Iceland’s storybook saga grows
Friday’s Group D match against Nigeria a near must-win for both teams
Akey match in Friday’s action has Iceland facing Nigeria in Group D. This is close to a must-win game for both teams, what with Croatia already having a victory and Argentina still favoured to advance from the group.
I think this Iceland squad is one of the best stories in sport in recent years. Just when you think the Cinderella story must be at an end, another chapter gets added. Iceland surprised everyone in qualifying for Euro 2016, then finished ahead of eventual champions Portugal in the group stage, then eliminated England before falling to France in the quarter-finals.
Iceland then showed it was no fluke by topping a very competitive World Cup qualifying group, ahead of Croatia, Ukraine and Turkey. Now at its first World Cup, Iceland pulled off yet another upset on Saturday, frustrating Argentina in a 1-1 draw. I love a good underdog, and as underdogs go, Iceland is the gift that keeps on giving.
This team plays with a lot of heart and confidence and never gives up. We got a little taste of the Icelandic spirit here in Vancouver when Teitur Thordarson was the Whitecaps’ coach. Teitur was a star striker for Iceland in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and I’m sure is on cloud nine watching the team now.
This is a very stable and settled Iceland squad, which rarely deviates from its best 11. Part of that is because it’s a tiny country with not a lot of depth.
The heart and soul of the team is captain and midfielder Aron Gunnarsson. He’s also the man with the missile-like long throw-ins, which is a formidable weapon especially given Iceland’s height advantage over most opponents. The long throw is not something you see in most parts of the world, and a lot of teams at this tournament are not used to defending against it.
Other key attackers include winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson, who plays for Burnley, and link man Gylfi Sigurdsson of Everton, who plays just behind the lone striker.
The forward role normally goes to Alfred Finnbogason, who got the equalizer against Argentina.
However, against a team like Nigeria Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson may opt for the more physical presence of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.
As for Nigeria, the team looked pretty poor in its 2-0 loss to Croatia on Saturday and will look to do better now with its back against the wall. Nigeria’s most dangerous player is Victor Moses, who normally plays on right wing but will likely be all over the pitch.
Another player of note is 19-year-old starting goalkeeper Francis Uzoho. He’s a decent shot-stopper, but very inexperienced and has much to learn about positional play.