The script goes awry at the ongoing European Championships

The group stage has come to an end at the Euros and it’s been eventful to say the least. While the average goals scored per game remained a lowly 1.92, there’s no denying the quality of football that has been on display in the tournament so far. More significantly, the underdog fever seems to have spilled right over from the Barclays Premier League to the ongoing tournament. While this is the first edition of the Euros to have 24 teams vying for top honours, UEFA’s new rule for third placed teams to qualify seems to have brought the best out of lower-ranked teams. And boy have they managed to upset the apple cart!

Iceland unanimously tops the list of underdogs that impressed. With a population of a little over 300,000 and a small pool of professional and mostly semi-professional players, they began their campaign by ruffling the feathers of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a gritty 1-1 draw. To prove it wasn’t by accident, they drew again with higher-ranked Hungary before showing incredible character in a decisive 2-1 win against Austria clinched by a stoppage time goal. And with the kind of spirit and clutch plays they have made, there’s every reason to call them the Leicester of the Euros. The Republic of Ireland clearly seemed to be on their way out after picking up a point from the first two games, drawing 1-1 with Sweden and going down 0-3 to Belgium. But the hardened Irishmen just refused to go out of the competition when a late header by Robbie Brady stunned Italian fans as the Azzuri went down to the Irish by the solitary goal and Ireland went through to the next stage.

Neighbors Northern Ireland are not far behind as they made full use of the third-place rule and booking their spot in the Round of 16. They defeated Ukraine 2-0 and lost out narrowly to both Poland and Germany by identical margins of 0-1, putting up impressive performances in the group stage. Striker Kyle Lafferty has already grabbed a few headlines but interestingly, it’s goalie Michael McGovern who’s creating the most waves in the football world, drawing comparisons with some of the greats and also being hailed as one of the reasons why they’ve maintained a decent goal difference. The Slovakians will also be looking to make some headway going into the next stage of the tournament. Team talisman and striker Marek Hamsik has already become the darling of the Slovakian fans after the striker’s crucial strike against Russia took the team to the next stage, having lost 1-2 to Wales and going on to a goalless draw against England.

But champion teams are champions for a reason and it would probably be a little too optimistic to hope for a Leicester-like story for any of these minnows. France are taking shape with the likes of Dimitri Payet and Paul Pogba. England’s Jamie Vardy is regularly blitzing across opposition defenders and Spain’s Andres Iniesta has just aged like wine, seems to get better with age. With teams loaded with talent, exciting football is yet to come.   

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The 2016 European Championships could become a part of football lore

This European Championship promises loads of exciting matchups and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top. Looking on as Leicester City lifted the Premier League trophy has been a huge confidence booster for underdogs who now firmly believe that they can win major trophies if they play with discipline and show character on the field. The excitement of Club football is sure to spill over into the Euros as we see our favourite stars take the field when the tournament kicks off at the Stade de France on the 10^th of June.

England continues its trend of looking like the strongest team on paper, but unlike yesteryears, this team is based on solid foundation of young talent. With the likes of 20-year old Dele Alli, 21-year old Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Jack Wilshere manning the front, the English team looks surprisingly young and exciting to watch. What Roy Hodgson must remain aware of, is the defence, that has seemed scrappy at best and prone to misfiring. The lack of major silverware could also hamper English chances of getting through the home stretch of the tournament. Portugal under coach Fernando Santos look to be a determined lot, putting up great defensive displays and not losing a single qualifying match under the new coach. The talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo is still in his prime even though Portugal are not the side they used to be when they made the finals only to lose out to Greece in 2004. But if their showing in pre-Euro friendlies was any indication, the team is not one to go down without a fight. Special mention to 40-something Ricardo Carvalho, who is back on international duty and put on a gritty display in the last friendly against England.

Hosts France must capitalize on the home ground advantage and a side that boasts of sensational players coming off excellent seasons with their respective clubs. While youngster Paul Pogba remains the highlight, don’t forget to watch out for Premier League sensations N’golo Kante and Dimitri Payet are sure to bring their A-game after leading their clubs to great success in the Premier League. Add to that the striking prowess of Oliver Giroud and Antoine Griezmann and you know France could very well take the trophy home this time around. Amidst calls of the end of an era, Spain look to regain some lost glory after a forgettable showing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Veterans Andre Iniesta, ‘keeper Iker Casillas take the field amidst rumours of international retirement. But you can never count the tiki taka players out, especially when striker Alvaro Morata, defenders Juanfran and Hector Bellerin and midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Koke are coming off great seasons with their respective clubs. Expect some veteran action from Cesc Fabregas as well.

We do expect some of the lesser known teams to make a mark though. Slovakia is led by the experienced Martin Skrtel and Marek Hamsik could really weave some magic in the midfield. Switzerland will be anchored by the promising Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri. Wales could come out all guns blazing under captain Gareth Bale’s guidance. The Euros have a lot to live up to this time around.   

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Euro 16 Football Competition Could Be Target for Terrorists

Euro 16 competition is to be hosted by France from 10^th June and the US security agency has already warned that the tournament could be a target for the terrorists.

Euro Tournament

Euro tournament is organized every four years. In the upcoming Euro tournament, 24 nations have qualified to contest. The number of participants has been increased to 24 from 16. The participating teams will be divided into six groups and two from each group will qualify for the knockout round. Sports tourism is on rise and it is expected that a larger number of football-crazy fans will reach France to enjoy the tournament. The passionate fans from neighboring as well as participating countries as well as other nations are supposed to visit France on the event of the grand football gala of Europe.

Spain is taking part in the tournament as a two-time defending champs.

Possibility of Terrorist Attack

The competition will be held for one month, attracting a larger number of sports-loving tourists from all over the globe. France will be hosting the event after beating other two bidders Turkey and Italy to be named as the country to organize the biggest European football ceremony. The country is hosting the event for the third time in the history of European championship. The matches will be hosted at 10 stadiums across 10 cities of France. More than 90,000 security staff including soldiers, police and private agents will be deployed all over the country for monitoring every activity in and around the stadium.

Paris, the capital city of France, has already been under threat from the militants following simultaneous assault on concert hall, stadium, bars and restaurants earlier this year. The gruesome attack caused death to 130 people and left many more seriously injured. Neighboring country Belgium had suicide blasts at Brussels Airport as well as a metro station in March and it left 32 people dead. ISIS claimed responsibility for attacks in both Paris and Brussels. Nearly 1 million foreign fans are supposed to arrive in France to watch the tournament that will be contested by Europe’s best national teams.

The US State Department has warned its France visiting citizens about the dangers of possible terrorist attacks along the length and breadth of Europe.

What is new about US terror warning?

The US terror department routinely issues travel alerts worldwide but they are doing it only for the third time in two decades for Europe. According to America, the terrorists could strike at famous tourist destinations, commercial sites, public places including restaurants. However, this time, the Euro 16 event is believed to be a target for the terrorists.

Some experts have said that it is nothing but a routine alert, especially for those places that were previously targeted by the terrorists. The Foreign Office in the United Kingdom has issued a warning of high-level terrorist attacks in France. The country has extended its state of emergency to include every tournament. France also has a plan of anti-drone technology deployment as a part of their extensive precaution.

Author’s Bio: Goldengoals.com is an online football magazine. It covers latest match results, analysis, transfer updates and many more that the crazy fans are curious to know.

The Chosen One may start a new United era

It’s official. Manchester United have finally appointed former Chelsea, Inter and Porto boss Jose Mourinho as manager on a contract of 3 years, extendable up to 2020 which reportedly pays out more than £20 million to Mourinho. After months of speculation on the part of some people and wishful thinking on some others, United have ended their association with Dutchman Louis Van Gaal before welcoming Mourinho on board. Mourinho though is coming in on the back of a nightmare Premier League season that saw Chelsea flirt with relegation and resulted in an unceremonious sacking of ‘The Special One’ as Chelsea boss. United loyalists have shown their doubts over the appointment of the former Chelsea boss but the support has been overwhelming with many saying this could be a real reversal for both Mourinho and United’s fortunes.

With history and tradition behind them, United have not really been United ever since Sir Alex left the helm in 2013, with the recent FA Cup victory being the only title they can boast of. While Mourinho’s reign may not see United playing football that is easy on the eyes, they will surely become a force to be reckoned with. The master tactician that he is, Mourinho is bound to see United play compelling and tactical football that brings results even though it may not draw gasps from the audience. His credentials can’t be ignored. With 8 Premier League titles, 2 Champions League trophies, and 7 domestic titles under his belt, the Special One could well herald an era of post-Ferguson greatness at United.

With the arrival of Mourinho, United can also expect explosive names in World Football to follow in his wake. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already dropped hints and smiles when asked about renewing his ties with old Inter-coach Mourinho at United. Mourinho has reportedly been given a £300 million war chest that could well be utilized to bring in some talent. Alvaro Morata might fetch a £40 million price tag which would strengthen United’s forward line. Defence has been a major cause of grief for United and Mourinho wants no more of it. On his wish list he has already added Everton’s John Stones, Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, Roma’s Kostas Manolas and Ezequiel Garay of Zenit St. Petersburg to reinforce the United defence. And in a move that could well change the complete demographics of the Premier League, Chelsea have been approached by United to let Mourinho-favourite Eden Hazard make a move to United which would make United a force to reckon with.

There are a number of detractors of course who would say Mourinho is past his prime and he does violate one of United’s fundamental way of ensuring they stay one of the premier clubs in the competition history of all major tournaments. United’s famed academy has produced some of the illustrious names in club football and occasionally international football. Jose Mourinho on the other hand is all for signing big names to stay at the top of the competition. This does pose a serious question but United fans can hope to regain some lost glory.   

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