footballtalkies.com we talk football
I had mentioned in an earlier post on my blog that Group D of the Euro 2012 is the “Anything-Could-Happen_Group”. And boy, did that come true! Yesterday we saw two matches being played out which drastically reaffirmed that this group will go down to the wire with such unpredictability that is almost breath taking. In one game, England and France held each other to a 1 -1 draw in what could be said a mostly uninspiring game despite having several brilliant moments. But it was the second game that turned everything on it’s head with first timers and co-hosts Ukraine with rapacious support form a highly energized home crowd pulling off the biggest upset in recent Euro history by defeating a rejuvenated Sweden 2 -1 with a double from Andriy Shevchenko, putting them on top of the table with a miserable Sweden at the bottom.
France vs England (1 -1)
In one of Europe’s oldest and traditional rivalries, France with a highly talented squad but lacking cohesion met England, a team jam-packed with EPL superstars but beset with injury and suspension problems. The odds were tiled in favor of France with England being accorded miserable condolences. But England seemed to lead the play with smart passes, while Frank Ribery and co tested the English goal keeper once or twice through brilliant moves. But it was England who would take the lead despite predictions when Joleon Lescott jumped high and headed in a Gerrard corner. France counterattacked with equal vigor and soon reaped dividends just before halftime when Nasri curled in a Ribery pass part Manchester City team mate Hart. France kept on building pressure looking for a second goal, but that was not to be, as the game started falling flat, maybe due to the heat. But in the end, it seemed as France would make a last minute comeback while the English desperately clung on to their one goal, seemingly praying for the match to end. And so it did, with them both sharing a point each, uncertainity hanging in the air.
Ukraine vs Sweden (2 -1)
Sometimes the simplest of factors which cannot be helped might go in favor of your opponents, and that is what happened here. A “new” Sweden with the Ibrahimovich scandal behind them and with a new coach and strategies, met Ukraine playing in the European Championships their first time ever having qualified as co-hosts. Sweden was considered the sure-shot favorites, the home support factor in favor of Ukraine being widely overlooked. No one really expected how huge that support would be, and it belied all expectations, with the entire stadium backing their team as one giant, noisy organism and the Ukraine team seemed to be pulling their energy from them. Ukraine surprised Sweden early in the game with their swiftness, cohesion and prowess and the crowd roared in accordance with their every move. But Sweden gathered their marbles soon after and Zlatan Ibrahimovich put them in front with a simple goal after a heart-stopping attempt seven minutes earlier. The stadium fell silent, but exploded with thunderous noise just three minutes later when Andriy Shevchenko equalized for the hosts with a powerful header. The charged crowd roared with deafening sound when Shevchenko headed in another one to bring Ukraine in front, and the noise never died down after that. Though Sweden tried whatever they could to find that equilizer, Ibrahimovic’s fierce shot was stopped by the goalkeeper and a couple of his team mates’ shots went high, giving Ukraine a dream-like win that no one there is going to forget anytime soon.
With this happening, Ukraine now incredibly sits on the top of the heap in Group D with England second and France third. Now it all depends on how the remaining of the games feature, with everything suddenly turning to be a life-and-death situation for all the top teams. Here, when France though that they were sitting pretty, suddenly find their proceedings in jeopardy. Yes, everything can change in an instant, and Group D is the new “Group of Death”. And yes, the hero of the tournament so far is Andriy Shevchenko.
