Euro 2016: So Far, So Good… (Le Rendezvous)

The last 16 is done with. We’re on to the Quarters now. But Euro 2016 just won’t stop surprising. Surprises here, there and everywhere!

Poland beat Switzerland (unsurprisingly for me). And even though Shaqiri’s goal left me speechless, it wasn’t enough to bail them out.

Then a Gareth-Bale-inspired Wales leapt over the line against Northern Ireland. I wouldn’t have predicted at the start of the tournament that they’d be the last nation from the British Isles standing. But they are, thanks in part to a certain Woy’s decisions. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Uncle Ronaldo!: Mother and child meet their hero. Photo credit: https://mobile.facebook.com/uefaeuro?_rdr

There was Portugal. Were they inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo? I beg to differ. I think the “inspirer” was Fernando Santos, who finally awoke to the reality that pairing Carvalho with Pepe was a ticking time bomb. *Round of applause for you gaffer*

I’m alive!: Hazard celebrates after scoring for Belgium against Hungary. Photo credit: https://mobile.facebook.com/uefaeuro?_rdr

I wasn’t at all surprised with Germany’s or Belgium’s showings. They showed what meeting a tournament heavyweight earns you: a straight ticket back home!

France were a scam until Griezmann bailed them out, (with help from Giroud. You know what I mean).

Which brings me to Italy and Iceland, the biggest winners of the round. They displayed to the world that team spirit trumps individual quality no matter how much the talent abounds in a team (Hello England!).

With each of the 8 games in the second round, there was one case or the other. Case studies if I may.

Let’s see Case1:

MISSION: Eliminate Defending Champions and Avenge Final loss.

It seemed impossible from the word go. Conte and the Italian camp tried their best to maintain expectations, but then we all know Antonio Conte. He always has an ace up his sleeve and there was one in Saint-Denis, the collective.

He himself admitted that talent-wise, they were never going to match the Spaniards. But talent hadn’t exactly stolen the show in France.

From the blast of the whistle, they went toe-to-toe with Spain for everything. The farce of Spain keeping the ball so their opponents wouldn’t hurt them was what it was. Then came the goal… and the Red Fury never recovered.

It was the kind of goal that knocked them out. They tried to come back. Pull one back. Draw level. The closest they came was from Gerard Pique, who drew a masterful reflex save from the great Gigi Buffon (who was in awesome form).

Add to Buffon the wall of defense akin to the Great wall of China that La Roja encountered. Defensive organization unrivalled. This wasn’t parking the bus. It was the Italian defense. It brought back the old saying that Catenaccio is the solution to the famed Tiki-Taka, whose remains were definitely extinguished on the day.

The Italian Wall.

Italian greatness aside, Don Del Bosque also handed the initiative to the Italians. Italy’s 3-5-2 would have suffered had Hector Bellerin started in Juanfran’s stead. Besides, I still don’t understand his aversion to Koke. His decision to go with the tested and trusted, instead of switching things up, failed him again and all this could have been avoided.

Decisions like dropping Isco and Saul, the former whose case in particular was disheartening. Besides, Aritz Aduriz would have offered more in attack than the ineffective and uncertain Pedro who has looked shorn of confidence since leaving Barcelona.

He did give Lucas Vazquez a chance, but it was too sudden, especially for a kid who isn’t used to playing against the brute force of an Antonio Conte-inspired team; a team led by a coach whose energy is so amazing (and contagious), it made him jump on the top of the dugout after Graziano Pelle landed the knockout blow.

So much passion inside one man. Chelsea players had better prepare. Dear Klopp, you now have a touch-line-drama-acting competition.

MISSION UPDATE: Mission Accomplished

Case2:
MISSION: Eliminate Woy’s Bunch of Jokes

Not the Sunniest Euros for England. Photo credit: https://mobile.facebook.com/uefaeuro?_rdr

This has got to be the best thing to happen to Euro 2016. Don’t get me wrong. Payet’s goal and that 3-3 scoreline were beautiful but… the elimination of one of the saddest and shambolic teams in the tournament? Awesome!

What most don’t know is, England practically got knocked out the day the draw was made. Upon realisation that they’d face Wales, all focus was on the game in Lens. Come squad announcement time, Roy Hodgson announced his squad with that game in mind, dropping more reliable options in favour of injured and unfit players.

It was going to come back to haunt him. And it did. They drew against teams they should have beaten: bottling it against Russia before failing to solve a puzzle called Slovakia. Sandwiched in between, they had won the only game they came to France to play. They had beaten Wales.

Considering the Dragons are in the Quarter finals and the Three Lions are back at Heathrow wondering where it all went wrong, that’s an achievement innit?

From #Brexit to #Eurexit. What a week to not be an Englishman.

They somehow agreed to throw away the favour that the god of football bestowed upon them after Iceland finished second rather than Portugal. Or… could it be that when you have screwed with fortune, it screws you back?

You decide.

Great credit to the Icelanders by the way who don’t have great football facilities that the Manchester City alone can boast of.

This should be a time of reflection for the FA. The failure began when they appointed Roy Hodgson. He led them to three major tournaments, all ending in Heartbreaks. Who remembers Euro 2012? Brazil?

Three Lions or Three Lambs?

In reality, England lack the mentality to win football tournaments. It says a lot that since 1966 when they won the World Cup on home soil, they have only won seven knockout games. No wonder, they sulked to stupor and behaved like babies when they lost the bidding rights to the 2018 World Cup.

They can learn from the team that eliminated them though. Team spirit and the right mentality will conquer mountains. Just ask Lars Lagerback and his co-coach. It’s not the first time Lagerback would engage in such co-coaching skills. He did likewise at Euro 2004 with Sweden, where they eliminated Italy in the group stage.

It’s his blueprint. France would only be wise to beware, because even if they have overachieved, they can sense something special. It would be their driving force when they take to the pitch on July 3. So much for beating England.

MISSION UPDATE: Mission Accomplished

On a final note, I hope to see some Quarter final upsets, Italy knocking out Germany on Saturday, Wales edging Belgium on Friday. Now is Ronaldo’s time to step up and lead Portugal like a real leader, because Poland could be wasteful, but Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik could just find their scoring boots.

Then there is France on Sunday. As much as I’d love to see Iceland win, I’d rather keep my fingers crossed. This, really, is Les Rendez Vous

About Author
Tosin Adesina is an ideal young man, a soccer aficionado. He prefers being called Fijasewa Arogunyo because that’s who the world would grow to know. He is a disciple of Pep Guardiola, a follower of Jurgen Klopp, a lover of Jose Mourinho, an admirer of Cholo Simeone, a fanatic of Carlo Ancelotti and an avid fan of Antonio Conte. You can connect with him on Twitter @teetunez

Euro 2016: So Far, So Good… (After the Group Stage)

Guns have been holstered in the Euro 2016. Swords have been sheathed… temporarily. The men are taking a well-deserved break, before moving on, after being seperated from the boys.

A break before moving on to the next round of battles for glory.

The group stages of any football competition is usually the most boring part of that competition. Have you noticed?

This is so true that, if you think it’s not, just cast your mind back to the UEFA Champions League group games you’ve seen.

You see?

Even the Copa America (Centenary edition), on-going in the U.S.A, has lived up to this expectation. Several boring games up until… erm, the final? (Chile thrashing Mexico 7-0 in the quarter-final and Argentina whooping USA by four unreplied goals in the semis don’t exactly count as exciting).

The dilemna of the group stages of football competitions.

But the case has been an entirely different one in this year’s European Championship.

As a matter of fact, it’s been so exciting in France that there’s been a whole lot to talk (write, gossip, tweet, facebook, instagram, whatsapp) about here, there, and everywhere.

It’s been breath-taking! Catching up with the fanciest of goals and the most-surprising of results has been quite the job.

And as far as I can remember, the games have just begun. Imagine what will happen in the Knockout round… (let your imagination run wild for a minute…)

So you see… the party in France hasn’t even started. There will be more last-minute, heart-breaking goals. There’ll be even more surprises, heart-aches and games tighter than before.

I know you can’t wait. I can’t too!

But, while we’re waiting, let’s look back at what happened in the Third Round of the Euro 2016, shall we?

So far, so good:

Stamping Your Authority While Having Fun: Payet celebrates after scoring against Albania. Image credit: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/

– The “Extra Four” Made This Euro Even More Exciting!
The Euro 2016 had a twist to it: The “Extra Four.” You can also call them the “Best Losers” or the “Lucky Ones.” (ironic right?)

Four countries, from the six groups, “survived” and qualified for the knockout stages along with the 12 that got automatic qualification.

Teams like Slovakia, Northern Ireland and even Ronaldo’s Portugal could only manage to qualify as best losers.

But before, during and after the third round, calculations and permutations were going on all over the place. Who would qualify?

For teams like Italy and Spain, it was more of the case of topping the group as they had already qualified. But C. Ronaldo and the gang were calculating. “What if’s” became the order of the day.

Of course this made the third round of group games a delight to watch as players like Cristiano Ronaldo finally came alive, one team stepped up to beat Spain and Iceland pulled a rabbit of their hat in the last-minute.

Lol.. too much to handle Ronnie?

– That Awkward Moment When…
… teams like Hungary, Croatia, Wales top their respective groups after the three rounds of games. Who would have thought?

Of course it wasn’t strange to see England finish second in their group. That’s just English football’s way. With the way Portugal played, it was more awkward than surprising to see Hungary finish as the group leaders.

Though the Russians failed to qualify and, expectedly, with their fans gone back to Moscow or St. Petersburg, there were still more fan troubles. Some fans even got arrested.

Of course the fan troubles part wasn’t awkward. I mean, fan troubles has been part of the tournament before it even began right?

So much for being Portugese. Phot credit: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/

– Ronaldo ALONE Cannot Save Portugal
Some might argue that this is me trying to beef up my short article with another story of CR7’s performance at the Euros so far.

But since everyone’s talking about him (and criticizing too), I’d rather talk about how Ronaldo ‘s teammates are more of a burden than a blessing to the legend.

Portugal, as a team, could only manage three draws in the group stages. It wasn’t because C. Ronaldo did not step up to the plate. It was because players like Quaresma were busy scattering while Ronaldo and Moutinho were gathering.

Even when they needed to win against Hungary and they finally scored three goals… they still MANAGED TO CONCEDE THREE!

Jeez!

It’s more than obvious that Ronaldo is NOT the only solution to the problems of the Portugese national team. What more can a player do for a team if, after scoring two, his team-mates go on to successfully concede not two, but three goals?

With the way they’ve played, the Portugese team are not expected to go far in this tournament. But if their going far is one of the surprises the Euro 2016 has in store for us the fans, we obviously don’t mind right?

The Portugese national team had better stop overly relying on Ronaldo and start supporting him by being better team players before it’s too late.

– Amazing Knockout Matches: A Fan’s Delight!
Like I said earlier, the men have been seperated from the boys. Now it’s go big or go home!

For a tournament that has already amazed fans well enough, the football gods have put some icing on the Euro 2016 cake: even more mouth-watering fixtures!

Hard-running, counter-attacking Croatia will take on Portugal while host-nation France will be more-than-ready to take on Ireland. I’m half-heartedly expecting a battle when Germany take on Slovakia and I literally can’t wait for the Italy vs Spain game (Forza Azzurri!)

England faces Iceland (easy one there mate?) while there’s a tasty clash in the works between Hungary and Belgium (both teams to score maybe?) Bale(s) and Wales take on Northern Ireland (some more UK drama. Leave or Remain? In or Out?) while Switzerland and Poland will slug it out.

Worthy Mentions
It’s interesting to note that no team won all of its group games. The closest any team got to nine points was two wins and a draw. That’s how competitive Euro 2016 has been so far.

It’s also note-worthy (nose-worthy?) to pay tribute to Swedish legend, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played his last international match for Sweden against Ireland. Much much love Ibra… I won’t forget that in-the-air, over-head goal against England in a hurry (you remember it?).

Of course don’t forget to share your thoughts with me and other readers in the comments section.

So far, so good, who do you think will win Euro 2016? What have you noticed in the tournament so far? Which team will fail to make it past the second round?

Iceland? But did you really mean Iceland or England?

Let me know what you think.

Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to share this article with your friends. They’ll thank you! 😉

Images credit: Mirror

About Author
Rotimi Daramola is a freelance football writer, football analyst and football content creator that is in love with the beautiful game. You can keep up with all of his writing and also engage with him on Twitter @rotdav and on LinkedIn

Euro 2016: So Far, So Good…

The European football championships currently underway in France has been one of the most talked about football tournaments in recent times.

The security concerns before the tournament began overshadowed the glitz and glamour of the beautiful game and there was more bad news in the media than good. Skepticism was the order of the day for most.

Even though the Russian fans lived up to the expectations of some of the “skeptical” ones, beautiful goals, late winners and upsets have reminded me how beautiful football is.

With just the first round of games done with, there’s already so much to talk about. So far, so good,

The Superstars Have Been Quiet
The European Championship is synonymous with top shots like Europe’s top 5 football leagues and the big names that ply their trades there. So, naturally, you’d expect the stars to shine. But the storms seem to have gathered in France, preventing the stars from shining. While big names like Welsh star Gareth Bale and Zlatan and Modric and Payet have contributed to goals, names like C. Ronaldo, Hazard and the whole England team have failed to live up to expectations. Maybe they’re still warming up and will come alive in the second and third round of games. Just maybe. Speaking of stars not shining…

– The “Smaller Teams” Are Shocking The “Big Boys”
Of course before tournaments, there are teams that are picked to win all their group games and have an easy stroll. But with results like the 1 – 1 draw between Portugal and Iceland, Hungary’s 0 – 2 defeat of Austria, it’s not been business as usual for the big boys in France. The smaller teams came prepared this time, with names like Romania forcing France to need a late winner in the tournament’s opening game. So much for the first round of games. Can’t wait for the others.

– The Scarcity of Goals: Poor Goalscorers or Great Defenders?
Tournaments like the Euro Championships are expected to be full of goals (or so I think?) I mean: all those big names must come with goals right? But the first round has had “low-scoring” games, with the highest scoreline so far being 2 – 1 and all games ending in Under 3.5 goals (Hello Bettors!) So far, so good, I’m not sure who has been doing a better job: the shot-stoppers or the goal-getters. On the overall, they’ve all made this competition too tight to call. Round Two!!!

– Late winners (France and Spain, Hungary and Italy)
Maybe with this point, it’s safe to say the defenders have been on top in the Euro 2016 championship. They’ve forced teams to dig deep and earn their full points. France needed an 87th-minute beauty to win all three points against Romania. Hungary scored in the 87th to seal a win. Italy needed a 90+3 min goal by Pelle to finish off the Belgians. The Spaniards needed a late goal too. It has not been a roller-coaster ride so far in France. Makes things more interesting yeah? Good one for us the fans!

Worthy Mentions
As England prepare to take on Wales, it seems the Englishmen are still suffering from the inability to perform on the big stages. With all those names, they could only manage a draw against the Russians. So much for having almost all your players come from the “fiestiest” football league in the world. Some will blame it on history (the English haven’t won any of their opening games in the European Championship). But like Olamide will say, “Sh’oro niyen?”

What else…?

Some will tell you that the Italians blew away the Belgians thanks to some fantastic tactical display by Antonio Conte. Chelsea fans can’t wait for the Italian. But, in reality? The Belgians FAILED TO GEL. They played individually and not as a team. They simply shot themselves in the foot. And now they’re at the bottom of the table.

After Round 1, let the games begin!

Images credit: Rediff

About Author
Rotimi Daramola is a freelance football writer, football analyst and football content creator that is in love with the beautiful game. You can keep up with all of his writing and also engage with him on Twitter @rotdav and on LinkedIn

An Analysis of the Euro 2016 Draws

The Groups: France ’16 is upon us!

The tension and suspense is over. The home nations no need worry: England and Wales will play each other. I bemoaned why UEFA didn’t place all four home nations in different pots though. Why they didn’t even toy with the possibilities of having all four in one group. That meant; more publicity, more fans, more press, all covered by the ‘Home Nations’ and less money to spend for the hosts. All it would have cost us was one group of boring football. That fans won’t mind. But its just a suggestion aye?

Now, that we know the groups and the teams that belong there, from the relative ease of the host’s group to the dangers that lay in wait in Groups D & E to the relative calm of Group F, How did the draws fare in our minds?

Beau Jeu: Match ball for the tournament

1.UEFA WILL ALWAYS WIN
Michel Platini’s absence from the draws might have taken a little shine off the draws, but then, the draws may have played out exactly how the European football governing body envisioned it. A ‘Group of Death’ or two, given the competitive nature of football and a relatively easy route for the hosts to the final… Or so it seems. Monsieur Platini may have missed the draws, but his imprints didn’t. Exactly how Michel thought it?

2. FRANCE MUST WIN THEIR GROUP
Put aside the rankings of their group rivals, France have landed themselves a very easy group, the easiest any host nation could have wished for. Poland had a rejuvenated Greek team and Czech Rep in 2012, teams not to be cast aside, Ukraine had France & England; Switzerland had Turkey,Czech and Portugal, Austria had Germany & Croatia; Portugal had Spain & Greece. France have?

Their last meeting with Switzerland ended 5-2 (that world cup game in Brazil), they beat Albania twice in ‘Qualifying group I’ and have a decent record against Romania. If they win Group A, they face any of the best 3rd place sides, a 2nd place finish would see them face a 2nd place side in a group C that have the co-hosts of Euro 2012 & Germany. They have no excuses: With the fans behind them and the ‘luck of the draws’, Les Bleus must finish top.

3. THE CZECHS ARE CURSED…
I call it, the Curse of the Euros. The Czech Republic for the past three Euros have dreaded the draws, for one reason: They know its another nightmare. 2004 saw them grouped with Germany, the Netherlands & Latvia and they stunningly won the group, it could have been their year… we all know the story. 2008 was more cruel. After the disappointment of the World Cup, hoping to bounce back, they got Switzerland, Portugal & Turkey, After pipping the co-hosts on opening day & only just losing to Portugal, they lost to Turkey in their last game in extra time after both sides finished tied for points and goal difference. 2012 brought a little bit more optimism. Poland, Greece and Russia were the opponents and they rode their luck to the last 8.

This year’s draw does not do them any favour. Spain are the best side in Europe on current form (the stats support this), Croatia are the tourney’s dark horses and Turkey boast Arda Turan, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nuri Sahin & the most experienced coach at this Euros in Fatih Terim(who would be coaching them for a 3rd tourney). Beat that boys! In the words of a friend… #Pray4CzechRep

Prediction: Winner of the Belgium vs Italy game will top the group

4. ITALY MUST START WELL…
I thought to myself when I saw this: This isn’t good for Catenaccio. Just when Italy seemed to be getting their groove, they have been (are being) sent a harsh reminder… A cruel one that they’ll start their group against Belgium and they will play Ireland(The Stoke City of Int’l football) again and Sweden! Oh! Sweden! Euro 2004.. Anybody?

Gli Azzuri have lived on past glories enough! The glory days of Maldini, Totti, Costacurta, Baresi, Baggio, Nesta, Rossi, Mr Lippi, Mr Sacchi are long gone. The Serie A in itself is in decline and one only have to look to know how far behind Italian football is. Milan, Juventus and Inter are no longer dominant forces in Europe. It was all summed up when Roma only advanced from their UCL group with just 6pts – partially because Leverkusen played Barcelona. Its sad when the 2nd best team is humiliated 1-7. The Bel Paese need to recover lost glories and not revel in them. The Brazil 2014 disaster should be forgotten, and all eyes should be on the future. The personnel are finally coming of age: Candreva, Marchisio, Romagnoli, Chiellini  et al. It could be too early for Donnaruma but they’ve got Marchetti at Lazio. Buffon should stick around for one more tournament and the ever improving Insigne. Conte knows this. He did it with Juventus. If anyone is that one man that can solve their issues.. Its him, but he has to do it fast, effectively and in a short time.

5. WE ARE IN FOR A SWELL TIME! BECAUSE… THE DIE IS CAST!
The draws are over, the countdown has begun. Only a little over 200days to Euro 2016 and it does look promising. Good groups, good game-schedules (at least for me) and Fantastic hosts. From the certainly overhyped but ‘boring’ England-Wales to the less talked about but ‘interesting’ Iceland-Hungary, it promises to be the best, serving us good football. The new format in itself is a blessing in disguise, especially given that only 8 sides would go home after the Group phase. Expectations are high. This is what club football won’t give you! From now till the training camps open till the squads are announced.. The die is cast brethren!