Broadsword calling Danny Boy: England - France post-mortem, France - Morocco analysis and pick; Косово је Србија? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Broadsword calling Danny Boy: England - France post-mortem, France - Morocco analysis and pick; Косово је Србија?

    If it seems like I've been lost in let's remember
    If you think I'm feeling older and missing my younger days
    Oh, then you should have known me much better
    'Cause my past is something that never got in my way
    Oh, no

    Still I would not be here now if I never had the hunger
    And I'm not ashamed to say the wild boys were my friends
    Oh, 'cause I never felt the desire
    To let music set me on fire
    And then I was saved, yeah

    You can get just so much from a good thing
    You can linger too long in your dreams
    Say goodbye to the oldies but goodies
    'Cause the good ole days weren't always good
    And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems - Billy Joel


The Hawk, Hrvatska Izvestajna Sluzba 37, and the Correspondent take a final briefing before vectoring the Krajina. Herceg-Bosna 1990-something: Above.     Click image to enlarge.
    With Serb special forces active once more in Prishtina, and gun battles along the frontier escalating Saturday evening, it appears Belgrade about to become more heavily involved in World War III. Combined with the continued Russian buildup in Belarus, in preparation for their January offensive, and the prospects for a decisive Moscow strike in the Ukraine conflict before the spring Rasputitsa arrives greatly increase.

    Now whether Putin is eager for the conflict to end remains an open question. Ukraine is being bled out with infrastructure strikes that see power and petrol often in short supply as their army still lacks maneuver capacity. The Western alliance continues to suffer economic and infrastructure pressure as the sanctions are failing to provide sufficient stick to thwart Moscow's resource grab; a global commodity pricing adjustment centred on the new Eastern payment platform.

    Once oil is no longer purchased exclusively with dollars it is game over for the West. Once that occurs, decades of exported inflation comes home to roost. Knowing this and realising Russia only grows stronger in the field, Serbia begins to look like an easy destabilisation target for Brit strategists..

    With the Kosovo prime minister making emergency requests to NATO for so-called peacekeepers, Belgrade has little choice but to respond quickly before they are victimised again like 1999. Serbian president Vucic cannot hesitate in sending the army to the border as everyone has seen this show before.

    The classic Western playbook calls for decapitation of opposition leadership before a decisive backwater strike, and if Moscow starts rolling in Ukraine, Serbia is it. Vucic and his ministers need to keep their heads on a swivel between now and Orthodox new year.

    Long-range kinetic termination a London specialty when things are dicey. All of Belgrade should upgrade security protocols immediately.

    Meanwhile the Russian buildup in Belarus continues. Increasingly it appears their winter offensive goes the middle of January depending upon how soon the ground is frozen and newly replenished missile stocks engaged.

    This attack will be highly problematic for Ukie life and limb and your 401(k). Plan accordingly.

    ***************

FRANCE    (- 175) vs MOROCCO     @ Al Khor    Wednesday    Al Khor 2 pm EST
    Harry Kane's shocking penalty kick misfire cost England the match and us a very nice Draw payoff. The match played out much as suspected with the first goal indeed scored in the 17th minute and the English set-piece style nicely countering France and their open Gallic form. When Kane set up for the late equaliser we felt confident the big payday had arrived.

    Alas he sent it high and France moved on to a semi-final tilt with Morocco while we sunk to 3-5 and minus 5.5 units for the campaign.

    Sigh.

    Our original plan to take a hiatus until the local bowl games thrown off with Morocco's stunning upset of Brazil. They are the first African team to ever reach the semi-finals and there is no way they are the first to reach the Finals. The lay price is high but it is a game we have to be on

    Morocco and France both with free-flowing forms in contrast to an English or German squad with their more technical approach to the game. The difference, among many, is the lightning-like ability of France to counter-attack. Mbappe in a league all his own in terms of creating space and rifling the pill home. While the Three Lions shut him down, that is not going to happen Saturday against much lesser competition.

    We like France in a big way here. The danger, of course, is we must lay 175 to win 100 and France must win in regulation, but that is why they call it gambling. Our call here is France (-175) for a two unit play (risk 3.5 units to win 2) as Mbappe goes wild while cementing the Golden Boot -- and the Men of Paris record their first clean sheet of the tournament:

FRANCE    2    (Mbappe 24' 71')  •  Morocco   0    (Kane '19)