The opening ten matches of Euro 2016 have seemed to cement the status quo in international football rather than indicate a birth of a new dawn, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Much like all previous editions of the showpiece event, the matches have been cagey with compact defence prevailing over enterprising attacking play with many of the fixtures settled by a solitary goal or a moment of brilliance. This was the case in the opening match as Dimitri Payet’s ‘worldie’ saw France open their account with a win in a typically French display; despite possessing some of the finest footballers in the world the hosts failed to put Romania to the sword and were bailed out by the West Ham playmaker’s late winner.
Only two matches have been decided by a two goal margin and in both instances the goals came within seconds of the referee blowing for full time. Two minutes into time added against Ukraine, Bastian Schweinsteiger rifled home a half volley from close range and Graziano Pelle scored at the same mark to help Italy bury Belgium.
Speaking of Belgium, many pundits had labelled them as among the favourites for the tournament. One wonders why? Yes, the likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne easily rank inside the top 15 players at the event but yet again on Monday they showed they have little pedigree at the highest level. They now are up against it in a tough group and have it all to do in order to avoid the label of the being the first high-profile casualty.
England showed why many of their fans were underwhelmed by their chances in France.
They dominated the early exchanges against Russia, then went in front before conceding a late goal that denied them a valuable win. This should not be unfamiliar territory for the Three Lions, they have never won their opening match at the event. Heartache to follow? I would imagine so unless Roy Hodgson changes things around and makes the bold move of dropping one of Adam Lallana or Raheem Sterling in favour of the in-form Jamie Vardy.
The same themes continued to develop over the opening four days in France.
An ageing Italian squad, who despite a lack of superstars, sealed a win over a much-hyped opponent while Spain dominated possession and in the process gave a passing masterclass to the Czech Republic side who spent probably 80 of the 90 minutes chasing Andres Iniesta’s shadow. France blew hot and cold, England snatched a draw from the jaws of victory and the minnows clashed against each other in matches of little importance.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Don’t expect an avalanche of goals in the knockout rounds; there’s been little evidence to suggest a parting from the tried and tested European Championship script. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing mind you, the likes of Germany, Spain and Italy going toe-to-toe is enticing enough to keep the millions of fans around the world glued to their screens until the final on July 10.
