Daily Archives: June 18, 2024

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku endures another painful 90 minutes at a major tournament

Romelu Lukaku wants to be considered one of the best strikers in the world and, by most metrics, he is. The 31-year-old has been a consistent scorer at every club he has played for and has had moments when he has appeared world-class. Unfortunately, the Belgian is prone to performances like Monday’s against Slovakia, when he looked a long way short of that exalted level while his team surprisingly lost 1-0 in their opening Euro 2024 group game. Domenico Tedesco’s side arrived at this tournament unbeaten in 14 matches (10 wins) and with an attacking plan catering to Lukaku’s strengths. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Romania 3 Ukraine 0: Stanciu’s scorcher, defensive steel and a memorable Romanian triumph


Romania returned to the European Championship in rip-roaring style with a historic victory over Ukraine in Munich. Edward Iordanescu’s side failed to qualify for Euro 2020 and had only scored three goals in a European Championship match once before, during their famous 3-2 win over England at Euro 2000, but in Munich, they got their Euro 2024 campaign off to the perfect start courtesy of goals from Nicolae Stanciu, Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Guardian – ‘Radical change’: resurgent Romania seek to forge new legacy at Euro 2024