World Cup Roundup – Groups E and F

FIFA and Qatar are two sides of the same corrupt coin.

That being said, what an absolute DAY at the World Cup. I still haven’t caught my breath!

Group F

Winners – Morocco

Runners Up – Croatia

Eliminated – Belgium, Canada

The big news in this group is that Belgium have been eliminated after a goalless draw with Croatia in their final group game. Belgium were very disappointing this whole tournament, and that form continued today. They were the better side in terms of possession and chances created, but of course a team doesn’t win simply by having more possession. Striker Romelu Lukaku was guilty of missing at least two gilt-edged chances, and I feel that the Lukaku of 4 years ago would have buried both of them. His form recently though simply hasn’t been good. But the Belgians can’t blame one man for their failure. They weren’t good enough in any of their matches, and the results prove it. Belgium fans will be devastated today, given that this was probably the last chance for players like Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Eden Hazard to play at a World Cup. They now face a ton of questions about their future, and they will answer those questions with out the aide of manager Roberto Martinez, who voluntarily stepped down as Belgium boss after the match. The Croatians did well to manage the game today and got a little lucky, but they’ll be happy to be through to the next round with their draw today.

A very hearty “well done” to the Moroccans today and for their general performance so far. Thy knew that a draw would likely see them through to the next round, but they went and got another victory today over already-eliminated Canada that saw them win their group! Not many would have picked them to do that before this tournament started. Winger/forward Hakim Ziyech got the first goal on 3 minutes when Canadian keeper Milan Borjan’s poor clearance fell straight to Ziyech and he chipped the keeper from about 30 yards out. The Moroccans then got a second about 20 minutes later when a long ball forward found the run of striker Youssef En-Nesyri. Despite being closely marshalled by two Canadian defenders, he got a low shot away that beat Borjan at his near post. The Canadians got one back from an own-goal on 41 minutes, but could not find another.

A day to forget for the Canadian keeper, but a day to remember for every Moroccan! They win their group for the first time in their history and become only the second African team to win their group in World Cup history!

Belgium going out and Morocco winning the group would be the story of the day if not for what happened in the other group.

Group E

Winners – Japan

Runners Up – Spain

Eliminated – Germany, Costa Rica

I don’t even know where to begin with this group. Total chaos and pandemonium from all four teams involved. Every possible mathematical permutation that could have happened did happen at one point or another during today’s matches. There was a very brief four minute window today where both the Ze Germans AND Spain were going out, and while that did not fully come to pass at the final whistles, the Germans going out is still a massive, massive, disappointment for them. Going into their final match against Costa Rica they not only needed to win, they needed a draw from the Spain-Japan match to get out of the group. They did end up winning 4-2 with forward Kai Havertz getting two goals, although it was much closer than the score line suggested. Costa Rica were right there with them most of the way. Even though Die Manschaft won, they still went out on goal difference to the Spanish. That 7-0 in favor of La Rioja against Costa Rica in the opening match ended up being very important indeed, as Spain advanced on superior goal difference. German manager Hansi Flick and all their players will be facing a lot of justified criticism for their performance in this World Cup. They never seemed to fully click. A more thorough examination of their issues is sure to come.

Both matches were great to watch, but the drama of how they impacted each other was the best thing about today. At halftime in both matches it was 1-0 to Spain and 1-0 to Germany, so it stood to reason that they would both hold on and sneak out of the group. Spain were passing the Japanese to death and the Germans looked to be revving up their goal machine.

But Japan had other ideas. In their match, the Blue Samurai came out in the second half and quickly scored two goals (48′ and 51′), one by substitute forward Ritsu Doan and the other by midfielder Ao Tanaka. The first came about due to some lackadaisical play by the Spanish, who were far too casual while playing the ball out from the back. Japan pressed and won the ball in their attacking third, after which Doan received it on the edge of the Spanish penalty area and whipped an absolute cracker of a shot off the hands of keeper Unai Simón and into the back of the net. A goal from nowhere, but that is a tactic the Japanese specialize in.

Japan had the ball forward again moments later, but this time the ball across the face of goal appeared to be just out of reach of winger Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma still got a foot to the ball for a cross in though, and it was bundled home by the knee of Tanaka from maybe a yard out. The game was stopped for a goal check, and VAR allowed it to stand. Make no mistake, this was an insanely close call. There did appear to be some space between the ball and the end line, but it also appeared that a portion of the back half of the ball did not quite make it over the line. The camera angle made it hard to tell. In football, a ball is only out if the whole ball goes over the whole line, and the ref determined that the whole ball did not cross the whole of the line. The finest of fine margins though!

Japan then converted to a back-6 and essentially played the “attacks versus defense” training drill for the next 40 minutes, and while that is a risky strategy, it ultimately worked. The Spanish never did generate too many good chances after that, aside from two good saves from keeper Shūichi Gonda. Excellent defensive discipline from the Japanese to see it out, and it must be said that Spain were probably not in the mood to help Germany progress by scoring an equalizer.

Japan deserved this result today. I was worried about them after the first half being down 1-0 thanks to a header from striker Alvaro Morata, but their game plan for the second half was perfect. They pressed when they needed to, got a good goal as a result, and then nicked a second with a bit of good luck. They did almost the exact same thing against Germany. They were down 1-0 at the half in that match too, but got two in quick succession at the start of the second half of that match too. When something like this happens once it’s lucky, but when it’s twice it’s obviously a clear strategy.

Japanese manager Hajime Moriyasu deserves a ton of credit for today’s win. Japan’s strategy of holding on and defending for the first 45 and then really going for it in the opening 10 minutes of the second half worked perfectly – and it worked TWICE against two powerhouses of world football. The stats surrounding this team are absolutely mind-boggling. Japan is the first team ever to win a World Cup match with less than 20% possession. Indeed, their 17.7% possession today is the lowest for a winner in any World Cup match ever. They are the first team ever to come from behind and win twice in the group stage. They are the first Asian team to win their group twice. Just stunning in every which way. The party is on in Tokyo tonight!

Japan vs. Croatia – Monday, December 5th at 7 AM PST

Spain vs. Morocco – Tuesday, December 6th at 7 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Team Chaos Reigns Supreme

Qatar is a terrible place to host a World Cup for everyone except FIFA. Corrupt and rotten to the core, every one of them.

Croatia vs. Canada

Although chaos was the theme of the day, this match was probably the most predictable one beforehand. Croatia romped to a 4-1 victory over the Canadians despite going down early. This match was one of youth and athleticism versus experience and tactics. Canada have a lot of young and talented players, and it was their superstar Alphonso Davies who got their first goal of this tournament and Canada’s first goal ever at a World Cup just two minutes into the game via a header from close range. A historic moment for their nation!

But Croatia were undeterred, to say the very least. They’ve been in this sort of position before at a World Cup, and were runners-up in 2018 for a reason. They scored the next four goals over the course of the match, with two of them coming from winger/forward Andrej Kramaric. It was a brilliant day for him and the Croatian midfield in general, with a masterclass from the aging but still all-world midfielder Luka Modric. They really gave the Canadians a lesson in how to effectively pass the ball around.

Canada have sadly been eliminated from World Cup 2022, joining Qatar. Perhaps their manager John Herdman has learned the hard way not to shoot his mouth off at opposition of this caliber in pre-match interviews. It’s clear the Croatians felt disrespected today, so they were highly motivated to win. Croatia is top of Group F on 4 points.

Morocco vs. Belgium

Okay, time for some chaos now! The Belgians were strong favorites to win Group F pre-tournament, but they lost today 2-0 to a well-disciplined and opportunistic Moroccan team.

This match was a choppy one for the most part, with Belgium in particular struggling to break down a very stubborn opposition. Belgium had the majority of the possession, but that suited Morocco just fine. Belgium’s best effort of the half came early on when Michy Batshuayi’s attempt was deflected away by Moroccan keeper Munir Mohamedi. But the Morroccans broke on the counter-attack via their speedy wingers such as Hakim Ziyech several times and were causing a ton of problems for the aging Belgian defense, either via direct attacks or by winning free kicks. Morocco thought they had a goal in first half stoppage time from a header, but it was ruled out for offside after VAR checked it.

The Moroccans held on in the second half defensively, and the later it got, the more you felt like they might nick a goal. They finally did get a goal on 73 minutes from attacking midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri, who’s free kick from near the corner flag inexplicably dipped under Belgian midfielder Thibaut Courtois for 1-0. Courtois is one of the best keepers in the world, so it was very odd to see him commit such a glaring error. He has to cover his near post from the angle, and he simply didn’t. Morocco didn’t care of course, because they were now en route to a famous victory if they could hold on for 17 minutes plus stoppage time.

Belgium poured men forward trying to find an equalizer. Their best chance came when center back Jan Vertonghen headed it just wide around 80 minutes or so. But Morocco then got their second in stoppage time via another counter-attack, with a pullback cross from the right hand side of the box finding forward Zakaria Aboukhlal in front of the goal on his own, and he made no mistake with a finish into the roof of the net. It sealed all three points for Morocco in one of their biggest results ever at a World Cup.

Belgium are in trouble. They are 3rd on 3 points, but are very much on the outside looking in. They now face the daunting prospect of playing in-form Croatia to try and stay alive and progress to the next round. To make matters worse, Vertonghen and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne are sniping at each other in the press, so one can imagine that the locker room chemistry for the Belgians is rather acidic right now. These Belgians are talented, but I think they might be coming to grips with the idea that collectively they may not be athletic enough to keep up with speedier opposition. Could this group stage be the last hurrah for Belgium’s golden generation?

Morocco are 2nd in Group F on 4 points. Croatia has the tiebreaker on goal differential. The north Africans now face already-eliminated Canada on the final matchday. It is possible they progress even if they lose to Canada, but they will want to of course guarantee progression for themselves.

Japan vs. Costa Rica

This was also another chaotic result, with the Costa Ricans shocking the Blue Samurai 1-0. Japan, fresh off their upset over Germany, were heavily favored in this match not only due to their own strengths but also the defensive frailty of Costa Rica. The Spanish put 7 goals past the Ticos on the first matchday of Group E.

But the surprising heroes on the day were the Costa Rica back four and right back Keysher Fuller, who curled home from just inside the penalty area in the 81st minute after the Japanese gave the ball away in their own final third. Keeper Shuichi Gonda got a hand to the effort but could not keep it out. Some say Gonda was at fault for the goal, but as a former amateur keeper I think that’s a tad unfair on him. It was a well-taken strike after a defensive error. He maybe could have got a stronger hand to the ball, but the Japanese defense can’t give the ball away like that.

Fuller’s goal was Costa Rica’s first of the tournament, and amazingly it was their first shot on goal as well. A very surprising and unlikely result, but this was Costa Rica’s formula in 2014 that got them to the semifinals. Militant defensive discipline and opportunistic goal scoring.

Japan could have progressed to the second round today with a win, but their loss now sees them in 2nd on 3 points. Costa Rica move up to 3rd in the group on 3 points, although Japan has the tie-breaker over them on goal difference.

Spain vs. Germany

This was the biggest matchup of the day on paper and maybe the entire group stage, as these two respective countries are powerhouses in world football. It ended 1-1 which isn’t a chaotic result in and of itself, but it did create chaos in the group standings. Coming into the match their respective moods couldn’t be more different. La Rioja were flying after their 7-0 thumping of Costa Rica, while Die Manschaft were well aware that a loss today would see them almost certainly eliminated from the tournament at the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.

Both sides were keen to defend well and not concede, and that’s how it went for the first hour or so. I would give the Spanish a slight edge as they had more possession, but the possession wasn’t utilized towards much until just after the hour mark when veteran left back Jordi Alba received the ball on the left wing in space. He spotted the diagonal run of striker Alvaro Morata into the box, and played him the ball along the ground. Morata beat his marker to the ball and clipped it with his first touch into the air and over German keeper Manuel Neuer for 1-0. It was Spain’s most dangerous attack of the match and they did well to capitalize.

Ze Germans immediately went into attacking mode, as they had no other choice but to do so. They started pressing Spain higher up the pitch, and they began forcing some errors. Such an error led to their equalizer, when they lost the ball in their own final third. It was a well taken goal from fairly close range by substitute striker Niclas Füllkrug. He and midfielder Jamal Musiala nearly ran into each other trying to run onto Musiala’s flick around the Spanish defense, but Füllkrug got there first and lashed it into the roof of the net over keeper Unai Simón.

Credit to German manager Hansi Flick for rolling the dice and bringing on Füllkrug when they needed a goal. I’d like to see a certain England manager roll the dice when similarly needed. Musiala had an excellent match as well, particularly when they were pushing for an equalizer. They could not be eliminated today even with a loss, but a loss would have all-but-guaranteed elimination. They are still bottom of Group E on 1 point, and will need a victory over Costa Rica to secure progression. A draw does them no good.

Spain will be slightly disappointed to have given away the lead and the chance to progress, but a 1-1 draw against the Germans is never something to be too upset about. They are still top of Group E on 4 points, and can win the group with a draw against Japan if Costa Rica and Germany draw. They will want to win this group though, so I imagine they’ll go for the win and take Japan very seriously.

World Cup Roundup – Japan Stuns Germany and the Belgians Barely Escape Canada

Qatar is an Islamo-fascist police state still stuck in the Middle Ages, and the money grubbing assholes at FIFA love it. Authoritarianism is bad for humanity but good for them.

Morocco vs. Croatia

This match ended in a 0-0 draw and was a total snoozefest. Good result for Morocco against the runners-up in 2018, but neither side was impressive in attack today.

Spain vs. Costa Rica

This was a demolition of Costa Rica by the Spanish from the get-go. Spain won in dominating fashion 7-0, in what was really a disappointing outing for a Costa Rican side that made the semifinals in 2014. The Spanish under manager Luis Enrique appear to be revitalized, on the other hand. Spain have been inconsistent since their 2008-2010-2012 era of domination, and for many who cheer for La Rioja this tournament was the chance to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Enrique has opted for youth rather than experience when he picked his team, and so far it is paying off spectacularly. Teenagers like Gavi and Ansu Fati are going to be a problem for years to come.

Given the dominating fashion of this win and what happened with Germany (see below), the Spanish are now firmly in the driver’s seat to win their group. But are they contenders to win it all? Maybe. It’s tough to say at this point. How they play against Germany and Japan will provide more insight into the answer. As for right now though, do not underestimate them. They clearly have the attacking talent to cause problems for anyone.

Belgium vs. Canada

Although Belgium won this match 1-0, it was easily the worst match I have seen from Belgium in at least 10 years. They are chock full of world-class talent but today they looked old, slow, and at times disinterested in playing hard. Canada was all over them from the outset, and it was only through the heroics of Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois that they didn’t go behind. He saved an early penalty after a Belgian handball taken by Canadian winger Alphonso Davies that kept the score level, and Davies will be absolutely kicking himself over that. His penalty was far too close to Courtois and lacked any kind of power. He also may have tipped where his shot was going during the run-up, given the positioning of his hips. He had a golden opportunity to score Canada’s first ever goal at a World Cup, but he bollocks’d it completely. Pressure!

It could be argued though that Canada should have had at least one, maybe two more penalties awarded to them in that first half. One should have definitely been given when a Canadian striker was trod upon in the area, but the referee had already improperly given an offside against Canada. There was another handball in the box later in the half, although to give that one as a penalty would have been harsh. What was clear is that the Belgian back line was at complete chaos for most of the first half, and they were extremely lucky not to concede.

The goal for the Belgians was a good one, although it was their only really good piece of attacking play and it was aided by some poor Canadian defending. A long ball was played over the top by Belgian center back Toby Alderweireld onto the run of striker Michy Batshuayi, who reached the ball before any Canadian defenders did and hit it first time on the volley into the far corner of keeper Milan Borjan’s net. They got the goal right on the edge of halftime, and it felt almost cruel to Canada. This goal was very much against the run of play, but ultimately Canada can only blame themselves. There was no pressure on Alderweireld when he passed the ball, and the run of Batshuayi beat three Canadian defenders to the ball. You can’t get beat over the top like that at this level. Had their positioning been better, they might have been able to clear the pass before it even got to Batshuayi.

The second half was far less eventful, although Belgium continued to struggle maintaining possession and surrendered several half-chances as the game progressed. Canada simply could not find a finish though. They will play better against Croatia and Tunisia, but they really let one slip through their fingers today. Belgium, for their part, will need to step their game up significantly if they want to make a deep run. They were very poor today and it was due to Courtois and dumb luck that they won. I expect players like Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard to play much better going forward.

Germany vs. Japan

This was your shocker for the day, and indeed would be the biggest shock of the tournament so far had Saudi Arabia not pulled its heroics yesterday. Japan won 2-1 after coming from behind against a much more talented German side.

Indeed, this match was eerily similar to the Saudi Arabia match in terms of how it played out. The Germans dominated the first half and went ahead on 33 minutes via a penalty from midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. No real arguments about the call as keeper Shūichi Gonda clearly fouled a German attacker when he slide-tackled to win the ball. Gundogan sent Gonda the wrong way from the spot, and it was 1-0. As with Argentina yesterday, many expected the Germans to kick on from there and win comfortably. Japan did manage to hold on until halftime only conceding one goal however, and that has proven to be a dangerous score line at this tournament. Both the Argentines and the Americans can attest to that.

They then had to rely on more defensive prowess and good keeping from Gonda to keep the Germans out. It seemed that every time a last-ditch tackle was needed, one of the Blue Samurai was on hand to make it. Germany kept getting more and more frustrated the longer it took them to find a second goal. Much like Saudi Arabia yesterday, they were saved by the offside flag and VAR several times.

Japan finally got their equalizer on 77 minutes, having grown into the game in terms of possession and creating chances around the 65 minute mark. A shot came in from the left side of the box from midfielder Kou Itakura that German keeper Manuel Neuer saved, but the rebound fell straight to substitute winger Ritsu Doan, who made no mistake when he stabbed the ball home from 5 yards out. The Germans were shocked, and it seemed like all the bad memories from their failure in 2018 came back into their minds.

Japan blew the roof off the building just five minutes later when Itakura played another ball forward along the right wing that found winger/forward Takuma Asano. He took a touch that knocked the ball into space, and he did well to hold off the German defender trying to take it off him. He got very close to Neuer’s goal before rifling a shot into the roof of the net over Neuer from a tight angle. There was a slight pause from the crowd as it appeared the shot went over the cross bar and into the roof of the net at first, but they erupted once it became clear that the shot had gone in. Great composure from Asano and well done to Japan overall for continuing to fight after going behind.

This Japanese team and their supporters are slowly but surely becoming fan favorites at this World Cup. Not only do they show spirit and togetherness on the pitch, but their supporters are showing that in the stands as well. It is a common site to see Japanese supporters helping to clean stadiums after matches, even for ones that don’t involve Japan! Such a practice is based in the Japanese cultural value of respecting public spaces and keeping them nice for everyone. It’s brilliant, really. I hope the Japanese do go far in this tournament, as they are the sort of team you want to see succeed.

The Germans have a lot of questions to answer after this match, particularly about their defensive play. The winning goal was a simple ball over the top that no one got to before Asano did. Very basic, from a tactical standpoint. Is there something mentally wrong with this German team? If so, their manager Hansi Flick needs to figure out the problem and resolve it quickly. If their defensive issues are not solved, Spain will wipe the floor with them in their next match and it could be a second consecutive group stage exit for Die Manschaft. Such a thought would have been unimaginable 10-15 years ago.

A quick (and rare) shoutout of recognition to Ze Germans though for their pre-match protest of Qatar’s human rights abuses. When they posed for their pre-match team photo, all XI men covered their mouths with their right hands. They were indicating that they would not be silenced by FIFA or Qatar, and the chancellor of the German FA has made it clear that human rights are non-negotiable for this German team. Cynics call it a hypocritical half-measure, while others see it as a way to bring the issues of human rights to the forefront.

Euro 2020(1) – England vs. Italy – Final Preview

Location: Wembley Stadium, London, UK

Date/Time: Sunday July 11, 2021 – Noon PDT, 3 pm EDT, 8 pm BST

Network: ESPN for Americans (unfortunate as ESPN has been sub-par with their coverage for me)

Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s dive into this epic match and try to glean some sense of what could happen. I am happy that this is the final matchup, as Italy an England have been inarguably the two best teams this tournament. Both are defensively very sturdy and both have a generous amount of attacking talent as well. England have conceded only one goal so far this tournament, and the Italians have only conceded three. Italy has had England’s number at tournaments in recent years, knocking us out in 2012 and beating us in the World Cup group stage in 2014. England will be looking to buck that trend and win their first major trophy in 55 years. Italy have won the Euros before but not recently, with their best result in the last 20 years or so coming in 2012 when they lost in the final to Spain.

I think that overall this is going to be a very tense match and I don’t anticipate a lot of goals being scored. The final match of a major tournament is almost always a very defensive affair anyway, and that will continue this time around due to the defensive structure of both teams. Both teams are built on not losing first and foremost. I think both managers Gareth Southgate and Roberto Mancini would be happy sacrificing some attacking play if it means there is more security in front of their respective nets.

Italy

This squad is talented and has a very deep bench. Italy will be the toughest team that England has played so far this tournament, but that’s how tournament football is supposed to be played. It is not supposed to be easier as it goes along. That being said, while this Italian team is very good, they are not invincible. There are ways to get at them.

I have spent some time in the past few days looking at portions of replays from Italy’s matches so far this tournament, and the main thing I noticed is that this team punishes mistakes. If you misplace a pass or spend too long on the ball, Italy will be on you and looking to win the ball. Several of their goals in the group stage and in the knockouts came from simply being opportunistic and jumping on other teams when they spent too much inside their own half. They hunt the ball like a frenzied sharks who can smell blood. I think they will spend at least some time pressing England if/when we decide to try and play it out from the back.

But that’s not the only way they can win. Like any good side, this Italy team can beat you in a number of different ways. They have also looked incredibly proficient on the counter-attack when needed, and they can also do the traditional possession-based tactics when looking to break down a stubborn defense. Marco Veratti is the traditional midfield “general” who has that magic ability to find the right pass at the right time. Under Mancini that possession-based approach has dwindled somewhat though, as he seems to favor more aggressive and direct tactics. Their match against Spain proved that they are capable of winning without a lot of possession. Typically, when on the ball, Italy are doing their best to run at you. When off the ball, they are doing their damnedest to get the ball back. Mancini’s deft application of the 4-3-3 allows Italy to be aggressive in that manner and the 4-3-3 is expected again from them tomorrow.

Winger/forwards Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Chiesa are going to be the main goal scoring threats for Italy tomorrow. Insigne has dazzled at the tournament with his dribbling, and he scored an absolute stunner that ended up being the winner against Belgium. He cannot be allowed any space on the edge of the box, as he is capable of scoring from distance or finding a deadly pass that unlocks the defense. That goes for every Italian forward or midfielder, as they can all shoot from the edge of the box. Much like Raheem Sterling, Insigne’s runs at defense tends to pull defenders out of position, which creates openings for other attackers (usually from midfield) to run into. I do not know if England will double mark him, but it should at least be considered.

Chiesa is slightly different in that he is not really known for long bursts of pace and dribbling. Unlike Insigne, he is not going to run 40 yards with the ball and then try to get a shot off. Where Chiesa excels is in tight spaces at short distances with the ball at his feet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player with his ability to get shots off from seemingly-impossible angles and create a goal from nothing. His goal against Spain was just such a goal. He spent a few seconds in the Spanish box wriggling and turning around, so much so that you thought the chance for a goal was gone. But his coordination and balance are such that he was able to get a shot off with not a lot net to aim at, and he still found the far corner. He also cannot be allowed to operate undeterred on the right side of the Italian attack. If he and Insigne are finding time and space on the ball, it’s going to be a long night for England.

The Italians also have the size to be dangerous from set pieces, but they also have conceded from a set piece too. Austria’s only goal against them was a simple header from a corner. They were just switched off at the back and the first Austrian player the ball came to simply headed it down and low. I don’t think the Italians will be that switched off again on Sunday, but all it takes is a moment of carelessness. You can expect stalwart center backs Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini to make a big impact from set pieces, whether it be attacking or defending. Those two have been rock-solid this tournament at the back and they will again be charged with organizing everything in defense.

The absence of left back Leonardo Spinazzola will once again be sorely missed for Italy. He was having an electrifying tournament before succumbing to an ACL tear, and in several of their matches he was the main attacking threat. His combination play with Insigne was borderline unstoppable at times, and while Emerson has been a solid deputy in his absence, Emerson’s decision making in the box leaves a lot to be desired. He can dribble and cross like Spinazzola, but he doesn’t always know when to do one versus the other. England’s right back and right winger will be happy that Spinazzola will not be playing.

Unmentioned Notable Players: Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Barella, and (Olympic gold medalist in diving) Ciro Immobile

England

Southgate deployed England in a 4-2-3-1 against Denmark, which was perhaps a tad conservative but obviously nonetheless effective. Aside from a 20 or so minute spell in the first half, Denmark had little attacking play and did not create many chances. The best thing about the Denmark match from a tactical perspective was England’s response to going a goal down. Up until the semifinal England had not been behind in the entire tournament, but very importantly they were only down for a grand total of 9 minutes before equalizing. I wanted to see how this team would respond to going a goal down, and I am happy we don’t have to run that experiment against the Italians. When they have a lead, they rarely give it up.

I think the 4-2-3-1 will be used again in an effort to neutralize the midfield against Italy. Declan Rice will be charged with getting himself in the middle of the passing lanes, and if I was Southgate I would utilize Kalvin Phillips to man-mark Veratti. Spain provided somewhat of a blueprint on how to slow down Italy, and a big part of it was using Koke to constantly harass and harangue Veratti so that he has no time on the ball. When he as time to play a pass, he can hurt you. When he doesn’t, he becomes largely anonymous and ineffective. Phillips looked a little leggy at times against Denmark, but I think he will find some success in sticking to Veratti. He is a tenacious midfielder and is proficient at closing down the player on the ball. If we make Veratti consistently pass it backwards, that is a victory.

In attack, I think almost everything is going to go through Sterling and Harry Kane. Those two are on fire for England right now and in excellent form. Actually, Sterling only plays well after I insult him repeatedly, so I am going to get that out of the way now. Sterling makes poor decisions, he loses the ball too much, and he can’t consistently finish to save his life. Now that I’ve said that, he’ll go and score a hat-trick just to prove me wrong.

There is a degree of mystery as to who will play on the right wing for England, and also who will be in the “number 10” attacking midfield role behind Kane. As for the right wing, both Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho have had good tournaments playing there. Saka created England’s first goal against Denmark and Sancho was a key player in the win over Ukraine. Both offer pace, dribbling, and attacking intent. Whoever is played, they need to be eager to make diagonal runs between the left back and left center back. I’d generally like to see England’s forwards making runs in behind and also being quick to get the ball into the box. As good as Bonucci and Chiellini are, they have a combined age of 70 and as a result they are not fast players. We may not be able to out-position them or out-muscle them, but we can certainly out-pace them. For that reason, the counter-attack may be an effective tool against them as well.

Kane’s role in attack will also be interesting. He’s a natural goal-scorer of course, but against Denmark he was also the principle playmaker. Mason Mount was the designated number 10 attacking mid against Denmark, but Kane was in his spot so often it seemed like Mount was playing a different position. Kane has been known to drop back off the forward line into the space in front of the center backs when he plays for Tottenham, and because he can shoot from distance the center backs are required to run out at him and close him down. This pulls the defenders out of position and makes it even easier for speedy wingers to get in behind. I expect Italy to deploy defensive midfielder Jorginho to try and keep Kane from receiving the ball, or at the least to prevent him from turning and running with it. Kane is deadly in the box of course, but it seems he is just as deadly with the ball at his feet and other attackers running ahead of him. I doubt he starts as the number 10 tomorrow but he will undoubtedly make his way to that position if he is not seeing enough of the ball.

Another tactic England should take from Spain’s playbook is using the press against Italy. It’s true they’re incredible at pressing others, but they looked a little shaky when Spain pressed them, particularly when Italy were trying to build from the back. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is an excellent shot-stopper and he commands the penalty area well, but he looked shaky (at the least) when asked to hoof the ball up the pitch towards his forwards. Like many modern keepers, he likes to play short passes to his defenders which enables his team to build up attacks through possession more easily. Blasting the ball 60 yards gets it away from your goal, but it has the risk of being more easily collected by the opposition. That’s exactly what the Spanish made him do. When Donnarumma was on the ball, Spain’s forwards got right up on the defenders he would normally pass to. That made it too risky to pass to them, and left him with the option of clearing it long, which he did rather unconvincingly at times. I counted at least two average-to-good chances created that way for Spain. Hopefully England are more clinical in their finishing.

England rode their luck to a degree against Denmark, but you cannot rely on luck to win a final. Maybe you get some and hey it’s great when you do, but it cannot be relied upon. England will need to be very focused defensively and clinical when their opportunities to score arrive. It is almost certain that England will have at least 1-2 good chances to score, and they must take them. The Italians have proven to be very opportunistic this tournament, and England will have to be the same way. England themselves have been fairly mistake-free so far, one or two questionable clearances from keeper Jordan Pickford aside. We cannot afford to make a wary pass in midfield or under-hit a back pass from defense, because if we do the Italians will make us pay. England do not have to be perfect to win this match, but we do have to be damn well close to perfect.

Unmentioned Notable Players: Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish. Phil Foden is unfortunately a doubt to play after suffering a foot injury in training. He would be a loss, but not as big a loss as Spinazzola is for Italy.

Referee/Shithousery

Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers will be holding the whistle tomorrow and he will have to be on his toes indeed. The referee should ideally be a non-factor in every match, but I have a feeling that he will be called into action repeatedly tomorrow. England won a penalty off a “dive” in their last match, while the Italians have spent generations perfecting the art of selling fouls to win free kicks/penalties. If the Italians get a lead in the second half they will certainly employ that element of gamesmanship to get them over the line. VAR will also have an influence on the match, even though ideally it should not. Prepare yourself for shithousery on a level never seen before and the resulting controversy, because it’s going to happen. There will be cries for a penalty if either team’s defense even so much as breathes on the attacking player.

Final Thoughts

Too close to call this one, and even if it wasn’t I still wouldn’t venture to guess. It seems that overall most neutrals are rooting for Italy, and for a wide variety of reasons. A lot of people didn’t like that England beat Denmark on a soft penalty, a lot of people think our supporters are arrogant, and some even go as far as to root against England due to its bloody colonial history. All of that is mostly nonsense. Denmark got at least two decisions in their favor against us, our supporters have no foundation to be arrogant given that we’ve won naff-all in 50+ years, and if you’re going to be mad at England’s colonialism you should also be pretty mad about Italy’s. My point is that all this hatred towards England is largely unfounded and frankly I don’t get it.

Two incidents I will not stand for however is the harassment of opposition fans/players on social media, and the use of a laser pointer on the face of Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel in the run-up to Kane’s penalty. The first of those is immoral and the latter is outright dangerous. I want to win, but I don’t want to win because the fans are enabling cheating.

Everything else is fair game though. Boo the Italian national anthem. Sing songs about how they dive more frequently than submarines. Show them what true gamesmanship is by crying for fouls and waste time by rolling around on the ground. Take forever to do substitutions if we have the lead, etc. I don’t care anymore. You don’t beat Italy or win finals by being gentlemanly about the rules. It’s time to give them a taste of their own shithousing medicine. If the occasion calls for us to be villains, then villains we shall be.

Come on England!

Euro 2020(1) Semifinal Day 1 – Italy Edge Spain on Penalties, Plus England-Denmark Preview

I did pick Italy to win yesterday, but I did not think it would be as close as it was. Indeed, Spain did an excellent job today against the Italians in terms of disrupting their normal tactics, but Italy showed a real resiliency as the match wore on.

The first half was goalless but based on possession and chances created, you would say that Spain were the better side. They took a page out of Italy’s book and decided to incorporate more pressing into their normal possession-based tactics. Spain played the same as they always do when they were on the ball, which is to spring some passes together in midfield and eventually move the ball up to the edge of the box. They tried to work several openings free in the first half, with attacking midfielder Dani Olmo looking very lively. His dribbling and passing was causing the Italians problems, but they always managed to get a final block in.

The most notable aspect of their press though was when they went at Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He normally likes to play it short to one of his defenders when it comes to clearing the ball or taking a goal kick, but he could not do that today due to Spain’s forwards playing tight to the defenders. That forced Donnarumma into longer passes up the pitch, something he clearly was not comfortable doing today. Spain fashioned several half-chances using this method of pressing, but while they did not score this also prevented Italy from growing into the game and creating their own chances.

I have to say that in the first half, the epic battle in the midfield was won by Spain. Sergio Busquets and Pedri were dominating the middle, and Spain manager Luis Enrique deployed midfielder Koke (CO-kay) to man- mark Italian midfield general Marco Veratti. When Veratti is allowed time on the ball he can play some devastating passes to his teammates, but with Koke constantly harassing him, he never really found time on the ball to makes those passes. The same could be said for Italy’s defensive midfielder Jorginho. When he was on the ball, Busquets and others were always on him quickly so he could not find an outlet pass. This resulted in Spain winning possession much more frequently than Italy would have liked.

Despite Spain being the better team, the Italians went ahead on the hour mark after a now-familiar error in the Spanish defense. Italy hit them on a counter-attack, and a slick backheel from striker Ciro Immobile found Federico Chiesa on the left-sided edge of the penalty box. Spain didn’t have many men back and failed to clear the pass. Chiesa launched a shot at goal, and it found the top corner of the net. The positioning of the defenders and the angle of the shot did not give Chiesa a lot to aim for, but he put the ball probably in the one place it stood a chance of going in. Misery for Spain as they had been the better team. With a 1-0 lead fairly late on in the game, I figured the Italians would shithouse the rest of the match and escape with the win.

All credit to Spain though, as they kept fighting and created several good chances in an effort to equalize. Mikel Oyarzabal was guilty of missing a gilt-edged chance when he missed making contact with a cross by a matter of centimeters. Spain were rewarded for their efforts though 20 minutes later when Olmo found himself in a good position with the ball on the edge of the Italian penalty box. He played a lovely 1-2 with substitute striker Alvaro Morata, who exorcised some of his earlier tournament demons by finishing along the ground from close range. No chance for Donnarumma, and we had ourselves a semifinal.

There weren’t many further chances in normal time, and it ended 1-1 after 90 minutes. The same pattern of play continued in extra time, with Spain probably being the better of the two sides but stalwart Italian defending kept them out. It was just incredibly crowded in the box every time Spain got close, and that made it very difficult to have time for a shot. Italy sometimes broke out and attempted to hit Spain on the counter, but some tired legs and timely challenges from Spain kept it 1-1. Penalties were needed.

Football is such a fickle sport, and penalties are the most fickle part. Both sides missed their first respective penalty, with Olmo and substitute Manuel Locatelli both missing. That would be the last penalty the Italians would miss though. It stayed tied until Morata stepped up on the 3rd penalty for Spain and hit a rather tame effort low and to Donnarumma’s left. Donnarumma made the correct choice with his dive, and he saved Morata’s effort. Jorginho then took the decisive fourth penalty, and he showed some real ice in his veins by calmly sending Spain keeper Unai Simon the wrong way with his shot. The Italians stormed the field having won, and Spain were left to wonder what could have been.

Commiserations to Spain. They were the better team on the day, but Italy has been the best team this tournament. Italy showed an ability to adapt today that only elite-level teams have. They completely changed their usual tactics and still managed to execute the game plan almost to perfection. That’s very difficult to do in the middle of a tournament. They deserve a lot of credit, with manager Roberto Mancini deserving in particular. You have to feel also that a lack of finishing, both today and throughout the tournament, was a major problem for the Spanish. Morata did well to finish his chance, but they had several other opportunities to score today that they did not cash-in on. I do hope that the idiots on social media do not blame Morata for this loss. It’s not on him, at least not solely. Yes he should have done better with his penalty, but this is a team sport. Spain could have helped him out a lot more today by scoring other chances, and had they done so penalties might not have even been necessary.

Italy will play in the Euro 2020(1) final at Wembley next Sunday, July 11. They await the winner of England/Denmark. Whoever they play, it will be very difficult to beat them. They don’t quit, they have a lot of talent, and they know how to manage different scenarios well.

England vs. Denmark – Preview

Noon (PDT) at Wembley tomorrow. 60,000 fans are expected to fill Wembley to 3/4 capacity and the atmosphere should be electric.

Denmark

Denmark came into the semis as the lowest-ranked remaining team, but they don’t care about that. Not at all. England have played against more talented teams this tournament, but I am not sure we have played a team quite like Denmark so far. That is not to say they are without talent – indeed they have players who ply their trades in the top divisions across Europe, including the Premier League. What I mean is that this is a team that truly believes it is a team of destiny, and it’s hard to argue against that point. Yes they lost their two opening group games, but they have shown a resilience and team spirit in this tournament that vastly makes up for their lack of superstar talent. This is a team on a “Cinderella run” in every sense of the phrase. They are playing for Christian Eriksen, and that kind of motivation is impossible to duplicate. Denmark actually won the Euros back in 1992 and they were a “Cinderella” team back then as well, but they haven’t really come close to winning it again since then. This is the most unified and determined team left at this tournament, and that unity and determination gives them a strong sense of confidence in themselves.

It could be argued that the Danes have had an “easy” path so far, seeing off Wales in the Round of 16 and then the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. That take is slightly disrespectful to those two other countries, but when you consider that the Swiss had to beat France and England had to beat Germany, you get the sense that the draw has been kinder to them than to other teams. The last time the Danes lost was to Belgium in the group stage, a team with an actual degree of quality about them. Yes the Danes scored first but they conceded two after that as they were not capable of dealing with the technical abilities of Kevin De Bruyne. Sometimes, an overwhelming amount of talent is really the only thing that can beat a stubborn defensive unit.

The Danes do have some talented attacking players, and I think tomorrow they will use their speedier players to try and break out quickly and hit England on the counter-attack. I don’t think they have the talent in midfield to hold possession against England for long spells, so the counter and opportunities from set pieces will be key. They scored four in a knockout match earlier this tournament in the Round of 16 against Wales, so they are capable of getting goals when they need to.

Players to Watch: Youseff Poulsen, Mikkel Damsgaard, Joakim Mæhle, Kasper Dolberg, Simon Kjær, Kasper Schmeichel 

Side note on Schmeichel: he is a Premier League winning goalkeeper with Leicester City and is the son of one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time: Peter Schmeichel. It was Peter who helped the Danes to glory in 1992, and now his son is trying to do the same thing! It’s a great story, and while Kasper is probably not quite as good as his father, he definitely has the ability to morph into a brick wall on a given day. Harry Maguire and probably a few other England players will be fully aware of his talents, having played both with and against him. Kasper perhaps was a tad braggadocios today by making jokes about the phrase “it’s coming home” in his media interview, and I hope England players saw that. People in the media or online coming with banter is one thing, but it’s completely different when an opposition player is saying something. Perhaps could serve as a motivation to England’s forwards. Speaking of!

England

England, both the team and that nation, are positively rocking right now. The match against Ukraine was the best I have seen this team play in a tournament probably ever. We hadn’t scored 4 goals in a tournament knockout match since 1966, and we will have a distinct home advantage at Wembley. 95+% of the fans in attendance will be supporting England, and I expect every single one of them to be in full throat for all 90 minutes.

Given that the best way to beat Denmark appears to be to overwhelm them with attacking talent, I suggest England does that very thing. Manager Gareth Southgate doesn’t need to change the lineup much or if at all, as the most important thing will be an aggressive approach. The entire game plan can be summed up in one two words: aggression, ruthlessness. We need to come out and be ruthless from the get-go, and if we can score another early goal it will get us a long way to the final. The longer it stays 0-0, the more confident Denmark will feel. We need to be on the ball, dribbling with the ball, and making forward runs. When we are not on the ball, I would like to see England constantly haranguing the Danes and trying to win the ball high up the pitch. No matter who is on the pitch for us, they need to be playing with unrelenting aggression and ruthlessness. Even if the Danes can withstand it for the first 45 minutes, they will eventually tire. Once again, you can expect England’s depth of talent on the bench to factor in heavily if things are not going our way.

Denmark’s defense has been “good enough” this whole tournament. They’re doing enough to win matches, but I do not think Denmark will be able to keep England at bay for 90 minutes. They have conceded at least 1 goal in every match they’ve played in so far except for one. England were dangerous from both set pieces and open play in the match against Ukraine, and we have proven to be exceptionally efficient at crossing the ball over the top. Most of our goals this tournament have come from crosses over the top. The wingers and full backs, in particular Luke Shaw, have been nothing short of incredible.

We are the first team in the history of the Euros not to concede a goal in their first five matches. Jordan Pickford looks locked to win the Golden Gloves for fewest goals conceded. The back line communicates well with each other and we have the athleticism at the back to keep up with anyone. As good as we are at heading the ball in for goals, we are equally as good at heading them away from goal when defending. Denmark’s best chances for a goal will probably come from set pieces, so alertness and concentration will be vital when those inevitably happen.

This match is England’s to lose. Having said that, it would be very English of us to come this far and do this well only to falter in the semis. I must say though, it feels different this time. I hope that line doesn’t come back to bit me in the ass, but it really does. The draw has been somewhat kind to us as well after beating Germany, and we must take advantage. The stars will not align like this for England again.

Players to Watch: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Shaw, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount

No prediction because of course not, I’m not stupid.

Euro 2020(1) Semifinal Preview Part 1 – Italy vs. Spain

Two giants of European football will face off tomorrow at Wembley Stadium in London (noon PDT), and it truly is a marquee matchup between Italy and Spain. These two teams have played each other many times in this tournament, with the Italians being victorious in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016 and the Spanish prevailing in the final of Euro 2012. As alluded to, both these teams have won World Cups and both have won the Euros. Spain have three European titles (1964, 2008, 2012) while the Italians have only one (1968), but Italy has several more World Cups. No matter which you slice it, fans of both of these teams have high expectations whenever their national sides are on the pitch.

Italy

The Italians have probably been the best team at this tournament so far, dominating in the group stages and taking down a stubborn Austria side in the Round of 16. The victory over Belgium in the quarterfinals is what really sold me on this particular Italian team though. Yes they are talented, coached well, and did well against weaker opposition; but Belgium was the first real stiff test for them at this tournament and they did just enough to advance. That match was entertaining in the first half but dreadfully boring in the second, but I think that was done on purpose. The Italians had the lead, and they have a very stout defense anchored by long-tenured center backs Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. What those two lack in athleticism they more than make up for in positioning, strength, and tactical nous. It is very difficult to get in behind them, as Belgium and other teams have found out. The structure of the team is built on the resilient back line, and so far it has worked for Italian manager Roberto Mancini.

When off the ball, the Italians are on the prowl like a pack of wild dogs. Their tactics are based on pressing high up the pitch to force the opposition into mistakes, and when they are on the ball and looking to score they run directly at defenses. Italy are traditionally a team that likes to create chances through slow build up play, but Mancini has thrown tradition out the window. These aggressive tactics can be risky, but it works when you have speedy players and a solid back line. They also have the depth of talent needed to keep using these tactics late into matches when the opposition is tiring. Mancini has however kept alive the tradition of Italian shithousery (diving, moaning for fouls, time wasting), and that makes them very effective at running out the clock. If Italy has a lead with 10 or so minutes left, look for them all to start falling over like they’ve been shot every time the other team’s players go near them. Not being cynical because it’s part of the sport and everyone is guilty of it to a degree, but that is what they will do if they’re trying to protect a lead.

Players to Watch: Bonucci, Chiellini, Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Veratti, Manuel Locatelli, Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile

Notably absent is left back Leonardo Spinazzola. He tore his ACL in the match against Belgium, and it’s a shame he can’t play anymore because he’s been absolutely electric down Italy’s left hand side. Pace, dribbling, crosses, it’s all been magic and his loss is a huge one.

Spain

Spain are a much more curious team. They’re certainly talented of course and have a manager in Luis Enrique who has won a ton of trophies at the club level, but they have been somewhat inconsistent this tournament. They struggled to two draws in their opening two group matches against Sweden and Slovakia, but then came alive and scored 10 goals in the next two games against Russia and Croatia. In their quarterfinal match with Switzerland though they were back to struggling in attack and needed penalties to finally put away the Swiss. The inconsistency of their form and whether or not they can create quality chances will be two large concerns for Spain. Which team is going to show up?

One positive for Spain is that they do not have to worry about the Italians putting 10 men behind the ball and parking the proverbial bus in front of their own net. Italy will come at them for large portions of the match, and that will inevitably leave gaps in midfield that Spain can potentially work the ball into with their passing game. Spain’s tactics are based entirely on short and medium passes that enable them to more easily retain possession. Possession of the ball is the foundation of their tactics, the logic being that the less the other team has the ball, the less likely they are to score. Spain do not take many chances with the ball when it comes to passing the ball forward, but they are very good at passing it around the edge of the box and trying to create gaps in defenses that way. It worked wonderfully well from 2008-2012 when Spain won 3 major trophies, but a lack of cutting edge at the center forward position in recent years has frequently been Spain’s undoing. After all, you don’t win a match by possessing the ball more. You win by scoring more, and when your strikers are in poor form, all the possession in the world doesn’t really matter.

This match will be won by whichever side wins the passing/pressing cat-and-mouse game. Will the Spanish be able to pass the ball around the press effectively, or will Italy be all over them and cause them to make mistakes? The Spanish have been prone to defensive breakdowns and mistakes this tournament, most notably against Croatia and Switzerland. They will need to be at their very best in order to beat Italy. Concentration will be vital. The mental aspect of the game is so important and never gets talked about, really. It doesn’t matter what your tactics are as a manager if your players lose concentration in key moments and fail to execute.

Players to watch: Ferran Torres, Gerard Moreno, Alvaro Morata, Koke, Jordi Alba, Pedri, Aymeric Laporte

Prediction

I think Italy has the edge in terms of depth. They win a closely contested match, 2-1.

Euro 2020(1) Quarterfinals – Two Tense Matches on Day 1

A few days off were needed for travel purposes, but the Euro 2020(1) quarterfinals got underway today with the first two games. Next two are tomorrow. All 8 of the remaining teams went in to the weekend knowing they were only three matches away from European glory. Spain took on Switzerland in St. Petersburg, Russia before the heavyweight fight between Italy and Belgium in Munich, Germany.

Spain vs. Switzerland

The Spanish were favorites coming into this match, as they boasted a lot more talent than the Swiss and are in a very rich vein of form. They have scored 10 goals in their past two matches, which is always impressive at a tournament. The Swiss however will not be afraid of anyone, having already slain the Goliath known as France. Importantly however, their captain and best midfielder Granit Xhaka was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. With Xhaka out, I thought the task just might be a tad too tall for the Swiss today.

It was clear from the outset what each team’s strategy was. The Spanish started out with their traditional possession-based game and the Swiss were quite content to let them have the ball a bit. The Swiss pressed on occasion and were trying to force the Spanish into mistakes high-up the pitch. That’s not a bad strategy as Spain can be prone to mistakes at the back, but it all went to hell for the Swiss less than 10 minutes in when Spain left back Jordi Alba fired a shot from a loose ball into the Swiss penalty area. The shot was somewhat hopeful and speculative, but it was effective nonetheless as it was redirected into the Swiss goal past keeper Yann Sommer on accident by defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria. Alba was credited with the goal initially by UEFA but they later changed it to an own-goal from Zakaria, which was probably harsh on Zakaria as Alba’s shot appeared to be on target. In any event, it was unlucky for the Swiss.

The rest of the half passed mostly without incident. Somewhat tepid, to be honest. Switzerland were again unlucky to see starting forward Breel Embolo go off after 20 minutes with a hamstring injury, and Spain were guilty of wasting a good chance that resulted from a free header by left back Cesar Azpilicueta. Aside from that though, not much else happened in the first half.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, not a lot between the two sides. The Swiss were starting to ask more questions of the Spanish defense though, and Zakaria was again unlucky to see his header go just wide from a corner. The Swiss had an excellent chance come via midfielder Steven Zuber who forced a fine save from a tight angle by Spanish keeper Unai Simon.

The Swiss got their equalizer however just five minutes after that shot across the bow via Xherdan Shaqiri, a man affectionately known as “The Cube” by supporters due to his box-like physique. Two Spanish defenders (Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte) both went for the same ball and their collision resulted in a loose ball that was pounced on by Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler. Freuler did well to find Shaqiri a few yards to his left, and The Cube made no mistake with a finish along the ground and off the inside of the left-hand post. The Swiss had fought back again, despite not really looking like doing so for good portions of the match.

Freuler found himself in the center of things again a few minutes later, but this time for negative reasons. He went into a tackle with both feet and his feet lifted off the ground, and made some very harsh contact with the Spanish player on the ball. English referee Michael Oliver went straight into his pocket and produced a red card. Upon review it was a rash tackle, and while you don’t always get a red card for such a challenge, it is very risky to try and tackle with both feet. You are inviting danger when you do that, and Freuler was punished for it.

Spain went into the ascendency after that due to the Swiss being down a man, but they could not make the most of their advantage and failed to score another in normal time. Extra time would be needed, which was a significant disadvantage for the tiring Swiss players. Having to play another 30 minutes with 10 men whilst having already played a full 90 is positively exhausting. However, again, Spain could not take advantage, despite some excellent chances falling to striker Gerard Moreno.

Penalties came and it was evident the fatigue being felt by the Swiss players. Spain missed two penalties themselves, but the Swiss could only convert one of them. Simon made two fine saves for sure, but I saw some very tired penalties from the Swiss. They were either hit too soft or blazed over the bar, because when fatigue sets in to the legs it is very difficult to maintain your technique and control when striking the ball. Perhaps if all 11 men had played until the end it would have ended differently, but of course now we’ll never know.

Credit to the Spanish for converting their penalties, but I would be very concerned about the semifinal if I was a Spaniard. The theme of poor finishing and defensive mistakes continued today, and against a more talented side they could have easily lost.

Spain advance to the semifinals at Wembley in midweek, where they await the winner of Belgium and Italy.

Belgium vs. Italy

Loads of talking points for this match, as it probably is the most intriguing fixture of the quarterfinals. Italy have the history of winning basically everything at major tournaments, although up until this tournament started there were questions concerning inexperience among this current batch of Italian players. They’ve done well this tournament, but their previous match against Austria caused some concerns among supporters about their ability to kill of teams effectively.

The Belgians come in with their current “Golden Generation” of players that are absolutely desperate to win the first major trophy for their country of any kind. Center forward Romelu Lukaku was in excellent form, but the major concern for Belgium was the fitness of star players Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Both of them are carrying injuries, but De Bruyne in particular is key to Belgian success at this tournament. As I have said before, there are serious arguments for De Bruyne being labelled as the best attacking midfielder in the world. De Bruyne did play in this match but Hazard did not.

Two great managers here too – Roberto Mancini for Italy and Roberto Martinez for Belgium. Interestingly, the last time these two managers faced off it was during an FA Cup final at Wembley, with Martinez’s Wigan Athletic pulling a shock upset over Mancini’s Manchester City.

The match was a little slow to start things off, with neither side really threatening the other in the first 10 minutes. Italy had the ball in the back of the Belgian net on 12 minutes though after a free kick found center back Giorgio Chiellini for a tap in, but after a VAR check the goal was correctly disallowed for offside. Chiellini was about a foot ahead of the ball when it came off his fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci. The tempo of the match did increase after that though, as Belgium knew they were given a let off. Romelu Lukaku did well to force a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma low to his right after good work from De Bruyne on a counter-attack. Gauging how this match would go from that point, it was likely that the team that made the fewest mistakes would go on to win. These teams were simply too evenly matched to call it one way or another. Good for the neutral of course, but nerve-wracking for supporters of the two countries.

You could call this fixture a chess match given all the tactical switching and formation changes by both teams throughout the opening half, but people tend to think of chess matches as boring and this game was anything but. End-to-end play that felt at times more like basketball than footie. The pace and energy from both teams was absolutely relentless.

The Italians broke the deadlock on 31 minutes via midfielder Nicolo Barella after a poor giveaway by Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen. The ball fell to the dangerous playmaker Marco Veratti who played in Barella, and he made no mistake with his finish over the top of Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois. Italy were even more energized by their goal and were able to grab another one from winger Lorenzo Insigne 12 minutes later. The first Italian goal was good, but the second one was a work of art from Insigne. He carried the ball about 50 yards, slaloming past a Belgian defender before shooting from the edge of the box. He got a lot of curl on the ball and the pace of it gave Courtois no chance to save. Truly breathtaking and a candidate for goal of the tournament.

The drama of the first half was not over though, as a penalty was awarded to Belgium just two minutes later in stoppage time. Teenage Belgian winger Jeremy Doku did well to beat his marker with pace in the left channel, and he went down inside the box after a shove in the back. The penalty was probably soft by most standards and the Italians were strenuously complaining, but VAR checked and the penalty stood. It’s a bit rich for Italians to complain about players going down too easily anyway, when they are the ones historically known as egregious divers. Lukaku stepped up to the spot and coolly put the ball past Donnarumma after sending him the wrong way.

The chaos continued in the second half, with both sides fashioning good chances but neither being able to finish them. Both Lukaku and Insigne were on fire and there were times when neither defense could get near those two players. There were more injuries and fouls in the second half as well, which wasn’t surprising given the effort and energy being put in by the players. The stoppages were really just temporary lulls in this hurricane of a match.

But the onus was on the Belgians to find an equalizer, and the Italians made subs that indicated they were going more defensive for the final 15 minutes or so, including switching to a back-5. They battened down the hatches and simply let Belgium come at them. It should be pointed out that as the game went on the Italians were engaging in what I like to call “shithousery”, meaning they were doing everything and anything to slow down the game without being penalized for it. They were taking their time with injuries, fouls, substitutions, and just generally wasting as much time as possible. While these Italians might play more attractive football than in the past, they clearly have not forgotten their traditional methods of gamesmanship mastered by their predecessors. I don’t like it as a tactic, but of course every team does it in matches of great importance.

The Belgians just couldn’t fashion another solid chance against the impregnable Italian back line, and the whistle finally blew. Italy held on to win despite a valiant effort from Belgium.

Italy will play Spain on Tuesday, July 6 at Wembley.

Tomorrow

Czech Republic vs. Denmark (9 am PDT)

England vs. Ukraine (Noon PDT)

I like England’s chances against Ukraine but they are a team with nothing to lose. No side should be taken lightly at this point. If a team makes the quarterfinals of a major tournament, that team is there for a reason.

Euro 2020(1) Round of 16 Final Day – EEEEEENGLAAAAAAAND

The last two Round of 16 matches took place today in London and Glasgow, Scotland respectively. England took on bitter rivals Germany, while Sweden and Ukraine dueled in the later fixture.

Spoiler alert: this post is going to mostly be about England lol

England vs. Germany

I didn’t sleep well last night because I was thinking about this match and all the things that could possibly happen. Hundreds of talking points were flashing through my mind and they still are right now. Germany has traditionally dominated England at major tournaments, and even though they were sub-par in the group stage they still boast an insane amount of talent. England were doing alright coming in to the match, having won the group but didn’t really amaze anyone in the process. Defending very well, but not really creating a lot going forward.

England manager Gareth Southgate has received criticism for his conservative and defense-minded line-ups this tournament, but he apparently doesn’t mind them that much because he did the exact same thing today. I myself even questioned how wise it was to leave some of England’s best attacking players on the bench against a big nation like Germany. Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were in a double-pivot in front of a back 3, with Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Bukayo Saka in attack. Wingbacks Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw were also out there to help with both defense and attack depending on if we had the ball or not. The Germans, with manager Joachim Löw in charge of what could be his final match (retirement), lined up in their familiar 3-5-2 similar to England. It was expected that they would use their in-form wingbacks to win the ball high up the pitch and create overloads in the channels, which would then be used to get in behind England’s defense.

The first half swung back and forth in terms of momentum, with the Germans dominating the opening 10 minutes or so. Midfielder Leon Goretzka was through on goal at one point early-ish on and Rice was forced to foul him in a very dangerous area. Fortunately the resulting free kick came to nothing, but Rice was booked for his actions. England created a chance or two themselves from Sterling and center back Harry Maguire, forcing saves from the ridiculously talented German keeper Manuel Neuer. England keeper Jordan Pickford was forced into a fine save of his own in the first half as well, doing well to get low enough to stop German forward Timo Werner’s shot from a tight angle. In all honesty, that was probably the best chance overall for either side, arguably until Kane was denied a shooting chance in first half stoppage time by the outstretched leg of German center back Mats Hummels. Kane was clean through after the ball fell to him, but Hummels was in the right position to clear it. Both sides had some chances, but it was 0-0 at the half.

Pickford was called into action early into the second half again, this time jumping up high to get a fist on a scorcher of a shot from German winger/forward Kai Havertz. It really was a fantastic shot from Havertz and it would have gone in if not for an even more fasntastic save. Pickford isn’t tall by goalkeeper standards, but his vertical jump and reflexes are fantastic. Things were rather dull after that for a little bit, though. Both teams kept losing possession in midfield and as time crept closer to the end the dreaded prospect of penalties loomed larger and larger.

But then the moment came. An absolutely wonderful moment. Attacking midfielder Jack Grealish had been subbed on for Saka, and his creativity was vital in the buildup. In the 75th minute, Sterling went on a run towards the German defense and passed it off to Grealish on the left side of the box, right near the edge. Shaw was in a forward position for really the first time all match, and Grealish played a diagonal pass to him. Shaw ran forward with the ball, while Sterling (now in the box) took a step backwards to make sure he was onside. Shaw played a cross towards Sterling and Kane, and Sterling was able to get his right boot on it and push England into a 1-0 lead. He did a quick check for the offside flag, but it was down. The celebrations were absolutely mad. I am going to remember this goal and this moment for the rest of my life.

With it being 1-0 after 75 minutes and the Germans not really creating much, there was a feeling that this could finally be our day. Sterling almost went from hero to villain though a few minutes later after his lazy back pass was intercepted by Havertz and then played quickly to the legendary German forward Thomas Muller. Muller has been a goal scoring machine in the past, and even though he is not as quick as he used to be he is the last player you want to see on a breakaway. Defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones were after him with Pickford charging straight at him, but Muller got a clean shot away though that really looked like it was going in. It miraculously bounced harmlessly wide of Pickford’s goal though, and Sterling’s blushes were spared. Sometimes you need a bit of luck to win games like this, and it’s about bloody time we got some.

England fans were then given another wonderful moment to treasure when England brought the ball forward and it was played wide to Grealish on the left. He hit a beautiful cross into the box that found Kane virtually by himself, and Kane buried it past Neuer for 2-0. It was very good to see him get on the scoresheet finally at this tournament. If he finds some form, watch out! At 86 minutes, England were home and dry, if not literally due to the London rain then at least metaphorically. Utter elation. The final few minutes went by without much further incident, other than the curious substitution made by Löw to bring on midfielder/defender Emre Can when he is not primarily an attacking player. Many of the more cynical German fans are actually rather pleased that his reign as manager has now ended due to decisions such as this one. He won the World Cup with them in 2014, but they view him as “washed up” to an extent now. They sure didn’t like losing in such a fashion to England, though!

I was close to tears when the final whistle went. I started jumping around like a madman and singing songs. I video called my mother and grandparents in England and they were simultaneously crying and laughing as hysterically as I was. Have you ever had that moment where you finally triumphed over something that has repeatedly defeated you? Passing a big test, getting an ideal job, learning a new skill, etc.? Have you ever had that moment of divine satisfaction where you finally achieve the goal you’ve been trying to achieve since forever? That’s what happened today. We’ve beaten Germany before sure, but we haven’t beaten them at a major tournament since 1966, when England last won the World Cup. When we do beat them, it’s in a friendly match or in a match that doesn’t otherwise count for much. But not today though. We showed up, executed our plan, and got the victory when it mattered the most.

Southgate and his coaching staff deserve full credit for that plan and the players executed it more or less perfectly, one or two minor blemishes aside. He was a man truly on the hot seat going into this tournament and was facing the sack if England didn’t do well, but this victory is huge for him, the team, and the nation. The defensive midfield was excellent throughout, while Maguire and the other defenders repelled every cross into the box that came in. Tackles all over the place. Shaw, Rice, Phillips, Stones, Maguire, Walker, and Grealish were all phenomenal today. Sterling and Kane did well to reward the manager’s faith in them despite a rocky start to the tournament.

I think what Southgate has done is that he has created a team that’s very hard to beat and very annoying to play against. He knew our defense needed work after the 2018 World Cup exit, so he set about shoring that up first and foremost. He realized that teams that do well at major tournaments are usually the ones that defend the best. Italy in 2006, Germany in 2014, Portugal 2016, etc. Our defenders are good of course, but he has the midfield set up in a way that doesn’t allow many direct attacks straight at them. We saw this against the talented Croatian midfield too. Because teams can’t get at us through the middle along the ground, they attack us on the wings with crosses which plays to our strengths in terms of heading the ball away. Maguire is a monster of a human with a massive skull. He can head the ball away all day! As long as we defend well from set pieces, we are tough to break down and we end up frustrating the opposition.

Still all to play for though. This felt like a final but it was not the final, of course. Southgate even said that this means nothing if we don’t go win the whole thing now. Still seven other teams left in this tournament, although England now face a rather favorable draw. They knew they would play the winner of Ukraine/Sweden if they got through Germany.

Sweden vs. Ukraine

Left winger Oleksandr ZInchenko scored first for Ukraine, then Sweden equalized via striker Emil Forsberg just before half time. This scrappy and disjointed match was 1-1 at full time and extra time was needed. Sweden had defender Marcus Danielson sent off for a rash and violent tackle though in extra time, and further injuries and stoppages did not allow for much flow to the game. The hero in this match was Artem Dovbyk though, who found himself free at the very end of extra time to head home and send Ukraine, somewhat surprisingly, into the quarterfinals. Many had Sweden picked to win this match, but a failure to capitalize on chances and the red card really cost them. Well done to the Ukrainians for getting this far though. Zinchenko and Andriy Yarmalenko are truly two very talented players. Credit to their manager (and all-time goalscorer) Andriy Shevchenko for getting his men to this point when many did not have them getting out of their group.

Quarterfinal Matches

Switzerland vs. Spain, Friday 9 am PDT – St. Petersburg, Russia

Belgium vs. Italy, Friday Noon PDT – Munich, Germany

Czech Republic vs. Denmark, Saturday 9 am PDT – Baku, Azerbaijan

England vs. Ukraine – Saturday Noon PDT – Rome, Italy

Euro 2020(1) Round of 16, Day 2 – We Finally Have an Upset!

The next two knockout matches happened today in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020(1). Netherlands took on Czech Republic in Budapest, Hungary and there was a highly enticing matchup between Belgium and Portugal in Sevilla, Spain.

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic

The Dutch came into this match as group winners and appeared to be in great scoring form. They tallied 8 goals in the group stage and won all 3 matches despite some worries in defense. They were favored over the Czechs probably due to the amount of talent they have in attack, including players like Memphis Depay, Georgino Wijnaldum, and Denzel Dumfries. They have pace and quickness that I thought would very much trouble the Czech back line.

The Czechs came in having placed 3rd in Group D, and despite that finish they have showed flashes of footballing competence, primarily from striker Patrik Schick. He has the goal of the tournament already with his 50 yard chip vs. Scotland, and the Czechs may have surprised a few with their team displays thus far. Much like Austria yesterday, what they lack in superstar talent they make up for in team unity, discipline, and tactical nous.

Despite a lively start from the Dutch and the Czechs growing into the game a little later, the first half ended scoreless. Each side had crafted the occasional half-chance here and there, but the ball was frequently changing possession in midfield while both sides attempted to stamp some degree of authority on the game. You felt that the second half would be much more intense as the two sides tried to find a winner.

And the second half was really where this game changed. About 10 minutes after the restart, Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt was adjudged to have handled the ball just outside his own penalty area. The ref issued a yellow card at first, but after a VAR check the foul was upgraded to a red card. There was no penalty due to the handball being outside the penalty box, but the Dutch did suffer the consequence of having to play the last 35 minutes or so with only 10 men. The red card was certainly controversial, but it did appear that Shick would have had a clear goal scoring opportunity if not for the handball. Further, while it’s not 100% clear if De Ligt intentionally handled the ball, he has to be aware as a professional footballer that using your hand for any reason is always a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. It was an awkward situation for De Ligt to deal with, but had he simply fallen on the ball there’s a good chance he would have won possession or at least a foul for his team. Instead though, he was off and the Dutch had to sacrifice an attacking player to shore up the defense. To add insult to injury, De Ligt is arguably the best defensive player in the Netherlands squad. Losing him was very much a double-whammy.

The red card really emboldened the Czechs and they became the more dominant side fairly quickly. There are talented players in this side, and they showed that by scoring the opener that really put the Dutch on the back foot. A cross from the right corner was over hit, but retrieved by Czech defender Tomas Kalas and played back into the box. The ball went over one Czech head but fellow defender Tomas Holes (pronounced HO-lesh) was at the back post to nod the Czechs in front. It was a very impressive header and a good cross back in, but again there were questions as to what the Dutch defense was doing. Holes was basically unmarked and was able to use his position to generate power on his header. Ecstasy for the Czechs, misery for the Dutch.

The Dutch then pushed for an equalizer due to not having any other choice, but that is always risky when you are a man down. They had plenty of possession in the closing minutes but the Czech defense shut them down time and time again. The Czechs then broke quickly and Schick got his 4th goal of the tournament after a fairly simple cross in to his feet from the left side. He hit the ball in stride and glided it past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg at his near post. Even though there was about 10 minutes left still, you felt that the Dutch were done. They couldn’t break down the Czech defense or put them consistently under pressure, and all credit to the Czechs for taking advantage of having an extra man.

This is by far the biggest upset of the tournament so far, and it’s what the tournament was crying out for. De Ligt blamed himself entirely for the loss, but he’s being a tad harsh on himself. Yes the red card changed everything, but the Dutch response to it was also lacking. The Dutch were being looked at by some as a contender to win the whole thing after their performance in the group stage, but today they were undone by a well-organized and disciplined team. Such is the beauty and agony of football – sometimes the team with the best players loses and that is precisely what happened today. Schick is now joint top-scorer at this tournament and who is to say that the Czechs can’t continue winning? This victory will galvanize them and do wonders for their self-confidence and belief. Well done to them!

The Czechs will travel to Azerbaijan for a quarterfinal matchup with Denmark.

Belgium vs. Portugal

This matchup is one of those that makes football fans salivate. Both teams are loaded with superstars, and both teams are probably among the favorites to win the tournament. Portugal are reigning European champions and boast the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Dias among their ranks. There are some question marks about Portugal’s tactical set up on occasion, but again they have more than enough talent to go win this thing.

Belgium have traditionally been underperformers at major tournaments, and while their window to win a first major international trophy with this current “Golden Generation” is slowly closing, it’s still cracked open a bit. They will be relying on all-world talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard to go and get them some goals. De Bruyne in particular is, for me, the best attacking midfielder in the world right now.

The first 30 minutes or so were pretty tentative, perhaps even spilling over into the category of testy. Neither side’s attack really got going at first, and the match had the feel of a heavyweight title bout where neither fighter wants to make a mistake early on. Both defenses were highly organized and defending well. Many attacks from both sides simply just petered out when it came time for the final pass or final move to create a chance. Ronaldo did well to test Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois with a dipping free kick from about 25 yards on the right side and striker Diogo Jota should have done better from close range shortly after that.

Belgium however opened the scoring about 3 minutes before half time when the ball fell to Thorgan Hazard (Eden’s younger brother) on the edge of the penalty area about 20 yards from goal. He took a touch to get the ball onto his right foot, and then lashed an almighty shot towards Rui Patricio in the Portuguese goal. The strike swerved in the air and wrong-footed Patricio, and he could not recover to get over to the ball until it was already in the back of his net. Not many expected Thorgan to get a goal, but with that strike he showed that it’s not just his older brother that can score goals in that family. At halftime, it was 1-0 and Belgium were buoyant.

The Portuguese knew they would need a swift response having gone down just before the half. Bruno and wunderkind Joao Felix were brought on by Portugal for more power in attack, and indeed they began to see more of the ball in the Belgian half of the pitch. Belgium held strong though and Portuguese attacks repeatedly came to nothing. The tension grew throughout the match as well, with players pushing and shoving each other after fouls. Somewhat frustratingly for neutral viewers, the Portuguese were hitting the deck every time the Belgians challenged for the ball in an effort to win free kicks. To be fair, some of the challenges were heavy and worthy of fouls, but no one wants to watch the players on their team fall over anytime the opposition is near them. It is part of the game, but its cynical and negative.

The best chances for Portugal came with about 10 minutes left when a cross came in from a corner that was headed at the goal from point blank range by Dias. Unfortunately for him, the header was straight at Courtois and he parried it with his fists. He got a ton of power on the header, and if he managed to hit it anywhere else but straight forward it would have been an equalizer. Portugal left back Raphael Guerreiro was then unlucky to hit the base of the post with a shot from distance. They pumped cross after cross into the box, but they were all met by a Belgian head. They tried to play through the middle on the ground, but again Belgium always managed to get someone in the way.

All credit to the Belgian back line, in particular the center backs Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld. They are getting long in the tooth but their experience cannot be discounted, as evidenced by their positioning and tackling today. Those two dealt with everything that came at them and did so fairly convincingly as well. Everyone knew Belgium could score, but the age of Vermaelen and Alderweireld led many to speculate that they couldn’t keep pace defensively. Having a confident center back pairing is always good, but especially so in tournament play. Indeed, defensive prowess is primarily how Portugal won Euro 2016.

But the defending champions are out now! Time to get some new blood in there if you ask me. Belgium have never won a major trophy as a team before, and they showed today they can beat another heavyweight if need be.

Belgium will take on Italy in yet another mouth-watering fixture next Friday in Munich.

Tomorrow

Croatia vs. Spain (9 am PDT)

France vs. Switzerland (Noon PDT)

Euro 2020(1) – Round of 16, First Matches

The knockout stages of Euro 2020(1) got underway today and the first two games featured Denmark vs. Wales in Amsterdam, followed by Italy vs. Austria at Wembley in London.

Denmark Brush Aside Wales

On paper this was an intriguing matchup. Neither side is a traditional “powerhouse” in terms of population or tradition of winning big trophies, but I figured that meant the match would be fairly open and both teams would really go for it. Wales have two and half superstars in Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, and Manchester United’s own Daniel James. Denmark don’t really have much in terms of star players but a look at the team sheet shows a team that is perhaps more talented collectively. They have several good to very good players, while the Welsh are decidedly average outside of the aforementioned superstars.

One factor in play here today that is not normally as influential was the emotional component. Major tournaments are always emotionally draining at the knockout stage, but Denmark have the “advantage” of playing for their stricken teammate Christian Eriksen. He was released from the hospital in Copenhagen a few days ago but there’s no indication of when (or if) he will play again. The rest of the team have been galvanized by the adversity and today showed a unity that is rare to find among national sides that don’t spend a lot of time playing together. Every neutral was a fan of Denmark today.

And indeed it was Denmark that were the better side throughout this match. Wales had a good spell in the first 10 minutes or so of each half, but for the other 70 minutes it was all Denmark. They were better in possession, better in attack, and better on defense. The scoring was opened via a fine strike from Kasper Dolberg from about 19 yards out midway through the first half. It was only 1-0 at halftime though and you knew that Wales had a chance because of players like Bale and Ramsey. Those two only need one moment of magic, one chance, to find an equalizer.

However, the Danish defense and midfield were excellent at marking those two and keeping them from getting involved. Bale is most effective when he can receive the ball in space and use his dribbling to create openings, but that simply didn’t happen today. When not in possession, Wales looked rather uncreative and lacked ideas on how to beat the Danes. I don’t think I even heard the commentators say the names “Bale” or “Ramsey” for large portions of the match.

Some very poor defending lead to a second Danish goal and a second for Dolberg. A cross was played in from the Danish right side, and Welsh substitute defender Neco Williams panicking a little and heading the ball back across the face of his own goal. The ball fell to Dolberg and he slotted home for a second after he dug the ball out of his feet. Good play for the Danish for the first one, but bad play by Wales for the second. At 2-0 you felt it was mostly over, and despite a Welsh push later in the half the only result was a 3rd goal for Denmark, this time scored by Joakim Maehle. At 3-0 it was well and truly over, but that did not dissuade the Danish and they went and got a 4th via Martin Braithwaite in stoppage time. Braithwaite was offside for me but in this situation it doesn’t really matter. There was also a Welsh player sent off, but again it matters little in terms of the result.

Wales did well to get out of their group but they were definitely second best today. They can perhaps feel hard done by due to some questionable refereeing decisions, but you can’t blame the ref for a team not creating chances. They need help in the center of the park in terms of providing service in to Bale and Ramsey that simply wasn’t there today. Credit to the Danes for being organized and playing for a bigger purpose simply than just winning matches. I didn’t think the Danes would make it this far without Eriksen (their best player), but they have more than made up for his absence with the victories over Russia in the group stage and this victory in the Round of 16.

The Danes may just end up being the “Cinderella” team of this tournament. They play the winner of Netherlands and Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.

Italy Squeaks By Austria

Italy have been the best team at the tournament so far, winning all their group matches by multiple goals while simultaneously not conceding any. They love attacking down their left side when going forward, and are anchored by two excellent center backs in defense, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Both of them are very old, but despite their collective age of 70+ they are incredibly tough to break down. While this Italian team lacks a lot of the superstars of old, they make up for it with tactics. They are managed by former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, and indeed he has them playing very much like a Premier League side and not like the Italian sides of old. The Italians traditionally won with patient build-up play and possession, but this Italian team succeeds with aggressive pressing and winning the ball back as soon as it is lost. They had not really played against opposition with real quality until today though.

Austria are always somewhat of a wild card at these tournaments. Before Euro 2016, many fans and pundits had them as a dark horse candidate to win the tournament, but they crashed out at the group stage. This time around no one is expecting a lot from them, but they’ve gone and done better than they did five years ago by reaching the Euro knockouts for the first time in their history. They have superstars of their own in utility-man David Alaba and forward Marko Arnautovic, but there are question marks about the midfield for them. A lot of the creative duties tend to fall on Alaba when he isn’t in defense, and they don’t have many more creative players like him. Where to play Alaba has been a big headache for Austrian manager Franco Foda. Alaba can play almost anywhere on the pitch, but there is only one of him at the end of the day and he can’t be everywhere at once no matter how hard he tries.

As expected, Italy dominated the first 45 minutes and clearly looked like the side that was going to score. Austria defended just well enough though and kept Italy out. The Azzuri’s best chance was a quality Ciro Immobile strike from distance that hit the post. Austria didn’t create much for themselves either, but keeping Italy from scoring has proven to be difficult to do this tournament so credit to them for doing so. The second half was much different as Italy did not really create much going forward, despite having a lot of possession in Austria’s half of the pitch. It then became Austria who were asking more questions of the previously impervious Italian defense, and they definitely caused some problems for Italy with their physical play.

Arnautovic had the ball in the back of the net on 66 minutes after a counter attack and a find headed pass from Alaba, but the Austrian celebrations were cut short due to the offside flag. VAR did a check however and it did appear that Arnautovic was maybe a foot ahead of the last Italian defender just before he nodded past Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy were saved by the linesman but should have took that passage of play as a warning shot. For the rest of normal time however, they did not. It ended 0-0 after 90 minutes which meant that another 30 minutes of additional time would need to be played.

Mancini made some key substitutions just before the additional time started, bringing on Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina. Italy has a strong bench and he knew some kind of change was needed in order to jump start his lethargic team. Chiesa rewarded him 5 minutes later by scoring the first goal of the match from a tight angle. A cross came in from left back (and probably Man of the Match) Leonardo Spinazzola that found Chiesa in space on the right hand side, and after some good control in the box he lashed home past the Austrian keeper. Pessina got Italy’s 2nd about 10 minutes later. A cross once again came in from the left hand side and Austria failed to clear it. The ball was knocked into the path of Pessina by Italian defender Francesco Acerbi, and Pessina did well to finish from the left side. At 2-0 with only 15 minutes left in extra time, it seemed over.

Austria didn’t think it was over though, as they got a goal back from a corner six minutes before the end of the match. It was a poor goal to concede really and a bit of a clusterfuck defensively from the Italian point of view, but credit to Austrian forward Sasa Kalajdzic for sticking his head out there and getting contact. Corners usually don’t result in goals, but they can be vital for a team that doesn’t get the lion’s share of the possession. There was a tense finish to the match, but Austria never really created another solid opportunity and Italy saw the match out to the finish, winning 2-1. Austria’s goal was the first one conceded by Italy in over 12 matches.

Italy got the job done in the end, but they showed today that they are mortal. They can indeed be beaten, which didn’t seem likely before today. If you can defend from crosses and don’t mind playing a little bit on the back foot, you can frustrate them and eventually they’ll stop creating so many chances. You will need to score a goal of your own though. Austria found a formula to win today, and had they executed even slightly better Italy may have gone out.

Italy will play the winner of tomorrow’s mouth-watering Belgium vs. Portugal fixture in the quarterfinals. No matter which team they play, it will easily be their toughest test of the tournament. They should definitely still be considered among the favorites to win the whole thing, but some kinks in the armor were on display today.

Tomorrow

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic (9 am PDT)

Belgium vs. Portugal (Noon PDT)