News

England Falls To Iceland 2-1 In Euro 2016, Ex-Manager Steve McClaren Gets Name Of Iceland Game Winner Wrong

England crashed out of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament with a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Iceland in the first knockout round at Allianz Riviera in Nice on Monday.

England Falls To Iceland 2-1 In Euro 2016

The result prompted manager Roy Hodgson to resign in his post-match press conference and Gary Neville to leave his role with the FA.

It looked as if it would be plain sailing when Raheem Sterling won a penalty after three minutes which Wayne Rooney duly converted on the night he equalled David Beckham’s record of 115 caps – the most of any England outfield player.

But Iceland levelled within two minutes from a long throw that exposed the Three Lions’ defensive frailties once again.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Things got worse before 20 minutes had elapsed when Kolbeinn Sigthorsson found the back of the net with a low effort that Joe Hart got a hand to and should have saved.

In truth, England rarely looked like scoring against a well-organised Iceland outfit that thoroughly deserved their place in the last eight.

Rooney and Sterling were restored to the starting line-up but Hodgson’s side struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Jack Wilshere and Jamie Vardy came off the bench, while Manchester United teenager Marcus Rashford was only given a few minutes right at the end.

England suffered even further humiliation after the match, however.

Former Three Lions manager Steve McClaren, who famously failed to help England qualify for Euro 2008 following a crushing 3-2 loss to Croatia, praised Hodgson’s team and after Monday’s loss, hid under a giant umbrella.

Then, the ex-ManU coach compounded his embarrassment by watching his former team as a studio pundit on SkySports and proving, after the match, that his knowledge of the players on Iceland’s roster was rather poor.

First, when asked how England had reacted to Iceland’s instant equalizer after Rooney’s penalty, he simply boomed: “perfectly”

McLaren the went on to get the name of Iceland’s Kolbeinn Sigthorsson completely wrong – confusing him with teammate Gylfi Sigurdsson – before being stunned silent by the winner from the man whose name he didn’t know.

PHOTO: NICE, FRANCE – JUNE 27: Dele Alli of England and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson of Iceland compete for the ball during the UEFA EURO 2016 round of 16 match between England and Iceland at Allianz Riviera Stadium on June 27, 2016 in Nice, France. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Cowboys Hire Mike Pettine To Bring Life To Struggling Defense

Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer announced he hired Mike Pettine as the Cowboys’ new senior…

13 hours ago

Ravens Enter The Minter Era After Comeback Win Over Atlanta

In the past few years, the Baltimore Ravens have not been the team to complete…

13 hours ago

Fans React To Aaron Donald Getting Physical With Bills Lineman: ‘Should Have Stayed Retired’

In a high-tempered Monday Night Football contest, plenty of scrums occurred during and after the…

13 hours ago

Rams Tackle Alaric Jackson Suspended Two Games For Punching Bradley Chubb

Los Angeles Rams LT Alaric Jackson threw a strike at Buffalo Bills LB Bradley Chubb…

13 hours ago

Bears Edge Rusher Montez Sweat Suspended For Performance-Enhancing Substance Violation

Chicago Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat will miss two games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing…

1 day ago

Bills Coach Joe Brady Not Happy With James Cook’s Fumble Concerns

Despite winning a thriller against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, where the…

1 day ago