Brilliant Bruno, Handful of Hat Tricks, and More from Week 1 of Summer Football

The sun is out, the weather is warm, and international football is back! Football fans around the world can look forward to the Euros and Copa America along with the Paris Olympic games. While we are eagerly anticipating what is sure to be three fantastic tournaments, we are in the “dress rehearsal” stage where teams are taking part in friendly matches to stay sharp. Yesterday was the end of the first round of friendly matches and it is time to recap what we saw on week 1:

England (3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina)

(Image via The Sun)

• Good start for the Three Lions: three goals, a clean sheet, and plenty of players were given England debuts. The footballing world is eager to see how England perform this summer after their tragic loss in the final of the last Euros competition to Italy on penalties, and a disappointing quarter-final loss to France in the 2022 World Cup. Safe to say that after 58 trophyless years for England, they will want to finally bring the cup home.

France (3-0 win over Luxembourg)

(Image via Reuters)

• Not much to say about this win except that it was expected. Mbappe showcased his talents once again, I am sure many fans are excited to watch the Frenchman play for Real Madrid next season, I know I am. France is the team many expect to win the tournament due to the amazing players and winning mentality in that dressing room. The team won the 2018 World Cup and was runners-up in the following competition in Qatar. However, the side has not brought home a Euros trophy in a while, could this summer be their time?

Portugal (4-2 win over Finland)

(Image via United in Focus)

• Portugal are another team that will want to win the Euros again and with the players in their lineup, I can see them going all the way. Yesterday the team showed what they can do. Bruno Fernandes deserves a lot of credit after netting two goals for his side. Portugal has always been the team with a strong squad but ultimately produces underwhelming performances. With this most likely being Cristiano Ronaldo’s last Euros for his country, he will want to go out with a bang and bring it home again.

Spain (5-0 win over Andorra)

(Image via BeSoccer)

• Now this is domination. Similarly to Portugal, Spain is a side that is full of amazing players who cannot seem to work together at the national level. This summer is Spain’s chance to prove all the critics wrong as long as they can achieve a solid run in the Euros. Yesterday they showed us what happens when they work together. Yes, they were not up against the best opponents, but five goals, three of which from Oyarzabal, is impressive. Hopefully, they can keep this up.

Uruguay (4-0 win over Mexico)

(Image via El Observador)

• This was a statement victory from Uruguay. Darwin Nunez stole the show with his hat trick but all around the team was very good. On the other hand, this was an alarming loss for Mexico which will leave fans worried for the upcoming Copa America tournament. Uruguay was never the team to challenge for the Copa America amongst the giants of the competition such as Argentina, Brazil, or Chile. It is still early days, but If they can continue to win games convincingly, maybe it will be their year.

Netherlands (4-0 win over Canada)

(Image via Goal.com)

• The Netherlands is another team that is very strong but poor in international tournaments. In their defense and midfield, they are very strong but the attack is weighing the team down. The attack was good yesterday but two of the goal scorers were defenders. I believe that the Dutch can do big things this summer, but they will need their attacking players to step up.