Euro 2016 Playoffs: Hungary vs. Norway 2nd Leg Score and Reaction
Hungary became the first team to book their place at Euro 2016 via the play-offs after defeating Norway 2-1 on Sunday evening to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory thanks to a Tamas Priskin wonder strike and Markus Henriksen's own goal.
Budapest's Groupama Arena was sent into raptures after Priskin opened Sunday's scoring from range to help cement Hungary's place at what will be their first European Championship finals since 1972.
Even Hovland came closest to scoring for Norway after heading a Martin Odegaard corner against the post on the stroke of half-time, but Per Mathias Hogmo's men were unable to overcome their deficit.
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Hungary were once a major power in the international arena, and legend Ferenc Puskas, who reigned in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, is often spoken of as one of the sport's best ever. FourFourTwo's Charles Ducksbury welcomed their return to the elite level:
After they established a 1-0 victory in Oslo and nicked that all-important away goal, one might not have blamed Hungary for playing a waiting game in Sunday's clash, happy to bide their time and defend such a lead.
But Priskin had no such intention and took just 14 minutes to bag what will assuredly go down as the most important goal of his international career, as emphasised by reporter Emanuel Rosu:
The former Watford and Ipswich Town striker ambled his way into the Norwegian box before cutting in from the left and wrapping a right-footed effort just inside opposing No. 1 Orjan Nyland's right post.
The goal perhaps didn't change much from Norway's point of view; Sunday's visitors were always going to chase two goals if they wanted to end the play-off in normal time, but now that tally had become a necessity.
A corner from 16-year-old Odegaard almost carved open the chance Norway needed to pull level just prior to the break, but Hyland's header could only find the hosts' left post.
Hungary appeared happy to sit back and operate on the counter as Hogmo's side came to dominate possession, as illustrated by Spanish newspaper AS at the half-time break:
The second period followed much the same pattern, and despite all their bluster, Norway couldn't manage much by way of open opportunities in front of Gabor Kiraly's goal. As Infostrada Sports noted, Kiraly could "become the first 40-year-old in Euro history next year."
Seven minutes from time, Hungary struck the hammer-blow as a deflected attempt on goal ricocheted off Norway striker Henriksen for an own goal. Michael Qureshi of Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet noted the very un-Scandinavian population set to compete at Euro 2016:
He went some way to redeeming himself just minutes later, grabbing a consolation with 87 minutes on the board, but it was too much to ask for Norway to add another two to their tally after that.
Bernd Storck endured what were surely some of the most tense minutes of his management career, and the reward was a place in next year's continental showdown.
Norway will leave disappointed not to have made more of an impression on their hosts considering the amount of possession for which they accounted, with their Euro 2016 dreams now over.
The Scandinavian nation last competed at the European Championship in 2000, but that 15-year wait is nothing compared to the three decades and more that's passed since Hungary's last participation.
Storck's men can also take heart in knowing they've never failed to make the quarter-finals of a European Championship, although the finals were comprised of just four teams in 1964 and 1972.
A vastly greater pressure now rests with the Magical Magyars after becoming one of the 24 teams to contest the expanded 2016 tournament, but basking in that achievement will be their only priority for the time being.
Post-Match Reaction
Sunday's win celebrated a watershed moment in Hungarian football history and the end of a 34-year drought that's excluded them from competing for Europe's top prizes.
However, the Magical Magyars were by all means the superior outfit over the course of this weekend's two legs, and Storck emphasised that point in his post-match comments in Budapest, per Euro 2016:
Winning the play-off on home soil only made the win that much sweeter, and France will welcome one of the continent's old powers back into the spotlight next year, with Storck masterminding a fairytale victory.
