Icemen cometh... and Roy’s never going to forget it
1 Euro 2016, round of 16 NOT many results send shockwaves through the football world.
But Iceland’s surprise victory over England in the Euro 2016 knockout stages in France is a day few in the sport will forget.
And as England prepare to face the tiny nation of 335,000 people once again on Saturday in the Nations League, who can blame Iceland for still basking in the glory of that win?
Victorious Iceland marched into the quarter-final of a major tournament for the first time in their history, and beating England in Nice remains a moment of huge pride for a country more famed for fishing than football.
The Iceland team that turned up on the sunny Cote d’azur cost just £16million while Roy Hodgson’s side – led by captain Wayne Rooney – was packed with Premier League stars whose combined cost was £120m.
The imbalance didn’t stop there. While Hodgson’s stars were from English giants such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham, none of Iceland’s warriors were from Europe’s big clubs.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, then with Swansea, was their most recognisable export.
Warriors
And while Hodgson chopped and changed to navigate through the group stages Iceland fielded the same starting team in all five games they played.
The Icelanders also arrived without the kind of fitness, conditioning, nutrition and psychological support staff in England’s travelling entourage, relying on spirit rather than science.
And it worked. Even though England’s progress through their group in France was mediocre – mundane draws with Russia and Slovakia flanking a narrow 2-1 win over Wales – they nevertheless squeezed into the knockout stage.
And they were clear favourites to beat Iceland’s minnows in the last 16 and set up a quarter-final against hosts France.
For their part, Iceland were already punching above their weight well before meeting the Three Lions at the Stade de Nice.
They came from a goal down against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal – semifinalists at Euro 2012 – to earn an impressive opening group-stage draw.
And they followed up by drawing with Hungary and beating Austria in their last match to confirm their clash with England.
Having left Rooney, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling on the bench for the drab draw with Slovakia, Hodgson fielded his strongest- possible side against Iceland with England favourites for a routine win.
Better
And England couldn’t have asked for a better start as they were awarded a fourth- minute penalty after keeper Hannes Halldorsson – a filmmaker – upended Sterling on an England raid. Rooney slammed home the spotkick and England looked to be sitting pretty.
Within two minutes, though, Hodgson’s world started to implode. Cardiff
City’s Aron Gunnarsson – Iceland’s long-throw specialist – launched the ball into England’s box, defender Kari Arnason flicked it on and fellow centre- back Ragnar Sigurdsson equalised.
It got worse after 18 minutes when Joe Hart blundered, failing to stop Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s shot from the edge of the area as England’s world began to cave in.
Hodgson’s stars, lacking cohesion and quality, huffed and puffed to find a way back but Swedish manager Lars Lagerback had organised Iceland superbly and they stood firm.
Hodgson (left) resigned immediately afterwards, but the bitter defeat brought a silver lining.
Gareth Southgate was installed as manager to oversee the start of a bright new era for a youthful England team that’s still a work in progress.