Euros 2016
Best Team: Wales. Phenomenal quarter final performance, terrific display all tournament and overall a really really terrific display from the Welsh, doing themselves proud and doing their country proud. Didn't turn in a single bad performance and produced two or three of the tournament's best players.
Best Goal: Xherdan Shaqiri. Honorary mention to Hal Robson-Kanu but the technique required to bend his body in mid-air in a fraction of a second, and then to connect as well as he did was truly astonishing. Not only the goal of the tournament but one of the best goals I've ever seen.
Best Moment: So many to choose from. Again, HRK's goal. The entirety of the Germany/Italy penalty shootout. But for me it has to be the full time scenes after Iceland beat England. The now famous Icelandic commentator absolutely losing it, the players doing the now iconic clap with their fans after the whistle. All of it. Incredible.
Best Game: Portugal 3-3 Hungary. Three times Hungary took the lead, three times Portugal were on the brink of crashing out of the Euros. But three times they were able to step up, the third an incredible equaliser from Cristiano Ronaldo, who simply was not to be denied. Amazing.
Funniest Moment: Ronaldo v Austria. Not content with missing simple chances, firing shots from range straight at the keeper and ballooning every free kick his team got within 40 yards of goal, Ronaldo managed to miss a penalty and then a couple of minutes later have a goal disallowed for offside. Comedy gold.
Worst Miss: Quite a few to choose from. Gignac in the final. Thomas Muller against Northern Ireland. Zaza. But for me it has to be Pelle's penalty against Germany. Tells the keeper he's going to chip him, only to sidefoot it miles wide with no power. Neuer went the right way anyway.
Surprise Package: Well it has to be Iceland. Infuriating Ronaldo, knocking out Austria and then their game against England which will long live in the memory of Iceland and England fans alike. They brought so much to the tournament and even 4-0 down they refused to give in against the French. Class.
Biggest Disappointment: Has to be England. Spain were poor, Austria massively underperformed and Croatia should have at least reached the quarter-finals, if not the semis, but to get knocked out in the last 16 by Iceland, after finishing behind Wales in a turgid group, as well as failing to beat the second worst team in the tournament (Russia), mean that England have to be the biggest disappointment.
Worst Team: Ukraine. No goals. No inspiration. No points. Losing to Germany and Poland was expected but a 2-0 defeat to Northern Ireland on top of that is just embarrassing. Ukraine go home shamed. Special mention again to Austria for losing to both Hungary and Iceland. Shocking.
Best Manager: Plenty of contenders. I thought Joachim Low made some excellent tactical decisions. Everyone will throw Conte's hat into the ring and of course Chris Coleman. But for me it's Portugal's manager: Fernando Santos. Portugal were defensively shoddy in the group stages and lacking a lot of coherency. But when the knockout stages came along they were suddenly a tight cohesive unit. A brilliant tactical masterclass.
Worst Manager: Again, contenders. Del Bosque didn't shower himself in glory. Wilmots is an absolute dunderhead. But there is only one winner. At least Spain were knocked out by an excellent Italy side and Belgium by a fantastic Wales team, having navigated Hungary with ease. Oh no, the worst manager of the tournament is England's own Roy Hodgson. I've already worn myself out explaining how incompetent he is, so I refer you to one of my other blogs. But England lost to a country with a population the size of Leicester. Disgrace.
Worst Game: Again, contenders. Portugal v Croatia. Portugal v Poland. England v Slovakia. Italy v Sweden. But the winner for me is the final itself. It all just felt hollow, and for what should have been a terrific spectacle to be bogged down in high-profile injuries and moths, rather than the quality of football on show. A real shame.
And finally: Best Prediction and Worst Prediction: This one goes to Jim McKenna, who claimed that England would win one of their group games against Wales or Slovakia, end up finishing the group on five points and get knocked out in the last 16. And he was spot on. He did however also claim Austria would make the semis, but he's saved worst prediction by Su Collins, who said Austria would win the whole thing (yes you did Su I checked the podcast).
It's been a fun tournament, I'll be back on the live football hype when the EPL starts. For now, other live sports (golf, cricket) and EPL reviews and previews. I'll carry on my team summary on Monday, but for the weekend it's LFC time.
The Hard and Fast Section
- Good start from England, reducing Pakistan to 339.
- Phil Mickleson off to a flier in the Open.
- Absolute madness in Le Tour. Farce.
- Misbah: century and push-ups at 42. Legend.
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