So maybe it is all true. Maybe the years of hurt are soon to end, the barren World Cup landscape soon to be filled with the gleaming gold trophy, street parties to go on for months and 2018 to go down in history as the year they finally did it. Yes, maybe, just maybe, football is coming home to Sweden. Or England. Or likely Brazil. Or five of the other countries still left in the tournament. Yes, it wasn't a dream/nightmare, England did really win a penalty shootout in the World Cup and, with that, advance to the quarter-finals where they will meet Sweden on Saturday at 3pm. Ken Early was in Moscow to witness Jordan Pickford's brilliant save and Eric Dier's winning penalty and he writes that this England team is even perhaps a bit German in how they go about their business. Now that's a scary thought.
Meanwhile, Mary Hannigan discusses the very real possibility that England may actually win the World Cup. As Eamon Dunphy pointed out before the game, there was a "massive prize" on offer to the victors in Moscow: "Sweden in the quarter-finals?!? And then Croatia or Russia?!? And then you're in the final! Football's coming home, baby!" The sad news is that there is now a full two-day, 48-hour break in the football but don't despair, the sun is shining outside so maybe go and sample some fresh air and come back just in time for Friday at 3pm when France take on Uruguay. You can find all four of the quarter-final fixtures as well as much more on our World Cup website.
Moving on to GAA and Darragh Ó Sé writes in his column this week that Kildare cannot enjoy their victory over Mayo for too long as they must now knuckle down for a crunch qualifier against Fermanagh. "The build-up to the Mayo game was like a bar of chocolate in the middle of the afternoon. The sugar rush wears off fairly quickly from something like that. And once you eat it, it's gone. You can't eat the same bar of chocolate twice," he writes.
Meanwhile, Donegal are the latest side to kick up a fuss about venues after they released a statement late last night questioning why Dublin get to play two Super 8 games in Croke Park. "C.L.G. Dhún na nGall are to seek a meeting with GAA Officials to seek clarification on how any County may use a Ground as both Neutral and a Home venue," the statement read.
In his column this morning Seán Moran writes about Galway v Kerry in the football championship going up against the World Cup final and howthe world outside can't stop the Gael playing. "The GAA has in the past switched fixtures around to avoid clashes with Ireland's involvement in major international sports events. This would have been influenced by the experience of going gung-ho up against big tournament matches in which the soccer team was playing," he writes.
On to golf and, on the eve of the Irish Open at Ballyliffin, Shane Lowry says that he hasn't hit the panic button just yet despite his uninspiring current form. Lowry is currently 90th in the world and, by his own admission, struggling to play both the PGA Tour and the European Tour at the same time, "Playing both tours, travelling literally all over the world, it's not been easy. My golf has suffered. When this season comes to a close on the PGA Tour I'm going to have to sit down and have a look at it, and see what I'm doing going forward."
Meanwhile, the greenkeepers have been hard at work to stop the good weather completely parching the Bayyliffin links by using an innovative irrigation system ahead of this week's Rolex Series event.
