SAINT-ETIENNE, France — After the final whistle signalled a draw on their European Championship debut, Iceland’s fans broke out into a rousing rendition of a balladic folk song that has become the team’s adopted anthem.
It’s called ‘Ferðalok’, which translates as ‘Journey’s End’. The sentiment could not be more wrong, though. This Icelandic adventure is just getting started.
Lars Lagerback and Heimi Hallgrimsson had talked up their side’s chances of producing a performance to peg back much-fancied Portugal, and so it was to be.
When Gylfi Sigurdsson forced an early save from Rui Patricio it was an indication that Iceland had more ambition that to just soak up Portuguese pressure, something that Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. should have been well aware of given they conceded three goals to their opponents in a 5-3 victory on the last occasion they met.
There were certainly handful of impressive attacking instances in St Etienne but, make no mistake, this was a result built very much on dogged determination in defence, plus a large slice of fortune of course – Portugal were only able to convert one of their 27 attempts on goal.
“The feeling is good,” Hallgrimsson said, a little understatedly, after the game. “Our defending was fantastic. We worked so hard. It was a total team effort. Our boys get credit for each of them.
“The players did not stop running. They clocked up so many metres. There is so many things happening for the national team. The is the first time we play on a big stage like this, then we get that result. Really, it was like playing at home. The fans were incredible. Another milestone has been reached.”
27.9% - Iceland had 27.9 percent possession, the lowest amount for a team in a Euros game since 1980 without losing. Result.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 14, 2016
Iceland’s first goal at a major international tournament was certainly a feel-good football moment. When Birkir Bjarnoson swept home to equalise Nani’s opener, the Icelandic journalists in the press box erupted almost as loudly as the blue, white and red corner of the stadium, that notoriously cool Northern European façade melting away in an instant.
It could have been an even more famous fairytale, too, substitute Alfred Finnbogason’s left-foot strike beaten away by Rui Patricio after a late counter-attack.
Still, this is a day that will forever be remembered by those who travelled across Europe to cheer on the smallest country to ever compete at a major football finals. An eighth of Iceland’s entire 330,000 population are believed to be in France and this result now gives real hope that their incredible journey can continue into the last-16.
