France and Spain waterfalls survive as Euro 2020 comes to life

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It would be very certain to announce that Monday, June 28, 2021 was the greatest football tournament day in history. Over the past 90 years, after all, there have been days that have brought an even greater avalanche of incredible drama.

But none of them immediately jump to mind.

A year later, its reach waned and the atmosphere of the carnival faded, Euro 2020 was going very well until Monday.

Always a slow burn, the group stage was lit up by Italian adventurism and the brilliant bravery of Denmark, by Spanish neuroses and Dutch energy. There were plenty of goals – in such a clip that the tournament in its first two weeks had more than Euro 2016 achieved in the course of a month – and many great goals too: the vision of Patrick Schick, the invention of Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo unfazed. shine on.

On the first day of the knockout round – a day that sounds like a distant past but was actually a Saturday – Wales were swept away by Denmark, and Italy beat Austria. On the second day, the Czech Republic stunned the Netherlands in their first true Euro 2020 shock, and Belgium beat Portugal in their first post-championship meet between weights.

What followed, on the third day, can – at great length – be presented as a natural extension of all that, as if heroism were grounding for this, just as if Shakespeare’s works were a natural extension of heroism. Ur account books, or the way the miracle of human life is a natural extension of the anaerobic reproduction of single-celled organisms.

Perhaps the best wording is this: Twenty minutes into the first game of the day, Spain’s clash with Croatia, talented Spanish midfielder Pedri scored an own goal – through no fault of his own – from inside his own half. Eight hours later, this wasn’t even close to being the most amazing thing that had happened.

What followed – 14 goals, two extra games, one penalty shootout, one favourite (France) endangered, repelled and knocked out in the last kick of the day – at times challenged faith.

Spain recovered from their setback to lead 3-1, a few minutes before play. As time drew near, Mislav Orcic pared the goal, Luis Enrique’s team wobbled, and the smell of blood in Croatia. With the match going into injury time, Mario Pasalic tied it 3-3, a great boon to the world for an additional 30 minutes of the match.

Ultimately, Spain managed to win 5-3, thanks to a superb shot from Alvaro Morata, their striker who scored no goals.

At that point, it should have been glaringly obvious that strange things had happened.

Today’s second match, France vs Switzerland, was not likely to be a follow-up action. France, the world champion and the frontrunner to win this competition, played under them in the opening stage of the tournament. The assumption was that there would be plenty for a well-experienced, but limited – and uninspiring – Swiss team.

So it seems that Haris Seferovic giving Switzerland the lead was a rookie mistake: the last thing anyone wants is to anger France. Switzerland prepared for a surge of forces, but it never came. At the start of the second half, Ricardo Rodriguez may have doubled his country’s lead with a penalty, but he looked conservative and uncertain.

Hugo Lloris saved his attempt, and suddenly France sparked: within five minutes, Karim Benzema scored two goals, and the system returned.

Paul Pogba’s curling technical put the match without a doubt.

Or rather it did not. Seferovic scored again, and for the second time in the day, overtime made a difference: Mario Gavranovic equalized. Normal time might have brought another surprise – Frenchman Kingsley Coman hit the bar with the last kick – but instead, once again, extra time loomed.

This time there was no solution.

Punishments always bring drama. There is no such thing as boring shooting. But some are more memorable than others. Record the first nine players to hit the ball. Tenth was Kylian Mbappe, a burgeoning global soccer star, the jewel in France’s crown. He stopped. I have waited. He’s hot. He failed.

The world champion was knocked out of the round of 16 after being ousted by Switzerland.

There will be more engaging, compelling and breathtaking days in a previous major tournament, ones that brought more goals, more flips or more iconic moments. There were a lot of tournaments, after all.

But it’s entirely possible that none of them ever attended a day quite like this.

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