SOCCER
UEFA EURO 2020: The Completed Saga
Recapping the best stories Euro 2020 has to offer.
Despite being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most celebrated football is finally here. All eyes are now on Europe as the continent is now in the middle of the star-studded, full of sparkles UEFA Euro 2020.
During this tournament, The Amateurs will recap the best stories of the competition, from the first kickoff until the final whistle blows on July 11, 2021.
Group Stage
Denmark’s heroic rise after the fall of Eriksen
The footballing world stopped when Christian Eriksen collapsed after receiving a throw-in from Thomas Delaney in the 43rd minute of Denmark’s first match in the competition against fellow Scandinavian country, Finland. Denmark were distraught, and to no one’s surprise, they fell to Finland with the sole goal coming from Joel Pojhanpalo’s header around the 60th minute after both countries agreed to resume the match. “You can’t play a game with such feelings,” said coach Kasper Hjulmand in the post-match press conference.
The Danish Dynamite went on to meet Belgium in their second Euro 2020 matchup. Yussuf Poulsen did manage to score a quick goal in the 2nd minute of the game, only to be outclassed by the Belgian Red Devils in the second half as Thorgan Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne closed the curtain by scoring one goal each. It’s hard not having Eriksen, their best player on the team, especially knowing the condition he was in when he left the squad. Throughout his career, Eriksen has scored 29 goals and 13 assists for his national team, with five of them in the 2019/20 Euro 2020 Qualifiers, making him the top scorer for Denmark.
On the brink of elimination, Denmark had to face Russia in their third and final group stage match. They would have to win in front of 25,000 supporters in Parken Stadium after Copenhagen lifted COVID-19 restrictions in order to keep their Euro 2020 dream alive.
And they prevailed.
Denmark played magnificent football that day. Mikkel Damsgaard scored a right-footed curling shot from 25 yards to open the party. Seasoned veteran Yussuf Poulsen and youngster Joakim Mæhle scored one goal each, but Andreas Christensen’s first-time screamer in the 79th minute was the sweet crème de la crème, with a cherry on top. The defensive stronghold also looked solid behind the leadership of Kasper Schmeicel and Simon Kjær despite conceding one goal from an Artem Dzyuba penalty.
Denmark showed perseverance and grit throughout the stage. “In times of trouble we have always come through and recovered,” Kasper Schmeichel said in the post-match press conference. “When the chips are down and things appear really bad, that’s where you really show your true character. We have shown what it means to be Danish and what makes being Danish special.”
Ranked second in Group B, Denmark will advance to the Round of 16 and go up against Wales. On paper, there is no way football analysts, fans, or even bettors would say it will be an easy stroll for them. But it won’t be the first time the world has doubted them, and they have the ability to prove their doubters wrong. Denmark would want to relive their Euro 1992 triumph not only for themselves, nor the country. But also for Eriksen.
The Turkish Demise: from Dark Horse to Dead Horse
Turkey came to the European Championship with a team for the future. However, it will have to wait a little longer to prove what it can do.
Şenol Güneş is back from the wilderness after 19 years. After all, he is the manager who led Turkey to third place in the 2002 Fifa World Cup when Hakan Şükür and his teammates finished third, an almost unheard of achievement since it was Turkey’s second-ever World Cup entry. Güneş even became UEFA’s best manager in the same year, before being dismissed in 2004.
After a 15-year gap, including lengthy club managing tenures in South Korea, Trabzonspor, and Besiktas, Güneş returned in June 2019 after the Turkish Football Federation announced that they reached a four-year deal with the Trabzon native. He replaced Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu after the 2018/19 Turkish Super League season.
In Güneş’s second stint as manager, Turkey had an impressive qualification campaign, taking four points off of world champion France and conceding just three times in 10 games. Even before the tournament, Ay-Yıldızlılar — the Crescent-Stars — lived up to their nickname as they beat the Netherlands 4–2 at home and Norway 3–0 at a neutral site during the 2022 World Cup qualification.
Turkey has a young squad consisting of budding stars like Leicester City duo Cengiz Ünder and Çağlar Söyüncü, combined with veterans like playmaker Hakan Çalhanoğlu and team captain Burak Yılmaz. However, everything that could go wrong did go wrong when they played their first game in Rome to open Euro 2020.
In that match, Turkey looked like a shadow of the side that cruised through the qualifiers when the defense imploded, and the players looked dejected after Merih Demiral, one of their young center-backs, scored an own goal. Italy, playing behind their raucous crowd, scored two more goals as Turkey lost 0–3.
With a lousy start to their tournament, Turkey should be close to panicking before facing Wales in their second match. But, Turkey was relaxed since they would play their remaining games in Baku, Azerbaijan. By playing in Azerbaijan, Turkey gained a substantial advantage by playing in their ‘second’ home; moreover, Azerbaijan is Turkey’s closest ally and a ‘younger brother’ in a broader sense. Therefore, the Azeri government willingly sent supporters to cheer for the Turkish side.
On paper, Wales is the weakest team in Group A despite having a superstar duo in Gareth Bale of Real Madrid and Aaron Ramsey of Juventus. In addition, the Dragons’ backline is one of the youngest in the tournament, with names like Chris Mepham and Joe Rodon, both 23 years old flanked by veteran full-back Ben Davies and Swansea City’s Connor Roberts.
Pundits would agree that Turkey had a good chance to win against Wales, and odds were definitely on their side. But, instead, they went completely off after a missed penalty by the captain and lost 0–2 as Ramsey and Roberts scored.
Turkey’s campaign ended against Switzerland. The match in Baku was a perfect ending to conclude a disaster for one of the better teams, as both Turkey and Switzerland needed a victory to progress.
Yet again, the dark horse looked like a dead horse.
Xherdan Shaqiri ran riot in his false-10 role and scored twice as Switzerland won 3–1 easily. Haris Seferovic also scored, and winger Steven Zuber assisted all three goals. On the bright side, İrfan Kahveci scored the sole Turkish goal of the tournament, which was an improvement since they didn’t even achieve a single goal in Euro 2016.
In the end, Turkey literally and figuratively crashed out of Euro 2020 after gaining no points, conceding eight goals, and scoring just once. It’s a disappointing campaign for a team with a supposedly bright future.
Italy and Netherlands: are they the new European powerhouses?
Many have doubted both Italy and Netherlands, especially due to not making it to the World Cup in 2018. Both fell victim to Sweden, as Italy lost to them on a 0–1 aggregate to make it their first absence since 1958. Meanwhile the Netherlands skipped the competition after the Swedes ran riot and thrashed Luxembourg 8–0, which automatically put De Oranje down into third place in Group A due to goal differences.
When asked about Italy’s chances in Euro 2020 by La Gazzeta dello Sport, former Italy’s national team and AC Milan’s manager Arrigo Sacchi answered with a pessimistic note. “I do hope Italy goes as far as they can,” said the 75-year old Sacchi. “But there are other teams who are more capable of being the champion.”
Since the 2018 World Cup qualifier, Italy hasn’t been the same team. They went on to a 27-game unbeaten streak before coming into Euro 2020. Then, Gli Azzuri started the competition with a perfect 3–0 win against the supposed tournament dark horse, Turkey, in their Group A matchup. Mancini tweaked his 4–3–3 side into a 3–2–5, enabling Leonardo Spinazzola to make an overlap from the left flank.
The midfield trio, consisting of Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, and Nicolo Barella also played an integral part in the team by bringing constant balance in pressing and inviting press from the opposition to clear up space for their teammates. Italy went on to win all three Euro 2020 matches against Turkey (3–0), Switzerland (3–0), and Wales (1–0) and will face Austria in the Round of 16. Indonesia’s Ruang Taktik made a comprehensive thread on Twitter explaining Italy’s game plan throughout their Group A matchups.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, is currently having Frank de Boer sitting on the hot seat. De Boer’s recent managerial tenures were what many have dubbed as a disastrous one. He only spent 85 days as Inter Milan’s manager, left the club after a woeful run of four losses in his last five Serie A matches. Then he moved on to Crystal Palace, only to be sacked once again after The Eagles lost their first four league matches without scoring a single goal. This track record earned him the title of “The Worst Premier League Manager in History,” as dubbed by Jose Mourinho in an interview.
The Netherlands started their Euro 2020 campaign shaky. Denzel Dumfries sealed their first win with a 85th minute header to the right side of the goal in a 3–2 thriller against the Andriy Yarmolenko-led Ukraine. Then, De Oranje went on to win the next two games against Austria and North Macedonia with 2–0 and 3–0 respectively.
Despite the loss of Virgil van Dijk due to injury, the back line is as solid as ever under a back three consisting of Daley Blind, Matthijs de Ligt, and Stefan de Vrij. In the midfield, double pivot Marten de Roon and Frenkie de Jong give reassurance to the back while also becoming the link from the back towards the final third. Captain Georginio Wijnaldum plays an advanced playmaking role behind strikers Wout Weghosrt and Memphis Depay. With eight goals scored and two goals conceded, the Netherlands are the clear group champion and will face the Czech Republic in the Round of 16.
Both Italy and Netherlands are becoming forces to be reckoned with in this competition. With both facing favorable oppositions on paper, it might not be that far-fetched to see both teams advance to the quarter finals or even further, as far as meeting each other in the final of Euro 2020.
Hungary’s COVID-19 restrictions lift left Europe in awe and the world in jealousy
Among the 11 countries that host Euro 2020, Hungary stood up above the rest as they were confirmed to have Puskás Aréna at full capacity when hosting Portugal on June 15, 2021. They lost 0–3 to the defending champion, in which Raphaël Guerreiro scored one goal and then followed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace. But for the country, it’s still a win to have over 53,000 supporters cheering for their national team.
“We are happy that the match is a full house and we are the only ones to do that at the Euro,” said Rajmund Javori, a Hungary fan in an interview with AFP. “It is now up to us to show that this is how it can be done.” Puskás Aréna holds a capacity of 67,215 supporters, and to have it filled by almost 80% in a pandemic is such an unbelievable sight to many.
Based on Reuters COVID-19 Tracker, the daily average of COVID-19 infections reported in Hungary is at an incredibly low number of 74 cases. From the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 807,844 cases reported and 29,972 related deaths reported in the country. Hungary’s daily reported COVID-19 trends are as follow:
In terms of vaccination, the country has acquired 9,249,943 doses of vaccines so far. Considering every person needs two doses of vaccines, that many doses would suffice to vaccinate almost half of the country’s population. Hungary is now distributing 86,543 doses of vaccines per day.
Hungary announced the reopening of facilities as they lifted off COVID-19 restrictions in April 2021. Hungarians with immunity cards issued by the government, showing that they have been vaccinated can enjoy both indoor and outdoor facilities, such as restaurants, hotels, spas, gyms, and of course, sports arenas.
“In the past, we defended ourselves by closing, thereby slowing the spread of the virus. But now we are on the attack,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on April 30, 2021, as he announced the reopening of the country as reported by Euronews. “The vaccine is like a bulletproof vest. The virus bounces off of it.”
Hungary have failed to pass the Euro 2020 group stage. They fought hard, resulting in 1–1 and 2–2 draws against France and Germany. But that won’t be enough, as they already lost 0–3 to Portugal. With only two points, they sat in the bottom of Group F.
But with an easing COVID-19 restrictions that allowed supporters to watch live football, Hungary is certainly winning off the field and feeling on top of the world.
Robin Gosens: A Revelation
Robin Gosens’ superb play in Euro 2020 is no secret for anyone now. Yet, it’s been a while since Germany has a player like him at a big tournament.
Gosens, 26, has been one of the breakout stars of Euro 2020 this summer. Joachim Löw’s decision to play with a 3–4–3 system like in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup paid off. The Atalanta player thrives in this system, as his marauding runs from the left flank proved to be the difference-maker in this Euro 2020.
Take a look at when Germany beat Portugal 4–2 at Munich during the second matchday. Gosens are technically involved in all of Germany’s goals as he overran the entire right side of Portugal’s defense as he scored once — his first goal was disallowed, assisted once while also involved in both Rúben Dias and Raphaël Guerreiro’s own goals.
That achievement captured the humble charm of this unconventional new national hero. Unlike the other players in Germany’s squad, Gosens is not a product of one of Germany’s famed talent factories and is the only member of the current squad never to play in the Bundesliga.
The Emmerich am Rhein native, in fact, is a product of Vitesse Arnhem’s academy. Gosens was a late bloomer, as he only joined a professional football club at 18. He joined Vitesse Arnhem in his father’s homeland, the Netherlands, back in 2012.
Gosens then debuted with FC Dordrecht while on loan during the 2013–14 Eerste Divisie season, while having his debut in Eredivisie the following season. His breakthrough then came with mid-table Heracles Almelo, which led him to move to Atalanta in Serie A and a meeting with Gian Piero Gasperini, who transformed Gosens into one of the best left wingback in the world.
Thus, Gosens solved the left-back, or left wingback problems for die Mannschaft. The position had been one of the national team’s weak spots for two and a half decades.
Since the departure of Andreas Brehme, Germany actually didn’t have any impactful player manning the left side of the defense. Past names like Michael Tarnat and Christian Ziege were great during their times, but the Germany team they played in were quite dismal, as Berti Vogts often played winger Marco Bode in the left wingback slot during die Mannschaft’s successful Euro 1996 campaign.
In fact, during the 2000s and even until the mid-2010s, Germany didn’t have a mainstay in the left back or left wingback position. Players like Thomas Hitzlsperger, naturally a defensive midfielder and Marcell Jansen, a left-sided midfielder were used at the position. The rest of them, Dennis Aogo and Marcel Schmelzer weren’t fit enough to play regularly either at the club-level or during international tournaments, so right-footed fullback Philip Lahm and center-back Benedikt Höwedes often played in the left side, alongside Erik Durm.
Things began to change in the late 2010s. Some left backs like Marcel Halstenberg, Jonas Hector, Marvin Plattenhardt, Philipp Max and Christian Günter were deemed ready to fill what Germany needed at the position, with the latter two backing up Gosens.
Robin Everardus Gosens is one of Euro 2020’s rising stars. His rise is unprecedented, and his path is extraordinary, from being rejected by Borussia Dortmund to an international superstar. However, he certainly has gone unnoticed at this tournament, and the next stop on his odyssey is Wembley Stadium for Germany’s Round of 16 matchup with England.
Round of 16
Netherlands 0 — Czech Republic 2: A Tale of Orange, White, and Bad Luck Blues for de Boer
Frank de Boer was the Netherlands’ captain during Euro 2004, despite not playing in de Oranje’s defeat against the Czech Republic in the group stage. Seventeen years later, de Boer also lost against the same opposition as a manager.
On June 26, 2021, the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, hosted another tale of the Dutch crumbling under pressure.
The Netherlands, in their customary orange shirt, started with their usual 5–3–2, with speedster Donyell Malen and Memphis Depay leading the line. However, there’s doubt in their lineup as Patrick van Aanholt was visibly tired, yet de Boer stuck with the Crystal Palace fullback and not Owen Wijndal, who was fresher.
On the other side, the Czech Republic, wearing white jerseys, made two fundamental changes. First, while still playing with 4–2–3–1, they added more physicality in the midfield with towering Verona midfielder Antonín Barák replacing captain Vladimír Darida, playing behind Patrik Schick. Second, longtime Hoffenheim fullback Pavel Kadeřábek replaced Jan Bořil at left back.
When Frank de Boer’s de Oranje hit their stride, the Czech Republic struggled to deal with their pace. However, Depay and Denzel Dumfries shunned their chances to secure a lead.
The Czech’s physical style of play started to pin down the Netherlands in the middle of the pitch as Georgino Wijnaldum, Frenkie de Jong, and Marten de Roon seemingly unable to step up further. While both Barak and Tomáš Souček use their brute strength to finish high balls from the counter or to win the ball, Tomáš Holeš sweeps just in front of the back line.
Yet, there was a problem with Netherlands’ finishing in this match, as keeper Tomáš Vaclík was seemingly saving all the Dutch shots. This proved vital for the Dutch side, as they previously lost a pure striker in Luuk de Jong who was injured.
That match then went from bad to worse for the Dutch side after halftime. The Netherlands’ lack of energy from the left side was expected without either Wijndal or Bundesliga-based Daley Sinkgraven or Jetro Willems. This meant big for the Czech side as West Ham fullback Vladimír Coufal’s surging runs epitomized their unorthodox, inefficient tactics that proved effective yet again.
Disaster for de Oranje began when Donyell Malen’s surge from deep was thwarted by Vaclík. Then almost immediately, the Netherlands were reduced to 10 men as De Ligt’s handball denied Schick a clear run on goal.
The Czechs then capitalized. Holeš’ powerful header finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute, after Barák’s free-kick on the edge of the penalty box was nodded by stopper Tomáš Kalas to the number 9.
The Netherlands went AWOL and mustered nothing, even when de Boer inserted winger Quincy Promes as a panic substitution. Playing with 10 men and without team leader Virgil Van Dijk, the Dutch were in shambles.
The Lokomotiva didn’t hesitate as just 12 minutes later, Holeš teed up Schick’s goal, which sealed Czech Republic’s place in the quarter-final bout against Denmark in Baku. This meant that the Netherlands was out, and Schick became the second Czech to net four times at a European Championship tournament, alongside Milan Baroš, who scored five in 2004.
With this loss, the Netherlands have won just two knockout ties at the Euros since their 1988 victory, one of those on penalties against Sweden in Euro 2004. Also, veterans like Van Aanholt and veteran keeper Maarten Stekelenburg will probably not play any international football again after this tournament.
Matchday 2 Madness: Spain went through, France lost on penalties.
Matchday 2 of the Euro 2020 Round of 16 had two exciting matches, as Croatia met Spain in Copenhagen, while France faced Switzerland in Bucharest. Both matches would be known as ‘the greatest day of knockout football ever’ as the matches featured lead changes, many goals, yet shared similarly bad endings for both recent World Cup finalists.
The first match in Copenhagen was between Croatia and Spain. Both sides were equally strong, yet Croatia took the lead first against the run of play and in unusual fashion when keeper Unai Simón misjudged Pedri’s back-pass. It was all for naught as Pablo Sarabia, César Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres then made the score 3–1 for Spain.
La Furia Roja seemed almost certain to go through to the last 8 with a two-goal cushion. But, something unpredictable happened as Croatian substitute Mislav Oršić scored, then assisted Mario Pašalić to send the game into extra time.
Unfortunately, Croatia melted down during extra time, allowing Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal to put their names on the scoresheet for Spain. Thus, with their 5–3 win, La Furia Roja became the first-ever team to score five goals in two consecutive European Championship matches.
The second match was France against the much-unfancied Switzerland at Arena Națională in Bucharest, Romania. France, heavily battered after winning Group F, lost another penalty shootout in the Euro after the 1996 edition.
France did lose both left backs, Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne, but their failure to deal with a conventional goal threat in this tournament remained unsolved. This match then became another sour note to Didier Deschamps’ illustrious managerial career.
Switzerland kept their starting eleven against Turkey in this match as Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic, and Xherdan Shaqiri started upfront for Das Nati. Steven Zuber, who provided three assists the previous match, played in the left flank as Ricardo Rodriguez moved into center back.
France was actually in danger first. They conceded a goal via Haris Seferovic’s header, and then Benjamin Pavard fouled Zuber inside the penalty box. Yet, Rodriguez’s spot-kick was saved by captain Hugo Lloris, then less than five minutes later, Karim Benzema put France 2–1 up.
Paul Pogba then curled the ball from outside the box, and France was suddenly up by two goals. Martin Tyler, the English color commentator, even said that Switzerland wasn’t going anywhere but home.
Yet, Granit Xhaka and co. pulled back twice. Seferović scored another header in the 81st minute to put the Swiss one goal behind and, just when it seemed France had done enough to edge this last 16 thriller, Mario Gavranović rifled a dramatic equalizer from outside the box to force extra time.
Both goals came theatrically late and showed France’s inability to hold possession properly. Substitutes Ruben Vargas and Kevin Mbabu were also exploiting French’s nonexistent defense on the left flank, as they lacked a capable left-sided player.
Almost all French players like Mbappé, Giroud, and even Benjamin Pavard spurned their chances during the additional 30 minutes. Then, after nine successful spot-kicks in the shootout, Mbappé’s penalty was denied by Sommer to seal an unforgettable night for Vladimir Petković’s side in Bucharest.
Matchday 2 brought the viewers two consecutive thrillers. While Spain went through more by accident than by design, France went down in flames like the Bastille.
Football is coming to Rome: Fortune favors the bold
Football is coming to Rome, as England beat Germany in a competitive match for their first time since 2001.
The classic bout between England and Germany at Wembley is the match that people are waiting for in Euro 2020. But, the story is more than England’s successful attempt to erase the Euro 1996 ghosts by beating Germany 2–0 on home soil.
England played with 3–4–3 as London natives Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka started upfront. Since Robin Gosens was an ever-present threat down the left flank, as analytics said, Kyle Walker was preferred as the right-sided center back, shielding Kieran Trippier.
Harry Maguire was preferred to Tyrone Mings to partner Walker and John Stones. Trippier, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, and Luke Shaw manned the midfield.
Germany stuck with their 3–4–2–1, but Leon Goretzka played in place of İlkay Gündoğan and Timo Werner played alongside Thomas Müller and Kai Havertz.
The match was initially quite upbeat, yet they cancelled each other out for much of the first half. The Three Lions had the first promising efforts, with Sterling testing Manuel Neuer from a pretty long distance and Maguire heading Trippier’s cross wide from goal. On the other hand, Die Mannschaft pursued the best opening of the first 45 minutes, though, only for Jordan Pickford to prevent Werner’s shot.
As the second half began, Germany asserted dominance as Joshua Kimmich sent multiple long balls to their front three. Yet, without any pure striker like Nils Petersen, Davie Selke, or Luca Waldschmidt in the squad, their finishing was close to none in threatening Pickford’s goal.
Southgate then introduced attacking midfielder Jack Grealish for Saka while the game was still scoreless with no sight of improvement. This move allowed Sterling to play slightly behind Kane and let Grealish wreak havoc as a false-10 as the German defense ran out of gas.
Grealish was then involved in both English goals. The Aston Villa captain was involved in the buildup of Sterling’s goal in the 75th minute; then, he assisted Kane’s goal 11 minutes later.
Finally after years of defeat, England’s young stars and their sophisticated analytics team buried die Mannschaft at Wembley. Jack Grealish, the Solihull native, became the one who drove the final nail in Germany’s coffin.
Gareth Southgate, the man who failed to score a penalty against Germany 25 years prior, led England past Germany for the first time since 2016. England would face Ukraine, helmed by living legend Andriy Shevchenko, in the quarterfinals at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and co. beat 10-men Sweden after extra time in Glasgow. After going 1–1 and the match seemingly going to a penalty shootout, young striker Artem Dovbyk scored at the match’s last possible attacking moment, which meant Sweden lost again to Ukraine by the same scoreline after nine years.
Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat.
Fortune, indeed, favors the bold. But, in this case, England’s boldness was pretty much about their ability to score goals and prevent German attacks.
Quarter Final
Switzerland vs. Spain — A tale of two Warriors
Switzerland may not be the strongest team amongst the quarterfinalists, but so is Spain. Yet, when Spain squeezed through to Wembley, Switzerland went home as warriors after wandering the whole of Europe.
Back in Roman times, there was a tribe called the Helvetii. They were a Celtic tribe that lived around the Alps, known because of their toughness during their wars with the Ancient Romans.
Their descendants, the Swiss people, did similar things. From the crusades to the early Napoleonic War, they kept being resilient when facing adversities, even to this day. This isn’t an exception to the Switzerland national football team, known as Das Nati.
Facing the mighty but questionable Spanish side at St. Petersburg, the battered Switzerland side was seemingly tired after traveling a record 6,218 miles during the group stage. No other team traveled that far.
In this match, Switzerland lost captain Granit Xhaka to suspension. Denis Zakaria stepped up in his place. Besides Xhaka, there were no changes, even with Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, and Ricardo Rodriguez all one yellow card away from suspension.
Spain, however, was also far from being fully rested. After going the distance with Croatia in Copenhagen, La Furia Roja needed to do something extraordinary without proper finishing against a team who sat deep and tried to combat the midfield.
Yet, veteran left back Jordi Alba stole the show for the Spaniards, as his shot was deflected by Denis Zakaria early in the game. Switzerland did score one back as Remo Freuler teed Xherdan Shaqiri after a miscommunication between Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte in the second half.
Freuler was then sent off after tackling Gerard Moreno, and it sparked controversies. Michael Oliver, the referee, was previously blasted in the media for not sending off Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for a challenge that led to a severe knee injury for Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, both sides scored no goals in the remainder of the game, and the match went into a penalty shootout. Switzerland won their latest penalty shootout against France in Budapest, but Unai Simón, the Spanish goalkeeper, stood in front of them.
On the other side, Spain’s head coach, Luis Enrique, may not be better as a penalty taker during his playing time, unlike his predecessor, Fernando Hierro. But, when it comes to penalty kick preparation as a coach, Enrique stood out better than his ex-teammate. The former FC Barcelona manager thoroughly analyzed Switzerland’s penalty kick preparation when they beat France.
Simón then became the unlikeliest hero of Spain’s first penalty shootout win since Euro 2012. The 24-year-old keeper stopped both Fabian Schär and Manuel Akanji’s penalty before Ruben Vargas booted one high as La Furia Roja won in the quarterfinal since Euro 2012 to face Italy in London.
Enrique, who left both captain Sergio Ramos and proven penalty kick stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga off the 24-man squad, stood high. He wanted to state that his side is neither the famous tiki-taka machine of the early 2010s nor the infamous headless chicken in the mid-2010s, but simply a new, well-oiled side who wants to play without any burden.
As for Vladimir Petkovic, his Switzerland went home with their heads held high. The Swiss side might tragically lose the match, but their resilience to play with one man less, after a never-ending trip, and without their leader on the pitch was something the streets would never forget.
Czech vs. Denmark — Resilience is the key
Some pundits said that without star man Christian Eriksen, Denmark was a dead duck. Yet, the Danes silenced the debaters again with their resilience so far.
After thumping Wales 4–0, Denmark faced another dark horse, the Czech Republic. The match in Baku would eventually serve as Denmark’s sweetest revenge to this date.
Denmark never had a good history against the Czech Republic at the Euros. They lost in the group stage back in Euro 2000 when Vladimir Smicer scored a brace and lost again in Euro 2004 against Jan Koller’s team at the same stage three goals to nil.
The Danes quickly set the tone this time around. Two quick goals from Thomas Delaney, from a corner taken by Jens Stryger Larsen, and Kasper Dolberg, who tapped in from Joakim Mæhle ‘s spectacular trivela cross, were enough to send Dansk Dinamit to Wembley for a big match against England.
Playing with their customary 3–4–3, Denmark used their physical presence to constantly press and stifle the Czech’s defense, who sat narrow and deep in their 4–2–3–1. Both goals from Delaney and Dolberg all came from clumsy defending from the flanks.
The Czech’s offense, lacking pure playmakers in Bořek Dočkal and Josef Hušbauer, was struggling heavily in this match. Eventually, the Czech Republic failed to find the net multiple times, either from set-pieces or crosses arriving in the box, as they could not capitalize on their xG of 1.70.
Schick then scored the sole Czech goal in the second half. His tap-in, which valued a mere 0.12 xG — a far cry from his 2.4 xG — wasn’t enough for Lokomotiva as they ran out of fuel and failed in quarterfinals, just like in Euro 2012.
When the referee ended the match, Denmark was going to their first Euro semifinals after three decades. This proved that even without Christian Eriksen, Denmark could go through with their own collective ability as a team.
Semi Final
Italy vs. Spain — A Blast from the Past
Before the match started, Italy was the favorite to win this match following their convincing performance during the Euro 2020. Meanwhile, Spain was considered a shadow of their former self following their unconvincing performance through the competition and the retirement of their golden generation.
This match broke those assumptions. Spain was dominant with possession while Italy was impenetrable with their defense, like a blast from the past. In the first 25 minutes, Spain was able to build up from the back well with Aymeric Laporte and Eric Garcia playing the ball-playing defender role fluently with Sergio Busquets as the orchestrator. He played one-touch passes and rarely misplaced his pass, allowing Spain to get out from Italy’s occasional press.
Dani Olmo also played well in the front. Acting as a false nine, he made himself a main attacking threat for Spain when he was able to turn from Italian defenders and midfielders when receiving and passing the ball to the side where Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal attacked the Italian side.
Italy, as the experienced tournament team, patiently waited for their time. They waited for the openings and hit Spain at the right time; one counter-attack, one goal scored. Spain managed to settle the score with Alvaro Morata finishing a through pass from Dani Olmo. After the goal, Spain still tried to create some chances but Italy managed to negate any danger thanks to Leandro Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
Mentality became a decisive factor when it mattered most. Chiellini looked cheerful and full of smiles while Jordi Alba looked nervous during the coin toss before the penalty shootout. Dani Olmo, Gerard Moreno, and Alvaro Morata looked stressed before taking the penalty while Jorginho looked comfortable before settling Italy for the win.
Penalty kicks eventually became the deciding factor again, after it became the deciding factor for Spain when they both met in Euro 2008, which kickstarted their tenure as the dominating football country for the next four years. But this time, Italy was the prevailing side to continue to the final with perhaps more dominance to come in the upcoming years.
England vs. Denmark — Heartbreak for the Danes, Joy for the English
England vs. Denmark in the Euro 2020 semifinal wasn’t supposed to be the ideal match. Yet, this match proved that no matter what team you support, there were many reasons to enjoy this match.
England and Denmark met earlier this season during the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League A. Their first meeting ended with a goalless stalemate in Copenhagen, and England lost 0–1 in London, courtesy of Christian Eriksen’s penalty kick and two dismissals for Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker.
Nonetheless, both matches didn’t matter more than the Euro 2020 semifinal at Wembley. On one side, England wanted revenge and their first final appearance. On the other hand, Denmark wished to honor their sidelined hero Eriksen by going to their second-ever Euro final after nearly three decades.
Pundits predicted the Three Lions would start with three at the back, just like the match against Germany. Still, because they faced a different threat, especially when facing speedy wingers, they opted to play with four at the back, omitting Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier again for this match.
On the other hand, Denmark stayed with their 3–4–3 formation with Kasper Dolberg preferred over Jonas Wind and Andreas Cornelius. With Jens Stryger Larsen selected ahead of Daniel Wass at the right wingback spot, there were no changes from the side that beat the Czech Republic in Baku.
The blistering pace of the English attackers then exposed Denmark’s slow-footed back three. Nonetheless, it was Denmark who scored first.
Two unnecessary free kicks conceded by England showed that the team might still get caught napping in big tournaments. While the first failed to do anything significant, young winger Mikkel Damsgaard hit one past the hapless Jordan Pickford.
England’s finishing problems from the group stage continued until this far into the tournament as they weren’t able to score freely. Nevertheless, Bukayo Saka’s soaring pace outran the Denmark defense and eventually forced Simon Kjaer to score an own goal to tie the match.
Both sides failed to score another goal in regulation time, since the referee, Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands, deprived England of a penalty after Christian Norgaard tackled Harry Kane in the second half.
Another controversy occurred in extra time as Raheem Sterling fell in the penalty box. Denmark appealed in vain to referee Danny Makkelie as the VAR accepted the penalty decision.
Kane stepped up to take the penalty against Kasper Schmeichel. The Leicester keeper blocked it, but Kane scored the rebound to send England to their first-ever EURO final. 2–1 for the Three Lions.
No more goals scored as England switched back to a five-man defense. Denmark scrapped to get back into contention, but the hosts ultimately did enough.
Kane’s emphatic finish served as a heart-breaker for the Danes, one of the tournament’s darlings. As for the English, they are in joy since they will face Italy in their first senior tournament final in 55 years.
Final
Football Came Home; then It Went to Rome
Euro 2020 has concluded with the match between Italy against England in London. The match turned out to be anticlimactic after the abundance of goals in the 50 matches prior.
Italy, the designated home team who is also one of the world’s strongest sides, faced their most formidable opponent in England, who went to their first-ever continental final. This final will be England’s first since the 1966 World Cup Final, played in the old Wembley.
The narrative was quite serious in this final. Italy wanted to win the tournament after losing their previous two finals. They were beaten 2–1 by France in 2000, then 4–0 by Spain in 2012. With a win, Italy would break a 43-year drought in the European Championship.
England, the host of the final, wished to atone for their sins at home a quarter-century earlier. With their young squad and advanced analytical approach, there’s no reason for England to lose, particularly after playing six out of their seven games at Wembley.
The Italian coaching staff, which was dominated by former Sampdoria legends, had their own narrative. Head coach Roberto Mancini, delegation leader Gianluca Vialli, and assistant coach Attilio Lombardo spent some of their respective footballing careers at English Premier League sides.
Mancini spent his last year as a footballer in Leicester City and spent some time as Manchester City’s manager. His partner-in-crime and childhood friend, Vialli, spent time with Chelsea as a player and player-manager from 1996 to 2002. Lombardo is also a recognizable name, as he was known as one of Crystal Palace’s cult heroes during the late 1990s.
On the other side, Gareth Southgate wanted to atone for his sins during the Euro 1996 with England’s first European title. The English public previously blamed the former Aston Villa captain for the Three Lions’ failure to win the Henri Delaunay trophy a quarter of a century earlier at the same Wembley stadium.
England lined up in a questionable 3–4–3 formation. Southgate ditched Jadon Sancho for a traditional playmaker in Mason Mount and played Kyle Walker at center back again, allowing Kieran Trippier to start at right wingback. They also revealed the lineup four hours before the kick-off, which would backfire for the Three Lions during the match.
On the other hand, Italy made no change for their side, who beat Spain in the semifinal, as Mancini kept his 4–3–3 intact. Except for Leonardo Spinazzola, everyone was available for Gli Azzurri.
Nonetheless, Italy’s deficiency on the left side of their defense, with Giorgio Chiellini, was quickly exploited by England. Luke Shaw tapped in Trippier’s cross in the third minute to make the score 1–0.
But, instead of England pressing more, they got pressed by the Italians’ constant attacking and were eventually overwhelmed entering the second half. The tying goal then came at the 67th minute.
Veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci scored from a rebounded shot after an Italy corner kick which tied the game. He celebrated by screaming “football is coming to Rome” at the camera, signaling an impending comeback for the ages.
Neither team eventually failed to score goals until extra time expired. Nonetheless, England did something unprecedented as Southgate made a double substitution to bring in Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who both rarely played in the tournament, for Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker in the dying minute of the extra time for taking penalties in the penalty shootout.
Italy has done a similar trick in Euro 2016; as then-Juventus striker Simone Zaza entered the match solely for the penalty shootout. He failed, and Roberto Mancini didn’t want to repeat what Antonio Conte did with Zaza. Moreover, Italy won the semifinals after penalties and wanted to become the first-ever team that won two consecutive penalty shootouts.
Both sides’ first penalties were successful, as Italy’s Domenico Berardi and England’s Harry Kane scored. Pickford, who already established himself as England’s best penalty stopper, then saved the penalty from substitute Andrea Belotti.
Maguire, who missed in Manchester United’s penalty shootout in the Europa League final a few months prior, converted his kick to give England a 2–1 advantage. Bonucci then scored to level the shootout at 2–2 and paid for his failure five years prior, when he failed to score in the shootout against Germany.
England’s disaster began with Marcus Rashford, who is usually good at penalties but came to the tournament injured. He hit the left-hand post with England’s third penalty. Rashford’s failure felt like a déjà vu nine years earlier against the same opponent.
Substitute Bernardeschi gave Italy the lead again as he slotted the penalty past Pickford. Then, England’s other late substitute, Jadon Sancho, not known for his composure when taking penalties, had his shot saved by Donnarumma.
Chelsea’s Jorginho then stepped up to take the possible match-winning penalty for Italy but had his shot to the left of the goal saved by Pickford. With the score 3–2 for Italy, England youngster Bukayo Saka stepped up to take the penalty, and he failed.
When Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the penalty, Italy finally won their first title after a decade and a half in a similar fashion, winning in a penalty shootout against the opponent wearing white on foreign soil.
England’s loss meant that they became the side with the worst penalty kick conversion in the European Championship history. They also continued the trend of almost every host team failing to win a continental tournament since 2019. The trend started with the United Arab Emirates, then Egypt, the United States, and Brazil followed suit.
UAE failed to win the AFC Asian Cup on home soil after being hacked in the semifinal by Qatar, their eternal rival, with a whopping four goals to none. Egypt, a continental powerhouse, lost to South Africa during the Round of 16 match at the 2019 African Cup of Nations, courtesy of Thembinkosi Lorch’s solo goal.
USMNT then lost their annual classic match with Mexico at the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, a few months after Egypt’s tragic loss. On the other hand, Brazil did win as the host of the 2019 edition of the Copa America. Still, as a host for two consecutive tournaments, they lost to Argentina at the final of the 2021 edition, courtesy of Angel di Maria’s solo goal at Maracanã stadium.
To sum up this writing, football did come home. Yet, as the famous saying says ”all roads lead to Rome,” it eventually went to Rome in a most painful way for the home crowd.
