UEFA Euro 2008 Thread

[Brother None]

There goes my prediction that Group D would eat mud to Group C.

Spain still doesn't look all that good, but better. Here's to hoping Russia will destroy them.

Time for another poll reset. Latest:

Germany
19% [ 4 ]
Croatia
4% [ 1 ]
Turkey
4% [ 1 ]
The Netherlands
33% [ 7 ]
Russia
19% [ 4 ]
Italy
9% [ 2 ]
Spain
9% [ 2 ]

 

[maximaz]

I hate Donadoni with a passion. Finally he got the italian defense, which HE messed up, straightened out again and now he forgot all about actually scoring goals. Where in the world was Del Piero? When they need a goal, he needs to come out. He creates chances. And italy desperately needed a goal to avoid the shootout; when did Italy ever get lucky on penalties?? Why is ambrossini there, who is cassano? WTF??

Considering how many key italian players didnt play, they had a very good game. Referee helped though He tried the hardest for the italians. Well, congrats to Spain. They did deserve a few penalties during the actual game, if you ask me.

 

[Sander]

Wasn't purely Arshavin's quality, tho'. Pavluchenko shifted position a lot and kept both Mathijssen and Ooijer busy, which means it should have been de Jong's job to bite down on Arshavin. He never really did.

Yer, Pavlyuchenko did for Russia what Van the Man did for us against Italy and especially France.

And De Jong played a great match, but more as a sweeper or Davids style vacuum cleaner than man marker.

UEFA sent out an explanation, tho' I didn't read it. I hear it's because the linesman said it wasn't a foul (and it wasn't), not because the ball was out.

Couldn't see right if it was a foul or not, but I can't believe that the far away linesman gets a better view of that than the ref himself.

I'm more curious why he didn't give a penalty the Russians a bit into overtime.

Probably didn't see it right. Definitely a penalty, though.

Oh hells no. Russia - Germany all the way. I'd rather see pretty football than the elbow football of Turkey.

Who, I should also note, are the only really ugly team left. As opposed to the last EC, this is one of pretty football.

Which is good.

The last EC wasn't really that bad, was it? It was just Greece that was that bad, really. Czech republic was good, Netherlands wasn't the prettiest but definitely not that ugly and the same goes for Portugal.

Also, Spain, although unimpressive, definitely took this one deservedly. At least the Italians don't get a shot at the finals again.

 

[Yata]

Never mind

 

[horse]

damn the turkish have just declared war on us!

at least it sounded like that

 

[Yata]

 

[docho]

That second Turkish goal is really unbelievable... .

EDIT: Scoring at the last minute itself is even more unbelievable

 

[horse]

epic fight

honestly, the turks should have owned us... so many mistakes

 

[Sander]

The third German goal was even more unbelievable. Kazim stays behind injured leaving room for Lahm to shoot in the 5th German chance of the night or so.

Undeserved win, I really would've liked to see the Turks go through. They played great football, really, but in the end the Germans won it. As always.

 

[Jesterka]

The end, yey!

What to say. Better team goes through, worst goes home. Didn't see the last minutes, but I pressume lot of Turkish whines at the end.

Congratulations, our naughty western neighbours.

 

[Sander]

The end, yey!

What to say. Better team goes through, worst goes home. Didn't see the last minutes, but I pressume lot of Turkish whines at the end.

This is borderline trolling, don't.

Also, how the hell was Germany the better team?

 

[Yata]

Never mind

 

[Sander]

Bitterness made you blind. The worst went home at the group stage including your own country.

And strike one for trolling.
When I tell Jesterka not to troll, you don't get to come in and do it anyway.

 

[Flop]

Also, how the hell was Germany the better team?

They won? I don't really get these "undeserved" comments. If people agree that football is decided by chance, the rules should probably be changed.

Anyway, I'd say that Germany is the better team although this match wasn't excactly their finest moment. I'm hoping for Germany vs Russia in the finals, don't really care who wins though.

 

[Sander]

They won?

That doesn't make them the team that played qualitatively better football, though.

I don't really get these "undeserved" comments. If people agree that football is decided by chance, the rules should probably be changed.

Ehm, why? Most competitive sports have an element of chance.

 

[Flop]

That doesn't make them the team that played qualitatively better football, though.

I think that depends on what you think makes for better football. The way the Germans played wasn't the prettiest (or very good, for that matter), that's for sure, and they didn't create many chances, but they managed to profit from the ones they did create, unlike the Turkish team who created more chances, but didn't profit from most of them.

Ehm, why? Most competitive sports have an element of chance.

Sure, which is good imo. I just often hear people talk about undeserved wins (some of my friends love using that expression), and it seems to me that if the team who played best lose a game, then that game must have been decided by chance (excluding the possibility of corrupt or just plain bad referees). If that happens as often as my friends use that expression, then maybe chance plays too much of a role in football. I don't think it does, though, only that peoples perception of what makes for good football varies.

 

[Sander]

I think that depends on what you think makes for better football. The way the Germans played wasn't the prettiest (or very good, for that matter), that's for sure, and they didn't create many chances, but they managed to profit from the ones they did create, unlike the Turkish team who created more chances, but didn't profit from most of them.

Well, you can analyse the game tactically, and the Germans were outplayed on almost everything except efficiency in goalscoring.

Sure, which is good imo. I just often hear people talk about undeserved wins (some of my friends love using that expression), and it seems to me that if the team who played best lose a game, then that game must have been decided by chance (excluding the possibility of corrupt or just plain bad referees). If that happens as often as my friends use that expression, then maybe chance plays too much of a role in football. I don't think it does, though, only that peoples perception of what makes for good football varies.

Well, there are a lot of different things that can go right or wrong which may decide a match.

But what people often fail to understand is that that's the beauty of football and most competitive sports. If chance had no influence, then football would be pretty boring to watch.

 

[Brother None]

Well, you can analyse the game tactically, and the Germans were outplayed on almost everything except efficiency in goalscoring.

Which is all debatable and subjective. As I said before, I kinda dig the American way: the guy that wins is the best, period. All the rest is just subjective claptrap, the only objective fact is the score.

 

[ford_prefect]

I'll just say one thing...

¡¡ ESPAÑA !! ¡¡ OE OE OE OE!!

Ruskies: we owned you in the first round, and we will do again this evening!

...well, or so i expect. Did you know that Spain doesn't pass through quarters in a major competition since it's 24 years? For one of the most expensive leagues all the world around, Spain SUCKS at football, that's our fate. In fact, many people here feels that we can be happy already by having won Italy (Spain didn't win Italy in an official match since it's 80 years!). Loserish, ain't it?

Anyway, Spain sucks, but Russia sucks better. We can win them again, for sure. I'm betting 0-1 for spain tonight.

we'll see!

 

[Flop]

Well, you can analyse the game tactically, and the Germans were outplayed on almost everything except efficiency in goalscoring.

Well, the game is about scoring goals, so efficiency in goalscoring is arguably the most important aspect of the game, although it doesn't necessarily make for a very entertaining game if that's all one or both teams are good at.

Anyway, I was rather surprised at Turkey, they played a much better game than I had expected. My local pizzaguy, who's from Turkey, was sure they'd lose 4-0.