2-1
Headlines
ENGLAND
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The Player – Jaime Vardy
The Leicester’s man was one of the options from Hodgson at half-time, when England was losing and in dire need for at least a goal. Vardy offered more presence in the area, as Kane as the tendency of coming down to get the ball and create himself.
He scored a real poacher goal, and ended up changing the whole game.
The Leicester’s man was one of the options from Hodgson at half-time, when England was losing and in dire need for at least a goal. Vardy offered more presence in the area, as Kane as the tendency of coming down to get the ball and create himself.
He scored a real poacher goal, and ended up changing the whole game.
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The Moment – Sturridge turns the game
The game was reaching its end, and England was on a precarious position, obliged to win against Slovakia. And then, after a long period of pressure from the Three Lions, a cross was whipped from the right, there was a scuffle in the box, and Sturridge was the quickest to react. And England climbed to the top of the group.
The game was reaching its end, and England was on a precarious position, obliged to win against Slovakia. And then, after a long period of pressure from the Three Lions, a cross was whipped from the right, there was a scuffle in the box, and Sturridge was the quickest to react. And England climbed to the top of the group.
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The Team
It was far from perfect, but this time Hodgson’s team was able to get a win and has qualification wide open. After a very poor first half, where Wales was dangerous and didn’t let England create. Then Hodgson started deploying strikers and ended up getting the victory, earned by the amount of opportunities they had in the second half.
It was far from perfect, but this time Hodgson’s team was able to get a win and has qualification wide open. After a very poor first half, where Wales was dangerous and didn’t let England create. Then Hodgson started deploying strikers and ended up getting the victory, earned by the amount of opportunities they had in the second half.
WALES
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The Player – Aaron Ramsey
With Bale well covered, it fell to Aaron Ramsey the mission to be the danger creator for the Welsh Dragons. The Arsenal, now blonde, midfielder did a good job, while never thinking about helping defense. He showed how resilient he is, had a couple of dangerous shots, and was one that did not deserve to lose the match.
With Bale well covered, it fell to Aaron Ramsey the mission to be the danger creator for the Welsh Dragons. The Arsenal, now blonde, midfielder did a good job, while never thinking about helping defense. He showed how resilient he is, had a couple of dangerous shots, and was one that did not deserve to lose the match.
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The Moment- Line broke by Vardy
It was going brilliantly for Wales. They were defending perfectly, as so many times they did in qualification, holding on to a great Bale goal. For the second half, they would face different opponents in Vardy and Sturridge, and it was the Leicester man that had the nerve to break the line between defense and Hennessey’s goal, starting an overload that would end with the win for England.
It was going brilliantly for Wales. They were defending perfectly, as so many times they did in qualification, holding on to a great Bale goal. For the second half, they would face different opponents in Vardy and Sturridge, and it was the Leicester man that had the nerve to break the line between defense and Hennessey’s goal, starting an overload that would end with the win for England.
·
The Team
Another good showing from Coleman’s squad.
Even though they lost, they did fight with their own strengths, massively
boosted by having Bale, that can score at any time. The Welsh tried to hold on
to the draw, and unfortunately they couldn’t, making the game against Russia an
absolute final.
- FIL’S FINAL THOUGHTS
The Battle of Britain that occurred in Lens lived up to its expectation. There were Lions, Dragons, but no blood, only good football, in its purest state with the winning goal coming in the end, letting emotions fly on both sides.
Wales started better, motivated for their win
against Slovakia, and had the momentum, if not the ball. Hodgson’s team, with
Walker and Dier playing particularly well in the first half, dominated
possession but was unable to create danger, unable to break the 5-man back line that Coleman protects his goal
with. Bale scored in a free-kick where Hart could’ve done better, and England
couldn’t react without some help from the bench.
Hodgson
looked at his options, and Vardy and Sturridge were the obvious, and in the
jackpot, ones. They both scored, with goals in the 6-yard box, proving that
England’s pressure was getting to Wales in the second half.
Both teams have good chances of qualifying, but everything will be decide in
the last match.
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0-2
Headlines
UKRAINE
·
The Player – Yevhen Konoplyanka
It could have been anyone, but
Konoplyanka, much like Yarmolenko, is more experienced and was supposed to lead
this young generation to a good competition to make them ready for the future.
Instead, he saw two horrible games of a player that showed nothing of his known
for and will surely face a lot of questioning back in Ukraine.
·
The Moment – It’s over…
It was the last of six minutes added,
and Nor.Ireland was holding the ball brilliantly, got to the right where McGinn
was left alone, and was in perfect position to be the first to get to the
rebound after Pyatov’s save. The Ukrainian keeper’s face said it all. Ukraine
was the first team eliminated from the competition.
·
The Team
Just a big flop. With good players and a solid
defense, some even said it would be possible Ukraine would outclass Poland, but
that hardly seems possible now. Two very disappointing games, with this one
against Nor.Ireland being especially shocking. And it was deserved, Fomenko was
outclassed by O’Neill, in the duel of benches, and Ukraine leaves without any
good memories.
NOR.IRELAND
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The Player – Gareth McAuley
The West Bromwich Albion man had already achieved hero status with the
green and white army. Another sound defensive display was topped as he scored a
brilliant header to give Northern Ireland the lead early in the second half. A
goal that boosted morale to levels that would never allow Northern Ireland to
lose the lead.
·
The Moment- Set-pieces is how we roll.
It’s
the way Northern Ireland is going to try and score, as in open play they have
clear limitations. But with tall players, that are used to lower league games,
where this particular aspect of the game is even more important. It was from
one of those that McAuley scored the first, and there were other chances that
with a bit more precision could’ve been converted.
·
The Team
O'Neill gambled by making five changes,
including relegating top scorer Kyle Lafferty to the substitutes' bench. Lafferty's
place went Conor Washington and it paid off fantastically as Northern Ireland
clinched their first win at a major tournament since famously beating hosts
Spain at the 1982 World Cup. Northern Ireland's strength from set-pieces told
again as McAuley, 36, brilliantly got on the end of Norwood's well-taken
free-kick for the first goal and the green army could celebrate.
- FIL’S FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a
dream come true for Michael O’Neill and his man, as they dismantled Ukraine
with set pieces, organized defense, and a will that should teach some teams how
to play the games. Northern Ireland is a team perfectly aware of their defects,
and tries to make them strengths, absorbing pressure, despairing opponents, and
being dangerous and effective in dead balls.
Ukraine
just wasn’t present, couldn’t deal with Ward and Washington and Pyatov ended up
being the man in focus, as he had to make much more saves that he was surely
expecting. Ukraine is now out and will just fight for pride against Poland,
while Northern Ireland still dreams. And with Germany’s defensive height,
O’Neill has got to believe in miracles.
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0-0
Headlines
GERMANY
·
The Player – Mario Gotze
Joachim Low kept trust in his choice and, while that’s admirable, it is just not working. Mario Gotze was again very easily marked, not making any positive impact near Fabianski’s goal, as his size makes him a very easy prey for bigger, stronger, center backs. The quality is undeniable, but not in that role.
Joachim Low kept trust in his choice and, while that’s admirable, it is just not working. Mario Gotze was again very easily marked, not making any positive impact near Fabianski’s goal, as his size makes him a very easy prey for bigger, stronger, center backs. The quality is undeniable, but not in that role.
·
The Moment – I’m not a striker…
In the only chance he had, Mario Gotze was in a great position, if only he was used to finish this situations. Instead he blasted the ball to the near post and allowed a relatively easy save for Fabianski.
In the only chance he had, Mario Gotze was in a great position, if only he was used to finish this situations. Instead he blasted the ball to the near post and allowed a relatively easy save for Fabianski.
·
The Team
Low insisted on Mario Gotze as his striker, and that resulted in a very prolific game in constructing, but without any hope of getting the breakthrough, as the ball would circle around the Polish area without being any danger to Fabianski. It was a better match in the second half, but it felt that the teams just wanted to make sure they didn’t lose.
Low insisted on Mario Gotze as his striker, and that resulted in a very prolific game in constructing, but without any hope of getting the breakthrough, as the ball would circle around the Polish area without being any danger to Fabianski. It was a better match in the second half, but it felt that the teams just wanted to make sure they didn’t lose.
POLAND
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The Player – Arkadiuz Milik
Milik is starting to be one of the highlights of the competition. After
a very good debut, where he got the winning goal, he was again the player that
was more on focus, with Poland’s chances coming, invariably, from him. He
showed some lack of composure in the finishing, much like in the first game,
but with confidence more goals will come.
·
The Moment- GOAL!! Oh! No…he missed?!
It was an unbelievable miss from Milik. Grosicki got some space on the left and did a fantastic, pinpoint cross that found Ajax’s striker in the area, where he only had to do the easy bit. Instead he closed his eyes and completely fluffled a clear cut chance that could’ve easily been the winner.
It was an unbelievable miss from Milik. Grosicki got some space on the left and did a fantastic, pinpoint cross that found Ajax’s striker in the area, where he only had to do the easy bit. Instead he closed his eyes and completely fluffled a clear cut chance that could’ve easily been the winner.
·
The Team
Poland went into this tournament as one of
several teams considered dark horses in a field devoid of any stand-out
favourite. They were good value for their victory over Northern Ireland in
their opening fixture on Sunday and the high fives at the final whistle on
Thursday suggested they were satisfied with a point against a team they had
beaten once in their history. Now they only need to draw Ukraine to qualify
- FIL’S FINAL THOUGHTS
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