Daily Archives: June 30, 2024

England 2 Slovakia 1 – Southgate’s side scrape through, Bellingham to the rescue, tactical questions remain

“England edged past Slovakia to reach the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, but only after staring a humiliating defeat in the face. Anyone hoping for an improved version of England in the knockout stages was left sorely disappointed during a disjointed and dispiriting first half. Sloppy defending from Gareth Southgate’s team let Slovakia in on several occasions in the first 20 minutes, a foreshadowing of the opening goal from Ivan Schranz on 25 minutes — the 30-year-old taking advantage of acres of space to slot past Jordan Pickford. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Black Shirts and Banned Flags: Ultras Push Politics at Euro 2024


Members of the Carpathian Brigade, a Hungarian ultras group, at a match between Hungary and Switzerland during Euro 2024 this month. The group often echoes the rhetoric of their country’s prime minister, Viktor Orban.
“The instructions were concise and clear. Those hoping to march to the stadium with Hungary’s fans for their soccer team’s first game of the European Championship were expected to report by 10 a.m. sharp, five hours before kickoff. A strict dress code would apply. Some could wear black. Others were to stick with red, white and green, the colors of the country’s flag. Under no circumstances was there to be any flashiness. ‘Gaudy colors, clown hats and bagpipes’ were all prohibited. They were, prospective marchers were reminded, ‘going to a soccer stadium, not a circus.’ …”
NY Times

The Euro 2024 Adidas ball: Microchipped, slippery – and very quick

“People talking balls at international football tournaments is as old as inflating pigs’ bladders, and sometimes just as attractive. But it is slightly unusual for people to talk as much about the ball as they have about the Adidas Fussballliebe Pro EURO 2024 match ball, to give it its full name, as they have in Germany of late. The last ball to attract this much attention was the Adidas Jabulani, the official ball at the 2010 World Cup, but while that thermally bonded lump of polyurethane was loathed, this one is loved. …”

The curious case of Santiago Gimenez: Wanted by Premier League clubs but struggling at Copa America

“… Anyone would have thought the same when Mexico’s Santiago Gimenezwas put clean through on goal in the early stages of Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat against Venezuela in Los Angeles. Except this wasn’t anyone talking. ‘Even though he’s my son, I’m an analyst and I have to say it. The difference between (Salomon) Rondon and Santi today was the goal.’ Yes, the man holding the microphone was Christian Gimenez, Santiago’s father, or ‘Chaco’ as he is more commonly known in Mexico. A former national team player, ‘Chaco’ was working for Fox Sports for the Venezuela game when he decided to tell it how it is on the back of a result that leaves Mexico’s hopes of reaching the Copa America quarter-finals hanging by a thread. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Germany 2 Denmark 0 – Havertz and Musiala put hosts through, and a night to forget for Andersen


Germany eased into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 with a 2-0 victory against Denmark in Dortmund, courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz and the outstanding Jamal Musiala. The risk of lightning stopped play for nearly 25 minutes in the first half, as the players were taken off the pitch and water leaked through the roof at Signal Iduna Park, but Julian Nagelsmann’s side got the job done when the game resumed. …”
NY Times/The Athletic