Northern Ireland 1-2 Slovakia (aet): Euro 2020 play-off, how it happened | Football

Slovakia players bounce on the field, as euphoric as possible without entering Class A. To say that it has been emotional would be an understatement. Both teams worked incredibly; by the end, half of the Northern Ireland team was battling cramps. The match could have gone either way, Kyle Lafferty hit the post in the last minute of regulation time, but Northern Ireland will be reflected in two avoidable goals. To borrow a phrase from our own Daniel Harris: hell, fucking football.

Slovakia has done it! Michal Duris’ late goal has devastated Northern Ireland and led Slovakia to another European Championship.

120 min: What an opportunity for Evans! Peacock-Farrell hit the free throw, all outfield players forward. He left on the right wing and returned to the area, where Evans had a free header twenty feet from the goal. But he had to stretch, he couldn’t jump, I think due to a cramp, and he was only able to plant it directly into Rodak.

120 min Lafferty is fouled 40 meters from goal. This is Northern Ireland’s last chance.

118 min Slovakia brings in a defender, Norbert Gyomber, instead of a midfielder, Rusnak.

117 min Hrosovsky is on the ground holding his head after an aerial challenge with Boyce. Northern Ireland thinks he’s faking it, and there is some shoving and shoving. Boyce is reserved, as is Rodak.

115 min Davis slips while taking a free throw and pulls a muscle in the process. Now he can barely run. Northern Ireland has used all six substitutes.

111 min Both Slovakia goals were eminently avoidable. I know teams say that on almost every goal they concede, but it was especially true tonight.

Kucka’s ball advanced from the right hit Evans’s back, who ran towards his own goal, and ran into the path of Duris, 25 meters from the goal. He pushed it away from Evans, into the box, and whistled a low drive past Peacock-Farrell at the near post. It was a good hit, but I’m not sure Peacock-Farrell should have been beaten.

108 min A quiet start to the second period of extra time. A goal for either team would be against the development of the game – all the players seem understandably shattered.

Slovakia makes a half-time change: the tired Marek Hamsik is replaced by Jan Gregus.

Peep! The smart money is in the penalties; even vaguely sensitive money is subject to penalties. Both teams have crashed to the ground.

105 + 1 min: Opportunity for Slovakia! Duris crosses to the left towards Mraz at the near post. He holds the ball and hands it to Hamsik, who shoots straight at Peacock-Farrell down the stretch. Mraz’s pass, I think it was him, was slightly behind Hamsik.

105 min Northern Ireland has used all six substitutions now. I think six is ​​all you are allowed. I’ll level with you: I’m not intireI’m sure.

104 min McNair is desperate to continue, but it is not possible. He is replaced by Shane Ferguson, which means that Stuart Dallas completes the trip back from right back, where the game started, to left wing.

101 min Dallas mishit volley is helped toward goal by Lafferty. Rodak makes a comfortable stop.

100 min Lafferty’s heist and bond game has been excellent since he came in. As a result, Northern Ireland has been less one-dimensional, and a nice touch from Lafferty allows Boyce to win a corner …

97 min Cathcart is standing firm, and it looks like she will have to go. Tom Flanagan is ready to replace him.

96 min It has been a game of few opportunities and many mood swings. For the moment, Northern Ireland is at the top, although Slovakia must have a period of control.

93 min Dallas’ pitch is headed into the near post by Cathcart, leading to an impromptu game of header tennis in the Slovakia area. In the end, someone drives him crazy.

93 min McNair’s corner is cleared to Whyte, who returns it to McNair. His center is blocked and goes out of play, which means another opportunity for Dallas to pass one into the area.

Peep! We should have known all along that it would be overtime. See you in a couple of minutes for a more exquisite tension.

90 + 3 min Slovakia keeps the ball for about a minute. This is so weather.

90 + 2 min There have been times in this game where Slovakia have been a class above Northern Ireland. But there have also been periods, especially at the end of the second half, where they have been almost overwhelmed by the intensity of Northern Ireland’s play. It has been a fascinating study in contrasts.

90 min: Lafferty hits the post! This is kind of creepy. Lafferty catches the ball on the edge of the D, hovers on his right foot and unleashes a scorching low shot that hits Rodak into a tailspin and hits the outside of the post. In the context of his personal tragedy, that would have been an incredible story.

89 min Skriniar had to go for the ball, with Boyce waiting behind him to equalize. In fact, I thought McNair might have been pushed, and was looking at the referee when Skriniar passed Rodak. It was a majestic wave of carpe diem from McNair.

Paddy McNair entered the area with emotion from the right and crossed low to the near post, where low pressure Skriniar cut the ball into his own net.

86 min Lafferty misses a great opportunity when he misses a header from eight meters. It slips out of his head, hits Pekarik and rebounds towards McNair, whose shot is brilliantly blocked by Hrosovksy!

84 min A lovely touch from Lafferty frees Dallas down the left, but he slightly overshoots the ball and then hits his center under pressure.

83 min Lewis takes a magnificent cross from the left that crosses the arc and clears at the far post.

83 min Dallas has three long shots in quick succession; scorer Kucka heads last.

81 min Hrosovsky plays a good one-two but shoots well from far away. Slovakia’s substitutes Hrosovsky and Duris looked brilliant on the ball.

79 min Northern Ireland is preparing for one last push. They have changed to 4-4-2 now, with Lafferty and Boyce leading.

76 min The Dallas center is turned away by Rodak, who took no chances after his previous fumbles.