Three days or so into the international break, a few anomalies have already thrown themselves up within our far-flung travelling contingent and a couple of them you couldn’t make up if you tried.
Onel Hernandez was demonstrably desperate to make his debut for Cuba, which he eventually did under the very strangest of circumstances by defying a volcanic ash cloud and eventually being allowed to take off on his flight from Mexico City to Guatemala.
Marked on the original Cuban team sheet to start, poor old Onel got to the Guatemalan ground just before halftime and came out for the second half after what must have been the shortest warm-up in Cuban football history.
Soon afterwards, a colleague was sent off, Guatemala scored and Cuba lost 0-1. Simple as really. Maybe Onel can draw a breath before the second CONCACAF qualifier when Cuba take on Curacao on Sunday in Havana. After another flight of course.
“To do this trip in the worst pandemic in a century feels horrendous. I cannot understand how we allow this during these strange times”, said Daniel Farke.
Quite, Daniel, quite.
And then there was Tim Krul, a late replacement for Holland number one Jasper Cillessen. It looks like Krul will play against Latvia on Saturday as well. Tim must have been well chuffed until the Netherlands got stuffed 4-2 by Turkey. I’ve seen the highlights and you can’t really blame Tim for any of the Turkish goals, but even so……
Moving swiftly on, let’s cast a glance at the experience of Sebastian Soto, playing an Olympic qualifier for the USA against Mexico. Suffice to say that our Seb [who none of us have ever seen play] gave the ball away with a blind pass midway in his own half. The Mexican guy who intercepted it couldn’t believe his luck, took the ball on and finished with aplomb.
Soto was almost immediately hooked.
A semblance of normality appeared thanks to Teemu Pukki, who scored twice against Bosnia-Herzegovina with a classy left foot volley and later a fine solo run and finish from an excellent through ball.
Surely one of our own would have a night to remember? Not so, Bosnia equalised with five minutes left on the clock and it ended 2-2.
I wonder if Teemu and Mario Vrancic spoke afterwards? I’d like to think they did, of course.
Max Aarons and Oliver Skipp played throughout for England Under-21s against what seemed to be a useful Switzerland side. There was no room for Todd Cantwell but I wasn’t too surprised by that. Olly in particular acquitted himself well and despite a 1-0 defeat, NCFC’s contingent did themselves proud. I watched the entire match and it looked as if both Aarons and Skipp left the pitch with a clean bill of health.
Grant Hanley played the full 90 minutes in Scotland’s 2-2 draw with Austria and marked the occasion with his side’s opening goal as his country now head for Israel before returning to home territory to face the Faroe Islands.
Kenny McLean appeared in the 88th minutes as a late sub.
Of all our players who are away on international duty just now, Hanley is one I would like to be given a break in one of the next two games. The Faroes look like an ideal opportunity for Steve Clark to give him a rest.
And finally, Wales: I love your away kit. I hope we didn’t charge you too much in copyright fees.
Good read this morning Martin. Nice to see big Grant get a goal to go with Pukki’s two. Pukki seems to get a lot of braces but few hat tricks. As you say so far seems to be a clean bill of health but I guess some disappointment for our players with the results. Let’s hope the ash cloud does not delay Onel’s flight home.
Hi Colin
At least Onel can come home relatively early.
I really hope they leave Grant H out against the Faroes – I read somewhere that he was only playing to allow Scott McTominay into centre mid. We’ll have to see.
It is strange that the only Pukki hat-trick I can remember came against the Mags in the PL. There might have been another with Brondby but I’m not sure.
Cheers
I watched the Scotland game and was delighted when Hanley got booked early in the first half and then scored. I quite hoped that he’d do something to get sent off late in the game and get suspended. still, if he gets booked against Israel he’ll be suspend for the Faroe Isles game-club over country for me every time.
Onel arrived just before half time for his match because of an ash cloud. I remember some players arriving late at Eaton Park on a Sunday morning amid suspicions that they had been involved with a Saturday night hash crowd.
I really can’t stand international football. What’s the point in England playing San Marino? They’d be better off inviting Wroxham along to provide opposition in a training game.
Hi Don
I think a large majority of us would agree with you that it’s club over country every time. It sure is for me, anyway.
Dunno about the weed [never really been a serious thing for me] but I can still feel the pain of that first header on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning after a skinful the night before. I’ve ducked out of one or two I can tell you.
Cheers mate
Finland-Bosnia was very very entertaining game. From fans perspective too entertaining. This was first time in couple of years that there looked to be also panic in Finland defence. Its worrying thing of course, but my opinion main reason was playing wrong central defenders. When Finland have played 4-4-2 two of those have been central defenders and 1 has been right back. Now with 3 central defender system there looked to be mess sometimes, but of course also because of Edin Dzeko. 3 central defender system has worked with different players, younger players. All those 3 who played that role against Bosnia are over 30 years old and you can see that they have becoming slower and they didnt look physically enough strong anymore to play games so high level where opponent also press very hard whole game.
Someone who does not have any ageing problems is obviously Teemu Pukki. Both of his goals were brilliant, second one he had to run about 60 meters with ball and Bosnian defenders tried to tackle him and he was quicker with ball than their defenders without ball. Pukki had 5 scoring chance during the game, 4 of them were break throughs but only 1 from the middle which he scored easily. All players who gave him those passes were different. It was obvious obvious once again that those situations are made possible Teemu by himself. He is incredible easy to pass, his timing is so perfect and he is so explosive and have technical ability to control ball when running like crazy. Bosnian manager commented that its fact that its impossible to defend Pukki. There is people who think that Teemu should have scored 5 goals, in playstation maybe. Those 3 chances were saved very well by Bosnian goalkeeper and Teemu did everything perfectly on those too. I call people who blame player like Pukki about those, idiots. I give 10 for his overall performance, perfect passing, link play, defending and those 2 brilliant goals. Im sure he can score about 20 goals in premier league for Norwich and this might sound strange but he has chance to win golden boot in euro21 tournament. When you look at his stats in international games there is no reason to think anything else. Finland of course have to qualify from group to playoffs, but that tournament is like cup so many things happens and remember that year when Greece won whole tournament. Other player to mentioned about game against Bosnia is like always Glen Kamara. Kamara was fantastic whole game and against him there was Pjanic. Glasgow Rangers where he plays now, gets about 20% of that Kamara compared when he plays for Finland. They just use him tactically wrong and also playing style in Scotland differs a lot. Norwich and Finland both use Pukki right.
Those who were worrying injuries considering Pukki can so far stay calm. Game was intense and like I said very entertaining, but there was not single one brutal tackles or anything like that. Lets say very different football compared to Championship. Finland and Pukki has headed to Ukraine which is very tough opponent and their core is Shaktar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev. Finland is completely opposite, journeymen team where players are heading to international games all around Europe and USA.
Hi 1×2
I particularly liked Pukki’s second goal. When he picked up that excellent through ball he didn’t simply go in a straight line but made a couple of small tangents on his run as if he knew where the chasing defenders were.
Of course I’ve only seen 10 minutes of highlights but it seemed like a very good game on that basis, but that’s easy for a neutral to say of course. I’m not really a neutral – I want Finland to win every time Pukki plays 🙂
I do remember Greece winning the tournament. It was a long while ago now and they were very defensive throughout however, like you say, the Euros is just like one big Cup competition where anything can happen.
Glad to know Teemu continues to be fit and on form – please give MFW your views after Ukraine v Suomi – we’d be gland to hear them!
Kiitos
I remember Greece winning as well – we were on holiday in Cyprus at the time, and didn’t get much sleep that night as all the locals were driving around sounding their horns all night. It did have a plus side though – the waiters in the bar were so extatic that they forgot to charge for half the drinks we had!
Hi Jim
What a lovely tale!
When Beckham got THAT free kick against Greece in a different competition Sue and I were in a tiny bar in Llucmajor Mallorca and more or less the only people interested in watching the match 🙂
Cheers
I will, no matter the result. I was thinking little bit write about that very disgusting racist attack against Glen Kamara which happened in Slavia Praha-Rangers game. I suppose you know as much as I, still it proves again that there is so much to do also in football world.
Tim Sparv left team today because of injury, they have not selected anyone to cover so far. Squad is getting more and more limited, Im still sure that Pukki plays against Switzerland only part of the game. Basically he is almost forced to play if Kanerva does not select any new players after Ukraine game.
Yes I’m all too aware of the Glen Kamara incident unfortunately. There’s a very poignant article about it in the Guardian [UK national paper]. I can’t link remotely from here but it was originally published 23/3/21 under the byline Jonathan Liew.
Your views are very welcome.
I reckon the ash cloud story is just a smokescreen. My guess is Onel spent too long trying to find the Mexico City branch of Argos.
Hi Keith
I wished I’d thought of that line – particularly the smokescreen part.
Cheers 🙂
Thanks Martin;
So, after part one of three we seem pretty much unscathed injury wise.
However, given the intensity of the Championship, surely fatigue will set in at some time. I just hope that it’s not until the middle of May!
O T B C
Hi John
Yes I think the fatigue factor surely must concern us all. It does me, anyway.
Cheers
Hi Martin
Having a good day watching cricket 🏏 7 an over needed at the start of Englands 🇬🇧 innings so here’s hoping for a win.
Onel must have been pleased to get some playing time for Cuba and possibly the first of his country’s expats to play fir their country that is an honour.
Let’s hope that the second round of games passes with out and injuries and that the international managers can rest our players for the last game or they get sent off in the second one and come home early.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Keep Healthy 🙏
Hi Alex
As I write we’re precisely 100-0 so we’ve got the start although obviously the run rate has increased so we’ll see.
I’m pretty confident Onel is the first Cuban *ex-pat* to play for his country. He was thrilled at the prospect so it must indeed have been an honour for him. As it should be.
As for our lads returning injury free we all echo that wish.
Cheers mate
I am not sure if Pukki and Vrancic spoke after the game either, but it might have had to be by telephone as I think Vrancic was not in the BiH squad!
Hi MGW
Quite right – Mario and the Bosnian manager don’t have the best of relationships and it’s been a long time since he’s been selected for his country.
I bet he’d have appreciated a call from Teemu though – and might have got one or two from a couple of his ex-team-mates as well!
Cheers