By Gerald Lutchman
IT was an ambivalent day in football.
To all of us who enjoy this beautiful game we wish Christian Ericksen a quick recovery. We hope to see you again soon in the tournament.
Wales vs Switzerland
As I predicted this game ended in a draw. I had said 0-0 but it ended up 1-1. A great game that Switzerland deserved to win.
Wales had a bright start for the first five minutes but that was all that they did. After that it was all Switzerland. I really think that they deserved to be winners. They played good aggressive football and had Wales on the ropes several times. Gareth Bale seemed to be missing in action. For such a talented player he does not seem to do much.
The tall and talented Embolo put Switzerland ahead in the 49th but it was cancelled out in the 74th by the also tall and talented Moore for Wales.
It was a good game, made so by Switzerland. They are a team that seem to have the goods to go forward but on this performance Wales seem to be on their way out.
Denmark vs Finland – A tragedy for Denmark
I had predicted a Denmark victory but given the incident that happened Denmark went down 0-1. This game would have showcased the ability of an excellent team from Denmark but took a turn for the worse when Ericksen fell to the ground and for a very long 20 minutes we were not sure if he would have survived. At the time of writing, he was in a stable condition at hospital and seem to be on the road to recovery. I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully we can see his amazing talents on display later on the tournament. I can only imagine the feelings of the Danish dressing room and his family.
Belgium vs Russia
I had predicted a Belgian win and a big win of 4-0 but it turned out to be a 3-0 licking for Russia. Belgium certainly showed their class in the first half and ended the game as a contest in the first 20 minutes with two goals, a very fortunate 10th minute goal from Lukaku and a very impressive strike form Meunier in the 34th. Russia was out of the contest in the first half.
In the second half, Russia were the better team and deserved a goal. This half was the foot off the gas for Belgium even allowing their talisman Eden Hazard some game time. The number one ranked team in the world has shown how easy it can be to control a game. An 88th minute goal from Lukaku sealed the deal and if there was an element of luck in the first goal, the second was pure speed and class.
For Sunday June 13, I have the following predictions.
England vs Croatia – I predict a hard fought English victory; Croatia are no pushovers 2 -1
Austria vs North Macedonia – two of the unknowns in the competition. I predict that Austria will have a narrow 2-1 win.
Netherlands vs Ukraine – this is a tough one. I can see the first upset of the tournament here but I will give Holland the upper hand with a 3-2 victory.
