European Championships - Quarter Final - Part 1

The Quarter Final line-ups are set. Four intriguing fixtures, each for a different await us over the next four days. In this post, I preview the first two quarter final matches. As such, this will be a short post.

Match Previews

Poland vs Portugal

Two teams who haven’t played their best football en-route to this stage. Portugal are heavily dependent on their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to get them past tough situations. Kudos to the man for stepping up when it mattered, with 2 goals against Hungary and then with the attempt the rebound from which was turned in by Quaresma against Croatia. However, the rest of the team hasn’t stepped up to be counted. They’ve been poor, not winning any game in 90 minutes. Poland, too haven’t flourished but they did get 7 points in their group, and are one of four teams to be unbeaten in the tournament so far, along with Germany, France and Iceland(!!). They were second best against Switzerland but held their nerve in the shootout to edge the tie. They need their own talisman, Lewandowski to find his scoring feet in this game. I sense another Portugal narrow victory, but for the sake of justice, I hope Poland get through.

Players to Watch: Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

My Prediction: Poland 0-1 Portugal

Wales vs Belgium

Two teams who were in the same qualifying group for the Euros. Wales got the better of Belgium on both occasions but this is a very different circumstance. Having said that, the Welsh have been the epitome of teamwork and team spirit throughout this tournament while Belgium have been more about individual brilliance getting them through. The last match against Hungary was a much more assured display by the Belgians. I expect this game to be an end-to-end affair as neither team is one to sit back and defend. Wales will be looking to stop the influence of de Bruyne and Hazard, the two creative influences in the Belgian attack. Keeping both of them quiet would be a hard task. Belgium, for their part would need to put a lid on the supply out wide to Bale, while keeping a close eye on Ramsey’s runs beyond the defense. This match might go the distance as two closely matched teams go head to head, with all possibility of cancelling each other out.

Players to Watch: Gareth Bale (Wales), Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium)

My Prediction: Wales 1-1 Belgium, Wales to qualify for Semi Final

I probably won’t be watching the game later tonight but won’t miss tomorrow night’s game for the world. Hoping for a cracking match! I’ll be back in a couple of days’ time with reviews of these two matches and previews of the other two quarter finals. Till then, enjoy the football..

European Championships - Second Round Wrap Up

With the Second Round of the European Championships now over, it is time for the 8 remaining teams to start thinking about going all the way. The Quarter Final line-ups are complete, with a couple of interesting fixtures lined up.

In this post, I recap the two matches played on Monday. The preview of the Quarter Finals will be presented in a separate post.

Match Reviews

Italy vs Spain

The Italians were always going to play their customary game against the Spanish, that of sitting back, soaking up all the pressure and trying to catch them out on the counter.

The first half did not go to script. Italy were the first to get a shot on target, David de Gea pulling off another great save from a Pelle header. De Gea was the hero again as he parried a Giaccherini overhead kick from close range on to the post to keep the scores level. Spain were feeling the pressure presumably. Spain had the possession but the Italians kept creating chances; Parolo the next to head wide of goal. In the 33^rd minute, Eder drove a low shot past the wall which de Gea could only parry into a central region. Giaccherini dinked it away from de Gea on the follow-up and Chiellini knocked it in from close range. The Italians were ahead and richly deserving of their lead. De Gea saved once again from Giaccherini to keep his team in the contest.

The match went back to the afore-mentioned script in the second half. Spain had all of the possession. They were not overly troubling the Italians though. A tame Morata header was safely pouched by Buffon. Eder had a shot saved when he was one-on-one with de Gea. If not for the Spanish goalkeeper, Italy would have been home and dry by this point. Spain mounted some sustained pressure in the last 20 minutes but the Italian defense was up to the challenge. When they got past the defense, Buffon was their undoing. Buffon saved point blank from Pique, who did not get a good contact on his shot. In the dying minutes, Italy broke with a man extra down the right. Matteo Darmian found Pelle unmarked in the center of the penalty area. Pelle gratefully scored. The Italians had pulled off another tactical masterstroke. The two-time defending champions were out.

My Prediction: Italy 2-0 Spain

Final Score: Italy 2-0 Spain

England vs Iceland

England were awarded a penalty on 3 minutes as Sterling was fouled in the box. Rooney made no mistake in converting. The English was short-lived as Iceland hit back just 2 minutes later. A long throw was not dealt by the defense, the ball finding its way to Ragnar Siggurdsson in the 6 yard box, who made no mistake. England looked to take charge again, but their efforts did not bear fruit. Iceland were ahead before 20 minutes! Kolbeinn Sigthorsson got space away from two English defenders and fired a low shot on goal. Inexplicably, Joe Hart, despite getting a hand on the ball, could only divert it into the corner of the goal. Bad goalkeeping seems to be a disease that plagues every England goalkeeper at major tournament.

After that point, Iceland started keeping England at bay, although creating the odd chance themselves. The first half ended with the same score. In the second half, England rang the changes but none of their substitutes could manage to create problems for the underdogs. In fact, England were pathetic in the second half. They failed to have a decent shot on target all half. Iceland, when they did foray forward, had better chances to extend their lead than England did of equalizing. Rashford was brought on with 5 minutes left. It was too late a change to make. He wasn’t given enough time to make an impact.

The English failure mainly went down to team selection and tactics. Hodgson seemed clueless as to what he expected of his players. The players reciprocated with the worst half of football played by any English in any major tournament, perhaps ever! Credit where it’s due, Iceland played the game of their lives and were the deserving winners. The repeat of the mutual salute between the players and the fans sent goose-bumps through everyone watching. This really is a fairytale!

My Prediction: England 1-1 Iceland, England to qualify

Final Score: England 1-2 Iceland

Iceland will play in the Quarter Final of the first major tournament that they’ve qualified for. To be honest, they absolutely deserve to be there. England always find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. This time, they dug their own graves too. The Italians put on another master-class, in a repeat of their performance against Belgium. Their match against Germany is the glamour tie of the Quarter Finals.

European Championships - Second Round - Part 3

Everyone wanted goals, and we got them! The big guns finally found their scoring feat, winning their respective matches on the second day of the Second Round fixtures. The hosts were given a scare but they did enough to go through.

In this post, I cover the three matches played on Sunday and look ahead to tonight’s matches.

Match Reviews

France vs Republic of Ireland

Ireland got into the French box right from the kick-off. Paul Pogba ran right over Shane Long from the back and was penalized for the challenge. Ireland had a penalty even before the hosts had settled down. Robbie Brady stepped up to take the penalty. He send Lloris the wrong way, making no mistake from the spot. From here on in, it was all about France trying to get back in the game. Griezmann had a couple of headed chances, one he sent high and the other straight at the keeper. Ireland beat the monotone with another chance late in the first half, which Lloris parried. More attempts followed on the Irish goal, but there were no further goals in the first half.

Early in the second half, Sagna was fed the ball on the right wing, and he crossed to find Griezmann in the box. The forward launched a powerful header which Irish goalkeeper Randolph got a hand to but could not keep out. The inevitable equalizer had arrived but the hosts pressed for more. Just 3 minutes later, Giroud rose highest between two Irish defenders to knock the ball down to Griezmann. He ran with the ball and shot past Randolph to claim his and his country’s second goal. France were leading and now completely dominating the game. Ireland sent on a couple of attacking players but they couldn tbreak the hosts down. France moved on to the Quarter Final.

My Prediction: France 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Final Score: France 2-1 Republic of Ireland

Germany vs Slovakia

The World Champions haven’t been at their fluent best. They looked ominous from the early minutes in this match. They overran the Slovak midfield and defense. They created chances, eventually leading to the 7^th minute goal from a volleyed strike by Boateng from outside the box. Slovakia were not able to keep possession of the ball for very long. They had one very good chance, when Juraj Kucka ‘shouldered’ a ball towards goal from a cross. Manuel Neuer pulled off a spectacular save to deny the Slovaks. Germany soon extended their lead. Julian Draxler, starting this game ahead of the disappointing Gotze, beat his man down the left flank, put in a grounded cross, which was turned in by Mario Gomez at the near post. The Germans were now looking like real title contenders.

The second half continued in much the same vein. Slovakia failed to get their talisman, Marek Hamsik into the game. Germany did a good job of cutting off the supply to him and to limit options for him when he was on the ball. Midway through the second half, the Germans scored their third goal when Draxler volleyed home from close range following a corner. The rest of the game was played on cruise control by the Germans. They never looked bothered throughout the game. This performance cemented their candidature as one of the favourites for the tournament.

My Prediction: Germany 2-1 Slovakia

Final Score: Germany 3-0 Slovakia

Hungary vs Belgium

Belgium had not shown form which justified their world number 2 ranking. They were looking to step it up against surprise package Hungary. It was an open and attacking game with Hungary giving a good account of themselves in the first half. They were, however undone by an excellent de Bruyne free-kick which found Alderweireld free at the back post. The defender made no mistake and gave Belgium the lead. De Bruyne saw another free-kick excellently turned onto the bar by Hungarian goalkeeper Kiraly. The scores remained at 1-0 at half time.

In the second half, Belgium once again came out firing. Hungary were not ones to take the loss lying down either. For a long time, both teams exchanged attacks, but without result. Lukaku went off to be replaced by Batshuayi. The substitution paid off almost immediately. Hazard floated past his man on the left edge of the penalty box, crossed to the box to find Batshuayi alone. He tapped in past the goalkeeper and celebrated in style. Hazard turned from provider to scorer a couple of minutes later. He picked up the ball on the left flank following a Belgium break, came inside, past three defenders and launched a customary curling effort into the corner of the net. His performance had deserved this goal. Hungary had a shot saved from close range in the final few minutes. A Minute later, Belgium were on the attack again. Nainggolan found Carrasco who drilled his shot past Kiraly to score at the near post. Belgium had finally made an impression in this tournament. Their match against Wales would be a mouth-watering affair.

My Prediction: Hungary 1-0 Belgium

Final Score: Hungary 0-4 Belgium

Match Previews

Italy vs Spain

The match of the round pits powerhouses Italy and Spain against each other. Both teams were coming off disappointing losses in their last group games, after a bright start to the tournament. Co-incidentally both their conquerors have been eliminated in the Second Round. The Italians will be looking for a repeat of their tactical masterclass against Belgium. Spain’s possession football might just suit the Italians, who prefer to sit back, defend, and catch other teams out on the counter. It is for this reason, and also on evidence of their loss against Croatia, that I think Spain will fall short. One can expect a typical Italian rearguard display in this one.

My Prediction: Italy 2-0 Spain

England vs Iceland

Iceland come into this game with no pressure. All the pressure is on England and whether they can get their team selection right. With news floating around about Sterling’s return to the team in place of Lallana, Hodgson might just be providing more ammunition to the nay-sayers.  Iceland have shown that they have supreme team-spirit. England will need to watch out for a sucker-punch which might cause their downfall. They need to find a way to get in behind the defense, something which they failed against Slovakia. I think England will still edge it, although a result after 90 minutes might not happen.

My Prediction: England 1-1 Iceland, England to qualify

Two interesting matches to look forward to today. Let’s hope we can have some more of the football seen yesterday. I’ll be back again tomorrow to cover the two games to be played later today. Till then, enjoy the football.

European Championships - Second Round - Part 2

Second Round, more tactical gameplay! We were all hoping for some open attacking football now that the group stages are over, but it wasn’t to be on the first day of Round 2. One entertaining game followed by two drab affairs made for painful watching.

In this post, I take stock of the damage from last night and look ahead to today’s fixtures.

Match Reviews

Switzerland vs Poland

Right after the kick-off, Poland had a chance when Swiss goalkeeper Sommer was dispossessed. The ball fell to Milik, who missed an open goal, by dragging the ball high. Switzerland had more of the ball in the first half but failed to create any clear-cut opportunities. They had a few good runs into the Polish defense down the flanks. Poland, with lesser possession, created better chances. Lewandowski headed a tame effort intot he hands of the grateful Sommer. At the end of the first half, Poland broke with pace down the left flank with Maczynski. He got lucky with a deflection off the defender, getting the ball back. The cross into the box was left by the first man, falling to Blaszczykowski, who made no mistake in slotting it past the goalkeeper.

Switzerland were once again the team dominating possession in the second half. Poland were happy to just sit back and defend their lead. It was a dangerous ploy, but they were holding on. Ricardo Rodriguez went close for the Swiss from free-kick which Fabianski tipped over. Switzerland hit the bar too. As the last 10 minutes approached, Xherdan Shaqiri lined up a loose bouncing ball on the edge of the box. He connected perfectly with an overhead kick, which went in off the post. No goalkeeper in the world would’ve stopped that effort. This was definitely the moment of the tournament so far. Switzerland pressed for a winner but it didn’t come about.

 Extra time continued in the same vein with Switzerland pressing and Poland defending deep. Not many shots on target and the match drifted to penalties. Both captains stepped up first and scored. Granit Xhaka dragged Switzerland’s second penalty wide, clearly the pressure had got to him. There were no other misses and Poland went through 5-4. The result was unfair on the Swiss, who were the better team on the day. A shame that Shaqiri, with his wonder-goal, ended up on the losing team.

My Prediction: Switzerland 1-1 Poland, Poland to qualify

Final Score: Switzerland 1-1 Poland (Poland won 5-4 on penalties)

Wales vs Northern Ireland

Wales were overwhelming favourites especially after their good showing in the Group Stage. The Northern Irish were expected to play the same way they did against Germany, sit back and hope to catch their opponents out in a counter or from set piece. Surprisingly, it was the latter that started on a more positive not. Northern Ireland were the better team, creating chances in the first 20 minutes. Wales, for all their good teamwork, were looking disjointed. As the game matured, Wales came into it more. The game took on the expected form after the initial spell with Wlaes keeping more of the ball. They were unable to worry McGovern a great deal though.

The second half continued in the same vein. Northern Ireland rarely made forays into the Welsh half. Wales were struggling to break down their opponents’ defense. After a lot of huffing and puffing, Wales had the breakthrough in the 75^th minute. Gareth Bale put in a good low cross from the left which Gareth McAuley could only deflect into his own net. The Northern Irish defender really had no choice but to try to get a touch on the ball with Hal Robson-Kanu bearing down behind him. The game petered out with the same score, and it was heart-break for McAuley and the Northern Irish. Wales were through, only just.

My Prediction: Wales 2-0 Northern Ireland

Final Score: Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland

Croatia vs Portugal

The truth, I switched off this game after 30 minutes. It was that aimless!! A brilliant decision, having read that Portugal scored with the second attempt on target in the whole game in the 117^th minute! This is not the free-flowing football we wanted see.

Not much to write about this match to be honest. It was extremely disappointing with neither team able to keep the ball for long spells. Pepe skied a free header early in the first half. Mandzukic too missed a header early in the second half. Later, Vida missed an open goal from a free header, with the Portuguese goalkeeper having run into his own defender, in an attempt to get to the ball. The match skidded to a goalless conclusion after 90 minutes.

Deep into injury time, Perisic hit the post with another header. From the resulting loose ball, Portugal broke with pace and numbers.  Renato Sanches found Nani on the left flank, who drilled a grounded pass to Ronaldo on the other flank. Ronaldo’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper, but it fell kindly to Quaresma, in front of an open goal. He headed in and Portugal had completed the unlikeliest smash-and-grab of the tournament.

My Prediction: Croatia 2-1 Portugal

Final Score: Croatia 0-1 Portugal (after extra time)

Match Previews

France vs Republic of Ireland

The Irish showed spunk against the Italians, although much changed, in their last group game, to garb the win and ensure qualification to Round 2. They would find it doubly difficult to get the better of the French team. The hosts would be looking to put on a good show for the home fans. They were on the front foot against Switzerland and were unlucky to only get a point from that game. I can’t see past a French victory in this game, given how Ireland struggled against a full strength Belgium.

My Prediction: France 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Germany vs Slovakia

Germany haven’t got going in this tournament so far. Yet, they’ll be happy with the results they’ve been eking out. They’ll need to keep a check on Slovak danger-man Marek Hamsik, who can cause them a lot of pain if in full flow. The Slovakian defense did an excellent job of negating the English attack in their last group game, with Captain Martin Skrtel putting in a Man of the Match performance. With Germans having failed to emphatically break down any defense in the tournament, this match will a closely fought affair. I’m with Germany to just edge it.

My Prediction: Germany 2-1 Slovakia

Hungary vs Belgium

World number 2 Belgium have blowed hot and cold in this tournament. They were impeccable against Ireland but haven’t done very well in the other matches. Hungary, on the other hand have been a real surprise package of the tournament. Unbeaten, with a win against Austria and having run Portugal all the way, they’d probably be the team with higher spirits coming into this game. I get the feeling that the Hungarians will ride on that good feeling and get past this Belgium team, still struggling to become more than a collection of individuals. As such, I think this will be the only upset of the second round.

My Prediction: Hungary 1-0 Belgium

Everyone is hoping for better matches on this second day of the knockouts. Hopefully the teams come out of their defensive stupor and put on an entertaining show for the fans. I’ll be back tomorrow with a round-up of these matches. Till then, enjoy the football…

European Championships - Second Round - Part 1

The knockout stage of the European Championships get under way today with the commencement of the Second Round. Three matches will be played. In this post, I preview today’s matches, point out the players to watch and predict the likely outcomes. As such, this post will be a short one.

Match Previews

Switzerland vs Poland

Both teams have not been at their fluent best in this tournament. Both teams finished second in the group, although Poland did pick up more points. Poland will be looking to their captain for inspiration. Lewandowski has not been in good form, and is yet to score in the Euros. The return to goal-scoring form for Jakub Blaszczykowski is a welcome for Poland. He scored in their match against Ukraine and maintained the record of always being on the winning side whenever he’s scored for the national team. The Swiss have had similar sketchy for. Although, Granit Xhaka has been in good form, those around him have not. They could only draw against a Romania side in the group stages, the same team who were later beaten by Albania. Their forwards haven’t turned up yet and their midfield has been left to do the heavy lifting. Both teams need their forwards to start scoring. Whoever does that today will progress. I’m giving the edge to Poland because of their superior fire-power up front. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if this match goes beyond regular time, possibly all the way to penalties.

Players to Watch: Granit Xhaka (Switzerland), Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

My Prediction:  Switzerland 1-1 Poland (Poland to win via penalty shootout)

Wales vs Northern Ireland

It’s the Battle of Britain part 2 as Wales take on Northern Ireland. On paper, Wales are clearly the favourites. They’ve performed well in all three games, coming up just short against England. They have a very good chance of making it all the way to the final. Northern Ireland, for their part, won’t be pushovers. In Michael McGovern, they have the best goalkeeper of the tournament so far. They’ve defended with aplomb throughout the tournament. The difference here would be that they would have to attack if they are to break Wales down. It is here that Wales might find openings. Overall, Wales should have enough to get past Northern Ireland and move ahead in the tournament.

Players to Watch: Gareth Bale (Wales), Michael McGovern (Northern Ireland)

My Prediction: Wales 2-0 Northern Ireland

Croatia vs Portugal

Croatia were very impressive against Spain. To go a goal down against a Spain side known for keeping possession of the ball and then come back to win showed character. A repeat of the same performance should see them comfortably beat Portugal. Ivan Perisic has been in a rich vein of form throughout the tournament and would be the danger man as far as Portugal are concerned. The Portuguese struggled through a group they were expected to steamroll. They qualified after finishing in 3^rd place, by virtue of better goal difference. The good news for them is that Ronaldo seemed to be at his best against Hungary in their last match. The bad news, and there’s more than one, is that Ronaldo looked to be carrying an injury despite his heroics. Further, their defense has not been sturdy and no player other than their captain has looked to take the initiative. I predict a Croatia victory in this match. Portugal would have to improve by a huge margin if they are get to the Quarter Final.

Players to Watch: Ivan Perisic (Croatia), Cristiano Ronald (Portugal)

My Prediction: Croatia 2-1 Portugal

A day of evenly balanced contest, apart from Wales being the favourites in the second game. The big teams play their games from tomorrow. I'll be back with the reviews of these three matches and will look ahead to tomorrow's games in my next post. Till then, enjoy the football...

European Championship - First Round Memorable Moments

With the First Round drawing to a close, I felt it was a good time to consolidate the best moments from the Championships so far. There have been a lot of talking points, with minnows taking most of the limelight with their courageous displays, helped no doubt by the format of the tournament. There have been some unsavoury moments too, with supporter violence high on the list of headaches for the tournament organizers. Here are some of the best moments…

Dmitri Payet in tears after scoring against Romania

His match-winning display was too much to take and Payet broke down after being substituted. He had just become the darling for his country and this reaction showed just how much it meant to him.

Fan violence mars England vs Russia draw

With the good, came the bad, as opposing ‘fans’ clashed in the stadium. The fight would spill out onto the streets of Marseille, even travelling as far as Lille.

Jerome Boateng’s goal-line clearance

This impossible acrobatic clearance from Boateng in the first half kept the scores level in Germany’s clash against Ukraine.

Republic of Ireland fans at the Euros

Irish fans (both ROI and NIR) did their countries proud at the Euros. In a tournament marred by fan violence and misconduct, the Irish fans were a treat to watch in the stands. The Republic of Ireland fans, in particular, were the most popular.

Antonio Conte the tactical genius

Conte’s tactics helped an average looking Italian team get a tremendous win over world number 2 Belgium in their opening game of the tournament. The Chelsea fans would’ve been licking their lips after this.

Hungary return with a bang

Hungary returned to the Euros after a 44 year gap and beat Austria in their opening fixture.

Ronaldo refuses to swap shirts

Ronaldo refused to swap shirts with Iceland’s Aron Gunnarsson after Iceland held on for a historic draw against Portugal. Later, the Portuguese star would make a “…small nation, small mentality” jibe at the minnows for not playing for the victory.

Northern Ireland rack up 3 points

Northern Ireland marked their return to the international stage with a 2-0 win over Ukraine in their second group game.

Croatia fans throw flares onto the pitch

The Croatian fans let themselves down by throwing numerous flares on to the pitch in their game vs Czech Republic. The break in play affected their team’s concentration and they allowed the Czechs to take a point from the game. The stadium official in the picture survived a close call after an explosive he was trying to remove from the pitch burst in his hands.

Kung Fu at the Euros

Shane Long would consider himself very lucky that neither high kicks made significant contact with his head! It was incredible how the referee did not award a penalty for this incident, let alone send one, if not both, players off.

Absolute joy for Albania

Albania pulled off their first win in a major tournament by beating Romania courtesy a Sadiku goal. The unbridled emotion in the above picture shows how much it meant to them as a country.

15% of Iceland’s population has flown to France for the Euros

With just 333,000 people, Iceland has the smallest population of all countries at the Euros. The country witnessed a mass exodus in the first week of June as 50,000 fans travelled to France to attend the Euros. The team hasn’t let them down and the mutual admiration is clear from this picture.

Zlatan bows out

The legend bowed out of international football after failing to lift his team past the group stage. Sweden would do well to find another footballing icon like him.

Best Goal – Marek Hamsik vs Russia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNjTg79FoZU

Hamsik took control of the ball in the left edge of the penalty area, beat one defender on the inside and fired an unstoppable shot from an acute angle past another, which beat the keeper and went in off the post.

Best Improvised Goal – Cristiano Ronaldo first goal vs Hungary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXHg0AYr8J0

Ronaldo drew Portugal level at 2-2 with a cheeky and genius back-flip in their match against Hungary.

Best Pass – Leonardo Bonucci assist for Giaccherini goal vs Belgium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbsRFvr0K3I

Bonucci launched a lobbed pass towards Giaccherini form the center circle, which just cleared the Belgian defenders and landed perfectly at the strikers feet. Giaccherini made no mistake with the finish.

Best Through Pass – David Silva to Cesc Fabregas, leading to Sapin’s goal vs Croatia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lBsBxI2EDE

Silva's reverse pass took out four defenders before finding Fabregas, who squared for Morata to score into an empty net.

Star Player – Gareth Bale, Wales

While there were a few individual performances worthy of mention, Bale’s leadership from the front with goals makes him my player of the First Round. Most other big names have failed to light up the tournament, but Bale scored in all three games and was the main reason for Wales’ qualification to the second round by topping the group.

Best Goalkeeper – Michael McGovern, Northern Ireland

McGovern was brilliant in the group stages, saving his best performance for the match against the world champions Germany. The Germans could well have scored 5 or 6 goals had it not been for the Northern Irish stopper. He played well in the other games too, pulling off a few good saves and being an overall assured presence behind the defense.

Best Team – Wales

If any team has epitomised being just that, a Team, it is Wales. Solid at the back and through midfield, they have played for themselves and each other all through the group stages. Gareth Bale has led from the front and players like Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen have been able and powerful lieutenants. Captain Ashley Williams has led the team with aplomb, ensuring that they stick to the manager's work ethic. Chris Coleman has changed them from non-entities to possible world beaters.

Biggest Upset – Austria 0-2 Hungary

Austria were dark horses for the tournament. People were expecting them to possibly go till the last week of the tournament. Hungary came out firing and blew away their neighbours in their first group game. A sublime chip over the goalkeeper from Stieber in the final minutes assured them the win. 40 year old goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly ran the length of the pitch to join in the celebrations.

Albania’s win over Romania is a close second for its romanticism with a special mention for Ireland’s win over Italy, although the Azzuri had made 8 changes to their squad.

There were a lot more things that I could’ve covered as a part of the moments of the tournament but these make for a good set. I hope you’ve been enjoying the tournament as much as I’ve been, despite it being a low scoring affair. Here’s to hoping the second round brings more goals and less defensive football. The bottom half of the draw is lining up to be explosive. The top half presents an opportunity to one of the dark horses to reach the final. What will happen in the Second Round? Well, we need to wait for another day before we start finding out.

European Championships - First Round Wrap Up

A crazy day at the European Championships yesterday brought the Group Stage to an end. There were plenty of goals and unlikely results to keep the football faithful guessing. Third place teams from both the groups on show went through meaning Groups A and D were the ones with only 2 teams in the Round of 16.

In this short post, I cover the 4 matches played yesterday. Previews of the Second Round will be covered in my next post. There will also be a special post tomorrow with fun facts and crazy photos from the Euros. Stayed tuned for that.

Match Reviews

Group E

Italy vs Republic of Ireland

Ireland still had a chance to qualify for the next round but only a win would do. Italy had rotated their team including resting Buffon who was nursing a niggle. Ireland creating a handful of chances in the first half, and outplayed Italy for the most part. This was a much improved showing from their 0-3 loss to Belgium in the previous match. Italy had a small spell of possession at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half but did not trouble the goalkeeper. After some more Ireland pressure, Italy hit the post with a curling shot from Insigne. Missed a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Ireland’s perseverance was finally rewarded when Robbie Brady got on the end of a Hoolahan cross ahead of Italian goalkeeper Sirigu. The 85^th minute goal was sending Ireland through as things stood. The Irish held on for a deserved and very surprising victory.

My Prediction: Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Final Score: Italy 0-1 Republic of Ireland

Sweden vs Belgium

Before this game, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had announced his retirement from international football following the Euros. This would be his last ever match for Sweden unless they managed to beat Belgium. Belgium themselves were not yet assured of a place in the next round. As such, this was expected to be a closely fought encounter. Sweden missed a glorious opportunity early on as Berg hit a powerful volley straight at Courtois from 8 yards out. It was an open game in the first half, with the two teams exchanging spells of possession and creating a couple of good chances each.

The second continued in the same vein but the breakthrough refused to come about. Lukaku had the ball in the net but it was ruled out by a correct offside call. The Belgians started having more of the ball in the last 20 minutes and launched a barrage of attempts on goal. Sweden almost took the lead against the run of play as de Bruyne cleared off the line from an Ibrahimovic header following a corner. On 85 minutes, Radja Nainggolan found time and space outside the box to line up a shoot. His attempt went across the keeper, just out of his reach and nestled in the far corner. Belgium were ahead and almost surely now going through. Sweden were unable to mount any kind of comeback. Ibrahimovic bowed out from the international stage on this disappointing note.

My Prediction: Sweden 1-2 Belgium

Final Score: Sweden 0-1 Belgium

Group F

Iceland vs Austria

Fairytales! Fairy tales do come true!! Iceland’s mere qualification for this tournament was a fairytale. Their point against Portugal was like Cinderella getting to go to the ball. This match against Austria; well the climax was like Snow White coming back from the dead. Maybe not the best of analogies, but you get the drift.

Iceland, like their game against Hungary, started the game the game stronger. Gudmundsson hit the post with a fierce shot which left the Austrian keeper rooted to the spot. They hit the post again, directly from the following corner. They were ahead soon enough when Bodvarsson shrugged shrugged off Baumgartlinger and slotted past the goalkeeper from six yards out. Austria finally started getting into the game and created a number of chances. Austria were awarded a penalty when Alaba was prevented jumping for a header in the box. Austria’s bad run continued as Dragovic fired the penalty onto the post and wide. Despite the miss, this was still Austria’s best showing at the finals, but they didn’t have anything to show for it yet.

Early in the second half, Alaba had a shot blocked off the line. Austria finally were level when Schopf dribbled past a couple of Icelandic defenders and scored. The goal had been coming and the momentum was now with Austria. They were the team who controlled most of the ball for the remainder of the game and should’ve scored more in this period. They were punished for their wastefulness in the dying seconds, as Iceland broke with numbers. Gudmundsson beat goalkeeper Almer at the near post, to make history for his country and ensure qualification to the next round. Austria were eliminated.

My Prediction: Iceland 1-1 Austria

Final Score: Iceland 2-1 Austria

Hungary vs Portugal

Portugal went into this game needing at least a point to stay in contention for the second round. Hungary had already qualified. Portugal kept more possession, putting pressure on the Hungarian defense early on. However, Hungary took their chance when it came. Zoltan Gera launched a fizzing low drive from 25 yards, which fly past Patricio before he could reach it. Portugal were looking at elimination! This was only the start of things to come. Portugal immediately started getting on top once again. They created a few more openings, before Ronaldo played in Nani from the left flank. The latter made no mistake beating Kiraly at the near post. The scores were level at half time.

The start of the second half saw Hungary take the lead again via a deflected free kick from Balazs Dzsudzsak. Portugal immediately hit back; Cristiano Ronaldo pulling off a sublime back-heel which gave the keeper no chance. A few minutes later, Dzsudzsak stepped up to take another free kick in a similar position. This time, the wall did its job but Dzsudzsak himself controlled the rebound, took it on to his favoured left foot and fired towards goal. Nani inexplicably stuck out a foot, the ball deflecting in off it! The Portuguese players’ reactions were a mixture of disgust and disbelief. Once again, it was Portugal’s turn to fight with that man Ronaldo popping up with powerful header. He’d just answered his critics with his on-field performance. Around 80 minutes, Portuguese coach Santos took off Nani to bring on Danilo. This signaled his intent of contentment with the result. As things stood, they were second in the group. The match finished 3-3 but the late goal from Iceland meant that Portugal were relegated to third in the group. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they avoided England in the second half.

My Prediction: Hungary 1-2 Portugal

Final Score: Hungary 3-3 Portugal

What a last day! The Second Round fixtures are now set. Italy vs Spain is the glamour tie of the round while Croatia vs Portugal should be an eye-catching game too. A couple of days break for the tournament. But no such break for me, as I plan to be back tomorrow with another post with the best moments of the tournament so far. Till then…

European Championships - Day 13

Just a couple of groups left and the second round ties are starting to take shape. Two third placed teams are already through. The bottom half of the draw looks like a minefield already. It can get worse depending on the results of Group F!

In this post, I’ll cover the matches played in Groups B, C and D and look ahead to the last two remaining Groups; E and F.

Match Reviews

Group B

Russia vs Wales

Spain’s performance against Turkey had received rave reviews. If anything, Wales’s performance in this match, matched or even surpassed the Spanish. They were imperial in their attacking and use of the ball. The triumvirate of Bale, Ramsey and Allen wreaked havoc against the Russian defense. Russia, still in with a chance of qualification, tried to create chances of their own. But their forward advances left enough space at the back for the Welsh to exploit. While Joe Allen kept possession and controlled the midfield, Ramsey played the attacking midfielder role to perfection, finding Bale on numerous occasions. Bale, on his part, played the channels and found lots of space in behind the Russian defense. He left Russian defenders for dead as early as the half an hour mark. The Welsh breakthrough came relatively early, as Allen played in Ramsey with a precision through ball. Ramsey placed in past the keeper. The second goal came about after Bales through ball took a deflection from a Russian defender and fell kindly to Neil Taylor. The defender isn’t the likeliest to find himself in the penalty box, but he took his chance expertly. On the side, Neil Taylor’s mother is a Bengali and my parochial pride is aroused! I’ll follow his career closely now.

The second half no different as Wales looked to put the result beyond Russia’s reach. The Russian goalkeeper, Akinfaeev made a total of 8 saves. Otherwise, the result could have been humiliating. He was powerless to stop Bale, who found himself one-on-one with the goalie half-way through the second half. He scored taking his tournament tally to 3 goals, the joint top scorer. While other superstars were faltering, Bale were rising to the challenge. The match ended 3-0 to Wales, capping off the most complete team performance of the Euros so far.

My Prediction: Russia 0-1 Wales

Final Score: Russia 0-3 Wales

Slovakia vs England

Both teams would be assured of an automatic qualification place with a win. Lose, and they faced the prospect of finishing 3^rd in the group and a potential clash with Germany. A lot was on the line. England came out firing, keeping more of the ball and creating better chances. They failed to score, however, as dogged Slovak defending smart saves kept them out. The Liverpool duo of Lallana and Clyne were the creative sparks. Sturridge was off-colour in his wide role, another questionable tactic by Hodgson. Slovakia never looked like breaking through. It was apparent that they had come here to take a point. The English grew more and more frustrated as the game went on.

In the second half, Nathaniel Clyne’s honesty probably robbed England of a penalty. He was tripped as he broke into the box, but he opted to stay on his feet, and his shot was saved. Had he gone down, the referee might have given a spot-kick. Martin Skrtel was a rock in the Slovak defense, intercepting crosses and making numerous blocks. The English substitutions failed to make a similar impact as in their previous games against Wales. Once again, England had failed to break down a defense despite dominating. Their fans were left frustrated as they finished 2^nd in the group behind Wales. A possible outing against Portugal could materialize in the second, depending on results.

My Prediction: Slovakia 1-2 England

Final Score: Slovakia 0-0 England

Group C

Ukraine vs Poland

Poland needed a big win to overturn the Goal Difference deficit they had to Germany. They did not have much of the ball in the first half. Ukraine kept possession but only managed two attempts on target. They were quite wasteful in the final third. Poland, though, managed just one. They would have to pick up their game in the second half, if they were serious about getting top spot in the group. They did exactly that early on in the second half. Jakub Blaszczykowski drove a shot from inside the penalty box to give Poland the lead. The Poles had more of the ball following the goal but could not extend their lead. Ukraine had a couple chances late on, but a lack of attacking quality let them down. Poland were moving on in the tournament while Ukraine were going back home.

My Prediction: Ukraine 1-1 Poland

Final Score: Ukraine 1-1 Poland

Northern Ireland vs Germany

Incredibly, the Northern Irish could finish above Germany with a win here. The Germans were hoping to prevent any upsets. They started with real desire and created chance after chance. Three clear cut opportunities were squandered, with mishits and saves foiling them. Finally, after 32 minutes and about 5 attempts on goal, Thomas Mueller, with his back to goal, set up Mario Gomez who scored via a small deflection. There was a sense of relief as the Germans were finally ahead. They looked likely to extend their lead too with more opportunities in the first half that went astray. Mesut Ozil must have been wondering why the forwards on his team cannot score from his incisive passes!

The second half followed the same pattern with the Germans on the attack for most of it and Northern Ireland defending doggedly. 1-0 was a precarious score-line for the world champions. Nortehrn Ireland came into the match a bit more in the latter part of second half. But they could not mount a serious challenge to the German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. This match was a story of missed opportunities for the Germans, but Poland’s narrow win meant the Germans retained 1^st position in the group.

Group D

Czech Republic vs Turkey

This was a game of contrasts. Czech Republic played, Turkey won. Czech Republic created chances, Turkey scored goals. Czech Republic dominated possession, Turkey dominated the headlines.

The game began with the Czechs creating a couple of chances. They were undone by poor finishing and good goalkeeping. 10 minutes in, and with literally their first attack, Turkey broke down the left flank. Emre Mor was allowed to run with the ball after getting to a through pass. He squared the ball to the center of the area, from where Yilmaz finished smartly to continue his goal-scoring form from before the tournament. The Czechs continued creating the better chances but without reward. Turkey extended their lead in the middle of the second half when Mehmet Topal, starting in a marginally offside position, set up Ozan Tufan who drilled a fierce shot past Petr Cech. The Czech goalkeeper had no chance. What should’ve been a moment to savour for the Turkish soon turned farcical as flares were thrown on to the pitch once again. However, unlike the Croatia match, where similar events took place, the Czechs could not produc a turnaround here. Sivok hit the post with a header and a couple more chances were missed as the Czechs crashed out. Turkey were still in with a shot to qualify for the second round, but would have to wait for results elsewhere.

My Prediction: Czech Republic 1-1 Turkey

Final Score: Czech Republic 0-2 Turkey

Croatia vs Spain

Spain would’ve been confident of ensuring top spot in the group after their assured performance against Turkey. They were up against a Croatia side without their injured captain Luka Modric. Spain started on the front foot, creating chances. Their goal came soon enough. David Silva found Fabregas with a sublime reverse pass from the edge of the area. Fabregas squared the ball, out of reach of the on-rushing Croatian goalkeeper Subasic, for Morata to tap into an empty net. The signs were ominous for the Croats. Despite going behind, they did not lose hope. Croatia started getting more of the ball. David de Gea almost gifted them an equalizer when he allowed himself to be robbed off the ball, only for Rakitic’s chip to hit both the bar and the post before staying out. Croatia’s effort soon bore fruit. Ivan Perisic, so often the finisher, turned provider, putting in a low cross into the six yard area. Kalinic scored with a subtle finish with the outside of his right foot giving de Gea having no chance.

Early in the second half, De Gea almost made a mess of another cross, as Croatia failed to take advantage of the follow up. Spain were awarded a soft penalty as David Silva fell over after in the area following minimal contact. Amazingly, it was Sergio Ramos who stepped up to take the spot-kick. He hit it straight down the middle making it simple for Subasic to save. The Croatian goalkeeper was a good two yards off his line when the kick was taken. The officials should’ve called for a retake but given the nature of the awarding of the penalty, this was justice served. At the death, Croatia countered they had broken down a Spanish attack in their penalty box. Ivan Perisic found space in the box and shot past de Gea. Despite the ball having taken a slight deflection off the defender, the Spanish goalkeeper should’ve saved at his near post. Croatia held on, taking first place in the group. Spain were looking at the unsavoury future of a second round tie against Italy! This result, coupled with England’s failure to take first place in tehri group, meant that all big names were now in the bottom half of the draw!

My Prediction: Croatia 0-1 Spain

Final Score: Croatia 2-1 Spain

Match Previews

Group E

Italy vs Republic of Ireland

Italy have been super strong tactically and defensively. They deserved their late win against Sweden in their last game. They are overwhelming favourites to roll over an underwhelming Ireland team. Despite Roy Keane’s advice to kick the Italians, Ireland must remember that the Italians themselves are not shy to play dirty when required. It would be foolish decision to try to beat the Italians at their own game. Italy should be too strong and they’re in with a shot to be the only team to go through the group stages with 3 wins. That was not something a lot of people would’ve predicted before this tournament got started.

My Prediction: Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Sweden vs Belgium

At the start of the tournament, by prediction for this match was a lone goal win for Sweden. Given how they’ve performed, I’ve changed my prediction to favour Belgium. And yet, there is this niggling feeling that this possibly being Zlatan’s last international match, we could yet be in store for something special from the man himself. On form, Belgium should edge this. They were clinical against Ireland, a team Sweden failed to beat, and were mostly the second best in most departments on that day. I wouldn’t be surprised with a surprise result in this match though.

My Prediction: Sweden 1-2 Belgium

Group F

Iceland vs Austria

Coming in as underdogs, and expected to perform well might have had a negative influence on Austria. So far, they’ve not produced any kind of form which saw them qualify for this tournament. With 1 point only so far, only a win would suffice to keep them in the tournament. Iceland, on the other hand have had a great tournament so far. After the historic draw against Portugal, they were unlucky to not have taken any points from the Hungary game. They would be the team with a better atmosphere at the moment. I do expect Austria to play better in this match than they already have. But Iceland have shown that they have the spunk required to compete against stronger teams. I’m going with a scoring draw in this one, with Austria’s lack of attacking options and flair likely to mean they waste a lot of chances in this game. This would also mean Austria crashing out.

My Prediction: Iceland 1-1 Austria

Hungary vs Portugal

If you’d told the Hungarians a couple weeks back, that they would be the ones already in the second round at this stage, while their opponents needed at least a point from this game to stay alive, they’d have laughed at you. As it stands, the Magyars have played fearless football and confirmed their progress already. Portugal are in dire straits and face elimination even with a draw. They should approach this game with the sole objective of winning. They do have the quality to beat this Hungary team, but just barely. I think the real Portugal will turn up today and clinch the win and progress to the second round. Whether Ronaldo plays a central role in that process, I’m not very certain.

My Prediction: Hungary 1-2 Portugal

The favourites seem to want to eliminate their rivals early on and are conspiring to face each other in the second round itself. Qualifications for Northern Ireland and Hungary are the feel good stories of the first round so far. Add to this the travails of England and Spain against the more spirited Wales and Croatia, respectively, and we have an interesting final two weeks shaping up.

Till we meet again, enjoy the football…