Israel crash out of Euros
– Israel’s hopes of reaching the European Championships for the first time against the background of bloody conflict at home were shattered by a 4-1 defeat to Iceland on Thursday while Ukraine stayed on course for the finals with a last-gasp comeback.
Due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas, Israel’s tie was switched to Budapest and their hopes of making the finals of any major competition for the first time since the 1970 World Cup enjoyed a confident start.
On the half-hour mark, Daniel Leo Gretarsson was punished for bringing down Eran Zahavi.
The veteran Israeli striker picked himself up to steer his penalty past Hakon Valdimarsson in the Iceland goal.
The lead lasted less than 10 minutes, however, when Genoa’s Albert Gudmundsson curled in a free-kick to equalise.
Just three minutes before halftime Iceland, who made the quarterfinals at the 2016 Euros, were ahead.
Gudmundsson swept over a corner and midfielder Arnor Ingvi Traustason was on hand to lash the ball home off a deflection which wrong-footed Israel goalkeeper Omri Glazer.
In the 83rd minute Gudmundsson grabbed his second of the night after a surging run and then completed his hat-trick as the clock ran down.
“It’s very disappointing. We were one goal ahead and then we conceded two easy goals before half-time,” said Glazer.
“It’s never easy when it’s 11 against 10, and sometimes you miss a penalty. Then we gambled more. We lost, and we need to look in the mirror at what we did well, and what not so well.”
Iceland will now face Ukraine on Tuesday with the winner to claim a spot in the finals.
“We were lacking goals earlier in qualification last year, and now we have Albert Gudmundsson back, and he showed that he’s a class player,” said Iceland coach Age Hareide (above).
Ukraine’s hopes of making it to successive Euros were kept alive after a dramatic and late comefrom-behind 2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica.
Wales will face Poland for a place in the finals after powering to a 4-1 win against Finland in Cardiff.
Poland, bidding to play in a fourth successive Euros, crushed Estonia 5-1 with goals from Przemyslaw Frankowski, Piotr Zielinski, Jakub Piotrowski, Nicola Zalewski and Sebastian Szymanski.