Roy Hodgson quits as England are humiliated
Not even a Wayne Rooney penalty after only five minutes could deter this tiny nation of heroes, who have never been to a major championship before and whose entire population would comfortably fit into an outer suburb in London.
Instead instant replies from outstanding defender Ragnar Sigurdsson and striker Kolbein Sigthorsson — together with an abject, nervous display from England’s overpaid and overhyped stars, who were booed off the pitch, sent them into a quarter-final against France in Paris on a wave of ecstasy.
“I’m sorry it will have to end this way but these things happen,” Hodgson said.
“I hope you will still be able to see an England team in a final of a major tournament soon,” he added.
“Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players. They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them.”
Much of the focus after this game will inevitably be on England’s desperate display — because if there was a fairytale on one side of the pitch there was a nightmare on the other.
A knockout game at a major tournament should always be looked forward to, of course, but if ever there was a reason to be nervous about one, then England had it. There were only two real outcomes for Hodgson’s men, a sudden outburst of sheer relief if they made it through and utter mayhem if they didn’t.
Let’s not feel too sorry for them, though. If ever a country had the resources, and we’re talking financial, historical and numerical, to make a serious bid for international silverware then England has it. They are not even short of talent — Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling are all major Premier League names and they had Wayne Rooney, a man who has done it all in club football, to lead them.
And yet they are nowhere near the sum of their parts.
What a contrast we have in Iceland, the smallest country ever to qualify for a major finals who had a fare percentage of their 330,000 population with them in France, and who personify team spirit, hard work and ability to make the most of their talent.
England started well enough in Nice, haring forward at fast pace and earning a penalty after only four minutes when Sterling was brought down by Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, the man who works as a film director in his spare time in case football ever fails him.
Rooney converted the penalty emphatically and the feeling in the stadium was that having scored early, England would now win comfortably. How wrong we all were.
Within two minutes a long throw from Cardiff City’s Aron Gunnarson was flicked on by Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson, having lost marker Kyle Walker, stretched to turn the ball home at the far post. Cue howls of frustration across England, cue abuse across the internet, and suddenly the match had taken a twist; but not as bad as the twist which followed 12 minutes later when Iceland took the lead.
This time England’s defence stepped back as Iceland striker Sigthorsson hovered on the edge of the area — before miss-hitting a shot which Joe Hart fumbled and allowed to trickle over the line.
There were some attacking highlights from England in the first half, including a stunning volley from Harry Kane which Halldorsson tipped over the bar, but the arrival of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere for holding midfielder Eric Dier didn’t have the desired effect. He could do anything to heal England’s jittery defence and they were relieved not to go 3-1 down when Ragnar Sigurdsson’s overhead kick was blocked at point-blank range by Hart.
By now England’s players looked gripped and physically twisted with nerves.
Desperation was setting in at one of the field and delirium at the other. Sigurdsson, again, summed up what Iceland are all about when he thundered into a sliding tackle on substitute Jamie Vardy in the penalty area, taking a kick in the face for his troubles, but cutting off another England attack in the process.
By the end England’s miss-placed passes were being booed and the abjectness of their performance had to be seen to be believed; they simply couldn’t cope under that barrage of pressure, expectation and frustration.
(ko all 8pm)
Poland v Portugal
Wales v Belgium
Germany v italy
France v Iceland
Hart 5; Walker 7, Cahill 5 Smalling 6, Rose 6; Alli 6, Dier 6 (Wilshere 46; 5), Rooney 6 (Rashford 84); Sturridge 5, Kane 5, Sterling 6 (Vardy 60; 6)
Halldorsson 8; Baevarsson 8, Arnason 8, R Sigurdsson 9, A Skulason 7; G Sigurdsson 8, A Gunnarson 9; Gudmundsson 8, Bjarnaeson 8; Sigthorsson 8 (Bjarnason 75; 7), Bodvarsson 7 (Traustason 85)
Damir Skomina (Slovenia).
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