By the time you’re reading this, the 2016 UEFA Cup will be over. Either France — the tournament’s host — or Portugal will have won. There were plenty of magical moments during this tournament, from amazing shots to the most intense penalty shootout I have ever seen. (Seriously, it was ten penalty kicks per team, with the final score being 6:5 for Germany.) But let’s take a minute to appreciate the most magical part of the tournament.
Iceland’s Thunderclap. Through rain or shine, win or loss, the Icelandic fans were quite possibly the best fans any team could offer. For starters, this was the first time Iceland ever qualified for the UEFA cup. When they first came up on the scoreboard during a match, I had to pause and think while I ran through all the country codes in my head. Immediately, I was compelled to root for them. There was just something so sincere about the way they interacted with one another. The team is affectionately nicknamed Strákarnir okkar — which translates to “Our boys,” and that mentality was clear throughout the entire tournament.
Even after their 5-2 defeat against France, their Viking War Chant still made appearances in the tournament. In the France vs Germany game on June 7, fans could be heard doing the chant after France won, advancing to the finals against Portugal. While it was cool, and honestly quite a bit touching, it didn’t have the same effect — at least not to me. These people did it because it was cool — the Vikings did it because it was tradition.
When the team was welcomed home, thousands of fans gathered. Thousands of fans did the chant. Thousands of fans didn’t care that they came home before the final. Thousands of fans were happy that they made it that far in to the tournament. Honestly, so am I. Just look at this video!
While I’m a #Ger fan all the way (Die Mannschaft!), I will likely swing my support to the Icelanders from here on out. Hopefully they left enough of an impression on Europe that they can make it in to future tournaments and one day, hopefully, into the World Cup. After all, the world could use a little bit of magic these days, and not in the special effects department.
This tournament has made history in many ways. Iceland’s first qualification. Germany’s first defeat against Italy in over 50 years — not for the lack of trying on either team, though. Ronaldo broke the record of appearances made in UEFA matches. While many people were concerned, England and Wales are still allowed to play in the UEFA cup after Brexit. All's right in the world of soccer. At least, until the next tournament.
