That's right, after weeks, months and years of preparation, the finals of Euro 2005 finally get going when the four teams in group A meet tonight. Sweden will meet Denmark in Blackpool at 5pm, while hosts England face Finland at the City of Manchester stadium at 7pm.
With the opening ceremony [remember that Euro Haka we're going to be treated to] taking place before the match in Manchester, the earlier all-Scandinavian clash has had to take a back seat, but let's not forget that Sweden are favourites to top the group [and reach the final], and Denmark ran them close in a goalless draw not long ago. In fact, while all the other group A coaches unanimously plumped for Sweden to win the group, Swedish coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors has picked out the Danes as the team most likely to be their undoing.
And indeed the Danes are a strong side, with Cathrine Paaske Sorensen working wonders in midfield and a solid 4-4-2 formation making them hard to break down. Sweden will also start 4-4-2, and while each and every one of the 11 are a force to be reckoned with [would you fancy trying to get past Hanna Marklund?], it's those front two Denmark will have to watch carefully. Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson are two of the best known names in women's football - and there's a reason for that: they're really bloody good.
Both have umpteen international caps and another umpteen goals, and I'm not sure even two Birgit Prinzs could offer European defences a more fretful night's sleep. That said, I'm reckoning on a tight game, and with odds on Sweden to win not worth bothering with, I've stuck a cheeky fiver on the draw - at 5-2 with bet365.
Likely starters
Sweden: Lindahl; Tornqvist, Marklund, Bengtsson, Mostrom, Larsson, Ostberg, Ljungberg, Svensson, Schelin, Seger.
Denmark: Cederkvist; Madsen, Pedersen, Andersen, Knudsen; Hansen, Sorensen, Nielsen; Pedersen, Rasmussen, Johansen.
Onto home matters it is then, and England v Finland. The host nation are in their best form for 18 years and look set to have a crowd of around 25,000 cheering them on. A great way to go into the biggest European women's football tournament for years, but are England feeling the weight of expectation? Is this going to be Euro96 all over again?
"The pressure is something we have to take into account," says coach Hope Powell with a shrug of her shoulders. "At the moment we're very relaxed and have done a lot of work around it. But we have to control what we can and that will be our approach in the games."
And captain Faye White - one of the players who took part in 2001's disappointing campaign - reckons it'll be excitement, not nervousness, buzzing around the dressing room in a few hours' time.
"We're confident and excited at the same time," she says, "we know a lot about them. We've been looking at videos of them, stats, reports and so on from other games.
"You don't want to overload yourself with information, but it certainly gets your mind switched on."
And all that homework has paid off - she knows exactly what to expect from the Finns.
"They are hard-working, physically strong and they have tidy players - they can all play and it will be a tough game, even though it was a huge surprise Finland got through to the tournament.
"We like to pass the ball but it depends what their strategy is during the course of the game - and if we have to change it we will."
It was indeed a major shock to see Finland in the hat for the finals, after a play-off defeat of Russia - but under Peter Kald, the Finns are improving all the time. They may try to stifle England's flowing, positive football with stingy defensive partnership Sanna Valkonen and Tiina Salmen, but they can also call on former Wusa star Anne Makinen in midfield and striker Laura Kalmari.
Kalmari caused a storm in Helsinki and is in the process of doing the same with Djurgarden, and could be a thorn in England's side if allowed to weave her usual bewitching path behind Heidi Kackur. England, meanwhile, will start with the experienced Amanda Barr alongside youngster Emily Westwood - but expect to see Kelly Smith, who isn't quite match fit yet, emerge in the second half.
There's no shortage of international experience in the Finnish side, but this is their first major tournament and whichever way you look at it, England are the better side. Unless some major choking goes on, England could rack up their first three points tonight. I've come over all patriotic and stuck a tenner on them at 8/11 with bet365. Last of the big spenders, eh?
Likely starters
England: Fletcher; Scott, White, Phillip, Unitt; Westwood, Chapman, Williams; Handley, Barr, Yankey.
Finland: Kunnas; Sarapää, Valkonen, Salmén, Vaelma; Thorn, Mäkinen, Julin, Rantanen; Kalmari, Kackur.
