If a week is a long time in politics, then it can be epochal in football. Just eight days ago the national mood was not exactly, as players like to say, buzzing. There was a sense of relief that 14 years of Tory rule had ended, but neither the election nor the Euros had inspired much jubilation.
The victory on penalties against the Swiss helped ease the country’s collective fear of the shootout, but it was the last-minute winner against the Netherlands on Wednesday that provided a much-needed endorphin rush to our spirits.
