Late howler holds up Iceland’s charge
FOR the vast shadow that fan disorder and violence is casting over Euro 2016, we can a least be thankful for the presence of Iceland.
There was more trouble once again before kick-off here as Hungary supporters clashed with stewards after trying to move into another section of the Stade Velodrome. Police quickly moved in to restore order, but the skirmish of around 100 fans was a reminder of the most unsavoury issue at Euro 2016.
A magnitude of flares also greeted Hungary’s late equaliser and yet more questions will be raised about how they were brought in.
On the pitch at least, Iceland provided brighter scenes as they continue to write their own history in France this summer. Yes they were stunned by a last-minute goal but that should not overshadow their achievements so far.
They have now played two matches at their first major finals and still they are yet to be beaten. Portugal tried and left with just a point. Hungary have followed suit and even though Iceland will have wanted three points, the fact they remain unbeaten will provide solace.
And all this from a country whose population equates to that of Leicester, the home of the Premier League champions.
For this Group F clash with Hungary in Marseille, the Stade Velodrome was surrounded by a sea of blue and red before kick-off. Around 30,000 Hungary fans had made the journey, while eight per cent of the Icelandic population have travelled to France to witness history — and at the moment it seems like a trip worth making.
They flocked to the Stade Velodrome, an arena with a capacity just five times smaller than that of the whole of Iceland, and they left with a point as Gylfi Sigurdsson’s penalty was cancelled out by a late Birkir Saevarsson own-goal.
Before Sigurdsson’s opener, Iceland started the game full of intent and went close when a long-throw was launched into the box and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson saw his header loop agonisingly over the bar.
Hungary were starting to get some joy too, however, and as Balazs Dzsudzsak cut in from the right it took a brave block to stop his stinging left-foot drive.
Dzsudzsak was proving to be Hungary’s main threat and once again he skipped past his man, only for Ragnar Sigurdsson to deflect his cross just past the post.
However, for all of Iceland and Hungary’s clear efforts in the opening 20 minutes, both sides were lacking the quality to really carve out that golden chance.
Finally, though, after half an hour the first real opening presented itself and when it did it fell to Iceland. Birkir Bjarnason, who scored Iceland’s equaliser against Portugal in their opener, got the ball on the left and his threaded through-ball picked out Johann Gudmundsson, only for the winger to put his effort straight at Gabor Kiraly.
The game felt as if it was opening up and Iceland duly broke the deadlock six minutes before half-time thanks to Sigurdsson.
After winning a corner, Gudmundsson hoisted a cross into the box and Kiraly tried to claim it, but the goalkeeper only managed to spill the ball, resulting in Aron Gunnarsson being clattered by Tamas Kadar. The referee pointed towards the spot and Swansea star Sigurdsson made no mistake by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Knowing that they had to find a way back into the match, Hungary started the second-half full of vim and vigour and a well-worked freekick provided an opening for Laszlo Kleinheisler, but he fired his effort high over the goal.
However for all the pressure they were having to absorb, Iceland were still looking dangerous on the break and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson missed a golden chance to make it 2-0 — although the offside flag was raised to spare his blushes.
As the game moved into the final 20 minutes, Hungary began to throw everything at their opponents, with Dzsudzsak continuing to cause mayhem out wide. The dam looked as though it was about to break and it did so just minutes before the end.
Nemanja Nikolic broke free on the right and his cross could only be turned in by Saevarsson as Iceland suffered 87th minute heartbreak.