KEEPER-SAKES<\/p>\n
Look at it up there on the hill, shining in the sunlight, an almost imperceptible aura of melancholia surrounding it like a halo. Look at the ornate carvings, the faces etched across its flanks. There\u2019s Davor Suker! Preben Elkj\u00e6r! Ferenc Puskas! Is that \u2026 it is! It\u2019s Danny Mills, his face almost entirely worn away by the years of tourists rubbing it for luck. Yes, it\u2019s the End Of The Golden Generation Klaxon and it\u2019s sounding its low mournful drone across the California plains as Belgium\u2019s best depart following their quarter-final loss to Spain<\/a> in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Though in truth it has been whining in the background for a while now. The Red Devils\u2019 real recent high point was probably all the way back in 2018 when peak De Bruyne, Lukaku and Courtois were joined by Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Kompany, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Hazard, Carrasco, you know, Mertens, Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 \u2026 Sessions. But there was no escaping the symbolism of the botched torch pass \u2013 a tearful Courtois heading off with an injury in the second half at SoFi Stadium, his replacement Senne Lammens fluffling his lines and handing Mikel Merino Spain\u2019s winner on a plate.<\/p>\n \u201cI gave him a big hug. He\u2019s a great goalkeeper. You only get stronger from this,\u201d Courtois said of his hapless teammate. \u201cEventually you cannot say much more to him or give him much more advice. He is a strong guy, strong personality. I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll be fine. You know, he will have some holidays and then regroup in Manchester and have a great season.\u201d<\/p>\n Belgium \u2013 who were further hamstrung by the loss of their captain, Youri Tielemans, to knack in the warm-up \u2013 have a rebuilding job to do, although those waters are slightly muddied by reports suggesting Courtois fancies an unhelpful year off from the international game before returning for the Euro 2028 qualifiers. Spain, meanwhile, can look forward (if that is the right phrase) to a semi-final meeting with France. \u201cThey\u2019ll be just as worried as we are,\u201d roared Luis de la Fuente, perhaps slightly being stitched up in translation.<\/p>\n LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE<\/p>\n Scott Murray is on deck at 10pm BST\/5pm EST\/7am AEST for updates of England 1-1 Norway (aet; 7-6 on pens). Then join Ella Brockway at 2am BST\/9pm EST\/11am AEST for Argentina 3-2 Switzerland in the last-eight finale.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED FOLLOWING<\/p>\n How do you do fellow kids? Yes, there\u2019s now a TikBook account<\/a> with all things of a Big Website sporting focus. If you\u2019re there, you know what to do.\u200a<\/p>\n QUOTE OF THE DAY<\/p>\n \u201cWe have \u200bchosen the name vozinha \u200cin honour of \u200cVozinha \u2026 who played a prominent role in his \u200ccountry\u2019s World Cup debut against the Reds. The colouration of the species is intended as a tribute to that achievement\u201d \u2013 the Spanish biologist and football fan Jes\u00fas Ortea names a \u2060newly discovered species of sea snail after the Cape Verde keeper, who kept the European champions at bay in their opening GWC game. Ortea discovered \u2060the tiny, bright red mollusc, now named Aldisa vozinha, in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n Vozinha and his Cape Verde teammates arrive home in Praia. Photograph: Sodiq Adelakun\/Reuters<\/p>\n double quotation markI can only hope that when J\u00fcrgen Klopp flew Team Mbapp\u00e9 around for what turned out to be no good reason, he at least booked the flight on Trivago\u201d \u2013 Scott Pratt.<\/p>\n double quotation markAs the Bayeux Tapestry was being unloaded at the British Museum in the dead of night I couldn\u2019t help thinking \u2018it\u2019s coming home.\u2019 An omen perhaps? 1,000 years of hurt?\u201d \u2013 Allastair McGillivray.<\/p>\n If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com<\/a>. Today\u2019s prizeless letter o\u2019 the day goes to \u2026 Allastair McGillivray. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here<\/a>.\u200a<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED LISTENING<\/p>\n It\u2019s the latest episode of World Cup Daily. Listen to it<\/a>. Watch it<\/a>.<\/p>\n