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England will not possibly wipe out 53 years of pain here in Portugal as it prepares to begin its campaign in the first-ever final phase of the UEFA League of Nations – but this is the opportunity for the Southgate manager Gareth and his players to make a powerful statement before the Euro 2020 next summer.
It is difficult to place this new tournament in the same stratosphere as the real centerpieces of the sport, such as the World Cup and the European Championships.
It is a four-team format spread over two sites in Porto and Guimaraes, including England, Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It will be finished in just five days. It's always a tournament that counts.
England will face Thursday at Guimaraes the Netherlands, who are progressing quickly, a necessary victory to ensure the anti-climax of a playoff match before Sunday's final.
And while this competition is in its infancy, it has already proved vital to Southgate and England and will offer even more benefits if they can come home with the trophy. These can be days of meaning and meaning.
So how important is the League of Nations to England when the Southgate team puts the Iron Curtain on 12 months?
England would like a silver lining
The tournament has had its critics, some considering it as a useless intrusion at the end of a busy season, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp calling it "the most senseless competition" of world football .
Do not tell Southgate or its players, even those in Liverpool and Tottenham, who could still recover from the physical and mental efforts of Saturday's Champions League final in Madrid.
Last year, England was preparing for the World Cup before heading to its Russian base in Repino in the Gulf of Finland. A month of surprise had yet been expected 90 minutes before the first final since 1966, as well as a demonstration of unity spirit that allowed the nation to fall back in love with his football team and his manager.
The League of Nations – initially disparaged by some, including this observer – has changed with the introduction of a competitive advantage that has added weight to the 3-2 victory of the world. England in Seville in October, their first away win against Spain in 31 years, then the tragedy of the late victory against the World Cup winners, Croatia to Wembley, who took them brought to Portugal.
It offers the possibility of a trophy and, although its status in the world game must be put in context, England has not received a trophy since the famous day of July at Wembley in 1966, beggars can not so do not choose.
No team or group of players has seen their trust damaged by raising a trophy. This will serve to reinforce the growing confidence and stature of Southgate and England.
"We know that the order of the stick is the World Cup then the Euros but we now have a new competition and we want to have the habit of starting to win things," said Southgate.
"The time has come for us to try to win trophies and this represents an excellent opportunity to show how far we are progressing as a team." It's remarkable to see that we have made progress, but we still have a long way to go.
"It would be huge for all of us in England to start winning trophies and winning big matches, it's the habit we want and the expectation we want to create."
And if England came home as a League of Nations winner, it would be a tangible reward for Southgate's rejuvenation by Southgate, the silverware of the players who have rebuilt the footballer's reputation for nation and a powerful marker of future progress for the Euro 2020.
The League of Nations is taking place in the best conditions of a big tournament here in Portugal – and if England is victorious, she will crown a superb 12 months for Southgate and her talented young team.
This would also complete a full sweep of Europe in Europe after the Premier League dominance in club competition: Liverpool defeating the Spurs to win the Champions League final and Chelsea, winner of Arsenal, in final of the Europa League.
Win here and the status of England among the favorites of the Euro 2020 will be seriously strengthened.
Dutch pose a serious danger
England will face the new generation of Dutch football on Thursday, with key elements of the winning team of the Champions League in Liverpool, which will add to serious quality elsewhere.
Virgil van Dijk, who was asked "Are you now sober?" During his pre-match briefing, Gini Wijnaldum was welcomed by his Dutch colleagues upon his arrival at the training camp. They will want to finish the season in style.
And in Ronald Koeman, they have a manager who fits the role perfectly, presiding over a talented Dutch team that has flourished since England defeated their first match in Amsterdam in March 2018.
The Netherlands have not managed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup or for Euro 2016, but the country that has delivered "Total Football" to the world is on the way back.
Koeman's team will be strongly influenced by the young and exciting Ajax team, who were quick to defeat the Spurs in the Champions League semifinal.
Matthijs de Ligt, the 19-year-old captain of Ajax who is the transfer property of this summer, forms a formidable defensive partnership with Van Dijk. The former manager of Southampton and Everton, Koeman, said: "We have the best central defenders in Europe, namely good because you are still building the house down.You do not start with the roof."
The new Barcelona boy Frenkie de Jong, who has just left Ajax, will be at the height of the clbad, as will Donny van de Beek, another star of the Dutch Champions League campaign.
The Netherlands has come a long way since the victory of England in Amsterdam. If the Southgate team imposes this time, it will be a victory with which it will be necessary to count.
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