UEFA EURO reporter's view: Iceland
Monday, May 16, 2016
Article summary
Jóhann Ólafur Sigurdsson will be covering Iceland as they make their final tournament debut in France and and he gives us the lowdown on the island nation joint coached by a part-time dentist.
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Squad analysis
Defence and a superb team spirit are two things that have been a hallmark of Iceland in the last few years. The team only conceded six goals in qualifying, keeping six clean sheets in the process. However, with a small pool of players to pick from a lack of depth may be a problem if the likes of midfielders Gylfi Sigurdsson or Aron Gunnarsson are unavailable for any games in France.
One to watch
Alfred Finnbogason signed for relegation-threatened Bundesliga side Augsburg in January after difficult spells at Real Sociedad and Olympiacos. His prolific form, scoring seven goals in 14 games, helped Augsburg escape the drop. Will this be enough for him to oust regulars Kolbeinn Sigthórsson or Jón Dadi Bödvarsson from the starting lineup?
How they'll play
Iceland played a 4-4-2 system throughout the qualifying campaign. They are very organised and compact in defence, making them difficult to break down. In attack Sigurdsson is the man tasked with making things happen, his set-piece taking deadly, making him pivotal to Iceland's hopes.
What you won't know
Joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is also a dentist and although he has reduced his hours since joining the national team set-up in 2011, he still owns a clinic in his hometown of Vestmannaeyjar and has continued to practice when his football commitments allow.
How they'll do
The minimum expectation in Iceland is getting through the group stage with a third-place finish. Iceland are world champions when it comes to unrealistic expectations and a good result against Portugal in their opening match could get that going in earnest. Nevertheless if the team plays as well as they did in their qualifying group, a place in the last 16 will beckon.
Most memorable EURO moment
Watching Greece work their way to the title in 2004, thinking before every single game that now was the time they would bow out. But on they went with three 1-0 victories in the knockout stages, surpassing Denmark as the most surprising EURO story. An unbelievable team spirit and organisation showed other underdogs what is possible with a few great performances.
What I'm most looking forward to this summer
The highlight of this summer will be seeing Iceland compete for the first time in a major tournament. The atmosphere in the country, and amongst those in France, will surely be filled with excitement before the game against Portugal in St-Etienne on 14 June kicks off. It will be very interesting to see how the team manages the expectations from back home.
Follow Jóhann throughout the finals on @UEFAcomJohannS