Missing Many Of Its Stars, The Premier League Visits US

An eerie quiet had lately befallen the Premier League with its major stars largely taking a break after the European Championship and Copa America tournaments. The transfer window has also been relatively quiet. Things will now perk up just a bit as threadbare travelling sides try to make their owners a quick buck on global tours before starting again in league play.

At least 15 players will be missing from the squad that Manchester City takes to the United States for a three-match tour beginning Tuesday in North Carolina against Scottish champion Celtic. Attendance numbers should still be mind-numbing for a tour which will see the Premier League champions play Barcelona in Florida and AC Milan in New York before the Citizens face Chelsea in a 100,000-seat college football stadium in Ohio in 10 days. With so many players missing from the traveling squad, City fans can celebrate the fact that Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish did not participate in the Euros and will be among the club’s few stars visiting the states. Goalkeeper Ederson, despite a facial injury that kept him out of the Copa and rumors he could be headed to Saudi Arabia before summer’s end, is also on the roster.

Chelsea likewise has a good number of players on the beach, but US supporters should enjoy seeing a host of stars who played little due to injury last season and will be anxious to impress new manager Enzo Maresca on the club’s four-match blitzkrieg starting with Wrexham tomorrow and ending with Real Madrid on August 6th. The long list of formerly walking wounded who will visit the US includes the likes of Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana. Fans will particularly want confirmation that Romeo Lavia is a real person after the expensively purchased midfielder was invisible for virtually the entirety of last season.

Half of the Premier League is touring the US this summer, the other sides including Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton and  Bournemouth. Liverpool will be involved in two high profile matches with Premier League foes. The Reds face Arsenal in a July 31st matchup in Philadelphia before meeting historic rival Manchester United on August 3rd in South Carolina. Despite missing as many as 11 regular team players, Liverpool’s squad will include club legend Mohamed Salah. It could be the last chance for Liverpool US supporters to see the Egyptian superstar in a Reds shirt as the 32-year-old Salah is entering the last year of his contract on Merseyside. Liverpool fans will also be able to get their first look at new Manager Arne Slot. While hampered by the absence of many of his stars, Slot should give audiences some sense of his intended style of play for the club in the post Klopp era.

Arsenal face both Liverpool and Manchester United as part of their whirlwind US visit which begins in California versus fellow Premier League side Bournemouth on Wednesday. The Gunners then stay in California to play Manchester United on Saturday. Arsenal’s announced US squad sees the return of defender Jurrien Timber who suffered a serious knee injury in the Gunners’ first Premier League match next season. Manchester United will announce its squad on Wednesday with the expectation that, as with many of the touring Premier League clubs, it will include a number of young Academy players.

The US matches, while relatively laid back, can provide a breakthrough opportunity for youngsters trying to make a mark. Kobbie Mainoo, for example, saw his first significant minutes last summer for the Red Devils, eventually cracking the club’s Premier League starting lineup and then concluding his 2023/24 season playing for England in the European Championship final.

Euro 24 Final: No Kane Do… Trophy’s Not Coming Home As Spain Prove Lion Tamers; Southgate Resigns

Harry Kane has still not won a trophy in his storied career. England has still not won a major international tournament since 1966 after losing a second consecutive European Championship final on Sunday. Victorious Spain, meanwhile, claimed a record fourth European Championship, taming the Lions of England 2-1.

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the Best Player of the tournament while 17-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal won the Best Young Player award. Nico Williams, who scored the final’s opening goal, also had a breakout tournament for the Spaniards on the opposite wing from Lamal. Spain midfielder Dani Almo was one of six players to jointly lead the tournament with three goals scored. Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella was also an unexpected major contributor to Spain’s winning run and assisted the winner on Sunday.

2024 CHAMPIONS: Spain 🇪🇸#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/8jGoI5ZSv0

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 14, 2024

England, meanwhile, had a few brilliant individual moments this tournament but they were just momentary interruptions to long stretches of non-threatening and often disorganized play. The final match played out much as had most of England’s matches this tournament but for the gutting ending. The Three Lions began sluggishly, offering nothing in attack but managing to bring the normally energetic Spanish down to their own sleep-inducing level of play as the two clubs “battled” to a goalless, joyless first half. In a massive piece of good fortune for the English, Rodri was removed at halftime due to injury. It didn’t matter. England went behind for a fourth consecutive knockout match when 21-year-old Spanish winger Nico Williams scored just two minutes into the second half, Yamal finding his fellow winger for a tournament leading fourth assist. Those hoping England Manager Gareth Southgate might quickly counter and go to one of his super subs, would again be frustrated by the stubborn manager. An ineffective Harry Kane was finally given the hook for semifinal hero Ollie Watkins at the 61-minute mark, shortly after a petulant Jude Bellingham was seen shouting at the England coaching staff for some kind of change. Almost ten minutes later “Cold” Palmer would enter the fray and the young Chelsea star would take little more than two minutes to score an equalizer for England.

Unfortunately, however, the Lions would roar no more. Instead, it was another Premier League player who would help put a dagger in English hopes. Palmer’s Chelsea teammate and Spanish left back Marc Cucarella opened up the England defense, threading a picture-perfect assist to the foot of a sliding Mikal Oyarzabal who scored the 86th minute winner for La Roja. Fate would tease England one more time as Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi missed consecutive rapid-fire headers in the closing moments.

England’s snakebit international tournament form thus continued with neither manager nor players escaping the brickbats of supporters for the latest failure. Southgate’s tactics were again questionable, his lineups unbalanced, and his substitutions always seemed later than would be advised. Several stars underperformed and did not earn the minutes given by the always loyal Southgate. Manchester City’s Phil Foden is perhaps the poster child for underperforming stars, accomplishing nothing the entire tournament despite Southgate giving him more minutes than he deserved. Kane, who seemed to lumber with little effect for most of the tournament, at least found the net three times. Foden was admittedly playing out of position most of the time as Southgate was intent on shoehorning him into a lineup which included Jude Bellingham in Foden’s favored central position. Switching the positioning of Foden and Bellingham for the final, however, had little impact. Bellingham, like Kane, played poorly for most of the tournament but provided two iconic moments with his flying header to win the first group match and then his iconic bicycle kick which saved the day versus Slovakia in the Round of 16.

Entering the tournament, there was much concern over who would line up alongside Declan Rice in England’s midfield. As things played out, Rice was as much the problem himself, the Arsenal man proving careless with the ball even while seldom daring to go forward. Rice’s “go to” move this tournament was an oft-repeated back pass to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

There were a few England players who stepped up this tournament. Palmer and Watkins clearly capitalized on the minutes given them. Ivan Toney and Eberechi Eze also flashed in lesser cameos. Marc Guehi and John Stones were largely solid for England’s back line. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, though uninspiring in the final contest, showed promise of filling the gaping midfield hole lamented by Southgate before and during the tournament.

The England manager did not wait long to announce his resignation from the England post on Tuesday. His legacy is complicated. His style of play, sometimes undecipherable, would frustrate fans. He tended to stay with underperforming players seemingly out of a sense of loyalty. While Sunday’s loss to an impressive Spain side was less painful than the dashed golden opportunity versus Italy four years earlier, there remains a sense that a star-studded lineup once again fell short when victory was within its grasp. A squad which included the best of the Premier League also included the best player from both the Bundesliga (Kane) and La Liga (Bellingham). The draw this tournament was incredibly favorable and Sunday’s finals opponent lost its best player at halftime of a goalless game. The opportunity was great, but the performance was small as England again missed a chance to bring an international trophy back to the land of the game’s origin for the first time since 1966.

🗣️ "Thank you, England."

Southgate says goodbye. #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/UxPN3RAYSl

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 16, 2024

And yet Gareth Southgate’s accomplishments are second only to the manager of that World Cup champion, Alf Ramsey. Since that 1966 championship, England had won only seven  knockout matches in major tournament play. Southgate delivered nine such victories, taking England to the two European championship finals and semifinal and quarterfinal finishes in his two World Cups. Southgate also has been credited with restoring a positive culture around a program reeling upon his arrival in 2016 following the abrupt and messy departure of one match England Manager Sam Allardyce. It remains to be seen whether Southgate’s many critics among England supporters will rue what they wished for.

Euro 24 The Final Awaits: Lions Roar While France Grinds To A Stop; England Versus Spain In Final

England came from behind for a third consecutive knockout match, advancing to Sunday’s European Championship final with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands. Late game heroics have been the norm for The Three Lions who have struggled for long stretches of play during this tournament. Wednesday’s victory was just the second time in six matches that England has won before extra time or penalties.

Important late match substitutions have also been a storyline and the semifinal win was no exception. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins delivered the winner in the 90th minute against the Netherlands after Chelsea’s Cole Palmer threaded a pass through the Dutch defense. Neither player made their appearance until 80 minutes had already gone by as Gareth Southgate again found late hour magic on his bench. Palmer has become a regular second half substitution. Watkins had been an afterthought since a cameo in the group stages. Brentford’s Ivan Toney had been the favored late entering striker in England’s last two matches. The Villa man, however, seemed unsurprised by both his appearance and his heroics, recounting to the media how he had told Palmer before the match how things would end with Palmer setting up his teammate for Watkins’ first goal of the tournament.

The glorious ending was far over the horizon when England started poorly against the Dutch. Just as they had done in their previous two knockout matches, England conceded first. Xavi Simons scored for the Dutch just seven minutes into the match after taking the ball from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and easily beating Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The early wake-up call seemed to rouse the English side to some heretofore little seen attacking play. The equalizer came by way of a penalty kick from Harry Kane at the 18-minute mark after his shot follow-through was interrupted by the Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries’ studs. Shortly thereafter, Dumfries would clear a shot off the line fired by England’s Phil Foden. A resurgent Foden would hit the bar with another shot attempt as England applied pressure through the balance of the first half. After the break, that attacking intent would seem a mirage as England played most of the second half in the manner of previous matches, generating little but snores, and a few catcalls, from English supporters. Palmer and Watkins would then enter and change all that.

The Three Lions now move on to their second consecutive European Championship Final, this time facing Spain in Berlin on Sunday. While England may have the best team on paper, Spain has played like the best team in the tournament to date. Tuesday’s 2-1 win over France marked Spain’s sixth victory in six tournament matches, outscoring opponents by a 13-3 goal margin. Just as England would do the next day, Spain fell behind early in its semifinal match. France’s Kylian Mbappe discarded his mask for the semifinal and flashed some of his brilliance with a cross to find former PSG teammate R. Kolo Muani for a French goal and early lead nine minutes into the match. Suspensions affecting two of its defensive starters saw Spain fielding 38-year-old former Manchester City player Jesus Navas lined up at right back facing the now maskless wonder. Early returns from the mismatch seemed promising for France, but Mbappe would revert to his quieter tournament form until only five minutes remained in the match when he skied a golden opportunity well high of the crossbar. Meanwhile, Spain came back from their early deficit in historic fashion. Lamine Yamal, at 16 years of age, became the youngest goal scorer in Euro history, knotting the match at the 21-minute mark with a rocketed strike from 25 yards out. France midfielder Adrien Rabiot had taunted the young Spanish prodigy in the press leading up to the match and it was fittingly Rabiot who failed to properly close down the Barcelona phenom before Yamal fired his equalizer into the top corner. Just four minutes later Spain would take the lead when Dani Almo scored his third goal of the tournament. Almo, an RB Leipzig midfielder expected to move in the transfer market this summer, became the unlikely Golden Boot leader with his goal, currently besting five other three-time scorers due to Almo’s greater assist total. After 25 minutes of exciting play, the Spaniards uncharacteristically pulled back on the reins and absorbed pressure in an effective match ending strategy almost spoiled by Mbappe’s late opportunity.

While much attention deservedly focused on Yamal’s historic blast and Olmo’s breakout tournament, Spain’s midfield dominated the French. Manchester City midfielder Rodri and midfield partner Fabian Ruiz have had outstanding tournaments and will present a challenge for England’s evolving midfield which now seems to be crystallizing around Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo. Having now consecutively knocked off two of the tournament favorites in Germany and France, Spain will enter the final as favorites against England. Their Spanish opponent will represent a major step up in class for much criticized England Manager Gareth Southgate and his Premier League centric side. The much-maligned Southgate, however, looked like a genius on Wednesday with his substitution of the game winning combination of Watkins and Palmer. With a depth of talent that Southgate often does not seem to know what to do with, there remains the thought that England still has not produced its best game despite progressing to the final.

Can the best team on paper realize its potential to win a first European Championship and its first international tournament victory since 1966’s World Cup, or will Spain win its fourth Euro title, breaking a tie with Germany for the most championships in the history of the competition? UEFA could not have hoped for a better matchup to end this tournament.

Euro 24 Final Four: France Faces Spain; England Faces The Netherlands

The Final Four is set for Euro 24. France faces Spain on Tuesday with England matching up with the Netherlands Wednesday.

France is in a Euro 24 semifinal despite not having scored a goal from the run of play all tournament. The French attack is broken with star Kylian Mbappe suffering though a painful broken nose and a mask which inhibits his vision. No one else has stepped up on France’s front line but an imposing defense, which includes Arsenal center back William Saliba, has posted four clean sheets in France’s five games to date.

🎶 #EURO2024-Vibes ft. @equipedefrance-Fans. 🇫🇷#ESPFRA | @FrenchTeam | @muenchen pic.twitter.com/Vy1YNd6zfL

— UEFA EURO 2024 DE (@EURO2024DE) July 9, 2024

The quarterfinals saw the French prevail over Portugal in penalty kicks after neither club could score through regular time and two extra periods. Joao Felix, a onetime prodigy who was in the Premier League for a brief loan spell with Chelsea two years ago, hit the post with his penalty kick to seal Portugal’s fate as all five French takers were perfect from the spot. Two other gentlemen, however, are perhaps more responsible for Portugal’s exit. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score a goal in this tournament despite playing more minutes for Portugal than any other player but for goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Portugal Manager Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, stubbornly refused to remove the ineffective 39-year-old Portuguese national legend. Even Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was removed late in the match with France, but Cristiano played every one of the 120 minutes leading to penalties even as talented options such as Liverpool’s Diogo Jota watched on from the bench.

France, meanwhile, moves on to face a Spain side which defeated host Germany 2-1 on a soaring header with just over a minute left to extra time by substitute Mikel Merino. Spain has won every one of its matches in this tournament and plays an exciting style in marked contrast to some of the other contenders. The Spaniards employ two young wingers, Nico Williams and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, to provide pace and width. Former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has been an effective Number 9 but strangely made some controversial comments about being underappreciated on the eve of the semifinal. Hopefully, Spain’s togetherness and chemistry is not undermined for Tuesday’s match. Spain will already be without suspended defenders Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand as well as injured Barcelona midfielder Pedri for the semifinal. Tuesday’s outcome could hinge on the fitness of the struggling Mbappe who would normally feast on an undermanned defense. France, however, has somehow been able to survive and advance even as supporters wring their hands at the lack of offensive production.

Much the same can be said of England. The Three Lions defeated Switzerland in penalties after Bukayo Saka equalized the quarterfinal match versus Switzerland at 1-1 in the 80th minute, the Arsenal man’s rocket coming on England’s first shot on target. Saka, who memorably  missed a penalty in Euro 20, would also be one of five successful takers for England against the Swiss. Chelsea’s “Cold” Palmer effortlessly delivered on England’s first penalty try. Jordan Pickford then stopped the attempt of Switzerland and Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji. After Jude Bellingham and Saka converted, it was left to late substitutes Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold to nail things down for England. Brentford’s Toney first successfully converted his patented no look kick after an abbreviated two step approach. Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold, struggling for minutes after a failed experiment in England’s midfield, then buried the winning penalty for a bit of personal redemption.

Ready for another big challenge! 🦁👊#ThreeLions | @NuffieldHealth pic.twitter.com/5fdNcIjz0K

— England (@England) July 8, 2024

England’s defensive effort versus the Swiss will poses a question for England Manager Gareth Southgate approaching Wednesday’s semifinal match versus the Netherlands. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa admirably filled in for suspended Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi as Southgate changed his formation to three back line defenders against the Swiss. Does he change back with Guehi’s return against the Dutch? Luke Shaw also made a late cameo debut against the Swiss and could be ready for increased minutes on the left of England’s defense. England will recognize a familiar center back in their opponents’ back line when Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk captains the Dutch versus England on Wednesday. Van Dijk’s Liverpool and Dutch teammate, Cody Gakpo, is the Euro 24 joint leading scorer. Though not accredited to the winger, it was Gakpo’s shot which deflected off a Türkiye defender for the own goal which decided the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Türkiye in the quarterfinals. An unlikely hero also helped the Netherlands overcome an early one goal deficit versus the Turks. Wout Weghorst, a 6’6” Burnley striker who had a brief 2023 loan at Manchester United, injected life into the Dutch attack with his second half substitution and formidable box presence. The Netherlands was the least likely of the four teams to make this final four but have lost only one of their last nine meetings against the English. Can England reverse that trend, possibly on better efforts from the somnolent Harry Kane and Phil Foden on Wednesday? Or does Southgate finally lose patience with his underperforming stars and go to his bench earlier? 

Euro 24 Update As Quarterfinals Are Set: Moments of Individual Brilliance Put England Through; Portugal Keeper Costa Saves Ronaldo and Pepe; Valiant Underdogs Exit; Clash of Titans as Spain Faces Germany and France Takes On Portugal Friday

The quarterfinal matchups are set and the action resumes Friday after a brief two day pause in the frenetic European Championships.

England returns to the fray on Saturday after nearly reliving the humiliation of its infamous Euro 2016 Round of 16 exit at the hands of  Iceland. England, guilty of yet another sluggish performance, trailed against Slovakia before a bicycle kick by Jude Bellingham in the fifth minute of stoppage time equalized the Round of 16 match. Just moments into extra time, Harry Kane scored to give The Three Lions the lead and the 2-1 margin held up to put the tame Lions into the quarterfinal. Substitutes were key to England’s victory. Cole Palmer injected his usual energy when making his now customary second half appearance. Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze also provided some much-needed pace with his 84th minute substitution. Perhaps making the greatest difference, however, was the seemingly desperate insertion of Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the 94th minute of play. Toney’s run helped clear space for the bicycling heroics of Bellingham just a minute later. The Brentford man would then assist Kane’s header for the winner early in extra time. Normally stodgy England Manager Gareth Southgate pulled out all the stops to breathe late life into his team and get England’s dramatic victory. A particularly bold and effective move was moving Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka from right wing to left back on Palmer’s 66th minute introduction. Toney had not even played in this tournament before jumping into the frantic fight for survival last Sunday. Sadly, only the extreme pressure of pending elimination forced Southgate’s hand to shake things up. Whether the true potential of this squad will be unleashed in this tournament remains unknown, its talent evidenced only in flashes. Fortunately, two of those flashes came on Sunday when Bellingham, La Liga’s Player of the Year, dramatically brought England back into the match and Kane, the Bundesliga leading scorer, sent The Three Lions into the quarterfinals.

Stunning from Jude Bellingham 🤸😲@AlipayPlus | #EUROGOTT pic.twitter.com/0CAWvwhO2W

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 30, 2024

Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and Switzerland will face England after the Swiss eliminated defending champion Italy 2-0 last Saturday. Italy rarely worried a Swiss backline which includes center backs Fabian Schar of Newcastle and Manuel Akanje of Manchester City. The well-organized Swiss came into the match with Italy having played to a 1-1 draw with host country Germany in its final group stage match. England will thus be facing a new level of challenge as Southgate ponders decisions across his lineup and supporters hope for a full 90 minutes of energized play from their heroes. A new headache for Southgate is center back Marc Guehi’s suspension for accumulated yellow cards with Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa anticipated to deputize absent some creative reshuffling by Southgate.

The other quarterfinal on England’s side of the bracket will pit the Netherlands against Türkiye. The Dutch made easy work of overmatched Romania in a 3-0 walkover to advance. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo scored the opener for the Dutch and then assisted on one of two goals by substitute Donyell Malen who plays his club football for Borussia Dortmund. Romania were one of five unexpected upstarts who were eliminated in the Round of 16 after an impressive run though the group stage. Türkiye will face the Netherlands after eliminating another one of those surprising sides in Austria. The Turks prevailed 2-1 over an overachieving Austrian club guided by former Manchester United Manager Ralf Rangnick. The Austrians were stunned by a Turkish goal in the first minute of play, the quickest goal in Euro knockout stage history, but showed resilience by pressing the Turks throughout the balance of the match, firing 21 shots and controlling 60% of the possession. Unfortunately, only five of the Austrian shots were on target. The scorer of the early shock goal for Türkiye, Meriah Demiral, added a second in the 59th minute which proved to be the winner as Austria reduced the margin to a single goal seven minutes later. Turkish goalkeeper Mert Gunok ensured his side would move on to the quarterfinal with an exceptional save in the 95th minute.

A goalkeeper was the star in Portugal’s victory over a stubborn Slovenia side in penalty kicks. Slovenia had played England to a goalless draw in their final group game and the 57th ranked side held the Portuguese scoreless through 90 minutes and extra time. Atletico Madrid Goalkeeper Jan Oblak stopped a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty kick in extra time to create the shootout scenario. Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa would stop Slovenia’s first attempt. Ronaldo, with his frustration building throughout this tournament, then buried his second spot kick opportunity of the match against Oblak. Costa stopped Slovenia’s second try. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes converted Portugal’s second attempt. The 24-year-old Costa proved invincible as he made yet another save on Slovenia’s third try. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva then clinched Portugal’s with his side’s third successive conversion. Costa’s three saves in penalties capped an outstanding performance which also saw Costa stop a breakaway shot by Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko after 41-year-old Portuguese defender Pepe gave the ball away in the final minutes of extra time. Ronaldo and Pepe both owe extra kudos to their young goalkeeper.

Up next for Portugal is France on Friday in one of the two matches featuring tournament favorites on the power side of the bracket. France squeezed by Belgium in the Round of 16 on an 85th minute own goal by Belgian and former Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen. France has advanced to these quarterfinals with just two own goals and a penalty kick representing the entirety of its production. Kylian Mbappe, expected to be a Golden Boot contender, has France’s penalty kick but his contributions have been limited by a broken nose. Line mate Antoine Griezmann is so far missing in action for the French. Criticism for the underwhelming performance of the French side has been raining upon Manager Didier Deschamps much as England Manager Gareth Southgate has been pilloried in the English press.

The other quarterfinal on the power side of the bracket Friday has host country Germany facing Spain in a clash of the tournament’s highest scoring teams to date. Germany advanced with a 2-0 defeat of Denmark last Saturday. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz put Germany ahead with a penalty kick after Crystal Palace and Denmark defender Joachim Anderson was whistled for a handball in the box. The luckless Andersen had just moments earlier had a goal disallowed on an offside call. Jamal Musiala would score Germany’s second goal of the match as the Bayern Munich man became the joint Golden Boot leader with his third goal of the tournament. Germany has ten goals to date as a team. Their Saturday opponent, Spain, has nine goals after a 4-1 demolition of Georgia. The Georgians joined Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, and Romania in the group of surprising upstarts eliminated in the initial knockout stage. Spain, meanwhile, remains perfect with four wins in four matches. The Spaniards can be electrifying with young wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal terrifying defenders with their speed. Commanding the midfield for the Spaniards is Manchester City’s Rodri while his teammate with the Citizens, center back Aymeric Laporte, is part of a back line that includes Chelsea left back Marc Cucarella.

Spain, Germany, France and Portugal will be trying to avoid being one of the two tournament favorites who will be eliminated on the power side of the bracket on Friday. As for the fate of England Saturday on the junior side of the bracket… who knows? 

Euro 24: Tale of Two Brackets

The English press may have no use for Gareth Southgate, but the scheduling gods certainly have a soft spot for the English Manager. After an entirely uninspiring series of three group matches, the path through the knockout stage seems paved with gold for the Premier League centric squad. There is a definite disparity between the two sides of the Euro 24 bracket. On one side are tournament front runners Germany, Spain, France and Portugal. On the other side of the bracket is…England. Despite all the often-warranted criticism levelled at the English team, Southgate’s squad did top their division, something that France failed to do. By winning the group, England faces Slovakia rather than Germany in its Round of 16 match.

Things are not all rosy for England, of course. There is the small matter of their non-existent attack which was expected to be a strength entering this tournament. Jude Bellingham has disappeared after scoring in England’s opening match. Harry Kane opened the scoring in the second match before becoming his otherwise anonymous self in these European Championships. Bellingham has not been creating from his Number 10 position. Harry Kane has been continually dropping back into the midfield rather than being the point of England’s spear. Phil Foden appears lost on the left wing as he enviously watches Bellingham patrol Foden’s desired turf in the center of things. Cole Palmer, even in limited minutes, provided more than Bukayo Saka on the right of the attack when the Chelsea star was finally given a chance late against Slovenia. Anthony Gordon came on with Palmer and looked a much better option than Foden on the left side.

Still and all, the grinding, painful to watch goalless draw with Slovenia was all England needed to claim the top spot in its group and ease its path forward. In fairness to England, its desultory form was partly attributable to group opponents who were quite happy to sit back and absorb pressure, not having the weapons to go forward as the English are at least thought to possess. Breaking such opponents down requires creativity, such as the seldom used Palmer can potentially provide, and pace which Gordon can surely provide.

Ironically, England’s outmatched Round of 16 opponent, Slovakia, might well be expected to come out in a low block as well. Should England advance, their possible quarterfinal opponent in either Italy or Switzerland are also clubs which present more defensive solidity than attacking flair and will have stopping England’s attack at the top of their to do list. Italy, of course, knocked England out of Euro 20 in game deciding penalty kicks after a grinding 1-1 deadlock. England may not face a club willing to come out and play with them until reaching the final against one of the other tournament favorites. Given the stakes at that point, both finalists may play conservatively. If England can slog through to such a final, Southgate should get some plaudits despite the seemingly easy path on paper.

Some of the powers on the other side of the bracket have failed to cover themselves in glory this tournament. France fell to second in its group when Manager Didier Deschamp’s squad drew 1-1 with an already eliminated Poland in France’s final group match. The French press is as unhappy with Deschamps’ unimaginative approach as the English are with Southgate. The French, like the English, drew twice after an opening win and scored just two goals in group play. Kylian Mbappe’s broken nose contributed to that. Unbroken was a France defense which allowed just a single goal over those three matches. Arsenal’s William Saliba has emerged as a monster in back for France after a long stint in Deschamps’ doghouse. Former Chelsea star N’Golo Kante has been a feel-good story in a triumphant return to France’s midfield. Unlike England, France fell victim to an overperforming side in their group.

Austria shocked the Netherlands 3-2 in their final group match to leapfrog over France with a second win of the tournament while the Frenchmen were drawing with puckish Poland. Former Manchester United and current Austria Manager Ralf Rangnick is being acclaimed as a hero after leading his club to the top of the group over more highly regarded France and the Netherlands. Austria and the Netherlands could now face a rematch in the weaker side of the bracket should the two sides survive their next matches versus Türkiye and Romania, respectively.

France, on the strong other side of the bracket, will face Belgium before a possible quarterfinal matchup with Portugal. The Portuguese, another tournament favorite, turned in an ugly performance in their final group match. Manager Roberto Maritnez made eight changes to rest numerous players against Georgia on Wednesday. Portugal had already clinched the top spot in its group and had nothing to play for from a seeding standpoint. The momentum of a team playing well in the tournament was shattered, however, in a 2-0 loss to Georgia. Numerous starters will now return to the pitch as Portugal will try to regain its form against Slovenia in the Round of 16. Success there could lead to that glamor match with France.

The other quarterfinal on the strong side of the bracket could feature a tantalizing Spain versus Germany matchup. Spain was the only club to win all three of its group matches and now faces surprising Georgia in the knockout stage. Italy also advanced from Spain’s Group of Death which saw Croatia fail to advance after two heartbreaking draws in which the Croatians conceded the tying goals against Albania and Italy in the 95th and 98th minutes, respectively. Luka Modric exits the tournament after he became the oldest player to score in the European Championships in Croatia’s draw with the Italians.

Germany’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland ignited a debate familiar to Premier League fans. Kai Havertz has begun missing chances in recent matches reminiscent of his days at Chelsea. Niclas Fullkrug, a true striker for Borussia Dortmund, entered the match versus Switzerland in the 76th minute and delivered the equalizer in stoppage time, his second goal of the tournament as a substitute. Will Manager Julian Nagelsmann adjust his line-up to incorporate a true striker when the Germans face Denmark on Saturday? 

Euro 24 Second Group Stage Matches: England Sputters; Poland Punted; Host Germany Rolls; Spain Ekes by Italy in Group of Death; Ronaldo Ties Assist Record; Belgium Creates Group Chaos

England, unbeaten in the tournament to date, was subject to a storm of criticism after an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Denmark. Harry Kane scored his first goal of the tournament to give England an early lead over the Danes at the 18-minute mark. The Three Lions, however, then appeared to go into a defensive shell and seldom threatened for the balance of the match. Kane himself helped to negate his early scoring strike. The English captain gave the ball away to trigger Denmark’s match tying counter. The pursuant long-range launch by Denmark’s Morten Hjulmand found the net for ironically the longest Euros goal since Denmark similarly victimized England from range in their Euro 20 semifinal. England would come back in that match to win on a Kane goal in extra time.

Heroics were not to be found on Wednesday, however, as the match would end with the sides tied at a goal apiece. A desperate substitution, whereby Southgate lifted all three of his forward players with 20 minutes to play, failed to yield results. As in their first match, a win over Serbia, England’s midfield was muddled, and its attack lacked cohesion. Trent Alexander-Arnold was lifted for Conor Gallagher for a second straight match after the Liverpool defender again seemed uncomfortable in an unaccustomed position and in his partnership with Declan Rice. The experiment to make Alexander-Arnold a full-time England midfielder appears to be a failure.

What comes next in England’s midfield is an open question with Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton all representing potential next steps as Southgate continues to tinker with the crucial engine of his lineup in the midst of a major tournament. England fans were both perplexed and outraged after Southgate lamented the difficulty of replacing Kalvin Phillips in the center of The Three Lions midfield. After a lengthy period of invisibility buried on the Manchester City bench, Phillips could not crack the West Ham line-up this past Premier League season. Surely, England can do better. Southgate has also been playing Phil Foden and Kieran Trippier out of position as the manager seems to be treating this tournament as a science experiment. Undefeated England is still on course to advance and could be a threat in the tournament if they can figure things out.

Poland, however, is out of time. The Poles became the first team to leave Germany when France and Netherlands played to a goalless draw, mathematically eliminating a Poland side which was hammered 3-1 by Austria on Friday for its second tournament loss. France faces Poland in its final group stage match with the French needing a win to top the group and a draw to clinch second. Despite former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante controlling the midfield for France, the Frenchmen still could have lost the match but for a controversial interference decision by English referee Anthony Taylor which disallowed a potential Netherlands winner. English VAR official Stuart Atwell declined to have Taylor take another look at the questionable call which found an offside, yet seemingly uninvolved, Dutch player to have interfered with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan on the goal. France’s attack, meanwhile, was pedestrian without the keen goal sniffing nose of the injured Kylian Mbappe. They should be fine to advance without him, but he is clearly needed if they are to make any noise in the knockout stage.

A team continuing to make noise is host Germany. While favored by some betters for their clear home advantage, Germany had not impressed in recent international tournaments. They have looked the best of any contenders in their first two matches in this tournament, however. The Germans followed up their opening 5-1 demolition of Scotland by defeating Hungary 2-0 in their second match to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage. Former Manchester City and current Barcelona player Ilkay Gundogan assisted on Jamal Musiala’s opening score and then found the net himself for the insurance goal in Germany’s win. Germany’s seven goals after two matches now exceeds their total output across Euro 20. Hungary lost for a second time despite a bright performance from Liverpool midfielder and Hungarian captain Dominik Szoboszlai.

One of the best tournament performances to date was put in by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in a losing effort versus Spain. The PSG keeper had eight saves to frustrate a Spanish side which launched 20 shots in total to the Italians’ meager four attempts on the day. An own goal by Riccardo Calafiori, however, proved the Italians undoing and qualified Spain for the knockout stage as group winners. Italy, meanwhile, now needs a result versus Croatia on Monday if it is to survive the Group of Death.

Portugal punched its ticket for the next round, becoming the third team to qualify with a 3-0 waltz over Turkiye. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva scored the opening goal before Türkiye committed just the second own goal by a team from outside its own box in the history of the Euros on an incredibly poor back pass from distance. Cristiano Ronaldo then became the joint all-time Euro assists leader by setting up Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes for the match’s final goal.

Belgium established Euro history in its last match, infamously being victim to the tournaments’ greatest upset. To their credit, the Red Devils responded and have a chance to advance after a 2-0 win on Saturday over Romania. Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne provided Belgium’s first goals of the tournament in the win. With Ukraine beating Slovakia 2-1 on Friday, all four teams in Group E now have three points and qualification will come down to Belgium’s match versus the Ukrainians and Slovakia’s battle with Romania, both matches to occur simultaneously this coming Wednesday. 

Down Goes Belgium: Slovakia Notches Greatest Upset in Euro History; Albania Scores Fastest Goal in Euro History; Eriksen Makes Emotional Euro Return; Germany and Spain Dominate; England, France Meh; Mbappe Injured; Portugal Narrowly Escapes

The Golden Generation for Belgium no longer glitters. An aging roster which still includes stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku tripped out of the gate on Monday. The Red Devils, third in the FIFA rankings, were defeated 1-0 by 48th ranked Slovakia in the greatest upset in Euro history based on the difference in ranking. Ivan Schranz scored in the seventh minute for Slovakia’s goal. Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku turned the ball over in Belgium’s end. An ensuing Slovakian shot was then parried by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels into the path of Schranz and the rest was literally history. Belgian Manager Domenico Tedesco will be left to rue whether goalkeeper Thibault Courtois would have done better. Courtois, who has had past run-ins with the manager, was controversially left off the squad just weeks after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. Martin Dubravka, with over 150 matches in goal for Newcastle United, backstopped a tenacious Slovakia defense in preserving the clean sheet. One-time Premier League goal scorer Romelu Lukaku, still a Chelsea property though having played in Italy the past two seasons, revived memories of his futile World Cup performance in 2022. Lukaku missed several first half opportunities for an equalizer and then had two second half goals ruled out on VAR review. Group E is now in chaos as the Belgian loss followed Romania’s 3-0 upset of Ukraine earlier on Monday. Romania was ranked 24 places below Ukraine in the FIFA rankings.

Host Country Germany opened Euro 24 with the biggest win on the weekend. The Germans demolished Scotland 5-1 in a serious statement of intent which reflected the most lopsided scoreline for an opening match of a European Championship. Five different players, including Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, scored for Germany. Scotland was already down 2-0 when Havertz made it three with a penalty kick in first half stoppage time after a red card saw the Scots go down to 10 men.

Perfect start to the tournament. Straight into the next one! #euro2024 @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/s9ANcX4Xzn

— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) June 14, 2024

France, another tournament favorite, received a scare in its 1-0 opening win over Austria when Kylian Mbappe was struck in the face by an Austrian shoulder late in Monday’s match. The Frenchman’s nose was shattered but fortunately for the French it appears Mbappe will avoid surgery which could have ended his tournament. A presumably masked Mbappe, however, remains a doubt for the final two group stage matches. France was far from dominant in its win against the disciplined Austrian side directed by former Manchester United Manager Ralf Rangnick. A 38th minute Mbappe cross was deflected into the net by Austrin defender, and Leeds United man, Max Wober.

England was also less than impressive in winning by the same 1-0 score over Serbia. An otherwise lackluster match featured an electric goal off the head of an airborne Jude Bellingham for England’s winner.

No team in England’s group scored more than a goal as Slovenia and Denmark played to a 1-1 draw. An inspiring moment was provided early in the Denmark match when Christian Eriksen scored in the 17th minute of his return to the tournament where he fell victim to cardiac arrest three years ago in COVID delayed Euro 20. The Manchester United midfielder now plays with an internal defibrillator. The feel-good story was partially spoiled when Slovenia equalized in the 77th minute on Erik Janza’s deflected shot past former Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Spain scored all three of its goals in the first half of play in an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia in the tournament’s Group of Death. Assisting on Spain’s third goal of the first half was Lamine Yamal who became the youngest player to appear in a European Championship. Spain now moves on to face defending champion Italy in its second group match.

The Italians faced the earliest deficit in Euro history on Saturday when Albania’s Nedim Bajrami found the net in the first 23 seconds. Undaunted, the Italians rebounded to take a 2-1 lead by the 16th minute. That score held as the Albanians never had another shot on target.

Portugal narrowly avoided becoming the first tournament favorite to fall in the first round of group play. Czechia was defeating the star-studded Portugal team in the 62nd minute on Tuesday with Lukas Provod having scored with Czechia’s only shot on target. A reversal, however, was imminent for the Czechs. An own goal by Czechia tied the game in the 69th minute. After a possible Portuguese winner in regulation was ruled offside, a resurgent Portugal found the net again in stoppage time to take all three points with their 2-1 come from behind victory. Twenty-one year-old Francisco Conceicao, a late substitute, scored his first international goal for the winner in a match where Portugal’s’ 41 year-old Pepe became the oldest player to participate in the Euros and 39 year-old Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in a record sixth consecutive European Championship.

Euro 24 Begins

Euro 24 begins play Friday with 24 teams competing in Germany to win Europe’s premier international tournament. There will be matches every day to the conclusion of the group stage on June 26th. The top two clubs in each of six groups, along with the four best third place finishers, will advance to the Round of 16 knockout stage which begins on June 29th. The final is July 14th in Berlin. Over 100 Premier League players, led by 14 Manchester City participants, populate the rosters of the competing national teams, more than 40% concentrated in the top five favorites for the title: England, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.

Host nation Germany opens the competition Friday versus Scotland. Ironically, the match will be played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena where Julian Nagelsmann once managed the iconic German club before an ignominious dismissal. A Euro championship would do wonders for the young manager’s redemption arc. The Germans, despite their home advantage for the tournament, remain fragile despite some encouraging recent results under Nagelsmann. Die Mannschaft did not make it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups and was knocked out in the Round of 16 in Euro 20. The Germans, like Arsenal, will attempt to use Kai Havertz at striker for lack of better options. Former Manchester City and current Bayen Munich star Leroy Sane is nursing an injury, a damaging blow as the speedy Sane is one of the few players with pace on the German side.

Spain’s opening match on Saturday could be one of the more challenging this weekend as La Roja faces an aging but still dangerous Croatia. Spain is always a threat with its technically proficient possession-based style though it joins Croatia and Italy, along with Albania, in what is regarded as this tournament’s “Group of Death.” Manchester City star Rodri is a dominant figure in a Spain’s midfield which is the strength of the team. The Spaniards lack scoring punch, however, evidenced in an unhealthy dependency on team captain and former Chelsea and current Atletico Madrid forward Alvaro Morata. Spain’s 16-year-old Lamine Yamal is poised to become the Euro’ youngest player ever to appear in the tournament.

Getting Ready 💪🏾🔥 #euro2024 pic.twitter.com/camKdpK0Tr

— Lamine Yamal 🇪🇸 (@LamineeYamal) June 14, 2024

England takes to the pitch on Sunday versus Serbia. The Three Lions are favored by many to take home some long awaited silverware to their island nation. England came tantalizingly close when it lost in penalties to Italy the last time this tournament was staged. The star-studded English roster includes Bundesliga scoring leader Harry Kane, Premier League Player of the Year Phil Foden and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham who was voted the outstanding player by fans for a Real Madrid side which swept to Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles this past season. England has multiple weapons in attack, the potential to be quite good in midfield and an injury riddled back line which could prove its downfall.

An imposing France squad is led by perhaps the world’s best player in Kylian Mbappe. The young Frenchman, currently in transition from PSG to Real Madrid, is co-favorite with Kane to walk off with the tournament’s Golden Boot. The ageless Olivier Giroud, a former Premier League star for Arsenal and Chelsea, is expected to start alongside Mbappe in the 37-year-old’s likely last appearance for his country. Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate should start at center back for the Frenchmen but Arsenal center back William Saliba, one of the Premier League’s best defenders, has surprisingly found it difficult to crack Manager Didier Deschamps lineup. France opens against Austria on Monday.

A dangerous Portugal squad includes the timeless Cristiano Ronaldo returning from the sands of Saudi Arabia to compete in his sixth European Championship. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Manchester City teammates Bernardo Silva and Ruben Diaz lend a Premier League flavor to the Euro 2016 winners.

Defending champion Italy is a longshot for this tournament though their 2021 win was a surprise as well. The Italians have said goodbye to legendary defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chellini while former  West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca will need to have a big tournament if Italy is to pose a threat. 

England Rocked By Iceland

It was a most unfriendly friendly at Wembley Stadium on Friday when England’s tune-up for the upcoming Euros showed a squad seemingly not ready to face the giants of Europe in less than two weeks. A 1-0 loss to Iceland, ranked 72nd in the world, revived painful memories of England’s elimination from Euro 2016 at the hands of the small nation. This was just a friendly, but highlighted there is much work to do before England can be taken seriously as a Euro 2024 contender.

The Three Lions were able to manage just one shot on target at Wembley. Supporters, of course, will question Southgate’s squad selections which saw former England stars such as Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish left off this current version representing God and country. The midfield combination of Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice did not mesh and the 19-year-old Mainoo was caught out of position on the Iceland goal. Mainoo could see his place taken by Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher. Gallagher went unused against Iceland after playing 90 minutes versus Bosnia & Herzegovina. Trent Alexander-Arnold could also be in play to move in beside Rice but that seems a risky move in front of a shaky back line. Alexander-Arnold offers intriguing offensive possibilities but has never been a strong defender.

Emerging Crystal Palace player Adam Wharton, relatively untested at the international level, presents another possible but unlikely option. The beleaguered England back line has even more concerns after John Stones suffered an ankle injury in the first half. A rusty Stones had already been partially complicit in Iceland’s goal before his injury. If Stones misses time, a back line already missing Harry Maguire is thrust into further chaos. The center back tandem of Ezri Konza and Marc Guehi did not inspire confidence with Guehi’s wobbly performance versus Iceland particularly worrisome as he had been counted on to take a large step forward in the upcoming competition.

Southgate’s decision to cut Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite could come back to haunt the manager. Branthwaite’s omission from the squad surprised many with pundit Jamie Carragher dramatically (perhaps ridiculously….) calling out Southgate for cutting a young center back who represents “England’s present and future.” Brighton center back Lewis Dunk, still recovering from an injury, is unlikely to be anyone’s idea of a savior.

Left back also remains a headache for Southgate. Luke Shaw is not yet ready to play and the use on the left of right footed right back Kieran Trippier appeared the patchwork solution that it was on Friday. Fortunately, there should be hope that the England attack will be better in the coming weeks. Jude Bellingham has yet to join the squad following Real Madrid’s Champions League final and he should hopefully bring some energy and cohesion going forward. His return will likely displace Phil Foden to the left of England’s attack after the Premier League’s Player of the Year struggled in the Number 10 role versus Iceland. Both Foden and striker Harry Kane were uncharacteristically poor on Friday and better things should be expected from both going forward. It must be admitted, however, that Foden has never shined for England in the manner that he has for his Premier League club.

A pleasant problem for Southgate to have is where Cole Palmer now fits in the squad. The Chelsea star was one of the few top performers for England in this latest match. Does Palmer start for England in place of Bukayo Saka? Newcastle’s Aaron Gordon’s seems destined for the bench despite some brief flashes before he was replaced by Saka in the 65th minute of Friday’s loss. Saka is still managing through a muscle injury suffered late in the Premier League season.

The many decisions for England’s manager must unfortunately be made without the benefit of more on pitch evidence and experimentation before the curtain rises on Euro 24. England begins play versus Serbia in just six days.