By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 23 – Where on earth does one start? Ecstasy for some, gut-wrenching disappointment for others. On one of the most dramatic nights in the history of the competition with more twists and turns than a figure of eight race track, Euro 2016 found its soul on Wednesday.
From the Icelandic commentator who completely lost control when his side scored a 94th minute winner to knock out dark horses Austria to the Republic of Ireland’s stirring victory over Italy, the much-maligned new Euro format provided a compelling nail-biting climax to the group stage and threw up a last-16 draw few would have predicted.
No story is surely bigger than that of Iceland, the tiniest team ever to take part in the competition yet still unbeaten after another trademark backs-to-the-wall performance – with the momentous incentive of now taking on England.
Until Arnor Ingvi Traustason’s scarcely believable winner with the last touch of the ball that prompted the whole coaching staff and substitutes to rush off the bench in collective euphoria, England looked to be playing Portugal, their old nemisis, in the last 16. Instead Roy Hodgson’s team will now become the latest side to try and end one of the game’s greatest ever fairytale stories.
And until Robbie Brady’s last-gasp winner against already qualified Italy, the Republic were heading home, only to set up a clash with the host nation France. Brady described his goal as an “out of body experience” – and the whole of his country no doubt shared in that sentiment.
His winner also had the effect of pitting Wales against Northern Ireland in Paris on Saturday in the most unlikely of last-16 pairings. Neither of them had ever reached the European Championship finals before this year’s competition yet now one of them, remarkably, will be in the quarterfinals.
Everywhere you looked, there was glorious achievement and heartbreaking despair in equal measure. And hats off to UEFA. The new 24-team format may have been hugely complicated in terms of which four third-placed teams advanced but for sheer excitement it took some beating.
And for those who say the draw favoured host nation France, with the other half of it top-heavy with many of the strongest teams, humbug. It may not feel quite right that so many unlikely teams have a chance to reach the last eight when Spain have to play Italy and Portugal take on Croatia but had the seeded teams won their groups, they would have got off more comfortably. The exception of course being England who got lucky, having finished second in their group, to have avoided Portugal – courtesy of the Iceland’s sensational finish in Paris.
Ah Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo was bound to come good and his brace against Hungary in a thrilling 3-3 draw kept his team in the tournament – just. And what about group winners Hungary, in a major finals for the first time in 30 years and still flying the flag for eastern Europe which has lost so many of its sides. Three times the Hungarians, another of the welcome surprises of the finals, took the lead. Three times they were pegged back though Portugal will be relieved to squeeze into the knockout phase with three points and not a single win.
For every one of the countries who made it through, there was dejection elsewhere. Sweden are on the plane home after failing to give Zlatan Ibrahimovic a send-off to be proud of, elimination bringing a sorry end to his international career. Turkey were at one stage still in the tournament as a third-placed qualifier, then found themselves out. Albania are arguably the unluckiest side after winning their last group game and putting up a brave fight in their other two.
What the group stage proved is that teamwork, spirit, organisation and resilience can produce the most unexpected of outcomes. There is something uniquely uplifting about humble players with limited ability triumphing as a group, of teams being greater than the sum of their individual parts, of cult figures springing up in virtually every group.
That may change now the tournament reverts to straight knockout and talent and experience come to the fore. But it was a group stage climax few of us in France, or the millions watching on television, will ever forget. And after all the nerve-shattering drama, the last 16 now looks like this:
Saturday – Switzerland v Poland (Saint-Etienne); Wales v N Ireland (Paris); Croatia v Portugal (Lens)
Sunday – France v Rep. Ireland (Lyon); Germany v Slovakia (Lille); Hungary v Belgium (Toulouse)
Monday – Italy v Spain (Saint-Denis); England v Iceland (Nice)
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734930050labto1734930050ofdlr1734930050owedi1734930050sni@w1734930050ahsra1734930050w.wer1734930050dna1734930050