In the end, England’s stardust proved too much as Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane. This produced moments of brilliance either side of the whistle indicating the end of regular time to eliminate Slovakia.
The nature of history means that when this match is remembered years from the present. The enduring memory will be of Bellingham’s outrageous bicycle kick equalizer in the second last minute of added time. Then Kane’s towering header immediately after the restart.
The fact is that Slovakia outplayed and outfought their more illustrious opponents. Both before and after Ivan Schranz broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Only fell to defeat after fatigue and the aforementioned stardust denied them an historic victory at the death.
Bellingham’s goal made him England’s top scorer at this Euros with two goals. Kane’s goal being his maiden strike of the tournament. The Three Lion’s attack has stuttered and flattered to deceive despite being comprised of superstar household names.
Given Bellingham and Kane’s celebrity status. It is somewhat surprising that it is the other scorer in this match. Who sits atop the goal scoring charts of Euro 2024, albeit jointly, and most probably temporarily.
Background of our player today.
Schranz’s first half opener for Slovakia was his third of the tournament. Having also netted against Belgium and Ukraine in the group stage round. Taking him level with Germany’s Bayern Munich starlet Jamal Musiala and another surprise name in Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze.
Musiala is well established at Bayern. Considering he is the only one of the three whose country is still in the tournament. He is odds on favorite to claim the Golden Boot. While FC Metz’s Mikautadze, though equally unheralded. He is a former Ajax Amsterdam player. He is also, a 23 years. Young enough to be seen as one for the future. So who is Schranz, the third man atop the chart?
For starters he isn’t a young upcoming talent. Like the other two. In fact ,he is already thirty years old, having been born on 13th September 1993.
He plays either as a striker or a winger. With his best attribute being the ability to run in behind the defense. He has had a journeyman career in the lower rungs of European football. Featuring for eight clubs, including the likes of Spartak Trnava,AEL Limassol and Jablonec,in the last fourteen years.
Current Club
He currently plays for Czech club Slavia Prague. Whom he joined in 2021. He made his national team debut in 2020 in a UEFA Nations League fixture against the Czech Republic. Where he was named in the Slovakia squad for Euro 2020,although he didn’t play a single minute.
Euro 2024 being his first taste of major tournament in football. This makes his form even more impressive and he deserves the place in history that his goal scoring exploits will earn him.
It remains to be seen whether or not his displays in Slovakia’s frontline. With the whole world watching will result into a transfer to a club with a higher profile. With his age expected to be a major obstacle to that. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up moving somewhere more recognizable .
One thing that can be said with certainty. Is that Schranz,Slovakia and the rest of the football world will never forget the summer of 2024.
