THE Ukraine football team doesn’t just carry the sporting hopes of a nation it has become a poignant reminder of the on-going conflict with Russia. Hence, the players have extra motivation to stay in the public consciousness a little bit longer.
The big heavyweight showdown was between red-hot favourites France and a typically talented Dutch side.
Here’s a round-up of the games played last night and early this morning.
Slovakia 1 v Ukraine 2
Slovakia seemed to be on their way to the knockout stage when they took an early lead through Ivan Shranz in the 17th minute. Continuing from their impressive showing against Belgium, Slovakia had the measure of their opponents who did not make the most of their possession.
The game, though, took a dramatic turn, with Ukraine putting on a much better display in the second half. Constant pressure led to goals for Mykola Shaparenko in the 54th minute and Roman Yaremchuk in the 80th minute. This was a vast improvement for the Ukrainians compared to the meek 3-0 defeat suffered in the opening fixture against Romania. They live to fight another day.
Austria 2 v Poland 1
The big news was the return of talisman striker Robert Lewandowski to the Polish side. Though declared fully fit prior to kickoff, the Barcelona hitman was only given the final half hour to try to dictate proceedings.
Ultimately, the 36-year-old veteran was not able to turn the tide against an efficient and effective Austrian side coached by Ralf Ragnick, whose high pressing philosophy was on full display.
The Austrians harangued their opponents and were quicker to every 50/50 ball, moving the ball forward aggressively and with purpose. Poland were smothered, and the 3-1 scoreline could have been worse. Austria v Netherlands now becomes a mouth-watering prospect.
France 0 v Netherlands 0
The big question before the game was whether France’s star player Kylian Mbappe would make the squad after undergoing surgery to fix a broken nose. He made the bench but played no part. There were still plenty of star quality out on the pitch but none were able to break the deadlock, giving the tournament’s first scoreless draw.
The big talking point was a disallowed goal for the Dutch for a subjective offside call. At the end of the day, both sides were happy to settle for a draw that would probably be enough to see them through to the knockout stage.
Upcoming fixtures:
Georgia v Czechia – 9pm (22 June)
Turkiye v Portugal – 12am (23 June)
Belgium v Romania – 3am (23 June) – June 22, 2024
Main photo credit: The Guardian
