#Euro2016: England 1-2 Iceland – Match Summary, Player Analysis

When Iceland’s players emerged, nearly two hours after the game, from the dressing room in Nice it was clear in some cases that the scale of what they had done was yet to sink in.

They have nothing to lose.

Steve McClaren, who infamously failed to secure qualification for the 2008 European Championship during his short spell in charge of England, summarised Monday night’s 2-1 defeat to Iceland for Sky Sports News and initially seemed impressed.

“If you want the best out of life, you have to be ready when the chance is there for you, and I don’t think there are bigger chances than this for Icelandic football”. Ahead of tonight’s match, they were heard singing, “We’re not in Europe anymore!”

Iceland will face France in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

“I think we have been improving slowly. We don’t have the pressure of the world that we need to win the game”, he said.

Having scored six goals – as many as France in their four opening matches – the tiniest nation in the competition has proved that it can be effective despite having the least possession of the remaining teams in the tournament.

It’s a statistic that will have many France fans assuming their team already has a place in the semifinals.

“There have been a lot of jokes about how small we are, how you can pick the team from sheep herds or whatever, and it’s been kind of odd to read it – that’s why it’s satisfying”, said their co-manager Heimir Hallgrimsson of the shockwaves Iceland produced. “It’s always a benefit to be the underdog”.

“Italy went out there [against Spain] and they had a real game plan”. “Yes, why not”, Hallgrimsson said. “They tire the opponents, so they score vital goals at the end of games”. “But the fourth game exposed England and there’s going to be an inquest about everything – players, set-up, the way we go forward”.

Hallgrimsson, who also runs a dental practice at home, compared Iceland’s adventure to that of Leicester, which unexpectedly won the Premier League last season.

“They wanted to finish us as soon as possible”.