National Football Team Qualifies Unbeaten for the European Championships

The Hungarian national football team came from behind in the second half to beat Montenegro 3-1 in Sunday’s European Championship qualifier. The team qualified for next year’s continental tournament in Germany as group winners with five wins and three draws, for which the group draw will be made on December 2.

The visitors took the lead in the 36th minute through Slobodan Rubežić’s header, but Hungarian captain Dominik Szoboszlai’s double in the 66th and 68th minutes turned the game around for the team. The final score was set by Ádám Nagy.

The success in the sold-out Puskás Arena means that the national team is now unbeaten in 12 matches –

the last such streak was between March 2000, and April 2001 – and has not finished a calendar year unbeaten since 1976.

 

The Hungarian fans welcomed the national team with great enthusiasm and cheers: the Hungarian flag was displayed in the stands behind one of the goals with the message “Let’s go to the European Championship.”

After the final whistle, the crowd celebrated for a long time with the national team and sang the national anthem. Dominik Szoboszlai and Marco Rossi also thanked the fans.

“The opponents put us in a difficult situation. (…) In the second half we managed to shift into a higher gear. We won the game thanks mainly to Dominik Szoboszlai, but I am also very happy with Ádám Nagy’s goal,” said Italian head coach Rossi. He added that the success of any coach depends on the quality of the players under his guidance, which is why he is happy to work with the Liverpool midfielder, Szoboszlai. Rossi explained that he was extremely proud of both the group title and the unbeaten record.

“I did my part to make the team successful. Personally, I always put the team first because I could not have scored on my own,” commented the Liverpool midfielder about his two goals in two minutes. Szoboszlai stressed that the national team is mentally very strong because it never gives up, and that is in every player’s head, and it does not need to be explained to anyone. He added that they always fight to the end, even when they are leading.

I am proud of the team for the way we have gone through this qualifying series,”

highlighted Szoboszlai, referring to the fact that the national team came from behind twice to win in the qualifying series. “It is easy to be the captain of this national team because you do not have to tell anyone what to do, you do not have to beg them to do it. Everyone knows what the expectation is, what the tactics are. (…) It is not an individual sport, it is a team sport. This is just the beginning because this is a young team that can achieve great things.”

Via MTI, Featured image via Facebook/MLSZ – Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség