Brighton at Euro 2020: Veltman & Moder make an impact from the bench
The first round of Euro 2020 (in 2021) group matches involving Brighton players are done and dusted with Joel Veltman and Jakub Moder the only two of the five individuals at the tournament to get any game time.
Veltman was involved in the most entertaining fixture of the competition so far as the Netherlands edged out Ukraine 3-2 in a thriller in Amsterdam.
The defender was an 88th minute substitute, replacing teenage Ajax centre back Jurrien Timber who had looked a little wooden at times. All the goals had already been scored by the time Veltman entered proceedings with his task to help Oranje over the line for their first tournament win since 2014.
All seemed to be going well for the Netherlands as they led 2-0 with an hour played through Georginio Wijnaldum and Wout Weghorst. That spurred Ukraine into launching a stirring comeback, a 25 yard stunner from Andriy Yarmolenko and a Roman Yaremchuk header levelling the tie with only 11 minutes left to play.
It took an 85h minute header from Denzel Dumfries to earn the Dutch a late victory and whilst Frank De Boer’s side were very impressive going forward, they looked like a car crash at the back. Veltman might well be needed to tighten things up in their next Euro 2020 (in 2021) game against Austria on Thursday night.
Moder and Poland meanwhile suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat against Slovakia on a St Petersburg’s evening in which nothing went right. Wojciech Szczęsny – perhaps the only player at the tournament to have played a match at Withdean Stadium – scored an own goal to give Slovakia the lead with 19 minutes on the clock.
Poland equalised via Karol Linetty but any hopes they had of going onto win the game were hit when midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak saw red on the hour mark. Slovakia made the most of their man advantage, Milan Skriniar hitting a winner seven minutes after the Poles went down to 10.
Moder was afforded only the last five minutes but he nearly fashioned two goals for his side in that time. He delivered two decent crosses into the box which his teammates really should have done better with as Poland looked to force a leveller.
With Krychowiak suspended for Poland’s next game against Spain and Moder having had such a lively cameo, the Albion midfielder has every chance of starting in Seville on Saturday night.
Unlikely to play any part in that one is Robert Sanchez. Unai Simon has won the battle to be Luis Enrique’s number one, keeping a clean sheet in Spain’s opening 0-0 draw against Sweden.
It was a game that was very much like watching Brighton. Spain had 85 percent possession and 17 shots and yet could find no way through a stubborn Sweden defence.
Alvaro Morata spent the evening doing a very good impression of Aaron Connolly through the number of easy chances he fluffed, the only difference between the two being that Morata is not currently spending his time begging the ex-girlfriend he cheated on not to go on Love Island, as far as we know.
Like Sanchez, both Ben White and Leandro Trossard had to settle for watching briefs as unused substitutes in their opening matches. For all the criticism of Gareth Southgate selecting Tyrone Mings, Kalvin Phillips and Raheem Sterling, all three played their parts as England defeated World Cup finalists Croatia 1-0 in their opening game at Wembley.
There is a chance that Southgate may rotate his squad for Friday night’s eagerly anticipated clash with Scotland at Wembley, in which case White might get some game time.
If he does, then he will become only the second Brighton player to represent the Three Lions at an international tournament after Steve Foster in the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Belgium showed that they mean business, hammering Russia 3-0 in their first group game. Romelu Lukaku scored twice with Thomas Meunier also on target. Trossard spent the 90 minutes on the bench.
Veltman and Moder’s antics at Euro 2020 (in 2021) were not the only Brighton players involved in international action over the past few days.
The Copa America got underway in Brazil, where Moises Caicedo started for Ecuador in their opening group game against Colombia.
Unfortunately, Caicedo was on the losing side as Colombia won 1-0 through a wonderfully choreographed free kick finished off by Edwin Cardona.
Caicedo played for 80 minutes, his first taste of senior action since completing a £5 million to the Amex from Independiente del Valle in January.
Not playing regularly has done the teenager’s international chances no harm, unlikely Steve Alzate who failed to make the Colombia squad under new manager Reinaldo Rueda because of his lack of game time at the Albion.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh showed everyone what he is all about by managing to score a penalty in a 10-0 win for Iran over the might of *checks notes* Cambodia.
Remarkably, there were 10 different scores for the hosts as they took a step closer towards World Cup qualification. Australia were also in action, winning 3-0 away in Nepal. Maty Ryan was an unused substitute.
