Home About Menus Calendar Live Music Photos Contact

 

 

 

 

 EURO CUP 2016

ICELAND

 vs HUNGARY
FIFA RANKING 34   FIFA RANKING 20
 
 
TEAM PROFILES

ICELAND
Iceland were slow to make an impression in UEFA European Championship qualifying, failing to record a victory in the 1964 preliminaries. Having not entered in 1968 and 1972 they earned just two wins in their next three campaigns, though the shock 2-1 defeat of East Germany in Reykjavik in 1975 hinted at their potential.
Iceland's recent history reads much better. Ahead of UEFA EURO 2000 they recorded four wins as they amassed 15 points to run France, Ukraine and Russia close. Four years later they were even closer, missing out on the play-offs by a solitary point after winning half their eight fixtures. They finished second bottom of their UEFA EURO 2008 and 2012 qualifying groups.

HUNGARY
Flórián Albert inspired Hungary as they finished third in 1964 and fourth in 1972. In 1964 they overcame Wales, East Germany and France before suffering a 2-1 extra-time semi-final defeat by Spain. Three days later Hungary prevailed 3-1 in extra time in the third-place play-off with Denmark, Dezső Novák scoring twice. In 1972 they overcame Romania in a quarter-final replay, but a late penalty miss by Sándor Zámbó confirmed defeat against the USSR and this time the third-place play-off ended in a 2-1 reverse to hosts Belgium.
Hungary's next ten qualifying campaigns were unsuccessful, though under Sándor Egervári they finished a creditable third behind the Netherlands and Sweden in their UEFA EURO 2012 section. The highlight came in the home fixture against Sweden when Gergely Rudolf's 90th-minute goal earned a 2-1 victory. It was Hungary's first competitive win against a team above them in the FIFA world rankings this century.
 

BEST RESULT
ICELAND   HUNGARY
never previously qualified
   third place 1964
 
KEY PLAYERS
ICELAND
Gylfi Sigurdsson plays the same role for club and country, a classic playmaker in a 4-2-3-1, linking midfield and attack, equally adept at finishing as pushing angled passes between defenders for his wingers’ or centre-forward’s runs. He has an excellent first touch and seems to be almost always available to receive the ball.

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is hardly young at 25 but looks positively childlike compared with Eidur Gudjohnsen, his still-valuable, veteran rival for the striker’s role. While Gudjohnsen, now playing in China, is bound to be in the squad for more than sentimental reasons, the Nantes centre-forward is likely to be the starting No9. A scorer of good goals in the Eredivisie rather than a prolific finisher, he is very good in the air but sent fans of Ajax loopy with his inconsistent first touch before his sale to Nantes last summer.

HUNGARY
Captain Balazs Dzsudzsak was seen as a classic, orthodox Dutch-style left-winger during his three seasons with PSV when he scored 44 goals in 114 Eredivisie appearances and led the league for assists. Linked with Roma, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool his ‘big’ move came when temporarily wealthy Anzhi Makhachkala recruited him during an incontinent spending spree.
He stayed only a year before moving to Dynamo Moscow for three seasons and left them for Bursaspor last summer. Still only 27 he maintains the pace and crossing ability to trouble full-backs and work the wide play-maker role in the manner Christian Eriksen does at times for Spurs. He also possesses a fiery streak and is never short of a word.

A 21-year-old midfielder whose club and national side team-mates nicknamed ‘Scholes’ would make anyone sit up and take notice – even when you discover that he was originally likened to the Manchester United pocket general because of a similar hairstyle and colouring. And yet Laszlo Kleinheisler, the Videoton central midfielder, does shoot with the same vicious power of Scholes but gets about the pitch more and is not as much of a liability/menace in the tackle.
   

 

   BACK TO MATCH CALENDAR >