european championship

Iceland beats England 2-1 in shock of Euro 2016

45 Comments
By STEVE DOUGLAS

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45 Comments
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Hapless performance by overpaid England players and a management team that didn't know its right leg from its left. Somehow, this humiliation is totally deserved for a country on the slide.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I blame Boris Jonsson.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

The English are getting good at stumbling out of Europe. Warm beers all around.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Iceland had talked about how they were all mad about English football.

They say never meet your heroes.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

"Somehow, this humiliation is totally deserved for a country on the slide."

No need for the somehow. Absolutely dire and the tournament is better off without them.

That stunk like a rancid kipper. That was no way to celebrate our 'Independence Day'.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

That was no way to celebrate our 'Independence Day'.

I'd like to tell you that many here in Scotland share your disappointment - but I'd be lying. Anyway, time to get back to the party. Try Brennivín and Irn Bru. It's great.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

When I read the headlines before the tournament such as "Best England team since '66", I knew things were going to end badly. And they did. Well played Iceland! Ranked just 34, but they are a rising soccer force. I hope they win the whole thing!

1 ( +6 / -5 )

I fail to see how this is such a shock, it was totally on the cards. Iceland have won more games and been putting the ball in the net more than us!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"Try Brennivín and Irn Bru. It's great."

Does it go with deep-fried superglue or paint thinner?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

No worries England you still have the Eurovision contest!! God the humiliation goes on and on and even as an Irishman I feel a little sad for the english!! NOT

0 ( +6 / -6 )

There's a petition online for a do-over.

12 ( +16 / -4 )

hope UK has enough banana peels, whoopie cushions and Lemon Meringue Pies

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Too much time and energy spent on commercials, product endorsements and advertisements, the latest fashions, their WAGs, and other distractions. These overpaid clowns need to remember that they are paid to kick the ball into the back of the opponents' net, and stop them doing the same, a very simple objective.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I fail to see how this is such a shock, it was totally on the cards. Iceland have won more games and been putting the ball in the net more than us!

Iceland are a modern team in that they are very much more than the sum of their parts, like Athletico Madrid or Leicester. It's great to see intelligence, organisation and heart beating the supposedly more skilled but fractured and spiritless play of England.

Also, where were the England fans? I could barely hear them singing. Did they lose heart as well?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Don't feel the need to put the boot in, we've all had weeks like this.

Cameron's error wasn't only brexit itself but its timing. Right hook followed by an uppercut.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

2nd Brexit in the space of a few days. England is having a fairly catastrophic week

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Time to get rid of Rooney.

Meanwhile, the England rugby team have won nine matches in a row.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Between football and politics, the Situations Vacant pages will be bursting at the margins.

With such economic uncertainty (the usual employers' defence), will these contracts be zero-hours too?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Scrote

Time to get rid of Rooney.

Hart first by a long shot.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

ScroteJUN. 28, 2016 - 11:27AM JST Time to get rid of Rooney.

Meanwhile, the England rugby team have won nine matches in a row.

I can't believe Rooney is making more than 250.000pounds a week and he he stung the joint last night. Over-rated, over-hyped, over-talked about. I am sure he is making more a month than the entire icelandic team.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Rooney stunk but plenty of others did too.

Over-rated? Who still rates him?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

blimey. cue the drunken rampage

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"blimey. cue the drunken rampage"

Don't you ice-hockey fans pay to watch meaningless brawls?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

at least we confine it to the field of play where innocent people dont get hurt. and fights have almost been eliminated in hockey by the way. very few these days.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I was watching the 2nd half on TV last night... when I saw the score at the start of the half I nearly had a fit as I burst out laughing. All the hype, all the build up... beaten by an even smaller island. What was priceless though were the depressed commentators condemning the players rather than praising the Icelandic players: England were bad rather than the other side being good. This is pretty common with pundits though.

I was expecting the fans to riot though... glad I was wrong.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Does it go with deep-fried superglue or paint thinner?

I'll let you know.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Can people not see the difference between the UK and England? Some of the comments above seem confused...

It looks as though the England coach has fallen on his sword... who next for the poison chalice?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

English player such as Rooney pay check is higher than combined salary of almost 12 players of Iceland team. Iceland is so small and the new comer of European Championship. If English team even can not even beat the Iceland how on earth they deserve to get the multi millions pay checks.

England was the birth place of Football and Soccer. It is the humiliation for the founding fathers of Soccer. That losers deserve to receive the icy cool reception like Iceland weather for their return trip.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Bet they couldn't even beat Aldi !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think most commenters on here come from non football nations. Pretty much anyone can beat anyone in world football these days. The odds for an england v iceland game were probably similar to what you would get for a usa v spain/france or serbia in basketball i.e 1 vs 2.

That's why i wasn't 'that' surprised this morning. If Leicester can win the epl over 38 rounds a team like England can lose vs a minnow like Iceland over 90min. That's football.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Marcus Rashford was England's Man of the Match. From four minutes on the pitch. Sigh...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It was a fun game to watch! I think that on most days the English would have won, but the Icelandic team won on this day. Looking forward to watching the game against France! I think the odds against Iceland should be at least 20 to 1, but still, I would like to see them pull if off.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Many in Scotland seem happy with that result. Reading that the Iceland assistant coach also works as a dentist made me laugh. Well I'm sure he'll be proud of his players' smiles after their giant slaying victory.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@goldorak, yes, but its not just one game. There is a consistent patern of failure here. England is unable to win on the big stage, they need to look at their program and figure out what the problem is. I have no idea. Is it the coaching, the grassroots development? you cant just blame it on bad luck when the overall record shows consistent failure.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Meanwhile, the England rugby team have won nine matches in a row.

With the aid of a (Australian) former Wallabies coach, who used his unique knowledge with devastating effect against his former team recently. That fact needs acknowledgement. Meanwhile the England football team is down and out, but they will be up again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I agree stickman, no doubt they often under perform on wc or euro stage but they are never the pre tournament favorites anti english ppl from non football nations pretend they are so they can stick the boot in.

Before this euro they were probably just in the top 8 at best. That's a qf if all goes well. They lost in the round of 16. Bad result? Yep sure. But England were outsiders at best who just dreamt of going further like most teams present. And this has been the case for as long as i have been watching football i.e the 80s: England are rarely sf or even qf material pre tournament. My english mates know that, i know that and bookies too.

If football hadn't been invented there and the epl wasnt the richest league in the world no one would expect wc or euro titles from them. They are imo perennial outsiders, same as Spain until fairly recently.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If you confuse England for a good football team, you really don't know the game very well. They haven't been good for a long, long time and their style of play and performance in the last World Cup underlined this point very effectively. They are a 2nd tier team at best who are absolutely hounded and harangued by a vicious domestic press that exacerbates the problem.

I have long hoped that Australia would draw them in the World Cup, as I would absolutely LOVE that. They have to qualify though first. As does Australia of course.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is second Euro exit for England. Although English team does not perform well for major tournaments, English soccer fans are adorable and funny. When they win, they celebrate with drinks. When they lose, they celebrate with drinks. When they get draw, they still celebrate with drinks. There will be never ending parties for soccer mad fans.

When England lost USA which was non soccer loving nation in 1950, there were some celebrations too. It is time for party for English soccer fans because Iceland is second USA for them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@seanwd20

Actually I'm from Japan. Welcome to my country silly man full of hate.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I'm from Iceland and is very proud of our guys not necessarily because they won the British, rather that they've reached this far. Love to Japan from Icland

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Gareth Southgate bookies' favourite to be the next England manager.

Hahahahaha.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you are English this was not a shock. There an old English adage (probably that says 'if you don't think things could get any worse....." As soon as I saw the draw it was pretty much a forgone conclusion., made a few quid on it, might as well profit from the ineptitude. I'd advise piling into pounds in a month or so and buy up international UK stocks, it'll be a fire sale.

That said, I'd like to call out all those on here and other social media who say they hate the English and that we are a laughing stock. Way to run it in guys! You do realize there are some decent people on England who you are tarring with the same brush. By calling us all bogota and idiots you show yourself to be the same, and if by accident of birth you had been English, I wonder where you would have stood given your vitriol. My boy is two years old, loves football and his England shirt, he is a total innocent in all this, the politics and the sport. Do not dare to troll when it comes to our kids. Or are you that shameful?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

My boy is two years old, loves football and his England shirt, he is a total innocent in all this, the politics and the sport. Do not dare to troll when it comes to our kids.

Calm down, man. If your boy is two years old, he knows as little about football as the entire Scotland team. What are you going to do when he's seven and cheers when his rival team takes a beating - reprimand him or laugh with him? When your team loses, it helps to have a mate. Until he's older, you're his mate. And start preparing him for the world cup - I hear they need a manager.

btw, what's a bogota?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"England aren't terrible if you look at world rankings. It's just that other sides are better.

You could call it being a victim of your own success. We invented the greatest sport in the world ;).

We do owe an apology for cricket, though."

England couldn't beat a nation with a population of 300,000 people. They should just retire from international football. Wales and Ireland showed much more passion.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

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