Tuesday June 22, 2021
Croatia averts EM embarrassment
England is making a possible DFB opponent
Their first tournament hit is not enough for the round of 16: For the Scots, the European Football Championship ends in the group stage. Thanks also to Luka Modric’s dream goal, Croatia saved itself in the knockout round. England could face Germany in the next game.
England defied the corona unrest and lived up to its role as a European favorite for at least one half. Team manager Gareth Southgate’s team defeated the Czech Republic 1-0 (1-0) thanks to their best tournament performance, thus securing victory in Group D and another home game. Next Tuesday, the second round in the round of 16 against the second in Group F at Wembley Stadium – according to the current status, that would be the German team.
Raheem Sterling scored the golden goal (12th) and made for persistent chants of joy among the last dissatisfied appendix. It was the Manchester City winger’s second tournament goal – and the second of the still conceded Three Lions who cemented their reputation as minimalists.
With the Czechs, the Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, who scored all three goals for his country against Scotland and Croatia, acted inconspicuously this time. The Czechs (four points), like the English (seven), had made it into the round of the best 16 before the kick-off.
Southgate was renovating, Sancho on the bench
Southgate had to make some changes, if only because of the quarantine imposed on Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell, who were classified as contact persons for the Scottish Billy Gilmour, who tested positive. Defense chief Harry Maguire made his comeback after injury, the reliable Tyrone Mings had to give way. Jadon Sancho, on the other hand, did not get a chance to start again, the convincing teenager Bukayo Saka from Arsenal FC was preferred to Dortmund.
“I understand every criticism and of course the reaction of the fans. But we have to support our players,” said Southgate after the meager diet of the first two appearances and asked for patience with his young team before the group final.
The recently dissatisfied fans had the scream on their lips after 108 seconds, but Sterling’s eye-catching lob over Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik dripped from the post back into the field. It was the third aluminum hit by the Three Lions in the course of the tournament. Ten minutes later, Jack Grealish, deployed in place of Mount, hit Sterling with a buttery flank. The city star, who grew up near Wembley Stadium, easily beheaded.
In front of Prince William, who is also president of the association, England continued to push for the second goal. In the 26th minute, the hitherto hapless goalgetter Harry Kane created a good shooting position, but Vaclik fished the captain’s shot out of the far corner.
The Czech Republic put in front of 22,500 spectators – in the final on July 11th at the same place there should be more than 60,000 – but repeatedly pinpricks. Like shortly after the Kane chance, when Tomas Holes tested the English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a brutal long-range shot. In the 35th minute, a shot from Tomas Soucek, who earns his money with West Ham United in the Premier League, just missed the target. After the eventful first half, the game lost some of its pace. In the 68th minute, Sancho’s club colleague Jude Bellingham was substituted on. Sancho followed 14 minutes later.
Croatia only saves in the last group game
In the parallel game, superstar Luka Modric saved the vice world champion Croatia from the great embarrassment of the European Championship. The captain led his team in the final of the round of 16 against Scotland to the deserved 3: 1 (1: 1) victory and destroyed all the co-host’s dreams of the historic premiere in the knockout round with his famous wing (62nd).
In an entertaining all-or-nothing game, Nikola Vlasic (17th) and the strong Ivan Perisic (77th) scored the Croatians’ further goals, which secured their progress with four points. Callum McGregor’s equalizer (42nd) was not enough for the Scots fighting bravely again, who only had one point in their account at the end of the group stage.
The Scots had apparently coped well with the shock of the previous day due to the positive corona test at shooting star Billy Gilmour. National coach Steve Clarke replaced his best player in the England game (0-0) in midfield with Stuart Armstrong from Southampton FC.
The Croatian national coach Zlatko Dalic, who was harshly criticized at home, brought a lot of fresh staff after the 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic, as announced. Josip Brekalo (VfL Wolfsburg) and Andrej Kramaric (TSG Hoffenheim) found themselves on the bench at the beginning. In the storm, Bruno Petkovic came in for the previously disappointing ex-Frankfurt Ante Rebic.
Schotten scored the first tournament goal
Whipped on by the noisy Tartan Army in the stands, the hosts started with a lot of offensive urge. Striker Che Adams in particular caused dangerous situations on several occasions. On the other hand, however, the Croatians, directed by Modric with great clarity, demonstrated merciless effectiveness right from the first shot on goal. Perisic headed a cross from Josip Juranovic into the center, from there Vlasic from CSKA Moscow thanked him with a left-footed shot for being called into the starting line-up.
The underdog had to shake visibly after the deficit, then cope with a bitter loss. Central defender Grant Hanley (33rd) left the field injured, Scott McKenna made his debut in the European Championship – and saw a yellow card for a foul on Petkovic right from his first action.
With the 32nd Scottish shot on goal in the tournament, the spell was finally broken. When Croatia’s defense did not get the ball out of the danger zone, McGregor took heart in the center of the penalty area and shot flat in the left corner – the home fans drew hope after the first European Championship goal in 25 years. Since the finals in England in 1996, the Scots had been waiting for their European Championship comeback.
Even after the break, it initially remained an open exchange of blows. Croatia stayed patient and kept looking for Modric in the build-up of the game. The 35-year-old finally got on his usual form in his 140th international match – and delivered with his remarkable shot from 16 meters. Modric also prepared the 3-1 with a corner kick, Perisic headed in from close range.
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