10th Day of EURO 2024
Germany Survives Late Drama Against Switzerland and Wins Its Group; Horrific Incident Marks Other Match in the Group.
Hungarian Barnabas Varga collapsed lifeless on the field, briefly recalling the horror that happened to Christian Eriksen at EURO 2020.
A late drama kept Germany at the top of Group A in Euro 2024. The German team drew 1-1 against Switzerland and finished first with 7 points, but their performance was not convincing this time. Moreover, Nagelsmann’s team was 2 minutes away from losing.
The Swiss took the lead in the first half and were generally the better team on the field.
Germany’s hero again was substitute Niclas Füllkrug, who equalized with a header in the 92nd minute.
Thus, Germany will play in the round of 16 against the second team in Group C, which could be any of the four teams: England, Serbia, Denmark, or Slovenia. Switzerland also advances and will play against the second team from Group B: Italy, Albania, or Croatia.
Germany had a great chance to open the scoring in the first minute, but Havertz’s header was saved by Swiss goalkeeper Sommer.
Then, the game’s tempo gradually slowed, with both teams acting cautiously, but Germany held a territorial advantage.
In the 17th minute, Germany took the lead through Andrich, but the goal was disallowed by Italian referee Orsato after a VAR consultation for a foul in the attack by Musiala.
In the 28th minute, Switzerland also put the ball in the net. Dan Ndoye received a great pass and shot past Neuer.
There were suspicions of offside with the goal, but after reviewing the situation, it was clear there was no violation of the rules – 1:0 for the “Crusaders.”
Five minutes into the second half, Musiala was sent through behind the Swiss defense, but his shot was saved by Sommer. Shortly after, Toni Kroos tried to score with a long-range shot, but it was off-target.
Germany’s pressure continued, but it was rather chaotic and did not seriously trouble the Swiss defense.
In the 84th minute, the “Crusaders” made a quick counter-attack and scored a second goal through Vargas, but it was rightly disallowed for offside. Immediately after, Havertz hit the post with a header.
When no one believed Germany could equalize, substitute Füllkrug became the hero, scoring a precious header that kept his team at the top of the standings—1:1.
The drama in the other match in this group was even greater. A goal in the 100th minute kept Hungary dreaming and in the fight for the knockouts. Hungary defeated Scotland 1-0 in Stuttgart, securing third place in the group.
After two losses in their first two games, Hungary was out of Euro 2024 in the 99th minute of this match with a looming 0-0 draw, but with literally the last kick of the game, they snatched a priceless victory.
The hero was Kevin Csoboth, who scored the goal that ended the last desperate attack in this bizarre and nightmarish match.
With the win, Hungary secured third place with three points and a goal difference of two scored and five conceded goals. The Magyars hope to remain among the four best third-place teams to advance in the tournament.
Unfortunately, the match might be remembered more for the horrific incident that briefly recalled the horror of Christian Eriksen’s incident at Euro 2020.
In the 70th minute, during a cross, Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn came out to punch the ball, taking down several players and leaving his teammate and an opposing player on the ground.
The Hungarian player on the ground was Barnabas Varga, who lay lifeless on the grass. His teammates quickly noticed and started frantically signalling to the benches.
Both medical teams rushed to help Varga, and the TV broadcast deliberately avoided showing the center of events, but we saw enough footage of horrified players with their hands on their heads.
Similar to Eriksen’s incident three years ago, the prone Varga was shielded with blankets and surrounded by his teammates. Due to the unpleasant scene, we did not see a detailed replay of the incident.
After about 5-6 minutes of chaos on the field, Barnabas Varga was immobilized and removed from the stadium. Shortly after, it was reported that he was conscious and responsive.Â
In the clash, he was elbowed by the Scottish goalkeeper and simultaneously hit in the chest, leading to cardiac arrest, the team doctor revealed.
“He was gone…We performed cardiac resuscitation; it was a cardiac arrest,” said the team doctor, Morten Boesen. “How close were we to losing him? I don’t know, but we got him back after one defibrillation, so it was quite quick. Having top-notch medical equipment nearby was crucial. The time from when it happened to when he received help was the critical factor, and that time was short,” the doctor added.
After the match, all his teammates held up a jersey with his number, showing their support.
Otherwise, both teams, knowing that only a win would work for them today, inexplicably seemed to sleep through the first 80 minutes.
There was almost nothing interesting besides many fouls, nerves, and very few sporting merits, with the match only marked by the horrifying incident.Â
In the last few minutes, pressed by circumstances, both teams launched desperate attacks, playing with only two defenders each. Events shifted from one goal to another within seconds.
Scotland may have had valid claims for a penalty due to a trip on Stuart Armstrong, while Hungary hit the post through Csoboth, and Szoboszlai also missed a chance.
Due to Varga’s incident, the match had 10 minutes of stoppage time, but until the 99th minute, there were no goals, and the game was heading for a suicidal 0-0 draw.Â
Then came the last counter-attack, finished by Csoboth—the great hero for the Hungarian team. Now, all the team’s thoughts are with Barnabas Varga.
Thus, Germany won Group A with 7 points, Switzerland with 5, Hungary with 3, and Scotland with just one point, which means it exits the tournament.
Switzerland – Germany 1:1
D.Ndoye (28′); N.Fullkrug (90+2′)
Scotland – Hungary 0:1
K.Csoboth (90+10′)
Group A Final Standings:
1. Germany 7 pts
2. Switzerland 5 pts
3. Hungary 3 pts
4. Scotland 1 pt
