Sporting Kansas City forward Krisztian Nemeth came off the bench at halftime and helped the Hungary Men’s National Team secure a 2-1 comeback win over the Faroe Islands on Thursday at Groupama Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
The UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier was Nemeth’s 20th international appearance of his career and his fifth cap for the Magyars since the start of 2015. Hungary (4-1-4, 16 points) stays in third place in Group F, four points behind leaders Northern Ireland (6-1-2) and one point behind Romania (4-0-5) with one all-important Euro qualifier still to be played against Greece on Sunday (11 a.m. CT, FOX Sports 2).
With the result, Hungary now ranks first among all third-place teams in Euro qualifying. The top two teams from each group — as well as the third-place team with the most points — advance directly to the to Euro 2016 next June, while the remaining eight third-place teams participate in a two-legged playoff next month to determine the final four teams in the tournament.
The Magyars trailed 1-0 at the interval, but Nemeth’s second-half introduction helped the hosts seize control. Hungary outshot the Faroe Islands 18-4, and their dominance paid dividends when Bode scored in the 63rd and 71st minutes to seal the victory. Nemeth nearly found the back of the net with a shot to the near post in stoppage time, only for Gunnar Nielsen to make a sprawling save.
Nemeth has excelled at Sporting Kansas City since joining the club in January. The 26-year-old was named Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month in May, and his 22 combined goals (15) and assists (7) in all competitions are the most by a Kansas City newcomer since the inaugural 1996 season. He shared the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Golden Boot honor with five goals, including an equalizer in the Final that Sporting Kansas City won on penalties.
UEFA UERO 2016 QUALIFYING - GROUP F STANDINGS
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>Record</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
Northern Ireland - Q |
6-1-2, 20 points |
+8 |
Romania - X |
4-0-5, 17 points |
+6 |
Hungary - X |
4-1-4, 16 points |
+3 |
Finland |
3-4-2, 11 points |
-1 |
Faroe Islands |
2-7-0, 6 points |
-8 |
Greece |
0-6-3, 3 points |
-8 |
Q - qualified for Euro 2016 X - assured of at least 3rd place (and playoffs)
UEFA UERO 2016 QUALIFYING - RANKING OF 3RD-PLACE TEAMS
The highest ranked third-place team from the groups directly qualifies for Euro 2016, while the remaining eight enter a two-legged playoff in November. Because Group I contains five teams and the rest contain six, matches against any sixth-placed team in each group are not included in this ranking.
<strong>Team (Group)</strong> |
<strong>Record</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
Hungary (F) |
4-1-3, 15 points |
+3 |
Ukraine (C) |
4-2-1, 13 points |
+8 |
Ireland (D) |
3-1-3, 12 points |
+2 |
Croatia (H) |
3-1-3, 12 points |
+9 |
Albania (I) |
3-2-2, 11 points |
+2 |
Sweden (G) |
2-2-3, 9 points |
0 |
Slovenia (E) |
3-4-0, 9 points |
-1 |
Israel (B) |
2-3-1, 7 points |
-2 |
Turkey (A) |
1-2-3, 6 points |
-1 |
