Thrilling second half a Dutch treat
Unheralded Netherlands puts on show on offence, England opens with win
There wasn’t much talk about the Netherlands going into Euro 2020.
The Dutch had not qualified for a major tournament since finishing third at the 2014 World Cup, and coach Frank de Boer knew going in that his squad wasn’t among the favourites — “between the fourth and eighth” strongest team, he said.
Some observers considered that a generous assessment, and many believe de Boer is part of the problem.
Well, if we weren’t talking about the Netherlands before, we certainly are now.
The Dutch and Ukraine put on the first thriller of the tournament Sunday: the first game in European championship history with five goals scored in the second half after a scoreless first.
The Netherlands jumped ahead with two goals in six minutes shortly after halftime. They’d need a third to seal a 3-2 victory after conceding in the 75 and 79 minutes — including a goal-of-the-tournament contender from Andriy Yarmolenko.
The Dutch did more than enough the rest of the game to bolster their reputation. De Boer’s aggressive 3-5-2 formation, incisive passing up front, endlessly energy and resiliency now make them a team to watch. There are still areas to shore up, including defending down the left side. But Ukraine is no slouch, with a very good shot at second place in Group C, and the Netherlands handled them with ease for the most part. á One for England: England’s1-0 win over Croatia to start the day in Group D was a comprehensive victory, in large part because of Kalvin Phillips.
The 25-year-old midfielder, coming off his first English Premier League season with Leeds United, made something out of nothing to feed Raheem Sterling for his 57th-minute goal. Phillips made a run in behind three Croatian defenders to latch on to a ball up the right wing from Kyle Walker. He then danced past another defender, cut into the middle and found himself wide open to feed Sterling near the penalty spot.
Phillips showed no fear of tackles throughout the match and completed 91 per cent of his 34 passes. It’s that coupling of grit and grace that England will need from its younger players for a deep run.
Despite pleas by the team after similar incidents recently, sections of fans in the crowd of about 20,000 at Wembley Stadium booed England players for taking a knee against racism before the game. Croatia’s players didn’t kneel.
Later, a fan was taken to hospital in serious condition after a fall from the stands. No further details were released by late Sunday. á Debutant ball: Austria’s 3-1 win over North Macedonia in the other Group C game didn’t reflect a solid 78 minutes from the debutants before they conceded two late goals.
It was fitting that 37-year-old striker Goran Padev, the captain and heart of the squad, scored North Macedonia’s first goal ever at a European championship. For a while the team’s organization and energy looked like enough to earn a result, but North Macedonia could keep it up for the full 90 minutes. á Sidelined: Portugal’s Joao Cancelo was ruled out for the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. The Manchester City defender was isolating and doing well, according to his country’s federation. The rest of Portugal’s players and entourage tested negative, and Cancelo was replaced by 22year-old Diogo Dalot. Portugal opens Tuesday against Hungary ... The Belgians are also down a right back for the rest of Euro 2020, after Timothy Castagne suffered a double eye socket fracture during Belgium’s 3-0 win over Russia on Saturday. á French feud: France’s shot at making good on its status as tournament favourite may hinge of whether its players can get along. It’s not off to a great start.
Trouble has been brewing between strikers Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé. Giroud told the press after last Tuesday’s 3-0 friendly win over Bulgaria that he could have scored more than two goals if he’d had better service. Some took that as a direct jab at Mbappé, who didn’t celebrate with the rest of the team after one of Giroud’s goals. On Sunday, Mbappé said he was “a little affected” by the fallout from his teammate’s comment.
“It’s more about releasing it publicly,” Mbappé told reporters. “I saw him in the dressing room, I congratulated him on his goals, he didn’t say anything to me. I heard about it in the press. That’s more (important) than what he said. He didn’t say anything bad.”
Dressing room unrest has stalled France before, so it’s up to manager Didier Deschamps to nip the issue in the bud before opening against Germany on Tuesday.
While Giroud ranks No. 2 on France’s all-time goals list, the striker may want to think twice about picking fights with Mbappé, arguably the best player in the world. With Karim Benzema, a potential Giroud replacement, declaring himself “100 per cent fit” after sustaining a knee injury in that Bulgaria match, Giroud could find himself the odd man out if the turmoil persists. á On the docket: After getting a glimpse of Croatia’s stale performance against England, Scotland and the Czech Republic should have renewed energy in the fight for second place in Group D. Their battle begins Monday at 9 a.m. So too does Group E action, with Robert Lewandowski and Poland looking to start off on the right foot against Slovakia at noon, and new-look Spain taking on Zlatan Ibrahimovic-less Sweden at 3 p.m.