Golden Slam eludes Djokovic - Poetic Justice ??

One more time, the best & the favourite bite the dust, crashing down from a position of invincibility - Life is such a great leveler. 

Novak Djokovic is the latest in the addition of such cruel, yet fate levelling instances, that we get to see in our lives. The current World No 1 in Men's Tennis had arrived in Tokyo Olympics gunning for the Golden Slam - to win all the four major Grand Slams & Olympic Gold, a feat summitted only by Steffi Graff in 1988 in the Tennis history till date. For 2021, Novak has already triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open & Wimbledon & was on course to win the Olympics Gold (the only major trophy missing in his cabinet) & then head for the US Open, where also he stands head & shoulders above others to win. 

However, it was a tough day at office for Djokovic, as his dreams came crashing down to a surprising loss to fifth ranked Alexander Zverev, in the semis, despite winning the first set convincingly & then taking an early lead in the second. Novak simply lost his rhythm & his service deserted him, when he needed the most, & his game fell apart, as he watched Zverev reel off eight games in a row to snatch away the second set & from then on command the game to win third set at a canter. Eventually the German Bomber won 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to become the first German to reach the finals in Olympics, since Tommy Haas won silver in 2000. 

Throughout this year, Djokovic would somehow manage to conjure spectacular victories, especially at the Grand Slams, when all looked over the bar shouting. Matches against Berrettini once in French Open & then at Wimbledon, against Tsitsipas in French Open, against Zverev in Australian Open, against Medvedev in Australian Open, & again against the seemingly invincible Nadal at French Open - it was unbelievable as to how many matches he crawled back from the brink of defeat, till his luck ran out on him at the Olympics in the semis. Poetic Justice finally dawns, a lot of tennis fans across the Globe would feel so !!

The Belgrade born Serbian sportsman, was inconsolable, as he saw his Golden Grand Slam dream crash. So impacted has Novak been, that later in the day he also lost in the mixed doubles semifinals. In fact, by the time this article goes up in air, Novak has also lost the match for the bronze medal (3rd position) to Pablo Busta - so no medals at all for Novak Djokovic at the Olympics this time. The loss to Zeverev has been a huge body blow & even in mixed doubles, Novak finally pulled out stating a shoulder injury. 

Over the years watching & following tennis matches across tournaments, I have always felt that Novak is a bad loser, unlike a Nadal or Federer, & so the fans across the world love him lesser than the other two compatriots - given all of them have 20 Grand Slams under their belt, Novak is still not the top choice. It will be interesting to see, how he picks up the threads to winning ways again. Good Luck Novak..... 

Euro 2020 Finals, Italy vs England 1-1 (3-2 on Penalties)

In a high octane game, which as expected went the total distance, Italy pipped England in the penalty shoot out 3-2 to clinch the Euro 2020 - it is going to be Rome & not Home, where the Trophy will finally rest for this edition. This was Italy's 10th major tournament final (most after Germany's 14), while it was England's first final since their World Cup triumph in 1966. Robert Mancini kept faith in the first eleven that prevailed over Spain in the semis, while Gareth Southgate made one crucial change, bringing in Trippier as right wing in place of Saka. 

In a lightning start to the game, England started with a bang, breaching through the much famed Italian defense within 2 minutes. On a swift counter attack down the flank, after thwarting an Italian corner, Trippier crossed over to an unmarked Luke Shaw, whose first timer volley ripped into the net past a startled Donnarumma. The near capacity Wembley broke into a roar like never before, as the English players huddled deliriously on the turf... it was simply magical. The Italians struggled to find their rhythm & control, & England threw bodies everywhere with vigour to deprive the Azurri Blue any real chance. Chiesa, did have a moment of brilliance, when he cut through a maze of defenders into the English box, but his final shot was tad wide, as Pickford seemed unsighted by defenders. A couple of other half chances went abegging, as England stood tall in blocking those efforts, for the half time whistle to blow. The home side, clearly were the better side on the pitch, & looked determined to hold onto the slender lead - the worry however, was the defensive mindset that it was getting into.  

Early in the 2nd half, England had a strong shout for penalty, as Raheem Sterling dived inside the Italian box again, but his protests were waved away by the referee, who saw through the theatrics. Meanwhile, the Azzuri kept knocking at the door, with better & probing combinations & the English citadel came under huge pressure, as the game opened up, with Pickford making some fine saves, under thunderous support of the home crowd. Finally, in the 67th minute, starting from a corner floated in, where a Verratti header was blocked desperately by Pickford & in the ensuing goal mouth melee, Bonucci poked in the equaliser into the back of the net. Score 1-1, as Bonucci ran upto the ramps to take in the cheers of a motley Italian support. The match thereon was a slug fest, with frayed tempers taking over frequently, as both teams pressed for the elusive winner, with Italians football on ascendency & England physicality becoming more evident, as the regular 90 minutes came to an end. 

Into extra time, Kalvin Philips had the best chance to regain lead, but his effort flew past, just wide of the post, as the crowded Italian defense heaved a sigh of relief. Gareth brought in crowd favourite Jack Grealish for Mount in around the 100th minute, & he had immediate impact with his sublime movements to create chances for England. Both teams looked to be squeezing the last sinews, as chances went abegging at both ends. Jorginho, was perhaps lucky to escape with a yellow card, for his late challenge on Grealish, as both the players wriggled in agony after the clash. With the game heading towards the end of extra time, Gareth Southgate took off two defenders, Henderson & Kyle Walker for Jadon Sancho & Marcus Rashford, with an eye for the penalties - this move in hindsight proved to be a tactical error & undoing for the English, as both the touch players, got absolutely no time to warm into the game & looked tensely unprepared. 

Into the heart breaking penalties, Berardi started for the Italians, & his low shot beat Pickford easily, while Harry Kane started for England with a super drive past Donnarumma. Andrea Belotti's shot then was confidently parried by Pickford, as the crowd bellowed in ecstasy. Harry Mcguire increased the lead for England with a powerful drive, & the Home crowd went ballistic, expecting to have pocketed the win already. However, there was far more drama in the game to come, as Bonucci scored with a piledriver to make it 2-2 in the penalties. Next in for England, Rashford, spurned his chance, his feeble shot struck the side post & went out, as Donnarumma dived the other way - a huge chance wasted by England to seal the game. Federico Bernardeschi then hit past Pickford to make it 3-2 for the Italians, as the tension mounted, & prayers started  to evolve all around the stadium. Jadon Sancho, then missed his shot too, as Donnarumma dived to his left to make the save, as the crowd went into a comatose silence in disbelief. Penalty specialist Jorginho walked in next for the 5th shot of Italy, & every English supporter turned to Pickford with prayers for a near impossible redemption. Pickford, actually did the miracle, by judging Jorginho correctly & blocked the shot from going in, as the crowd came back to life again, with hopes rising. However, last in Bukayo Saka, still in his teens, looked perplexed & tensed, & his shot was parried away by a cool Donnarumma, as the Italians broke into celebrations, & Wembley broke into uncontrollable tears - so near & yet so far. The Trophy had eluded the Home for the Rome -  The Italians had managed to tame the Three Lions, in their own backyard, against a rapturous crowd & some scintillating football. 

England played superbly today & arguably were the better side on the pitch, at least in the 1st half, though many may differ in opinion. They took the early lead, & should've extended it as well, but for some fine saves by Donnarumma, & some near misses. They were also unlucky, when Jorginho did not get a red card for his challenge on Grealish - that would've given them the crucial man advantage in the extra time. The Italians did have more of the possession, but frankly, the ball rotated amongst themselves in their own half most of the time. When England came up on attack they looked more lethal, but the finishing was below par. This is a young, exciting squad under Gareth Southgate, with tremendous bench strength & if they can hold themselves together, they should make good news in the upcoming World Cup. Harry Kane & Raheem Sterling were below par today & could not lead from the front when it really mattered, though the others were fabulous. However, I do think, the early goal was England's undoing, as celebrations in the stands took over, & probably the players dropped their guards & intensity a bit, as Italians came back strongly to gain ascendancy. Also in hindsight, Gareth Southgate's decision to bring in Rashford & Jadon Sancho in the final minutes for penalties did not ace. Questions would be raised asked on why not give Grealish or Sterling or Phillips a shot instead - they were on the ground for long enough, & had the experience & power too.- Anybody's guess really !! Records show that England have a rather dismal shootout history, having won only twice in 9 matches, which have gone to penalties - only 22% 

Italians on the other hand, looked a bit under the charge initially & lacked composure, barring a few moments of brilliance in the 1st half. 2nd half did bring them back, & Chielini, even at a ripe age of 37 yrs, marshaled the team well from behind to never give up & soaked up the pressures of the finals better - hallmark of Champions. Donnarumma, cool as a cucumber under the bar, was magnificent & deservingly has been crowned the Player of the Tournament - he had kept four clean sheets in seven appearances, clocking 719 minutes, the most by any player in this tournament. He had also managed a crucial save off Morata in the penalties against Spain, that earned them a place in the finals. While team missed Spinazzola's electric presence (he joined the team in crutches for the celebrations after the match), the never say die spirit, that Mancini has successfully injected into this team, brought them back from behind, against a rapturous crowd - Chiesa would just not give up on his piercing runs, Insigne would keep trying despite being heckled by the more physically powerful English defenders, Barella, Verratti, Jorginho controlled the  midfield, while Chielini, Bonucci, Emerson & Lorenzo kept a tidy backline - all absorbing the pressures & fighting till the last reserves of breath - none of them super stars yet, but each one shaping up to be. Today, Verratti was simply fabulous having more touches than Henderson, Phillips, Mount & Rice put together - it was a remarkable performance indeed. It was indeed an incredible game, as the tournament rose to the occasion of providing some fabulous football. For a team, which had failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, this was outstanding performance to stay undefeated for 35 games & counting !! In sheer statistics, this was Italy's 6th major tournament title(4 World Cups & 2 Euros), with only Germany ahead of them at 7, amongst European sides - full credit to Roberto Mancini for the rebuilding. 

The tournament turned out to be one of the most competitive one in recent years. There were usual favourites in France, Belgium & then surfaced Spain. England were expected to do well, & Italy was the dark horse by many critics. The Azzuri, however, flying under the radar, won hearts & the tournament finally, chalking up sensational victories in the path, as Roberto Mancini conjured up a team, that endeared, soaked up pressure & pain alike, scored when reqd & defended like there was no tomorrow. Well Done Italy 🙏🙏

Copa America Finals - Brazil vs Argentina 0-1

 

Lionel Messi, finally won his 1st major football tournament for his country, as Argentina overcame hosts Brazil by a slender one goal margin, in the finals of Copa America 2021, at the famous Maracana Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, ending Argentina's 28 year long wait for a major trophy. It was also handed Brazil, their first competitive international defeat since the loss to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2018. The victory was Argentina's 15th Copa America triumph, drawing level with Uruguay as the all - time leading winners of this coveted trophy. 

The winning goal came in the 22nd minute of the game, when De Paul collected the ball midfield & after advancing into the Brazil half, lifted a sublime pass over the defenders, as the usually reliable Renan Lodi stretched out, but failed to intercept, as the ball landed in the path of onrushing Di Maria, & the wing midfielder controlled with a deft first touch & lobbed the ball beyond the reach of Brazilian keeper Ederson into the far corner of the net. It was sloppy defending by Lodi, & a brilliant lob by Di Maria, as Argentina took the vital lead. Brazil were rather apprehensive in the 1st half, & their efforts were quashed by the determined Albiceleste defense in the final third. 

In the 2nd half, Brazil started with renewed vigor, as Neymar & co stormed the Argentinian box. In the 52 minute, Richarlison fired the ball into the net, from a Paqueta pass, but the Selecao celebrations were cut short by a delayed offside flag. More efforts continued, as Brazil piled pressure, but the big, burly Emi Martinez under the bar, came up with some brilliant saves, to keep the hosts away. With five forwards pressed into attack, it was a fine spectacle of Latino football, with one trying desperately for the equaliser & the other dourly defending. While, no goals resulted, the game did become rusty & clumsy, as both sides were involved in fouls & hold up of play. In the dying minutes of the game, Messi had a golden opportunity to score inside the box, with only the keeper to beat, but somehow Ederson scrambled to gather the ball from the SuperStar's feet. 6 minutes of added time, did not yield any further goals, as Lionel Messi & the men in Blue White sprawled on the ground in relief & ecstasy. Scaloni's men had defeated Tite's Brazil. While, the match really did not touch great heights, & both Messi & Neymar were below their par performance, both the rivals, were in praise of each other. Messi was voted the Player of the Tournament, after his four goals & five assists in the competition. 

Weekend of Crazy Football Finals - Copa America (Brazil vs Argentina) / Euro 2020 (Italy vs England)

 The weekend beckons some fantastic football across the globe, as Brazil take on Argentina in the Copa America finals at Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janerio, while, Italy face England at Wembley, London for the Euro 2020 finals - both mouthwatering spectacle of football to gape at. 

Brazil vs Argentina : This year's Copa America, delayed by a year due to the pandemic, was initially scheduled to be held by two Nations, Columbia & Argentina. However, first a civil unrest in Columbia & then the growing cases of Covid in Argentina, forced the South American Football Confederation to move the tournament to Brazil, despite criticism & resistance amongst Brazilian players. Ten teams, split into two Groups, with top four advancing to quarterfinals, then semis & now to look forward to the finals. Reigning Champions, Brazil have been in sumptuous form till now, though, the goal scoring form of the team, seems to have waned as they drew with Equador in the last of the Group matches & then last two knockout games were won by a slender one goal margin. However, Neymar has been in roaring form along with Richarlison & Paqueta upfront, while Casemiro, Militao & Fred in midfield, & then Marquinhos, Emerson, Thiago Silva, Danilo occupying the backline, with Ederson / Allison in the goal - a solid squad, which does not really miss Gabriel Jesus, who's out with a red card; a squad that boasts bench strength with the likes of Firmino, Vinicius, Fabinho, Lodi, Felipe, Luiz & others. Tite as Coach, has a very well drilled team, that has all the necessary needful to take on any team in the World. Argentina, on the other hand are being led by the mercurial Messi, who is stilling looking for that elusive title win for his country. He has won accolades, after accolades with Barcelona, having conquered almost everything for that club, but his records on National duty has been a lot left to be desired. The team boasts a superb line up on paper, with Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Aguero, Di Maria upfront to support Messi, Rodriguez, Dario, Correa, Parades, Acuna in midfield; Otamendi, Romero, Martinez, Tagliafico for backline & a superbly confident Martinez under the bar, having stopped three penalties in the semifinal shoot out, to lift the team into the finals. 

However, on paper, as well on history, Brazil do have an edge, & are also playing on home ground, which should be an advantage. The pressure to perform rests heavy on the aging shoulders of Messi, & unless, he is able to produce a magical spell or his team mates rise to the occasion, the Selecao will run away with the spoils. 

Expected line up for Brazil  should be - Ederson  under the bar, given a strong clean performance till now, with Marquinhos & Thiao Silva at the heart of backline, Danilo in the right back & Lodi in the left back position. Fred should be starting alongwith Casemiro & Paqueta in midfield, while, Neymar, Everton would support the wings for Richarlison in the centre - this is a superb line up to take one any team. Argentina will probably field Martinez under the bar, given his fantastic performance in the semis, saving three penalties, with backline of Molina, Pezzella, Otamendi & Tagliafico. de Maria, Parades & Celso could be the midfield, while, Messi, Lautaro Martinez & Gonzales bringing up the attack. A contest between Messi & Neymar will be worth the watch for supporters across the world & I expect Brazil to lift the cup eventually. 

Italy vs England : After some scintillating football over the past few weeks, its showtime, as the two European powerhouses slug it out for the coveted Cup on Sunday evening at Wembley Stadium, after sensational victories in the semis. Interestingly, both teams are on the verge of creating history, as England have never won the European Championship before, & Italy have suffered three defeats in the finals, since their last win in 1968 - this is really going to be a humdinger, with battle of nerves into play. Italy are unbeaten in their last 33 matches, while England are unbeaten in their last 12 matches &  have won 15 of their last 17 matches at Wembley.... scary statistics to look at. 

Gareth Southgate, deserves all the praise for his man management skills & building a near perfect team, with a awe inspiring bench strength, imagine players like Grealish, Henderson, Phil Foden only finding place as substitutes. Southgate's ability to stay calm amidst all chaos & pressures, while remaining steadfast in his decisions to come up with right changes at the right time in the game, shows his exceptional knowledge of the game & its changing notions. On the other hand, Robert Mancini, has masterminded his team into a brilliant attacking unit. This Italian outfit, does not shut down after scoring once, as in yester years - they now glide into attack in search of more goals, making the game an open affair till the end. Mancini would dearly miss the presence of Leonardo Spinazzola, the dazzling leftback, who unfortunately wobbled out in the quarterfinals against Belgium. 

As possible line ups, Italy have the young big Donnarumma under the bar, distributing a solid calm, as Bonucci, Chiellini, Lorenzo & Emerson marshal the backline. A menacing Barella & an innovative Jorginho alongwith Verratti stitch up the midfield, while, Insigne, Chiesa & Immobile stage the attack - a formidable line up to drive fear into any opposition, with Berardi, Bernardeschi, Toloi, Pessina, Locatelli & others in the bench. Mancini will need to manage the sometimes nervy flaws in the Italian line up, which could be their Achilles Heels, & maintain the tempo, throughout the game. England have Pickford under the bar, who has been very confident throughout the tournament, but for some visible jitters in the semis against the fighting Danes. Walker, Stones, Maguire & Shaw seem to be the most likely backline, while Phillips & Rice should man the midfield & support Kane, Sterling, Mount & Saka upfront. However, Southgate may be tempted to replace the hardworking Saka with Grealish, who seems to play & control the game better. The bench strength of England is indeed awe inspiring with players like Rashford, Henderson, Trippier, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Ramsdale & others, which gives them the edge in any game. For England, Sterling has been outstanding with his probing runs, despite his theatrics to earn the decisive penalty in the semis, & he can well pick up the Man of Tournament award, if England wins. 

This looks to be more a battle of nerves & who braves the odds to take the lead, as coming back into the game may be rather difficult. If the game moves into penalties, Italy seems better poised, with Donnarumma under the bar as a better choice to Pickford, who can at times be jittery. May the best team win.

Euro Semis, England vs Denmark 2-1

 In the 2nd semis of the Euro 2020, England overcame a strong, stiff resistance from Denmark to reach  finals of a major tournament (World Cup / Euro Cup) for the first time in 55 years, in between playing almost 40 games, without ever reaching the finals - history is the making for sure, as Harry Kane led the Three Lions to bury the hatchet & voodoo finally, bolstered by a calculating Southgate, as a coach on the sidelines, masterminding every plan with an ever frowning & serious disposition. 

Denmark deserve all the applauds, for their superb performance in the tournament, especially in light of the life threatening collapse of Christian Eriksen in their very opening match, & eventually reach the semis with some outstanding matches to bag - they leave with their heads held high, losing today to a controversial & seemingly a biased decision for a penalty by the on ground referee in extra time, which Harry Kane converted to win it for England. 

The match began at even keel, as both sides tried to control, with Danes having the better of the exchanges & attack. Mikkel Damsgaard fired Denmark ahead in the 30th minute of the game, from a free kick just outside the box. The midfielder curled in a fabulous lob over the English wall, as the ball dipped into the net past Pickford's flailing arms. It was a stunning kick, which breached the English goal for the first time in the tournament, to silence the boisterous crowd, as the small Danish contingent broke into celebrations. However, instead of cowering down, Kane & Sterling led the English attack with ferocity, & got dividends soon enough. Schmeichel, under the Danish bar, produced a brilliant save from point blank range to deny Sterling, but within the next minute, a surging Saka produced an excellent cross from the right flank, & Danish Captain Kjaer, in an desperate sliding attempt to thwart Sterling, put the ball into his own net, with the keeper having no chance. Scores were level 1-1, & all in 39 minutes pulsating football. Half time came, with both sides, holding on to their intense pressing game. 

In the 2nd half, both teams kept looking for the winner & had almost equal opportunities coming their way, as both the backline defended dourly, holding onto dear life. Neither team could find a the crucial winner, as the game extended beyond the scheduled 90 minutes, into extra time. Crucial substitutions came up, as the exhausted players, started to cramp up - England with a far better bench strength, seemed to manage the situation better, as Denmark started to lose the sting in their attack. Just past 100 enthralling minutes into the game & the spectre of a dreaded penalty shootout round the corner, the ever busy Sterling dribbled into the Danish box, & went down to a simple challenge by Maehle, as the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty - aghast Denmark players complained, as VAR was checked, & replays showed a minimal touch, as Sterling seem to deliberately fall down - his theatrics did work well, as the referee, stuck to his decision, a very poor one, in the context of the game, given that both the teams were at even keel & it was into extra time - this seemed like a favour handed to England. Harry Kane took the shot, which was saved by Schmeichel easily, but the ball rebounded onto Kane's path & he slotted the ball into the net this time, as the stadium erupted into crazy celebrations. Clearly Denmark had been undone first by a poor decision & then Lady Luck seemed desert them, at this crucial juncture. The final 15 minutes, was dour defending by England, as the tired Danes gradually fizzled out, with the scoreline reading 2-1 for England. Danish goal keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, was certainly the Man of the Match, with some incredible saves to keep his team in contention, as many believe that on the match day form, he would have won the game, if it reached the penalties. 

Finals on Sunday, between Italy & England - two powerhouses of Europe, & both in the best form of  the tournament. 

 

Euro 2020 Semis, Italy vs Spain 1-1 (4-2 in Penalties)

 This match between former Champions, Italy & Spain, as expected turned out to be a humdinger, that went the complete distance of a knockout match. Eventually Italy prevailed by a whisker, in the penalty shoot out, to enter the finals & await the winner of England vs Denmark. 

Spain dominated the 1st half with near perfect control on the possessions, & should've taken the lead around the 25th minute, but Dani Olmo's shot inside the box was denied by an incredible save by Italian keeper Donnarumma. Oyarzabal was next to miss a scoring opportunity, as Spain gain ascendency in the midfield & the deep third of the pitch, with Italians struggling for ball time. At the end of a lively 1st half, it was a goal less stalemate, with Spain having far better control of the exchanges, as they missed converting the chances into a goal. Italy too had their look at the Spanish goal, as Emerson clipped the cross bar in the closing minutes & then Insigne fumbled into a strong organised Spanish defense. 

In the 2nd half, the story remained the same, as Spain, kept better control & frustratingly kept missing chances, including Busquets, whose rising shot grazed the top bar before going out. Around the 60th minute, against the run of play, Italian keeper Donnarumma, after making one of his customary saves,  triggered a superb counter attack with a long throw onto his forwards, & Immobile deftly picked up Chiesa, who turned in between the defenders & curled a volley into the top corner of the net from just outside the box, as Spanish keeper Unai Simon, looked a the ball going past him in bemused agony. Roberto Mancini's Italy had finally broken the deadlock, going ahead 1-0. Spain should've equalised almost immediately, when Koke's chip over the Italian defense fell kindly onto Oyarzabal, but he muffled one of the easiest header from just six yards out - in fact Oyarzabal was guilty of muffling up at least 3 goals for Spain, which would come to haunt them finally, before being subbed off by Moreno. This continued till Morata coming in for Torres, played a wonderful one-two-one with Olmo inside the box, before wrong footing Donnarumma & slotting the ball coolly into the bottom right corner of the net, as Spain leveled 1-1, with just 10 minutes left in the game. The game had reached frenetic pace, with both sides putting in their last sinews for the winner, & the ball travelled both ends. Spain, were once again guilty of not making goof of their chances, as Italy held on grimly. 

Another 30 mins of Extra time for some pacy football & Chiellini combined with Berardi inside the Spanish box & the latter fired past Unai Simon into the net. But celebrations for Italy was shortlived, as the offside flag was up, ruling out the goal. The game from there on continued to slow down as the weary players headed for the penalty shoot out. Italy started the proceedings horribly, as Locatelli's shot was confidently saved by a diving Simon, but Spain could not capitalise to lead, as Dani Olmo, who had played a brilliant game thus far, blasted the ball over the post. The next two shots were converted at both ends, & then Bernardeschi converted for Italy, while Morata, who had earlier found the equaliser for Spain, spurned his shot with a low right footer, which was easily saved by the big Donnarumma. Jorginho, up next, foxed Unai Simon to send in the decisive penalty with amazing audacity, as the Italians burst onto the ground in unbound glee. They had managed to absorb the Spanish possession pressing game & were lucky to escape conceding a couple goals in the 1st half itself, which probably would've turned the final outcome otherwise. 

Italy has been the team of the tournament in some sense, having won all their matches thus far - this will be a huge boost for them going into the finals. 

Euro Quarterfinals, England vs Ukraine 4-0

 In probably the most one sided games of this tournament, England whipped surprise challengers Ukraine 4-0 at Rome, to move onto semifinals with a sack full of confidence. 

The Three Lions got off the blocks in majestic style, as Captain Harry Kane pounced on a perfect pass by Sterling to poke it past the hapless keeper, Bushchan in the 4th minute of the game. Ukraine tried to gather themselves & gain control in the midfield, but the pressing English forward line, kept them pinned in their own back half, struggling to create inroads. However, when they did manage a couple of clear chances,  poor shots & indecisiveness inside the box, led to sheer waste of opportunities. As England mounted attack after attack, Ukraine could only thwart by adding men in defense. 1st half went by without any further reason to rejoice. 

2 nd half began in whirlwind fashion for the Three Lions as expected, & they notched up two more within five minutes, as Maguire headed in from a Luke Shaw free kick & then Kane latched on to a fine cross, again from Shaw, & headed home through the legs of the keeper. In the 63rd minute, substitute Henderson intercepted a cross from Mount, almost unchallenged & headed into the back of the net. Ukraine, looked dazed & sleepwalking, as England made mincemeat of their opponents. England are now the only side in the tournament with a clean sheet till now, as Pickford under the bar has been outstanding to deny the ball in. They now move to Wembley to take on Denmark, & home ground support, certainly makes England the favourites - The Danes have to be wary of this & produce a miracle of sorts to topple the Three Lions 

Euro Quarterfinals, Denmark vs Czech Republic 2-1

 In the 3rd quarterfinals of Euro 2020 at Baku, Azerbaijan, free flowing Danes met the rock solid Czech Republic, both of whom had been giant slayers in the round of 16. Czech gobbled up Netherlands, while Denmark blew away Wales with disdain. 

In the first half, Danes took almost no time to lead, as Thomas Delaney rose up in the centre of the box, completely unmarked to head into the bottom left net from a pinpoint corner floated in by Larsen. Within minutes, Mikkel Damsgaard has a chance to double the lead, when he found himself inside the box with just the goalkeeper to beat, but his effort is cleared off the line, & then Delaney again ghosted into the box unmarked once again to latch onto a Larsen cross, but hurries with his shot, which goes past the right hand post. Czech took time to find their feet & control, but the shot from Holes is blocked well by Schmeichel, under the Danish bar. Then Czechs exerted some pressure in the Danish half with some solid football, but with half time round the corner, hard working Maehle dashed down the left flank, & send in a well timed cross into the box, straight to Dolberg, who made no mistake in smashing into the far post, as Denmark went into the lemon break 2-0. 

In the 2nd half, Czechs came out with more purpose & in the 51st minute, when Patrik Schick, the prolific scorer for the Czech, converted Coufal's cross to volley past Schmeichel for his 5th goal of the tournament, as the score read, 2-1 for Denmark. From then on, the match was even at both ends, as the players went on to establish physical presence & the game, became laborious & scrappy in the middle. Attacking Czech midfielder, Soucek in an attempt to block went for a sliding tackle & took a whack from Poulsen on the head, which needed medical attention, as the heavy bandage could not prevent blood oozing out, as he continued on the field bravely for the cause. Celustka also hurt himself & needed to be substituted, as the game moved into the business end. The Danes, too made a couple of substitutes to bring in fresh legs to defend. Maehle had a great chance to extend the lead, with just Czech keeper to beat, but his shot was well covered by Vaclik, keeping the game alive. However, despite 6 minutes added as injury time, the weary Czech players could not breach the Danish defense & the dream run for them came to an end. Denmark now move into the semifinals, where they await the winners of England vs Ukraine. After their traumatic experience with Christian Eriksen in the 1st game, & defeats in the opening two games, nobody had given Denmark any chance, but they have been remarkable in their journey to reach the semis, with exceptional performances from Schmeichel under the bar, Christensen, Kjaer & Vestergaard for the backline, Maehle, Delaney, Larsen forming a tireless midfield, giving forwards Braithwaite, Damsgaard, Dolberg, Poulsen all the support to surge ahead - it has indeed been a pleasure to see this fairytale unfold & it will be interesting to see how they soak up the pressures to continue their journey ahead. 

Euro Quarterfinals, Italy vs Belgium 2-1

 After a laborious & arduous 1st game of the night in which Spain managed to win, focus shifted to a high octane game between two European powerhouses, Italy & Belgium in Munich for the 2nd of the quarterfinals of Euro 2020. Belgium were boosted with the inclusion of De Bruyne, who shrugged his injury niggles to start in the playing eleven, while Eden Hazard was benched. It was a fascinating open game, with both team playing for the kill from start to finish, as Italy managed to thwart current World No 1 team Belgium for a deserved place in the semis, 2-1. One more heavy weight team, out of the tournament. 

The game began at a brisk pace, & plenty happened in the first half, as free flowing Italians tested the Belgian defense with raw energy & flair. Their forwards, tore into the Belgian half, while their backline, strengthened by the inclusion of veteran Chielleni along with Bonnuci & Lorenzo, kept the burly Belgian forward Lukaku quiet & away from the ball, most of the time. In the 13th minute, Insigne whipped in a free kick into the box, which was flicked by Lorenzo onto the onrushing Bonucci, who fired into the back net, to start the celebrations, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check for offside. Belgium then had a chance to go up as De Bruyne unleashed a vicious shot into the Italian goal, but Donnarumma was equal to parry it off. Minutes later Lukaku's left footed effort was also saved by Donnarumma. Italy, surging ahead with pupose & complete control, went ahead in the 31st minute, when Barella wriggled between a clutch of Belgian defenders, in a goal mouth melee & drilled the ball past the outstretched hands of keeper Courtois into the net. Then just a minute before half time, the shortest player on the field, Insigne sprinted in from almost the half line, going past a couple of bemused Belgian players & unleashed a superb curling right footed bullet, which curled & flew into the top corner of the net, as Courtois threw himself helplessly, watching the ball beat him, as Italy broke into celebrations, leading 2-0. It was certainly one of the best goals of the tournament. However, in stoppage time, Belgium were handed a life line, as Lorenzo fouled Jeremy Doku inside the box for a penalty, which was easily converted by Lukaku. Halftime score standing at 2-1, with all to play. 

The 2nd half started in frenetic fashion, exactly where the 1st half ended, as both teams went for the kill, striving for goals to gain ascendancy. The Red Devils, Belgium were the better of the two in this half & had a number of gilt edged chances spurned, at least three times by the burly big Lukaku, well within the Italian box, with just the keeper to beat. On the other side, Insigne & Immobile & then Spinazzola missed chances to extend their slender one goal lead. With just 12 minutes left to play, Spinazzola's night & possibly the tournament came to a cruel end, as he possibly pulled a hamstring while sprinting down the wing - he had to be carried away in a stretcher, writhing & weeping in pain. What an impact player has has been for Italy in the tournament, running tirelessly across the pitch, defending, attacking with ebullient energy & in a defining moment of the game, denied Lukaku a clear chance to equalise from inches off the goal post. For Belgium, Doku kept up the pressure with incisive runs down the left flank, dodging past Italian defenders with surprising ease, but his shot in the dying minutes, went past the bar, tantalizingly close, for the Italian supporters to heave a sigh of relief. De Bruyne kept trying to feed the lurking Lukaku, but the Italian defense held on somehow, as the injury time of 5 minutes went past slowly. In the end, it was a brilliant golazzo by the duminitive Insigne in the first half, that proved to be the match winner. Its sad to see the Red Devils, bow out, despite enthralling the crowd with some exquisite football skills. This has been their Golden squad for some time, though without much silverware to show, as they seem to fall short in the big events. The Italians have looked wiry & fit, & the squad has the depth in all the positions to go the distance. Unlike earlier times, this team, goes ahead in search of goals with a new found hunger, & the defense go about their job of denying the opponents clear chances - in goal Donnarumma looks very capable. This team looks really good ahead. They now meet Spain in the semifinals, another mouth watering prospect to look forward to. 

Euro Quarterfinals, Spain vs Switzerland 1-1 (3-1 in Penalties)

 I had predicted a hard fought match between Spain & Switzerland, with Spain pipping ahead - what an endearing match it turned out to be, as Switzerland made Spain toil into their last sinews into extra time & the penalties, before bowing out. 

Spain began in their usual ball possession style, keeping the game under control, while Swiss tried to crowd their defense in order to thwart Spanish forwards & look for sudden burst of counter attacks. It was Jordi Alba, who gave Spain the early lead in the 8th minute of the game, when he trapped the corner floated by Koke & his volley from the edge of the box, took a huge deflection off defender Zakaria, & skewed past a hapless Sommer in the goal. Spain looked in cruise control from then on into the game & created chances in abandon, only for the strikers to muffle, as half time whistle was blown. 

In the 2nd half, the Swiss came back with vigour & determination, growing into the game, as Spain continued to flounder at the front. They looked to defend their slender lead with ball possession, & this gave Swiss the vital momentum. The big bodies started to surge forward with more gumption as the game time kept moving towards the last 20 minutes. In a beautiful move ahead, conjured by hard working Shaqiri, the ball fell inside the box between two defenders & in a horrible mix up between Laporte & Torres, the ball glided to Remo Freuler & he cooly squared it for Shaqiri to tuck in the equaliser past Unai Simon. Game on, with score tied at 1-1 & another 20 minutes of play ahead. The Swiss were growing in confidence, while the Spanish forward line looked out of sorts - the crowd roared on in anticipation of another major upset. Just when things were heating up, Freuler made a horrible looking slide challenge to win back the ball in his own half from Moreno, & got red carded by the referee, as Switzerland were down to 10 men, giving away the crucial man advantage to Spain. 

Spain got back the advantage & game control, as they swarmed onto the Swiss box looking for the elusive goal, that did not come through. Sommer, under the bar, reeled off save after save, some acrobatic & some simple collections - in all more than 20 chances, by my count. It was frustrating to watch Spain miss so many opportunities - they have to find a solution to this anomaly if they have to go the distance, & the growing sense was that they may have to pay for their mistakes, as the game went past extra time & into the sudden death of penalties. At this stage, it was advantage Switzerland for sure, as they had successfully navigated the Spanish attacks & their goalkeeper Sommer was brimming with confidence. 

In the Penalty shoot out, Spain began poorly with Captain Busquets hitting the post, despite sending Sommer the other way, while, Gavranovic scored easily for Switzerland to take the lead. However, they could not sustain the lead, & next three players could not convert, twice saved by Unai Simon of Spain & one shot wide. On the other hand Spain missed one, but converted another two to wriggle past & into the semifinals. It was indeed a tough game, & Spain were indeed lucky to defeat a resolute Switzerland, profiting from the red card send off & also maintaining their cool in the shoot outs. 

Euro 2020 - Peep into the quarterfinalists & their possibilities .....

 Euro 2020 has already thrown a lot of surprises, as strong contenders lost their footing & eventually have been knocked out, while minnows & unfancied teams, have put in focus & discipline in their game to nurture strengths & become the giant slayers. As we await the round of 8 from tomorrow let us take a peek at the 8 Nations who now compete for the coveted, Henri Delauney Trophy. 

1) Switzerland vs Spain : The Swiss have delivered perhaps the ultimate knock out punch of the tournament to derail World Champions France, touted by most as the probable winners here. In the match, they actually deserved to lead 2-0, but wasted a penalty & then went down 1-3, only to rally back at 3-3, when almost everyone had written them off to pull the game to extra time. In the penalty shoot out, they again held their nerves to eventually win 5-4, when Mbappe, under visible pressure, muffed his kick for France to bow out. Switzerland have been very disciplined & solid on the field & have combined extremely well as a team, to play well within their resources, however, goal scoring remains their main challenge & Haris Seferovic has been their go to man on this. They will dearly miss the presence of Granit Xhaka, who's out with a booking, & hence will need every bit of luck along with their well oiled discipline to overcome the Spanish Armada, that seem to be peaking at the right time. 

Spain, started the tournament slowly, but in their last two games, have been scoring with gay abandon, which is a huge plus. Their defensive breakdown against Croatia was a matter of concern (the casual & horrible keep by Simon to let in an innocuous back pass into the net, will haunt them), but ability to score at crucial stages of the game & then hold nerves would give them confidence. With the other big title contenders out of the way, Spain should feel confident, but they have to be on their toes to overcome a superbly disciplined Switzerland - they will need to score early & then control the ball midfield, where they have superb ball players in Pedri & Busquets. However, they have to wary of the large & well built Swedes, & skillful ball play would be crucial to take advantage. I predict hard fought match with a narrow victory for Spain. 

2) Belgium vs Italy : This certainly is going to be the match of the quarter finals. Both teams are fully capable of lifting the trophy, & have super stars in their ranks to make the cutting edge difference. However, despite having likes of Hazard brothers, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Meunier, Mertens & above all the towering Courtois under the bar, Belgium has not really set the tournament on fire. They have struggled against both Denmark & then Portugal, but then they are undoubtedly a powerhouse in football, currently ranked No1 in the World. Against Italy, they will struggle, if Hazard & De Bruyne do not recover in time from the niggling injuries, that had them substituted in the crunch game against Portugal. 

Meanwhile, Italy seem to be cruising, till they met a rather stubborn Austria in round of 16, & it was a tough encounter for the Azzure Blue, as they conceded their first goal in the tournament from a corner. Robert Mancini's side, unbeaten for 31 games now in international football, certainly have all the firepower in attack as well as in midfield, with seasoned campaigners like Insigne, Immobile, Jorginho, Verratti, Chiesa, Pessina & then Spinazzola, Bonucci in the backline & the big Donnarumma under the bar. A solid team in fine flow to surge ahead & score, while defend doggedly when needed. However, they have not yet faced a tough opponent in the tournament & Belgium surely is a massive challenge - presence or absence of De Bruyne would be crucial. This game looks the most competitive & close, though my personal take would be Italy winning - more so if Belgium miss De Bruyne & Hazard to injury. 

3) Czech Republic vs Denmark : This game too should go to the wire, really. The Czechs were rock solid against a much stronger & able team like Netherlands, & beat them  in the patient waiting game. Managed to close down players like Wijnaldum, Depay, Malen & de Jong with a strong physical game & waited for the Dutch to make mistakes & get frustrated. Once de Ligt got send off for a red card challenge, they pounced on the man advantage, scored two goals, & stayed firm in defense - a wonderful display of grit & dogged discipline. 

Denmark on the other hand, have found their scoring boots in time, with no less than 8 goals in their last two matches, including a facile 4-0 victory over Wales. Their attacking third has been decisive in Braithwaite, Delaney,  Damsgaard, an untiring Maehle, & Dolberg - they keep surging ahead in packs, creating flutter down the opposition ranks, with a lot of off the ball running to create chances. Then you have Christensen, Kjaer & Vestergaard on the backline, which is very difficult to break through & the ever reliable Schmeichel under the bar. The Czechs will have to be extremely pressing & disciplined to break into this defense. Very little to choose from really, but the heart says, it will be the Danes, this time. 

4) England vs Ukraine : This would be last of the quarterfinals, & most footballing buffs would expect this to be a cake walk for the English, after their fabulous victory over the Germans. Ukraine have been a strange side, & really lucky to be in the quarterfinals. Impressive but beaten by Netherlands, then a dominant win over North Macedonia & then very average against Austria in the group stages, they were lucky to sneak into the round of 16, as the last qualifier, based on points. They made good of the chance, to squeeze past Sweden in the last moments of the extra time, benefitting from a Swedish red card send off, winning 2-1 & are now facing England. It will be a near impossible task, but in Zinchenko, they have a world class creative midfielder who believes in making possible, & then they have Yaremchuk, Yamolenko, Shaparenko, Sydorchuk, all big hearted & physically strong players, willing to co create wonders. 

England, buoyed by the big win over arch rivals, Germany are brimming in confidence & already rejoicing, as if they have already won the Cup - this over confidence could be their undoing, though I expect Coach Southgate to be matured enough to manage this. The team had lot really lit up the tournament in group stages, struggling with scoring, but for Raheem Sterling, who got them above the line. Harry Kane finally scored against the Germans & that should really bolster his confidence. Its a very strong line up on paper, with Pickford under the bar, who has not conceded a goal as yet & exudes sky high confidence. Maguire, Stones, Walker combine a great defense in front of Pickford, & then Trippier, Shaw, & Phillips are really hard working midfielders. Kane, Sterling, Saka & then Grealish & Rashford speak of an attack to die for - really Southgate has covered all ends of this team. They should be able to brush past Ukraine, but this could also be a potential banana slip of sorts. Lets watch...