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.