September 23 to 29, 2019 Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. September 23 to 29, 2019Match Day Six in Euro 2020 Qualifiers took place this week.
Both the Czech Republic and Iceland, on seven points, needed a win in Group A. Just after the half-hour mark, Mikael Anderson scored for the visitors as Iceland tried to re-enact the same result of their previous meet. The Czechs, however, replied minutes later via Josef Hušbauer. The tight tussle continued until substitute Hordur Magnússen broke the deadlock with his head, and it seemed the Icelandic side would come away victors. It would not be, as two substitutes in Jakub Brabec and Alex Král combined to equalise, before Pavel Kadeřábek (also a substitute) came from right back and scored with his left boot to give the Czech Republic the full three points, and to close the gap on the Netherlands and Turkey.
The Netherlands wanted to exact revenge on the Turks after having lost at home on the first Match Day. The Dutch started well with Luuk de Jong scoring in the fifteenth minute with a quick turn and shoot beyond the Turkish goalkeeper. However, the Turks worked back into the game, and right before the break, Hakan Çalhanoğlu turned everyone inside out, freeing up time to place his shot beyond the Dutch goalkeeper. A tight game ensued, where neither side would budge. It took substitute Berkay Özkan to break open the game, with his shot hitting the inside of the right post and bobbling into the goal. From there, the home side held on for a famous victory, and the knowledge they can lord it over the Netherlands, with two wins in these Qualifiers. It also sets them up for a grand chance of winning the group and qualifying for (and hosting portions of) Euro 2020.
Kazakhstan looked set to defeat Latvia again by a solitary goal, thanks to Aleksey Shchetkin’s chip after aided by Bauyrzhan Islamkhan. However, a blunder by goalkeeper Dmytro Nepogodov in passing the ball straight to Aleksejs Grjaznovs gave the visitors a late equaliser, and their first point for the Qualifiers. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, can feel Euro 2020 slipping from their grasp.
A top two spot in Group B was on the cards for Belgium when they hosted Wales. They needed a solid win after two semi-poor games and having lost by three goals to Wales back on Match Day 1. Belgium looked the goods when Yannick Ferreira Carrasco scored a pearler in the thirteenth minute. The Belgians looked on top as the Welsh had little to offer in cutting down their attacks. However, Gareth Bale scored from a free kick after the half-hour mark and looked set to disrupt the Belgian play. It mattered little, for two minute later, Kevin de Bruyne found the ball free in the box; his low, slow shot outmanoeuvring the goalkeeper’s dive. The score at halftime was 2-1 and that is how it remained for the rest of the match. Wales did hit the woodwork late in their attempt to level the match, but it was Belgium who came out on top.
Bottom-placed Cyprus took on Group B leaders Israel, and quickly showed why they qualified for the last World Cup. Matija Špoljarić’s goal in the 25th minute lifted up and over the defender and the goalkeeper. Pieros Soteriou then found himself free and easily chipped the goalkeeper to give Cyprus a solid two-nil lead at the break. Kostakis Artymatas made it three goals when he led onto a perfect cross and headed home a pearler. Israel’s Elazar Dasa snagged one back for the visitors, but it was not near enough as Cyprus finally gained their first win for the Qualifiers, and in the process dismounted Israel from first place.
Bosnia/Herzegovina took to the Andorrans any way they could, except on the scoreboard. A first-half dominance did lead to a goal by Armin Hodžić straight after the break, but the hosts could not find another goal, in spite of their best efforts. Andorra can be proud of only giving away a goal, whereas Bosnia/Herzegovina will need to up their scoring ability if they are going to progress to Euro 2020, since they may have to be compared with other nations in third place from the other groups. Goal difference may become the element that separates the teams.
Slovakia enacted revenge on the Spanish, gaining a vital one-goal away win, just as their opponents had done in the reverse leg. Robert Boženík was the recipient of the goal, making the most of poor defence. In spite of many chances, the Spanish struggled in the final third and could find no way to net an equaliser.
The Ukraine gained a fifth win from six matches after defeating Belarus at home. The hosts had a tricky time after scoring their first via Ruslan Malinovskiy. His shot hit the woodwork, before rebounding off the back of the goalkeeper, Aleksandr Gutor, and over the line. However, Gutor and his trusty defenders somehow kept a second goal at bay for the rest of the match, until Sergey Sydorchuk switched from defensive midfielder to right midfield and caught a Gutor parry, easing it into the slightly open goal.
The trend continued with Group C hosts playing nations three places behind them on the ladder. North Macedonia took on Luxembourg and took charge of the match. Tihomir Kostadinov scored a brace in the first half. Just before the hour mark, Aldin Skenderovic pegged a goal back. However, Boban Nikolov responded immediately, keeping that two-goal buffer, and 3-1 became the final score. North Macedonia now lie in second place, four points behind the Ukraine, with Spain dangerously in third on ten points. Slovakia have an outside chance of qualifying for Euro 2020, as does Belarus, with Luxembourg having four home games to finish off their Qualifiers. Are they too far behind Spain?
Poland are in real danger of not qualifying for Euro 2020 from Group D, stuck on five points after six matches, including their latest where they let the Germans slip in three goals inside the first twenty minutes. İlkay Gündoğan opened the scoring for the hosts with a cool right-footer, before Serge Gnabry doubled the lead a minute later. Gündoğan scored his brace, first trying to chip the goalkeeper and then claiming the ball again and scoring with ease into the open net. After the break, Piotr Zieliński caught onto a header and guided it home, giving the Polish a sense of hope. Leon Goretzka thwarted any of that as he led onto a ball from right midfield and pocketed Germany’s fourth goal. A late Robert Lewandowski goal was no help as the Germans ran out 4-2 winners.
Four injuries dominated the match between Ireland and Scotland, with two injuries apiece. The first was Shane Duffy, but the Irishman battled on. This choice to keep him on for a few more minutes worked in the home side’s favour, as he was not marked in a corner challenge, and his header looped out of reach of the Scottish goalkeeper to open the scoring. From there, a tight tussle ensued, with neither side looking like dominating the game. As the match came to a close, Glenn Whelan caught onto a cross from right midfield and snagged a second goal, enabling the full three points for the Irish and keeping within striking distance of Germany.
Valeri Qazaishvili and Otar Kiteishvili scored against Gibraltar as they had done in the previous match against Ireland. Qazaishvili opened the game with an early brace, his first being an easy slot into an open goal and the second with his right foot low and out of reach of the Gibraltar goalkeeper. Georgia should have had three early in the second half, but wayward volleys and headers became the order of the day. Striker Giorgi Kvilitaia instead shot from long range to make it three. Kiteishvili then took on multiple defenders to score Georgia’s fourth. Kvilitaia then won a penalty, only for Qazaishvili to be chosen as the penalty taker, hoping to gain a hat trick. His shot was saved with the legs of the goalkeeper, and the match ended 4-0, and Georgia still in second place. The only issue facing Georgia is the four away games ahead of them. They may not be able to hold onto second place, but there in confidence they will be one of the better-positioned third-placed sides and will gain qualification. Germany need only one more win to gain qualification for the tournament. Poland must defeat Ireland and then win the next three matches to have any chance. Scotland could also follow suit if they can overcome Georgia, considering their last encounter was a 2-2 draw on Georgian soil.
The top-of-the-table clash between England and Switzerland in Group E saw three goals inside 22 minutes for the hosts. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring when he used his volley on a loose ball. Harry Kane, as he had done in the previous encounter with the Swiss, scored twice in quick succession. His first was a low shot beyond an advancing Yann Sommer, whilst the second came off a corner. England continued attacking Nico Elvedi in defence, as he seemed to possess an injury. This led to plenty of chances but no additional goals. Late in the match, Granit Xhaka pegged one back for the visitors, but substitute Jadon Sancho replied with a header into the open goal after Sommer’s initial save.
Slovenia moved into second place with a better goal difference than Switzerland after their win over Lithuania. Tim Matavž had five one-on-one attempts against Ernastas Šetkus. His third attempt produced a chip over Šetkus and into the goal. His fifth, not exactly a pure one-on-one, instead saw Matavž cross the ball parallel with the goal, where Jasmin Kurtič running in won the ball and slid it into the back of the net. Slovenia stepped off the gas in the second half, though a third goal should have come their way, only to elude them.
San Marino achieved their second win for the Qualifiers after a 1-0 victory over Estonia, cancelling out the loss in their previous encounter. It seemed the first half would be scoreless as both sides fought hard in the middle of the park to constantly retake possession. Right before the break, though, Alex Gasperoni stepped up and lifted the ball with his left boot out of reach of the Estonian goalkeeper. Estonia had chances to equalise late but could not find their way into the back of the net. With this win, San Marino jumped above Lithuania. Any of the top three in England, Slovenia and Switzerland can reach first place in this group, and Estonia have a slim chance of qualifying. The next Match Day will be crucial to see who will rise to the occasion and who will be left wanting.
Hungary opened the gap between them and Northern Ireland in Group F with a two-goal win. Dominik Szoboszlai scored in the 69th minute when he placed pressure on the defence, intercepting the ball from the goalkeeper and slotting it home. Substitute Mate Vida doubled the lead when he headed into an open goal. From there, Hungary felt two goals were enough, and kept up the high pressure, ensuring their possession game denied Northern Ireland any chance of gaining a point.
Greece and Romania faced each other in the top-of-the-table clash. Romania set about trying to score an early away goal. Somehow the Greek defence held firm, and then took control of possession for the latter stages of the half. That, however, did not translate into a single shot on goal. Their first shot, instead, came early in the second half, only for Evangelos Pavlidis to muff this chance, as well as a second moments later. His replacement, Efthymios Koulouris, should have scored as well but missed the first, and his second was thwarted by the Romanian goalkeeper. In the end, a scoreless draw ensued, allowing Romania to keep their reign over Group F.
Faroe Islands, looking for their first points, fought hard against Finland. It seemed they would get a goal, or at least keep the Finnish side at bay. However, poor passing in defence late in the match meant the visitors pounced on a chance. The ball eventually fell to Teemu Pukki and he made no mistake. With that three points, Finland are well placed for their final four games, all being at home. Romania, Greece and, in particular, Hungary will do their best to keep the Fins out of contention for qualifying for Euro 2020.
Group G saw Sweden and France both in need of a win. Alexander Isak scored early for Sweden, before the hosts fought hard to keep that lead for the rest of the match. Wissam Ben Yedder should have equalised, only to miss the mark. In the end, Sweden not only maintained their dominance over France but also overtook them on the table.
Austria could not find a way of scoring against Moldova with only a 37% shot accuracy. The only decent shot was from a free kick that required a tip over the crossbar. Moldova had a chance to steal the points late but missed twice. Also missing twice was Austrian substitute Karim Onisiwo, whose shots flew wide of the mark.
Similarly, Russia had a low shot accuracy percentage against Liechtenstein. The difference between them and Austria was Artem Dzyuba’s two headers for goal in the first half. In the end, those two goals proved to be the difference, though had Russia been far more accurate, they could have closed the goal difference margin between them and top-placed Austria. Sweden, now third, have a good chance of qualifying and may even reach high enough to become a Euro 2020 host nation, whereas France must win most of their final four matches to have any hope of qualifying. Moldova have a slim chance and must win all four games to give them that opportunity.
Group H saw Croatia and Bulgaria fight for second place and the possibility of overtaking Italy into first spot. Croatia started the strongest early with Bruno Petković snagging a goal in the fifth minute. In spite of losing Luka Modrić to injury, the Croatians kept up the pressure. In the 77th minute, Ivan Perišić scored from long range, before Ante Rebić followed suit. Croatia will rest assured for their reverse leg on October 21 knowing their three front men are scoring goals.
Ciro Immobile scored a hat trick as Italy gained a vital away victory over Malta. The hosts never really looked in the match as Immobile spearheaded the Italian attack. His first was a power shot from the edge of the box first time after a lacklustre Maltese clearance. He then ran onto a through ball and pocketed a second, before heading in the 64th minute his hat trick goal. Italy keep their buffer zone on top of the ladder, chasing the chance to host some of the Euro 2020 matches.
Norway moved to third place after a 3-2 victory over Azerbaijan, but not without a few scares. Azerbaijan scored first via Vusal İsgəndərli. Norway immediately replied through attacks, leading to Markus Henriksen being brought down in the box. Birger Meling coolly slotted home the penalty. Midfielder Sander Berge then scored twice in quick succession, before Ramil Şeydayev made the halftime score 3-2. Norway played tentatively for the second half, keen on disallowing any counterattacking moves. As the game continued, they ramped up the pressure, but were unable to finish off with another goal.
Armenia needed a vital home win against Serbia. However, it was Serbia who dominated enough of the match to produce two goals. Right back Nikola Milenković slid onto a loose ball, and though initially goalkeeper Aram Hayrapetyan thought his dive-and-swipe was enough, the goal line technology deemed the ball had indeed entered the goal zone. Nemanja Maksimović doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, left-footing a cross from Milenković (deemed Player of the Match) with ease into the netting. Armenia could have had at least one goal back but failed to get on target.
Denmark needed their first win, facing top side Montenegro away. Though the Montenegrins attacked for most of the first half, the Danes had an answer in defence. Instead, Christian Eriksen backheeled a ball into goal after a tussle in the box. Mathias Jørgensen then hit straight a penalty after a counterattack, giving Denmark a vital two-goal lead. Substitute Marko Janković pegged one back for Montenegro but it was too late. Denmark finally had their first three points.
Albania surprised Portugal in Lisbon with a scoreless draw. The Albanian back five gave little room for the Portuguese to weave their magic, and in the end, the only decent effort became Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick, which missed the mark. Serbia now sit on top of Group I, but having played an extra game, while Denmark look to close the gap over Montenegro when they meet again in three weeks’ time. Portugal will look to overcome the Albanian back five and claim first place over Serbia.
© 2020 Steve Clark |
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Added on April 4, 2020 Last Updated on April 4, 2020 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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