Mixed bag of many surprises
One can, and should, be easily forgiven for not quite understanding how the recently launched UEFA Nations League biennial tournament exactly works. The past week has been abuzz with news about the elimination of top teams from the tournament, which has left many scratching their heads in bemusement.
Hearing of top European footballing nations like Germany and 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up Croatia being eliminated from their respective groups is bound to evoke shock and disappointment. However, this is not all as bad as it sounds. Moreover, one can find refuge in the fact that a nation's final ranking in this tournament will not significantly dent its chances of qualifying for the next World Cup or the upcoming 2020 UEFA Euro tournament.
Back in October 2017, the 12 top teams of Europe were all pooled in League A. These teams were – in descending order of their rankings – Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia and the Netherlands. The top four teams were placed in pot 1, while pot 2 comprised of teams ranked fifth to eighth, and pot 3 comprised the last four teams. In January this year, a draw took place to divide these teams into four groups of three teams each. This culminated in Group 1 comprising of the Netherlands, France and Germany; Group 2 having Switzerland, Belgium and Iceland; Group 3 with Portugal, Italy and Poland; and, finally, Group 4 with England, Spain and Croatia.
The group stages commenced in September, with each team playing the two other teams in its group once at home and once again at the away fixture. The last round of group stage games, played on November 20, threw up many surprises. Contrary to most expectations, the Netherlands came out on top of Group 1, while Germany finished at the bottom without winning a single game. Despite having the same number of points as second-placed Belgium, Switzerland emerged victorious in Group 2 on goal difference, while Iceland – with no points scored – finished third. Portugal emerged clear victors in Group 3, while Poland finished last. Finally, in Group 3, England – fresh from a resurgent summer, ever since Gareth Southgate has taken charge – finished as the leaders, while Croatia – who finished second in the World Cup – disappointingly came last.
By virtue of finishing as leaders in their respective groups, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and England qualified for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals round. The draw for the Finals, scheduled to take place on December 3 in Dublin, will decide the semi-finals line-up, which will take place on June 5 and 6 next year. And on June 9, the tournament will come to its grand conclusion with the winners of the two semi-finals taking on each other in the finale. Portugal is all set to host the Finals, with Porto's Estádio do Dragão and Estádio D Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes as its proposed host venues. Further, these four nations have now also qualified for the UEFA 2020 tournament – a result of topping their groups.
All may be well for the four group winners, but the same cannot be said of the four teams that finished at the bottom. Germany, Iceland, Poland and Croatia have now been relegated to League B of the UEFA Nations League and they will play the 2020-21 season of the tournament from League B. Though it does not mar their chances of qualification to other major football tournaments, relegation to League B means a reduction in their UEFA national team coefficient, i.e. their European rankings.
Among the teams that were relegated to League B, Germany's drop was a disappointment to many. This bad run of form also comes after a disastrous World Cup, where they failed to even advance beyond the group stages. Coach Joachim Löw has had a terrible 2018, with his team winning only four of their 13 games and scoring a meagre 14 goals. Despite boasting of world-class talent in midfielders like Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira, attackers like Marco Reus and Julian Draxler, and defenders like Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, Die Mannschaft has not quite been the same team it was before the World Cup in Russia. With the services of some of the game's greatest players like Philipp Lahm and Mesut Özil not at its disposal anymore, Germany has not been the same side it was two years ago. Youngsters like Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane and Timo Werner are expected to fill the shoes of legends like Philipp Lahm, Bastian Scheweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose. Many of these starlets have shown glimpses of brilliance – and given some time, they may soon emulate their glorious predecessors at the international level.
Meanwhile, of the four teams that will compete in the Finals in June, none seem to be as resurgent as the Netherlands. Having failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, the Dutch national team also bid farewell to some of its most accomplished players, including the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben.
Regular supply of young and talented players is one area that The Flying Dutchmen are not lacking in. Captained by 27-year-old centre-back Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands played to their true potential in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League. Having scored eight goals and conceded only four, the Dutch outsmarted World Cup winners France in terms of goal difference to emerge on top of Group 1. With manager Ronald Koeman's appointment, the Netherlands have turned over a new leaf. The 55-year-old placed his faith in younger but faster and agile players like Memphis Depay, Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake and Frenkie de Jong, who repaid his faith by delivering top notch performances.
Koeman also gave a fresh lease of life to experienced workhorses like Kevin Strootman, Ryan Babel, Stephan de Vrij and Daley Blind. Partnership of the young and the new served well for Koeman, thanks to which the Dutch will finally play in the UEFA Euro in 2020. This will be their first ever major international tournament, having failed to qualify for the 2016 Euro in France and the World Cup in June this year.
