{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Mathematical 7","provider_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7","title":"Approaching the finish line! - Mathematical 7","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"K4QfP8NPLw\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/approaching-the-finish-line\/\">Approaching the finish line!<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/approaching-the-finish-line\/embed\/#?secret=K4QfP8NPLw\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Approaching the finish line!&#8221; &#8212; Mathematical 7\" data-secret=\"K4QfP8NPLw\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Russia_2018.png","thumbnail_width":168,"thumbnail_height":186,"description":"At the time I am writing this on Thursday night there 8 teams left standing on the podium of the World Cup. By the time you are reading me on Saturday or Sunday morning that the number of teams would have reduced to 4.Between Thursday and Friday, the men would have been separated from the boys at the Russia 2018 World Cup which is fast approaching the finish line. In the absence of the Super Eagles, a team I passionately followed and willed to be amongst those that would still be standing at this point, purely based on reckless patriotic optimism, I have thrown the rest of all my weight behind England.I will be exercising the franchise of that recklessness by believing that England would have beaten Sweden yesterday. Sweden, somehow, has always been a difficult team for England to defeat through the years. They always struggle against the organised disciplined play of the Swedes who, during this World Cup, have also played very well and many people think they are the team to would spoil my party at the end. I have England have won! England, definitely not the best team of the 8 still standing, somehow, is in a path to the finals that indicate to me that the conspiracy theorists may be thinking right, that the universe has down on the contributions of England to the game of football and decided to honour the small Island Empire. On the streets of London now the message is that the game and the cup are coming back HOME. It is time to reward the English for the over 50 years of perseverance, commitment and dedication to the promotion of football since playing on home soil for the first time in 1966 and winning the World Cup for their first and only time. We need to celebrate something of that magnitude again. The English can't wait to see that happen. I cannot wait either. England may never get a better chance than this. Their national team has not been world-class for decades despite all their investment and developmental projects in their domestic football. They run the best, most followed and most lucrative league in the world. They, more than any other country in the world, have impacted the game as an entertainment and a business model. If points are to be awarded for contributions to the game alone England would be miles ahead of every other country in the world, bar none! Anyway, the long and short of it is that I am still supporting the Three Lions and tipping them to have won their match against Sweden. They should now be poised to continue in their 'impossible' stride in their following engagement by overcoming the homeboys, Russia, who are now riding on the crest of the unprecedented support by their home crowd that is lifting their ordinary but hardworking Russian team to the zenith of performance, positioning them as dangerous and most unlikely champion of the 2018 World Cup. Coming to this World Cup as the lowest FIFA-ranked team of all the 32 teams would truly make them the most unlikely champion of all time should they miraculously win it. So, fingers crossed, the stage is a set for an England - Russia 'war' in St. Petersburg next week. There are other matches that would have been decided by yesterday. Brazil versus Belgium would have been a cracker, probably the most difficult match to predict."}