The 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-19 Euro 2018) was the 17th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (67th edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-19 national teams of Europe. Finland hosted the final tournament, between 16 and 29 July, after being selected by UEFA on 26 January 2015.[2] A total of eight teams competed in the tournament, with players born on or after 1 January 1999 eligible to participate.
Jalkapallon alle 19-vuotiaiden Euroopan-mestaruuskilpailut 2018 (in Finnish) U19-Europamästerskapet i fotboll 2018 (in Swedish) | |
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Tournament details | |
Host country | Finland |
Dates | 16–29 July |
Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
Final positions | |
Champions | Portugal (1st title) |
Runners-up | Italy |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 16 |
Goals scored | 58 (3.63 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | Jota Francisco Trincão (5 goals each)[1] |
← 2017 2019 → |
Same as previous editions held in even-numbered years, the tournament acted as the UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The top five teams of the tournament qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland as the UEFA representatives, besides Poland who qualified automatically as hosts.
In the final, 2017 runners-up Portugal beat the 2016 losing finalists Italy 4–3, after extra-time, to win their first title in the under-19 era and their fourth overall.[3] Having won the Under-17 title in 2016, this generation of players became the first to hold the European title in both youth categories.[4] England were the defending champions, but were eliminated by France, finishing third in the group stage. They lost 0–3 to Norway in the play-off round and thus failed to qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they would also defend their title.
Qualification
editAll 55 UEFA nations entered the competition (including Kosovo who entered for the first time), and with the hosts Finland qualifying automatically, the other 54 teams competed in the qualifying competition to determine the remaining seven spots in the final tournament.[5] The qualifying competition consisted of two rounds: Qualifying round, which took place in autumn 2017, and Elite round, which took place in spring 2018.[6]
Qualified teams
editThe following teams qualified for the final tournament.[7]
Note: All appearance statistics include only U-19 era (since 2002).
Team | Method of qualification | Appearance | Last appearance | Previous best performance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Finland | Hosts | 1st | — | Debut |
Norway | Elite round Group 1 winners | 4th | 2005 (group stage) | Group stage (2002, 2003, 2005) |
England | Elite round Group 2 winners | 10th | 2017 (champions) | Champions (2017) |
Italy | Elite round Group 3 winners | 6th | 2016 (runners-up) | Champions (2003) |
Ukraine | Elite round Group 4 winners | 5th | 2015 (group stage) | Champions (2009) |
Portugal | Elite round Group 5 winners | 10th | 2017 (runners-up) | Runners-up (2003, 2014, 2017) |
France | Elite round Group 6 winners | 10th | 2016 (champions) | Champions (2005, 2010, 2016) |
Turkey | Elite round Group 7 winners | 6th | 2013 (group stage) | Runners-up (2004) |
Final draw
editThe final draw was held on 30 May 2018, 12:00 EEST (UTC+3), at the Vaasa City Hall in Vaasa, Finland.[8] The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four teams. There was no seeding, except that hosts Finland were assigned to position A1 in the draw.
Venues
editThe tournament took place in Vaasa and Seinäjoki.[9]
Seinäjoki | Vaasa | |
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OmaSP Stadion | Hietalahti Stadium | |
Capacity: 5,672 | Capacity: 5,572 | |
Match officials
editA total of 6 referees, 8 assistant referees and 2 fourth officials were appointed for the final tournament.[7]
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Squads
editEach national team submitted a squad of 20 players (Regulations Article 39).[6]
Group stage
editThe final tournament schedule was confirmed on 5 June 2018.[10]
The group winners and runners-up advanced to the semi-finals and qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The third-placed teams entered the FIFA U-20 World Cup play-off.
- Tiebreakers
In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Articles 16.01 and 16.02):[6]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams had the same number of points, and they met in the last round of the group and were tied after applying all criteria above (not used if more than two teams had the same number of points, or if their rankings were not relevant for qualification for the next stage);
- Disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
- UEFA coefficient for the qualifying round draw;
- Drawing of lots.
All times were local, EEST (UTC+3).
Group A
edit
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Italy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | Knockout stage and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup |
2 | Portugal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | |
3 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | FIFA U-20 World Cup play-off |
4 | Finland (H) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
Finland | 2–3 | Norway |
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Report |
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Portugal | 2–3 | Italy |
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Report |
Portugal | 3–0 | Finland |
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Report |
Group B
edit
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ukraine | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | Knockout stage and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup |
2 | France | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 6 | |
3 | England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 4 | FIFA U-20 World Cup play-off |
4 | Turkey | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
Turkey | 2–3 | England |
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Report |
France | 1–2 | Ukraine |
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Report |
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Turkey | 0–5 | France |
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Report |
England | 0–5 | France |
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Report |
Knockout stage
editIn the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.[6]
Bracket
editSemi-finals | Final | |||||
26 July – Vaasa | ||||||
Italy | 2 | |||||
29 July – Seinäjoki | ||||||
France | 0 | |||||
Italy | 3 | |||||
26 July – Vaasa | ||||||
Portugal (a.e.t.) | 4 | |||||
Ukraine | 0 | |||||
Portugal | 5 | |||||
World Cup play-off | ||||||
26 July – Seinäjoki | ||||||
Norway | 3 | |||||
England | 0 |
FIFA U-20 World Cup play-off
editWinner qualified for 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Norway | 3–0 | England |
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Report |
Semi-finals
editUkraine | 0–5 | Portugal |
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Report |
Final
editQualified teams for FIFA U-20 World Cup
editThe following six teams from UEFA qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, including Poland which qualified as hosts.
Team | Qualified on | Previous appearances in FIFA U-20 World Cup1 |
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Poland | 16 March 2018[11] | 4 (1979, 1981, 1983, 2007) |
Italy | 22 July 2018[12] | 6 (1977, 1981, 1987, 2005, 2009, 2017) |
Portugal | 22 July 2018[12] | 11 (1979, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) |
Ukraine | 23 July 2018[13] | 3 (2001, 2005, 2015) |
France | 23 July 2018[13] | 6 (1977, 1997, 2001, 2011, 2013, 2017) |
Norway | 26 July 2018[14] | 2 (1989, 1993) |
- 1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.
Goalscorers
editThere were 58 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.62 goals per match.
5 goals
4 goals
2 goals
1 goal
- Ben Brereton
- Elliot Embleton
- Japhet Tanganga
- Marcus Tavernier
- Eetu Vertainen
- Saku Ylätupa
- Michaël Cuisance
- Moussa Diaby
- Myziane Maolida
- Davide Frattesi
- Nicolò Zaniolo
- Christian Borchgrevink
- Erling Haaland
- Mesaque Djú
- José Gomes
- Domingos Quina
- Metehan Güçlü
- Güven Yalçın
- Vladyslav Supriaha
- Heorhiy Tsitaishvili
Source: UEFA.com[15]
Team of the Tournament
editThe UEFA technical observers selected the following 11 players for the team of the tournament (and an additional nine substitutes):[16]
Starting XI:
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Substitutes:
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References
edit- ^ Woloszyn, Paul (29 July 2018). "Portugal pair share U19 EURO top scorers' prize". UEFA.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Georgia and Finland to stage U19 EURO". UEFA.com. 26 January 2015.
- ^ "All the Under-19 EURO results". UEFA.com. 29 July 2018.
- ^ "Under-19 - Italy-Portugal". UEFA.com. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ "Seedings for 2017/18 U19 qualifying round". UEFA. 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Regulations of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, 2017/18" (PDF). UEFA.com.
- ^ a b "UEFA European Under-19 Championship Finland 2018". UEFA Programmes.
- ^ "Under-19 final tournament draw". UEFA.com.
- ^ "THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE PLAYED IN TWO VENUES, IN VAASA AND SEINÄJOKI". www.uefa.com.
- ^ "#U19EURO finals schedule confirmed". UEFA.com. 5 June 2018.
- ^ "FIFA Council decides on key steps for the future of international competitions". FIFA.com. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Italy, Portugal heading to U-20 World Cup". FIFA.com. 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Ukraine and France qualify for Poland 2019". FIFA.com. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Norway book Europe's last spot, holders England eliminated". FIFA.com. 26 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Statistics — Tournament phase — Player statistics — Goals". UEFA.com. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ "Under-19 EURO team of the tournament". UEFA.com. 1 August 2018.