Iceland’s Alfred Finnbogason (right) takes a shot next to Portugal’s Pepe during the Euro 2016 Group F soccer match between Portugal and Iceland at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne
The smallest nation ever to play at the European Championship is gearing up for its next match knowing a victory just might be enough secure a spot in the knockout round.
Iceland came back to surprisingly hold Portugal to a 1-1 draw in its debut, and the team will next face Hungary on Saturday (Sunday, 0:00) in Group F.
“Now there are two games left,” Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson said. “One win will probably be enough to advance, but we want to finish it as soon as possible and win the next game to make sure of it.”
Iceland, a tiny island nation of only 330,000 people, had never before been to a World Cup or European Championship, but qualified second in its group, beating the Netherlands twice along the way.
Hungary leads Group F after beating Austria 2-0. It was a triumphant return for the Hungarians after ending a three-decade run of missing out on major tournaments by qualifying for Euro 2016 through the playoffs.
For Iceland, the opening draw against Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates has helped the team settle its nerves.
“It’s always good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game,” Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said. “With a win against Hungary, we are probably almost there. Just getting a point over the favorite in the group should be boosting our confidence.”
Earlier this week, Iceland’s stifling, defensive style frustrated Ronaldo. But it should have come as no surprise to Portugal because it was the same game plan – defend in numbers and look for the quick long ball when in possession – that helped Iceland qualify.
In Marseille, Iceland will likely have to find a way past veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who became the oldest player in European Championship history at 40 years and 75 days. After the win over Austria, Hungary coach Bernd Storck called Kiraly one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Iceland is again expected to have a sizeable chunk of the country’s population backing the team at Stade Velodrome. Nearly 27,000 Icelanders bought tickets for the tournament, about 8 percent of the country’s population, and Hallgrimsson said the vocal support in Saint-Etienne helped his players overcome exhaustion as they chased down Ronaldo.
“It was so fantastic to play here because it was like our home,” Hallgrimsson said. “The fans were fantastic. The Icelandic fans were unbelievable.” Mike Corder, Marseille, AP
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