The Day The Euros Took Off
Jun 22nd, 2016 by 'holic
Well that was the day the Euros finally took off, wasn’t it? The early matches determined who England would face in Nice next Monday. It went to the wire. Another European question will occupy hearts and minds tomorrow. This is a football blog, no really! And so many readers are not concerned about which way David Beckham, or Rio Ferdinand, are voting, never mind this old fool.
Back to football, and Hungary and Portugal provided the roller coaster match the tournament needed. Six goals shared and at the final whistle it looked as though England would face Portugal in the last sixteen, albeit for seconds. As the handshakes started the commentator spoke of developments in the Iceland match against Austria. Somebody said something to Christiano Ronaldo and he immediately started exchanging words with team mates I would love to have heard.
Iceland have had an astonishing introduction to tournament finals football. They surprised everyone by qualifying for the first time, and after ninety minutes were looking at completing the group stage unbeaten, level at 1-1 with Austria. Not surprisingly the Austrians were piling on the pressure in the last of the four added minutes when Iceland broke and Traustason swept in a cross from Bjarnason. (Admit it, unless you are Icelandic you just yelled WHOOOO? twice).
The result put Iceland into second place in the group and they now get the chance to humble England. I’m not sure it will be an end to end thriller, but it will be a fascinating clash of styles. England may have preferred opposition with a more open style than that which Iceland have employed thus far. That isn’t a criticism. They have played to their strengths, which they have to do, and it is up to the supposedly better teams to work out how to break them down.
What could create the same feelings as the early kick-offs? The script was written. Ireland would give Italy a fight before the latter would produce yet another late winner. Ireland didn’t read the script, however. They most certainly did give the azzurri a fight, but as the game was drawing to a close Hoolahan was set free. This was surely the moment for a sensational ending? He tamely found the goalkeeper’s hands. That was that, it seemed.
The thwarted substitute produced a wonderful cross from the right, Brady took flight and planted forehead on plastic. This time the gaping goal was found and a million Irish pets recoiled as their owners experienced that moment of frenzy, of release, at the simple act of scoring a goal. If you cannot be at the game social media is quite the place to be at moments like that. For a few precious minutes positivity and humour takes over a place that can be a host for good and bad.
All of which means that the four teams from Britain and the Republic are united in qualifying for the knock-out phase. At least one must go as Wales will meet Northern Ireland on Saturday. The Republic have a meeting with hosts France which will doubtless prompt hours of talk and video of that Titi handball. If the Irish show the same spirit and commitment as tonight then what are the odds against a penalty shoot-out?
And England? The round of sixteen really is in their hands. Iceland will give it all and have nothing to lose, but it is time for Roy to work out his best eleven and stick with them, injuries and suspensions permitting.
Evening all.
84 Responses to “The Day The Euros Took Off”
Woosh!
I didn’t yell who twice! It was Arnór Ingvi Traustason who scored after assist from Theodór Elmar Bjarnason 😉
Nice one Guvna.
Much the most interesting day of football so far. Well done Oirland and Iceland. A blow for the little people.
Meanwhile Italy clearly aren’t as good as I thought they were from second hand reports and goal highlights.
So who is going to lift this trophy? Frankly I haven’t seen a wholly convincing team yet. Croatia? What are the odds?
And you english boys are next up! ?
Your just a wonderful man H.! Thanks ever so much.
Thoughts are with the Swedes who were very unlucky tonight I thought. Hope all is good Lars.
I was in Dublin today and nobody I spoke to gave them any chance. I was delighted for them. They will really enjoy playing France in Parus. Expect Thierry to take a lot of stick!
Iceland would be favoured opponents for England but that means nothing and one Brirish team will be in the last 8. Probably Wales.
But will Britain still be in Europe when they play.
See what I did there?
Sounds like a very interesting day in France. England with a chance to overcome the underdog?
Hello Birgir, and welcome.
I have an Icelandic friend who will be very happy tonight. Brilliant stuff. 🙂
Agreed Joe. Lars is much the same about Sweden as I am about England. Club comes first 😉
Iceland is a small place, i probably know him if he is a gooner ? And yes Iceland is going crazy these days!
Birgir, I am flying to Iceland on Sunday. Where would be a good pub for a neutral to watch Monday’s match in Reykjavik? Is there a sports bar where beer isn’t a ridiculous price?
Oh bath, zaphod in the Arseblog forum is the man. Great company, but I’m not sure how close to Reykjavik he is…
Im not sure you will find a neutral pub ? but beer 0,5 L cost around 6 punds. Some bars may have two for one when soccer is on. But if I wasn’t working monday I would go Ingólfstorg (square) and watch it. English pub is most likekly place for neutral
My friend is telling me beer often cost 4 to 4,5 punds on “boltatilboð” soccer offer ?
In fact Hjalti (zaphod) is from Sauðárkrókur. My northern geography ends at Bannockburn…
They have enough people in Iceland to fill a pub? Good luck with the visit bath! Oh, and Mad Max is a poodle cross. Just a little guy but a ton of personality which I hope doesn’t make me look too gay on the other end of the lead.
Thanks Birgir. I said neutral as I don’t want to upset the Guvna but between thee and me, unless LJW starts, I’ll be cheering for my Viking kinsmen.
I’m impressed with your eclectic font, H. I don’t believe your Geography ends at Bannockburn. Your palate has knowledge of Islay, Skye and Speyside at least!
Heh, now there’s a new image, Chris. You’ll need to get a pink Harris tweed coat for Max to refine that new man image. I have refused to take Mitzi for a walk in the one Miss B bought her for Christmas!
It’s mid-winter here, bath, but rarely cold enough for dog coats. The mad woman who lives next door (my nemesis) bought Max a pink(!) coat when he arrived. I let him wear it in the garden but he peed in it cos it was way too long underneath. Smart dog.
Great post Holic!
England versus Ireland will be hard to predict.
The only thing we can count on next round is Cristi Ronaldo being underpar and crying on the pitch again I reckon 😀
Good job we’re playing Iceland then, CoR. 😉
Best not to stir the Icelanders’ ire?
Chile 2 Colombia 0 at halftime of the Copa America semifinal with the winner to face Argentina. Alexis didn’t score either goal but it looks like the final will feature the best two teams in the competition.
Oh no! Yes, Iceland is what I meant Chris 😀
2 hour rain delay before Chile-Colombia second half kicks off. Conditions not the best to avood injuries. Knock on wood for Alexis.
avood = avoid
Just wanted to hear the Icelandic commentator go wild.
So why does the BBC tease me with it but then say “this content is not currently available on this device”? ?
bt8b@27: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/81369946/Icelandic-commentator-goes-off-after-late-winner-to-beat-Austria-at-Euro-2016
Heh! Smart dog indeed, Chris.
My apologies go out to Higuain and Suarez who I inappropriately described as boats yesterday, along with Lukaku.
In comparison I would describe them as either a big ship or cruise liners.
My bad!
😆
Higuain and Suarez are luxury yachts and Lukaku is a fat bloke with a hanky on his head, paddling along on a lilo in comparison.
Good report for the Summer recess H
have not watched the Euros,just kept an eye online re Arsenal players involved,hoping they do well,and don’t get injured.
Same goes with Alexis in CA.
Time seems to have flown by,as i believe those not involved,are reporting back for pre season training next week.
I also note that the CL and Europa league qualifying rounds start next week as well.
There are a whopping 44 games next Thursday alone in the Europa league, !!
Madness.
And talking of madness,i read today that a player has been sent off in a game in Sweden,for Farting whilst being booked by the Ref,who promptly showed him a 2nd Yellow and sent him off for unsportsmanlike and ungentlemanly behavior.
It’s not known if the fart was odious enough to fell an Ox,or carbon neutral.!!
@ 31 😆
Leicester City have agreed a new contract with England striker Jamie Vardy.
Arsenal had wanted to sign the 29-year-old and had met a release clause – reported to be £20m.
The Foxes responded with an offer said to be worth £100,000.
A club statement read: “Leicester City have today agreed with the representatives of Jamie Vardy to extend the England international’s contract with the Premier League champions for a further four years.
“Both parties hope that this announcement will end recent speculation regarding Jamie’s future and confirm his long-term commitment to Leicester City Football Club.”
———–
😀 😀 😀
So obvious that all he wanted was a pay rise.
Nice one Guvnasson 🙂
So the greatest striker of all time decides to stay put and “reject”The Arsenal, hey jamie and your agent, well played. Yes we wish that this kind of loyalty is true but we have seen far too many of these to believe.. For your info, you do not and cannot reject Arsenal, we have moved on so get a life.
Chile Argentina finals again. Well doubt this time Alexis can clinch it again, leo is in some form and argentina look set to win it but i will cheer alexissssssssssssss of course.
Grand games yesterday at the euros. England do get the luck of the draw but write off iceland at your own peril. Plucky and a team, it will take the english a lot more than just line up to beat them. Pick of the games is spain vs italy, should have been a q/f atleast but then no complaints. The game is going to be a cracker. Overall the euros will come alive from the knock out stages.
So much for Vardy wanting to concentrate on England and Hodgson saying no contact while they’re still in it….
..wait, does this mean Iceland is going win?
😀 😀 😀
Vardy was worth a punt at £20 million but wanted four years and to be guaranteed a starting place apparently. Glad Arsene resisted. Most Gooners were happy about the deal because it showed we are after a striker and the value but we can do much better than Vardy, who I was really unimpressed with against Slovakia.
I won’t go into preferences for our new target as long as there is one. It will cost a lot more than £20 mill though!
If Man U do want Ramsey for £50 million I will drive him to Old Trafford.I’d be happy to drive Martial or Rashford back
So Vardy’s chosen to stay at Leicester with a relatively small pay rise in his pocket, as Cynic prophetically stated once our release-clause bid was reported. That’s quite a telling rebuff if you ask me. I’m now looking forward to see who we try to chase and seduce into joining next! Whoever that is, he’s certainly not going to be a “bargain-basement-priced guy”; if Arsene Wenger does try that is?!
AFCOF!
Go get Lacazette. That’s all we can do right now. There is no way on earth that we are going to get any marquee striker. Well played Vardy, you got your raise while rejecting the almighty Arsenal. That should be embarrassing to the club.
Hope Vardy enjoys his 2017-18 season in the Championship and his club avoid relegation to League One.
There are only so many super clubs and so many super strikers
Perhaps we might say
Barca, Real, Bayern, Juventus, Citeh, United, PSG and Chelsea. These are either bigger clubs or ones who pay bigger wages ( Citeh and Chelsea fall into the last category!)
They already employ Suarez, Messi,Neymar/ Ronaldo, Benzema,Morata/Lewandoski, Muller/ Mandzukic, Dybala/ Aguero/ Ibra, Martial/ Cavani/ Costa
Available in addition are Aubayemang, Higuain, Lacazette! Batshuayi , Lukaku and Bentdner( ?)
I was going to go on to say that in that latter list there are three or four top strikers I would be delighted for us to obtain- all better than Vardy. Auba, Higuain or Lukaku would be great acquisitions
@TTG
Not too sure about Higuain or Lukaku.
But I would welcome Auba!
However, chances are none of the well known names will be available, so i do hope that we unearth some youngster who will surprise (..like Rashford!) either from the ranks or by a transfer of a relative unknown.
This, to me is crucial since Welbeck is out for some time and we know full well the inconsistencies of Giroud over a season.
Hoping for the best as always!
😀
Farting Second Yella…I like that.
PFFFFT to Vardy.
There’s not such a huge difference in the wages bills of the top clubs in Europe as you might think, TTG. Here are the top 8 as of 2015-16 season.
AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE
1. PSG: $174,692
2. Real Madrid: $166,180
3. Man City: $165,343
4. Barcelona: $155,452
5. Man Utd: $154,274
6. Bayern Munich: $147,326
7. Chelsea: $143,516
8. Arsenal: $133,658
Note: US$s.
Against those we compete with in the Prem it comes down to no more than one bench player.
What the clubs above us can spend in transfer fees is generally more relevant, although the Özil/Alexis transfers suggest we will do the business when the business is there to be done.
And note that Leicester’s bill had them fighting relegation in the pay league, 4th from bottom.
It’s looking more and more like Brexit. Does this mean the end of the Europa Cup? 🙂
And my fart goes to –
Hopefully it means the end of the fucking Eurovision Song Contest.
Not wrong, Cynic – especially after Australia were beaten by a political song last time.
Say what? Aussie in Eurovision? Indeed they were. It seems Americans aren’t the only ones with geographical amnesia.
Brexiting for sure now. All over bar the shouting (or all over bar the shooting, as they say in America).
Chris
Don’t know what all the fuss is about.
It’s only a Referendum,so the leaving bit could take anything up to 3 years.
The World changes in 5 minutes these days,so who knows where we will be come 2019.
Why can’t we have a Referendum to vote on the abolition of
those interminable Soaps, East Enders/Coronation Street/Emmerdale
et al ,plus those God awful long running Hospital soaps.
I am reliably informed that you can watch an episode of any of the above at the beginning of the year,then come back and watch one at the end of the year,and nothing has changed. !!
Bit like watching the Arse recently. !!
Just reporting the news, Clive. The only relevance to me is that I will now get 10 per cent more pounds for my kiwi dollars when I come to buy my Cheyne Walk houseboat. All I have to do now is win the lottery for the kiwi dollars.
Can the post title be changed to The Day the Euros Were Fucked Off ?
Sad day.
Sooo… A Trump win then too?
Ironic he’s opening golf courses in Scotland!
😀 😀 😀
Where’s our new striker? Get him in before immigration denies a Visa please…!
@BB Good point lol. Get our striker in ASAP
Brexit passed?? Sounds like the gift of life for reviving FA Cup replays.
Brexit being linked with a Trump win is, if I may, silly. Just like the man himself.
I try to avoid being political in this bar, but: I can only apologize to the world that there are so many brainless idiots in my country. Most of us are pretty normal, have good educations, and travel outside the US once regularly. Nationalism sweeping the UK does not equate with a xenophobic, race-bating, narcissistic, grifter-come-walking-tangerine-toupee-ad becoming president of the USA.
Now; where’s that striker Arsenal needs??
homer, this is one way the people of the uk (a segment) are similar to the people of the us (a segment) with respect to voting to leave or voting for trump, respectively:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/06/24/british_voters_regretting_their_decisions_a_roundup.html
i can practically guarantee the same story could be written if trump were to win the presidency in the fall.
be careful what you wish for, folks. you just might get it.
So England v Iceland becomes the non-Euros game in the Euros.
Never spent a bad day in America, Homer, and never met an American I didn’t like except G Gordon Liddy. It’s not the people who create anomalies like Trump, it’s America’s antiquated electoral college and a constitution that’s irrelevant to the 21st century.
Nothing that reverting to government from London couldn’t cure. 🙂
@63 Chris
You mean Make America Great…Britain again!
😀 😀 😀
Let’s see how well Xhaka does against Lewandowski & co.
Now he’s worth prying from Bayern!
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-make-23million-striker-move-8278253
Who??!
http://tinyurl.com/jpnk6ac
http://tinyurl.com/jxsd93b
….err best of two legs! or is it a replay?!
😀
BB@64: Make America Great…Britain again 🙂
Granit’s lost his marbles with than penalty
*that
He’ll get stoned.
Granit Xhaka, welcome to AFC! I hope you’ve not been jinxed already!
Why oh why did we allow Fabianski to leave the Grove??? Progressive decision that was yet again!
He IS stoned!
😀
Now he won’t be able to get over it till Christmas.
We allowed Fabianski to leave because he’d played for us and was pretty shite.
Atkinson is the referee for Wales – NI? Guess UEFA is taking the Brexit vote seriously.
Looks like the Euros have come back down to Earth again and it happened before your next post, ‘holic. ?
Fabianski only played because Arsenal’s Sir Ches, surprise surprise, was injured.
http://imgur.com/gallery/T85t0hY
Wouldn’t mind him on the bench… despite his current Orcish allegiance!
😀
BB,
I agree! How could the X-man have been missed to not be brought to the Grove last season? Mind-boggling!!! And only at 100k per week!
Given the way the Euros draw will unfold, with Hungary or Belgium as the opponents in the quarters and Poland or Portugal in the semis, Wales could conceivable get to the final.
Smart move by Xhaka to miss that penalty. Two bonus weeks’ rest before the new season.
Ireland 1-0!
What a start!
Maybe Giroud and Kos can get an early rest too..
😀
Giroud assist to Griezmann… looks like no upset here today!
Since when was Ozil the designated penalty taker……
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>