The World Cup is nearly over and life is nearly ready to return to normal but not just quite yet, we still have two more matches to keep the flame burning before normality resumes. Unfortunately for England they will be competing in the first of those matches – the third place playoff against Belgium tomorrow night – and, judging by the way some people were talking before the semi-final you would have thought that wasn't a possibility at all. Croatia certainly used the English overconfidence as motivation in their extra-time win and, as Ken Early writes from Moscow, the whole 'It's Coming Home' feeling probably played a big part in England's downfall in the end. However, the Croatians are not shy of confidence either with Luka Modric saying after the game that the English media should learn to be more humble while Dejan Lovren seems to think he is now one of the best defenders in the world. This all comes to the backdrop of utter chaos in the Croatian FA while Modric himself is in the midst of a perjury case. Our man in Moscow, Emmet Malone, sheds more light on the unlikely World Cup finalists.
It's quite the weekend of sport we have to look forward to (and you can find all of the information you need in our weekend guide) with the Super 8s getting underway while we also have two All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals. After their loss to Galway in the Leinster final replay last week, Jackie Tyrrell writes that the Kilkenny flame burns only brighter in times of trouble and that these players know well the positions they hold in the community and the responsibility that comes with it. The Cats meet Limerick in Thurles on Sunday while Wexford take on Clare in the other quarter-final tomorrow. On the football side of things the much-anticipated Super 8s get underway with the double headers of Tyrone v Roscommon and Donegal v Dublin on Saturday before Kildare meet Monaghan and Galway take on Kerry on Sunday. Seán Moran writes this morning that this weekend bears a striking resemblance of a memorable weekend in 1992.
On Saturday Serena Williams will go in search of a record-breaking 24th grand slam title at Wimbledon after she saw off Julia Georges yesterday and it all comes just 16 months after multiple surgeries during pregnancy and a time when she could barely walk to her front door. It really is a remarkable comeback from the American and, if she is to beat Angelique Kerber on Centre Court tomorrow, it will go down in the annals of Wimbledon history. In the men's draw the semi-finals get underway today with Roger Federer's conquerer Kevin Anderson taking on John Isner while Rafale Nadal meets Novak Djokovic. At Wimbledon for us is Johnny Watterson who writes that Isner is far from shy in his support for Donald Trump and the American hopes his president may even pop into the Royal Box to take in some of the action today.
In France Dan Martin yesterday won a stage of the Tour de France for the first time since 2013 when he held off Pierre Latour up the hill in Mur de Bretangne to give himself a boost in the general classification as well. From western France, Shane Stokes writes about the Irishman's achievement.
There was disappointment for Shamrock Rovers and Derry City in Europe last night while Dundalk leave Tallinn with a slender advantage. Rovers were beaten 1-0 at home by AIK of Sweden in the first leg of their Europa League first round qualifier while Derry's chances were all but ended by a 2-0 win for Dinamo Minsk at the Brandywell. Meanwhile, Dylan Connolly grabbed the only goal of the game for Dundalk in Estonia to put Stephen Kenny's side in the driving seat to progress.
