing about Olympic tennis is that most favorites have not won the gold medal and many times, unknown players have become Olympic champion. In fact, Djokovic’s only Olympic medal is a silver from 2008. Djokovic is one of Alcaraz’s rivals here in Paris. Also in the tournament are challenges from Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Norway’s Casper Ruud. Paris should be another chance for Alcaraz to make a name for himself in the tennis world.
-Julien Alfred/St. Lucia – Athletics: One of the things I like to do each summer Olympics is keep an eye out for any athletes that just might win their nation’s first-ever medal. One with good chances is 23 year-old Julien Alfred from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Her talent was first noticed at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games when she won silver.in the 100m. When she enrolled at U of Texas and became part of the Longhorns track team, that’s when things improved. She won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and at last year’s World Championships, she finished fifth in the 100m and fourth in the 200m.
In the 100, her rivals include Sha’Carri, Shelly-Anne Fraser-Price and Marie-Josee Talon-Smith. In the 200, she will face challenges from Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the US’s Gabrielle Thomas and the UK’s Daryll Neita. The Olympics are known for upsets and Julien Alfred could prove to be one of the top upsetters in Paris.
-Spain Women’s National Football Team: When it comes to a nation like Spain, you figure they would greatly support their men’s football team but greatly overlook their women’s team. Over the last five years, the RFEF started taking their women more seriously. After the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Spain’s women’s team made huge improvements in the sport and even won the Women’s Works Cup last year. Despite the growing success of the team, the sexism the team has been facing has been greatly exposed. Before the WWC, players boycotted the team because of a lack of a tactical preparation and a controlling environment. After they won the WWC, there was the incident at the trophy ceremony where RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, unconsentually. The controversy sparked outrage in Spain which led Rubiales to resign and paved the way for better equality with Spain’s women’s team.
One thing about the reigning WWC champion is that they’ve never won the Olympic gold medal. Spain aims to end that bad luck curse. They could face tight rivalry from the WWC fourth-place team Australia and from the US and Germany who hope to improve greatly after their WWC disappointments. Even host-nation France could be a threat. Anything is possible at the 2024 Olympics and Spain’s team could just achieve another victory here.
Four From The Host Nation
France’s athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic games except 1904 and have won a total of 751 medals: 223 of them gold. That medal haul puts them 5th in the all-time total of Summer Olympic medals. The sports where they’ve won their most gold medals are in fencing, cycling (which they have the most total medals), judo, equestrian and sailing. Here in Paris, the French team look to greatly add to their legacy. Here are four athletes representing France to look out for:
-Leon Marchand/France – Swimming: France’s swimmers have won a total of 43 medals. Eight of them gold. So far no French swimmer has won two individual event gold medals. The possibility looks great for Leon Marchand. Back at the Tokyo Olympics, he was 19 at the time and didn’t win a medal. Since then, he has become the fastest all-around swimmer in the world. He has won the World Championships of both 2022 and 2023 in both individual medley events: 200m and 400m. 2023 had added bonuses as he broke Michael Phelps’ world record in the 400 from the 2008 Olympics and he also won a bonus gold in the 200m butterfly.
He will face rivalry here in Paris from the UK’s Duncan Scott and the US’s Carson Foster in the IM races. In the 200 fly, he will face rivalry from defending Olympic champion Krisztok Milak of Hungary and Tokyo silver medalist Tomoru Honda of Japan. If all goes well, Marchand should be able to delight the home-nation crowd.
-Joris Daudet, Sylvain André and Romain Mahieu/France – BMX Cycling: Usually when you think of France and cycling, you think road racing like the Tour De France. Even though France is still big in road racing, it has recently developed as a force in BMX racing! Franch riders have won a medal at every World Championships since 2016 and they’ve won the last two: Romain Mahieu winning last year and veteran Joris Daudet Winning this year. The caliber of talent of France’s BMX racers is so jam-packed, last year’s Worlds silver medalist Arthur Pilard didn’t make the Olympic team. Instead this year’s Worlds bronze medalist Sylvain André will be competing in Paris.
The most interesting thing is all three were finalists at the Tokyo Olympics. Despite the big predictions, it will all boil down to the races. In fact, Daudet has won World Championship medals since 2011 but has never won an Olympic medal. The anticipated sweep of the medals will face a challenge from defending Olympic champion Noel Kimmann and 2022 World Champion Simon Marquardt from Switzerland. Anything can happen in Paris and the French BMXers can deliver a performance for the ages.
And there you have it. There’s my look at foreign athletes to look out for at the upcoming Paris Olympics. My blog of Canadians to look out forl is coming soon.
Will Spain win its record-setting fourth Euro? Or will England win its first ever?
In the last while, I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about continental championships and some people going as far as saying some are jokes of tournaments. Continental or confederation championships are not jokes. I think it’s a good idea that the continent’s best play each other. Also they can be challenging competitions themselves. The opponents from your confederation know your team better than other teams in the world. You could win your continental championship one year but fail to qualify for the World Cup another year. They’re a tough competition all themselves.
The Euro has been one tough competition. The defending champions went out in the Round of 16, the bronze medalists from the World Cup went out in the Group Stage, the hosts went out in the quarterfinals and a finalist from the World Cup went out in the semifinals. 114 goals have been scored in the 50 matches, ten of them own-goals, seven red cards have been handed out as well as a total of over $1,000,000 in fines to national teams for bad fan behavior. Now it’s time for the dust to settle and for the final to be played. One team has won the Euro three times before and played in one additional previous final. The other team makes it their second consecutive Euro final which is also their second ever! So let’s have a look at the two Euro finalists. Spain and England: same two finalists as in the Women’s World Cup last year!
Head-To-Head Statistics:
They’ve met 27 times before in the past, including three past Euro games. Spain was won ten games, England won fourteen and three were ties.
Team Breakdown:
SPAIN:
We’ve seen a lot of teams who gave bad performances at the 2022 World Cup or teams that failed to qualify for Qatar continue to give a lackluster performance. On that same token, we also saw teams that did well in Qatar 2022 fall short here in Germany. There are also some teams that either did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup or did bad in Qatarthat have shown considerable improvement since. The most noticeable is Spain. La Furia Roja didn’t live up to their name at the 2022 World Cup as they were ousted in the Round Of 16 by eventual semifinalists Morocco. Immediately after, they hired a new coach: Luis de la Fuente. De la Fuente is a coach who likes to focus more on the young or on rising talents. A grassroots approach. It has paid off noticeably as last year, Spain won the UEFA Nations League final. Germany 2024 would show Spain had more to prove. Here in Germany, they’ve won every game without having to resort to a penalty shootout, scoring thirteen goals and only conceding three. Sure, their win over Germany in the quarterfinals came in added extra time but so far, Spain has had the best record of all teams at Euro 2024.
It’s obvious de la Fuente has assembled quite the tram for this Euro. We’ve seen excellent performances from defender Jesus Navas, midfielders Dani Olmo and Rodri, and the young gun of Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 the day before the Euro final! Judging by their play, Spain doesn’t appear to have any faults that would give notice of them losing the final. Mind you this is football and anything can happen. I’ve seen cases where the team with the more superior play before the final would end up losing. Basically Spain needs to play as consistently as they’ve been playing in Germany and not underestimate their opponent if they want to win their record-setting fourth Euro Cup. Besides I’ll bet Spaniards don’t want to hear any singing of “It’s Coming Home” at the end of the game!
ENGLAND: Before Euro 2024 started, the strength of the Three Lions were in question. It was here in his eight-year tenure as head manager of Team England that Gareth Southgate came under his biggest criticism. Even many of the veteran players like Harry Kane and Phil Foden were under question. Most critics would eventually be silenced as England did work its way to becoming finalists for the second Euro in a row. Despite topping Group C upon delivering the group’s only winning game, England has delivered by coming from behind each knockout game. First was the Round of 16 match against Slovakia that first appeared to end as a loss until Bellingham equalized near the end and Kane delivered the winner in added extra time. Then came the quarterfinal against Switzerland that ended as a 1-1 draw and England won on penalties. Then came the semifinal where what appeared to end as a 1-1 draw became a case of Ollie Watkins delivering the game winner in the 90th minute!
Southgate and Team England have done a lot to silence their critics and showcase a new English team. Over the eight years of Southgate, England has delivered a team with the most team unity in decades. Even their penalty kick results are a surprise. Before Southgate, England had only won a single penalty kick round in a major tournament. Since Southgate has taken over, they’ve won three. No doubt they want to win their first ever Euro. One thing Southgate, Kane, Bellingham and Bukayo Saka need to do is play better than they have in previous Euro games. In each of their knockout games, their opponent would score first. Their two winning games were a case of suddenly coming from behind. They can’t afford to do tricks like those in the Euro final. It’s too risky against a team like Spain. If they want to win, they need to be the most in control from the start. Also they can’t take the chance of drawing and going to penalty kicks. They may have won their quarterfinal but we all remember what happened in the last Euro final.
My Final Verdict: So many predictions from others. So many guesstimates. Yet nothing in football is guaranteed. I feel this will be a case where Spain will win 2-1.
And there you have it! That’s my prediction for the final of the 2024 European Championships. Expect it to be one intense evening!
After more than three weeks and 48 games, only four teams remain in contention.
If you thought the group play had a lot of crazy moments, the Round of 16 matches and quarterfinals have their share of shockers too. Where do I start? Starting with the quarterfinals, first came Switzerland surprising Italy 2-0. Any hopes of a comeback for Team Italy will have to be put on development. Just when England appeared to lose to Slovakia, a goal from Bellingham in the 90+5th minute saved them and the goal from Kane in the 91st minute kept them alive. Then what seemed to be a scoreless draw for Belgium vs. France became a winner for France thanks to Kolo Muani’s strike bouncing off Ventonghen’s knee. A scoreless Portugal-Slovenia game saw a penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo stopped.
Then came the quarterfinals. In the very first match, Spain vs. Germany, lots of shockers as an 89th-minute goal from Germany’s Wirtz prevented Spain from winning in regulation. Then a 119th minute goal from Spain’s Merino stopped any hope for a penalty kicks round for the hosts. What would be Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth Euro would become the first and only where he doesn’t score a goal. What would become yet another scoreless draw for Portugal, France beat them in penalties. England not only had the rare case of winning a game on penalty shootout in their match against Switzerland but they sank all five! To end it all, Netherlands arrived late but won it despite Turkey’s attempt for a big comeback.
Now that the first rounds of the knockout stage are done, it’s the semifinals. Three of the semifinalists have already won the Euro at least once before. The other was a finalist at the last Euro for their first time ever and missed winning its first Championship “by that much!” The quarterfinal winners from Friday’s games will play Tuesday’s match and the quarterfinal winners of Saturday’s matches will play Wednesday’s match. With that in mind, here’s my look at the two semifinals and my predictions:
SEMIFINAL #1: SPAIN vs. FRANCE
Head-To-Head Stuff: The two teams have squared off 36 times before. Spain have won 16 times, France has won 13 times and seven were draws.
Team-By-Team Analysis
SPAIN:La Furia Roja have won the Euro three times before. Here in Germany they came to this tournament in an unknown situation. They were out at the 2022 World Cup in the Round Of 16 but came back to win the UEFA Nations League this past year. Here in Germany, they appear to be the team that’s delivered best. Their group stage play was straight wins without even conceding a goal. Their Round Of 16 match against Georgia started with an own-goal but they made up for it by scoring four for themselves. They faced a tough challenge against Germany in the quarterfinal but hung in to win 2-1 in added extra time.
With five wins, eleven goals and two conceded, Spain looks to be in top form to win. It’s also something one should not rush into thinking. Even they can face stiff challenges from their highly-ranked opponents. Their win over Italy came on an own goal and was the only goal of the match. Their win over Germany was in added extra time. Even though France’s play has been lacklustre here in Germany, they should not underestimate them or they could be in trouble.
FRANCE: I honestly think Les Bleus are the luckiest team here at the Euro so far. Their first game was a 1-0 win over Austria due to an own-goal from Wober. Their game against the Netherlands was a scoreless draw and their game against Poland was a 1-1 draw. In the Round of 16, they again benefited from an own-goal as Kolo Muani’s strike bounced off Ventonghen’s knee. In their quarterfinal, their game against Portugal went scoreless but a perfect five-set of penalty kicks gave France the win.
It’s easy to label France’s success at this Euro as being “by fluke.” Two 1-0 wins won by an own-goal, having two of the six 0-0 draws of this Euro, only three goals for them and the only one that wasn’t an own-goal was a penalty by Mbappe against Poland. If France wants to win their third Euro ever, they will have to come alive in the semi because Spain will deliver a challenge where their luck could run out on Tuesday.
My Final Verdict: Will Spain continue its winning ways of play? Will France’s lucking out continue in the semis? I think Spain will take it 2-0. I have more faith that consistent play will pay off that night.
SEMIFINAL #2: THE NETHERLANDS vs. ENGLAND
Head-To-Head Stuff: They have met 22 times before including two Euro meetings; the last being in 1996 which England hosted. Past results are The Netherlands won seven games, England won six, and nine are draws.
Team-By-Team Analysis
THE NETHERLANDS: They’ve won one Euro before; back in 1988. No doubt they want to do it again. Oranje has the talent to do it again with the likes of Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay. They also have the play to achieve their second Euro. Their 3-0 win over Romania shows they know how to dominate. Their 2-1 win over Turkey in the quarterfinals also shows they know how to come from behind.
They’ve also shown some vulnerability during this tournament. That was evident in their scoreless draw to France and their 3-2 loss to Austria caused by an own-goal by Donyell Malen near the start. Even their win over Turkey was a concern as they only came alive in the last 25 minutes. If they want to win the semifinal, they can’t afford to give anything away. Especially if they’re playing England.
ENGLAND: They’re the team many love to hate. They boast the best combined football talent in the world but they have the habit of falling short in major tournaments. Nevertheless The Three Lions are able to pull the unexpected. In group play, their 1-0 win over Serbia was the only game in Group C that wasn’t a draw. That sole win of the group put them in first of Group C. What appeared looming to be a 1-0 loss to Slovakia in the Round Of 16 was ended thanks to a last-minute goal from Jude Bellingham and an almost -immediate goal from Harry Kane to win. Then their quarterfinal against Switzerland ended in a 1-1. Usually penalty kicks are England’s biggest weakness but they sank all five of their openers en route to the win.
No question England is talented. They have a lot of talent. They also have one of their best coaches in decades. Nevertheless as we’ve seen in play here, England can underplay. They often deliver short of what they’re capable of and we’ve seen it in the past as well as at this very Euro. Holding back and not arriving until the last few minutes of the game can cost them in the semifinals. Additionally, coach Gareth Southgate has received criticism for some of his coaching decisions. Decision here will affect if he continues on as team manager or if his eight-year stint ends here.
My Final Verdict: I know this will be a tight match with it being against two of the toughest European teams. I predict the game will end as a 1-1 draw and The Netherlands will win on penalty kicks.
And there you have it. Those are my thoughts on the two semifinals and my predictions for the winners of the games. Hard to believe the final is just a week away!
The image above shows the flags of the sixteen nations still in the running. The whole point of those 36 games of group play is to reduce the field of 24 to the 16 most worthy of advancing. After that, each round is a knockout match to pare down the field to the two to square off for the Euro Cup. The group play was quite interesting. A hat trick wasn’t scored but a lot of brilliant goals. There were four 0-0 games. I hate 0-0 games! There were a lot of controversial referee calls. Also a lot of shockers from teams one wouldn’t consider a favorite but made it through. For all the teams, none of the teams had a case of losing all three games. One group was a case of only a single win and the rest draws to decide. Another group was a case all four teams had a win, a loss and a draw. It must have been tough to decide the finishing order, which they eventually did.
On Saturday the 29th starts the knockout rounds. After all that group play to narrow the 24 to 16, the upcoming Round Of 16 is just a single game for each team to narrow the field of 16 to 8. The layout for the Round of 16 doesn’t make the same clear sense as the Round of 16 in a 32-team World Cup, but this is how UEFA arranges it. I just hope the tournament ends up with the right two in the final. In the meantime, here are my predictions for each match. Matches are in chronological order and my prediction for the winner will be bolded:
ROUND OF 16
Switzerland (Group A 2nd.) vs. Italy (Group B 2nd.): Switzerland finished 2nd in Group A without a loss. It all started with a 3-1 win to Hungary, then 1-1 draws to both Scotland and Germany. Italy opened well against Albania 2-1, lost to Spain 1-0 thanks to an own-goal and drew 1-1 against Croatia in the stoppage time at the end. For this match, I predict Switzerland to win on penalty kicks. The last time Switzerland lost to Italy was 1993.
Germany (Group A 1st.) vs. Denmark (Group C 2nd.): Being the host nation, Germany knew they had to deliver, and deliver well! They did just that opening the Euro with a 5-1 win over Scotland and a 2-0 win over Hungary. Their qualification guaranteed, they could afford to draw 1-1 against Switzerland. Denmark had the good fortune of drawing all three games in their group: 1-1 draws to Slovenia and England and ending with a scoreless draw to Serbia. For this game, I predict Germany to win because they’ve been better at delivering this tournament and making wins happen.
England (Group C 1st.) vs. Slovakia (Group D/E/F 3rd.) Group C was the group where five of the six games were draws. England delivered the only win: 1-0 against Serbia. With their scoreless draw to Slovenia and 1-1 draw to Denmark, that was enough to make them top Group C. Slovakia was in a group that was just as tight. All four Group E teams had a win, a draw and a loss. Slovakia’s win was to Belgium 1-0, their loss to Ukraine 2-1, and their draw to Romania 1-1. For this game I predict England. England has never lost to Slovakia in the six times they played. A single draw at Euro 2016 but never lost.
Spain (Group B 1st.) vs. Georgia (Group D/E/F 3rd.): Spain had it’s win of Group B guaranteed after the second game! They opened 3-1 against Croatia and did 2-1 against Italy. Their 1-0 win over Albania just was a bonus for straight wins. Georgia went from the surprise of qualifying to the surprise of this tournament. They lost their opener to Turkey 3-1, came back to draw against Czechia 1-1 and then win to Portugal 2-0. For this match, I predict Spain. The two have met head-to-head seven times and Spain only lost to Georgia once. Spain won the rest of the times..
France (Group D 2nd.) vs. Belgium (Group E 2nd.): A classic match! France finished second in Group D starting with a 1-0 win over Austria, the only Group F team to beat Austria, a scoreless draw to the Netherlands and a 1-1 draw to Poland. Belgium started their Group E play with a surprise 1-0 loss to Slovakia, then came back with a 2-0 win to Romania and ended with a scoreless draw to Ukraine. For this, I think this will go to a draw with France winning on penalty kicks.
Portugal (Group F 1st.) vs. Slovenia (Group A/B/C 3rd.): Portugal not only clinched qualification after their first two games, but they also clinched first place in Group F in the process! A 2-1 win over Czechia and a 3-0 win over Turkey is all it took. They could afford to lose to Georgia 2-0 and still top Group F! Slovenia was straight draws with 1-1 to Denmark, 1-1 to Serbia and ended with scoreless against Denmark. Despite the same goal differentials as Denmark, their extra yellow card caused them to finish third in the group. Portugal look on target but I think the game will go to Slovenia. Why? In the one time they ever met, a friendly just three months ago, Slovenia won 2-0.
Romania (Group E 1st.) vs. The Netherlands (Group A/C/D 3rd.): Romania began Group E with a 3-0 win over Ukraine, then endured a 2-0 loss to Belgium and ended it with a 1-1 draw to Slovakia. The Netherlands also had their own win, loss and draw in Group D. They began with a 2-1 win over Poland, a scoreless draw to France and a surprise 3-2 loss to Austria. The two have met 13 times and Netherlands have won nine times. I predict Netherlands to win again.
Austria (Group D 1st.) vs. Turkey (Group F 2nd.): Nobody expected Austria to go too far at Euro 2024. Even their 1-0 to France thanks to an own-goal didn’t help. Then came their 3-1 win over Poland and their 3-2 win over the Netherlands en route to topping Group D. Maybe Austria is a stronger team than we thought! Turkey began Euro 2024 with a 3-1 win over Georgia, endured a 3-0 loss to Portugal and came back to a 2-1 win over Czechia. The last time Austria and Turkey met was three months ago and Austria won 6-1. I expect Austria to win again.
QUARTERFINALS
Why do I predict quarterfinals before I even know who the quarterfinalists are? Do you know how tiring writing is? Anyways as in past years, I plan to take a short break and not publish my next Euro blog until just before the semifinals. With that in mind, I’ll go as if my predictions for the Round of 16 matches actually came true. So here are my thoughts:
Spain vs. Germany – They frequently meet and the results alternate: 26 previous meetings; 8 Spain wins; 9 Germany wins; 9 draws. I think this will be a tight match leading into a penalty kick round which Germany will win.
Slovenia vs. France – They’ve met three times in the past and France has won each time. Even though their last previous meeting was over 20 years ago, I don’t think much has changed. I expect France to win again.
Netherlands vs. Austria – It’s possible two teams that clashed in the Group stage could meet again this soon. If they do meet again, I anticipate a draw game with Netherlands to win on penalties.
England vs. Switzerland – They’ve met 27 times before but England has won nineteen times. I’m not expecting much to change this time so I think it will be a win for England again.
And there you have it. Those are predictions for the Round of 16 matches and my ‘estimates’ for the quarterfinals. All we have to do is wait for the games to play to see who really wins. In the meantime, you’ll get my next blog where I predict the semifinals.
How about that? All 24 teams have completed their second game, or Matchday 2. There’s only one last group game to play and that will finalize the Group Stage standings and determine the qualifiers for the knockout rounds.
This year, there is an interesting allotment of the types of teams playing, but there are certain types of teams here in Germany that have stood out the most. We have teams who appeared to have lost their greatness before now playing hard to get it back. We have teams demonstrating their known consistency. We have underdogs surprising fans with wins over big guns. We also have teams that had a “Golden Generation” for many years that looks like their luster is running out and the younger players haven’t been well-trained to keep their team’s prowess active.
Now there’s only one game remaining in the Group Stage. That’s commonly referred to as ‘Matchday 3.’ Three teams right now have already guaranteed qualification by winning their first two games. With more than two groups having at least one draw game, two wins are a guarantee for qualification at this stage. Two of those teams have also already guaranteed a first-place finish in their group because of their win over the team in second place. Here at Euro, head-to-head results supersede goal differentials which the World Cup uses to to be the top tie-breaker in group rankings. In addition, only one team is guaranteed elimination already. Right now, the fates of twenty teams are still unknown and they will all need Matchday 3 to decide everything.
With one game to go, here’s my look at the teams in each of the Euro 2024 groups and what they need to qualify. Teams that have already qualified will be bolded. Group titles will contain links to my original group blogs:
Some could say Germany did it in the very opening game. That remains to be seen. What is a fact is Germany won both their opening games and the hosts have guaranteed themselves qualification to the knockout round! A 5-1 against Scotland in the opener and their 2-0 win over Hungary did it. Second in the standings is Switzerland with their 3-1 win over Hungary and a 1-1 draw against Scotland. Germany and Switzerland meet for their last game. Switzerland can guarantee qualification with a draw. Even if they lose, the are still assured a top-three finish and are in conformable standings to qualify, though it’s not guaranteed. Their play against Germany will decide it all.
Of the teams in Group A that have not won a match, Scotland is third with a 5-1 loss to Germany and a 1-1 draw to Switzerland. At the bottom is Hungary with a 3-1 loss to Switzerland and a 2-0 loss to Germany. Both teams will face each other Sunday. No doubt that in order to have qualifying chances for the knockout round, either team must win. Despite the advantage of a draw to Switzerland, a draw against Hungary will not be enough for Scotland to qualify with two draws and a big loss. Even if Hungary wins over Scotland, it’s game results and goal differentials that will decide if their among the four wildcard teams that advance.
Spain did it! They opened with a 3-0 win over Croatia and a 1-0 win against Italy thanks to an own goal from Riccardo Calafiore. Their two wins guarantee them qualification no matter what happens in Game 3. Their win over Italy guarantees them first place in Group B! Although Italy’s qualification is not guaranteed, the Azzurri are second with their 2-1 win over Albania. A draw against Croatia is all they need to qualify.
For the two teams at the bottom, Albania and Croatia, they still have qualification chances with both having a loss and a draw but for both teams, they need nothing less than a win to qualify. That will be a nail biter especially because both teams will face a highly touted opponent on Matchday 3; Albania will face Spain and Croatia will face Italy. After that 2-2 draw, Albania has an advantage because they have less of a goal differential. Nevertheless it’s down to the wire for both teams in a must-win situation. I don’t call Group B the Group Of Death for nothing!
Sometimes in group play, you can get some groups that are quite decisive in who are the biggest and best in the group. Other times, the play in the group will be hard to decipher who are the powers of the group. Group C is that group as it’s hard to tell who are the better teams. Four games have been played and three of them were 1-1 draws. The only game where a winner was declared was England’s 1-0 win over Serbia. That lone win puts England at the top of the group and with very comfortable chances to qualify. I’ve been calling Group B the “Group Of Death” because of the caliber of the teams but it looks like with the closeness of play at Euro 2024, Group C should be called the “Group Of Death.”
Actually right now, none of the teams have enough points to qualify, but none of the teams are out. All four are still eligible. Despite England having it best, both Slovenia and Denmark have it good with two tie games each. A win from either will solidify qualifying. At the very least, a draw could help either of them for a wildcard berth as three draws is three game points and even goal differentials. Serbia still has qualifying chances but being the one team in Group C to take a loss, they will need nothing less than a win to qualify. Two draws and a loss won’t cut it in the wildcard third-place runoff.
Group D has a unique situation. None of the teams have guaranteed qualification and one team is out of contention. The three teams that still have chances will need Matchday 3 to decide anything and everything. Leading the group are the Netherlands and France with a win and a draw each. The Netherlands opened well with a 2-1 win over Poland while France won over Austria 1-0 thanks to an own-goal by Maximilian Wober. The two teams played each other on Friday but it ended a scoreless draw. If you ask me, there are a lot of big name teams that are not playing like they want it. A simple draw can guarantee qualification for either team.
Austria opened up with the hard luck of a 1-0 loss to France thanks to Wober’s own goal. When they faced Poland, it was a surprise 3-1 win for Austria. That win is crucial for Austria’s qualifying chances, but their match against the Netherlands will decide things. As for Poland, they’re out. They lost 2-1 to the Netherlands and 3-1 to Austria. Even if they win their game against France and Austria loses, Austria will still have the advantage for their win over Poland. The head-to-head factor.
Sigh. That subject about the ‘Group Of Death’ again! Group E is another group worthy of being labeled the Group Of Death because of the play so far. Talk about tight play! All four teams of Group E are even. All four had a win and a loss. Teams most people thought would not be among contenders delivered surprise wins at the start and keep their qualifying chances healthy. I’m not sure if there are any specific head-to-head rules that explain the current rankings, but the goal differentials look to be what’s deciding the current rankings. Despite losing to Belgium 2-0, Romania leads thanks to their 3-0 win over Ukraine while Belgium takes second due to their 1-0 loss to Slovakia. Slovakia is third because of even goal differentials after their 2-1 loss to Ukraine and Ukraine is at the bottom as the one nation with negative goal differentials thanks to their 3-0 loss to Romania.
Any of the four can qualify. Thanks to all four having a win and a loss, none have guaranteed qualification and none are out and it will take Matchday 3 to decide everything. Slovakia will play Romania and Ukraine will play Belgium. If both games are draws, only then would the current standings factor in qualification. It will have to be a case of either both games having a winner and a loser or the case of one game having a winner and the other drawing in order to decide the qualifiers to the next round.
There must be something about being a team from the Iberian Peninsula this year because Portugal not only qualified but like Spain, they too guaranteed top of their group! It took a 2-1 win over Czechia and a 3-0 win over Turkey to solidify it! Even if they lose to Georgia on Wednesday and Turkey wins, Portugal will still finish first because of their win over Turkey.
Despite the loss, Turkey is second in the group and has good chances to qualify. Turkey can still qualify if they draw, even if Georgia wins. For both Czechia and Georgia, both teams will need nothing less than a win to qualify. Their 1-1 draw against each other keeps them in contention but a win needs to happen for either to qualify. Especially for the third-place wildcard berths because the two third-place teams with the lowest game results will join the fourth-place teams from each group packing for home sooner than they hoped!
And there you have it! That’s my summary for the Euro 2024 groups with Matchday 3 being all that’s left for all 24 teams. It will be interesting to learn of the other thirteen that advance and the seven others that get an earlier-than-hoped return home!
It’s crazy how they arrange these groups. Sometimes you wonder how do they organize these draws? Especially if you look at Group B. Of all groups in this Euro, Group B is the one group that can best be called the “group of death.” Look at the roster of teams! Three of them are ranked in FIFA’s most recent Top 10! Not only that but three of those teams were also in Group C in Euro 2012! Coincidence? Hmmm.
For those curious about what happened in 2012, Euro 2012 was a case only the Top 2 qualified. Spain and Italy not only qualified, but they would go on to be the two finalists, which Spain won!
In the meantime, let’s see how the four teams of Group B stack up and which teams will be the qualifiers:
-Spain (8):La Furia Roja may often come across as the World Cup’s greatest underachievers but they do very little underachieving at the Euro. Just like Germany, Spain also has three Euro wins. They were also semi finalists in the previous Euro tournament. They continued their achievements last year as they won the UEFA Nations League. The two Nations League teams they played against last year, Spain will be facing again right here in group play! One thing to point out about Spain is they’ve had a habit of slacking off in the early stages of group play and they can’t afford to do it here!
Spain is currently managed by Luis de la Fuente who has managed the team since their Round Of 16 ouster at the 2022 World Cup. The team is a mix of young and old and most play in Spain’s La Liga. Since then, they’ve had impressive wins over Norway, Italy, and Georgia, drawn against Brazil and Croatia in the Nations League final (which they won on penalty kicks) , had a win and a loss to Scotland and lost to Colombia. Germany is another chance for Spain to excel and possibly win a record-setting fourth Euro trophy!
-Croatia (10): I don’t call Vatreni or The Blazers “the little nation that can” for nothing. A nation under 5 million people and they’ve finished in the Top 3 in three World Cups including third in the most recent World Cup of 2022! Euro play, however, tells a different story. Ever since their existence as their own nation, they’ve qualified for the Euro six out of seven times, they’ve progressed to the knockout round four times, but have never won a knockout match at the Euro. That’s something to take into account.
Croatia has been managed by Zlatko Dalic since 2017. The legendary Luka Modric is the team captain. He will be joined by greats like forward Ivan Perisic, midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Nikola Vlasic and defenders Domagoj Vida and Josko Gvardiol. Their play since the 2022 World Cup has included wins against Netherlands, Armenia, Portugal and Egypt, a win and a loss to Turkey and a draw and a loss to Wales. This Euro is a chance for Croatia to go further than they ever have at the tournament, and even possibly win. Don’t count them out.
-Italy (9): The Gli Azzurri have always been seen as a major powerhouse in football with their superb showings at the Euro and the World Cup. Now they’re an enigma. Ever since they won the World Cup in 2006, they followed it up with two straight outs in the Group Stage and they’ve failed to qualify for the last two World Cups. Their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup was especially shocking since they won the Euro 2020 eight months earlier and they looked like they were on their way to redeeming themselves.
Since then, the Italian system had to reform itself and they hired Napoli’s Luciano Spalletti as the national coach back in September 2023. The lineup for Italy’s team for the Euro consists of all but three players who play for Italy’s Serie A, eight members who were part of Italy’s Euro-winning team from three years ago and only one from the last World Cup team Italy sent back in 2014! The focus as of late has been getting new talent to rise. Since World Cup 2022 ended, they’ve acquired wins against the Netherlands, Ukraine, Ecuador, Bosnia-Hercegovina and even got revenge against North Macedonia who ended their World Cup 2022 chances! They’ve also had a draw to Turkey and losses to England and Spain. Euro 2024 offers a chance for Italy to redeem itself and regain its reputation as a football great.
-Albania (66): It’s tempting to dismiss the Kuqezinjtë as the weakest link of this group. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions. They’ve won a Euro qualifying game against Portugal in 2014, a friendly against France in 2015, a friendly against Wales in 2018, and both World Cup 2022 qualifying match against Hungary in 2021. Even in their first Euro back in 2016, they achieved a win over Romania. Although they’ve always lost against Italy and Spain and has never played Croatia, history has proven Albania can deliver a shocker. Even their play in the last year helped them move from a C status in UFEA’s Nations League to a B status.
Maybe their recent success is because since the very beginning of 2023, they’ve been coached by a Brazilian: Sylvinho. His coaching has led the team to five wins in eleven games and qualifying for only their second Euro. None of Albania’s team play in teams in their own country and most play in teams for Italy’s Serie A. They’ve achieved wins against Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and the Faroe Islands, a win and a draw to Czechia and Moldova, a win and a loss to Poland, and a loss to Sweden. Germany 2024 is an opportunity for Albania to deliver a shocker of a result and even qualify. Never rule Albania out!
My Predictions: The crazy thing about a group called “Group Of Death” is that eventually predictors will still have to rank first from fourth. It will be a close one which I feel will have the most draws. In the end, I will have to go with recent Nation’s League action and I feel Spain will top, Croatia will be second. Italy will be third but will have enough points and stats to qualify.
And there you go. That’s my look at the four teams of Euro 2024’s Group B. It may be seen by most as the “group of death,” but don’t rule out the other groups. They could have tight rivals too.
Victor Clavijo stars as a Spanish marksman/farmer who seems to be possessed by something supernatural in The Wait.
With the VIFF ending the following day (October 8th) and Halloween about to come, it’s natural to want to see at least one more Altered States film. Though the Spanish film The Wait doesn’t have your common Halloween scariness, it does give you the fear and suspense you look for in such a film.
It is 1973 in the Andalusian countryside. A hunter named Eladio agrees to supervise the hunting grounds of land belonging to Don Francisco. He supervises one of ten grounds Don Francisco owns. He brings his wife Marcia and his son Floren to live on the land, but soon learns the land he supervises is quite desolate. He’s able to take Floren practice shooting, but Marcia is unhappy. She lets him know how much he let her down.
As his service comes close to reaching three years, Don Carlos, Don Francisco’s second in command, offers him a bribe to add an additional three stands to the area. Eladio is reluctant but Marcia wants him to accept since money has been scarce with his duty. Eladio accepts, unaware of what lays ahead. One day, Eladio takes Floren out practice shooting. Other marksmen are on the site. Out of nowhere, a bullet hits Floren in the head. Eladio is heartbroken but Marcia is devastated. She soon commits suicide. How can all these troubles happen to Eladio all at once?
Eladio soon becomes an alcoholic and finds himself in a violent nature he can’t control. The dog also shows moments of violent behavior. Eladio also notices bizarre images during his drunken hallucinations like slaughtered chickens, a goat’s head, and a human toenail in his stew. He sees Marcia in one of his hallucinations, but she curses him. Another hallucination, he sees Floren. He hopes to reunite, but instead sees Floren bloodied from the accident and reminds Eladio of the wrong he did and he will pay.
As the days get closer to the end of the lease, Eladio is frustrated and he goes to the mansion of Don Francisco. He notices something disturbing. He first sees a photograph of a family from three years ago on the land, and another photograph of another family three years earlier on that same land, and another and another. Eladio is scared. Is he part of a trap? Were those families in the photo also subject to that very curse Eladio is going through and claimed his family?
The day finally comes. It’s the end of the three years. Eladio faces up to Don Francisco at his mansion, but he also faces up to Don Carlos, Marcia, Floren and all the families of the other men who accepted that same bribe before. Their fate for what they accepted now becomes Eladio’s. The ending will have you at the edge of your seat.
This is a film that lets the suspense build slowly. The film starts as a man who made a bad purchase on the land and his wife lets him know it. Then the bribe starts the series of misfortunes such as the son’s accidental shooting death and the wife’s suicide. They all seem tragic, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a curse. It’s only until a short time before the lease is set to expire we learn there is a curse. Eladio senses it before we do and unravels it before our eyes. This is a curse that has plagued the families who also leased the land before him. It seems as though Don Francisco has this cursed land to set up families for their tragic fate and we learn about it as Eladio slowly learns about it. Don Francisco even told him about treating the land like family and if one betrays family, he will pay. It seems as though that contract from Don Francisco isn’t simply a three-year lease on the land but something that can be a loyalty test that could end up a “death warrant.” Anything that should be labeled a “death warrant” only kills the individual, but this is something that robs Eladio of prosperity, his family, his possessions, his colleagues and eventually himself. Just like those that leased the land before him! Did they also fall prey to a bribe like Eladio’s?
Another thing that grabs me about this film is that it’s estimated to be set in the year 1973. I find that as something of intrigue to me since Spain was under the fascist regime of dictator Francisco Franco at the time. I have seen two other films that were set during Franco-era Spain: Pan’s Labyrinth and Pa Negre. I’ve come to sense that Franco-era Spain is a common theme in a lot of Spanish film. It’s a period of their history that’s long passed but hard to overcome. Even though there are no specific signs in this film pointing to it, I do sense certain elements in the film reflecting the harshness of that era. Things like how farmers had limited prosperity back then, things like how Eladio was illiterate, and things like corrupt ownership. It can leave one thinking that.
The film itself is intended to be a paranormal thriller. One thing about it is it’s a story that slowly builds over time. The film begins with a slow melodramatic start. It’s when the tragedies in Eladio’s life happen that the story changes and the aftermath when the bizarre and the supernatural occur. The film does a good job in building itself as time progresses, leading up to the climactic finish. At the same time, this appears to be a film that tries to mix many genres together. That’s very tricky to do. The film doesn’t do a stellar accomplishment of trying to mix film genres together but it does a very good job here.
This film is a great work from director/writer F. Javier Gutierrez. This is only his third film in which he’s written and directed. It’s a very impressive work in taking dramatic story and mixing various film genres and styles together into what would eventually become a paranormal thriller. He tells his story not just with the dialogue but also with imagery and effective cinematography that adds to the story. I feel Gutierrez did a very good job, despite the film starting off slow.
Also adding to the story is the acting of Victor Clavijo. With him being the protagonist Eladio, he adds to the story’s intensity with his moments of silence as much as adds to it with the dialogue. Those with supporting roles added to the story and the drama, despite how short of a time they had. The cinematography from Miguel Angel Mora adds to the story and the musical score from Zeltia Montes adds to the intensity.
This film has been able to earn some accolades in the film festival circuit. It’s nominations and wins include: the Official Fantastic Competition at the Sitges – Catalonian Festival; Audience Award for Best Film at the Oldenburg Film Festival; five nominations including Best Director and Best Cinematography at the FilmQuest Festival; Clavijo winning Best Actor and Gutierrez nominated for Best Director at the ScreamFest; and two wins and the Audience Award for Best Picture at the Fantastic Fest.
The Wait is a film about a supernatural curse. It builds slowly, but the suspense greatly builds near the end. Definitely a film that will get your attention.
Jon The Blogcentric 