France vs England soccer game in the wake of Paris attacks

Hailey Loftin
Staff Writer

​      A friendly soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands was canceled when a bomb threat was made to the stadium. The German team was on their way to the arena when the threat came, and their bus was redirected to an undisclosed safe location. They were under police protection even before they knew about the bomb scare. There were several high-ranking German officials who planned to attend the game as well.
​      Despite the scare in Germany, the game between England and France took place as scheduled. Before it started, there were tributes to those who lost their lives in the events of Nov. 14. The players from both teams along with England’s Prince William laid flowers along the sidelines in memory of the Parisians who died. Afterwards, the national anthems of both countries were played. The entire stadium sang the French national anthem “La Marseillaise”, and then the game began.

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​      ​Even though England won the match 2-0, there were no ill feelings for the French after the game despite the loss. The game was a part of a bigger picture. There were terrible things that had happened recently, but the distraction of soccer helped the people affected think of something else for a little while. Both countries realized the importance of the game; France and England thought that the decision to play the game was the correct one. At a time of tragedy, distractions can be a good thing for those who are directly involved and those who are far away alike.