Because though Ukraine are defending themselves against Vladimir Putin's expansionist war, and though their miraculous presence at this competition is part of that story, their team is a football team, their players are football players and their football team will contain football players playing football; as such, we owe it to them to focus on them without ignoring the stuff that's outside of their control.
And so, given this is the first working-day football of the competition, will we even if it means acquainting ourselves with the thoughts of others.
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