UEFA Euro 2016 Group F
Group F of UEFA Euro 2016 contained Portugal, Iceland, Austria, and Hungary. It is Iceland's first appearance at the finals. Matches were played from 14 to 22 June 2016.
Teams
Draw position | Team | Pot | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
UEFA Rankings October 2015[nb 1] |
FIFA Rankings June 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 | Portugal | 1 | Group I winner | 8 October 2015 | 7th | 2012 | Runners-up (2004) | 4 | 8 |
F2 | Iceland | 4 | Group A runner-up | 6 September 2015 | 1st | — | Debut | 27 | 34 |
F3 | Austria | 2 | Group G winner | 8 September 2015 | 2nd | 2008 | Group stage (2008) | 11 | 10 |
F4 | Hungary | 3 | Play-off winner | 15 November 2015 | 3rd | 1972 | Third place (1964) | 20 | 20 |
- Notes
- ^ The UEFA rankings of October 2015 were used for seeding for the final draw.
Standings
Template:UEFA Euro 2016 group tables
In the round of 16,
- The winner of Group F, Hungary, advanced to play the runner-up of Group E, Belgium.
- The runner-up of Group F, Iceland, advanced to play the runner-up of Group B, England.
- The third-placed team of Group F, Portugal, advanced to play the winner of Group D, Croatia.
Matches
Austria vs Hungary
Austria[2]
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Hungary[2]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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Portugal vs Iceland
First half
Iceland had the chance for an early breakthrough when Gylfi Sigurðsson had a sight of goal but could not beat the Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patrício. Portugal started to seize control as the half wore on, though, and Vieirinha gave Hannes Þór Halldórsson some problems with a shot from distance on 18 minutes. Shortly afterwards, they could have had the lead when Cristiano Ronaldo crossed for his former Manchester United teammate Nani, but the Fenerbahçe winger's header was saved at point-blank range. Ronaldo, who made his 127th appearance for Portugal, equalling Luís Figo as his nation's most capped player of all time,[5] then missed a headed chance before just failing to make an impact from a cross, which was delivered by Pepe. They did not have to wait much longer for the breakthrough. With just over half an hour played, André Gomes was able to get down the right after some tactical build-up play before laying a low cross for Nani, who converted from close range.
That gave Portugal a 1-0 lead at the break, and the pattern looked set to continue after the restart before Iceland drew level on 50 minutes.
Source: ESPN FC and Goal[6][7]
Second half
Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson sent in a cross from the right that found its way to Birkir Bjarnason, who swept the ball past Patricio. Portugal looked to reassert their possession but were struggling to make things happen, as when Ronaldo produced a skillful flick to spark a move on 56 minutes but was ultimately crowded out as he tried to engineer space for a shot. Renato Sanches made his competitive debut (making him the youngest Portuguese to appear in an international competition, breaking a record held by Cristiano Ronaldo for 12 years), replacing João Moutinho for the final 19 minutes of a 1–1 draw.[8] Nani came close to adding his second goal on 71 minutes when he headed just wide of goal from Raphaël Guerreiro's direct free kick. Moreover, Ronaldo also fired just over as Portugal broke away on the counter, with Iceland continuing to pursue an ill-advised handball appeal at the other end. On 85 minutes, as Portugal were increasing the pressure, Ronaldo was presented with a cross at the back post by Nani; but the Real Madrid forward's header was gathered by Halldórsson at the second attempt. Paticio pushed a shot from Finbogasson up into the air and away, but Iceland were increasingly forced to cling on as the match drew to a conclusion. But they survived two Ronaldo free kicks in succession, deep into injury time, to come away with a valuable point.
Ronaldo ended the game embroiled in an argument with the referee and, despite his reluctance to shake hands with Iceland’s players, did so with the captain Aron Gunnarsson.[9]
Source: ESPN FC and Goal[6][7]
Portugal | 1–1 | Iceland |
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Nani 31' | Report | B. Bjarnason 50' |
Portugal[11]
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Iceland[11]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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Reactions
I thought they had won the Euro cup, the way they celebrated... When they don’t try to play, they just defend, defend, defend and play in counterattack. This is, in my opinion, a small mentality. This is why they’re not going to do [anything] in the Euro cup.
— After the draw, Ronaldo, who served as the captain for Portugal, bashed Iceland for its celebration, and for its playing style, in which it rarely touches the ball.[13]
Kári Árnason accused Ronaldo for being a “sore loser”[9] and messages of support poured into the Icelandic federation, according to team official Omar Smarason.[13] Even the nation's president got involved by adding his diplomatic statement.[13] According to Joshua Robinson of The Wall Street Journal, the President of Iceland was quite enthusiastic about their first-ever match in a major international competition. At the Euro 2016 in France, Iceland broke one arguably significant record: Its 23-man squad represented 0.007% of the country’s population. And the 8,000 fans who went to Saint-Étienne for the Portugal game, were “the largest number of Icelanders ever to attend a single event in another country,” according to the country’s president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Just hours after attending the match against Portugal, President Grímsson appeared at a sustainable energy conference in Brussels, where he spoke about his own version of the draw between Portugal and Iceland. During Iceland’s financially successful years of the early 2000s, when hard currency was cheap, the country invested heavily in infrastructure for sporting events, building environmentally-friendly indoor halls around the nation at a cost of between 5–25 million American dollars each, which allowed a generation of youngsters to play soccer year-round. “Without the clean energy-heated indoor football grounds, Iceland would not have succeeded against Portugal,” President Grímsson said.[13]
Iceland vs Hungary
Iceland[15]
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Hungary[15]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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Portugal vs Austria
Portugal[18]
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Austria[18]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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Iceland vs Austria
Iceland | 2–1 | Austria |
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Report | Schöpf 60' |
Iceland[21]
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Austria[21]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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Hungary vs Portugal
Hungary[24]
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Portugal[24]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[4]
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References
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Austria v Hungary" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Austria v Hungary" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ Saffer, Paul (14 June 2016). "Slick Hungary outwit ten-man Austria". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Who is the referee? UEFA EURO 2016 appointments". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- ^ "Ronaldo equals Figo's record of 127 Portugal caps". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). 14 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Portugal denied by minnows Iceland in Euro 2016 opener". ESPN FC. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ a b Hanson, Peter (14 June 2016). "PORTUGAL 1-1 ICELAND: BJARNASON GOAL FRUSTRATES RONALDO & CO". Goal.com. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Dillon, John N. (14 June 2016). "Renato Sanches impressed in his Euro 2016 debut for Portugal". Bavarian Football Works. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ a b Hunter, Andy (15 June 2016). "Iceland's Kari Arnason: sore loser Ronaldo will always be behind Messi". The Guardian. Saint-Étienne. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Portugal v Iceland" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Portugal v Iceland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ Burke, Chris (14 June 2016). "Ice-cool Iceland claim Portugal point". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d Robinson, Joshua (16 June 2016). "Iceland's Plucky Soccer Team Is a Mystery to No One". The Wall Street Journal. New York City & Marseille. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Iceland v Hungary" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Iceland v Hungary" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Harrison, Wayne (18 June 2016). "Iceland own goal spares Hungary defeat". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Portugal v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Portugal v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Foulerton, Jim (18 June 2016). "Austria hold on after Ronaldo penalty miss". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Iceland v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Iceland v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Wirth, Jim (22 June 2016). "Austria win extends Iceland's mission impossible". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Hungary v Portugal" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-ups – Portugal v Austria" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Burke, Chris (22 June 2016). "Ronaldo double rescues Portugal". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 22 June 2016.