Daniel Storey: The best, worst, most surprising and biggest disappointment of Euro 2020
MAIN MAN: England’s Raheem Sterling celebrates their equaliser against Denmark — with an assist from defender Simon Kjaer — in the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley last Wednesday. Picture: Laurence Griffiths, Getty Images
Best player: Raheem Sterling (England)
Sterling would not have been in England’s starting XI for Croatia if the general public had selected the team, but Gareth Southgate never had any doubt.
Sterling has consistently delivered for his country, but produced his very best during these four weeks. England’s highest-capped player has led by example, scoring England’s first three goals of Euro 2020 when nobody else looked like chipping in and has been their best option to drive at defenders and create space for Harry Kane.
Sterling never needed redemption — he didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. But a mile from where he grew up dreaming of performing at Wembley, he has made it his playground. This is the Raheem Sterling we all knew was possible.
Best young player: Pedri (Spain)
If the pressure of taking on the mantle from Lionel Messi of leading Barcelona into their next generation wasn’t enough, at 18 Pedri is also the creative force of Luis Enrique’s Spain.
Burnout would have been forgiven after playing 52 matches for his club last season, but Pedri missed a single minute of Spain’s run to the semi-finals.
The highest praise comes from his manager: “Has anyone noticed what an 18-year-old boy named Pedri has done in the Euros? Not even don Andres Iniesta has done it. What Pedri has done in these Euros I have never seen with an 18-year-old, not from anyone in the Euros, World Cups, Olympic games, it’s something away from all logic.”
Most surprising player: Patrick Schick (Czech Republic)
Schick has always been highly rated; a €30m move to Juventus at the age of 21 only collapsed after two failed medicals and Roma took a chance on him instead. But after 24 league goals in Serie A and the Bundesliga over four seasons, Schick came into Euro 2020 with few expectations hampering him or his Czech Republic team.
Five goals, including that strike against Scotland, and RB Leipzig suddenly have a striker who all the bad guys will be sniffing around. Somehow, he’s still only 25.
Best goalkeeper: Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
Schmeichel would take this award on merit anyway after a near faultless tournament. But when you add in the leadership and maturity displayed in the aftermath of Christian Eriksen’s horrific collapse against Denmark, Schmeichel is a contender for Player of the Tournament.
It isn’t easy to play the entirety of your career in the shadow of your father’s greatness, but Kasper has now earned the right to be recognised on his own terms. He is a leader on the pitch and off it, through his technical excellence and his personality.
Best goal - Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium v Denmark)
There were significantly more spectacular finishes — Schick vs Scotland, Paul Pogba vs Switzerland, Andriy Yarmolenko v Netherlands — but personally, I source more joy from a well-constructed team goal than an individual howitzer.
Romelu Lukaku held off two players on the right wing before picking out a perfect pass to Youri Tielemans. Then came a rapid interchange of passes between three Belgian players before the ball was laid off to the onrushing De Bruyne.
His finish — with his weaker foot — was majestically controlled into the bottom left-hand corner of Schmeichel’s goal.
Best save: Rui Patricio (Portugal v France)
Pogba may have produced his magnificent party trick against Switzerland, but he came oh so close against Portugal during the group stage.
Pogba’s shot, curling from outside the are and started well wide of the right-hand post, was already behind Patricio when he somehow stretched a left hand and made connection with the ball. As if to perfect the aesthetic beauty of the save, the ball cannoned of the angle between psot and bar and stayed out.
Best match: Italy v Spain
For all the chaotic madness of Manic Monday, when France, Switzerland, Croatia and Spain scored 14 goals between them, nothing can beat the first semi-final. Spain went without a centre-forward and looked to dominate possession and drag Italy’s central defenders into uncomfortable areas; Italy chose to play on the counter-attack, soaking up pressure and hitting Spain on the break.
The result was a match of supreme quality decided by several key moments that included profligate finishing from Spain, dogged, heroic defending from Italy in extra-time and two of the most assured penalties under pressure from Federico Benardeschi and Jorginho that you can ever hope to witness. Anyone who was there will consider it an absolute privilege.
Best moment: Leon Goretzka’s celebration (v Hungary).
With Germany in search of a goal to postpone their agony and avoid a second successive major tournament exit at the group stage, Joachim Low brought on Goretzka and watched on as his midfielder fired home with seven minutes remaining.
The best bit was to follow: Running towards the Hungary fans that stood accused of overt racism and homophobia, Goretzka formed his hands into a heart and held them up to the now silent Hungarian fans. His message: Love will always conquer hate.
Biggest upset: Switzerland v France.
Switzerland had blown their chance. Holding a surprise one-goal lead, Ricardo Rodriguez saw his weak penalty saved by Hugo Lloris and France, re-energised by the provision of a second chance, scored three goals in 18 minutes and celebrated the third as if it guaranteed them progress to the quarter-finals.
But Switzerland were not done. Haris Seferovic scored with 10 minutes remaining and then, just before the game entered stoppage time, Mario Gavranovic surged forward and struck a perfect shot past Lloris. France attacked relentlessly in extra-time but were beaten on penalties. Always back the team who is happier to reach the shootout to win it.
Biggest disappointment: Kylian Mbappe (France)
Mbappe entered this tournament as the favourite to be named the Player of the Tournament. If that created undue pressure on him to drag France to consecutive major tournament successes, he fell short even of the lowest expectation.
He failed to score and managed one assist, criticised back home for his tendency to hold onto the ball for two long and run down blind allies.
At 22 and with prodigious talent, Mbappe clearly retains the potential to rebound from this disappointment. But the defining image of his Euro 2020 was him leaving the field alone after missing the crucial penalty in the shootout against Switzerland.
