So long to the worst tournament ever! The snoozefest that was Euro 2016. That’s it right? Worst tournament in the history of mankind and the solar system. Worse than Euro 80, which genuinely was the worst in history of mankind, from what I’ve seen of it. Worse than those games of Wembley Doubles at school that never seemed to get past the 2nd round. Worse than Euro 96, which dare I say, wasn’t all that.
Those are the noises coming from the “experts” and from social media, so I suppose it was terrible then. I suppose the 24 team format did ruin it, by letting all and sundry into the competition, to play negative football. I mean take Hungary for example, they definitely didn’t top their group, averaging 2 goals scored a game. They certainly weren’t involved in one of the best games in the tournament, a topsy-turvy shootout with Portugal. The four games they were involved in couldn’t have averaged well over 3 goals per game?
OK so maybe Hungary are an anomaly. What about Iceland? Conquerors of the great England side that went to France. They were negative right? OK so maybe they lined up with a 4-4-2 for their games, but it was a negative one right? I mean let’s forget that they scored in every game they played in; that the 5 games they were involved in yielded 17 goals. They shouldn’t have been there! Diluting the quality of the competition! Sucking all of the entertainment out of it. Let’s hope UEFA see sense and cut Euro 2020 down to just 16 teams. Essentially have less football in a football tournament! Actually why stop at 16. Why don’t we just ask all the experts and Euro 2016 detractors who they think the best two teams in Europe are and they can play a final against each other. Actually scrap the final let’s just have penalties! That way we can get back to the two, alienating cash cows, that are the Premier League and Champions League. Where the same teams do well pretty much every year (Leicester City last year aside). That’s far more entertaining isn’t it.
I’m being silly aren’t I. And I suppose I’m being selective with my examples. For every Hungary and Iceland, Euro 2016 had a Romania, or Sweden, or dare I say Northern Ireland. I agree that Euro 2016 was no classic. It certainly wasn't a patch on the last 24 team tournament I watched, USA 94. But it just wasn’t that bad. What about all the late goals? Payet, winning the opening game with a screamer against Romania. Errrrzil’s ball for Schweinsteiger in the dying seconds of my Ukraine game. Both of the late French goals against Albania. Eder coming to life for all of 30 seconds, to make the difference against Sweden. Northern Ireland putting Ukraine to bed. The Czech Republic coming back from 2 down to draw with, the early darker horses, Croatia. Sturridge snatching us a win against Wales or Milner helping us chuck the Russian game away. And most of all Quaresma marking his rehabilitation into the community with the latest of late winners against the Croats.
There was plenty of drama (and I believe excitement) and the odd spectacular goal. You’ll not see a better bicycle kick than Shaqiri's strike in the last 16 against Poland. Hamsik almost scored one of goals of the tournament against Wales, but denied by a brilliant goal line clearance; he then followed it up with that turn and finish against the Russians. Nainggolan’s goal against Wales seems to have been completely forgotten as Belgium went on to lose the game. As has Modric’s volley against Turkey, because of his early exit. It just wasn’t that bad! I don’t care what Alan Shearer says!
Personally I think the issue is two things. The first being that Portugal, a team nobody liked (not even me), ended up winning the competition. “But they came 3rd in their group...” Newsflash! So did Italy and Argentina in 94 and 90 respectively. It happens. As I mentioned in an earlier post, on top of getting more games, having 24 teams ensures that travesties, such as teams winning two of their three group games or winning one and drawing the other two but going out, don't happen.
The second thing being that Euro 2016 was a perfect exhibition of modern day football. Gone are the days of the epic 4-3 quarter final. Football, well successful football, is all about pressing, and running; one up top and playing on the counter. Look at the final. It was basically a carbon copy of the 2010 and 2014 World Cup finals, with different teams. That’s how these big games are decided nowadays. Look at the Copa America final! Since 1990 the losing team in the World Cup final has only scored on one occasion (France in 2006). Before then, the losing team had never failed to score, IN EVERY FINAL! So don’t blame Portugal or having 24 teams for you not witnessing a 1986 World Cup final style game. Blame the incredibly high stakes placed on defeat nowadays due to the amount of money in the game. Blame the exposure that players and coaches from lesser fancied nations will have had to playing against the best, due to factors such as the expansion of the Champions League and the increase in foreign imports in all of Europe’s big domestic leagues. People don’t just naively turn up to be a 1974 Zaire or 1982 El Salvador.
If Euro 2016 didn’t crack up to what you thought it would be, never fear! There’s a third major international tournament this summer. And it’s actually the original one! That’s right the only reason why you have a World Cup or European Championship to moan about is because of the Olympic Football tournament. This predates them both, and it was discussion regarding the eligibility of professionals at the Olympic Football tournament; as well as whether, two time Olympic Champions in the 1920s, Uruguay were the real deal, which lead to the inaugural World Cup being staged in 1930 (same for the European Championship in 1960).
I love the Olympic Football tournament, and have watched each one since Atlanta in 1996. There promises to be some great football on display (well, counter-pressing with one up top). For a start, the likes of Neymar, Marquinhos, Douglas Costa, Manuel Lanzini (Paolo Dybala and Mauro Icardi were cut from the final 23), the Bender brothers (that’s not a weird WWF tag team) and Max Meyer will be in attendance. Best of all, most of the games are on UK work friendly times. It’s going to be great! I only wish that our FAs would stop being so stubborn, and put together a team GB, that way they could be overhyped then go crashing out amid all manner of excuses and scapegoat. That’s what makes a real tournament.
Anyway, must go. I wrote this sitting on a balcony in Cyprus, keeping an eye on my sleeping son, sweating like Big Sam will be in Qatar, when the press are on his back for continuing to play a 40+ immobile Kevin Nolan and Ricardo Vaz Te in spite of underwhelming results. Oh well, “He’ll keep England up” I suppose...
