Iceland progressed to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, causing one of the biggest upsets in history as they defeated England 2-1 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice on Monday. England got an early goal as Wayne Rooney scored from the penalty spot after Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box by Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson. Iceland though responded almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson.
The minnows then took the lead just ten minutes later through Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, a goal that proved decisive as Roy Hodgson’s side got knocked out of the tournament.
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Here are five talking points from the game:
1) Solid defending and effective counterattacking win it for Iceland
Iceland were quite comfortable in the game from the very beginning. The players did not play like underdogs, trying to chase the ball in order to win possession and let the opposition have their time on the ball instead.
And the English played right into their hands. Iceland’s defence stayed tight, asserting aerial dominance whenever and wherever needed. As Hodgson’s men adopted a more direct approach during the course of the game, this very aerial presence helped neutralise England’s attempts to get back into the match.
Center-halves Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson were like brick walls in defense as they successfully contained Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy in the later parts of the game. The pair also contributed in attack as Arnason set-up Sigurdsson for the Iceland’s first goal of the game.
Both of Iceland’s goals came as a result of a swift counterattacking play, which enabled them to catch the English back-four off-guard twice.
2) Big guns fail to fire for England
Lacklustre individual performances from the Englishmen cost them the game. Joe Hart disappointed in goal as he gave away two avoidable goals, the second one being an absolute howler. The keeper rarely looked confident between the sticks.
Wayne Rooney had a decent first half, but it seemed Hodgson’s words at the break had quite the opposite effect on the England skipper. Rooney was never comfortable in possession as he constantly misplaced passes. Rooney had to play in a deeper position after the break, which clearly did not suit him.
Harry Kane’s delivery from set pieces was quite average, while he was more or less invisible in the penalty area. He did force a good save out of the Iceland keeper, but that was pretty much all he could do.
Winger Raheem Sterling’s poor run of form continued as he struggled to make his mark on the game. While the 21-year-old did win a penalty for the Three Lions early on in the game, he kept losing possession in crucial areas, squandering chances every now and then.
3) Marcus Rashford should’ve been brought in earlier
On an evening when service from midfield and flanks was poor, and the front-men were failing to create chances, England desperately needed an impact player. A goal down at half-time, the stage looked set for Marcus Rashford.
But Roy Hodgson chose to play underperforming Daniel Sturridge for most parts of the game, and only brought in Rashford for Wayne Rooney five minutes from time. The youngster immediately wreaked havoc on the flank with his blistering pace, earning a couple of corners for his side instantly.
The decision to bring on the Manchester United prodigy so late into the game made very little sense. The damage had been done and Rashford had very little time to have any kind of impact on the game.
The manager also made another questionable substitution, bringing in Jack Wilshere, who clearly lacked the fitness and experience in place of Eric Dier. This forced Rooney to move deeper, a position in which he thoroughly failed to perform.
4) Iceland to face the hosts in quarter-finals
After knocking an underperforming England out of the tournament, Iceland are now set to face France in the quarter-finals. After their campaign was initially surrounded by controversy, Didier Deschamp’s men managed to bring out their best game as Les Bleus remained unbeaten in all of their matches en route to the quarters.
Iceland will be facing a whole new challenge here. While France’s wins haven’t all been convincing, they do have an array of attacking options that could pose serious problems for Iceland’s seemingly impermeable defence.
Game-changers like Dimitri Payet, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann can easily create something out of nothing as they have shown in the past. A more cautious approach could prove vital in Iceland’s bid for a semi-final spot.
5) Roy Hodgson calls it a day
The humiliating defeat to Iceland marked the end of Roy Hodgson’s tenure as England manager. The former Liverpool boss managed the Three Lions over three major tournaments, namely Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, World Cup 2014 in Brazil and Euro 2016 in France.
Under Hodgson, England won only 3 out of 11 games in major tournament finals. The manager’s team selection, tactics and substitutions were all under close scrutiny during this tournament. With a young and an extremely talented squad at Hodgson’s disposal, a lot of pundits had backed England for the cup.
But as the tournament progressed, goals seemed harder and harder to come by, even as plenty of chances were created. It was evident that Hodgson had to devise a new winning formula in order to survive in the competition. Shuffling the squad while throwing in different strikers and then hoping for the best wasn’t going to do England any good against a tough opposition.
Sadly, while finishing remained a problem against Iceland, even clear-cut chances were rare. Apart from a few long-range strikes, the English front-three did not do much to trouble Hannes Thor Halldorsson. It was a total tactical failure for the English, which ultimately resulted in their elimination.
The FA has supported Roy Hodgson’s decision to step down as England manager. A place in the quarter-finals for England would have triggered negotiations between the FA and the manager regarding a contract extension.
