Day 21 in the Footcall House…

The second semi-final was finally here; do we dare to dream?

England 2 v 1 Denmark

Part two of the drama that is Euro 2020 but this time we had the added spice and emotion of England competing to get to their first final for 55 years. The game kicked off and immediately we could see it was a much more high tempo game from last night’s first half stalemate. Denmark were throwing everything bar the kitchen sink in the first half an hour and Jordan Pickford was having to be on his guard. Sterling fluffed chance early doors and maybe this was an ominous sign; we really needed Lady Luck on our side this evening.

On the half hour mark our world collapsed when England conceded a free kick 25 yards out. We built a wall, Pickford marshalled the defence and we even nominated a man to lie on the ground to catch the low worm burner below the jumping wall. Up stepped Mikkel Damsgaard and he struck the dead ball with all the authority of Cristiano Ronaldo. Up and over the elevating wall, with power and precision to catch Pickford flat footed. By the time the keeper had launched himself at it the net was already bulging. What a goal, I’m sure Mr Beckham in the crowd had to acknowledge the perfection of Damsgaard’s damn good goal. England were one down and suddenly hauntings of all our past near misses seemed to start circling over London like the dark clouds in the Harry Potter Death Eaters scene.

This is the first goal the home nation had conceded in the tournament and even more astonishingly this was also the very first goal from a direct free kick! The question was how were we going to respond to this “situation.” Of course it was necessary for England to “stay concentrated” to coin a second Hoddle-ism in as many sentences. Within minutes Raheem found himself one on one with the keeper from a Harry Kane cut back. At full power he slammed the ball straight into the mid-riff of the advancing Kasper Schmeichel, what an incredible save as the keeper made himself star shaped just like his old man used to for Man U!

Moments later another opportunity came our way as Saka got in behind the Danish defence and crossed it into the middle of the box for the on rushing Sterling. Well he wasn’t the first to the ball as that was centre back Simon Kjaer got his foot on it and toe poked it into his own net. That man Owen Goal was the definitely inline for the Golden Boot in this competition. All that mattered was that the score sheet was level and suddenly the game and the atmosphere went up a notch!

After the break, Southgate demands of composure certainly worked as England had lots of possession. Harry Maguire tested the diving abilities of Schmeichel with a tremendous header only bettered by Kasper’s Gordon Banks-esque save. A penalty shout for England was denied later and time was running out. This had all the hallmarks of extra time and god forbid whatever else after that. Schmeichel once again kept his nation in the match with a looping ball which he had to tip over the bar.

Well the 90 minutes did expire and ET was ready to phone home once more. It was pretty much one way traffic in the bonus half hour and Kane put the diving Schmeichel to the test once again. Then super-sub Jack Grealish smashed one down Kasper’s throat but it was just parried away by man in green. As the first half of ET drew to a close, England’s pressure and tenacity paid off when Raheem went on one of his jinky runs through the box only to get the slightest of touches which saw him go down. The ref pointed to the spot and Mr VAR agreed with the decision; PENALTY! Up strolled Captain Kane-man with his little tappy step run up and side footed straight at the diving Schmeichel; SAVED! Oh Lordy No!!! Fortunately for Kane the ball pinged out directly to his feet and he had the wherewithal to bury it in the back of the net and deny the keeper his glory. Kane ran to the corner flag and eight other team mates piled on top of him in jubilation. Two One to England but still we had 15 minutes to go.

The second half of Extra Time was all white on the night as England pretty much played keep ball for the whole quarter. More Olés rang around the stadium Gareth made a few substitutes to bring off tired legs. And boy did they work hard, especially our wing backs, Walker and Shaw with support from Rice and Phillips it was a joy to watch such talent wear the Three Lions. As the clock ran down, I’m sure there is not an England fan over the age of 25 not holding their breath as we had been here so many times before. Semi finals at the World Cup three years ago, also in Euro 96 and who can forget coming so close to getting to the final in Italia 90? So long as we don’t let the Danes equalise we were through. The final few minutes were agony especially when you see one of our defenders pass it all the way back to Pickford.

After 120 minutes, Denmark were knackered and not even thoughts of Christian Eriksen were motivating them now and in the closing moments England very nearly made it three one when Raheem burst into the box and took a shot from six yard out. But you guessed it, that man Schmeichel was there again defending his posts with yet another terrific save. There’s no question that Denmark’s keeper was the man of the match as without him I think it could have been a demolition! His performance reminded me of a game I played for my school, Ditton back in 1982 when I was a wee 10 year old. We were up against Blacklands School in East Malling that day and we were soundly thrashed 10-1, but the man of the match was our keeper, Jon Gibbons, and were it not for him I think we would have lost by three dozen or more… aah, those were the days!

Eventually the handsome referee blew his whistle and England had done it, their first final since 1966. Fifty-five years of hurt lifted off shoulders just a little more as we were one step away from lifting that trophy. The great Danes consoled themselves in defeat whilst England players saluted their fans to the tune of Neil Diamond’s, Sweet Caroline.

Just four more sleeps to final showdown with Italy on Sunday night. Who will win Euro 2020 and who will win Footcall?

And so to the Footcall League…

We have a new leader! Sean Ellis has leapt above Jill Fuller into top spot with his England prediction. Loads of you picked England to win and you'll see a plethora of four pointers up and down the league table. With a massive 8 points up for grabs on Sunday, a correct prediction could make significant shifts in the business end of the Footcall league.

Player of the day…

I’m going to award this to my mate and Footcall’s very own Statto, Matt “Mr Big” Clark, who is STILL flying high in our Knockout Stages League Table and he has only dropped two points in this half of the competition.

See you Sunday folks for our final hurrah!

David

Day 19 in the Footcall House...

Part two of the Quarter Finals as we head to Baku and Rome to decide who will face each other in the Semis.

Czech Republic 1 v 2 Denmark

The emotional rollercoaster that is the Danish campaign in this Euro 2020 tournament has continued and what a script they are writing! And the game got off to sizzling start as Delaney headed the Danes into the lead in just the fifth minute. It was clear that in the first half Denmark were the superior team as the Czechs were outclassed in most areas of the field. In the 42nd minute Denmark really looked like they were bringing home the bacon when Dolberg met a beautifully crossed ball to double their lead. At half time it was a clear case of a Deliriously Delightful Delaney Dolberg Doubling Denmark’s Dominance!

Clearly the opposition’s manager was not ready to Czech out just yet and he gave them the hairdryer treatment in the changing rooms as they came out willing to give it a go. Four minutes in that man Patrik Schick was upping his market value when he redirected the ball into the Danish net to get one back for the Republic, that’s his fifth of the tournament.

But it was Denmark in control and they rode their luck through the second half to keep their romantic fairy story going. Into the semi-final they go and regardless of who they play they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Ukraine 0 v 4 England

It’s coming, Rome; it’s coming, Rome! Yes England travelled outside of the London for the first time to head to Italy’s capital and face off against Ukraine in their quarter-final. Going into this match, Ukraine had defeated Sweden with the wonder-bra goal by Artem Dovbyk and England had beaten Germany for the first time in a big tournament since the 60s so this could be one of those nervy banana skins for England. Well our nerves were settled early doors when Captain Corrageous, Harry Kane picked up a lovely little through ball from Raheem Sterling and toe-poked it in the back of the net. England were one up after just four minutes and we were looking reassured. Minutes later Declan Rice hit a hammer blow shot which really tested the gloves of Bushchan. Just before half time, Sancho had a good shot but the ref blew for a Luke Shaw offside and we went into the break with the solitary goal advantage.

On their return, England had the three lion’s share of the ball and quite often Ukraine were looking like nervous gazelles. Five minutes in and England doubled their lead with Harry again, this time it was the Maguire variety with a splendid net-bulging header from a cracking Luke Shaw free kick. There’s a reason why they call affectionately him Slab Head! Barely a minute later and it was back to Harry number one with another header from an England trademark move down the left as he nutted it between the keeper’s legs. Who crossed the ball, yes it was Master Luke that provided the telling cross. England were in full control and looking the business.

Soon after came a moment of magic, one of those shots that gets you up out of your chair and dancing around the sitting room/pub/prison cell with sheer anticipation. A shot so memorable you would have told your grandchildren all about it years from now, the moment when Harry Kane struck the ball with the most sublime volley from the very edge of the goal area. The ball was destined to blast into the top right corner had it not been for the diving Bushchan denying Kane his glory. Had that gone in we definitely would have been looking at a contender for goal of the tournament.

It was three nil now and we most certainly had our tails up and the momentum was on our side. In the 63rd, three became four when Mason Mount’s corner was met by yet another header, this time it was bonce of Jordan Henderson, his very first international goal in 62 appearances! There was no way back now for Ukraine and Southgate made five substitutions to bring on some fresh legs. For a brief moment I had a moment of panic as I realised he brought most of our penalty takers but then Mrs Footcall reminded me of the score and I reassured myself this was not going to a shootout.

The final twenty of the game was almost an exhibition match as the England fans started a series of “Olés” every time we passed the ball. Ukraine were chasing shadows and only professional pride was keeping them going. Andriy Shevchenko was resigned to their fate and Gareth Southgate looked dignified and delighted at how we had performed.

Right on the stroke of the 90 the ref blew up as if he wanted to put the boys in yellow out of their misery and England could start celebrating in earnest. We were through to the semis and our next game would be against the mighty Danes who are riding the wave; maybe we can be the ones to pinch their surf board?

And so to the Footcall League...

Jill is hanging on to the number one spot but Lee is right there just in case. Sean Ellis has had a great day and is also on 49 points so it’s just the criteria separating the top three.

Other players bagging four points today include Charmaine Stimson, Les and Dave Herbert, James Nice, Peter Arnold, Darren Brame, Alan Church, Roy Trute, Kelly Sains, Carl Andrews, Caroline Holding, John Jefferis, Emily Rodgers and finally Matt “There’s Only One F in Footcall” Clark who is flying high in our new Knockout Stages League Table.

VIEW THE FOOTCALL 2020 KNOCKOUT STAGES LEAGUE TABLE

Player of the day…

Another a player with a perfect four points today and up into 5th spot is Guy “Tuch of Magic” Young and if his predictions for the final three games work out, who knows where he will finish.

That's it for now, back on Tuesday for Italy v Spain.

David

Day 18 in the Footcall House...

Glad to be back everybody, today we saw the first of two Quarter Final matches.

Switzerland 1 v 1 Spain

First game of the day was held in St Petersburg where the Spaniards faced up against the Swiss. Both nations had played parts in spectacular Round of 16s so we were hoping for more of the same. Now Spain are known for the patient play and can be criticised for being a little cautious at times but they got off to a great start when Jordi Alba’s powerful shot took an alright deflection off Denis Zakaria leaving Sommer no chance. We were expecting a fireworks show after this but despite the odd opportunity at either end the first half finished one up for Spain.

Zakaria nearly undid his misfortune at the start of the second half with a close header that just edged wide. The Swiss were on a roll when Vargas set up Zuber with a golden chance to make it level and there was a sense that Spain were feeling the pressure. Well that boiled over in the 68th when Xherdan Shaqiri proved that the Swiss won’t lie (down) and he stroked in a lovely goal from a bit of mix up in the Spanish defence. Suddenly it was game on and the atmosphere really lifted.

Spain were not the formidable force that beat Croatia 5-3 and Morata and Moreno must have had squandered half a dozen chances between them, if only they had still had Villa and Raul in the squad. The Swiss campaign got a whole lot harder moments later when Freuler got himself red carded for a mistimed challenge. Now they were down to ten the momentum swung back the other way but keeper Sommer managed to keep the Swiss in match and take it to extra time.

ET was fairly uneventful to be honest and it was obvious that the Swiss were doing all they could to defend without that extra man. But they hung on to the dreaded penalty shoot-out, they had defeated the French before now could they take the Italians to the cleaners.

Well this shootout was pretty much pony poo I’m afraid and maybe the exhaustion of playing for two hours was taking it’s toll but I swear some of these pens would barely cross the line even into an empty net! Come on lads, put ya foot through it!

After six indifferent penalties it was only 1-1 then Morena redeemed himself with a sublime spot kick into the roof of the net. This was followed by Swizerland’s Ruben Vargas who skied it over the bar Chrissy Waddle World Cup 90 style. Which left Mikel Oyarzabal to tuck it away in the bottom corner with his left peg just like Stuart Pearce did in Euro 96.

Spain were through, and by the skin of their teeth. Swiss clock off but should be proud of their competitive spirit in this year’s tournament. As for the Spaniards, they are going to have to find that earlier form if they want to win their semi-final.

Belgium 1 v 2 Italy

After the drama of the dreadful penalty shootout we barely get our breath back before the evening game kicked off in Munich. Right from the start it was obvious that Belgium v Italy was a much tastier prospect and Bel-v-Ita biscuits really missed a trick not sponsoring this match! Italy had an early goal denied by Mr VAR when Bonucci directed the ball into the net from an offside position. Kevin De Bruyne tested Donnarumma’s gloves with a great shot which would have been a superb equaliser. What a game this was unfolding… the Italian passing was more sumptuous than an Amarone Valpollicella whilst the Belgian inter-play was more full bodied than a Duchess de Bourgogne!

Then in the 31st minute Ciro Immobile fell over inexplicably in the box appealing for a penalty. The referee was having none of it and the play continued with his teammates doing well to play around their injured partner. In the blink of an eye, Barella found some space in the area and fired the ball into the bottom left corner. As the Italians hurtled off to the touch line to celebrate in front of their fans, Immobile looked up, decided he was no longer immobile, and ran over to join in the party! Despite their underhand methods to convince the referee to award them free kicks, Italy were exceptional and their end-to-end play was a joy to behold. This was demonstrated by one of the goals of the tournament from little Lorenzo Insigne with a dreamboat of a shot that curled from the outside of the right hand upright and into the top corner. What a goal from the pint sized player! Italy were two up and Belgium were going to have to dig deep.

However in the final minute of the first half Belgium won a penalty when a fairly light touch saw Jeremy Doku go down in the area. Belgium’s record goal scorer, Romelu Lukaku stepped up to take it and with a run up like a Jonny Wilkinson conversion and he it smashed it down the middle to make it 2-1. Belgium were back in this with the very last kick of the first half.

After the break, Italy showed moments of skill and total football but it along the way they pulled every trick in the book to waste time and run the clock down. De Bruyne cut the ball back to Lukaku from two yards out and how he missed from point blank range was beyond everyone. Young Doku went on a mazy run with a superbly struck shot that would have rivalled Insigne’e first half goal had it not sailed over the top of the crossbar.

Eventually time ran out, the score didn’t change and the Italians managed to hold on for victory and advance to the next round. With some of the Belgian players close to retirement, perhaps this is the end the Golden Generation we had expected so much from. Italy however just seem to be getting better and must be red hot favourites when they play Spain next week in the Semis.

And so to the Footcall League...

We have a new leader folks! Jill Fuller has now taken the top spot even though she has the same number of total points and accurate scores as Lee Woods but she has scored more in the Knockout Stages. It’s really tight at the top with just six points separating the top 14 money places.

With two points up for grabs for each correct prediction in the Quarters we are starting to see some shifts in the table. A few Footcallers scored a perfect six today including Matt Clark who is really on a roll now. James Bradford, Peter Arnold, James Sandiford, Steve Cowland, Christopher Lane, Stephen (he sells beds you know) Faint, David (COYQ) Wootton, Aaron (making a late run) Sutcliffe, Rod Soloman, Adam (I’m catching you now Davis) Botting, Simon Field, Dan Mackenzie, Manoj Gupta, Shaun Carroll, Ric Robinson and one of the players of the KO Stages so far, Eric Church.

Unbelievably Jo Mackenzie moved up into 272nd place with her guess for Spain to win and her other team saw her up into 269th for her Italy prediction. GO JO!

Player of the day…

The Knockout Stages player of the tournament so far must go to Gary Thorp who has only dropped two points to date and bagged a lovely six pointer today to see him up into 12th. He’s just six points behind the leaders now so let’s see how his predictions go from here on in.

Next up… England!

David

I am pleased to announce that Tom Ruff has won the Favourite Team Name with A Bridge Too VAR

To celebrate his joy he sent us a lovely testimonial...

“I’d like to thank everyone involved again for a fantastic tournament it never fails to spice up the entertainment in watching North Macedonia vs Austria when you’re involved in Footcall and it’s an honour to take home the title of best team name, I’m glad I put those hours in thinking of it 😂 Thank you to everyone who voted for me, I wish you all the best for the rest of the tournament and please give the prize money to Blood Cancer UK.”

Thanks again to Tom, and indeed everybody who has taken part in Footcall 2020, if it wasn't for you lot I'd be sitting here writing these reports just for myself, who knows, maybe that is the case!

If you visit the Home page you'll find a fab picture of Tom looking thrilled with his award and you can click the red button to see all the players who received votes for their team names…
FOOTCALL HOME PAGE


Thanks again to Tom for donating his prize money to Blood Cancer UK and good luck to everyone for the rest of the tournament.

David

Day 17 in the Footcall House...

After the thrills and spills of yesterday, could we follow Manic Monday with a Terrific Tuesday?
WARNING! Blatant patriotism ahead!

England 2 v 0 Germany

Who would have thought that 25 years after losing a penalty shootout to Germany in Euro 96 we would back at Wembley facing our old adversaries once again. Of course it was 55 years ago on this very stage that England did overcome the Germans in World Cup 66. For those old enough to remember, and were watching ITV, I’m sure you’ll never forget those immortal words from commentator Hugh Johns, “Geoff Hurst goes forward, he might make it three, he has… he has!” Well if we could invoke just a smidge of that desire, heart and spirit maybe, just maybe, we can do what was necessary to take us into the Quarter Finals.

An understandably nervy start from both sides as we sized each other up and our leading goal scorer, Raheem Sterling, tested the durability of Manuel Neuer’s gloves from 25 yards out. At the other end Timo Werner asked questions of Pickford but our man in our orange was more than capable. Jordan is so good at keeping his sheets clean the FA are thinking of renaming him Tidey!

Later in the first half it looked like Captain Harry was going to get his name on the scoresheet but his first touch put it just beyond the reach of his second and the visitors managed to scramble it away. We were all left with that very familiar feeling as the ref blew for half time and socially distanced England fans up and down the country were hoping we hadn’t blown it.

The tension was palpable with every push forward we got excited and every time we had to defend we feared for what might happen. Kai Havertz hit a belter which Pickford was sharp enough to react to and tip over his bar. Now we were wondering when was Gareth going to make a substitution and switch up the formation? The fans were chanting “Jack, Jack, Jack!” And Gareth eventually capitulated and took Saka off for Grealish to show us what he was made of. And what a difference it did as the whole atmosphere lifted and every time he got the ball we expected something dynamic to happen. Just like 25 years ago when Gazza made the difference time and again here we were pinning all our hopes on this Brummie lad to do the same.

Our wishes were granted as Sterling charged at the German defence threaded it out to Grealish and then to Luke Shaw out wide, he then crossed it in to the six yard area where Raheem had held back his run to stay onside and then meet the oncoming ball with perfect timing. One nil to the Eng-ger-land! What could be more British than seeing the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George smiling politely, Becks and Sheeran not far away lapping up the excitement and the rest of the stadium going chuffing mental!

All we had to do was hold on for another 15 minutes! Well that’s a ridiculous notion as any England supporter will know that catastrophe can be lurking at any moment and we were caught napping as Thomas Muller found himself one on one with Pickford. Fortunately for us, Big Tom did what he never does and dragged the ball wide of the left hand upright and collectively a nation exhaled! Was this a sign?

Well it seemed that it was, as in the 86th minute, much like the earlier goal, our man Jack found himself in a bit of space on the left and his cross into the box was met by the face of none other than King Kane himself our Captain on the spot. Yes Harry Kane headed the ball beyond the reach of Neuer to make it two nil to the home nation. Now the celebrations really could go wild and the whole team all stacked themselves up in a mass pile of ecstatic bodies like a human Jenga! Now all we had to do was hold for another three minutes (plus stoppage time). And hold on we did, the final whistle came and England got the win with yet another clean sheet. Drink it in folks this is a landmark football moment, the first time we have beaten Germany in a knockout tournament for 55 years. Not only that but it is only the second time that a team has got to the Quarters of the Euros without conceding a goal. Next stop Rome where we will face a team in yellow.

Sweden 1 v 2 Ukraine

The future opponents for England faced off at a sun blessed Hampden Park and the first question was who was going to be wearing the yellow jerseys? It seemed Sweden were given that honour and we would see if that would give them any advantage. Well it seems Ukraine quite like playing in blue as Zinchenko fired his team into the lead with a real net buster on the 27th minute. On the 43rd, Sweden’s, Emil Forsberg added to his goal tally with another that rivalled the earlier one and going into the break the honours were even.

Plenty of action in the second half without anyone troubling the scorers although number 5 hit the post and then Forsberg hit the post and then did hit the bar. Into extra time and Mr VAR stepped in to review a rather rash challenge by Danielson which saw him being sent from the field for an early bath. With the Swedes down to ten men this was going to be really tough to craft a win especially as Ukraine looked supremely fit.

Well they did make it to the second half of extra time without conceding and it really looked like we were heading for penalties just like France last night. I wasn’t sure if Danielson was one of Sweden’s main penalty takers or not. We needn’t have worried as in the 121st minute Ukraine stole the lead once again with a fantastic goal from the head of Artem Dovbyk much like Harry did for England earlier on. The Ukrainians went crazy go nuts and the goalscorer stripped off his shirt to reveal a rather fetching fitness tracker that looked for all the world like a sports bra. Well I’m sure shares in Stat Sports will have gone through the roof overnight. Wonder Bra-vo, victorious secrets!

And so to the Footcall League...

Lee is hanging on to the top spot and Sean has moved into third with two points today. Others with a clean sweep today include, Gary Thorp, Richard Goodwin, Jason Realf, Paul Firmston, Thomas Etherington, Neil Jefferis, Charlie Goodwin, Tony Gardner, Steve Goodwin, Mark Stratton, Sam Bower and Grant Broad. I shall leave you browse the league table for others.

Player of the day…

After giving Elizabeth player of the day yesterday I shall hand that honour to David Knott today who is also languishing at the wrong end of the table. David scored a perfect two out of two today.

We now have a couple of days off before it all starts again on Friday with the first Quarter Final, when each game will be worth 2 points each… stay tuned folks.

David

Day 16 in the Footcall House...

Well, deep breath, what a day we had today. This is now the 12th edition of Footcall and I am hard pressed to think of a day where we had so much incident, last minute action and brilliant goals since what was on show today. I haven’t felt this way since that Super Saturday in the London Olympics 2012, so let’s get stuck in!

Croatia 3 v 5 Spain

The outset of this game was somewhat pedestrian and we were fearing a nil nil bore draw that might go to extra time but then an incident happened that was perhaps totally unique. On the 20th minute Pedri passed the ball back to his keeper Unai Simon only to see the man with the gloves fail to control the ball and then bounce over the top of his foot and into his own net! This gift to Croatia was from all of 49 yards and I’m not sure I have seen one from quite so far out. What this freaky accident did do is wake up the Spaniards from their slumber. Less than 10 minutes later Sarabia scored off the back of some dominant possession. One all; game on! It really looked like Spain had got over the earlier shock and started to flex their muscles and just after the break Azpilicueta made it 2-1. Ferran Torres made it 3-1 in the 76th and it was looking as if Croatia were out for the count.

In the closing minutes of the match Croatia sent a shock wave when a melee ensued on the Spanish goal line that I think the Harlequins would have been proud of. After the ball pinged ponged around the six yard area it somehow fell to Orsic and he toe poked a shot at the net from two yards out. The replay showed it was clearly over the line. Game on again. Now the momentum swung back again and would you believe it in the 92nd minute Croatia scored that all important equaliser from a superb goal from the head of Mario Pasalic. Into extra time we go.

Both sides were clearly feeling confident and out for victory, and Unai Simon managed to restore his manager’s faith with a point blank save in the first half of ET. Soon after it was the Spanish quality that shone through as Morata, who has had a rather indifferent tournament so far, scored the goal of the match. With a classy first touch on his right he switched it on to his left and then powered the ball full pelt in the roof of the net, what a screamer! Three minutes later they were two in the lead again when Oyarzbal scored from near the penalty spot to make it 5-3. From here on in it looked as if the Croatians were out of fuel and Spain very nearly made it a half dozen but for the post preventing it going in. So it finished with Spanish delight and relief to many a Footcaller no doubt. What a match, you just can’t beat international knockout football!

France 3 v 3 Switzerland

After the thrills and spills of the first game, there wasn’t much turnaround time before the table was reset for the evening match. The French were surely the odds on to clinch victory here and I am certain they were the Footcallers favourite to not only defeat the Swiss but go on to win the tournament. Well maybe a shock was on the cards when Seferovic caught the French defence napping with a dream of a header… what a forty-two carat coq up! Astonishingly Switzerland hung on to half time with their lead.

On their return Zuber won the Swiss a penalty after a VAR review. but keeper Lloris restored French belief when he saved the spot kick from Rodriguez. Two minutes later France were all square from a superbly crafted Benzema goal. Swiss woes were compounded a mere two minutes later when Benezma did the double with a header from no more than a foot away from the goal line. What a turn around in the space of four minutes. On the 75th minute Paul Pogba extended France’s lead to 3-1 with one of the goals of the tournament, a 25 yarder curling into the top right corner. Surely there was no way back for Switzerland from here.

Well hang on to your seats as Seferovic sent the Swiss fans into raptures with an fantastic headed goal. The big question was how much time was there left?
Gavranovic was then denied a last minute goal for being offside and it really looked as their goose was cooked. With barely a minute of time on the clock Gavranovic did get one more opportunity which he took with great skill as he threaded the ball into the bottom left corner with just 12 seconds of the 90 left. Unbelievably it was three all and it looked as if we were heading into extra time for the second time in two matches. There was one final moment of magic from Coman as his shot struck the top of the crossbar with the final kick of injury time.

Extra time was full of chances mostly from France as Pavard was denied by the outstretched arm of Yann Sommer. Then Mbappe really should have put it beyond doubt when he was one on one with the keeper but his choice to hit on his left caused him to run out of road and his chance squandered. Eventually extra time was played out and we were left with the dreaded penalty shoot-out, the first of Euro 2020. Bearing in mind how many pens had been saved this competition I was expecting the keepers to be saving plenty but after nine perfect spot kicks it was 5-4 to Switzerland and now it was all down to the world’s most expensive teenager, Kylian Mbappe to take it into sudden death. Well the golden boy of the World Cup 2018 surely was not going to miss, well how wrong we were as keeper hero of the hour, Yann Sommer, made an outstanding save all the while keeping his big toe planted on the goal line. Incredibly Switzerland had done it, from 3-1 down they brought it back level, rode their luck in extra time and dodged a bullet in the shoot-out. Now the Swiss were heading into the Quarter Finals and we all had been right royally been treated to some amazing Sommer savings this tournament!

And so to the Footcall League...

France losing was not a good result for the Footcall fraternity and many of those on our WhatsApp group were fearing the worst for their scores from here to the end of the tournament. Lee faltered slightly today with no extra points scored and Jill edged closer to the top of the table. Yesterday’s player fo the day, Sean, dropped to fourth as Vikki Hill moved up. Oliver Parker, Tat-Was and Guy Young were all players scoring one point today.

Matt Clark did well to pick up two points today, along with Nigel Mirza and after guessing Spain to win it looked like John Dawson might have a clean sweep of six out of six but he plumped for France and so the only player that could achieve what Jamie did last time was gone.

Player of the day…

Elizabeth Knott wins POTD as she was one of the select band of those who scored a perfect two out of two today. She is however battling it out with my brother Simon at the foot of the table for the Vuvuzela award. My brother Simon is a specialist in this prize but let’s see if their predictions for the KO Stages keep them there.

David

Day 15 in the Footcall House...

Second day of the KO Stages with some big players on stage, let’s see if this is their moment of glory or their swan song in this tournament.

Netherlands 0 v 2 Czech Republic

Holland had looked quite tasty in the Groups, and there had been moments of brilliance from the Czechs as well and Schick was certainly one to watch. It was clear that the Czechs were not to be treated as the underdogs and in an unremarkable first half the team in white had the best chances. Stekelenberg kept the Dutch goal clean and going into the break is nil all.

After the break the Netherlands hit the panic button when Schick hounded Captain Matthijs de Ligt only to see the man in orange lose his footing and deliberately handle the ball to prevent a goal scoring opportunity. This orange really was a lemon as Mr VAR was consulted and it was deemed worthy of a red card and the Dutchman saw de Ligt at the end of the tunnel. With Holland down to ten the Czechs made it pay and coupled with their tireless work ethic a breakthrough came when Tomas Holes found holes in the Dutch dam defence and he exploited it with a powerful header. Depay and Dumfries were mere shadows of their former selves in earlier games and the Dutch focus was defending and it looked apparent they were banking on a Blankety Blank Czech book and pens. Well their task became a whole lot tougher when that man Schick found himself in the right place at the right time to tuck away the Republic’s second and surely out of reach of the Dutch. Patrik has put him in the frame for the golden boot award and I am sure there are Chairman all over Europe sharpening their pencils and getting out their Czech books. The game finished two zip and now they face the Denmark in the Quarter Final; that should be one to watch.

Belgium 1 v 0 Portugal

We had some quality on players on show this evening and we were expecting fireworks. Renato Sanches was full of running and Bernado Silva had some good chances for Portugal proving that they were more than a one man team. Ronaldo tested the Belgian keeper from a dead ball kick but it was just before half time Belgium hit the Portuguese with a blow from Thor’s Hammer. A super strike from Thorgan Hazard lit up the stadium from outside of the box with a fabulous goal. He found himself in plenty of space and his well shot was struck with pace with a touch of fade was beyond the reach of the keeper.

After the break, possession was evenly balanced and Lukaku and Ronaldo tested both goalies. Both teams know how to defend though and Diaz came close with a header that went straight to Courtois’ gloves. Soon after Guerreiro cut in from the left and his shot hit the Belgian post, had it been six inches to the left it would have been a fantastic equaliser. Time did eventually run out for the reigning Euro Champions and Belgium hung on for the win. Not quite the match we had hoped for and always a shame to see Cristiano leave any tournament with his mate Jota to get his jotters. More concerning for the team from the Low country are injuries to Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard ahead of their tie with Italy in the Quarters.

And so to the Footcall League...

Lee is hanging on to the top spot with Jill close by but there is a peloton of players backing up behind them. With the Czechs winning, very few players scored a perfect four out of four for the weekend but those that did include, Dennis Mayes, John Dawson and Dave Billington.

Player of the day…

Mr Sean (don’t let Jamie, Ian, Adam and Aaron see me up here) Ellis is now up into third also with a perfect clean sweep so far in the KO Stages. Sean is a seasoned Footcaller and I wonder how confident he is in his predictions from here to the final. Maybe he will just climb those extra two places, or indeed maybe he will sink like a stone, we shall see.

David

Day 14 in the Footcall House...

After a couple of days off we are back with phase two of Footcall 2020 – The Knockout Stages. An impressive 265 entries all in before the 5pm deadline even if one or two of you sailed a little close to the wind. For those that were not able to get in on time their score will stay where it was after the Group Stages. WIth a massive 32 points in this section of the tournament we are sure to see big shifts in the table; let’s see if your heart ruled over your head this is gonna be fun!

Wales 0 v 4 Denmark

The Danes were so impressive in their last match, it really looked like they were playing with an extra man and fabulous team spirit and cohesiveness. The Welsh were also renowned for that bond and work ethic so it was going to be a great match up. Bale looked lively from the start and made a creditable attempt at shot which just faded off wide of the post. But the home nation were right under the cosh when Kasper Dolberg smashed in a curling beauty to the bottom right corner; one-nil to the Danes. The first half continued with Denmark certainly controlling the run of play despite the Welsh attempts to hold them off. Just after the break the Danes doubled their lead in slightly controversial circumstances. A certain foul on when Kieffer Moore was run through from behind but the ref didn’t blow. Denmark hit them on the break and Dolberg did the double from six yards out.

The Welsh rarebits were caught in the headlights as it was all one way traffic now. In the closing stages of the match Denmark did Christian Eriksen proud when Maehle made it three nil with sublime little move followed by a great left peg. Wales were feeling the pressure by now and chasing shadows which was borne out by Harry Wilson’s reckless challenge which earned him an early bath. Denmark put the tin hat on this match with fourth goal in the 94th minute which seemed to take forever for Mr VAR to decide that Cornelius was in fact onside. That was it, another superlative team effort from the Scandinavians and sadly it was the end of the road for the Welsh.

Italy 2 v 1 Austria

After the commanding performances in the Groups, it was clear that the Italians were one to watch and clearly many of you Footcallers agreed as I saw a good number of you lot throwing your weight behind them. Austria however were perhaps the biggest outsiders to advance in the tournament. As the teams lined up for the national anthems it looked as if the Austrians had turned up without their football kit and were give Arsenal’s 1976-79 home kit to play in! Well the first half was somewhat unremarkable especially coming off the back of the dynamism of the earlier game and Bachmann was tested a couple of times between the Austrian sticks but the first 45 finished goalless. It would be fair to say that it was the boys in red who were working the harder and really keeping the Italians at bay. Arnautovic did actually put Austria in front with a great header which just went over the outstretched fingers of Italian keeper, Donnarumma. After the celebrations had died down, that party pooper, Mr VAR stepped in again to deny them their goal. Italy really rode their luck there and at the full time whistle it was still nil nil.

The deadlock was broken in the first half of extra time. Chiesa showed a moment of magic as he controlled the ball first with his face then his right foot then a sweet little volley into the bottom left corner from close range. He then followed it up with one of the best knee slides of the whole tournament. On the cusp of half time in extra time Italy made it two nil with a marvellously struck goal by Pessina. Their second goal and both scored by substitutes. It looked all over for Austria now but with just six minutes left to go Schopf connected his head at very low level from an Austrian corner to flick into the tiniest of gaps between the melee of players in the box. The last contact came off Kalajdzic but all that really mattered was that the reds had a sniff of taking this to pens. I was really hoping they would really throw caution to the wind and see keeper Bachmann Turn on the Overdrive and head in an equaliser just like Torquay keeper, Lucas Covolan did last week in the Vanarama National League play-off final! The problem was Austria were playing Italy, not Hartlepool, and they shut up shop and held for the victory.

The Italian Job was complete and now to switch over for Hancock’s Half Hour!

And so to the Footcall League...

For all you new Footcallers you will notice the different scoring structure as it is just one point for correct guesses for the Round of 16 winners. Almost everybody picked Italy to win (not me though, I fancied an upset there) but the Denmark win did divide us a little more. Lee Woods is hanging on to the top spot with Jill still in second. Vikki Hill and Dan Dart backed Wales so they only scored one point today. You will see we have highlighted the leader in red with the 13 money winner places below that in yellow. I shall leave you to browse the list of all the point scorers in the league.

Player of the day…

My POTD goes to fellow Footcaller, Janette Rowland for the fantastic painting of a very nervous looking England wall which I have posted on the Footcall home page. Thank you J, we all enjoyed that and I’m sure many other players will also love it.

David

Less than ONE day to go!

To all those who have already completed their predictions… Thank you!

But for everyone else, the Knockout Stages start tomorrow at 5pm and we need your predictions for this phase of the tournament in before kickoff.

Login to your account via the panel at the top of the home page then click on the MAKE KO PREDICTIONS link. Then all you have to do is just click on the team names you will think will win each match right through to the end.

If you are way down the table why not gamble big time on some of the tournament underdogs, what have you got to lose? There is a massive 32 points up for grabs in this half of the tournament so you never know, you might even finish in the money places!

Good luck everyone, you have just about 21 hours to get your entry in.

David

Day 13 in the Footcall House...

After nearly two weeks of football every day we had arrived at the final matches of the Group Stages. Today would decide who would go through from Groups E and F. I wonder how many Footcallers banking on four goalless draws?

Slovakia 0 v 5 Spain

Up until now the Spaniards had done very little to impress with two draws and only one goal to their name. In fact going into this game the Slovaks were ahead in their group with three points to Spain’s two. Essentially this all boiled down to both teams needing a win to guarantee qualification. Well Spain made a good start when the ref consulted Mr VAR to award them a penalty, however Morata stepped up and powered the ball into the gloves of Newcastle Utd keeper, Dubravka. The man between the sticks kept Slovakia in it with another great save moments later. His house of cards collapsed in dramatic style when the ball bounced off the crossbar up over Dubravka’s head and found himself facing his own goal he flapped at it only to see him palm the ball into his own net… from hero to zero. Laporte doubled Spain’s lead in stoppage time of the first half with his first goal for his nation with a peachy header. After the break there was only one team controlling this match and Pablo Sarabia directed the ball into the Sloakian net and I’m sure their manager was starting to fear the worst. Ten minutes later it was four nil as with his first touch of the ball, substitute, Ferran Torres flicked the ball in with his instep as pioneered by Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea. Like a Spanish El Nino the Slovakians were being blown away as they let a fifth goal in from the other Torres’ shot deflected by the midfielder Juraj Kucka no more than a yard out. The whistle blew and it was all over. Spain moved up to 5 points and Slovakia were looking at the bus timetable home.

Sweden 3 v 2 Poland

The Swedes were already through to the KO Stages but Poland could also join them if they had won. This game was off to a flyer when Emil Forsberg but Sweden in the lead with just 82 seconds on the clock! An opportunity to equalise fell to Robert Lewandowski not once but twice with a shot that pinged off the bar only for him to follow up with a header which unbelievably hit the bar again! In the second half Forsberg extended the lead for the team in yellow and the reds were going to need more than poles to help scale this mountain. Fortunately for Poland they have a world class player in their midst and he led by example showed a moment of magic with a dreamy right foot curler to make it 2-1. Moments later Poland were all square when Swierczok directed a cross ball into the net only to look round and see the RA flagged for offside. However Poland were not done yet and they did get their rewards for their tenacity when Robert found himself in with the ball on his own in the middle of the box, he tucked it away and it was two a piece. They still needed one more to make it all worthwhile and their dreams were shattered when Viktor Claesson scored in the 93rd minute. What a fabulous game and the second five goal thriller of the day.

Portugal 2 v 2 France

The Group of Death was most definitely alive with any number of permutations meaning we had no real idea who was going through from this set. Even whipping boys Hungary had a chance. In the match held in Budapest, Portugal current Euro holders took on current World Cup holders, France. And that man, Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record as he scored his tenth Euro goal from the penalty spot in the 30th minute. In the dying minutes of the first half yet another penalty was awarded this time at the other end for a rather soft foul on Mbappe. Karim Benzema belted it in from the spot to make it one all going into the break. With every goal in this and the other game going on it changed the dynamic of the group and I think at one stage every country was looking to qualify and then moments later on the train home. The second half brought more drama when France took the lead again almost immediately with another Benzema goal, VAR had to be checked but it was awarded successful. However we were not done yet as the Portuguese won another penalty and wonder boy Crisitiano he scored his 109th international goal, I had 8 text threads going on at once and my fingers could not keep up with all this. The French nearly stole the show with an awesome strike which test Rui Patricio in goal, he even saved the follow up shot by Antoine Griezmann. At the final bell it was two each and everyone felt they had got their moneys worth.

Germany 2 v 2 Hungary

Whilst the drama was unfolding in Budapest, here in Munich the heavens were unfolding with the most almighty downpour that looked like Hackney Marshes on a Sunday League match! Astonishingly the Germans were the team up against it here despite a phenomenal performance against Portugal last week. It was the Hungarians that upset the apple cart in the 11th minute when Szalai scored one of the goals of the tournament with the most sublime header, it really was top draw and if it stayed like this it would be Hungary going through and Germany going home. They dug deep and managed to get to the half time oranges with their slender lead. After the break, a calamity of unorthodox errors saw the keeper let the ball through to see Kai Havertz head it over the line from all of six inches. Suddenly it was the Germans going through to face England in the Knockout Stages. Well Hungary clearly had not read the script as they were hungry for an equaliser and from the restart the ball went immediately to the other end to catch the Germans napping. Andras Schafer raced into the box to commit a diving a header beyond the advancing Manuel Neuer. All change in the standings again and now England fans were licking their lips at the prospect of playing Hungary at Wembley. As the clock ran down, Germany kept the ball like only they can and it looked odds on that they were going to equalise again and that’s exactly what happened in the 84th minute when Goretzka made two each with a splendid goal from just inside the edge of the box for what must be their golden goal. This wonderful match came to a close all square and this result once again switched things in the group standings as the poor Hungarians were on their way home with the Germans planning a trip to England’s capital next Tuesday!

And so to the Footcall League...

After the exhaustion of seeing 18 goals scored in one day, a new Euro record and the prospect of facing our old adversary once again we can now celebrate the close of the Group Stages. I am very proud to announce that Lee Woods has managed to hang on to top spot all on his own with a very impressive 43 points! Despite not picking up any red squares today that phenomenal run earlier in the week where he had four in a row really cemented his place topside. In second place is our very good friend Jill (this is the best I’ve ever done) Fuller with a creditable 40 points and 9 red squares. Well done Jill, you have been a Footcall supporter since its inception and I remember chatting to you in 2000 about my crazy notion to host this competition and it was your encouragement (along with Mrs Footcall of course) that really pushed me to get it up and running. Vikki Hill managed to hang on to third, Pete Sweeney came fourth, Dan Dart 5th, Sean (how did I get up here?) Ellis finished joint 6th alongside young Oliver Parker. The final money place went to Tom Kyriakos who finished in 8th place on his own by the narrowest of margins as he had 7 red squares as opposed to James Parker and Tat-Wha Liu who only managed 6. Stay tuned to find out what your reward will be for topping the Group Stages League Table.

As for success of the games today, only three players picked Sweden to win 3-2 and they were Simon (better late than never) Butler, Tim Amos and Mick (I’m still two time champion) Mallion. Well done guys that was a brave prediction that really paid off.

Not to be outdone by that triumvirate, another trio of Footcallers guessed the Germany Hungary goal would finish two each and they were Pam Herbert, Nick D’Avanzo and Kevin Brown. Much cherished three pointers for this little band.

Portugal finishing two all with France was far more popular with 39 players guessing that scoreline. Those who have not had mentions before include, Ricky Cooper, Adam Jones, George Relf, Grant Broad, John Lowit, Jasper Dudson, Carol Gerrard, Tom Firth, Dave Herbert, Paul Coleman, Peter Arnold, Miley Krieg, Michael Waring and Wayne Oliver. Special mention should go to a very special group of first time three pointers and they are Daniel Sproul, Kevin King, Billie Lambert and would you believe it Eric Church! Sadly however in this final game of the Group Stages all four players deleted themselves from the MWA League, what a time to get one right!

Player of the day…

There can only be one Footcaller to take this prestigious honour today. He might only be hanging about in joint 55th but an impressive 7 point haul from the four games today saw him race up the table. But it was his 5-0 prediction of Spain to beat Slovakia that sees Brian Head take not just this well earned pat on the back but also the honour of one of the predictions of the tournament.

The Max Woosnam Award League...

After so many players fell by the wayside this evening we were left with just three! After 36 matches and who knows how many goals, just three players were left without a single red square in our brand new league. Simon Jenner finished on 6 points, Elizabeth Knott with 10 and top of the list with 11 points is hardcore Footcaller, Joanna Mackenzie. Well done Jo, we all know how much you love Footcall and I am sure you will enjoy being the inaugural winner of our new league for the decidedly average!
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

I have talked way too much in this report but I will be back tomorrow with news about phase two of Footcall, the Knockout Stages. This is your chance to consolidate your position if you are doing well, redeem yourself if you doing just fine or make your score respectable if you’re name is Jamie Sains!

Regardless of your position in the table, please don’t overlook this half of the competition as there will be cash prizes for Footcallers who do well in just the Knockout Stages. In Footcall 2018, Jamie predicted the winner of every match and saw him leapfrog all those above him.

David

Day 12 in the Footcall House...

Just two matches this evening and for many a Footcaller these were the games of most interest. Would we see both the Home Nations in Group D qualify?

Croatia 3 v 1 Scotland

Having lost to the Czechs and drawn with England, the Scots needed a victory plus a big slice of luck to go their way to qualify for the Knockout Stages for the first time in history. They were dealt a tough hand early doors when their main man Billy Gilmour was excluded from this final match because, well, you know, what. Maybe like the Danes they would rise to the occasion without their midfield maestro with divine inspiration. On the 17th minute Scotland’s task got a whole lot tougher when Vlasic put Croatia in the lead from 12 years out. The Eastern Europeans were in much the same boat as Scotland with one point after two games so they were also desperately looking for a victory. Just before half time Callum McGregor equalised for Scotland with a pearler of shot into the bottom left corner to send Hampden Park delirious with optimism. After the break the boys in blue needed to capitalise on their momentum and they very nearly did when John McGinn guided the ball wide of the post when it looked for all the world easier to have put it between the posts. Croatia rode their luck and their confidence grew and their senior statesman Luka Modric popped like he does on the edge of the area to hit a beautiful shot with the outside of his right peg beyond the reach of Marshall’s gloves. Five minutes later Croatia made it 3-1 with a lovely header flicked in from Perisic to leave Scotland Feelingsic. At full time, the magnificent Tartan Army might have been greetin’ but they still managed to cheer their boys as they said cheery bye.

Czech Republic 0 v 1 Sterling

Simultaneously to the Scotland game was the match up between the Czechs and the English. Both teams had four points going into this game but England were guaranteed qualification before a ball had been kicked. News broke yesterday that Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell were having to self isolate for having a game of Miss Mary Mack after the Scotland game and consequently Southgate had to tinker with the formation. On came Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka and what a difference it made, despite still having Sterling up front! England looked far more lively than we did in our last game and Raheem very nearly put us in front when he lobbed Vaclik in just the fifth minute only to see it ping off the outside of the post. We all hoped this wasn’t going to be a bad omen as a victory here would see England top the group for certain and our next match would be at Wembley again. Grealish is the word and his industrious work ethic saw him dance his way round the defence and clip a perfectly weighted cross in to the Czech box. Saka rose to meet it but wasn’t quite tall enough and the more diminutive Sterling who was lurking behind did manage to connect with it on his head and guide it into the net. One nil to the Eng-ger-land! In days of yore this is typically where England would tighten up and start defending and allowing all the pressure back on themselves. However they remained composed and kept pushing forward. The Czech midfield was full of Holes and he did put Pickford to the test with a splendid shot that had the England keeper having to pull off a diving save at full stretch. In the second half, England did look a little more sedentary but they defended well enough and for a brief moment we thought Henderson had made it two nil until it was flagged offside. England were not the same in the second 45, in the first half Walker was crisp, Phillips was turning the screw and now he’s flat. But we did manage to run out the clock and take the three points and that much cherished top spot. Czech Republic finished third in the group behind Croatia but will go through as one of the lucky losers. As for England, we will play the runners up in Group F and that could be Portugal (current Euro winners) or France (current World Cup winners) or even Germany (quite good team) - please god no more penalty shoot outs!

And so to the Footcall League...

Croatia to win 3-1 was choice of a specialist band of Footcallers. Just 14 players picked up red squares and I bet you were all delihghed when Perisic got that final goal. Especially Andrew Pearce who tried to bribe me yesterday to start fixing his scores, sadly his contact didn’t meet the drop off point so there was nothing I could do but he did bag a three pointer today. Along with players such as Martin Bennett, Kelly Sains, Charmaine (I’m catching you up now Chris) Stimson, Bradley Miller, Ryan Gadsby, Gary (Richard’s mate) Bowman, Darren Brame and John (Raheem’s number one fan!) Trent.

England to win one nil was a more popular guess, including Glenn Fisher, Jill Fuller, Graham Weaver, Pam (my time to shine now Les) Herbert, Steve Kent, Toyah Wood, Grahame Hunt, Tim Amos, Jason Realf, Mick Mallion and Yiannis Phokou. I should give special mention here to Colin (damn it Jenner, I was leading that other league) Jessop, Tom Brudenell and Ed Rowland all of whom bagged their first red square. Nicely done lads but you do realise that’s you off the MWA league now… sorry about that!

The Max Woosnam Award League...

And then there were seven! With four more games to play, there are just seven hapless souls frequenting the MWA League. Eric Church takes over the top spot now that he’s seen off the The Jessop. Whilst Kevin, Billie, Daniel, Elizabeth and Joanna all look on anxiously to see who will be the last Footcaller standing top side of our new league.

I’d like to point out at this point if you finish bottom of the main Footcall league (yes, Simon I’m talking to you here), according to the Footcall Rule Book (that I’ve just rewritten) you will only be entitled to one prize. I know Simon has coveted the Vuvuzela Award since its inception and I’m quite sure he thinks we will rename it the Simon Jenner Award one day but you can’t have that and the MWA as well. Of course for this to happen he would have to see off the six players above him in that league.
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

David

Day 11 in the Footcall House...

Decisive matches for Groups B and C today with four games for us to salivate over, we’ve got a lot to get through, so let’s crack on…

Ukraine 0 v 1 Austria

Bucharest was the venue for this game between two nations with the same number of points, the winner would certainly qualify whereas the loser would be in the lap of the gods. Austria started their campaign well with a superbly taken connection from a corner by Christoph Baumgartner in the 21st minute; cue the insane Austrian celebrations. Yarmolenko couldn’t stretch far enough to equalise and Laimer tested the keeper at the other end to almost double Austria’s lead. Let’s face it, Ukraine (all in yellow) were lacking lustre and it really looked like the red team wanted this more. In the second half Ukraine did come close to scoring, but at the wrong end of the pitch when Karavaev cushioned a lovely little header right towards his own net, fortunately Bushchan had the wherewithal to prevent it going in. Time ran out and Austria did win and they did qualify for the Knockout Stages for the first time ever in Euro history.

North Macedonia 0 v 3 Netherlands

In the other Group C game, the Dutch took on whipping boys North Macedonia. Whilst the Macedonians didn’t stand a chance they really took the game to Holland and even scored the first goal of the game but Mr VAR stepped in to disagree as it was millimetres offside. Stekelenberg was again beaten all ends up with a power shot moments later but he was saved by the upright and the game was at this point all going to the underdogs. However the Dutch class was simmering and on the 24th minute Memphis Depay slotted home a superb break from their own half beautifully into the bottom left corner. The speed in which the Dutch break is a sight to behold. After the break, Georginio Wijnaldum tucked the ball away from all of three yards out to make it two nil, then the Captain bagged his brace seven minutes later with a great follow on a keeper save. The Netherlands had restored parity and were really looking good. The game finished three nil and the team in orange must be a good tip to go deep in this competition.

Finland 0 v 2 Belgium

Group B was decided in the evening and we were treated to two cracking matches. The agony for us viewers is to decide which game to watch. De Bruyne bossed the midfield as likes to do and Doku lacked the direction to beat the Finnish keeper. Finland really need victory to make their KO path secure but the Belgians are a formidable force which is why they are ranked the number one team in the world, quite astonishing for a country with no more citizens than London! It was Romelu Lukaku who got his name on the scoresheet but it was ruled out for offside an age later. Back to nil nil. However Vermallen’s header did put Belgium in front despite it being awarded an own goal to Finland’s keeper Hradecky. Minutes later Lukaku got the goal he so richly deserved with a trademark turn on the spot from twelve yards out and he powered it into the bottom right corner. It ended two nil which put Belgians top of the tree unbeaten and as for Finland we will have to wait to see if Finland were finished.

Russia 1 v 4 Denmark

What a rollercoaster of a tournament the Danes had had, from nearly losing a teammate on the field in their first game they had suffered two defeats and were right up against it to qualify. The Danes had home advantage with an unbelievable crowd in Copenhagen and they were all waiting to see what was on offer this evening. Hojberg set his stall out with a belter of a shot that was only just wide. The deadlock was broken in the 38th when Damsgaard scored a Damgood goal with a sublime effort from outside of the box, what a goal! The eruption from Danish fans was off the scale. In the second half, Russia’s chances of success suffered a set back when a misguided pass back from Zobnin to his keeper but the poor lad didn’t look before kicking it and Yussuf Poulsen pounced on it and put it past Safanov to make it two zip. Dzyuba however did pull one back for Russia from a very dubious penalty call from the ref. At two one it was game on again in this wide open group but now the confidence was coursing through the Danish veins and it really was a site to see, sometimes it felt like I was watching a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition! We weren’t done yet as another dynamic interplay led to Andreas Christensen hitting a world class strike from 24 yards out for a screamer of a goal that Jan Molby would have been proud of. Joakim Maehle made it four one with another splendid effort to round off this match as one of the best of the tournament. What a match, absolutely Danepacked full of goals and they really reminded us of their success in this championship back in ’92. What must Christian Eriksen be feeling right now?

And so to the Footcall League...

Austria winning one nil was quite a popular scoreline including Jack Wakefield of all people, Les Herbert (now making his run), Ross Vallender, Tat-Wah Liu, Alex Church, Pete Sweeney and Neil Newman. Notably, Richard Ellis and Jon Francis both picked up their first red squares which is great but does seem them fall off the MWA league.

Holland to win 3-0 was by far the most popular prediction of Footcall 2020, so many players guessed this one correctly including Ian Barker, Ben Hersey, Alan Church, Eric Krieg and Joe Simona. Sadly though for one special (and long suffering Footcall widow), Mrs Jenner has removed herself from the MWA league with her first red square of the event. In a post match interview she admitted to being crestfallen because she had her sights set on the other league table.

Belgium winning two nil was also very popular with reds for Lee Harris, Dan “Hardcore Footcaller” Schroeck, Jonathan Rowland, Tony Gardner (again), Sean Ellis, Simon Field, Ian Gallagher and Danny Curran amongst others. Perhaps the biggest shock was to see the current Footcall (2018) Champion, Jamie Sains actually get one right for a change, whatever next?!

Player of the day…

Vikki Hill scored an amazing 9 points today and Tat-Wah Liu and Jane White topped it with an incredible 10 out of 12. But my POTD can only go to one man and that is Stuart “Stu R Ya” Acott who not only scored an impressive 8 points but he was the ONLY player to have guessed Denmark to thrash Russia four one. Well done Stu that is right up with Tom Frost’s prediction earlier in the week.

The Max Woosnam Award League...

This table has been decimated with all the red squares being dished out today. Jo Mackenzie even lost one of her teams from this list! Hanging in there however is Colin (how on earth have I got 16 ones and no threes yet?) Jessop, Ed Rowland and Daniel Sproul. The big question is, who will be there come Wednesday evening?
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

David

Day 10 in the Footcall House...

Here we are ladies and gentlemen, the final lap of the Group Stages and now we are getting down to the nitty gritty…

Italy 1 v 0 Wales

The pundits would have had you believe there was great jeopardy at stake here for the Welsh but the reality was with four points already on the board they were always likely to qualify even if they do finish third. Either way a win would be just the tonic for Bale and the boys as that would see them top of the table and then likely to play a weaker team in the KO Stages. Italy have been arguably the form team in this tournament and their dominant possession paid off in the 39th minute with a flick on from Matteo Pessina to put the Italians in the lead. In the second half the Welsh showed great resolve to carry on competing but their task was made all the greater when Ethan Ampadu was given a straight red for a reckless challenge. Even on the slo mo replay it didn’t look horrendous but UEFA have been really clamping down on these types of tackles and this left Wales down to ten men. However they are nothing but a plucky squad and despite relentless Italian pressure Gareth Bale nearly brought his team level when he connected with a cross from the left. Unfortunately for Bale it sailed over the bar and the boys in blue took top honours in Group A.

Switzerland 3 v 1 Turkey

Whilst the other game was underway the Swiss were battling it out against the Turks in the other Group A decider. The Swiss really needed a win to go with their solitary point to give them a good view of qualification. And their quest was off and running early doors in just the 6th minute Seferovic hit a lovely shot between the legs of the Demiral and beyond the outstretched hand of Cakir into the bottom right corner. It was obvious by their celebration the Swiss were bang up for this. The best was yet to come when Xherdan Shaqiri hit a wonder strike from 20 yards out to double their lead. In the second half we were wondering if there was going to be a collapse but not a bit of it as we were treated to a Turkish delight of a goal from Irfan Can Kaheci with one of the goals of the tournament. Suddenly it was game on again. That was until Shaqiri knocked in his second and Switzerland’s third to make it 3-1. Lots more goal mouth happenings with both keepers making epic saves to spice things up. Eventually the final whistle blew and it was all over. The total yardage of the goals tonight must have been ten times what it was last night. This was without doubt the game to have watched this evening.

And so to the Footcall League...

One nil to Italy was a popular guess including yours truly and Neil “YTee” White, Charlie (and Richard) Goodwin, James Roberts, John Falvey, Steve “Maybe I should have got Finley to do my scores” Cowland, Mike Davies, Peter Short, Spencer Collins and Paul “Hall of Famer” Firmston.

Switzerland to win 3-1 gained a much smaller pool of success as only five players called this one including Shaun Carroll, Andrew Hodgson, Ukali Walker and David Burke. Well done guys, much needed red squares for you lot.

Player of the day…

Having highlighted the incredible run of single pointers Mr Simon Butler was having, he was clearly incensed by my comments and today he really saw red. By that I mean he saw two red squares come his way as Si bagged a full six points to see him hurtle up the league. Of course that does see him off the MWA league table and into Footcall mid table obscurity but I think he would say it was all worth it to scoop those back to back three pointers and a mention from Mr Footcall. Well done Mr B impressive stuff.

The Max Woosnam Award League...

Kyle Perkes is now the man to catch (or shoot himself in the foot) as he leads by one point over Footcall legend, Colin Jessop. Kevin King is flying the IRISNDT flag in this league table. Elizabeth Knott is doing it for the Churches with an impressive haul of 7 one pointers. If you can all just keep this level of neither one nor the other one of yous will win this league.
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

David

Day 8 in the Footcall House...

Another triple whammy of games for us to indulge in with just a sprinkling of anticipation of what lay ahead…

Sweden 1 v 0 Slovakia

Group E showdown to try and make a leap up the table towards qualification. The first half was relatively incident free although both keepers were tested at either end. Good solid defending but it was Olsen and Dubravka who were the stars of the show between the sticks both keeping clean sheets in the first 45. After the break it was the Swedes who looked more progressive and we could have had the goal of the tournament when Alexander Isak lit up the stadium as he rode numerous challenges Maradona 86 style. He dropped the shoulder and hurdled and sidestepped five Slovakians into the box. Sadly however his shot wasn’t quite on target and hit the side netting but it was a treat to see such skill. In the 77th minute the statement was shattered when Robin Quaison was brought down in the penalty area to set up Emil Forsberg to put the yellows in the lead. And that is how it stayed to see them top their group for the time being.

Croatia 1 v 1 Czech Republic

Match number two saw Croatia who lost to England and the Czechs who beat Scotland in their first games. And it was the man who was Scotland’s nemesis, Patrik Schick, was given an elbow in the face and Mr VAR stepped in to award a penalty. WIth blood dripping from his nose, Schick converted from 12 yards out. In the second half it was a much more open game and almost immediately after the restart Ivan Perisic put his laces through the ball to send a bullet into the top of the net. Maybe the keeper could have got his gloves on it, maybe it was going just too fast, either way, it was one a piece. One or two other opportunities came and went but the game was to end equal much to the delight of many a Footcaller.

England 0 v 0 Scotland

This was it, the big one, the one we had been waiting for since the groups had been drawn months ago and we found out that England and Scotland were in the same group together. The tension was palpable and the weather was, well, errr, wet! Thousands of fans descended on the capital and despite the fact the stadium was nowhere near capacity the atmosphere was every bit as good as Euro 96. All we were hoping for was a game as good as that one 25 years ago. Maybe the best chance of the match came in the 11th minute when John Stones rose like a Phoenix and hung in the air to get his head on a corner ball only to see it shudder off the post. So close and we were hoping for plenty more of this. Well sadly I can tell you now it didn’t come and much of the game was fought in the middle of the field. O’Donnell did test Jordan Pickford’s reactions to lift the travelling Tartan Army. In the second half it was more of the same with plenty of chances squandered at either end. England had more possession but they lacked any decisive creativity to open up Scotland and man of the match was arguably young Billy Gilmour with a very mature performance for Scotland snuffing out much of the English playmaking. One of the best moments was seeing Reece James head Lyndon Dykes shot off the England goal line. The game closed out with a farcical shambles of a pile up of bodies in the Scottish six yard area that was so ridiculous I was sure the ref was going to award a scrum! It all ended in rather tepidly but it wasn’t all doom and gloom as a point does put us joint top with good prospects of qualification in our game next week against Czech Republic. Scotland defended like lions but are up against it now going into their final game against Croatia.

And so to the Footcall League...

So many players picked 1-0 and 1-1 for the opening two matches this afternoon, in fact I don’t think I have ever seen so many red squares dished out for a brace of games. I shall credit those fine Footcallers who scored a perfect six and they are, Ian (this is it lads I’m on my way) Gallagher, James Sandiford, Gareth Edwards, Polly Stevenson, Mark Stratton, Alex Wright, Roy of the Rovers Trute, Jason Muller, Vikki Hill, Gary (what a couple of days I’ve had) Thorp, Tom Kyriakos, Daniel McLaughlin, Lee Woods and Dan (Check me out at the top) Dart. Well done guys, outstanding performance. Dan and Lee are fighting it out at the top with clear water ahead of third placed Michael Norris.

Player of the day…

There can only be only player today who not only scored six points with one of his teams but bagged a red square with his other. That player is friend of the show, Matt (Mr Big) Clark. It wasn’t his six pointer that impressed the board but the fact that he was the ONLY player to correctly guess the England Scotland to be bereft of goals, could this be a contender for prediction of the tournament? Well done buddy!

The Max Woosnam Award League...

With the plethora of reds today several more players fell off the MWA award league. However Simon “I luvs me footy at The Riverside” Butler is right up with Kyle Perkes both of whom are now probably hoping they DON’T score a three pointer in the remain games. I know this for a fact as Mrs Jenner has turned her focus towards this league along with Jo Mackenzie. And look who else is there, Jamie (Smug Champ 2018) Sains is plodding along with 10 one pointers. It’s quite impressive to see players still hanging in there a day when small children even picked up red squares :-)
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

David

Hi <>,

Day 7 in the Footcall House… (UPDATE)

Put it down to enthusiasm, put it down to it being a late night but there was a shocking oversight in last night’s report!

On a day of heavy scoring where many a Footcaller bagged six if not seven points in one day, one man stood above us all. A man that was once riding high in the MWA league decided to jump that ship and join the bigger boys topside with a perfect triple score. A chap that needs no introduction for he is the only player to have won our little parade twice and yesterday claimed a clean sweep of red squares! That guy is Mick (please don’t let me win again) Mallion.

In my defence (your honour) I congratulated Mick by text earlier in the evening for it is a rare sight to witness such achievements and I had fully intended to give him this write up to celebrate his success but I got too excited with all my banging puns!

Well done Mick, please accept my humble apologies and thank you Kevin (who also had a very good day) Appleton for pointing out my errors and omissions!

David

Day 7 in the Footcall House...

So good to hear from so many Footcallers today showing their love for the game (despite their somewhat indifferent league position). Lots of great feedback on the Max Woosnam Award league table as it saw the one pointers among us doing well for a change. That was of course until they picked up their first red square of the tournament and saw them disappear off that list as well.

Ukraine 2 v 1 North Macedonia

This was game was like a game of eight ball pool with one team in yellow and the other all in red, such shame that the ref only had black shorts on! After their first game defeat, Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine team put in a competent performance against the Macedonians. It was the Ukrainians in yellow that did all the groundwork in the beginning and carved out an opening with Andrew Yarmolenko with a close range goal on the 29th minute. Five minutes later Yarmolenko who seemed to be the play maker in everything up front put his comrade, Yaremchuk one on one with the keeper and soon enough they had doubled their lead. In the second half maybe Ukraine took their foot off the pedal somewhat and let Macedonia back in with a penalty in the 57th. Yet again another spot kick was saved by the keeper. However the difference here was that Alioski reacted well to the save and then smashed the ball in the back of the net. In this open match Ukraine won their own penalty in the closing minutes and unbelievably the keeper did his job and prevented the ball from going in the net! We’ve never seen so many pens saved or missed. Well time ran out and Ukraine took the three points in Group C.

Denmark 1 v 2 Belgium

Heartfelt emotions as Denmark came onto the field to rapturous applause in support of their fallen comrade. The big question now was could they do the business on the pitch and make Christian proud. Well that was a resounding yes! The tempo from the off was electric and the Danes were riding on a crest of adrenalin. Not only that, Belgium were a shambles to start with and clearly were showing too much respect for their opponents. The euphoria went up a notch in just the 99th second of the match when Hojbjerg put Denmark in the lead with a neatly struck shot into the bottom left corner. What a match… what a wake up call. This was the second fastest goal in Euro history and the atmosphere in the arena was off the scale. I just wonder if Eriksen’s doctor was allowing him to watch this game, this was not good anyone’s heart! A few minutes later the referee blew again during play, not for VAR, but for a tribute for the players and the audience to wish Christian good health with a continuous round of applause. The Danes were going to struggle to keep this pace up for another 80 minutes and soon enough Belgium were able to calm things down and take control of things. It was the intermission that made the difference when Roberto Martinez brought on Kevin De Bruyne for his first appearance in the competition. Soon after that change of personnel proved its worth when a stupendous run from Lukaku put KDB in the box to take out three of the Danish defence to set up Thorgan Hazard for a mere tap in and equalise the score. Quarter of an hour later De Bruyne took the reins himself and rifled home a rocket to put the Belgians in the lead. Denmark tried in vain to make the scoreline level again but sadly with no joy and they nearly got caught cold when the keeper Schmeichel went up for a corner and Belgium hit them on the break. The game finished 2-1 and the number one Low Country team were through to the knockout stages.

Netherlands 2 v 0 Austria

After the thrills of the earlier games we were hoping for more of the same from the boys in orange. And they didn’t disappoint when they won a penalty courtesy of Mr VAR from a reckless challenge on Denzel Dumfries. It was Memphis Depay who stepped up and did what the two nations earlier couldn’t do and put the ball in the bottom corner. The Netherlands really had control of this match throughout and had plenty of chances to increase their lead and Depay missed a gift from seven yards out. The second half saw more Austrian goalmouth action and it really was backs to the wall for the team in black. In the 67th minute it was Holland who went two up when Malen raced out of his own half to find himself doing the “Bach-mann” as he set up Denzel Dumfries to slot the ball in the back of the net. This was all very comfortable for the number two Low Country team who have failed to qualify for the last two tournaments. Despite a last ditch effort from David Alaba, Austria really were not at the races today and will need a positive result in their final game if they want to get out of the group. As for The Netherlands, they were mustard, or should I say, Hollandaise?

And so to the Footcall League...

A shed load of you lot guessed 2-1 to Ukraine, in fact I would Eden Hazard a guess that it is the most popular Footcall prediction for any game as Rachel Rowland will testify. And amongst those included Gemma Simms, Ben “Retro Wheelz” Davis, Graeme Cupit, Paul Cook, Colin Hoare and Manoj Gupta. Mark Brown, Nick Rowland and even Jonathan (I can’t quite believe it myself) Rowland picked up red squares. Birgit Hoffstadt enjoying Footcall from Germany a little more than her home nation also scored a three pointer along with Iain Baker and Guy “I’m more of a cricket man” Young.

Yet another 2-1 in the Belgium match saw more players rake in red squares including Dan Dart, Chris Martin, Yiannis Phokou, Jay Chillcott, Dr Phil Vingoe, Keith “please mention me David” Reynolds, Jamie (and let’s not forget Ian) Marshall, Martin “anything you can do Birgit” Stobitzer, Dave Herbert, Shaun Carroll, Andrew Currivan, Ben Hersey, George ‘That’s how you do it dad’ Relf and Kelly “I’m sure Jamie was around here somewhere” Sains all scooped the maximum quote for this match.

The Netherlands winning two nil was also very popular with the likes of Chris Amos, Paul Murphy, Vikki Hill, Leon White, Martin Bennett, Jill Fuller, James Sandiford, Tom Foster, John Falvey, Eddie Bojtler, Darren Smith, Neil Williams, Stephen Faint, Thomas Frost and Darren Brame all picked up three pointers for this game. Even my good friend Alastair Pullen scored his first red square this evening, well done mate, that’s another pint of Adnams you owe me!

The Max Woosnam Award League...

Nick Wyatt is no more! Not only that but Peter Arnold has also been struck off, in fact a good number of you disappeared from this list as your three point awards see you removed from the MWA league. We still have a few faithfuls hanging on such as Colin Jessop, Rod “Up the Hammers” Solomon, Harry Field and Eric Church. Out in front is Kyle Perkes and Simon Butler leading the way with 12 single pointers. I’m just wondering if there will be anyone left come the end of the Group Stages?
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

David

Day 6 in the Footcall House...

Back round again for another feast of football with three more matches for us to savour throughout the day.

Finland 0 v 1 Russia

During the warm up all the Finland squad wore t-shirts saying Get Well Christian as show of support for fellow Scandinavian Christian Eriksen who is showing signs of recovery after the trauma of Saturday. Maybe they were inspired when Joel Pohjanpalo headed home an early opener to send the Finnish fans in raptures. Cut to the ref clasping his ear getting feedback from the VAR Team topside. Sadly his effort was overruled for being barely centimetres offside but that’s what VAR is there for right? And right at the death of the first half the Russians rubbed salt in the wound when Aleksei Miranchuk did a little one two with Dzubya followed by marvellous composure as he dinked the ball over the gaping mouths of Finland’s defence and into the top left corner. A superb goal and this tipped the balance in this evenly matched game. The second half saw goal mouth action at either end it’s fair to say that Russia had more of the ball and plenty of opportunities to put the game out of sight. The second goal didn’t come but the Russians did enough to secure their first win and give themselves a chance of qualification.

Turkey 0 v 2 Wales

Big build up to this match as there always is to a home nation match and there are more than a few patriotic native Footcallers shouting for Wales to do the business like they did in 2016. I’m sure Gareth Bale gets sick of being asked about his talismanic role with the squad but when you see how he demands their respect in that huddle (and the choice language) you can tell he’s bang up for it. And once again he was the catalyst for results when he linked up with Aaron Ramsey as he has done so many times with a sublime through ball that was exquisitely controlled by the number 10 on his chest and then past the keeper. The Welsh were on top in this game and in the second half could have put the game beyond Turkish reach when Bale won a penalty. Bizarrely however Gareth who is the model professional of spot kicks decided to do one of those Ronaldo-esque stilted run ups which somehow broke his stride and he punted the ball yards over the top much like Chrissy Waddle in Italia 90. The heartbreak left Welsh fans fearing an equaliser but GB almost made amends for his misdemeanour when he won the ball of the Turkish keeper and almost deflected it into the net. Despite Robbie Savage urging them to run the clock down in the corner the Welsh players seemed determined to get a second and in the 95th minute Bale tip toed along the touch line to set up Connor Roberts and make it two nil and take home the spoils! What a match.

Italy 3 v 0 Switzerland

The Italians looked impervious to pressure in the first game against Turkey and we were all wondering if they could do it once more against the Swiss. Well the answer was a resounding yes. Despite VAR striking again denying the old boy Chiellini an early goal for hand ball. This was pretty much one way traffic as the Italians did forge ahead with a close range tap in for Manuel Locatelli in a very swift and decisive move. That man Locatelli doubled his tally in the 52nd minute with a power strike from 20 yards out showing he’s got a foot like a traction engine. Astonishingly this is only Manuel’s third goal for his country. The boys in blue wrapped it all up with just a minute to go with another medium range effort from Immobile to make it Italy’s second three nil win in a row. Questions need to be asked about Swiss tactics as their defence had more holes in it than their cheese and it’s amazing to think they are ranked in the top 20 teams in the world. They’ve got one heck of a job to qualify now but take nothing away from Italy they were mustard and have already sealed their place in the knockout stages.

And so to the Footcall League...

One nil is such a popular score so a ton of Footcallers go the Russia result correct most notably Ian Sayer, James Roberts, Dean Jellinek, Mitchell Tomlin, Kathryn Rowland, Miley Krieg, Graham Abberley and Luis Bello all of whom picked up their first red squares of the tournament. This is great for their scoreline but sadly it does rule them out of our new Max Woosnam Award. Well you can’t have it both ways!

The Wales result was more select with red squares being awarded to Sean Broad, Thomas Etherington, Darren Smith, Ukali Walker and Stuart Acott amongst others.

Italy’s victory was guessed correctly by Ric (I don’t believe it my first red) Robinson, Carol (that’s me out of the MWA now then!) Gerrard, Ryan Gadsby, David Dadswell, Ben Cross, Brian Head and Andrew (the crane man) Pearce.

My players of the day go to Angela Taylor and Pete Sweeny both of whom raked in a wicked seven points today and Pete was on for a full house (a very rare feat) had Italy not gone and tucked away that final goal. Maybe Angela was also on for that as well, please let me know.

And so to the Max Woosnam Award...

Nick Wyatt still out in front in our new Max Woosnam Award with an amazing 12 one pointers. Maybe he’ll get a few more but as soon as you pick up a red square you’re off the list. Oh the jeopardy!
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

Feedback, comments, puns and headlines are always welcome if you can let me know, it’s always nice to know that more than the GLW (Good Lady Wife) are reading these reports :-)

David

Howdy folks, I hope you are enjoying the sunshine here in the UK (at least whilst it lasts)? For those of you who have not predicted any exact scores to date i.e. no three point red squares yet, then I have some news for you.

The Max Woosnam Award

This has been specifically created for all you consistent Footcallers that like to tread your own path with single point results. The one pointers amongst us. The middle-of-the-road average players who live their lives without any red squares and barely a mention in my reports. Of course we have the Vuvuzela Award that goes to player who is ranked last in our league and once again my brother Simon is making that all his own with some spectacularly rubbish predictions. The MWA, as it is known, is for those that tread water mid-table who are denied three pointers stolen on an almost daily basis.

For those that have never heard of Max, he is arguably the greatest sportsman who has ever lived representing England at football as well as playing first class cricket and winning tennis trophies at Wimbledon. His list of achievements is nothing short of astonishing, a scratch golfer, he also (allegedly) scored a maximum break in snooker and he even beat Charlie Chaplin at a game of table tennis… with a butter knife!

Read more about Max’s sporting endeavours HERE
Or watch this amazing video about his life HERE

And so to the Max Woosnam Award...

We currently have a clear leader in our new award as Nick Wyatt and his team Cidertime has an incredible 10 single pointers to his name and is one ahead of Peter Arnold.
CHECK OUT THE MAX WOOSNAM AWARD LEAGUE TABLE

For those of you that deserve the recognition of your tepid consistency then I hope you enjoy this new award but remember you might well be leading the MWA table one day only to see your name disappear from the list when you bag your first red square the next.

David

Day 5 in the Footcall House...

Today saw the first lap completed of the Group Stages with the teams from the Group of F playing their opening games. Just the two games today and history was in the making…

Hungary 0 v 3 Portugal

Let’s be honest, when the Euro 2020 draw was made nobody gave the Hungarians a prayer in Group F. With the current Euro Champions, the current World Champions and the most decorated Champions in the same group there was more chance of Hungary winning the best kept thermal spring award than than the Euro football championship. With that said they didn’t want to go down without a fight and they really took this match to the Portuguese. They defended well and Peter Gulacsi kept his country in the match during the first half. After a goalless 45 by some miracle it was the land locked nation that broke the statement when Schon put the Hungarians into a shock lead. However the celebrations were short lived when the linesman (excuse me, the Referee’s Assistant) flagged for offside. Now the traditionalists amongst us will notice this new trend in the modern day game for the RA to keep their flag down even when a player is clearly offside just so the game can keep flowing should the ball not find the back of the net. There are those reading this that will say surely offside is offside so stick ya flag up son but UEFA feel this is the way forward and we now have to live with it. Not long after this set back their problems were compounded when Raphael Guerreiro sadly deflected the ball into his own net putting Portugal one up. With only six minutes left to play the shackles were off and suddenly the talismanic star skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo, was summoned to take a spot kick after a Sanches foul. He buried it in consummate style and set a record in the process scoring a record 10th goal in the European Championships, over taking Michel Platini. Moments later he tripped the light fandango through the Hungarian defence and made it a brace and Portugal’s third and his 11th in tournament play in a glittering career that has seen him play in five Euros since 2004. This surely has cemented his legacy as the Greatest Of All Time when it comes to Euro record and he even wiped off $4bn dollars off the value of Coca-Cola’s stock by removing two strategically placed bottles in a press conference and replaced it with a bottle of water. It wouldn’t surprise me if he is cast in the next Marvel film; Aqua Man Ron: Water Legend!

France 1 v 0 Germany

Next up, two more legends of the game but this time in their success in the international game. Favourites to win the tournament France had talent all over the field and it has been said that 70% of the earth is covered by water whilst the other 30% is covered by N’golo Kante! Their opponents were not without plenty of quality either so this was set fair to be a cracker. And from the off the passing and movement was a cut above the likes of the Spaniards we saw last night and it really looked like we were in for a treat. The opening goal came yet another own goal, the third in the tournament (equally the record of three in 2018) when Hernandez’s ball across the six yard area was powered into the roof of his own net by Hummels. We were expecting a slew of net bulgers from here but despite the quality we didn’t see another goal until late in the second half when Kylian Mbappe curled a peach of a ball off the inside of the German far stick. The boys in bleu celebrated only to spot the RA raise his offside flag a full seven seconds (yes I timed it) after the infringing pass. Oh my word, here we go again! The goal was scrubbed and the scoreline back to one nil. Moments later we saw a magical run from Mbappe who I swear is faster than Usain Bolt over twenty metres as he outstripped the German defender despite giving him a five yard head start, seeing this young superstar giving it the beans is like watching a Peregrine Falcon in full flight. Soon after he demonstrated his pace once again as he sliced open the Germans to set up Karim Benzema for what must certainly be the clincher. Yet again it was chalked off when VAR this time decided that Pogba’s pass infringed the offside rule. After all that the final whistle blew and France did finish the victors as they comfortably outplayed Germany.

And so to the Footcall League...

Surprisingly lots of Footcallers picked Portugal to win three nil and I bet many of you watching never thought that would happen seeing as all the goals came in an eight minute spell at the end. Lets give credit to David Ginger for picking up his first red square along with Jack Hennebry, Ian Purssord, Angela Taylor, Michael Waring, Eric (I’m only 12) Krieg, Tom Firth, Chris Griffin, Scott Meyers, Ben Cross, Craig Ellis, Jasper Dudson, Lee Giles, George Relf, David Blakeman, Adam Phokou and Ben Hersey, all of whom scored their very first three pointer today.

Not many guessed France would win by a solitary goal and Footcallers all over the world who had a 2-0 French win (me) a red square were denied glory. But those that did predict one nil included Patrick Ferguson, Henry McKillop, Matt (finally my first red on the board) Clark, Mike Costello, Ray Amos, Caroline Holding, Spencer Collins, Richard Goodwin, Aaron (Kippax) Sutcliffe and Charmaine Stimson.

My player of the day goes to Wade Keesmaat who’s four point haul sees him top the table all on his own… for now at least!

David

Day 4 in the Footcall House...

I hope you’re all getting into the routine of reading these reports and eagerly checking to see where you are in the league table only to roll your eyes and say, I told you I knew nothing about football. My advice is, if you’re not doing too well just focus on your mini division as it doesn’t look quite so bad :-)

After the thrill of seeing England win yesterday were we going to be treated to another home nation victory today?

Scotland 0 v 2 Czech Republic

On paper, Scotland were always going to be up against it. A nation that has never got out of the Group Stages before but none the less a football proud nation that loves to prove they can rub shoulders on the international stage. And they started well with Dykes and Robertson testing the Czech keeper early on. However the Hampden Park crowd were silenced just before half time when Patrik Schick headed a cross ball into the bottom left corner. The expletives that came through on my WhatsApp from Mrs J don’t bear repeating and maybe getting to half time at one nothing was not the end of the world. For home life harmony I was rooting for them to make a come back after the break. Once again they started well but they just don’t have an Archie Gemmill or Gordon Strachan to make a telling pass or put it away. But then came a moment of footballing magic. Sadly however not from the home team but that man Schick (le Freak) latched on to the ball in his own half and spied keeper off his line and audaciously chose to lob Marshall from over 45 yards away from goal. The ball sailed through the air as the man in yellow desperately back pedalled towards his own net. A fruitless task that saw him floundering in the netting like wriggly trout in with the ball. You will not have seen a better goal in this tournament, every bit as good as Nayim lobbing Seamen from the half way line or Beckham leaving Sullivan shame faced or Stoke City’s Charlie Adam scoring that wonder goal from his own half leaving Courtois caught in no mans land! This moment of brilliance really took the wind out of Scottish sails and despite Forrest coming close later on the final result finished two nil to the Czechs.

Poland 1 v 2 Slovakia

An Eastern European affair with one notable player on the field in Robert Lewandowski a genius at Bayern Munich during the week but doesn’t quite get the same service when he plays for Poland. And it was the Slovaks who kicked things off in the 18th minute when Robert Mak’s shot ricocheted off the back of keeper Szczesny and into his own net. After the break the Poles found their feet with some intricate passing and they equalised with a rare goal from the boot of Linetty. Poland’s day got a whole lot worse when Krychowiak got himself sent off for a second bookable. And the team in blue took advantage of their extra man when Skriniar rotated on a lazy susan and power the ball into the bottom left corner of the Polish net. A real body blow for the Poles as Slovakia managed to take three points back to base camp.

Spain 0 v 0 Sweden

After the thrills and spills of the two earlier matches we were expecting some quality from former World and Euro winners, Spain. There is no denying their talent in the first two thirds of the pitch but up front they really are missing a Raul or David(s)Villa or Silva, heck I think a Torres with a broken leg could probably play up front the Spanish these days. Sweden were suffering from the same affliction and as such plenty of opportunities arose but all were squandered even when Isak should have scored it ended up pinging off the post. Olmo’s shot had a similar result at the other end of the field. Isak danced his way through the petrified Spanish defence to set up Marcus Berg only to see him spoon it over the bar from five yards out, what Ibrahimovic done with that ball? Both keepers had a proper workout in this match and they both kept their nations afloat as the game ended goalless.

And so to the Footcall League...

More than handful picked the Czechs to win 2-0 including Peter (get from Marble Arch to Pall Mall) Mulvey, Tim Cornwell, Martin Bennett, Melvyn Stringer and Dan Mackenzie. Others also collecting red squares included Leigh Boardman, Glenn Fisher, Jamie Hall and Mick Spicer.

Picking the Slovaks to win 2-1 was more of a select band including my own good self, Bryan Relf, Tony Gardner, Daniel Griffiths who pulled in an impressive six points today and Sara Wood who now tops the table two points clear.

But there can be no doubt as to who my player of the day is and that award goes to Lee Woods who unbelievably guessed the Spanish match would end without a goal. I’m not sure if this was a considered prediction, divine intervention or random numbers on a page but either way he got a red square where nobody else dared. Nice one Lee, you’re up to 12th now, let’s see where you go from here.

David

Day 2 in the Footcall House...

Today was a sad day, a day for reflection, a day that put things in perspective. It’s not often I begin my reports in a sombre mood but it seems fitting somewhat more appropriate today. During the Denmark Finland game an incident happened that left all those watching in shock to see Christian Eriksen suddenly collapse without any collision or warning. Almost immediately the players closest to him could see how serious it was and the medical crew were summoned. The game came to abrupt ending as the young Dane was treated on the pitch for some considerable time before the players formed a huddle around the teammate. Eventually the medics were able to escort him off the pitch and taken to hospital and with heavy hearts the match was postponed.

Fearing for his life, I think I speak for us all when I say this made us think there was more to life than a game of football. As time passed news came back that the Inter Milan player was showing signs of recovery and not long after UEFA made a shock announcement that the game was to be continued. From this we could only believe that his condition had stabilised sufficiently for Christian himself to give his blessing for the match to restart.

The players returned to an altogether different atmosphere and completed the first half nil nil. On the return it looked as though Finland were just going to defend in depth and allow Denmark all the possession. Somehow it felt as though minds were elsewhere. In the 60th minute however it was Finland that broke the deadlock against the run of play when Joel Pohjanpalo’s header was parried by the keeper into his own net. Despite this set back Denmark still had the lion’s share of the ball and they actually looked like equalising when they won a penalty. Sadly though this was not to happen when Hradecky saved a rather unconvincing spot kick from Hojbjerg. Eventually the clock ran out and the result finished one nil to Finland. But on a night when the scoreline is immaterial our thoughts remain with Christian Eriksen and his family.

Earlier in the day Wales took on Switzerland in a cagey affair that saw two evenly matched sides. After a goalless first half, it was the Swiss cheese who Caerphilly sliced open the Welsh when Embolo headed home from a Shakiri corner. This certainly livened things up and it was much more end to end. Welsh fans were not certain where an equaliser was going to come from that was until Kieffer Moore nutted home a gem of a header to make it one all. Hearts were in mouths when in the final few minutes the Swiss went two one up, fortunately there was a certain level of doubt and the ref called for VAR probably because of Robbie Savage’s loud vocals from the commentary box. Well the goal was denied and the result finished one each.

In the evening match which actually overlapped with the conclusion of the postponed afternoon game saw Belgium dismantle a rather lack lustre Russia. Footcallers who played in 2018 would remember when Russia were the dark horses of the last World Cup. However they were a mere shadow of that team and the experienced Belgians systematically took them apart even without De Bruyne in the side. Romelu Lukaku opened his account for the Golden Boot as he turned in the Russian box to wrong foot the opposition’s keeper. In the 34th minute Thomas Meunier doubled their lead and we all thought this was going to be a runaway victory. The Russian dolls steadied the ship somewhat in the second half but it was that man Lukaku who put the tin hat on it by slotting home his second and Belgium’s third in the 88th. And that’s how it stayed as Belgium who are the highest ranked team in the tournament (but not the favourites) set out their stall for the others to buy from.

And so to the Footcall League...

Over 100 Footcallers picked Wales to draw one all with Switzerland (including me) so there was a slew of red squares dished out for that one including Chris and Nick in NYC, Gareth Powell, David Wootton, Polly Stevenson and Carl Andrews.

However very few picked Finland to beat the Danes and special mention must go to Tony Mehmet (first time Footcaller), Christopher Lane, David (look at me Liz) Knott, Chloe Norris, David Dadswell, Amaia (2014) Borges Clark and finally my good friend Iain Baker whose team name Finland, Finland, Finland is a give away as to who his support would have been behind. Everybody sing… “Finland, Finland, Finland, The country where I want to be. Pony trekking or camping or just watching tv!”

Plenty players had Belgium to win three zip including James Ridley, Ryan Tapper, Dave (Where’s Les?) Herbert, Oliver and James Parker, Rob “Rain Man” Brennan has moved into the money bracket, Hannah Wakefield and Matt Green all picked up red squares this evening.

Players of the day must go to Michael Norris and James Smith who both scooped six points today to add to the three they got yesterday and they are both joint top of the table. Nice going lads, all you have to do is stay there for 32 games!

Big day tomorrow, come on Eng-ger-land!

David

Day 1 in the Footcall House (Update)…

The day after the night before and I know you are all desperate to find out where you are in the Footcall league table.

And so to the Footcall League...

How many players picked Italy to win 3-0?
The answer is 11
I bet you weren’t expecting that?

So we have a gaggle of Footcallers at the head of the table all of whom are sitting pretty with their first 3 point Red Square of the tournament. These include James “This is how you do it Oliver” Parker, Patrick (one of three) Ferguson, Michael Norris, Sara Wood, Jason “thanks Neil for getting me into this” Muller, James Smith, Graham Weaver, John “Where is Neil?” Dawson and none other than Janette “Look at me now Sue” Rowland! Well done to all you lot for such a great prediction.

Over 200 did however pick Italy to win so they all pick up a solitary point. And that leaves all those that predicted a draw, or goodness me thought Turkey would win (I’m saying nothing) are all propping up the foot of the table.

The league table might look a little daunting as pages 7-12 are the remaining matches in the tournament. The Mini Divisions start at page 13 so look for your name in your division as the highest placed non-prize money teams will receive free entry into the next Footcall.

So that’s it for now, we’ve got three matches today and tonight so expect a big shift in the league table tomorrow. If you are doing well at the moment then my advice is take a screenshot as it might be the only time you are at the top of the table!

David

Day 1 in the Footcall House...

We are back folks, did you miss us?
I've been sitting here for who knows how many weeks waiting for Euro 2020 to kickoff and finally that day has arrived, well you know what they say about good things are worth waiting for. This is the 12th edition of our little competition which is no longer little as we once again managed to top our entry record set in 2018 with a whopping 275 runners this time round. I'm so thankful for all you good folk that want to join our merry band for the next four weeks, I shall do my level best to keep you all entertained.

It's great to welcome back so many seasoned Footcallers and I see more than a few have got multiple entries going on so let's see if their hedged bets pay off. Greetings to all the Footcall virgins out enjoying this madness for the very first time, I hope whomever sold you the magic beans promised unimaginable success and wealth all I can say is that your lives will never be the same again… welcome aboard! You will experience emotions over the next four weeks you have never felt before especially when North Macedonians steal a last minute equaliser to deny you of three pointer. Those red squares are to be cherished and should you receive one along the way feel free to celebrate with unabashed joy!

These reports (I hope) will make you smile once in a while over the next month and I welcome any of you to join the Facebook and WhatsApp groups we have going on. If you have any wicked one liners or prize winning headlines that you are happy for me to plagiarise for my reports then please do send them my way.

Yet again I have been tremendously impressed with your creativity in your team names. I know how seriously many of you take it and I received more than a few texts from Footcallers to say "I've done my scores, I just can't think of a damn team name that is fewer than 30 characters!" Well let's see if all that pacing around the kitchen has paid off as later on in the competition we shall all be asked to vote on who we think has the best team name.

So that's enough waffle for now, let's get this show on the road and may your world be full of three pointers!

Turkey 0 v 3 Italy

First up, the obligatory opening ceremony, queue Italian superstar, Andrea Bocelli, looking like he'd borrowed his sunnies from Joe Biden, as he stepped up to belt out Nessun Dorma transporting us back to Italia 90. Once he was done and that poor woman hanging on to those giant inflatables had been lowered down it was time for the first game of Group A to kick off.

This match was held in Rome and gave Italy home advantage and right from the off they showed who was going to dominate this match. Turkey knew they were going to be outclassed this evening and decided to get bodies behind the ball and hopefully catch the Italians napping for a cheeky run on goal. And despite lots of Italian possession and numerous chances on from Insigne and the ironically named Immobile who seemed to be everywhere, the first half somehow remained goalless. The Turks seemed to be playing for a scoreless draw and whilst they looked competent at the back they never troubled the Italian keeper once as far as I could see.

The second half was much more open as Italy managed to carve open Turkey like it was Christmas. Wave after wave washed over their defence until eventually it was an own goal that broke the deadlock as Demiral bundled the ball into his own net from a Berardi cross ball. Thirteen minutes later that man Immobile turned on a sixpence to double Italy's lead, very impressive it was too. By now it was one way traffic and it was all Turkey could do to not make the scoreline too embarrassing. Sadly however Italy, who are not known for their prolific scoring early on in big tournaments, made it three nil when the diminutive number 10, Lorenzo Insigne who is probably shorter than my snooker cue, tucked away a peachy little curler into the bottom right hand corner.

Rampant Italy left Turkey basted and this one sided match and surely this will make all the other nations aware of the Italian form. Conversely the other teams in Group A might see Turkey as an easy target and I expect all the Welsh fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of coming up against them next week.

And so to the Footcall League...

Well I don’t want to alarm anyone but we don’t have the league table published quite yet. Just a few teething problems whilst we sort out the Mini Divisions (and the bribe money) but as soon as we have it ready we shall be right back to celebrate all of you who lucky people predicted a three nil Italian victory!

I shall at this point like to mention Tom Foster who’s team name is “Mention Me Please Dave” and it is that level of shamelessness that will get you everywhere in this game! There you go Tom, you’ve got your mention, now you need to back it up with some results in the Footcall league.

Stay tuned folks!

David

Hi-de-ho Folks, the Footcall train is ready to roll!

Well what can we say about the last twelve months? I'm sure for all of us at one stage or another it has been a challenge but with hairdressers and pubs starting to open there is hope on the horizon. We've had to be patient in so many ways, none more so than waiting for international football events to take place and with the UEFA Euro 2020 now being played throughout the month of June that can only mean one thing, the return of Footcall.

Before you all start emailing the editor to say “Hey Mr Footcall, aren't we in 2021 now?” We are fully aware what year it is but UEFA splashed all their cash on having their footballs printed with 2020 on them so we've fallen in line and called our tournament, Footcall 2020.

For those of you who have played before, you know the drill… win cash prizes for predicting scores and results throughout the tournament, whilst enjoying the daily league tables, match reports and friendly banter with the ever-growing Footcall community.

I can imagine many of you are champing at the bit to think up your team name, get your predictions in, receive those red squares and see your team climb up the league table only to see your best mate's Gran overtake you the next moment!

You know what they say…

FOOTBALL IS JUST NOT THE SAME WITHOUT FOOTCALL!

Our current Footcall Champion, Jamie Sains, achieved the unthinkable in 2018 when he predicted every single winner of the Knockout Stages correctly and saw him leapfrog all those above him to take the Footcall title and scoop over 500 pounds quid in prize money. He's assured me he will back to defend his title and really make a charge up the Hall of Fame. Good luck Jamie there'll be plenty of Footcallers eager to take your crown.

Three years ago we smashed the record in 2018 with a whopping 271 entries, let's see how we get on this year. The same format remains unchanged and for those of you who haven't played before, all you have to do is before the tournament starts predict ALL the scores for the Group Stages, one point is awarded for correct results and three points accurate scores, players compete in mini-divisions as well as the overall league table. After the Group Stages are done it's prediction time again as we will ask you to decide who you think will win ALL the Knockout matches right through to the eventual Euro 2020 winner. The final is on Sunday 11 July when our Euro champions will be crowned along with our ultimate Footcaller.

Once again we shall be supporting the Angus Rowland ForgetMeNot Fund in aid of Blood Cancer UK by donating 25p for every entry. Angus tragically lost his fight to Leukaemia at just 14 years old. Angus' parents, Jonathan and Elizabeth (along with their friends and family) have magnificently raised over thousands of pounds towards blood cancer research. You can find out more about Angus' story via the banner on our home page.

Of course I can't put on the Footcall show alone, Christine's support is, as always, invaluable, the legend that is Spencer Collins who managed to give the website a kiss of life this week and bring it back from the dead! I'd like to give special mention to my good friends and Footcall stalwarts, Neil White and Matt (Mr Big) Clark. Neil has been on board since the early days and his input over the years has helped make Footcall what it is whilst Matt is nothing short of the ultimate Footcall Fan Boy! Matt's involvement with Footcall has brought in more players and innovation to the tournament than any other competitor. He provides commentary on all the games and supports the event like no other, I was thrilled to see how proud he was when his daughter Amaia won Footcall 2014.

Matt has penned an "Ode To Footcall" a fabulously eloquent poem dedicated to our little event...

‘Twas the middle of April
And all through the land,
We were all plagued with boredom,
With bugger all planned.

Super Leagues were announced
It stood us aghast,
So an uproar ensued,
And it died just as fast.

The ‘Haribo’ Cup,
The Premier League,
Both won by City,
And the Champions League?

But the best competition
It still yet to be played,
Three years since the last,
‘Cause of COVID delays.

Log onto the website
And pick your team name,
Make it a good one,
There’s cash in this game.

Make your predictions
And study the teams,
The last minute winners,
Will cause desperate screams.

We pray for red squares
Three points here and there,
And match day reports,
The main man prepares.

We are ready and waiting
There is no debate,
There’s nothing like Footcall,
We can’t effing wait!

Euro 2020 starts on Friday 11 June at 8pm with the Turkey kicking off against Italy. We'd like you to get your entry in well before the competition starts so that we can process your application before the action starts. So the cut off date for entries is Monday 7 June at 8pm, please put this date in your diary so you don't miss out. I shall remind you as often as I can before the deadline.

YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW DAYS TO GET YOUR ENTRY IN!

Come on Footcallers, sharpen your prediction pencils and get your entry in, tell your friends, tell your family, just tell random people in the street, Footcall is open for business.

So that's enough chit chat from me, let's get this show on the road!

David

FOOTCALL IS BACK – BETTER THAN EVER!

Good luck everyone and may your world be full of red square three pointers!

David