SAINT-DENIS, France — Elves or Icelandic Football?
Most Icelanders held a significantly stronger belief in the former until two years ago.
They actually honk their horns while driving above overpasses. They hope to alert invisible gnomes lurking below. I’ve experienced it.
Somewhere between the existence of elves and zero: Those were Iceland’s chances of making a European Championship 10 years ago, when it finished a point ahead of Malta in World Cup qualifying. Back then, only a few thousand showed up to their fixtures in Reykjavik.
But following significant investment in development a decade ago, Iceland’s national team shocked everyone by making this Euro.
Now they’ve done something even the most mystical among them didn’t think possible: Iceland progressed from Group F with a 2-1 win over Austria Wednesday night.
Around 5% of the Nordic nation’s population was inside Stade de France, watching as the smallest country in this tournament, one Cristiano Ronaldo promised would “do nothing,” defended for their lives with an eye on what was happening Lyon.
That Portugal and Hungary, which topped the group, simultaneously traded six goals in a 3-3 thriller created absolute madness for those watching this competition.
Most amusingly, both results did one thing: proved Ronaldo wrong on a night when he showed why he’s king.
It will go down as one of the great nights in Ronaldo’s fairly ordinary international career — especially given the abuse he took after belittling Iceland and missing a penalty that put Portugal on the brink of elimination ahead of Group F’s final fixtures.
Once again, though, Ronaldo has completely flipped the script. From post-match comments to missed penalties to throwing a reporter’s microphone Wednesday morning, we’re left talking about something else heading into the Round of 16: Ronaldo’s greatness.
There were moments when the Portuguese looked certain to be leaving this competition in embarrassment. Both Austria and Iceland fans inside the Stade de France roared each time Hungary gained a lead. It flashed across the scoreboard in Saint-Denis.
Then they groaned in unison as they checked their phones for more regular updates, only to see Ronaldo had managed to conjure up a pair of second-half equalizers — the first of which was beyond the quality anyone else at this tournament is capable of producing.
In a career full of highlight-reel moments, Ronaldo’s back-heeled equalizer will be among the top at this tournament. His header moments later will be remembered as the goal that saved his nation — not to mention himself — from embarrassment.
When it comes down to it, Group F was, in many respects, decided by a pair of squandered penalties — both of which dinged off the left posts at venues that are mere miles apart in Paris.
Had Ronaldo converted his four nights earlier, Portugal likely would have topped this group. Had Aleksandar Dragovic scored his Wednesday night, Austria might have progressed ahead of Iceland, which changed the complexion of the group in second-half stoppage-time.
In a way, England might have benefited most from Group F’s night of mayhem. When Iceland’s Teddy Bjarnason broke forward seconds from the end, the sound coming from 5% of a nation was electrifying. Bjarnason squared to Arnor Traustason, who slammed home the winner.
It was a goal that dropped Portugal to third, saving England from facing a heavy hitter to begin the second round next week. Instead, England gets Iceland on June 27 in Nice — a match it will surely be favoured to win.
But as we’ve seen at this competition — more specifically, in Group F — this is a game that often defies logic. That a country of around just 330,000 has progressed at a European Championship is nothing short of miraculous.
Of course, it won’t come as too much of a surprise to those living near the Arctic Circle. Much of Iceland’s elf-accepting population is familiar with the mythical. It’s ingrained in them from birth.
However, even they couldn’t have expected this. Iceland actually has managed to take attention away from the greatest footballer of a generation.
And they did it during the most breathtaking night at these Euros.