The Final
Portugal v France
Sunday, July 10 @ 3:00 PM ET
Current Bracket (image from wikipedia.org)
Portugal v France
Today marks the conclusion of this amazing tournament. This evening, one team will be crowned champions of Europe. It will either be Portugal or France, as the two square off for the title at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (just outside Paris). At first, there were 54 nations competing for the championship. That was reduced to 24 for the main tournament. That was then cut down to 16 for the knockout round. Then there were 8. Then 4. And now, there are only 2. Tonight, there will be 1. One champion of Europe.
Despite finishing 3rd in Group F, Portugal has come to life in the knockout round, winning each of their first 3 matches to advance to the only the second final in their nation's history (the other being the 2004 Euro Final, where they lost to Greece 1-0). On the other hand, France topped group A, and since then, never looked back, winning 3 convincing knockout-round victories to advance to the final.
This match will be close. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are a strong side and will give France a hard time. But overall, I believe France is too strong a team for the Portuguese. They have been absolutely excellent, and play a strong, team-oriented game. The entire nation has unified behind this team, and that only gives the team more momentum. They will win this final in their main national stadium in front of their own fans, and bring the trophy back to France for the first time since 2000.
Prediction: France wins 2-1
Also, check out my Copa America blog here: copa2016usa.blogspot.com
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