Timing is everything in sports. Success requires both quality and timely opportunities.
No one could have imagined that a year would make that much of a difference, but some of the teams appearing at Euro 2020 look quite different than when the tournament was organized as planned last summer. Some players' stocks fell during that period - Hello, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dayot Upamecano - but the delay created plenty of opportunity for some of the game's rising young stars and some veterans, who made special use of the last 12 months.
Let's take a look at 15 players who have particularly benefited from the odd timing of the tournament.
Manuel Locatelli | 23 | Midfielder | Italy
Locatelli enjoyed a breakout year for Sassuolo in 2019-20 but did not make his Italian debut until September 2020. After an impressive 2020-21 Serie A campaign - four goals, 38 chances scored, 239-ball recoveries (fifth in the league) - he has quickly become a key substitute for Italy manager Roberto Mancini.
The 23-year-old has played 160 minutes at Euros and made a lasting impression in Italy's 3-0 win over Switzerland. He showed into the box on a counterattack and made it 1–0 in the 26th minute in a cross from Domenico Berardi, then leapt into the 23-yard in the 52nd minute to take the match away. His game is not just about scoring but he is taking full advantage of his chances.
Robin Gossens | 26 | Defender | Germany
Half Dutch and half German, Gossens was not on his national team's radar early in his career. He dropped out of the field at second-tier Dutch club FC Dordrecht for one season, then moved to Heracles at the age of 23, already at the age of 23, before drawing the attention of Serie A's Atalanta in 2017.
Fast forward four seasons, and he was playing the match of his life in a winning game against Portugal. The most natural wing-back in the German pool, he produced a goal and an assist against Portugal's disorganized defense in a 4–2 victory, and he created a dangerous opportunity for Toni Kroos during Germany's comeback against Hungary. Less than a year after his initial call-up, he has become one of Joachim Low's most important players.
Karim Benzema | 33 | Forward | France
Benzema took the "timing is everything" theme to a new level in France's draw against Portugal, scoring twice in the same amount of time. He scored a minute and 44 seconds in the stoppage time of the first half, then 46:44 in the second half. The 33-year-old was the first target for France in a non-friendly since the 2014 World Cup.
Dejected from the national team for nearly six years due to his alleged role in the blackmail scandal, he was brought back to the team by manager Didier Deschamps, and didn't need much time to do what he always does: score goals. . He has scored 360 runs in all club competitions, and after a long wait, he is up to 29 for his country.
Mikkel Damsgaard | 20 | Midfielder | Denmark
After a sluggish start in a crucial match against Russia, Denmark got the spark they were looking for when 20-year-old Damsgaard scored a goal off 25-yard goal keeper Matvey Safonov. It was his third goal for his country since making his debut last November. And it was when he gave Belgium two dangerous chances in an unfortunate defeat.
Used mostly as a left midfielder for Sampdoria, Damsgaard scored twice and scored 25 chances in his first full Serie A season this year. Danish manager Kasper Hjulmund has used him in a more central attacking role in the euro, and it has paid off. Safe to say, Denmark wouldn't be in the round of 16 without him.
kalvin Phillips | 25 | Midfielder | England
What is the story Phillips was born in Leeds and spent most of his youth career at Leeds United. He has only played for his hometown club in seven senior seasons, and last summer he made his England debut at the age of 24 in September, after helping lead Leeds back to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years.
Thanks to the defensive instincts of England manager Gareth Southgate, Phillips played every minute of the group stage with another defensive midfielder, Declan Rice. Considering Phillips led the side with a 17-ball recovery and England conceded not a single goal, it is safe to say that he did his job remarkably well. He usually does.
Joakim Mahle | 24 | Defender | Denmark
Mahle has seen a rapid rise in his career over the past year, after making steady improvements over three-and-a-half seasons with Belgium's Genk. He made his debut for Denmark last September, then moved to Atalanta in January, where he quickly became a legend for the club in the annual Champions League.
At Euros, the 24-year-old has done a little bit of everything. He made a 24-ball recovery (second on the team), seven shots (second) and scored five chances (second), and he pulled off Denmark's 4–1 victory over Russia with a counter 16-yard strike. gave.
Luke Shaw | 25 | Defender | England
The 25-year-old made his England debut in 2014, when he was just months away from a Southampton-to-Manchester United transfer, but he played a total of 60 minutes for his country in the four years between the summer of 2016 and the summer of 2020. But his stock grew significantly during his illustrious 2020-21 campaign for United, and in two group-stage matches he scored four scoring chances - including a grand pass that resulted in a strike for Raheem Sterling against the Czech Republic. The bar started. - With 13 ball recoveries.
Shaw's best version both fulfills every defensive role required of a full-back and sends an entertaining pass or two into dangerous areas on each half. That's the form of Shaw we saw in the last two matches in England.
Pedri | 18 | Midfielder | Spain
A year ago, Pedri was an exciting prospect at the age of 17, a mainstay in the 2019 U17 World Cup and most recently in addition to Barcelona. His future was clearly bright.
Almost immediately his future became his present. Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman played him in 37 La Liga matches – he scored three times and scored 39 chances – and not only did he make his national team debut in March, but he also made his first round of a bumpy group-stage trip to Spain. minute played. He averaged more than a touch per minute and completed 90% of his nearly 79 pass attempts per game. Almost overnight he has become one of the most trusted and dependable ball progressors in this country.
Joe Rodan | 23 | Defender | Wales
After a stellar performance in the Euro semi-finals in 2016, Wales have found themselves in good shape again, finishing second in Group A and drawing Denmark in the Round of 16.
While the core rotation includes plenty of veterans who were part of the 2016 round, they have also benefited from a growing group of young players making their way into the lineup. Chief among them is 23-year-old Rodan. You can't say the 6-foot-4 central defender wouldn't have played a role if Euros had been played a summer earlier - he made his national team debut in 2019 - but Wales have plenty of defensive options, and Tottenham His October move to Hotspur probably didn't hurt his stock. He has played every minute of the tournament so far.
Phil Foden | 21 | Midfielder | England
Southgate asked the 21-year-old midfielder big things in his first two group-stage matches, giving him a constructive role for the defence-first team. If we're being honest, Foden didn't react well, creating just one scoring chance in 134 minutes with two shot attempts (neither on goal). But the fact that he was in that role was emphasized in all the speaking versions.
Foden did not make his England debut until last November in a UEFA Nations League victory over Iceland. But after his illustrious 2020-21 season with Manchester City - 12 goals and eight assists in the Premier League and Champions League - it's safe to say he will be a Three Lions mainstay for quite some time.
Billy Gilmour | 20 | Midfielder | Scotland
Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year in 2020, Gilmour made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Blues this season. After making his debut in Scotland in early June, he earned man-of-the-match honors on his very first debut, a spectacular Euro performance against England. In 76 minutes, he completed 40 passes (six in the attacking third) and made an eight-ball recovery. He was everywhere... and then he was sidelined by a positive COVID test and had to watch Scotland outsmart Croatia.
Scotland took a very experienced team to their first European Championship in 24 years, but Gilmour's rapid rise has provided a solid boost of hope for the future.
Dani Olmo | 23 | Midfielder | Spain
Like Rodan, Olmo made his national team debut before last summer's stoppage, scoring in his first appearance in November 2019. But the 23-year-old has become a mainstay in the past year with German challengers RB Leipzig – scoring five goals. Nine assisted in the 2020-21 Bundesliga season and registered a crucial 4-3 Champions League win over Busksehir last December.
Olmo has not yet made a major contribution to Spain in euros, but he may be due. In 135 group-stage minutes, he attempted six shots and kept three on goal. At the start of Spain's draw with Sweden, he placed a dangerous header on goal, but was stopped by a brilliant save by Robin Olsson.
Leonardo Spinazola | 28 | Defender | Italy
Everyone's career path unfolds differently. The 28-year-old AS Roma full-back had to wait a long time for a full-fledged opportunity. He made a handful of national team appearances while serving as part of Juventus' loan army – he made six separate appearances in seven different loans (including two Atalanta) before making a permanent move to Rome in 2019 and igniting Played for teams.
Spinazola has had a lovely tournament so far, playing every minute of Italy's 3-0 victories over Turkey and Switzerland, moving the ball well and attempting three shots with two chances. His name has been linked to Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the transfer rumor mill. Better late than never.
Ryan Gravenburch | 19 | Midfielder | Netherlands
Long regarded as one of the best Ajax Academy products, the 6-foot-3 midfielder made his senior club debut in 2018 at the age of 16, then scored a three-goal for his national team this March. , 37- made his debut in the middle. Chance Eredivisie Campaign.
The Netherlands cruised through a very easy Euro group, with Gravenberch playing 106 minutes in two matches. He completed 84% of his 95 pass attempts and won seven of his 11 duel attempts. They don't have any significant contribution yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Reece James | 21 | Defender | England
Things have moved very quickly for the 21-year-old Chelsea defender. An academy product, he made his club debut at the start of the 2019–20 season, then barely a year later earned his first English call-up.
James started in Chelsea's final Champions League win over Manchester City, and he scored two more dangerous chances for England (completed 80 of 81 passes) in a draw with Scotland. It was his only Euro appearance to date, but will be even higher than he expected last summer.