The worst defeat in our history. England beaten by a country with more volcanoes than professional footballers. Well played Iceland.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 27, 2016
Roy Hodgson resigns as England manager. A decent and dignified man but will forever be remembered for losing to tiny Iceland.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 27, 2016
Gary Lineker labelled England’s shocking 2-1 defeat by Iceland as “the worst defeat in our history” as Roy Hodgson’s side crashed out of Euro 2016, prompting the manager to resign minutes after the full-time whistle. Playing a country which boasts a population of little over 320,000 people, England were expected to cruise past Iceland and set-up a Euro 2016 quarter-final clash against tournament hosts France, but it wasn’t to be. England’s early lead through a Wayne Rooney penalty was immediately cancelled out by Ragnar Sigurdsson, with the defence failing to deal with a trademark Icelandic long throw, and just 12 minutes later the so-called minnows were in front through Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s shot that threaded its way under Joe Hart’s arm and across the line.
It was as improbable as it was fun to watch (unless, of course, you’re English). Iceland, a country of less than a third of a million people (less than Portland) and no discernible soccer tradition to speak of, defeated (formerly) mighty England, a country with roughly 180 times Iceland’s population and a long and storied (but not recent) tradition of excellence. Watching Iceland, its roster dotted with part-time players and those who play in lower level leagues throughout Europe, maintain its 2-1 halftime lead through the second half was a thing of beauty. Of course, England didn’t help their cause with their shoddy, disorganized, and impotent play, but let’s not take anything away from a side competing in its first-ever European Championship. Iceland didn’t back its way into the tournament- they beat Turkey, Switzerland, and the Netherlands (twice) during qualifying, and they have yet to lose a game in Euro 2016, beating Austria and England and drawing with Portugal and Hungary.
Hodgson eats lunch, alone in the dressing room.
— Reykjavík Grapevine (@rvkgrapevine) June 27, 2016
"How did it come to this?" he asks himself, silently.
"Doom at the hands of a viking horde!"
Part of my excitement, of course, stems from having visited Iceland on our honeymoon. I fell in love with the country and could easily see myself living there. Combine that with the perceived underdog perception, and the almost Quixotic quest, of the Icelandic national team, it’s hard not to see the charm in this feel-good story.
The flip side, of course, is that England is beside itself in anguish. Mighty England losing to a country with a population of barely 320,000? How could this happen? Is this not England’s “worst defeat EVER??”
NICE, France — Roy Hodgson did not hang around. Within half an hour of the final whistle, he had volunteered his own name for addition to the long list of ex-England managers. That he chose not to draw out the inevitable is just about the only credit he can take on one of the English national team’s darkest nights.
Make no mistake: in a long history of gutting humiliations, unrelenting lethargy and spectacular failure, Monday’s defeat was right down there with the worst of them.
Do not for a moment think that this is because Iceland are “minnows,” either. Minnows don’t beat the Netherlands home and away. Minnows don’t beat pretournament dark horse Austria. Minnows don’t play like this. Iceland were magnificent. They played a perfect game. Defending with discipline and composure, moving the ball with intelligence and guile, taking their chances when they came. All of the things that you would have every reason to expect from England. But in every department where Iceland excelled, England fell so far short.
The relative size of the countries aside, this was no upset, not given who Iceland defeated during qualifying. They deserve to be in the tournament, and they’ve played well and within themselves. They don’t have anyone with the offensive creativity and genius of Cristiano Ronaldo, they lack a defender with the range and skill of Vincent Kompany, and their midfield isn’t anything that will generate accolades. As a team, though, Iceland has held together, defended well, and pounced on opportunities when they presented themselves. They’ve done what they need to in order to win…which is more than can be said of England, a country and a side now in the throes of a pronounced and significant (non-Brexit-induced) crisis of confidence.
When they play host France on Sunday in Paris’ National Stadium, Iceland will be on a world stage unlike anything they’ve experienced before. There will be 80,000 (mostly French fans) in attendance and a worldwide television audience in the millions. Given what they’ve done so far, I doubt Iceland will be intimidated by playing in front of a hostile crowd equivalent to one-quarter of the island’s population.
Iceland will be well represented, both in the stadium and in Paris, so well that they may have to ask the last person leaving Reykjavik to turn out the lights on their way out of town.
Whatever result Sunday yields, Iceland should be proud of what they’ve accomplished given the long odds they faced at the outset of qualifying for Euro 2016. I hope the ride doesn’t come to an end at the hand of a talented French side looking to win a major championship at home, as they did the 1998 World Cup.
At the risk of upsetting my English friends, I’m going to enjoy using an appropriate hashtag for as long as the tournament continues for Iceland…#ICELANDSMITES
