Five stars of the Under-19 finals in Germany
Saturday, July 16, 2016
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Our reporter at the EURO U19 finals, Daniel Thacker, picks out his five outstanding players so far. Let us know yours using #U19EURO on Twitter.
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Jean-Kévin Augustin, France
Perhaps the most natural goalscorer at the tournament, the 19-year-old has found the net in both of France's fixtures; producing an acrobatic finish in the 2-1 defeat by England, before sending a powerful shot past Karlo Letica in Les Petits Bleus' 2-0 victory over Croatia. Blessed with a remarkable turn of pace and the ability to conjure goals from nowhere, Augustin is an outstanding prospect, fresh from making his Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League debuts for Paris Saint-Germain last season.
Dominic Solanke, England
Scorer of two of England's four goals on their way to the semi-finals, Solanke is another finisher of the highest quality. The Chelsea striker equalised against the Netherlands with a fine finish on the turn, and even when playing as a lone striker the 18-year-old has impressed by selflessly dropping deep to link up the play. The top scorer when England won the 2014 U17 Championship in Malta and Chelsea claimed the 2014/15 UEFA Youth League title before spending last season on loan at Vitesse.
Xaver Schlager, Austria
Impossible to miss in the centre of midfield due to his shock of blonde hair, Schlager's hard-running, intelligent play is a key feature of Austria's game. The Salzburg youngster was heavily involved in his side's numerous attacking moves during the 1-1 draw with Portugal, before netting the opening goal in the draw with Italy.
Alex Meret, Italy
Goalkeeper Meret produced a remarkable performance to keep Germany at bay in the opening game of the tournament, saving time and again from all sorts of angles to help the Azzurrini to a 1-0 triumph. That Italy boast the best defensive record at the tournament is in no small part down to the Udinese stopper, who also came up with a fine one-handed save from Marco Krainz in additional time to preserve his side a point in the 1-1 draw with Austria.
Steven Bergwijn, Netherlands
Bergwijn served notice of his ability when he recorded an assist within minutes of his UEFA Champions League debut from the bench for PSV Eindhoven in December 2015. The barrel-chested winger has continued in the same vein at this tournament, scoring two excellent goals in the Netherlands' 3-1 victory against Croatia. The first was a powerful header, while the second was a run from his own half into the opposition box before sending a composed finish past Letica.