Euro 2024: The offside rule

Switzerland - Italy 2-0

Germany - Denmark 2-0

Turns out, no, Italy was not even trying. There seemed to be a wave of optimism among the Italian supporters, with them thinking once Italy scrapes it out of the group stage, they're gonna click into form. But this is superstition more than anything else. The reality is that it's rather rare for the group stage form to be much different from the one in the knockout stages. This applies to England too, which will face a tough test against Slovakia today, and I'm not sure how they will come out.

So goes with Italy. It was indeed a scrape out of the group stage, and if it wasn't for the Zaccagni's 98th-minute equalizer against an out-of-form Croatia side, they wouldn't even have played this game. Not that they seem to care too much, or to understand the stakes.

Losing is not the issue. Losing can happen, and small margins can sometimes coordinate to work against you. But it was not the case here. Switzerland was thoroughly dominant, save for a short Italian spell halfway through the first half. But really, they never looked like winning, the Italians. And even the thing they're supposed to be good at, defending, was really shaky.

So a relatively comfortable and well-deserved win for Switzerland, and I kind of see them beating either England or Slovakia.

***

I just said comfortable win for Switzerland, but then throughout Germany's game I kept thinking how no game is gonna be easy from this stage on.

'clear and obvious'

I am now of the opinion that Germany will win the tournament, but boy, I expected a much easier game for them! Credit to the Danes, they were really unlucky to lose this game. And what of poor Joachim Andersen, whose first goal was canceled because of THIS offside, and then immediately after he concedes a penalty only for not withdrawing his hand quick enough from the trajectory of the ball?

Both decisions correct, but both so, so unlucky. 

Then Kasper Schmeichel guessed the right corner for the penalty, but it was just too close to the post for him to have any chance of keeping the ball out. And for the second goal, the BBC punditry was saying it's Kasper's fault for not coming forward to the ball. But look at the pass. The first time the ball hits the ground, it does a weird jump back, rather than forward, and that's what makes Schmeichel go back. So the water-logged pitch is to blame as much as Schmeichel if anything.

Credit to Musiala though, he still has to make the shot, and he did. Fullkrug missed a couple in a similar position later on in the game.

Overall, probably a deserved win for Germany, who did attack more, but squeezed through, really, a lot less comfortably than anyone expected, and who knows where the game would have gone if that first goal had stood? Which totally would have pre-VAR.

A quick note about stopping the game because of the storm in the first half: that shit was scary! I know the climate change deniers are an ever-decreasing group, and amongst them, the ones who do it out of conviction are a minority to the ones who do it for political reasons. But this surely must be a blow for all of them. Tornados, in Germany? Apparently so. We knew it was happening, but the pace of it is now really out of control. And the scary bit is not only that we don't have solutions for it, but also that as a species we don't seem all that preoccupied with finding a solution.

Oh well, let's enjoy a few more football tournaments while we can still find 90 minutes windows where it's safe to be outside.

Euro 2024: Two thirds of round three

Netherlands - Austria 3-2

France - Poland 1-1

England - Slovenia 0-0

Denmark - Serbia 0-0

Romania - Slovakia 1-1

Belgium - Ukraine 0-0

Portugal - Georgia 0-2

Czechia - Turkey 1-2

I didn't really embed time to write about the Euros yesterday, so I'll cover how I saw the last 8 games in this one post. Well, last 4 games actually, I did talk in my previous post about enjoying choosing what to see when games start at the same time.

The first choice I made on Tuesday, to watch Netherlands - Austria, was the correct one, but also the obvious one. Poland was already eliminated, and France had already qualified, so their drab 1-1 draw with two goals scored from three penalties was very much a TV filler.

Austria delivered a surprise thrashing of Poland, so they had to get something, anything, out of the game against the Netherlands to qualify. The Dutch had 4 points in the bag, so last 16 qualification ensured, just a matter of where in the group they will finish. Now, the press makes a lot of finishing positions determining the strength of the opposition. The truth is, a team should not really care who the opposition is. If you want to win the trophy. you have to be able to beat anyone in the competition. The other thing is, if a team has made it to the last 16, they will not be a comfortable opponent, regardless of rankings.

So a case can be made for the Dutch not being too bothered about the result of this game, though I suspect the truth is this was the relative level of the teams on the day. Ralph Ragnick - master strategist. The worst United manager in my lifetime, I didn't think Ragnick would be capable of any notable achievement as a manager. But topping a group with France and Netherlands is no mean feat. And Sabitzer, what a player! How foolish were we to give him away so easily! I am hoping there is a way back for him to United, but it will probably never happen.

Scored a great goal, the only one of Austria's three that was a great individual action and was not aided by the Dutch defenders. Gakpo and Depay's goals were both great, but overall it was always Austria who looked like the better team and if the percentage of chances converted would be even then the score should be higher in the Austrian's favour.

Austria will now face Turkey, which feels like an easier adversary, but the Turks have really grown into the tournament and their fighting spirit is renowned. It will not be an easy game for either team, but spectacular to watch for the neutrals.

Netherlands is playing Romania. I'm cautiously optimistic, we will have to annihilate Gakpo, isolate Depay and punish them on the offense whenever we have the opportunity. They're favourites, but not by much.

As for France - Belgium, I don't know what to make of it. My gut says France, but a lot of it will depend on how teams show up on the day.

***

Ah, England... Was I too quick to praise Bellingham? He is a good player, but only really showed it in his first game. England dominated, but with so little creativity and so sterile that the end result was an incredibly boring 0-0. 

Now, I do think Southgate is being battered way more than he deserves by the English media. Yes, the team has been boring through the group games, but they did win the group, and I wonder whether English fans would rather they lose while playing spectacular football? They just like to moan, I think. They are English, after all.

He does have a good team, but he also has to deal with the most whiny, overpaid, egomaniac group of players at this tournament, and have his every decision challenged by 60 million people. Is he doing a good job? I'd wait until after the tournament to judge.

And if we're talking boring, I don't know... I didn't watch any of the Denmark - Serbia game, not even the highlights. Nor am I curious. I've seen the Danes play two games already, and if this is the most that the Serbs can do with their back to the wall, I'm convinced I haven't missed much.

Serves the Danes right that they now have to face Germany. England is served another relatively easy game against Slovakia, while Slovenia... best of luck against Portugal. You will need it!

***

Romania... who would've thought it, eh? Iordanescu, for one, I'd like to think. I have been called too cynical and overly critical of Romania's performances, and - while I don't have a duty to be anything else - I would like to clarify my position further: I had 0 expectations from this team, so they surpassed them a great deal. They have made history, whatever happens. Biggest win at a finals tournament, first time to top the group in a Euros finals, these are the facts that will stay and will be looked back on with hope and love. They won me back over, I haven't been a Romanian supporter since 2001, I was completely unimpressed with the 2008 and 2016 performances and, lest we forget, in 2008 we drew France and Italy.

BUT... (yes, I know) we were lucky to get the results we did and somewhat undeserving of winning the group. Against Ukraine, we scored two long-range goals, both brilliant shots, but also, both handled poorly by their keeper. Against Belgium, we never competed. And Slovakia, truth be told, was always gonna be a difficult game, but we were happy with the draw. We conceded on a poorly defended open play and scored from a penalty we have VAR to thank for.

So without diminishing the achievement in any way, based on the group games alone, this Romania team is not ready for the brutality of the knockout stages. We have to up our game. Luck is part of the game, but we might've drunk that well dry for now, so if we want to beat Netherlands we might have to simply play better than them. Not impossible, as Austria has shown, but no walk in the park either. Run in the park.

Elsewhere in Group E, I'm mildly surprised by the 0-0 draw. I thought Belgium is gonna win it, and I was hoping Ukraine does. But again, it's a game of results, and both teams were playing for that I suspect. Really unfortunate for Ukraine to go home with 4 points while other teams qualify with three, but hey, that's what you get if you lose to Romania.

Why don't you come on back to the war? That's right, get in it

Why don't you come on back to the war? It's just beginning

***

And save the best for last. Finally, two exciting games in Group F. Georgia beating Portugal, the joy of gamblers everywhere. Completely unexpected, but also, a bit ungentlemanly of Portugal to drop down like this, and I hope it comes back to bite them in the ass, one way or another. All congratulations to Georgia, it is an amazing achievement, but they also have the two Portugal victories to thank.

I watched Czechia - Turkey, the only game with something at steak, I thought. And it was a great game, marred somewhat by the early and a bit harsh red card received by the Czechs.

I've been saying in the previous rounds that the Czechs have been unfortunate (they have, both defeat to Portugal and draw with Georgia were tight and could've easily gone their way), while the Turks have been unimpressive.

But this was the final shout, this was the one game where you had to show up, and unfortunately for the Czechs, they didn't, really. Not as much as they needed, anyway. The Turks on the other side, really grew in the tournament. Funnily enough, I think the 0-3 defeat to Portugal might've been a better performance than the Georgia win. Arda Guler is really owning the field now, and he was the best player on the pitch against the Czechs. Kudos to Cenk Tosun too for creating the winning goal out of nothing, and those extra two points are the difference between playing Spain and playing Austria. Still not easy, but clearly preferable.

So the last 16 are all interesting games, but I will call them for the obvious winners: Italy to beat Switzerland, Germany to beat Denmark, England to beat Slovakia, Spain to beat Georgia, France to squeeze past Belgium, Portugal to thrash Slovenia, Romania can beat Netherlands and Austria - Turkey is the most interesting game, but I think Austria will edge it.

You heard it here first.

Euro 2024: Are you even trying, Italy?

Italy - Croatia 1-1

Spain - Albania 1-0

It's got wings because it's flying away from them

I hadn't seen Simon in a long time, and it was very kind of him to invite me to his place to watch the Italy game together.

I was always gonna watch it, it was the more interesting game, but what a privilege to watch it alongside 6 Italians! I'm not a big fan of English supporters, I think on the continent we carry an idealized version of the hooligans of the 70s and 80s in our heads, but there's something about this country that knows how to make a good experience unpleasant and never knows how to manage excess.

So the opportunity of being around other supporters without having a stake in the game is great, even better when they're Italians.

And, like the game, they were hopeful for the most part, despairing after the Croatian goal, going through the negotiations of whether qualifying with 3 points is possible, and then finishing on the ecstasy of the equalizing goal in the 97th minute.

But the truth is, Italy was poor and ultimately, maybe undeserving. Croatia had two very poor games to begin with, and it didn't feel like their level improved massively for this last-gasp chance of qualification. But Italy's level did drop. They seem uninterested in much else rather than running down the clock, dominating the game and dominating possession, but without asking too many questions in regards to a goal.

The penalty added the spice and drama that this game needed. Harsh, but perfectly justified, the ball did hit the hand of the Italian defender, though he might not have had a say in it. For the penalty itself, it's hard to say whether it was Modric's poor execution or Donnarumma's brilliance that kept the scoresheet clean. But it does say something about Modric's mentality to keep his head down, run around like a maniac, and score from open play 2 minutes later. Probably something about Italy's mentality too, bit too lax to cover themselves properly and not as good at defending as the great Italian teams of the past.

Even the push in injury time, it did seem somewhat rushed, but the goal didn't feel like it was necessarily coming. It was the work of fate and fortune rather than Spaletti or Chiesa. But it was worth to see the joy on my companion's faces, now qualified and facing a relatively accessible game against Switzerland in the last 16.

***

A word about Spain - Albania? Hardly deserving of one, everyone expected Spain to win, I hope at least the people in the stadium enjoyed a nice atmosphere.

Euro 2024: Poor poor Scotland

Germany - Switzerland 1-1

Scotland - Hungary 0-1

I love it when I have to make a choice. It happens a lot in tennis, not so much in football. But in tournament finals, last round of the group stages, it's a mirror of life: what do you care about the most, what can you stand to lose? And you can try and go for both games, on separate screens, but I find that an unsatisfying experience more often than not. In fact, I've given it up in 2006, for the World Cup in Germany if my memory is not mistaken, when I was watching the games in the now defunct WettPunkt in Bucharest.

Germany - Switzerland is of course the higher rated game, and the one with a promise to be more spectacular, but in all honesty, there was no real stake to it, was it? Just watched the highlights, it seems to have been a good game, but very much in the vein of a friendly. Germany already qualified, Switzerland only in mild danger of falling third with 4 points, which pretty much ensures qualification anyway. Good on them to go for winning the group, good on the Germans for not letting them. I'm almost ready to call it for Germany, just bear with me until the knockout fixtures shape up.

McTominao didn't show up

But Scotland - Hungary, that's gonna be a battle, I thought. Two fairly rudimentary teams when it comes to technique, this was gearing up to be a battle between the Scottish heart and capacity for effort and the Hungarian ruggedness and rawness. And I thought Scotland will eventually prevail, thus writing a bit of history for the Tartan Army. But Scotland could literally not score a goal to save their life.I am sorry for McTominay, and I am sorry for the passion of their supporters, but the level of attacking threat I saw from Scotland was simply not good enough.

The whole game was a fairly drab affair, and I was wondering what the Hungarians are playing at, though the much simpler answer might be that they can't do much more than they did.

The winning goal, grabbed on a counter-attacking action in the very final moments of the game, says more about Scotland's shortcomings than about Hungary's capacity to fight it out.

The four percent of the Scottish population who was in Germany for this tournament is now returning home from the last position and with only one goal and one point to show for their efforts. If their supporters were deserving of more, the team wasn't, really.

Hungary await their fate on a 3-pointer that sounds like 50:50 to me, but if there's any justice, they shouldn't go through. They are not among the best 16 teams at this tournament.

Euro 2024: Getting emotional

Georgia - Czechia 1-1

Portugal - Turkey 3-0

Romania - Belgium 0-2

Saturday, so watching football on my phone while oping a show. Not great, I couldn't really tell what was happening in the Czechia game, but I could tell the score. I expected a walkover from the Czechs, and was quite surprised they struggle so much to break through.

And then, bam! Just when it hurts the most, final action before half-time, penalty for Georgia! Really harsh, I thought, but rules are rules. Hranáč did touch the ball in the box, but with no intention of doing so. Though it does seem we have, once again, switched back from the intention when it comes to handbells. Harsh for Hranáč, harsh for the Czech team, but they did go in at halftime finding themselves 1-0, and maybe the most unlucky team at this tournament. 

I then expected them to come out guns blazing, but credit to Georgia, they were stubborn as hell. Schick finally did get one, by accident more than anything else, but good to see his name on the goalscorer's list.

1-1, and 1 point in 2 games for the Czechs is not great, especially considering they deserved more from both games. It is, however, still very much in their hands, though now they'll have to battle it out with the Turks for the second place. It's bound to be a cracking game, Czechia the better team but Turkey, even without being far from the best football they've ever played, are hard to match for fighting spirit. And they have the option of a draw as well, which would probably spell end of tournament for the Czechs.

Georgia gave a good account of themselves and they can be proud as they go back home, but back home they will go. Not before a Portugal battering.

***

Me neither Altay mate, me neither

Speaking of a Portugal battering, the Turks found themselves at the receiving end of one, which looked effortless from the Lusitans but very painful for Vincenzo Montella's men. Bernardo Silva's first goal was called textbook training by the English commentators, and you'd think a defense would know what to do. But the truth is, the speed of the Portuguese attacks is frightening.

The second goal is one to forget for poor Akaydin, but one that highlights reels everywhere will insist of reminding him of. It is a really bad mistake, and it sucks to do it on such a big stage. It was probably a huge moral hit for Turkey, hard to recover from and the game could really only go one way from this point on. I'm sorry that Bayindir had to conced that as well, he hasn't played a lot for us, but he's still our man.

Speaking of, it was good to see Bruno on the scoreboard too, and good to see Ronaldo passing in front of the goal for once. I wouldn't mind seeing Portugal lift the trophy again, all the better if they do it in spite of Ronaldo, like in 2016. They looked like one of the strongest so far, along with Germany and Spain, but I think Spain might run out of fuel.

***

And then the much-awaited Romania game. Awaited with a lot of cautious optimism on our side, and it's proven that we had a good reason for it. Most Romanians were hoping for a draw, but as it happens it had to be us the ones to get revenge on after Belgium's surprise defeat in the first game.

It's a shame we conceded so early, but I'm looking at the action from the first goal, a combination between Goku, Lukaku, and Tielemans, three of the highest-rated footballers in the world, against a defense where even me as a Romanian, have barely heard of any of the players before.

We could've maybe squeezed more from the game, and people say we played a decent game, but Belgium were the better team. And Lukaku was really unlucky to have his goal ruled out for offside, this time this tournament. 

So after the 3-0 win against Ukraine we're firmly back on the ground now, and faced with one game to ensure qualification. A tricky game too, Slovakia has shown to be a really good team, beating Belgium and being unlucky to lose to Ukraine, so we might have to stick to a rugged defense and hope for another bit of luck. 4 points would get us through, from second place no less, courtesy of the 3-0 win. Three points... keep the hope up, but much dimmer. It's a good thing we don't depend of the result f Belgia - Ukraine, it would be even better if they could settle for a draw thank you very much.

Euro 2024: The Graveyard Shift

Slovakia - Ukraine 1 - 2

Poland - Austria 1 - 3

France - Netherlands 0 - 0

I shouldn't be happy about Ukraine's victory on two accounts: firstly, it complicates things in a group where we want to keep things simple. However, I also feel this is a small team mentality. You can't expect to win one game and qualify. We were always meant to get points off either Belgium or Slovakia. Is it gonna be hard? Of course. But it was always meant to be hard. Secondly, they were not the better team. Slovakia played pretty well and dominated the game with some authority, especially in the first half. For some strange reason they allowed the Ukrainians back in the game in the second half, and the Ukrainians, well... they said thank you very much.

I do take some joy in the result for two reasons: firstly, it is the very first game where I guessed a correct score at this tournament, although, again, I did not guess how it would happen. Secondly, although I'm not particularly keen on their football or their prowess as a footballing nation, my sympathies towards Ukraine as a country besieged by a bigger military power extend to football, and I'm hoping the game yesterday brings some solace to the people caught in a war with no fault of their own.

Let's just see if the wave of elation Romanians lived on since the 3 - 0 win will carry past tonight.

***

How much do I like Arnautovic?

I saw very little of Poland - Austria, but I'm not curious. I would've much preferred Poland to win, there's something that puts me off about Austria. Whether that's Ralph Ragnick, whether that's Arnautovic's arrogance not backed by skill, I just don't like them, and Sabitzer alone is not enough to redeem them.

So I found it a bit annoying when I turned on the game at 1-0 for Austria. I was happy to see Poland pull level, but I knew the Poles needed more than this, what with France their other game remaining. I wasn't sure if they were able to get more, and it turns out they're not. I could only watch the end of the second half when the score was already 3-1, but yeah, there's a reason Poland is now the first country eliminated from the tournament. Waiting on the next Lewandowski now, I suppose.

***

Similar story for Frace - Netherlands. Didn't see much of the game, but I've got no curiosity. It does feel like it was a quiet understanding between the two to share the points and not push too much. Both have easy games in the third round, though I'd happily see Austria beat the Netherlands, just for good measure. And to show some other group winner that playing a third place is not necessarily preferable.

Today we finish round 2, and it's good that for the most part, the tournament is still interesting. Only one team out so far, though Georgia probably joining today.

Hai Romania!

Euro 2024: Second round ones

Slovenia - Serbia 1-1

Denmark - England 1-1

Spain - Italy 1-0

Second round of games is a weird one, a last chance for teams that have lost the first round while not particularly important for teams that have won. Of course, everyone still wants to win, but it matters differently, and it shows. It becomes a lot more about the result than about the football, and this shows in the quality of games and in the decreasing number of goals scored.

My predictions are also all over the place, as I'm mostly basing them on the first round performances, which apparently is a bad idea. No two games alike and all that. 

For instance, Serbia made a pretty good game against England and were rather unlucky to lose. So I really thought Solvenia's luck will stop here. But it wasn't luck, apparently, but rather they were good enough to match Denmark. And they were certainly better than Serbia on the day, dominating play throughout the game and really really unlucky to be pulled level with virtually the last shot of the game. This is probably where their lack of experience shows, they should've worked a tiny bit harder for that all important second goal cushion.

Key moment of Karničnik's goal

Regardless, that first goal was a thing of beauty. Not as spectacular as some of the long range individual efforts that seem to be the trademark of this tournament, but a brilliant, brilliant individual achievement, and proof of a very smart footballer. Just watch Karničnik's movement: recover the ball at right back by his own box, a 50 years sprint, a brilliant pass for the left winger, and incredible intuition to move to the far post and find the space to slot it in. Serbian defense completely stunned, their midfield non-existent.

And then they score from a scuffle with the very last corner. Completely undeserved point for the Serbs, who are gonna go finish the group last anyway. Tough gig for Slovenia now though, who have England in the last game and need to get something out of it. Hard, but not impossible. It will be a question of game management rather than skill.

My prediction is both games will end in draws, but Denmark might push for a 2-2 draw, which would see them finish second if England - Slovenia finishes 1-1. This would very likely leave Slovenia out with three points, as it will probably be a case of 4 points to qualify from 3rd. Which is a shame, they did very well. Maybe they can beat England?

***

Speaking of, England is a far cry from the team who played the final three years ago. It's certainly not the quality of the players, I feel this is a team that's mentally weak. Overpaid, uninterested footballers looking forward to going back to their 6-figure/week wages at their clubs. Or unable to play as a team. Or something. Squeezed past Serbia, went one up against Denmark, but once they were equalized I didn't see much effort or interest to go on and win the game. This allowed Denmak to grow into it and have a few opportunities to even grab a win. Which would have felt deserved.

How can Bellingham go from such a beautiful, poetic football in the game against Serbia to being basically non-existent against Denmark? But for Harry Kane's poacher instincts, England qualification might be in danger now. It still is, in theory, but them losing to Slovenia while Denmark beats Serbia requires a bit of suspension of belief.

Quick mention for Hjulmand whose excellent shot made the score 1-1. Another beautiful long range effort, and I wonder what it is about the German pitches that make these goals more viable. If I remember correctly, long range goals were a staple of the 2006 World Cup too.

***

Spain - Italy felt like the most unpredictable game so far, and I'm surprised by how one-sided it was. Are Spain really this good? It doesn't feel like it when looking at the lineup, but they did give two very convincing performances so far. Even so, Italy showed why they brought catenaccio into the world, and it took an own goal for Spain to have anything to show for their efforts.

It does look like Italy will beat Croatia, though don't expect a good game. Spain - Albania might actually be a good, open one, with both teams to score and Spain to win a good shout. Which means Spain and Italy will go through, in this order, which is fine, because Italians don't mind the hard way.

I still think both teams are in contention for the trophy, let's see how the draw shapes up.

Euro 2024: A smattering of football

Croatia - Albania 2-2

Germany - Hungary 2-0

Scotland - Switzerland 1-1

There's a yearly fancy-ass garden party I quite like and didn't want to miss, so I missed most of the football yesterday instead.

I did see Croatia - Albania in full, but that felt like a waste of 2 hours. I thought it was a poor game, only peppered by the political banners of the Albanian crowd which, of course they'd be, it's the Balkans!

But I don't know what's happening to Croatia. They are a better team than this, maybe it's just the euros are not the right outlet for them. It's really hard for a game to have 4 goals, spectacular executions and late injury-time drama and yet be this unentertaining. Or maybe it's just me being a tad too hopeful about what this Croatia team can do. I know they can't beat Italy, so their only hope now is for Italy to beat Spain so that they go into the last match without needing the points, and then maybe qualify from 3rd place. But this mathematics is beneath a team that was a World Cup finalist not 6 years ago.

***

Saw very little, practically none of the Germany game, but I imagine there's little history to it. The game against Switzerland will be a bit more interesting, though the Swiss will only care about not conceding too many. And I have to say, by the looks of games so far, Germany are strong contenders for the title. I won't call it yet, but I might after the second round finishes.

***

BUT... good on ya Scotland! Switzerland is a good team, I really didn't think the Scots would get anything out of the game. But this is a massive point. They are now very much in contention for second place, they need a high scoring win against Hungary, and hope for the best from Germany. I don't think the Germans would settle for anything less than three points, but they might settle for a 1-0 win. In which case Scotland would need to beat Hungary by 5 goals. Unlikely. Beating Hungary at all won't be easy, but it's doable. And, at the end of the day, a 4-points second place ensures passage too. which I hope they'll get.

Euro 2024: Still Ron

Turkey - Georgia 3 - 1

Portugal - Czechia 2-1

Not to be negative or disrespectful, but I do feel that in Turkey - Georgia we have seen two of the poorest teams at this tournament. The game was open and pleasant enough, but there was a lot of defensive naivety, especially on the Georgian side, and it felt like the overall level was a notch under most other games at the tournament. Turkey dominated, as they were expected to, but conceded less than 10 minutes after opening the scoring, and Georgia can consider themselves unlucky for having hit the bar twice.

The biggest takeaway from the game is Arda Guler's long-range goal, truly a thing of beauty. No wonder Real Madrid snatched the kid. There might well be a brilliant Turkish generation in the making here, but I don't feel this is the tournament where they will shine.

And for the third goal... yes, it's true, there isn't much difference between 2-1 and 3-1, that's why the Georgian keeper stayed up, but you have a whole continent watching you, and one thing you don't want as a tournament debut is to be included in a bloopers reel. This is pretty much the highlight so far. The midfielder who intercepted the ball before the goal, Altunashvili... dude, if your keeper is out, don't try to dribble, just keep it safe. It's these moments when the lack of experience really shows.

***

Already made a Holeš pun last Euro

By contrast, I thought Portugal - Czechia was a really entertaining match, dare I say THE most entertaining so far? Not as high-scoring as others, but it was never meant to be. The two teams are very evenly balanced, somewhat surprisingly. I suppose Portugal should be considered favorites, but the Czechs always give a really good account of themselves.

I'd completely forgotten about him, but as soon as I heard the name Schick, memories of the brilliant tournament the Czech forward had 3 years ago came back. He didn't make as big a mark on this game as on the last Euro tournament, but there's still time. 

Portugal only just snatched the win, and it does feel deserved, though one must also feel for the Czechs. A really unfortunate own goal to be drawn level at 1, then Portugal snatched the winner in injury time, with the keeper caught wrong-footed and the defenders not yet aware of the new substitute Conceicao, who scored with his first touch of the ball. Conceicao's reaction shows how much it meant for Portugal, who put a strong display in, but struggled to dominate a stubborn opponent. 

I suppose I should support Portugal more, at the end of the day they have the most United players in the starting line-up. But for every Bruno Fernandes there's a Diogo Jota, and - as you know - I have very mixed feelings about Ronaldo. Who, at 39 years of age, is still the biggest attacking threat in a team otherwise full of flair and attacking intent.

I'd be really surprised if Portugal and Czechia don't finish first and second in the group, but the order in which they do it is the difference between potentially playing France or a third place in the next round. And Portugal took a really strong option for first place last night.

Euro 2024: Virtually qualified

Romania - Ukraine 3 - 0

Belgium - Slovakia 0 - 1

Austria - France 0 - 1

Athletic? Since when is Romania's team athletic?

All my bravado about how little I know about Romania, and especially how little I care goes out the window about 10 seconds after the national anthem starts playing. There's just something about that song that's deeply rooted inside of me and can melt away all of the cynicism I use to hide past sufferings and protect from future ones. So as the game started, I was fully geared up to support Romania having a good game. I didn't really imagine exactly how good it's gonna be and in truth, I think very few people did.

I don't know if it was an accident or if this is about the standard of Romania's team, and it remains to be seen over the next two games, but boy oh boy, was it a good watch or what?

Dominant start from the Ukrainians, clearly the better team on paper, but after Stanciu's super-shot went in the game was played in one direction only. Never ever at a final tournament have I seen a Romania team so dominant, not even in the age of Hagi & Lacatus, the World Cups of 1990 or 1994. It's true, we beat Columbia and Argentina in 1994, both very good and in-form teams, but rugged defense and counter-attacking were the order of the day, and lest we forget, we just about squeezed past Batistuta's Argentina.

But today, today was magnificent! And Romania's biggest-ever win at a finals tournament will stand to testify for it in the future. It remains to be seen what the next two games will look like because in truth, Ukraine really had an off day and our boys are still struggling to create in the last third, so they might not be able to put three past a more organized defense. But let's save these worries for Saturday and acknowledge that this result virtually qualifies us for the next round. 

Excellent, really excellent defensive organization, and more courageous going forward than Romania has been in this millennium. And judging by today's performances, we could finish the group with 9 points. We probably won't, but it's still a nice thought.

***

Belgium, on the other side, favorites to win the group, are in a bit of a pickle. Not only did they lose, they never looked like winning. Belgium has constantly underperformed at national team level, and this year they're not even as good as they were in the 2018 World Cup, probably their peak in the last 30 years.

Yeah, two goals canceled might sound harsh, but they were both pretty clear offside and handball, respectively. 

And the group is now wide open. Sure, Belgium might still get 6 points, and Ukraine might beat Slovakia and fight it out with Belgium for one or three points, but look at the games today. Anything can happen. And it would be nice to see Romania & Slovakia through.

***

I couldn't watch most of France's game and I was curious, as they are dubbed as the favourites. One French director I met today was pretty confident they'd win it. I think it's too early too say.

A rather drab 1-0 nil I thought, even though France clearly controlled the game, and Austria is a better team than I thought they'd be. Plus, some Mbappe drama, which could spell really bad news if all of a sudden he's not available anymore. 

It's a more balanced group than I first thought, but I'll stick with France and Netherlands going through.

And looking forward to seeing the last games of Matchday 1 tomorrow, mostly to see if Portugal will have any claim to anything this year. I like Portugal, despite Ronaldo.

Euro 2024: Say Wout?

Poland - Netherlands 1 - 2

Slovenia - Denmark 1 - 1

Serbia - England 0 - 1

Although Netherlands looks like favorite, I thought this game would be more balanced than on paper. I didn't quite expect in what way. Truth is, I don't really like this Netherlands team. Something to do with Liverpool, something to do with them being captained by Depay, a player with a bad attitude who's constantly proved he's not as good as he's hyped up to be. I grew up used to the Netherlands always presenting themselves as strong contenders for the trophy, and it hasn't really been the case since van Persie's retirement. The game today proved it, a Polish team very much in transition between generations was a match for the Dutch. What use having the Dijks of this world if you concede from set pieces?

Yes, they did win, and the stats are in their favor. Plus, Austria is an outsider, so they'll qualify. But they'll be very lucky if they make the last 8.

Oh, and about the winning goal... Wout Weghorst? Really? The no-scoring striker that Burnley is trying to get rid of, the guy who scored twice in six months for Manchester United? Truth to be told, he showed more composure in scoring that second goal than he ever did for United, so no doubt confidence is a factor and it's very possible the problem might've been us as much as him. As for Gakpo, the Netherlands' best player by far... yeah, we should've signed him.

***

I placed a bet on a Denmark + England double today, but I also put a draw for Slovenia - Denmark in my predictor. I don't know, I always found the Danes quite a boring team. They have really good players, and I should support them more, really, via Hojlund, Eriksen, and even Kasper Schmeichel, but then again, they should also be playing better. I didn't know what Slovenia brings to the table, I did expect ambition and desire at the very least. But I also expected them to be one of the weakest, if not THE weakest outfits at this tournament, and in this regard they have confirmed.

Yes, Denmark dominated the game, as expected, and Eriksen's goal was brilliant, but you have to cater for the odd accident. Because that's what Slovenia's equalizer was, no more than a happy accident, a deflected shot from outside the box. So Denmark gets punished for not pushing more, not scoring a second and not being able to take back control of the game in the last 15 minutes, after the equalizer, while Slovenia gets rewarded for believing and trying. Although let's see what Serbia looks like, this result might be a disservice to both.

It feels like there's a gap in the front half of the Danish team, it feels like Eriksen doesn't get enough support and Hojlund doesn't get enough balls. Or, judging by his United performances as well, Hojlund needs to track back more? He might dream of himself as a proper poacher, in the vein of van Nistelrooy or Inzaghi, but he's far from that still. If anything, Weghorst goal looked like a proper poacher goal.

***

So apparently this is the day I jump on the Jude Bellingham bandwagon. Scored the only goal of the match, but this is only half the story. The way he chased that ball, the way he hit the defender at speed are reminiscent of a peak Cristiano Ronaldo, while the calmness and precision are above peak Ronaldo. Plus, he was magnificent the entire game. There's something about him. An elegance not seen since the likes of Berbatov or in-form Ibrahimovic. Always making the right decision, always finding a way. Amazing football brain, and amazing composure on the pitch, knowing when to provoke and when to pull back. All before his 21st birthday.

I saw him in the Champions League final too, and he was ok. But today was a wonderful display, looking forward to the rest of the tournament!

England otherwise, either very practical, or rather lacklustre. They got the win and got the points, and they will win the group with ease, but one would hope today was not their best, just squeezing past Serbia.

Serbia, otherwise, best I've seen them in a long long time. I'm curious if it was down to England's poor second half or if they finally got their shit together and manage to play like a team. It's gonna be a really interesting game against Denmark, played with the second place on the table. Based on today, I'd rather Serbia gets it.

Euro 2024: The encroachment

After the biggest goal difference for an opening game on Friday, another few firsts on Saturday, the most notable of which is Albania's fastest-ever goal at a Euro tournament and Croatia's disallowed goal for 'encroachment'. It's important to note that we had three very entertaining games with lots of goals and, as far as I could tell, quality football. And it's part of the reason why I love these tournaments: during the regular season, especially if your team is not really doing well. not playing in midweek and with life also getting in the way, I usually only see about a game a week, maybe less. And it's always high stakes, and a lot hinges on the result, and the result becomes the all-important thing. Whereas here, with an abundance of football and, despite various sympathies, being mostly neutral, I can relax and actually watch the football. And rediscover, time and time again, why they call it the beautiful game.

Hungary - Switzerland 1 - 3

Spain - Croatia 3 - 0

Italy - Albania 2 -1

I had Switzerland winning 2-1 in my pre-match predictor, and I thought they'd have to tough it out against a very physical Hungarian team. This is based largely on Hungary's previous performance at Euro 2021, but apparently, things have moved on. And not for the better for our Pannonic neighbors. Switzerland dominated the first half authoritatively, and always looked like they could score more, and indeed, they should have scored more than the two goals they got in at half time. Brilliant pass and a cold, composed finish for the first goal, brilliant shot for the second goal, but both on the back of a shaky Hungarian defense. From my one-eye on football one-eye on work perspective, it looked like Hungary upped their game in the second half. Not in that they became more threatening, but they made it more difficult for the Swiss. By recurring to physical prowess, by and large, as technique is harder to come about. But it was a much more even, much more battled second half, and Hungary might take a hint from it as to how to approach their remaining two games. I am looking forward to Hungary - Scotland, that one's gonna be a battle.

The Hungarian goal felt largely accidental, but these accidents tend to happen when you don't let your opponent create much. 'It's game on' said the commentator, but in all honesty, it didn't really feel like it was. So my prediction would have been spot on in the end, if not for Embolo's pressing in the dying minutes. Which was brilliant, and I loved the flying boot, scoring with the bare foot action, it's dramatic and it shows dedication, but it's these kinds of defending mistakes that make or break a team. He should've never been allowed to get to the ball in that position. Great game by Embolo otherwise, he was all over the place offensively, and in general, great performance by Switzerland. Not a great footballing nation by any means, but if this is the level they're bringing to the tournament, they'll certainly make some waves.

***

Spain - Croatia. I really genuinely thought Croatia's gonna win this one. All the way up to 2-0 for Spain. Though watching back the highlights I must say some of that Croatian defense was really shabby. I can excuse Morata's goal, with a speedy run and inspired finish, though even there he shouldn't have had that much space, but Fabian Ruiz dribbling a line of three before slotting it home is an 80's flashback. All credit to the PSG forward, the goal was absolutely spectacular, but the defense should ask themselves a few questions. 

I guess my backing of Croatia might've been sentimental rather than rational. I am a fan of the courage and the footballing talent constantly coming out of the only Eastern European team to reach a World Cup final in my lifetime. Aware that they're changing generations, but I thought so was Spain. Perisic > Morata, I thought. Apparently not.

Even so, I think Croatia was quite unlucky. Hard to argue when you've lost 3 - 0, but if that triple header would have gotten in at any point, the game would've changed face. And there were a few chances before that. Plus, the weird penalty, the first canceled by VAR, I would think. 'Encroachment' will be more present in the football vocabulary I suspect.

All in all, credit to Spain. They're certainly not as good as 15 years ago, but they're still good enough to punish you on an off day. And I like to think Croatia can do better than this. We will see, but since they've also got Italy in the group, it's looking like 3rd place qualification for them. And the Albania game won't be a walk in the park either.

***

The show on Saturday finishes around 8.15, so by the time I pack up and get to the pub across the street, the Italy game was more or less done. There were still 70 minutes to play, sure, but a rather uneventful 70 minutes. So I've seen none of the goals live, but apparently you were only allowed to get them if your surname starts with B.

Excellent work for Bajrami to chase that ball and score the fastest Euro goal ever, but the fact that Albania couldn't build on it and only enjoyed the lead for 10 minutes shows the gulf in class. Italy wasn't dominant or impressive, but then again Italy rarely is. Fully in control though, goal difference won't really matter, so they pretty much ensured qualification. They need one point from 2 games and, tough as those two games might be, Italy will get it.

Bad news for Albania though, I don't see them getting anything from either Spain or Croatia.

Euro 2024: Don't stand on ceremony

Germany - Scotland 5 - 1

Should you have asked me for a favourite before the game, I would've said Scotland, because of McTominay. But since Andrew Robertson is the captain, and it's his face we see the most on TV, it compensated somewhat. I enjoy seeing him sad.

Hard not to feel sorry for Scotland, but they really didn't come prepared for what hit them. The game was mostly played in their half, with the Germans having substantially more possession. Just a matter of time until you concede when that happens, and it wasn't even a lot of time. The game was never balanced, and after 1-0 at the 10' mark and 3-0 at halftime, all that was left for Scots was to hold tight. 

They did great to score, but they could've conceded a lot more too.

The Germans put in a strong display, but I wouldn't get excited just yet. Let's see how the other big boys line up.

Full marks for Musiala and Fullkrug, two very promising performances. I'm glad the next gams is against Hungary, a tougher game for the Germans than Switzerland I think. And for the Scots, some dusting off and putting the game behind is required.

Euro 2024: Before we start

Since United is doing so badly I just kind of wallowed in our 0-4 losses to Palace and squeezed 0-1 against Arsenal to bother too much about international football. I feel like this makes me the perfect neutral, or as neutral as one can be. Romania qualified, but I know exactly one player from the team, and only because his transfer to Spurs, I'm still completely indifferent towards England and their loss in maybe semifinals this year, the usual suspects, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, no idea what they look like in relation to each other nowadays. So neither do I know, or care too much who's gonna win the tournament. And I really mean it when I say I hope it will be the most deserving team. 

I will try some predictions, and look back on them, but they're very much blind.

Group A: I'm hoping Germany and Scotland. Switzerland look slight favourites ahead of Scotland, but I think the Scots can beat Hungary in ruggedness, hold for a low scoring draw against the Swiss and hopefully they both lose against Germany. The Swiss look more able to squeeze a point out of Germany, but they also look more liable to drop points against Hungary.

Group B: No doubt the toughest group and as such the most unpredictable. I'm hoping for Croatia & Italy, though Italy is nothing if not inconsistent. Albania can throw a spanner in the works, but I don't see them qualifying. Italy - Spain is always a 50/50 affair.

Group C: England is being gifted qualification, and Denmark's is their to lose. Looking forward to the looks of confusion all throughout Western Europe when they find out Serbia and Slovenia are two different countries.

Group D: Easy money, France & Netherlands. You have red & white on the flag you're good, but you also need blue to qualify.

Group E: Belgium & Ukraine. Romania will have a shot until the second half of the last game probably, but we'll only manage a draw against Slovakia and everyone will say we did ok.

Group F: I have a lot of sympathy for the Turkish team of the early noughties, but I'm afraid the current lot is some way out of the Hakan Sukurs, Umit Davalas and Bulent Korkmazes of yesteryear. I hope they can battle it out well, but really, it's gonna be Portugal and Czechia.

Third-place qualifiers are wild cards, never understood how it works, which means we might see a couple of the weaker teams pulling through. But let's revisit predictions after the first two rounds or so.

For tonight, I'm going for a Scott McTominay hattrick.