As an added bonus we have teamed up with our compatriots at Prost Amerika for an insight from the other side of the World.
World Cup Winner
Jared Miller: I’m torn between Brazil and Argentina. I believe Brazil have the strongest squad depth (other than full-backs), but it’s difficult to look past the Lionel Messi factor, especially as the final could be his 1000th game.
James Sadler: I think the winner will be Argentina, they were undefeated in South American qualifying alongside Brazil, the first time a team has ever gone undefeated, haven’t lost in all competitions in three years and possess the greatest player of all time in Lionel Messi.
Will Knight: Brazil is a team that nobody can write off this year. Their line-up is filled with star
players, many of whom are some real heavy hitters in big football leagues.
English and Welsh hopes
JM: England: I really like Southgate as a person, and he’s done very well so far, but I think this could be one tournament too far for him. I think we might be relying on quality moments from individuals, though that’s not to say I don’t think we’ll go far. Wales: They’ve turned up at the last two Euros, and they seem to play better than their squad looks on paper. I think they get through the group, but will struggle past that.
JS: I think England will win the group thanks to multiple low scoring wins, beat in my opinion Senegal in the Ro16 but crash out to France in the quarters. I think Wales will struggle to make it out of the group, they don’t have the same quality as USA or England, and Iran aren’t to be underestimated either.
WK: Although I would love to see England win, personally I don’t see them making it out of the semi-finals. The choice of squad can be seen to be a bit conservative, while the defence may prove to be England’s achilles heel.
I see Wales having a tough fight with the USA to make it out the group stages but I do see the States beating the squad. But, if they’re at their very best, they could follow England into the round of 16.
CONCACAF chances
Dan Gaichas: USA: Good World Cup would be getting out of the group stage. Need to get results against Wales and Iran if not against England. Looking forward to all three USA matches to see what progress has been made by this squad and what progress will need to be made for 2026.
Canada: Scoring goals will be an achievement (which they didn’t do in 1986). Advancing out of group stage here will be a massive achievement given they have Belgium and Croatia in their group. Player to watch on Canada is Alphonso Davies, but watch out for Cyle Larin as well.
Mexico: It’s all about getting to the quarterfinals which they have never done outside their own country. They should get out the group if they get the results against Saudi Arabia and Poland. However, they were so unremarkable during qualifying and show no signs of suddenly being at this time.
I’ll add a snippet about Costa Rica: In a usual World Cup cycle, they are the third best team in CONCACAF, but Canada excelled and the Ticos had to go through a playoff against New Zealand. This team is nowhere near the team that were penalties away from the semi finals in Brazil. I do not expect much from them–especially against Spain, Germany, and Japan.
Top Scorer
JM: My money’s on Harry Kane (literally), but Messi and Neymar should be good shouts too.
JS: My top scorer is Kylian Mbappe, I think France will go quite far and with a couple of easy group stage matches on paper against Tunisia and Australia, I can see Mbappe getting on the scoresheet.
Dark Horses
JS: My dark horses are Denmark, they were brilliant in qualifying and were only extra time away from making it to the Euros final and should be making it through their group comfortably, they’ve even beaten France the last two times they’ve met.
JM: Denmark. The Danish have some quality players on paper, getting to the Euros semi-final without Eriksen, their main man. I really like the look of their squad again. I might fancy Uruguay too.
WK: When looking at the teams, a dark horse that stands out for me is Croatia. Their performance in 2018, reaching the final against France, is one that stands out to me following a victory over England but I have not heard them mentioned when discussing possible winners this year.
Game to watch
JS: The group game I’m looking forward to most is Spain vs Germany, it’s a new era for both giants of international football and a game where young players on both sides could shine.
JM: It’s got to be England vs. Wales. The atmosphere in the country will be incredible, and it’ll certainly be a close game given the rivalry.
WK: The game I am most looking forward to is the final. This may be cliché, but anyone who watches the World Cup is eager to learn who will play for glory.
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]]>Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Delegates from around the world flew in as former players such as Cafu, Tim Cahill and Ali Daei took part in the draw ceremony that saw 29 confirmed nations discover their fate while three play-off contenders also discovered what could potentially be ahead for them.
The draw threw up plenty of exciting and intriguing groups and while there probably is not a ‘group of death’ as such, almost every country will fancy their chances of having some sort of success in November.
Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
So we finally found out what the opening game will be and it is the hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador. It won’t look like a thriller on paper but it will give the debutants some belief that they can get off to a decent start.
African champions Senegal taking on the Netherlands looks like one of the group stage highlights and both will fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages. A final game clash between Ecuador and Senegal could well decide qualification.
England, Iran, USA, Wales/Ukraine/Scotland
Well, this was certainly the group for lovers of narrative.
On paper, it appears to be quite a nice draw for England but without knowing who will come through the play-off in June, it is hard to draw too many conclusions.
The USA and England have played out some memorable World Cup games in the past while Iran famously saw off the States in 1998 for a first-ever World Cup victory.
The prospect however of a battle between two home nations on the biggest stage is mouth-watering and with it being the final group game, there could be a lot on the line.
Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
A nice group appeared for Lionel Messi on what will probably be his last shot at winning the tournament. Argentina will be hopeful of topping the group with none of the other three sides having much success in recent editions.
Mexico and Poland will know their opening clash will go a long way to who will advance while Saudi Arabia would appear unlikely to get anything in what is quite a daunting group for the Middle Eastern side.
Mexico’s quest for a fifth match at a World Cup would most likely see them up against France in the last 16 in what would be an enormously difficult encounter for the North Americans.
France, UAE/Australia/Peru, Denmark, Tunisia
Should Peru or Australia make it through the intercontinental play-off in June, Group D will see three-quarters of the participants in Group C from 2018 in the same group once more.
France came through that group en route to winning the tournament back then and Les Bleus and Denmark will be feeling confident of a repeat result four years on.
Tunisia will be looking to cause an upset somewhere and build on their victory over Panama in 2018.
Look out for the matchday two clash between France and Denmark where a Danish win would throw everyone’s knockout predictions up in the air and open up the draw. It always happens somewhere and that could be the game that does it.
Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan
Spain against Germany on November 27th is the standout fixture of the group stage draw but it has the look of a clash that will decide first place in the group, rather than knock a giant out.
Both sides will be confident of seeing off Japan and whichever of Costa Rica or New Zealand come through in June.
Japan may seek inspiration from neighbours South Korea however, who knocked the Germans out in 2018.
Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Two of the semi-finalists from Russia in 2018 will come together in the group stages as Belgium and Croatia lock horns in Group F.
The pair will face off in the final group game and should either slip up in advance of that, we could well see one of the more fancied European sides going home.
Morocco impressed in 2018 without winning while Canada will face Belgium in their first World Cup match since 1986. They may just believe their fairytale run could continue into the knockout stages.
Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Another group that is almost a carbon copy from 2018 only this time Cameroon will take the place of Costa Rica.
Brazil came out on top on that occasion while Serbia and Switzerland played out a controversial clash that saw the Swiss come from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Xherdan Shaqiri.
They will meet in the final group game which could essentially be a winner-takes-all clash.
Cameroon are not going to make up the numbers though and will make for dangerous opponents after their dramatic late win over Algeria to qualify.
Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
Uruguay will have the face up to the ghosts of World Cups past in Group H.
The South Americans knocked South Korea out in the last 16 in 2010 while they did the same to Portugal in Russia four years ago.
But the real battle for revenge will take place on matchday two when Ghana seek redemption after Luis Suarez and the handball controversy from the 2010 quarter-final.
This has the appearance of quite an open group and while Portugal will back themselves to win it, history has shown that they could just as easily finish bottom.
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After the optimism from big wins over Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City recently, there have been worse lows in shockers at Stoke City and Sheffield United.
Pressure is mounting on manager Russell Martin, but a man he and Swans fans can begin to rely on is the ever-bustling and industrious Irishman, Michael Obafemi.
Arriving with several years of Premier League experience, expectations of Obafemi were at an all-time high when travelling from Southampton to South Wales.
Obafemi was the latest on the conveyor belt of talent pumping from the girders of the Staplewood warehouse, making his debut aged just 17 years and 199 days for the Saints against Tottenham Hotspur in January 2018.
He was mercurial, yet someone who Ralph Hasenhuttl never really trusted from the get-go.
Dorset Live’s Jacob Tanswell, who used to cover Southampton and was therefore a keen follower of Obafemi’s career, discussed the fans’ feelings when he arrived on the scene.
“Obafemi was really highly rated initially. Ralph [Hasenhuttl] really highly rated his finishing ability as one of the best in the club, and he also scored on his full debut against Huddersfield Town.
“He looked like he’d definitely be part of his plans because Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini were out of the door. Obafemi pressed well, was quick and had all the attributes to be a starter in the team.”
In truth, his career at Southampton failed to start. His ability to get involved with the build-up was criticised by fans and he never repaid them with any real volume of goals to back it up.
He left them with only five goals in all competitions and Tanswell fails to really remember any memorable moments from the Irish international.
“To be honest, there was never really anything truly to remember from his Southampton career. I suppose his goal at Stamford Bridge, where he cut inside Andreas Christensen and finished past Kepa Arrizabalaga, but even then, for a four-year career, the moments were few and far between.”
The feeling amongst Southampton fans is that too much came too soon. A move to the Championship after only five appearances since the beginning of 2020/21 was probably fair on reflection.
“When he moved down to Swansea, I think it could have been a shock. He needs to be relied upon as one of the main goalscorers rather than hiding as a third or fourth choice. There were always questions on his attitude, despite the fact he has all the raw attributes of at least a top second-tier striker.
“It would definitely take him time to adapt, for sure. Playing regular football when you never have is difficult.”
After his move to Russell Martin’s side, he has struggled to maintain a real stronghold in the starting 11. Martin’s often preferred top goalscorer Joel Piroe and for good reason, but goals in home wins over Blackburn and Bristol City have catapulted him into Swansea fans’ hearts.
Before this, he had scored just once in a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City, but featuring in a slightly deeper role alongside and complimenting Piroe has suited him because Tanswell, despite watching him for years, cannot describe the style of player he actually is yet.
“With Obafemi, even after watching him for years I don’t know what to say about wht type of player he is as he used to fleet in and out of games. He’s quick and direct, for sure. I think Ryan Bertrand described him as the quickest player at Saints during his spell with the club. He likes to get in behind and stretch defences. He was always better in a front two.”
This echoes exactly how Martin’s used him recently, interchanging with Piroe in a front two with Obafemi usually the more deep lying.
With the discipline the former MK Dons boss has enforced on him, Tanswell believes Martin is the best man to get a tune out of his forward.
“Leaving him out earlier this season was a brave but very good call from Martin. He needs confidence, but also to know he’s earned his place. We’ve never really seen a consistent run from him and the way he’s dealing with Obafemi’s focus is commendable.
“He’s a confident young individual off the field, but if he can get into a rhythm and score a few goals he can get on a roll, which could be very beneficial for Swansea fans.”
So will Obafemi continue to hit the ground running this year and score more goals for Swansea? It certainly looks like he is on a positive trajectory.
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Having chosen to reject a three-year professional contract at Fulham in 2020, one that would have primarily seen him spend his time playing development football in their under 23s alongside a handful of fleeting chances in their cup competition rotation sides, the 21-year-old decided to move up the M1 to Milton Keynes and jump into the deep end, starting at MK Dons.
After spending a good few weeks training with the first team squad, the former England youth international eventually put pen to paper on a contract and the starlet has not looked back.
The commanding central midfielder oozes class when in control of the ball, seemingly having more time and awareness than all others on the field.
This trait has seen him excel within his spell at the Dons, progressing in just over 20 months from a back-up option on arrival to virtually the first name on the team sheet, as well as being given the captain’s armband on several occasions.
Although naturally left-footed, O’Riley is comfortable with the ball on either side and can deliver a full repertoire of passes to anywhere across the field, whether that be playing through to the forwards or onto on-running wing backs with consummate ease.
Not only does the man being courted by England, Norway and Denmark for international honours possess a masterful eye for a pass, he also is very astute in his defensive duties and has on more than one occasion helped to bail out his defensive colleagues.
His match-awareness and positioning when tracking back to cover the space, mainly when his side is pressing higher up the field and get caught on the counter, to being adept when attempting slide tackles at pace, knowing anything slightly mistimed will see the referee have to take action.
A real “triple-threat” footballer, the 21-year-old is also lethal in the attacking area and has managed to bag seven goals already this season. Whether it is arriving late into the penalty area to get onto the end of crosses or firing off a long-range effort trying to catch the opposition keeper off-guard, he has managed to accomplish on more occasions than not, most recently sealing a 1-0 victory with a cultured finish against bitter rivals AFC Wimbledon.
It was rumoured on Transfer Deadline Day back in September that an eleventh-hour approach from Championship outfit Blackpool was quashed, it was to no-surprise that a player with the qualities and skills O’Riley possesses would seek interest from those higher up the footballing pyramid.
Now three months later, the rumours have continued, and off the back of scoring a decisive strike away at Lincoln City on Boxing Day, the links and list of suitors increased and intensified. However, this time around clubs with more pulling power than the aforementioned Tangerines have entered the race to try and sign the young starlet.
The persistent noise came initially from South Wales and Swansea City, and it was to no great surprise given the links between the Swans and the Dons.
In the last six months, not only has ex-manager Russell Martin moved westerly from Milton Keynes but he was also joined by nine of his coaching staff, recruitment department and analytical setup. To top it all off, goalkeeper Andrew Fisher, 24 hours prior to the seasonal derby and arguably most important fixture of the season, at home against AFC Wimbledon has also joined Martin in South Wales.
Away from the Swansea.com Stadium, O’Riley remains a name on the lips of teams in Serie A as well as the Bundesliga and should any move take place, it would likely need the Dons to be offered a hefty sum. The early suggestions see the figure starting at the million-pound mark and only going higher.
It is evident that O’Riley plays a vital and crucial cog in the system that Liam Manning, MK Dons manager, chooses to operate with. Preferring to operate with a fast-paced possession-based philosophy, this relies heavily on hard-working central midfielders and high-intensity wing backs.
Able to dominate ball retention and keep the relentless movement of the football going, O’Riley has transformed his responsibilities within the setup in such a short space of time.
Alongside loanee Ethan Robson in the heart of midfield, the pair became almost un-droppable during a run that saw the team rise to third in the League One table, keeping players such as Joshua McEachran and David Kasumu waiting in the wings.
When Robson picked up his unfortunate knock, it opened the door for Kasumu to seize his chance and the couple have not looked back, forming another stellar pairing. Kasumu’s rugged, combative style perfectly compliments O’Riley who provides the flair and charisma, something you rarely find in the third-tier.
Given the career trajectory that appears to be on the table for O’Riley, he could now start being looked upon by those higher than Swansea or Blackpool.
The best bit of business that MK Dons could find themselves completing in the January transfer window could well be keeping hold of their number seven, no matter how unlikely it seems.
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]]>Steve Clarke’s side are in desperate need of a positive result to keep their World Cup 2022 qualification hopes alive after an unbeaten yet disappointing start to the campaign.
Draws against Denmark and Israel were not ideal, with most of the Tartan Army agreeing that they were games Scotland needed to win.
However, a confident win at home against the Faroe Islands restored some belief that qualification is still possible.
The country was at fever pitch during Euro 2020, but ultimately the result was disheartening, after sadly being outclassed by both the Czech Republic and Croatia despite a brave draw against England at Wembley.
Denmark, on the other hand, is a football nation on the up after an unexpectedly successful Euro 2020, reaching the semi-final only to lose to England.
The Danes early form in qualifying has been perfect so far, winning all three games and scoring 14 goals without reply. Kasper Hjulmand has got his side playing swashbuckling football, with a 4-0 away win against Austria the pick of the results so far.
Denmark currently top Group F on nine points from three games, while Scotland sit four points below in the Danes in second place.
Denmark are likely to be without their talisman in Martin Braithwaite due to having knee issues; this may be a big blow with Denmark winning the last eight of the last ten games in which he has scored.
Hjulmand will be hoping that one of his backup strikers, such as Jonas Wind or Andreas Cornelius, can help put Scotland to the sword.
Mikkel Damsgaard and Kasper Dolberg will try to recreate the stunning individual performances shown at Euro 2020, which were vital towards the Danes’ success.
If the news of Scott McTominay’s groin problems weren’t already a body blow to Steve Clarke, the Scotland manager could not have foreseen the disruption still to come. Stuart Armstrong was next to pull out of the squad with a calf injury.
John McGinn announced this week that he has tested positive for COVID-19, while Nathan Patterson is isolating due to COVID issues at Rangers. Stephen O’Donnell will also be unavailable with local regulations not allowing those who recently tested positive to travel to Denmark.
Celtic duo Greg Taylor and James Forrest withdrew from the squad on the 30th with injuries after missing the Old Firm derby.
Liam Kelly, Zander Clarke and Lewis Fergusson look to gain their first cap for the national side.
Scotland last played Denmark in a friendly back in March 2016 at Hampden Park. Both sides looked very different, with Gordon Strachan in charge of Scotland whilst Åge Hareide was managing the Danes.
The hosts raced into an early lead after a mix up between Daniel Agger and Kasper Schmeichel allowed Matt Ritchie to open the scoring.
Yussuf Poulsen had a fantastic opportunity to equalise for Denmark, latching onto Christian Eriksen’s precise through ball and seemingly in on goal, only to be denied by a last-ditch tackle from Kieran Tierney.
Only Craig Gordon’s excellent reflexes denied a Danish reply after Scotland failed to deal with Eriksen’s corner, which had players queuing up to knock it into the net. Gordon again denied Denmark and Nicolas Jorgensen in the first half with a save down low to his right-hand side.
Schmeichel was equally busy at the other end to deny Steven Fletcher from doubling Scotland’s lead.
Shaun Maloney tested Jonas Lossel in the second half with a rasping shot from the edge of the area, but the Danish stopper comfortably pushed the ball over the bar.
However, it was the Scotland number one, Gordon, who produced the most spectacular goalkeeping of the match to initially parry Eriksen’s hard-hit shot and then springing back up to deny Braithwaite’s header.
Matt Ritchie must have been convinced he was going to score his second of the game when he hit Ikechi Anya’s cross first time, but Andreas Christensen made a superb diving block to deny Ritchie a double.
The game is most notably remembered for both John McGinn and Kieran Tierney being handed their international debuts.
These sides have met 16 times in the past, with Scotland winning 10 of the fixtures while Denmark have come out on top six times. There is yet to be a draw between the two sides.
Steve Clarke will attempt to overcome an incredibly difficult week to put pressure on Denmark at the top of Group F.
A Danish side have already got the better of a Scottish team this season after Malmo beat Rangers 4-2 on aggregate in a UEFA Champions League qualifying clash.
If the Danes win in Copenhagen on Wednesday night, they are unlikely to be caught at the top of Group F, whilst Scotland have the job of reeling in the leaders.
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Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero on the night and collected the ‘Player of the tournament’ award while Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the ‘Golden Boot’ by virtue of having more assists than Patrick Schick.
18-year-old Spanish midfielder Pedri had a breakout tournament in midfield, winning the award for best young player after a seismic performance against eventual champions Italy in the semi-final.
There is no official award for goal of the tournament but it feels extremely unfair that those breathtaking moments go unrewarded. Here’s a rundown of the top five goals from the festival of football, with a few honourable mentions for good measure.
Federico Chiesa (Italy vs Austria)
Andriy Yarmolenko (Ukraine vs Netherlands)
Karim Benzema (France vs Switzerland)
Luka Modric (Croatia vs Scotland)
Italy and Belgium went head to head in Munich in a battle of firepower as both sides swung punches looking to land the knockout blow. Step forward to smallest man on the pitch in Lorenzo Insigne to ensure Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ went home empty handed once more.
At times certain footballers are very predictable. Think Arjen Robben cutting inside on to his left foot. What was particularly spectacular about the Dutchman was the opposition’s complete inability to stop it.
This was in a similar vein. Insigne picked up the ball in the inside left channel and headed towards goal. The whole world knew he would looking to bend it into the far corner with his right foot. Yet one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Thibaut Courtois was powerless to stop this magnificent curling effort. ‘Les Diables Rouges’ were sent packing.
Sometimes great goals are heavily boosted by virtue of being scored in front of a raucous crowd. Plenty of goals scored in the past year of empty, soulless stadia will fail to live long in the memory.
You get the sense Andreas Christensen’s strike will never be forgotten in Copenhagen. The Danes, needing a win to stand any chance of going through, were leading their Russian visitors yet had just conceded a goal to Artem Dzyuba and the tension was high in the Parken Stadium.
Denmark had received a lift following news of Belgium taking the lead against Finland and began peppering Matvei Safonov’s goal. The ‘keeper performed heroics and the danger looked to be averted as the ball was cleared towards goal shy defender Christensen. The Chelsea man had other ideas and strode forward to smash the ball venomously past Safonov. The stadium erupted and Denmark would progress.
The French were staring down the barrel as Ricardo Rodriguez stepped up to take a penalty that would hand the Swiss a two goal lead. Hugo Lloris saved brilliantly and France took the handbrake off.
A devastating spell turned the game completely on it’s head and the French were purring. This was epitomised by Paul Pogba. The midfielder was running the show in midfield and scored a simply stunning goal to seemingly send the world champions through.
Having controlled the ball while unbalanced, Pogba opened up his right foot and curled the ball beautifully into the top corner. Yann Sommer was one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament but when the ball is hit as cleanly as that, no ‘keeper in the world is saving it. It was a goal worthy of deciding any match but unfortunately for Didier Deschamps, not this one.
Long-range screamers and majestic volleys are what every football fan dreams of scoring growing up and are generally a stable of ‘best goal’ compilations.
Yet there is something very satisfying about seeing a well crafted team goal. So much more is required with the margin for error so thin.
Romelu Lukaku started the move off here, running into the channel and doing brilliantly to hold up the ball before finding Youri Tielemans. The Leicester midfielder fed the ball to the edge of the penalty area where brothers Eden and Thorgan Hazard linked up brilliantly to tee up De Bruyne. On his ‘weaker’ left foot, De Bruyne let fly. The ball flew past Kasper Schmeichel and most of the world stood up to applaud. This was Belgium at their scintillating best.
There could only really be one winner in this competition. For all of the quality of the goals mentioned above, there is just no beating Patrick Schick’s magnificent second goal against Scotland.
Schick had the tournament of his life and was buoyed by scoring the opener in this Group D clash. That was an excellent header to the bottom corner but nothing compared to what was to come.
Jack Hendry’s shot was charged down and the ball broke to Schick just inside the Scotland half. Having had a brief look up and spotted David Marshall off his line, the striker took it first time and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper, stunning the onlooking Hampden Park crowd. The angle from behind the goal showcases it even better, highlighting just how far out the ball had started before curling in.
Schick’s goal was an easy pick for goal of the tournament and will find itself up there in any conversations about the all-time winner.
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Football is slowly becoming a non-contact sport, with players dropping to the floor at minimal contact. Those who claim to be football purists are becoming incredibly frustrated at these top-level athletes showing a lack of resilience against challenges.
However, there is a growing acceptance of winning fouls.
In the game between England and Denmark, 31 fouls were committed during the Euro 2020 semi-final clash. Out of the 31 fouls, 21 went in the home country’s favour, with only nine going to the Danes.
One reason for this is that Denmark attempted 48 tackles compared to England’s 16. Another reason is given by Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool central defender Jamie Carragher:
The streetwise Kane has been back the last 2 games! Getting free kicks from nothing!! #englandvdenmark
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) July 7, 2021
Harry Kane picked up multiple fouls on the night, often in advantageous positions, but yet none aided his team’s cause on the scoring front.
There is no doubt the Danish defenders were rash in the way they handled Kane, often bundling into the back of the in-demand forward, but did England’s frontman go looking for fouls?
It seemed that the striker managed to anticipate contact, allowing him to buy cheap fouls and relieve pressure or win free-kicks in dangerous areas. On the one hand, this seems clever and advantageous, but it could also be seen as deviant.
Carragher claims Kane is simply being streetwise, which may come as a surprise as the former central defender would be unlikely to be so complimentary if the forward had used the same tactics against the Liverpudlian during his playing days.
The FA states in their Rules and Regulations that if a player commits offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force, it will result in a direct free kick.
Some of the actions by Danish players were of a careless and reckless nature, but none used excessive force.
On many occasions, the definition of excessive force differs depending on the referee, where in some cases, very minimal contact results in fouls when others are quite lenient.
In 2017, the FA brought out new legislation to retrospectively punish simulation (diving).
Described as a “Successful Deception of a Match Official”, it gave the FA a chance to hand a two-game ban to players who dived to give their team an advantage, whether that be a penalty or opposition players receiving their marching orders.
Shaun Miller, then of Carlisle United, was the first player to receive a retrospective two-game ban in October 2017.
In an exhilarating 3-3 draw against Wycombe Wanderers, Miller won a penalty for the Cumbrians in the 35th minute, but it was later deemed a dive by the FA.
Miller was clearly anticipating the challenge coming in from the Chairboys’ defender Dan Scarr and fell before any contact was actually made, fooling the referee into giving a penalty which Jamie Devitt converted.
The Chesire-born striker pleaded his innocence at an FA hearing, and in all fairness, neither he nor his teammates appealed for a penalty. In fact, the forward attempted to pass the ball back to a teammate while on the ground in order to continue play.
Miller went onto explain that some upper body contact while running at pace had led to his fall.
If Miller had been aiming to win a penalty, it could be seen as being streetwise rather than deviant, so where do we draw the line?
Carragher may be forgetting he ripped into Neymar and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates antics after a clash between Les Parisiens and his former club in 2018.
Opinions on diving seem to differ between pundits, and it often depends on the player or team in question.
Raheem Sterling’s outstanding performance at Euro 2020 is unquestionable, but the crucial penalty he won for England against Denmark looked slightly dubious after minimal contact.
However, former Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle thinks otherwise:
Sterlings right knee gets clipped followed by a hip barge from the other side….how is that “not touched”? try staying on your feet while sprinting with a ball and that happens pic.twitter.com/6LsSVxkaJd
— Kevin Doyle (@KevinDoyle1983) July 7, 2021
There is no doubt that very minimal contact on a player running at a very high speed can cause a player to be upended, but there needs to be clarification on just how much contact equates to a foul.
Phil Foden was denied a penalty against Southampton last season after Alex McCarthy’s reckless attempt to stop the Manchester City starlet from capitalising on his failed attempt to control a back pass.
Foden was sent to the floor by the shot-stopper’s lunge but preceded to get back to his feet only for the chance to score to pass him by. Surprisingly, no penalty or a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity was awarded by VAR.
Players have learnt to initiate and anticipate contact, which leads to players being rewarded for going down whilst honesty becomes a disadvantage.
High profile footballers being rewarded for diving and dropping to the floor under minimal contact will, unfortunately, act as a bad example for future generations, and Carragher’s streetwise comments make deviance seem acceptable.
Players and pundits alike must remember they influence future generations of footballers, so they need to promote honesty in receiving contact on the pitch which is the best way to play the game.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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Euro 2020 will forever live long in the memory of all Danish people, not just because they were able to showcase the ability which they possess on the pitch, but more importantly, they taught the sporting world how to unite in such difficult circumstances.
How the players can even begin to make sense of all the contrasting emotions after everything they went through in their first fixture against Finland four weeks ago, is something that nobody outside that camp can ever fully appreciate.
Although Denmark’s adventure this summer is over, you would hope that as they walked off the Wembley turf and back into the changing rooms that they held their heads high, even though it may not feel like it now eventually the overwhelming feeling of pride should take over.
During qualifying, the Danes went under the radar, despite going unbeaten across the eight fixtures. Goals certainly weren’t troublesome to come by as they found the net on 23 occasions, including a 6-0 win against Gibraltar, however, that result was slightly overshadowed by disappointing draws to Georgia and Ireland.
Not many had backed Denmark to achieve what they did prior to the tournament, but they raised some eyebrows in the opening 35 minutes against Finland as their technically gifted and resolute style shone through. With the home crowd behind them, they had done everything but score, as they remained patient in their buildup while suppressing any threat coming the other way from the opposition.
However, as the clock hit the 41st minute, something unthinkable happened as Christian Eriksen collapsed to the turf without anybody near him which caused major concerns about his wellbeing.
Luckily, referee Anthony Taylor was quick to recognise the severity of the situation and captain Simon Kjaer was first on hand to comfort his teammate before the medics rushed onto the pitch to assist in giving CPR to the Inter Milan midfielder.
In a showing of true empathy and compassion, the Danish players, led by their captain, formed a wall around Eriksen, in order to give their teammate privacy from the cameras in such a distressing time. Other leaders in the dressing room, such as goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel comforted the playmaker’s wife while the events unfolded, once again proving what a true role model he is in moments of panic.
To everyone’s surprise, the game was resumed just hours after the incident and with everything fresh in their minds, rather unsurprisingly Denmark were unable to get the result which they would have wanted. From Finland’s only effort on target, Joel Pohjanpalo put them ahead to secure all three points, in what turned out to be their first win at a major tournament.
It was later revealed that Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest, therefore it was imperative the officials and medics worked as efficiently as they did. The traumatising scenes put everything into perspective for the sporting world, as no matter how important fans believe football and winning games is, nothing comes before health.
Regardless of the result, the Danish players should be proud of their actions as if it weren’t for some of Eriksen’s teammates and the medical staff, his wife could have been without a husband and his child without a father.
Denmark’s manager Kasper Hjulmand was full of praise for the way his team handled the difficult circumstances in his post-match press conference:
“It was a tough night,” Hjulmand said. “We are all reminded what the most important thing in life is and that is to have valuable relations. We have a group of players I can’t praise enough. I couldn’t be prouder of these people who take such good care of each other at such a time where one of my very, very dear friends is suffering.”
Just five days later, they were back in action again, but this time against the number one ranked team in the world, Belgium. With no time to process the events in the last match, Hjulmand made an impulse decision to switch from a back four to a back three in the absence of their star man, which in hindsight looked to have been an excellent decision.
Fuelled by pure emotion, Denmark flew out of the blocks to race into an early lead when Yussuf Poulsen latched onto Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s pass to drill his effort beyond Thibaut Courtois inside the first two minutes of the game. The home side were able to contain Belgium with an organised high press while utilising the wingbacks as their outlet when going forward.
Unfortunately, their misery was complied when Kevin De Bruyne was introduced for Roberto Martinez’s side, as he played a vital part in Belgium’s comeback scoring one and assisting the other as the Red Devils ran 2-1 victors.
With two losses in their opening two games, Denmark had to defy all odds to make it through to the knockout stages, as even with a win there was no guarantees that they could achieve their aim. Russia was the team to stand in their way, but ultimately Hjulmand’s side had too much quality for them.
Youngster Mikkel Damsgaard put them ahead with a wonder strike from range and Poulsen was gifted his goal after a stray back pass before the hour mark to ease some of the nerves, however, a slightly dubious penalty saw Russia’s Artem Dzyuba quickly pull one goal back for his side.
Denmark showed what they were made of as they responded with two rapid goals themselves. Andreas Christensen scored a goal worthy to win any game and Joakim Mæhle rounded off proceedings to make the score 4-1 in the Danes’ favour. The goals were so crucial as they ensured a second-place finish in group B to set up an intriguing tie with Wales in the Round of 16.
Around this stage of the tournament, people were starting to question whether the players would start to run out of emotional fuel to fire them, but that was swiftly put to bed with their performance against Robert Page’s men.
In an open encounter at the Amsterdam Arena, Denmark’s compact shape out of possession closed the spaces for Wales’ technical players to cause any damage, while providing an excellent base for their in-form attacking talent to express themselves further up the pitch.
A brace from Kaspar Dolberg was followed up by strikes from Maehle and Martin Braithwaite to secure a convincing 4-0 victory, however, what was even more impressive was the fact that they managed to restrict Wales to just one shot on target across the 90 minutes.
Momentum was building within the camp and others were beginning to take note of the fact that this group isn’t just powered by the events in the first game. Next was an in-form Czech Republic side in the quarter-finals.
Denmark didn’t always have the best of this match, especially in the first-half, as the Czech failed the capitalise on their pressure. However, most importantly they stood strong and took their chances at the other end, with Thomas Delaney and Dolberg giving them a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Patrik Schick pulled one back just after the break, but once again the Danes found a way to win after suppressing relentless waves of attacks. The game ended 2-1 to set up an enthralling tie against England at Wembley in the semi-finals.
With 60,000 fans under the Wembley arch creating a raucous atmosphere, many wondered whether the occasion would get the better of the travelling away side, and in the opening 20 minutes, that certainly looked to be the case.
England were controlling the game by keeping long spells of possession, pushing Denmark even further into their own half, which made it near impossible to mount any counter-attacks. Despite commanding proceedings, Gareth Southgate’s side were unable to create many clear cut opportunities, with the Danes making it difficult for the likes of Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount to pick up the ball.
Gradually Denmark started to grow into the fixture and in the 30th minute, a moment of magic from Damsgaard put them ahead, as he scored the first direct free-kick of the tournament. The 21-year-old’s impact this summer has been nothing short of sensational, especially considering the added creative burden he had on his shoulders during Eriksen’s absence, but every challenge that came his way, he would present moments of brilliance.
The inevitable drop followed for Denmark as they quickly reverted back to their deep block following the goal, and this time they weren’t able to resist the immense pressure from England. Harry Kane found joy by dropping deep to link up the play and eventually picked out Saka, whose first touch forced him to play a pass across goal, with Kjaer putting the ball into the back of his own goal.
All the momentum was with the hosts, as they came out for the second-half in a similar fashion, constantly harrying the Danish midfield into surrendering possession while squeezing further up the pitch in order to stop any chance of a counter-attack.
Referee Danny Makkelie gave them a breather by blowing the full-time whistle, but the theme of dominance continued for England. Eventually, the winner came in the 104th minute when Raheem Sterling broke into the box and was taken down by Jannik Vestergaard for a penalty.
Up stepped Kane, whose spot-kick was initially saved by Schmeichel, however, the rebound fortuitously fell back to England’s talisman to finish into an empty net.
Losing such a game in those circumstances is never pleasant, as the Danish team will be left wondering what if, and it makes it all the more harder considering they had dedicated themselves to bringing home the trophy for Eriksen.
However, one thing that cannot be disputed is that nobody will forget Denmark’s contribution to Euro 2020, and for that, the footballing world thanks you.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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UEFA’s decision to allow managers to name 26 players in their squad rather than the usual 23 afforded coaches the luxury of more options throughout the tournament but it’s not without it’s downsides.
Egos need to be carefully managed with more players being left out. France, as is quite often the case when they suffer an early elimination, have apparently had tensions within the squad yet there has not been so much of a murmur coming out of St. George’s Park.
England, and other big nations for that matter, have been besieged by such issues in the past so it’s a testament to Southgate that he’s been able to build such a positive environment with some likening it to a club atmosphere within the camp.
The strength of the squad and the disparity of Denmark’s was laid bare last night at Wembley as Southgate held fire on his substitutions, only bringing Jack Grealish on in normal time. Bukayo Saka was the one to make way yet he was having a fine game on the right, laying on the assist for the unfortunate Simon Kjaer to turn into his own goal. Any of the England players could have felt hard done by to be replaced.
By contrast, Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand used all of his allotted five substitutions in the 90 minutes, though some of them were forced.
Andreas Christensen and Thomas Delaney were both forced off through injury in what was a bitter blow for the Danes. Christensen had been having a fine tournament up to that point while Delaney’s experience was sorely missed in extra-time.
Joachim Andersen and Mathias Jensen were the replacements. Jensen played in the Championship with Brentford last season while Andersen was in the heart of a Fulham defence heading in that direction.
It was the triple substitution in the 67th minute that really turned the game and not in a good way from a Danish perspective. Daniel Wass replaced Jens Stryger Larsen who was having a lot less joy down the wing as he had enjoyed in the previous rounds. However, it was the withdrawals of Mikkel Damsgaard and Kasper Dolberg that turned the tide.
Damsgaard had opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick while Dolberg was looking a threat up-front, proving to be a menace to John Stones.
The sight of Yussuf Poulsen warming up led many to believe he could be a not-so-secret weapon off the bench yet the RB Leipzig man was largely on the periphery.
Christian Norgaard entered the fray for Damsgaard, yet the extra solidity in midfield proved inconsequential and on another day he could have given away a penalty after Harry Kane thought he was fouled.
Denmark essentially vanished as an attacking threat, no longer linking the play between midfield and attack with Poulsen and Martin Braithwaite starved of service and support in the final third. This in turn allowed Harry Maguire to become more adventurous and get forward to supplement the England midfield.
England were comfortable from then on while the Danes, despite arguably being fresher having used more substitutes, looked out on their feet. Perhaps the difficulties of the Christian Eriksen situation had caught up with a squad that performed so magnificently in the face of such adversity. How they must have wished to have their talisman to put his foot on the ball and bring some control to proceedings.
So to extra-time, where Denmark had one additional substitution allowed with Southgate holding five in his hand as he looked to put this to bed before the mental anguish of penalties.
Jordan Henderson and Phil Foden were the first called upon, bringing additional energy and creativity against a tiring and retreating defence.
The final England substitution summed things up quite well regarding the squad as a whole. Grealish was replaced by Kieran Trippier despite only coming on as a substitute himself.
While almost certainly privately disappointed, Grealish didn’t let his feelings stop him from joining the celebrations and he will now use this as extra motivation to gain a starting berth in the final.
England avoided the usual jeopardy of dealing with a late onslaught by keeping hold of the ball. A task made much easier owing to the fact that Denmark were playing with ten men as Jensen had gone off injured and Hjulmund had no moves left to make.
Southgate now comes up against another tactician not afraid to use his squad in Roberto Mancini. A similar tale of substitutions could prove decisive in Sunday’s momentous final.
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