The Rise of Football Collectivism

Together Stronger. That was the official hashtag and slogan of the Wales squad during the European Championship. Usually anything ‘official’ when it comes to the marketing side of football is to be ignored or avoided as the embarrassment it is, but this one hit the mark.

The achievements of the Welsh team have been well documented over the last few weeks but this feeling of togetherness, of unity, was something that was very noticeable among all of the successful sides in France.

Although Portugal had probably the biggest individual football superstar, it was the rest of the squad that came together as a team to take on their French opponents – and a partisan home crowd – after Ronaldo left the pitch on a stretcher after 25 minutes of Sunday’s final.

The Portugal team were actually unfairly deemed to be bit part players to Ronaldo’s headline act but they showed the unity and teamwork that was needed to win their nation’s first ever major trophy. By disregarding players such as Nani, Sanches and Pepe, pundits and fans alike helped foster the togetherness that brought them their famous victory.

But if you look at the tournament as a whole it is easy to see that those squads that worked as one were the more successful compared to other nations with perhaps a higher number of top quality players. England and Belgium are just two examples of squads brimming with some of the best players in Europe. But when they found themselves up against players playing for each other, for their coaches, and for their countries, it was the superstar sides that came up short.

Although Wales reached the semi-final in their first major tournament in 58 years it is probably Iceland that epitomise this feeling of football collectivism. In their first ever finals they compounded all expectations to, first of all, get out of a group above the eventual winners and then to go on to beat the inventors of the game themselves. England, on paper, were far too powerful for their tiny North Atlantic opponents, but as a team Iceland fought together and played to their strengths, dispatching England’s supposed superiority.

Iceland found the French side in imposing form in the quarter final and were soundly beaten. But even in that match the underdogs never gave up, kept on pushing forward when they could and won the second half of the match (unfortunately they had already conceded four in the first half).

There are a number of other examples of this togetherness from the tournament – Hungary winning their group, Albania scoring their first ever goal to win their first ever match at a finals, Northern Ireland and Slovakia qualifying for the knock out stages. All these instances give credence to the belief that teamwork can overcome individual talent.

The bloated format of the competition has been derided by many and maybe that gave some of these ‘smaller’ nations a bigger chance to work together to progress further than they would have done if only the ‘elite’ were allowed to qualify. But they still had to bring themselves together to produce these performances and results – even if some of the more storied nations were not always up to par.

In the end Ronaldo – one of the biggest superstars the sport has ever known – has won the European Championship but it was his team that won it for him. And as another tournament enters the history books the fans will remember most the exploits of Wales and Iceland as they were the teams who showed that you don’t always need the most money, or a plethora of galácticos to be successful. Sometimes you just need to play together as a team.GALGGGGjhbgjhjhjhjhjnjhn 

No Shame

So it was not to be. Wales failed to score for the first time in this tournament and were beaten by two goals in three minutes that take Portugal through to the final.

It was billed as the battle between Ronaldo and Bale but anyone who has watched both these sides would know that they are both much more than sidekicks to their respective superheroes. And with Wales and Portugal both missing key players it was always going to be a case of whose absence was felt the greatest.

Although Bale is undoubtedly the star of the Welsh side it is Aaron Ramsey that has ran the show, being able to defend and attack in equal measure and push the entire team forward. And how he was missed last night. Wales never looked as inventive or creative as they had done against Russia and Belgium, although Portugal were not offering much in return.

The first half was a fairly stale affair with an early showing of Ronaldo's frustration one of few highlights. Joe Allen was unable to make the incisive runs he showed in previous matches and although the Wales defence was tight, Portugal were having few problems containing Robson-Kanu or any other Welsh threat.

It was still goalless at the break but within a few minutes of the restart Portugal had taken the lead. They had come out much stronger and seemingly with real intent and it showed in the 50th minute when Ronaldo leapt highest - and longest - to fire a trademark header past Hennessey in the Welsh goal.

Wales had not really looked like scoring up until this point and Portugal put the game beyond any real doubt just three minutes later when Nani stretched out his leg to deflect a Ronaldo shot into the net to make it 2-0.

Chris Coleman did his best to refresh the side, throwing on Jonny Williams, Simon Church and Sam Vokes in a bid to get back into the game but even though there was more attacking strength there was still little to show for it. Gareth Bale attempted to take matters into his own hands with some powerful runs but his shots were easily fielded by Rui Patricio and Wales could not get the goal that would have given them the belief that they could go on and get another.

Portugal took off Sanches with a quarter of an hour still to go, possibly to give him some extra rest before the final. They will be hoping that he can provide Ronaldo with opportunities to score against either France or Germany as he is the biggest threat in the rest of the team - even at his young age.

As for Wales, reaching the semi final stage in their first major tournament for nearly 60 years seems like a poor consolation this morning but the entire squad can take great heart and pride in their performances in France and now look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers that begin in September.

Wales desperately missed Aaron Ramsey and just didn't have enough to break down a Portugal side who hadn't lost a single match in the tournament. They will now go home with their heads held high while Ronaldo will have to figure out how to lead his side to the victory he yearns for against either France or Germany on Sunday.

The second semi final brings together two of the favourites in what should be a really enthralling game. Neither side has looked overly dominant up to now but the performance from France against Iceland - along with home support - could give them the confidence that they need to beat Germany.

Mario Gomez is injured so won't be playing tonight and it could be the lack of a proper striker that is Germany's downfall. Goetze looked woefully out of form - and position - in the first two group games and Joachim Low's men will have to rely on the attacking prowess of the midfield if they are to progress. Or maybe Thomas Mueller will finally click into gear and score some goals?

Didier Deschamps has no such selection worries with his entire squad fit and now suspension free. If this match was taking place anywhere apart from in France I would be going for a German win but I think the home side will use their advantages well tonight and make it to the final - without the need for extra time and penalties.

Dreamland

Incredible. Amazing. Outstanding. All of this and so much more. Wales defeat Belgium's golden generation to seal a semi final against Portugal.

It is still sinking in. Wales have made it to the last four of a major international tournament for the first time ever. The squad's togetherness and teamwork has definitely got them where they are now but they have also shown great skill along the way.

From the start of the match Wales confounded expectations and refused to just let Belgium attack and seemed to surprise their opponents as much as everyone else with their inventive, creative play. But Eden Hazard had seemed to come good just at the right time for the Red Devils and his side were looking the more dangerous when Nainggolan struck an absolute screamer to put Belgium in the lead in the 13th minute.

At first it looked like Wayne Hennessey should have done better with the 25 yard shot but the pace that the Belgian midfielder thundered into his strike was just too much. Wales were not deterred though and simply composed themselves and came back into the match again.

Their efforts were rewarded on the half hour mark when a well worked corner routine was finished off by captain Ashley Williams directing his free header into the corner of the net. Once again we saw the togetherness of the entire squad as Williams ran to the bench to celebrate the goal.

This was turning into the match of the tournament with both sides playing some really attractive football, completely believing that they had the skill to get through the opposing defence. Incredibly it was Wales who succeeded.

Ten minutes into the second half Gareth Bale played a perfect pass to the feet of the irrepressible Ramsey who controlled the ball before crossing in towards Robson-Kanu. The Welsh striker's exquisitely elegant turn took out the entire Belgian defence and gave him the space to put his shot past Courtois to make to 2-1 to Wales.

The Welsh fans were delirious. Not only had their side gone into the lead in the quarter final of the European Championship against one of the favourites to win the trophy, they had just witnessed one of the best goals ever in a major tournament.

Belgium looked stunned but pushed forward again in an attempt to force an equaliser. Fellaini had come on at half time to add some muscle in the middle of the pitch and surprisingly took a whole 14 minutes to pick up a yellow card. Although Belgium were now enjoying more of the ball, Wales didn't just sit back and Bale, Allen and Ramsey tried everything they could to add to the goal tally.

Belgium were creating chances but Fellaini missed with a close range header before Nainggolan had a penalty appeal turned down as the minutes ticked away. With Belgium pushing forward that left even more space for the Welsh wing backs to attack. And it was from Chris Gunter's cross from the right that Sam Vokes perfectly glanced header floated into the net with five minutes to go and seal the victory.

Belgium could point to their reshuffled defence as a factor in their defeat but they know that they were beaten by the better side on the day. The team work and talent at Wales' disposal - added to passion for the shirt - propelled them into the semi final. A major blow for Wales is the suspension of Ramsey and Davies for the semi as they both picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament. But even taking that into consideration, Ronaldo and co will not be too confident of a victory.

A real mouth-watering fixture later as Germany take on Italy. The Italians have confounded expectations from the start of their campaign when they beat Belgium and will take comfort in the remarkable fact that they have never lost to Germany in a tournament match.

Joachim Low seems to have found his favoured starting eleven now (in between smelling various parts of his body on live television) and Gomez will be hoping he can add to his goal tally against Italy.

The Azzurri had been called the worst Italian squad ever before the tournament but now they will be full of confidence and believing that they are on the same trajectory as their 2006 World Cup winning counterparts.

Germany, without looking all-conquering, have done the job so far and I feel that this is where the Italian dream ends. I'm going for a tight German victory - possibly on penalties.

Together Stronger

No Ronaldo tears yet. Shocked into the game by an early Polish goal, Portugal eventually go through to the semi finals on penalties.

Ronaldo is still misfiring, slapping his thighs and shouting to the heavens but his side are through to their fourth semi final in five European Championships and will now think that they can go all the way.

Poland had the best possible start with Robert Lewandowski finally scoring within two minutes of the kick off. A long ball was hopelessly misjudged by Cedric Soares, allowing the very impressive Grosicki to put a low cross into the six yard box where the Bayern man was able to direct it past Rui Patricio and into the net.

Portugal looked stunned and for the next ten minutes or so Poland piled on the pressure having a few more good chances without adding to the score. Then it all calmed down a little bit and Portugal took control. Renato Sanches in particular orchestrated the play from the middle of the pitch and looked like he was worth every penny that Bayern Munich paid Benfica for him.

And it was no surprise that it was Sanches that drew Portugal level just after the half hour mark. Cutting in from the right, Sanches played a neat one two with Nani and curled a shot from the edge of the box - via a slight deflection - into the net. It was nothing more than Portugal deserved but both sides had looked good and pleasantly surprised most viewers expecting a dull game.

Those expectations, unfortunately, were to be met - and then exceeded - as the game went on. The second half was most notable for Ronaldo reverting to the way he performed in the first two games of the group stage - and another pitch invader.

Ronaldo made a mess of one through ball in particular when he missed the ball completely attempting to shoot - an action that perfectly summed up the second half of the match. Poland looked more confident of the tie going to penalties while everyone else sat through a turgid extra time period.

After three penalties each both sides hadn't missed but then Blaszczykowski - the hero in the match against Switzerland - had his effort saved at full stretch by Rui Patricio. Next up was Quaresma, who had come on for the woeful Joao Mario, and the rejuvenated forward swept the ball into the roof of the net to put Portugal through to the semis.

Poland didn't really look like winning the match even after their early goal and the incisive play from Sanches gave Portugal a distinct advantage. Ronaldo still isn't hitting top form though and he will need to do so if they are ultimately going to be victorious.

Tonight's match sees Wales face Belgium for what seems like about the hundredth time in the past few seasons. These sides faced each other in qualifying for this tournament where Wales took four points off the Belgian 'golden generation'. But not too much should be read into that. Belgium can be very arrogant in their play and not perform as well as they might if they believe that they have a right to beat a supposed smaller nation. I can't see them playing that way today.

From losing in their first group match, Belgium have clicked into gear and, led by an Eden Hazard showing the form of previous seasons, will be very confident of meeting Portugal in the semi final. But if this tournament has been encapsulated by one theme it has been teamwork and the 'Together Stronger' slogan of Wales is much more than a marketing gimmick.

Although they lost to England, Wales deservedly topped the group by playing to their strengths, teamwork and passion, backed up by some exemplary individual displays. Ramsey and Allen in particular have been outstanding, giving Bale the room to add his little bit of magic. The fact that Bale has not looked at his very best yet shows how well Wales as a whole have played - and how much Belgium should worry that he hits his stride tonight,

Although I obviously would love for Wales to reach the semi finals (even just typing that is incredible) Belgium seem to be back at their best and it will be very tough for Chris Coleman's men. Belgium are missing some vital players in defence so that could be where Wales might win this game. As much as it pains me to say it, I think Belgium will probably nick it but I'm hoping that my standard of predicting matches continues in its usual way tonight!

Day 16 in France

Back to business with three second round matches consisting of, well, not that much really.

Poland beat Switzerland on penalties in the first match with a tempo of play that dictated how the rest of the day went. The Poles started much brighter but both sides looked over cautious with some terrible finishing on show.

Poland took the lead just before half time through Blaszczykowski who finished off a swift counter attack. The midfielder had scored against Ukraine in their final group match and gave his side a deserved lead.

The two Polish forwards - Lewandowski and Milik - looked very poor once again and it was Switzerland who finally perked up in the second half and looked the more likely to score. And their equaliser was a thing of pure beauty.

A speculative cross from Lichsteiner was only half cleared by the Polish defence and, as the ball bobbled up, Xherdan Shaqiri executed a sublime scissor kick volley from the edge of the area that dropped perfectly into the Polish net.

It was a goal that deserved to send Switzerland through but with no more goals added in the ten minutes remaining - or the extra time period - it was penalties in the first knock out match of Euro 2016.

Both sides scored their first attempts before new Arsenal man Granit Xhaka hit his effort wide of the post. The rest of the spot kicks were all successful giving Grzegorz Krychowiak the honour of sending his side through to the quarter finals.

The second match of the day was another tense affair with both Wales and Northern Ireland looking nervous in what was a largely uneventful match. Northern Ireland got control of the game in the first half, nullifying Gareth Bale and looking the better side without really looking like they might score.

Aaron Ramsey was nowhere near as effective as he had been against Russia and Joe Allen looked frustrated at his limited chances to get things going in the middle of the pitch.

Northern Ireland's tactics stopped Gunter and Taylor being able to push forward for the Welsh so their was no chance to pull out the defence splitting diagonal balls that worked so well for them in their final group game.

The game finally opened up a little as time went on and Bale was able to get a few runs going but with little effect until the 75th minute. After beating his man, Bale whipped in a low cross into the six yard box and Gareth McAuley, a hero for Northern Ireland against Ukraine, could only poke it in to his own net in an attempt to stop Hal Robson-Kanu connecting.

Wales are now through to the quarter finals where they will play either Hungary or Belgium on Friday night.

The final match of the day pitted the skillful Croatian side against Ronaldo's Portugal. If we thought that the two previous games had lacked excitement we hadn't seen anything yet. For a match with Modric, Rakitic, Ronaldo and Sanches - plus all the other highly talented players on show - we were presented a turgid match with absolutely no spark or innovation.

Both sides were so desperate not to lose that they simply forgot about trying to win. As the match crept towards the end of extra time, with penalties seemingly on the cards, Croatia finally pushed forward. Unfortunately for them it was their undoing. Perisic hit the base of the post with a header and with the ensuing counter attack Portugal scored.

Nani ultimately crossed from the edge of the area to Ronaldo whose shot was only parried onto the head of the incoming Quaresma. The Croatian players were distraught as the final whistle blew just minutes later and it is a shame that a side that looked so good in their group matches (apart from the capitulation to the Czech Republic) are now on their way home.

Other things I noticed...

• Wolfsburg's Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez has been hyped up throughout the tournament but didn't impress in any of the games I saw. Does he play in a different role for his club?
• As much as I admire the unique kit of Croatia, chequered socks are a step too far
• Speaking of kits, the Portugal second strip is an insult to the eyes
• Perisic's hair. We will say no more

Sunday sees three more matches to enjoy/endure with France taking on Ireland in the early game. Although it would be nice to think that the football gods will wreak revenge for Thierry Henry's cheating hand, the hosts will be far too strong and I can see them getting a few goals against a creaky Irish defence. I'm going for 3-0.

Hopefully these games will have a little bit more excitement than Saturday's but Slovakia will be looking to stop Germany play and nick a win so it will be up to the World champions to break their opponents down. I think they eventually will but don't expect a classic. Germany to win 1-0.

Hungary v Belgium in the final game of the day. I fear this will be the last outing for Gabor Kiraly's tracksuit bottoms, as although Belgium have looked far from being the 'golden generation' they should win here. Hungary have showed that they are no pushovers though and kept on coming back against Portugal in the final group game. I think Belgium will win in extra time - 1-0.

Two Days Off in France

Another day off today before we get down to the important business of knock out international football tomorrow. Saturday sees Switzerland v Poland, Wales v Northern Ireland and Croatia v Portugal. The middle game of the three has obviously attracted most of the attention but each match up is intriguing and we could be in for a treat.

There is the prospect of defensive football taking over as sides try everything they can not to lose rather than win games but hopefully some of the real superstars in these teams will choose tomorrow to put on a show.

Switzerland looked out of sorts against Albania in their first match but still managed to get the crucial win before drawing against both Romania and France. Their star players are yet to perform and they may feel that attrition is the way to go against Poland.

The Poles are in a similar position having not played that well yet still going into the second round unbeaten. Robert Lewandowski has looked particularly out of sorts with Milik picking up the slack. The Ajax striker has found good positions in all three matches without actually finding his finishing form.

These two sides are pretty evenly matched but I fancy Switzerland to go through if their players can rise to the occasion. It might go to penalties though!

Wales and Northern Ireland both qualified much to the surprise to most neutrals. Northern Ireland have looked a very cohesive unit and it will be this team strength that they will be hoping will be too much for the Welsh. Unfortunately for them Wales have just about trademarked 'teamwork' - even their slogan is 'Together Stronger'.

Gareth Bale finally clicked into gear against a very poor Russian side but his presence alone puts fear into opponents. Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey have been superb, running the show in the middle with the rest of the side playing as a team to see them qualify top of their group.

Wales should be too strong for Northern Ireland tomorrow and their superior class will show. Northern Ireland's fans will no doubt make it a great occasion but I see them going home after this one - 2-0 to Wales.

The final match of the day could be a real cracker. Croatia have come past the incidents of their second match with the Czech Republic to look like real contenders for the title. The speed and skill on show has been a delight to watch, even with Modric injured for the last game.

Portugal just about limped through to the second round thanks to Ronaldo finally scoring some goals. I've said before that they are more than a one man team but they really need the Real Madrid ace to perform if they are to beat Croatia tomorrow. I think they will play better than they have in the group stage - they couldn't get much worse - but to lose out to the better team in the end. Croatia to win 2-1.

Day Eleven in France

Oh, to be in Toulouse last night! Wales crushed Russia with a performance that must rank with the very best this tournament has seen so far. The victory meant Wales topped the group as England could not break down a Slovakian defence intent on getting a point that should take them through as well.

Everything went right for Wales against Russia. Gareth Bale had easily his best game so far thanks to a Russian team who offered little and didn't seem to be able to cope with him running at them. Alongside Bale, Aaron Ramsey - arguably Wales' best player so far - ran the show alongside Joe Allen and it was those two who linked up for the first goal after only ten minutes.

Allen spotted the early run by Ramsey and split the accommodating Russian defence with an inch perfect pass. Ramsey coolly lifted it over the advancing keeper and Welsh nerves began to abate.

Ten minutes later a powerful run from Bale was only stopped by a Russian boot inadvertently playing Neil Taylor through on the left hand side. The Swansea defender took two attempts to score his first ever goal for Wales and Russia looked dead on their feet.

As well as Wales played, Russia were awful. Their centre back pairing had a combined age of 70 but the way they played you wouldn't have been surprised if you were told that was their individual age. Wales could have been four or five up by half time and were playing some lovely football cheered on by a noisy and exuberant crowd.

Bale finally got the goal he deserved with just over 20 minutes to go when Ramsey once again split the Russian defence before the Real Madrid man stuck it past Akinfeev with the outside of his left boot.

Wales will now play one of the best third place sides and will be hoping that the tournament's top goal scorer - Gareth Bale - will continue his goal a game form to take them even further in the competition.

Roy Hodgson made a whole host of changes for the match against Slovakia and although some of them had been called for - Vardy and Sturridge playing from the start - it was a strange decision to upset the cohesion in the team however admirable the belief in his squad was.

Both full backs were replaced with Clyne and Bertrand starting. Clyne looked very good and he is only unlucky that Kyle Walker has had such as good tournament so far or he could well be expecting to play in the next game.

Obviously I can only judge the England performance from the highlights but their finishing really let them down - especially from Vardy and Sturridge. With Slovakia content to defend for the first half, England found it hard to get clear shots on goal but the chances that did come their way were wasted.

The second half saw Slovakia come out a little bit more but it was still largely one way traffic. Vardy seemed to disappear as the game went on and Slovakia could have picked up a very unlikely victory had Hamsik made more of Smalling's error when heading it back to his keeper.

A 0-0 draw was met with a few boos at the end of the match but England still go through to the next round unbeaten. This is a better squad than they have had in a while but Hodgson seems unsure who to play and where to play them. They now have a week's rest before their second round match so maybe he can work it out on the training ground between now and then.

Other things I noticed yesterday...

• Sam Vokes played really well, occupying the Russian defenders to give Bale space to run with the ball. He should probably start in front of Robson-Kanu or Johnny Williams in the next game
• Igor Akinfeev seemed to be the only one to go over to the Russian fans at the end of the game. By the look of it they were telling him exactly what they thought of the side's abject performance
• England have the expanded tournament format to thank for their next fixture. Although by finishing second they would have qualified even if there was only 16 teams, they would have previously faced a group winner. Now they get a fellow runner up (although it could well be Portugal)
• A plea to all English TV reporters: Please, please, please stop interviewing Eric Dier. He may well be having a pretty good tournament but he rivals Michael Owen for the mantle of most boring man ever

A plethora of matches today as both Group C and D come to a close. Poland have been disappointing so far but if Milik continues to get in the right positions he must find his shooting boots soon. It could be today and I'll go for 2-0 against Ukraine.

Northern Ireland could go through even if they lose today, which is good as they are playing Germany. The Germans failed to kick on from their opening match win but should be too good today - I'm going for 3-1.

Croatia will be thinking that they will need something from their game against Spain to make sure of at least second place in the group. They are both already through but it will be interesting to see how Croatia react to the crowd-related incidents of their last match. Spain, without being back to their world beating best have looked comfortable so far but I think it will finish 0-0.

Turkey have looked woeful in both matches with a real lack of invention or innovation. The Czech Republic will be buoyed by their comeback against Croatia and I can see them winning easily today - 2-0.

Day Ten in France

The final round of matches in the group stage have begun. France and Switzerland shared the points to safely put them both through while Albania beat Romania to give themselves a slim chance of progressing.

Unlike Lineker, Shearer and Henry I thought the France v Switzerland match was pretty good. Maybe they were disappointed with the lack of French flare on display but that was mainly down to the Swiss performance (their best so far) as well as Deschamps resting some key players, notably Dimitri Payet.

Switzerland also made a few changes and although there was a worry that both sides would grind out the draw that would take them both through this wasn't your typical no score bore draw. Xherdan Shaqiri was more involved than he had been in the previous two matches and the Swiss team as a whole looked much more up for it than they had against either Albania or Romania.

Payet did come on in the second half and almost scored what would have been the goal of the tournament. Moussa Sissoko took off deep in his own half and left the Swiss defence in his wake as he sprinted off down the right before floating in an inch perfect cross for Payet. The darling of the French fans met the ball on the volley but the crossbar denied him the perfect finish to the move.

The other game in the group saw Albania not only score their first ever goal at a major international tournament, but pick up their first points and win as well as they beat Romania 1-0. To the delight of their fans Armando Sadiku expertly headed past the Romanian keeper to make history just before half time.

Although Romania started quite positively and had a few chances, including one that cannoned off the crossbar, they could not make their possession tell and Albania deservedly took the three points.

The goal was met with jubilant scenes in the stadium, none more so than by the Albania team and officials themselves. The outpouring of emotion was a joy to see and showed exactly what it meant to everyone involved.

Albania will now have to wait to see how the other groups finish before they find out if their victory is enough to squeeze them into the second round as one of the best third place sides. Maybe my pre-tournament prediction of Albania qualifying will come true after all!

Other things I noticed yesterday...

• As poor as the pitch in Lille was for France and Switzerland, it is hard to be too sympathetic about the players not being able to perform on anything less than a carpet. Maybe they should look into wearing the right kind of boots?
• Switzerland need to have a word with Puma about their kit. If their shirts can't take a little bit of holding then they are not fit for purpose in today's football world
• I'm still not a fan of 24 teams but it does mean that we don't have many meaningless matches at the end of the group stage

And so to today's games. Wales take on Russia knowing that a point should be enough to put them through to the next round. The Russians have been their usual enigmatic selves, popping up to score right at the death against England while looking completely outclassed by Slovakia days later. I can see Russia frustrating Wales tonight but Bale only needs a free kick relatively near the box to carry on his run of goals - I'm going for a 1-1 draw.

After the 'crisis' of drawing against Russia in their first game England looked fairly comfortable against Wales - especially when they brought on Vardy, Sturridge and Rashford. It will be interesting to see which of those start against Slovakia tonight but whatever team Hodgson puts out should have too much for their opponents. England to win 2-0.

Day Seven in France

It was so close for Wales. They almost got the point that would have guaranteed qualification for the next round. But an injury time winner from Sturridge gave England the win they deserved.

Choosing to start with the same eleven, Roy Hodgson was made to pay for his conservatism with Harry Kane - and Raheem Sterling in particular - not performing and then Gareth Bale firing in a free kick from 36 yards to put Wales one up just before half time.

Wales had started nervously but had settled in to their game of stifling the English attack without showing too much of their own. Aaron Ramsey really shone in a side that looked like they were a little bit overawed by the occasion early on.

Joe Hart should have kept out Bale's free kick as he got across to the ball in time but only parried it into the inside of the net. Against the run of play maybe, but England had not really looked like capitalising on their dominance and that was mainly due to an insipid front line.

Vardy and Sturridge came on for the second half and instantly changed the look of the game. Wales were looking worried again and as the half went on offered less and less in the way of attack. Speaking as a Wales fan, the sight of Vardy and Sturridge - along with the later introduction of Rashford - was a far more worrying site than the eleven that started the game.

If any team was going to grab a winner it was going to be England and Sturridge broke Welsh hearts right at the death after waiting perfectly for the possibility of a one two on the edge of the box and then poking it past the prone Gunter and Hennessey.

A real kick in the teeth for Wales then, but they know that a result against Russia on Monday will put them through to the knockout stage and that is definitely possible given their displays so far. England looked much better with Roy's second choice strikers so it will be interesting to see what he does from now on. I think Vardy is still better used as an impact sub but Sturridge should start instead of the woeful Sterling.

After all that excitement Northern Ireland needed to change a lot of things from their first match if they wanted to get anything out of their game with Ukraine. I thought Ukraine got their tactics just right against Germany but were still not strong enough so I expected them to be able to power past Northern Ireland.

Michael O'Neill made five changes to the starting line up though and his spirit of adventure certainly paid off. In sometimes torrential rain Northern Ireland looked a million miles better than they had against Poland and deservedly took the lead just after half time. A beautifully weighted free kick from the left was met by West Brom's Gareth McAuley who steered his header past the Ukraine keeper.

Although Ukraine started to attack after going one down they showed that they didn't have much about them except the defensive tactics that almost worked against Germany. Northern Ireland looked very good on the attack and Jamie Ward in particular was really worrying the Ukraine defence down the right hand side.

But it was Ward's replacement, Niall McGinn who put the game beyond doubt in injury time, tapping it in after some good work down the right wing and a shot from captain Steven Davis was saved. Northern Ireland completely deserved the win and Ukraine find themselves with no chance of getting through to the next stage.

Germany v Poland was expected to be a really fiery encounter but both sides offered little and eventually played out a largely boring 0-0 draw. Poland will be the happiest with the result and it seemed like that they went out with the sole intention of grabbing a point.

I expected Germany to push on from their late victory against Ukraine and look to show their championship winning credentials, but they created little insight and Mario Gotze up front again failed to perform. Gomez was given his chance later on but never really looked like troubling the Polish defence.

Poland's Arkadiusz Milik missed the best opportunity of the night by electing to head from two yards out - and sending it past the post - when he could have simply tapped it in. But even with Toni Kroos bossing the midfield, Germany lacked a final ball that could open up the game.

Other things I noticed...

• Ukraine's lanky striker Yevhen Seleznyov looks like he has stepped right off the Amish settlement to play for his team (see below)
• The BBC provided us with Robbie Savage and Martin Keown as co-commentators for the England v Wales game. Thanks BBC, but you really shouldn't have
• Although it would have been unlucky for England, I thought for a second that Gareth Bale had met his last gasp header perfectly. Worrying for England that they gave him a free header much like the one that led to the Russian goal though
• Although he again got into a lot of good positions, Poland's Milik did make you wonder how good strikers in the Dutch Eredivisie really are
• Dan Walker's presentation skills consist of at least 87% statistics

Three good looking games today. Italy can show that they are a possible eventual winner when they take on Zlatan's Sweden in the early game. I don't expect Italy to be quite as dominant as they were against Belgium but still should come away with the victory. I reckon 2-1 (with Zlatan popping up for the Swedes).

Another one of the more impressive sides from the first round of matches, Croatia take on the Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne and should be too strong for them. This group is going more to the script than some of the others and although initially I thought that the Czechs might be able to do something at this tournament I'm not sure now that's the case. I'm going for Croatia 1 Czech Republic 0.

Spain take on Turkey in the evening match and even without looking like world beaters in their first match they should be too strong for a spirited but ultimately limited Turkey side. It will be interesting to see if Morata has a good game and lives up to his transfer rumour talk but overall Spain should come away winners 1-0.

Day Six in France

With only eight nations leaving after the group stage there is a good chance that a side could lose its first two matches and still go on to qualify. So the desperation wasn't quite kicking in yet for teams like Slovakia but they knew that a win for them against Russia would really open up the group. And win they did.

Russia looked completely uninterested until the last 15 minutes and thoroughly deserved to lose against a Slovakian side led by their Napoli superstar Marek Hamsik. He made the most of some really lazy defending to score Slovakia's second with a beautiful shot that went in off the post (goals always look better if they go in off the woodwork). Earlier former Manchester City neck tattoo fan Vladimir Weiss had used the Russian defenders ability to turn as quick as an oil tanker to put Slovakia one up.

Russia came back into the match towards the end but it was far too late to get anything from this match. But even with just one point from two games, they still have a chance of qualifying for the knock out rounds so their match against Wales in Toulouse on Monday will be vital for them.

Romania, the only team to get a penalty in the first round of matches, got another one against Switzerland which Stancu put away to give them the lead. But this match was all about Switzerland. I didn't see all of the game but they certainly seemed to be on top for most of the match and were probably unlucky to only come away with a draw after Mehmedi scored just before he was about to be substituted. 

A win would have put the Swiss through to the last 16 but they will now play France at the weekend knowing that a draw will do the job. Even a defeat to the host nation may not mean an early departure depending on other results.

France left it very late once again to get their second win of the tournament and qualify for the next round. Griezmann and Pogba were both left on the bench by Deschamps as he tried Martial and Coman up front in the first half. To give the French boss some credit he soon realised that plan A wasn't working. Pogba replaced Martial at half tie and Griezmann came on for Coman with around 20 minutes to go.

And it was Griezmann who headed home in the final minute to deflate an Albanian side who, although looking very limited, did give it a go - especially in the second half. Dimitri Payet added a second in injury time and French nerves were eased. Payet is looking like the player of the tournament so far and although Kingsley Coman's skill was a treat to watch, there was a real buzz of excitement every time Payet got the ball. I really don't see him at West Ham next season.

Other things I noticed yesterday...

• I was able to watch the Russia v Slovakia match at the place I was working yesterday but when I heard that Mark Lawrenson was the co-commentator I decided not to use my headphones. Judging from comments from others I chose wisely
• By the look of the fans, body building is VERY popular in eastern Europe
• Russian coach Leonid Slutsky looked like he knew exactly what fate lies in store for him when he returns to Moscow. He doesn't look too happy (see below)
• The Velodrome ground in Marseille looks absolutely amazing
• Hoddle's expert knowledge really shone through once again. After the Albanians hit the post he offered "If it's inside the post, it's in". Thanks Glenn
• Although he was a late replacement, French central defender Adil Rami had another good game and was the one who put the cross in for the first goal last night
• I really don't know why Switzerland don't start with Breel Embolo. He looks really dangerous whenever he is given the chance

And so to today's matches. With the British media probably unhelpfully referring to the game as 'The Battle of Britain, Wales take on England knowing that a point will probably be enough to go through and that the pressure is really on Roy Hodgson's men. I'm torn to whether it will be a draw or a narrow English win. I'll go with head instead of heart and say 1-0 England (hoping that my predicting form continues and Wales actually win).

Ukraine v Northern Ireland is the early evening match and it is hard to see anything other than a Ukraine victory. I thought they got their tactics right against Germany and will be looking at this game as a must win. Northern Ireland need to change the way they play if they are to get anything from this and I think it might be just too much for them. I'm going for Ukraine 2 Northern Ireland 1.

Another local derby tonight with Germany taking on Poland. This could be a really good game with both sides knowing that a win will put them through. Lewandowski needs to be more involved in this match than he was against Northern Ireland if Poland are to win. Even though they didn't look flawless in the first match I was impressed by Germany's performance and a continuation of that form will be enough to get them the win - 2-0 again.

European Championship Day Two

Where to begin? After 58 years Wales finally played again in a major international tournament and everything went just perfectly - kind of.

The level of nervous excitement in our house was off the scale but after Ben Davies had made a wondrous clearance to deny Hamsik, Gareth Bale benefited from some questionable goalkeeping to put Wales ahead. Bale actually didn't have the greatest of games but Wales proved that they are not a one man team but a side with amazing team spirit with the bonus of a football superstar who causes fear in opposing sides.

England, on the other hand, played well (athough nowhere near as well as ITV and Clive Tyldesley was making out) and were unlucky not to come away with three points. Obviously events off the field have dominated the news reports but on a purely football note, England should still get out of this group. I don't think Russia will.

The early game saw one of my dark horses fail to look anywhere near as good as I had predicted. Albania looked devoid of ideas apart from lumping it forward and although Switzerland hardly impressed either their early goal was enough for the win.

Here's some other things I noticed yesterday...

• Switzerland's Johan Djourou has a permanently haunted face (possibly from spending so much time at Arsenal?)
• Skrtel's elbow in Williams' face was disgusting. Have any of those extra officials ever made a decision in any game?
• Is Peter Crouch now part of a Bee Gees tribute act? Those teeth!
• Although it got lost in the events surrounding the match, Clive Tyldesley's "Justice for the England eleven" comment after the goal was amazingly crass - even for him and ITV

As for today's matches, I've got a feeling that Turkey v Croatia will be an absolute cracker. I'm not entirely convinced by Croatia but I think they will have just too much for Turkey. I'm going for a 2-1 Croatia win.

Northern Ireland qualifying was incredible in itself but I think they will have a really tough game against Poland today. Robert Lewandowski will be expecting to get some goals - and I think he will. I'm going for Poland 3 Northern Ireland 0.

The final match of the day is our first chance to see if Germany are going to live up to the pre-tournament hype. I don't expect Ukraine to put up much of a fight though. Germany to win 2-0.

It must be said that I have not got one of my score predictions right so far. Maybe today?

And We're Off

Patrice Evra is 35. We know he is 35 because the commentator for the France v Romania match told us he was 35 repeatedly. This is important, as if you were to guess his age on last night's performance you would probably go for something a little nearer 135.

Evra was beaten time and time again by the right side of Romania's attack and looked a liability all night - including the moment when he forgot he wasn't playing for Juventus and gave away the penalty that Romania scored to draw level.

And it was the defence that looked the weak link last night for the ultimately victorious French. Pogba was doing his thing, splitting the Romanian side with his inch perfect passes, until he was taken off - and Payet showed once again why it would not be a surprise if he moved to a club playing in the Champions League next season.

Romania were unlucky to not come away with a point but Payet's moment of brilliance means that, with only eight nations not qualifying for the knockout phase, France are already as good as through.

A few other things to mention from last night's opening match:

• Slaven Bilic's hair kind of freaked me out but he was a great pundit - ITV need all the help they can get on that front
• The white strands in Emmanuel Petit's beard are the only signs that he has aged in the last 20 years
• I need to find out where you can buy a Romania tracksuit top

And now to today's matches...

Albania v Switzerland: Those of you who read my preview the other day will know that I think Albania could surprise a few people in this tournament. Switzerland are a good side but have been going through a bit of a bad patch so I'm going for a 1-1 draw

Wales v Slovakia: A moment I wasn't sure I would ever see - Wales playing in a major international tournament. Obviously Gareth Bale is the key here as the rest of the team always visibly raise their game when he is on form. As much as I would love a win for Wales I think this one may be a 1-1 draw as well.

England v Russia: England look worryingly good - although there is still plenty of time for them to implode spectacularly of course. The combination of Dele Alli and Harry Kane is a revelation for Roy Hodgson's side and if they play Vardy as an impact super sub, England should win this fairly comfortably. I'm going for 2-0.

So three games in a day - this is what international competitions are all about! Come back here tomorrow when I'll carry out the post-mortem on today's games.

Cheers Craig

Tonight marks the end of the international career of Craig Bellamy. He’ll collect his 78^th cap in Belgium and bid nos da to 15 years of representing Wales. A lot has been said about his temper, his ego and his goal celebrations but one thing that I think can’t be argued about has been his passion for playing for his country.

My favourite memory of Bellamy in Welsh red is jumping up and down at the back of the stand at the Millennium Stadium as he darted away from a shell-shocked Italian defence (to be honest, Manic Street Preachers playing as they trotted onto the pitch before the game had thrown them) to round Buffon and complete a, still hard to believe, 2-1 victory. 

There are, of course, countless stories of arrests, fights (with fellow players and civilians alike) and bust ups with managers that have, in my opinion, unfairly soured the general consensus about one of the best players in recent Welsh history. Although not in the same class as Ryan Giggs, it is unfortunate that a player like Bellamy has not played in a Euro or World finals – and the likes of Danny Mills have. As with all big names in Welsh football he has sometimes been accused of ‘missing’ games but Bellamy has had his injuries over the years and I don’t think you could accuse him of not caring. 

Bellamy has always believed he is the greatest player in the world and however misguided that is he has always given 100% and expected his teammates to do the same. Retiring from the international game should add a couple of years to his career and also means he doesn’t have to put up with any more qualification disappointments (as a player anyway). 

So farewell Craig, hopefully this new batch of young hopefuls will use your passion as an example, fulfilling all our dreams by qualifying for a tournament. And if nothing else convinces you of the greatness of the man, remember this - he also thought Alan Shearer was a soft twat.

Coleman in Correct Decision Shocker

Chris Coleman has been portrayed as stamping his own personality and authority on the Wales national team by stripping the captaincy (captaincies are always ‘stripped’) from Aaron Ramsey. At the same time he’s told Craig Bellamy to make up his mind about playing for his country again. Wales fans may shudder at the all too familiar prospect of the national coach risking the ire of the country’s best players by issuing ultimatums. With Chris Coleman still awaiting his first victory this could easily be seen as a bold move – if not foolhardy. But that doesn’t mean that, in this case, that his move is a bad one.

The Ramsey decision will probably be seen as a bigger deal of the two. But this is where I think Coleman has got it completely right. When Ramsey first burst onto the scene as a teenager at Cardiff he was seen as many to be THE future of Welsh football. A star in the making that, unlike Wales’ traditional superstars, could actually run a game from the middle of the pitch and not be let down by the less skillfull members of the side. The British (see English) media became aware of him on a larger scale when he ran England’s midfield ragged in the U21 European Championship play-off games in 2008 – capped by a great goal at Villa Park in the second leg. 

I would argue that his level of influence and skill are not at the same level now. The main reason for this, of course, is the terrible double fracture he endured playing for Arsenal against Stoke in 2010. But, as is the way with Wales, he is still looked at as a saviour - a player who can take the nation to the promised land. Brazil in 2014 to be precise. This is both incorrect and unfair to Ramsey. The pressure of captaining the side only made it worse. This is a view I’ve held for a while but was strengthened by watching him in two recent games. As part of the Great Britain Olympic side that went out of the competition at the hands of South Korea he constantly looked like he wanted much more time on the ball than he actually had and made a string of poorly conceived passes that gave away possession. The fact that he missed a penalty that would have taken Team GB undeservedly through to the semis just topped off his night.

Against Belgium in the recent World Cup qualifier in Cardiff he again took far too much time and repeatedly gave the ball away. Although Belgium were nowhere near as impressive as their team of superstars had promised, Ramsey failed to inspire a side (admittedly on the back foot after James Collins’ red card) that desperately needed their ‘star’ player to start the qualification group off on a positive note. The fact that Ramsey is unable to hide his frustration with himself when misplacing passes just goes to prove that he knows that he is not performing as well he used to.

Of course this being Wales there is no way that he should be dropped as he is still a Premiership star in a team of lesser players. But taking away the captaincy may take some pressure off of his very young shoulders and help him concentrate on his game - hopefully resulting in Ramsey rediscovering the form that made him one of the best young midfielders in Britain just four years ago.