Cliffs of Moher
cliffs
The referee whistles and from the beginning both teams play on the edge. Specifically, on the edge of the cliffs. Despite the fact that Ireland is an island, Spain is not afraid of Gaelic attributes and has a record midfield. The alignment begins, as it could not be less, with the cliffs of Vixia of Herbeira , at the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Their characteristics could not be more promising: they are the highest in Europe, with 620 meters at their highest point; They stand on the fourth oldest rocks in the world and the violence of the Cantabrian Sea debases their character.
The north coast of Spain has raised a stylish and gambit playmaker in its quarry. the precipice of Itzurun in Guipúzcoa it is made up of numerous layers of material that form a gigantic mille-feuille of rocks. The orographic and geological uniqueness of the Canary Islands continue to provide La Roja with numerous gamers who, unlike the football team, boast of their height. the cliffs of The Giants , in the western area of Tenerife, the set of Guigui in Gran Canaria and the spectacular cut of Famara in Lanzarote they are the most representative of the insular academy.
Ireland comes out with all its weapons from the beginning of the match. The game is made by two of its greatest exponents in this section, those of Moher and those of the Slieve League . The former are one of the bastions of the island of Eire and are the stars of most of the posters of the matches of their national team. Moher are a succession of 8 kilometers of dark walls crowned by wide meadows. In addition, the hand of man also helps in his control of the ball, with the O'Brien tower, a lookout built in 1835 for the first tourists. It does not stand out so much for the beauty of its football, but for the steepness of its walls, which are over 600 meters high. Ireland also has a real crack team. His name will sound to many: Giant's Causeway , a compendium of natural forms that the basalt stones have built, forming a road of huge cobblestones at the edge of the sea.
However, the Spanish midfield is more solid and their different resources put our team ahead: 1 - 0.
The impressive basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway
The castles. The game continues in the defensive section. Spain has the advantage of its stylistic and architectural variety. From the most feudal like that of Loarre in Aragón, Olite in Navarra or Sigüenza in Guadalajara , going through those left by the Reconquest located in Castile such as the one in Coca, Medina del Campo and Peñafiel in Valladolid , all of them built in order to contain the reprisals of Al Andalus. On the opposite side, there are the citadels of Malaga or Almería, just an outpost of one of the most beautiful castles on the planet: the Alhambra of Granada , the most visited monument in our geography, a slender and exotic figure at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.
Ireland is caught by surprise by the irruption of the Moorish touch of our team . In the center of its rear it was presented with its medieval bastions, a must-see for anyone who comes to visit its lands. the castle of Trim , the largest complex of Norman architecture commands its alienation. It is followed by the impressive rock crowned by the ruins and gardens of antrim . Playing against Ireland also means facing the most irrational fears such as ghosts and for this, the castle of jump is ideal: it is reputed to be the most enchanted in the world. The defense is completed by the castle of Carrickfergus, Birr's and Enniskillen's , all of them of imposing dimensions.
Despite the Irish solidity, the Muslim fortifications open a gap on the scoreboard.
The Alhambra in Granada from the Albaicin
Another sports The goal is defended by the other sports that give a picturesque touch to the visit to both countries. Spain waits and speculates under the crossbar with three competitions deeply rooted in the territories where it is practiced. The Vasca ball It reigns, above all, in Euskadi, La Rioja and Navarra, where it moves considerable amounts of money through betting. The sport is simple, playing fronton with the bare hand, although there are more varieties such as the game with the shovel and with the basket-point, in which different utensils are used. Also to the north, drifters They have evolved from a simple dispute between the fastest boats in the towns to a league of their own and a classic race: the Bandera de La Concha de San Sebastián. Lastly, there is the canary wrestling little by little it opens a gap.
Gaelic games are more brutal and bloody versions of many other international competitions. The Gaelic football , for example, consists of hitting with any part of the body a ball that is heavier than that of ordinary football and inserting it into an H-shaped goal. To defend practically anything goes. The second most popular sport is hurling , a kind of field hockey in which the stick can be raised above the waist. The result: gaps and a spectacular game. The gaelic handball It is the distant cousin of the Basque ball, whose main difference is the use of the walls. Lastly, the rounders It is a team game in which the men and women hit a cloth ball with bats to get it away and be able to run along 4 bases. A Celtic version of boring American baseball.
Difficult duel, but the greater consolidation and territorial unification of Gaelic sports is somewhat in favor of Ireland. Spain 2 - Ireland 1.
Irish playing Hurling, similar to field hockey, but a bit more aggressive
Breakfast. This universal daily ritual has its own unmistakable expression in each country. The Spanish battering rams are planted in the rival area naturally, being an almost always healthy option. On the one hand, there is the classic sweet Spanish breakfast, something that distinguishes us from any rival in this European Championship. To the **coffee or milk are added the typical buns of each region** such as sobaos or ensaimadas, while foreign sweets are also imported. Probably the best known gooey breakfast is the churros with chocolate . The other scorer is salty option of tumaca bread accompanied by some sausage such as Iberian ham. There is also the simpler alternative to bread with oil in which the flavor of liquid gold is enhanced.
The Irish striker is rougher, heavier and slower. He is made up of a combination of greasy and blunt foods. Sausages, fried eggs, black pudding, white meat pudding, liver ... Ah, the most ironic thing is that he is usually accompanied by a diuretic black tea to ease digestion. But he doesn't fool just anyone, his movement difficulty makes him quite vulnerable in a game of tiqui-taca. He accompanies the mythical Irish coffee, a wonderful drink made up of whiskey, sugar, coffee and cream . Of course, despite his name, he plays nationalized since it was created in a den in San Francisco, California.
The Spanish variety and the speed of their Spanish movements with and without the ball gives victory in this aspect to La Roja, once again putting distance in between.
The ensaimada, a typical sweet from Mallorca
the beer Here the duel is not so much in the brands or in the production, but rather in how the deep-rooted enjoyment of the sparkling drink is consumed. As in the previous duels, it is a struggle between Spanish variety and Irish purity . Spain is presented with a coaching staff of brands less known internationally but with different liturgies. In Spain, the concept of beer is linked to bars and terraces. In both spaces, the enjoyment of the bottle and the caña, global concepts accompanied by the typical tapas of each region, is added. As a general rule, this drink is enjoyed during daytime environments and in small quantities to prevent it from heating up quickly. However, the cubata at night and wine at meals dispute hegemony and authority.
For better and for worse, beer reigns on the bench of the Ireland squad . The coaching staff has surnames known throughout the globe as Guinness and Murphy . Of course, their customs are less varied. Its consumption is basically linked to the mythical Irish taverns, very well exported all over the world. Its blond or toasted version is drunk in pints, a measure that demands that it be consumed with less parsimony than in Spain . It is the liquid king of the Irish routine. The whiskey only steals a certain prominence at breakfast and late at night.
The Spanish bench allows more variety in La Roja's game while the Irish one is more steadfast. Final score: Spain 3 - Ireland 2.
Good Irish beer is drunk by the pint and in the pub