The round of 16 ( pre-quarterfinals) stage had its share of ups and downs. Shocks, penalties, spectacular goals, own goals, red cards and an early English exit, this round truly had it all. Oh, and it also had the Croatia vs Portugal game. Some players flopped despite a big build up and could not live up to expectations.
We take a look at the five most disappointing players from the round of 16 stage:
1. Joe Hart (England)
The Manchester City shot-stopper had his worst game in national colours against minnows Iceland. He was to blame for Iceland’s second goal after he failed to hold on to Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s shot. This mistake went on to become a blunder as the scoreline did not change after that and England crashed out of the Euros in a spectacular fashion. A few days before the game against Iceland, Hart mentioned that he has had nothing to do in the group stages.
Has he developed an attitude which tells you that this is a person who has forgotten the elementary part of his professional role? All England needed from Hart was some poise and security; He gave neither. The keeper was a mess between the poles when it mattered most and paid the price for it.
2. Sergio Ramos (Spain)
The Real Madrid and Spanish skipper had a terrible outing against 2012 Runners up Italy. Having already been booked against Turkey and with a possible quarterfinal match against Germany at stake, Ramos was extremely defensive and hesitant in the tackle. He made a solitary tackle in the entire game. There were constant communication breakdowns with keeper David De Gea. He was caught out of place on more than a few occasions, notably once in the 90th minute which led to Graziano Pelle’s goal.
Being the captain of Spain, he never inspired his team to push forward and create chances. He lacked leadership, athleticism, and the fearlessness shown by his counterpart Gigi Buffon. With the penalty miss in the back of his mind, Ramos did not offer his customary attacking services, which were desperately required on a day when Spain could not find it in themselves to increase the tempo of the match.
3. Harry Kane (England)
The Tottenham Hotspur and England forward had a miserable game against the Nordic nation. Kane went from being the deadliest striker in the Premier League to a big, sloppy and tired looking forward who shot without conviction. Kane registered five attempts out of which only a tame header found the target. A 20% shot accuracy for an international striker in an international tournament is pathetic. Kane was very weak in the air and could not win a single header.
He disappointed the most when it came to taking set pieces. All the corners he took found the Iceland players with perfection. His free kicks were no better. They were either skewed wide or soared high into the stands. After all the expectations and the hype surrounding England finally achieving something on the international stage, ithe whole thing turned sour very soon.
4. Arkadiusz Milik (Poland)
Since his goal against Northern Ireland in the opening fixture of the Euros, the Ajax forward has been a major disappointment. Missing chance after chance, Milik is lucky to not have been subbed even once this tournament. He missed an open goal in the second minute against Switzerland when he shot wide after Sommer’s clearance. He had four attempts, and only a venomless header found the target.
With midfielders Kamil Grosicki and Jakub Blaszczykowski working tirelessly and churning out opportunity after opportunity, Milik, who must have fancied this tournament as his chance to announce himself to the world, squandered them all. He had another glorious chance midway through the second half when there was only one defender to beat, but he skewed his shot wide.
5. Sergio Busquets (Spain)
The Barcelona midfielder had a miserable game against Italy. The pivot between the defence and attack, Spain rely on Busquets to start attacking moves and to control the tempo of the game. However, his influence was drastically reduced by the Azzurri. The Italy attack consisting of Pelle, Eder, Florenzi, and Di Sciglio were too hot to handle for the Spanish veteran. He made just 47 passes against Italy. For comparison, his average at Euro 2016 was 83 per game.
He had only 18 completed passes before the removal of De Rossi. Even post that he could not flourish as Spain started playing long balls. Without Busquets and his magic, the Spanish midfield lacked spine and the players were finding it hard to carve out opportunities. He received a yellow card towards the end of the game after his constant complaining, a result of the frustration he probably felt. Ultimately, Spain got knocked out of the Euros and the holding midfielder is one of the main culprits behind it.
