If today’s World Cup showdown against the mighty Argentina is anything to go by, then the answer must surely be yes. No really, you laugh now, but is this such a preposterous suggestion considering the spirited performance they gave to fell arguably the best player in the world and his back up crew? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
Icelandic military campaigns
Historically, Iceland has mostly maintained a reputation as a peaceful nation. So much so, contemporary Iceland does not have either of a standing army, navy, or airforce, making do with a measly coast guard that serves as a defender of the realm.
And yet, going back to the turn of the 1stmillennium AD, the Icelandic Vikings defeated Native Warriors during the Battles of Vinland in 1003 AD and 1010 AD. It seems as though they were an efficient, cohesive, and spirited force, with only 2 Icelandic deaths recorded in the second of the two battles. Sound familiar? It should.
Same Iceland, different day
What we saw in today’s game was an echo of the past: a team playing as a united front, defending together, attacking together, spurred on by their fans’ thunderclaps. They demonstrated a keen professionalism, maintaining discipline and focus for the best part of 90 minutes, during which they quelled wave after wave of Argentinian attacks, keeping their best player at bay.
There was something eerily fearless about the way they played, suggesting they had more than ice in their veins. Most ‘smaller’ teams that come up against Argentina tend to man-mark Lionel Messi, in the hopes they can cut all supply to him, but end up backing off him, allowing him enough room to shift onto his left foot and let loose a missile into the top corner.
Just ask Iran in the 2014 World Cup. In the dying minutes of the game, the Argentine talisman picked the ball up on the right, shimmied past a hoard of defenders and let fly from outside the box, securing a vital win for his country.
But coming back to Iceland and the way they played, there seemed to be an undercurrent of positively charged energy, linking them from boot to boot, keeping them alert, watching every move that happened in the final third, able to cut out passes, throw their bodies on the line to block thunderbolt strikes, all without worrying about the mercurial Messi and what he might do.
Thor and Iceland
For those of you who don’t know, before the ‘Christianisation of Iceland’ Iceland had a largely pagan following. That’s right, this meant they worshipped the Norse Gods, and who do you think was a favourite among them? The mighty hammer-wielding God of Thunder, Thor, of course.
Tales of Thor, the defender of humankind, were spoken in all corners of the land, and in his spirit, the Icelandic Vikings lived. 1000 years after the Norse gods were traded for bible-wielding preachers, it was announced, sometime in 2015, that Thor and his hammer will be making a comeback and will have a new temple built to honour him and his fellow gods.
Creepy, when you consider a year after that, Iceland’s football team made it to the quarter finals of the Euros, beating England on the way. And with the fans’ thunderclapping their team in the stands, have the sons of Thor (Gunnarson, Sigurdson…you get the picture) awakened to a rallying cry from their famous deity, ready to strike again and maybe, maybe…qualify for the next round of this year’s tournament?
Only time will tell if this was just a one off, or if Odin has once again sent his son to sit among the Icelandic supporters, and with a wave of his hammer, get them playing the kind of brilliant football we saw today.
