European Football Championship - A draw, but no disgrace: Slovakia and Romania move on
With the final whistle, a jubilant scream echoed from 47,000 throats. Then, the Romanian and Slovakian professionals, along with their fans, kicked off a thunderous football party. With a 1:1 (1:1) at the last group stage match of Group E, both teams reached the Euro quarterfinals for the second time in history.
"This is the biggest moment in our entire career. Normally, I would start by complimenting my players. This time, I want to begin with our fans. One experiences such a thing only once in a lifetime. I'm sure there will be celebrations back home in Romania," said Romania's coach Edward Iordanescu, filled with pathos.
The Slovaks shared the same emotional state. "This is a sweet draw for us. We deserved to move on," said defender David Hancko. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka added about the entry into the quarterfinals, "This means so much for all of us in our country and is a reason to celebrate. It's fantastic."
Both rivals achieved the result needed to advance on Wednesday in Frankfurt, where intense heat was followed by a heavy storm. Ondrej Duda put Slovakia in the lead in the 24th minute. Razvan Marin (37.) equalized for Romania with a penalty kick following a controversial decision by the video assistant referee.
Slovakia now faces England
The Slovaks ended the group stage in Group E in third place and will face England in the quarterfinals as a result. Group winners Romania will play the Netherlands.
The signs before the game were clear: Both teams needed a draw to advance. Before the encounter of the underdogs, there were already discussions about a repeat of the disgrace of Gijón at the 1982 World Cup, when Austria and Germany agreed on a non-aggression pact to advance.
"There could be no deals," wrote the Romanian online portal "adevarul" and noted, "There is also justice in this world."
Both teams followed their words with actions and played boldly in the opening phase. Driven by the many loud Romanian fans, Andrei Ratiu had the first chance. Martin Dubravka in the Slovakian goal saved his shot. The rebound was headed in by Ianis Hagi. The son of the former football stars Gheorghe Hagi played his first match at this EM from the start.
The Slovaks were also offensively dangerous in the following minutes. A clever free-kick from Lukas Haraslin whistled through the Romanian penalty area, but also past the goal. Shortly afterwards, Duda was there with a header.
Controversial penalty leads to the equalizer
After the opposing goal, the Romanians seemed a little shocked at first. In the 34th minute, the Slovak defender David Hancko took down Hagi at the penalty area. The German referee Daniel Siebert initially called for a free kick. After review by the video assistant, Siebert then pointed to the penalty spot - a controversial decision. "It's a discretionary call," said Sieber's colleague Patrick Ittrich on MagentaTV. Marin converted the penalty kick for sure.
At the beginning of the second half, both teams remained brave. With an oncoming storm over the stadium, opportunities for goals arose on both sides. Marin of Romania failed from a distance against Dubravka, and Denis Dragus came close for a short moment. For Slovakia, David Strelec and Haraslin were just inches away from the 2:1.
The controversial penalty kick, awarded due to a discretionary call by German referee Daniel Siebert, led to Razvan Marin's equalizer for Romania. The equalizer seemed to momentarily shock the Romanian team, but they quickly regained their composure. Martin Dubravka, the Slovak goalkeeper, made several crucial saves to keep their lead intact. The intense heat in Frankfurt was followed by a heavy storm, adding an extra challenge to the teams' performances. With the draw, both Romania and Slovakia advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Football Championship, a feat they had achieved only once before in their respective histories. The Slovaks ended Group E in third place and will face England in the quarterfinals, while Group winners Romania will square off against the Netherlands. The passionate crowds from both countries contributed to a lively and engaging atmosphere, with Andrei Ratiu and Ianis Hagi standing out as key players for Romania. The Slovak team, led by Lukas Haraslin's inventive free-kicks and Ondrej Duda's heading ability, also showed their mettle in the Group E match. As the heat gave way to the storm and the final whistle sounded, it became clear that both teams had given their all in their quest to advance in the European Football Championship, played in the heart of Germany in Frankfurt am Main.
