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| England and France players commemorate those who died |
THE old anthem has never sounded so rousing.
As a rendition of La Marseillaise reverberated around Wembley - English lilt looking to intermingle with rasping French voices - it carried with it a sense of pride and empowerment, boldness and strength.
Above all else, it brought an overwhelming a feeling of unity. Here was a soundtrack of defiance, sung with raw emotion by supposed rivals who instead stood shoulder to shoulder in the stands and then also on the pitch in solidarity.
It was a moment, an extraordinary one at that, which gave a lie to the view that international friendlies are meaningless. How could it be when the symbolism was as strong as this?
A message of compassion and togetherness but, more than anything, it said life goes on in the face of adversity and the grotesque barbarism last Friday that has made "Pray For Paris" the over-riding sentiment across the world. A show which said the terrorists will never be allowed to win.
This was personified by the mere presence of Lassana Diarra, whose cousin was one of the innocents slaughtered in the atrocities, and Antoine Griezmann, whose sister escaped the carnage at the Bataclan theatre.
They had stood either side of Patrice Evra after both squads moved from a joint photograph to the centre circle where a minute's silence was impeccably, beautifully, observed.
Diarra, head bowed solemnly, struck an enduring image.
At his most sad, when all he no doubt wanted to do was to be with family and friends, he summoned the character to show he will not be cowed by those whose warped evil has cast a shadow.
He came on after 57 minutes, but it could not have amounted to an escape from the tragedy from him. The reminders were everywhere: whether it be the three floral arrangements laid by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, Roy Hodgson and Didier Deschamps which lay on the side of the pitch throughout or the spontaneous songs from the visiting fans up high on Wembley's top tier.
The game would hardly have been an escape for any of Deschamps' squad for that matter. Rather, it represented another step in a healing process which will understandably drag on for months, maybe longer. Vive la France.
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| The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron were both in attendance |
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| Lassana Diarra cut a figure drained by emotion, but he stood alongside his teammates |
It is hard to see how football has not been changed by horrific events when terrorists set their sights on the very game itself. France's match with Germany at the Stade de France had been targeted by suicide bombers and a feeling of trepidation remains.
Belgium's match with Spain was cancelled over security fears. Some 90 minutes before Germany were set to return to action their game against the Netherlands in Hannover was called off because of another bomb alert.
When football returns to France in Ligue One and Ligue Two this weekend, there will be no away fans present.
The game's very appeal makes itself a target, but, ultimately, its ability to unite and bring joy will continue to over-ride everything else.
It is the reason why, when a football match eventually broke out, Dele Alli was right to celebrate a wonderful strike from distance that arrowed beyond Tottenham team-mate and France captain Hugo Lloris into the top corner.
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| Wembley took the chance to pay its own respects to the atrocities in Paris |
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| The Tricolore was evident in all corners of the stadium, in English and French hands |
The goal brought England supporters, often maligned but who deserve to be applauded for the manner in which they embraced the occasion hoisting a mosaic of the Tricolore before kick-off, to their feet.
Hodgson remained rooted to his seat throughout, respectful of the enormity of the evening.
The England coach had conceded it was not a "normal" game, his view blurred by the stark reality of the build-up, but on a night when the ebb and flow was secondary he could still be heartened by Alli's contribution.
That both he, and Eric Dier, had walked past gun-toting policeman on the way out of the tunnel for their first England starts created doubt on how their efforts could be rated.
And that of an England team with an average age of 23 years and seven months, the youngest to represent the country since 1959.
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| The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron were both in attendance |
If France were not as slick, if their tackling lacked a little edge, then that was ok. That was understandable.
For once when these two teams confronted each other it was not about the result. Wayne Rooney's crisp volley from Raheem Sterling's cross at the back post immediately after the interval which doubled the lead will not have Deschamps questioning his defenders.
"We have to show that we're not afraid at all about what happened. Life is continuing. We can't stop," said former France coach Raymond Domenech, who was in a crowd of just over 71,000.
"It's solidarity if the English sing La Marseillaise. It's a big victory for democracy."
Indeed it was.
Under the famous arch lit up in blue, white and red, Wembley hosted more than a football match.
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