Chelsea Remain Premier League’s Camp Chaos

In the final weeks of last season, Chelsea supporters thought they might be emerging from the wilderness. Five consecutive wins to end the season and, a run that saw just one league loss in the final 15 matches, secured a top six finish and hope for the future. The players were responding to Manager Mauricio Pochettino. Cole Palmer was becoming one of the Premier League’s biggest stars.

Chelsea, however, moved quickly to nip this success and attendant enthusiasm in the bud by parting ways with the Argentine Manager. Tossing the salad back into the air, Chelsea’s two headed sporting directorship of Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart promised yet another comprehensive manager search, presumably like the ones that had already identified Pochettino and Graham Potter as the answers. The Blues then defied convention once again by entrusting its over one-billion-dollar investment in young, largely unproven players, to a relatively young, largely unproven manager, Enzo Maresca. The Italian had failed miserably in Italy’s second division before spending a brief time studying at the knee of Pep Guardiola and then barely getting a talented Leicester roster across the Championship finish line last season. Leicester supporters were not overly saddened to see him leave. Chelsea fans were not overly happy to see him arrive. Maresca is dogged in his playing philosophy, insisting on playing out from the back and maintaining possession no matter which players he has at his disposal.

Not much can normally be drawn from preseason matches where much of the squad is missing after the exertion of international competitions. Chelsea’s new manager has not had much time to work even with the players available in camp to implement his system. However, the horrible US showings in conceding six goals to Wrexham and Celtic did nothing to alleviate worries about the program starting  once again from scratch. Chelsea defenders looked particularly lost and disorganized. Benoit Badiashile was particularly egregious. Wesley Fofana has been little better as he tries to return from another season lost to injury. Reece James looked confused and ineffective as Maresca wants the fullback inverting to midfield rather than playing to his strength on the flank. Ditto for Malo Gusto. No one has particularly distinguished themselves.

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has been under constant pressure in the two matches and could be headed for the bench after the club signed his assumed replacement in Villareal’s Filip Jorgensen. The 22-year-old Danish goalkeeper is reportedly on his way to the US where he will undergo his medical. Jorgensen is expected to take over number one responsibilities while the club tries to figure out what to do with Sanchez and four other goalkeepers still on the roster, including Dorde Petrovic who had the most appearances for the club while Sanchez was injured last season and Kepa Arrizabalaga who returns from an unremarkable loan stint at Real Madrid.

Maresca needs time to work with all his players, including those who will slowly be rejoining the squad from their post-tournament rest periods. One of those late returning players created challenges for Maresca before ever lacing up his boots for the new manager. Enzo Fernandes joined the club Monday to what was likely a frosty reception. The Argentine World Cup and Euro 24 winner posted a video of he and his countrymen teammates celebrating after the Euro victory. Bad move. The group was chanting lyrics which were racially offensive to those of African heritage playing for France. Its origin goes back to the 2022 World Cup when Argentina defeated France and apparently the refrain is still popular with  Argentine players and supporters. Fernandes apologized and pulled down his social media posting. However, the 23-year-old midfielder was again all smiles as the crowd chanted it at a River Plate match shortly after his return to Argentina. The situation has been openly condemned by some of Fernandes’ teammates, six of whom are French nationals of African heritage, with others worried about what the effect will be on team unity. The club has launched an official investigation.

Immature actions are not new for Chelsea’s billion-dollar babes. None can forget the squabbling between three of its young players over a penalty kick in a lopsided win over Everton last season. On of those players, striker Nicolas Jackson was more notable for his yellow cards than for his goals last season. Nine of Jackson’s ten yellow cards were for dissent, arguing, celebrating and other poor behavior not associated with actual real time fouls. This summer, no more than two minutes into the match with Wrexham, Chelsea’s Levi Colwell had his hands around the throat of a Wrexham opponent. It is a volatile mix that Maresca takes charge of.

As with other Premier League sides, there is also uncertainty created by the open transfer window. Supporter favorite Conor Gallagher, currently recovering from his Euro exertions, is almost incomprehensibly the subject of transfer rumors. Academy graduates Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah may need to be sold for financial reasons. A potential Gallagher departure is particularly awkward as the English international captained many of Chelsea’s matches down the stretch last season and he has to this point been adamant that he does not wish to leave entering the final season of his current contract. Potential suitors Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur apparently moved on in face of Gallagher’s reluctance, but Atletico Madrid is now rumored to have interest in the midfielder.

Thankfully, Camp Chaos will also welcome back Cole Palmer on its return to England and the young star can single-handedly make things seem brighter for the Blues. In the meantime, however, the US tour now takes on greater meaning given the terrible initial performances. After a midweek match with Club America, Chelsea faces Manchester City in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday. Normally the exhibition match would be meaningless between two clubs who will get down to real business when they face each other in their Premier League opener August 18th. How Chelsea fans feel about that opener could be disproportionately influenced, however, should Camp Chaos flop versus their Premier League opponent on Saturday. 

Missing Many Of Its Stars, The Premier League Visits US

An eerie quiet had lately befallen the Premier League with its major stars largely taking a break after the European Championship and Copa America tournaments. The transfer window has also been relatively quiet. Things will now perk up just a bit as threadbare travelling sides try to make their owners a quick buck on global tours before starting again in league play.

At least 15 players will be missing from the squad that Manchester City takes to the United States for a three-match tour beginning Tuesday in North Carolina against Scottish champion Celtic. Attendance numbers should still be mind-numbing for a tour which will see the Premier League champions play Barcelona in Florida and AC Milan in New York before the Citizens face Chelsea in a 100,000-seat college football stadium in Ohio in 10 days. With so many players missing from the traveling squad, City fans can celebrate the fact that Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish did not participate in the Euros and will be among the club’s few stars visiting the states. Goalkeeper Ederson, despite a facial injury that kept him out of the Copa and rumors he could be headed to Saudi Arabia before summer’s end, is also on the roster.

Chelsea likewise has a good number of players on the beach, but US supporters should enjoy seeing a host of stars who played little due to injury last season and will be anxious to impress new manager Enzo Maresca on the club’s four-match blitzkrieg starting with Wrexham tomorrow and ending with Real Madrid on August 6th. The long list of formerly walking wounded who will visit the US includes the likes of Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana. Fans will particularly want confirmation that Romeo Lavia is a real person after the expensively purchased midfielder was invisible for virtually the entirety of last season.

Half of the Premier League is touring the US this summer, the other sides including Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton and  Bournemouth. Liverpool will be involved in two high profile matches with Premier League foes. The Reds face Arsenal in a July 31st matchup in Philadelphia before meeting historic rival Manchester United on August 3rd in South Carolina. Despite missing as many as 11 regular team players, Liverpool’s squad will include club legend Mohamed Salah. It could be the last chance for Liverpool US supporters to see the Egyptian superstar in a Reds shirt as the 32-year-old Salah is entering the last year of his contract on Merseyside. Liverpool fans will also be able to get their first look at new Manager Arne Slot. While hampered by the absence of many of his stars, Slot should give audiences some sense of his intended style of play for the club in the post Klopp era.

Arsenal face both Liverpool and Manchester United as part of their whirlwind US visit which begins in California versus fellow Premier League side Bournemouth on Wednesday. The Gunners then stay in California to play Manchester United on Saturday. Arsenal’s announced US squad sees the return of defender Jurrien Timber who suffered a serious knee injury in the Gunners’ first Premier League match next season. Manchester United will announce its squad on Wednesday with the expectation that, as with many of the touring Premier League clubs, it will include a number of young Academy players.

The US matches, while relatively laid back, can provide a breakthrough opportunity for youngsters trying to make a mark. Kobbie Mainoo, for example, saw his first significant minutes last summer for the Red Devils, eventually cracking the club’s Premier League starting lineup and then concluding his 2023/24 season playing for England in the European Championship final.

Euro 24 Final: No Kane Do… Trophy’s Not Coming Home As Spain Prove Lion Tamers; Southgate Resigns

Harry Kane has still not won a trophy in his storied career. England has still not won a major international tournament since 1966 after losing a second consecutive European Championship final on Sunday. Victorious Spain, meanwhile, claimed a record fourth European Championship, taming the Lions of England 2-1.

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the Best Player of the tournament while 17-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal won the Best Young Player award. Nico Williams, who scored the final’s opening goal, also had a breakout tournament for the Spaniards on the opposite wing from Lamal. Spain midfielder Dani Almo was one of six players to jointly lead the tournament with three goals scored. Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella was also an unexpected major contributor to Spain’s winning run and assisted the winner on Sunday.

2024 CHAMPIONS: Spain 🇪🇸#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/8jGoI5ZSv0

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 14, 2024

England, meanwhile, had a few brilliant individual moments this tournament but they were just momentary interruptions to long stretches of non-threatening and often disorganized play. The final match played out much as had most of England’s matches this tournament but for the gutting ending. The Three Lions began sluggishly, offering nothing in attack but managing to bring the normally energetic Spanish down to their own sleep-inducing level of play as the two clubs “battled” to a goalless, joyless first half. In a massive piece of good fortune for the English, Rodri was removed at halftime due to injury. It didn’t matter. England went behind for a fourth consecutive knockout match when 21-year-old Spanish winger Nico Williams scored just two minutes into the second half, Yamal finding his fellow winger for a tournament leading fourth assist. Those hoping England Manager Gareth Southgate might quickly counter and go to one of his super subs, would again be frustrated by the stubborn manager. An ineffective Harry Kane was finally given the hook for semifinal hero Ollie Watkins at the 61-minute mark, shortly after a petulant Jude Bellingham was seen shouting at the England coaching staff for some kind of change. Almost ten minutes later “Cold” Palmer would enter the fray and the young Chelsea star would take little more than two minutes to score an equalizer for England.

Unfortunately, however, the Lions would roar no more. Instead, it was another Premier League player who would help put a dagger in English hopes. Palmer’s Chelsea teammate and Spanish left back Marc Cucarella opened up the England defense, threading a picture-perfect assist to the foot of a sliding Mikal Oyarzabal who scored the 86th minute winner for La Roja. Fate would tease England one more time as Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi missed consecutive rapid-fire headers in the closing moments.

England’s snakebit international tournament form thus continued with neither manager nor players escaping the brickbats of supporters for the latest failure. Southgate’s tactics were again questionable, his lineups unbalanced, and his substitutions always seemed later than would be advised. Several stars underperformed and did not earn the minutes given by the always loyal Southgate. Manchester City’s Phil Foden is perhaps the poster child for underperforming stars, accomplishing nothing the entire tournament despite Southgate giving him more minutes than he deserved. Kane, who seemed to lumber with little effect for most of the tournament, at least found the net three times. Foden was admittedly playing out of position most of the time as Southgate was intent on shoehorning him into a lineup which included Jude Bellingham in Foden’s favored central position. Switching the positioning of Foden and Bellingham for the final, however, had little impact. Bellingham, like Kane, played poorly for most of the tournament but provided two iconic moments with his flying header to win the first group match and then his iconic bicycle kick which saved the day versus Slovakia in the Round of 16.

Entering the tournament, there was much concern over who would line up alongside Declan Rice in England’s midfield. As things played out, Rice was as much the problem himself, the Arsenal man proving careless with the ball even while seldom daring to go forward. Rice’s “go to” move this tournament was an oft-repeated back pass to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

There were a few England players who stepped up this tournament. Palmer and Watkins clearly capitalized on the minutes given them. Ivan Toney and Eberechi Eze also flashed in lesser cameos. Marc Guehi and John Stones were largely solid for England’s back line. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, though uninspiring in the final contest, showed promise of filling the gaping midfield hole lamented by Southgate before and during the tournament.

The England manager did not wait long to announce his resignation from the England post on Tuesday. His legacy is complicated. His style of play, sometimes undecipherable, would frustrate fans. He tended to stay with underperforming players seemingly out of a sense of loyalty. While Sunday’s loss to an impressive Spain side was less painful than the dashed golden opportunity versus Italy four years earlier, there remains a sense that a star-studded lineup once again fell short when victory was within its grasp. A squad which included the best of the Premier League also included the best player from both the Bundesliga (Kane) and La Liga (Bellingham). The draw this tournament was incredibly favorable and Sunday’s finals opponent lost its best player at halftime of a goalless game. The opportunity was great, but the performance was small as England again missed a chance to bring an international trophy back to the land of the game’s origin for the first time since 1966.

🗣️ "Thank you, England."

Southgate says goodbye. #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/UxPN3RAYSl

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 16, 2024

And yet Gareth Southgate’s accomplishments are second only to the manager of that World Cup champion, Alf Ramsey. Since that 1966 championship, England had won only seven  knockout matches in major tournament play. Southgate delivered nine such victories, taking England to the two European championship finals and semifinal and quarterfinal finishes in his two World Cups. Southgate also has been credited with restoring a positive culture around a program reeling upon his arrival in 2016 following the abrupt and messy departure of one match England Manager Sam Allardyce. It remains to be seen whether Southgate’s many critics among England supporters will rue what they wished for.

Euro 24 The Final Awaits: Lions Roar While France Grinds To A Stop; England Versus Spain In Final

England came from behind for a third consecutive knockout match, advancing to Sunday’s European Championship final with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands. Late game heroics have been the norm for The Three Lions who have struggled for long stretches of play during this tournament. Wednesday’s victory was just the second time in six matches that England has won before extra time or penalties.

Important late match substitutions have also been a storyline and the semifinal win was no exception. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins delivered the winner in the 90th minute against the Netherlands after Chelsea’s Cole Palmer threaded a pass through the Dutch defense. Neither player made their appearance until 80 minutes had already gone by as Gareth Southgate again found late hour magic on his bench. Palmer has become a regular second half substitution. Watkins had been an afterthought since a cameo in the group stages. Brentford’s Ivan Toney had been the favored late entering striker in England’s last two matches. The Villa man, however, seemed unsurprised by both his appearance and his heroics, recounting to the media how he had told Palmer before the match how things would end with Palmer setting up his teammate for Watkins’ first goal of the tournament.

The glorious ending was far over the horizon when England started poorly against the Dutch. Just as they had done in their previous two knockout matches, England conceded first. Xavi Simons scored for the Dutch just seven minutes into the match after taking the ball from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and easily beating Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The early wake-up call seemed to rouse the English side to some heretofore little seen attacking play. The equalizer came by way of a penalty kick from Harry Kane at the 18-minute mark after his shot follow-through was interrupted by the Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries’ studs. Shortly thereafter, Dumfries would clear a shot off the line fired by England’s Phil Foden. A resurgent Foden would hit the bar with another shot attempt as England applied pressure through the balance of the first half. After the break, that attacking intent would seem a mirage as England played most of the second half in the manner of previous matches, generating little but snores, and a few catcalls, from English supporters. Palmer and Watkins would then enter and change all that.

The Three Lions now move on to their second consecutive European Championship Final, this time facing Spain in Berlin on Sunday. While England may have the best team on paper, Spain has played like the best team in the tournament to date. Tuesday’s 2-1 win over France marked Spain’s sixth victory in six tournament matches, outscoring opponents by a 13-3 goal margin. Just as England would do the next day, Spain fell behind early in its semifinal match. France’s Kylian Mbappe discarded his mask for the semifinal and flashed some of his brilliance with a cross to find former PSG teammate R. Kolo Muani for a French goal and early lead nine minutes into the match. Suspensions affecting two of its defensive starters saw Spain fielding 38-year-old former Manchester City player Jesus Navas lined up at right back facing the now maskless wonder. Early returns from the mismatch seemed promising for France, but Mbappe would revert to his quieter tournament form until only five minutes remained in the match when he skied a golden opportunity well high of the crossbar. Meanwhile, Spain came back from their early deficit in historic fashion. Lamine Yamal, at 16 years of age, became the youngest goal scorer in Euro history, knotting the match at the 21-minute mark with a rocketed strike from 25 yards out. France midfielder Adrien Rabiot had taunted the young Spanish prodigy in the press leading up to the match and it was fittingly Rabiot who failed to properly close down the Barcelona phenom before Yamal fired his equalizer into the top corner. Just four minutes later Spain would take the lead when Dani Almo scored his third goal of the tournament. Almo, an RB Leipzig midfielder expected to move in the transfer market this summer, became the unlikely Golden Boot leader with his goal, currently besting five other three-time scorers due to Almo’s greater assist total. After 25 minutes of exciting play, the Spaniards uncharacteristically pulled back on the reins and absorbed pressure in an effective match ending strategy almost spoiled by Mbappe’s late opportunity.

While much attention deservedly focused on Yamal’s historic blast and Olmo’s breakout tournament, Spain’s midfield dominated the French. Manchester City midfielder Rodri and midfield partner Fabian Ruiz have had outstanding tournaments and will present a challenge for England’s evolving midfield which now seems to be crystallizing around Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo. Having now consecutively knocked off two of the tournament favorites in Germany and France, Spain will enter the final as favorites against England. Their Spanish opponent will represent a major step up in class for much criticized England Manager Gareth Southgate and his Premier League centric side. The much-maligned Southgate, however, looked like a genius on Wednesday with his substitution of the game winning combination of Watkins and Palmer. With a depth of talent that Southgate often does not seem to know what to do with, there remains the thought that England still has not produced its best game despite progressing to the final.

Can the best team on paper realize its potential to win a first European Championship and its first international tournament victory since 1966’s World Cup, or will Spain win its fourth Euro title, breaking a tie with Germany for the most championships in the history of the competition? UEFA could not have hoped for a better matchup to end this tournament.

Euro 24 Final Four: France Faces Spain; England Faces The Netherlands

The Final Four is set for Euro 24. France faces Spain on Tuesday with England matching up with the Netherlands Wednesday.

France is in a Euro 24 semifinal despite not having scored a goal from the run of play all tournament. The French attack is broken with star Kylian Mbappe suffering though a painful broken nose and a mask which inhibits his vision. No one else has stepped up on France’s front line but an imposing defense, which includes Arsenal center back William Saliba, has posted four clean sheets in France’s five games to date.

🎶 #EURO2024-Vibes ft. @equipedefrance-Fans. 🇫🇷#ESPFRA | @FrenchTeam | @muenchen pic.twitter.com/Vy1YNd6zfL

— UEFA EURO 2024 DE (@EURO2024DE) July 9, 2024

The quarterfinals saw the French prevail over Portugal in penalty kicks after neither club could score through regular time and two extra periods. Joao Felix, a onetime prodigy who was in the Premier League for a brief loan spell with Chelsea two years ago, hit the post with his penalty kick to seal Portugal’s fate as all five French takers were perfect from the spot. Two other gentlemen, however, are perhaps more responsible for Portugal’s exit. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score a goal in this tournament despite playing more minutes for Portugal than any other player but for goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Portugal Manager Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, stubbornly refused to remove the ineffective 39-year-old Portuguese national legend. Even Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was removed late in the match with France, but Cristiano played every one of the 120 minutes leading to penalties even as talented options such as Liverpool’s Diogo Jota watched on from the bench.

France, meanwhile, moves on to face a Spain side which defeated host Germany 2-1 on a soaring header with just over a minute left to extra time by substitute Mikel Merino. Spain has won every one of its matches in this tournament and plays an exciting style in marked contrast to some of the other contenders. The Spaniards employ two young wingers, Nico Williams and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, to provide pace and width. Former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has been an effective Number 9 but strangely made some controversial comments about being underappreciated on the eve of the semifinal. Hopefully, Spain’s togetherness and chemistry is not undermined for Tuesday’s match. Spain will already be without suspended defenders Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand as well as injured Barcelona midfielder Pedri for the semifinal. Tuesday’s outcome could hinge on the fitness of the struggling Mbappe who would normally feast on an undermanned defense. France, however, has somehow been able to survive and advance even as supporters wring their hands at the lack of offensive production.

Much the same can be said of England. The Three Lions defeated Switzerland in penalties after Bukayo Saka equalized the quarterfinal match versus Switzerland at 1-1 in the 80th minute, the Arsenal man’s rocket coming on England’s first shot on target. Saka, who memorably  missed a penalty in Euro 20, would also be one of five successful takers for England against the Swiss. Chelsea’s “Cold” Palmer effortlessly delivered on England’s first penalty try. Jordan Pickford then stopped the attempt of Switzerland and Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji. After Jude Bellingham and Saka converted, it was left to late substitutes Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold to nail things down for England. Brentford’s Toney first successfully converted his patented no look kick after an abbreviated two step approach. Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold, struggling for minutes after a failed experiment in England’s midfield, then buried the winning penalty for a bit of personal redemption.

Ready for another big challenge! 🦁👊#ThreeLions | @NuffieldHealth pic.twitter.com/5fdNcIjz0K

— England (@England) July 8, 2024

England’s defensive effort versus the Swiss will poses a question for England Manager Gareth Southgate approaching Wednesday’s semifinal match versus the Netherlands. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa admirably filled in for suspended Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi as Southgate changed his formation to three back line defenders against the Swiss. Does he change back with Guehi’s return against the Dutch? Luke Shaw also made a late cameo debut against the Swiss and could be ready for increased minutes on the left of England’s defense. England will recognize a familiar center back in their opponents’ back line when Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk captains the Dutch versus England on Wednesday. Van Dijk’s Liverpool and Dutch teammate, Cody Gakpo, is the Euro 24 joint leading scorer. Though not accredited to the winger, it was Gakpo’s shot which deflected off a Türkiye defender for the own goal which decided the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Türkiye in the quarterfinals. An unlikely hero also helped the Netherlands overcome an early one goal deficit versus the Turks. Wout Weghorst, a 6’6” Burnley striker who had a brief 2023 loan at Manchester United, injected life into the Dutch attack with his second half substitution and formidable box presence. The Netherlands was the least likely of the four teams to make this final four but have lost only one of their last nine meetings against the English. Can England reverse that trend, possibly on better efforts from the somnolent Harry Kane and Phil Foden on Wednesday? Or does Southgate finally lose patience with his underperforming stars and go to his bench earlier? 

Euro 24 Update As Quarterfinals Are Set: Moments of Individual Brilliance Put England Through; Portugal Keeper Costa Saves Ronaldo and Pepe; Valiant Underdogs Exit; Clash of Titans as Spain Faces Germany and France Takes On Portugal Friday

The quarterfinal matchups are set and the action resumes Friday after a brief two day pause in the frenetic European Championships.

England returns to the fray on Saturday after nearly reliving the humiliation of its infamous Euro 2016 Round of 16 exit at the hands of  Iceland. England, guilty of yet another sluggish performance, trailed against Slovakia before a bicycle kick by Jude Bellingham in the fifth minute of stoppage time equalized the Round of 16 match. Just moments into extra time, Harry Kane scored to give The Three Lions the lead and the 2-1 margin held up to put the tame Lions into the quarterfinal. Substitutes were key to England’s victory. Cole Palmer injected his usual energy when making his now customary second half appearance. Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze also provided some much-needed pace with his 84th minute substitution. Perhaps making the greatest difference, however, was the seemingly desperate insertion of Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the 94th minute of play. Toney’s run helped clear space for the bicycling heroics of Bellingham just a minute later. The Brentford man would then assist Kane’s header for the winner early in extra time. Normally stodgy England Manager Gareth Southgate pulled out all the stops to breathe late life into his team and get England’s dramatic victory. A particularly bold and effective move was moving Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka from right wing to left back on Palmer’s 66th minute introduction. Toney had not even played in this tournament before jumping into the frantic fight for survival last Sunday. Sadly, only the extreme pressure of pending elimination forced Southgate’s hand to shake things up. Whether the true potential of this squad will be unleashed in this tournament remains unknown, its talent evidenced only in flashes. Fortunately, two of those flashes came on Sunday when Bellingham, La Liga’s Player of the Year, dramatically brought England back into the match and Kane, the Bundesliga leading scorer, sent The Three Lions into the quarterfinals.

Stunning from Jude Bellingham 🤸😲@AlipayPlus | #EUROGOTT pic.twitter.com/0CAWvwhO2W

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 30, 2024

Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and Switzerland will face England after the Swiss eliminated defending champion Italy 2-0 last Saturday. Italy rarely worried a Swiss backline which includes center backs Fabian Schar of Newcastle and Manuel Akanje of Manchester City. The well-organized Swiss came into the match with Italy having played to a 1-1 draw with host country Germany in its final group stage match. England will thus be facing a new level of challenge as Southgate ponders decisions across his lineup and supporters hope for a full 90 minutes of energized play from their heroes. A new headache for Southgate is center back Marc Guehi’s suspension for accumulated yellow cards with Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa anticipated to deputize absent some creative reshuffling by Southgate.

The other quarterfinal on England’s side of the bracket will pit the Netherlands against Türkiye. The Dutch made easy work of overmatched Romania in a 3-0 walkover to advance. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo scored the opener for the Dutch and then assisted on one of two goals by substitute Donyell Malen who plays his club football for Borussia Dortmund. Romania were one of five unexpected upstarts who were eliminated in the Round of 16 after an impressive run though the group stage. Türkiye will face the Netherlands after eliminating another one of those surprising sides in Austria. The Turks prevailed 2-1 over an overachieving Austrian club guided by former Manchester United Manager Ralf Rangnick. The Austrians were stunned by a Turkish goal in the first minute of play, the quickest goal in Euro knockout stage history, but showed resilience by pressing the Turks throughout the balance of the match, firing 21 shots and controlling 60% of the possession. Unfortunately, only five of the Austrian shots were on target. The scorer of the early shock goal for Türkiye, Meriah Demiral, added a second in the 59th minute which proved to be the winner as Austria reduced the margin to a single goal seven minutes later. Turkish goalkeeper Mert Gunok ensured his side would move on to the quarterfinal with an exceptional save in the 95th minute.

A goalkeeper was the star in Portugal’s victory over a stubborn Slovenia side in penalty kicks. Slovenia had played England to a goalless draw in their final group game and the 57th ranked side held the Portuguese scoreless through 90 minutes and extra time. Atletico Madrid Goalkeeper Jan Oblak stopped a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty kick in extra time to create the shootout scenario. Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa would stop Slovenia’s first attempt. Ronaldo, with his frustration building throughout this tournament, then buried his second spot kick opportunity of the match against Oblak. Costa stopped Slovenia’s second try. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes converted Portugal’s second attempt. The 24-year-old Costa proved invincible as he made yet another save on Slovenia’s third try. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva then clinched Portugal’s with his side’s third successive conversion. Costa’s three saves in penalties capped an outstanding performance which also saw Costa stop a breakaway shot by Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko after 41-year-old Portuguese defender Pepe gave the ball away in the final minutes of extra time. Ronaldo and Pepe both owe extra kudos to their young goalkeeper.

Up next for Portugal is France on Friday in one of the two matches featuring tournament favorites on the power side of the bracket. France squeezed by Belgium in the Round of 16 on an 85th minute own goal by Belgian and former Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen. France has advanced to these quarterfinals with just two own goals and a penalty kick representing the entirety of its production. Kylian Mbappe, expected to be a Golden Boot contender, has France’s penalty kick but his contributions have been limited by a broken nose. Line mate Antoine Griezmann is so far missing in action for the French. Criticism for the underwhelming performance of the French side has been raining upon Manager Didier Deschamps much as England Manager Gareth Southgate has been pilloried in the English press.

The other quarterfinal on the power side of the bracket Friday has host country Germany facing Spain in a clash of the tournament’s highest scoring teams to date. Germany advanced with a 2-0 defeat of Denmark last Saturday. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz put Germany ahead with a penalty kick after Crystal Palace and Denmark defender Joachim Anderson was whistled for a handball in the box. The luckless Andersen had just moments earlier had a goal disallowed on an offside call. Jamal Musiala would score Germany’s second goal of the match as the Bayern Munich man became the joint Golden Boot leader with his third goal of the tournament. Germany has ten goals to date as a team. Their Saturday opponent, Spain, has nine goals after a 4-1 demolition of Georgia. The Georgians joined Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, and Romania in the group of surprising upstarts eliminated in the initial knockout stage. Spain, meanwhile, remains perfect with four wins in four matches. The Spaniards can be electrifying with young wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal terrifying defenders with their speed. Commanding the midfield for the Spaniards is Manchester City’s Rodri while his teammate with the Citizens, center back Aymeric Laporte, is part of a back line that includes Chelsea left back Marc Cucarella.

Spain, Germany, France and Portugal will be trying to avoid being one of the two tournament favorites who will be eliminated on the power side of the bracket on Friday. As for the fate of England Saturday on the junior side of the bracket… who knows?