2008 European Cup

[Trefellin]

The European Cup begins tomorrow though I'm not sure if there's many people here who appreciate football. Has anyone been looking forward to it?

Who's qualified?

Group A- Switzerland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Turkey.

Group B- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Poland.

Group C- The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, France.

Group D- Greece, Sweden, Spain, Russia.


My team is definitely Portugal. They've always been though Group C is definitely the group to watch. Romania has a lot of work ahead of them if they want to survive the group of death. I'll also be watching Greece's games very carefully.

Força Portugalhttp://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/Trefellin/Portugalsmiley.gif

[Naraku]

Wow, Group C is stacked. Netherlands all the way though, I'll be decked out in orange for it.

Portugal will most likely win A, though Czech Republic and Switzerland could step up. (Never seen Turkey play).

Germany looks like a lock to be the strongest in Group B.

And Group D seems to be the weakest, Sweden will probably come out on top there.

Just my picks/hopes.

[Xhalen]

Customary 'Blah, blah, you mean soccer, blah, blah' post.

A)Czech
B)Germany
C)Italy
D)Spain

[Bernard_Monsha]

I hope Turkey wins the super duper soccer tournement to piss Prons off.

[Caster13]

Customary 'Blah, blah, you mean soccer, blah, blah' post.

A)Czech
B)Germany
C)Italy
D)Spain

No, since the rest of the world calls it football, and only America calls it soccer, it's football.

[germanturkey]

i don't care about any other group aside from C. Netherlands and France to make it through, humiliating Italy along the way.

but Spain to win it all and C. Ronaldo tear's his ACL

[Trefellin]

I hope Turkey wins the super duper soccer tournement to piss Prons off.

There's no way that Turkey will survive the group stages. I've been praying to St. James for victory against the Muslims. (history joke)

No, since the rest of the world calls it football, and only America calls it soccer, it's football.

I concur wholeheartedly.


but Spain to win it all and C. Ronaldo tear's his ACL

I wouldn't put money on Spain. They're cursed, always to be the disappointment. Every tournament they say, "this is the year for Spain, the have a great team."

I don't expect a lot from Ronaldo. He must be a little wasted from his great season at Man U. Also, he is constantly marked and can't do much about it.
I'm really pissed that Maniche wasn't chosen for the Portuguese National team. He's my second favourite player ever and he's better than some guys who made the squad. I'll be happy if Portugal gets to the quartre finals.

Two teams from each group advance. My predictions...

Portugal wins group A and faces runners up from group B, Poland. Germany, winner of group B, plays the Czech Republic who was second from group A.

France, winner of group C plays second of group D, Sweden. Spain, winner of group D, plays the The Netherlands who was second in group C.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

We didn't get in this year. We didn't even bloody qualify this year!

I act like I'm surprised. :rolleyes:

Customary 'Blah, blah, you mean soccer, blah, blah' post.

No he means Football.

How did they even come up with the name "Soccer" anyway?

[Bernard_Monsha]

No he means Football.

How did they even come up with the name "Soccer" anyway?

No he means soccer, that left over medieval sport beloved by self aggrandizing Europeans and their colonies. I can see the appeal in poorer countries, I mean you can kick around an inflated pigs bladder for a couple of hours then after the game you have tenderized your dinner's meat pretty well.


P.S. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey > Soccer at 10 999th power.

[Caster13]

We didn't get in this year. We didn't even bloody qualify this year!

I act like I'm surprised. :rolleyes:



No he means Football.

How did they even come up with the name "Soccer" anyway?

Well we have a sport in our country unique to us we call football, and for some reason we don't even use our feet except for kicking field goals.

Though Philadelphia Eagles fans are the closest thing we have to soccer fans. Goddess, back me up here!

[Trefellin]

P.S. Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey > Soccer at 10 999th power.

Football - Wearing tights and slapping men's buttocks. How else will homophobic rednecks express their love for each other?

Basketball - Invented by a nutty Canadian... still crappy.

Baseball - One of the few sports where you can be tubby and still be good. Also, -_-

Hockey - Who cares if you can skate well, you'll be fine as long as you can break people.

[Bernard_Monsha]

Soccer: Played by the colonial third world and European poofs. It combines the complex strategy of Hungry Hungry Hippos, the dynamic game play of one player mother may I, and the excitement of shuffleboard at the local senior citizens center.

[Caster13]

Football - Wearing tights and slapping men's buttocks. How else will homophobic rednecks express their love for each other?

More like black people.

Hockey - Who cares if you can skate well, you'll be fine as long as you can break people

Spoken like a true Cannuck.

[Trefellin]

Soccer: Played by the colonial third world and European poofs. It combines the complex strategy of Hungry Hungry Hippos, the dynamic game play of one player mother may I, and the excitement of shuffleboard at the local senior citizens center.

Firstly, I must admit that I haven't the slightest clue what "mother may I" and "shuffleboard" is. I must be behind the times.

It seems arrogant to me that someone would proclaim their pastimes greater than the most overwhelmingly popular sport on the planet. What is the appeal of basketball with it's torturous squeaking of sneakers and parade of near meaningless points? Why do Americans feel the need to wear armour when they play their own version of rugby? Why watch a sport that stops every ten seconds? Don't talk about dynamic game play. Half of those sports are designed for people with weak bladders in mind...

"I'm back, what did I miss?"

"Nothing, their still figuring out what their next play will be."

Real football is about speed, skill, grace, endurance, passion and vision. I should have known that some things like grace and endurance are an alien concept to some people.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

Well we have a sport in our country unique to us we call football, and for some reason we don't even use our feet except for kicking field goals.

That's the issue I have with it.

Why do Americans feel the need to wear armour when they play their own version of rugby?

I've often wondered that.

[Xhalen]

Heh, that was fun. Nothing like planting the seed that turned this into an America vs. The World conversation.

[Trefellin]

Heh, that was fun. Nothing like planting the seed that turned this into an America vs. The World conversation.

But those conversations are fun, you're the guy who gets the party started. :thumbsup:

[Rafufu]

Soccer: Played by the colonial third world and European poofs. It combines the complex strategy of Hungry Hungry Hippos, the dynamic game play of one player mother may I, and the excitement of shuffleboard at the local senior citizens center.

Urm... No
1) Football is the most played sport in the world
2) Football has more money in it than any other sport in the world (waits to be corrected on this one)
3) It combines the complex strategy of Hungry Hungry Hippos? well at least the football players don't need a Time-out or whatever every 2 minutes so they can swap teams and discuss tatics for 10 minutes
4) the excitement of shuffleboard at the local senior citizens center? you obviously dont play football do you?

Anyway, on with what i was going to say before i read the other pages:

As a English Football Fanatic, i was trying to convice myself that without the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, both Coles etc, this Euro 08 wouldnt be worth watching.

I just couldnt do it.

So i'm going to side with Germany because even though they dont play as flashy/elegant football as your Spain and Italy, they have a couple of rocks in defence (Friedrich and Metzelder) the mighy Ballack in midfield (yes i'm a chelsea fan) and with Klose and Podolski upfront, they cant fail to score

[taily]

No he means soccer, that left over medieval sport beloved by self aggrandizing Europeans and their colonies.

:facepalm:


PLZ SPEAK ENGRISH

[Trefellin]

It's the end of the first day of competition.

After a humorous opening ceremony, the group A games kicked off. The Czech Republic beat host nation Switzerland 1-0 in a rather cautious match. Portugal beat Turkey 2-0 after an exciting game with many close calls. Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes(Nuno Golos) bounced more than one shot off the posts.

So...

Força Portugal! http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/Trefellin/Portugalsmiley.gif

[f2akid]

Keeping with the American v Rest of World debate -

Football: The most popular and often the most entertaining sport in the world. Nevertheless still a boy's game (unlike in the golden years which are long gone by).

Rugby: The real man's game. They batter each other for a couple of hours only to shake each other's hands at the end. True man's game and there's no arguing there.

American Football: Rugby ripped off because they're too worried they might hurt each other and that they don't look tough enough they have to wear large full body armor.

Any other major American sport: Practically nobody cares about those sports outside of the US.
/pointless sport debate


There's no way that Turkey will survive the group stages. I've been praying to St. James for victory against the Muslims. (history joke)

Hey I now have a surrogate team to support, I forgot they're the only muslim nation in Euro.

Wait, I just saw Portugal v Turkey... :| Kinda wish I would have thought twice about the surrogate team now though.

[Trefellin]

Wait, I just saw Portugal v Turkey... :| Kinda wish I would have thought twice about the surrogate team now though.

Well, the Turks did a fair job at canceling out Ronaldo for much of the match. I thought they played like their buddies across the Aegean, Greece. There were some audacious tackles. You saw that great kick to Simão's knees.

[Caster13]

Unless I have absolutely horrid geography skills, since when the hell is Turkey in Europe?

[Trefellin]

Their capitol city is technically in Europe I guess. Though the vast majority of their country lies on the other side of the Dardanelles.

[Soluzar]

Unless I have absolutely horrid geography skills, since when the hell is Turkey in Europe?
From a geographical point of view, you're right. For some reason they play football in Europe though. I don't know why, or even when it started. I know they are trying to join the European Union, but that won't happen soon.

[f2akid]

Unless I have absolutely horrid geography skills, since when the hell is Turkey in Europe?

Mexico play in the South American Cup and they're not in South America, same with Mexican clubs playing in the Copa Libertadores.

You saw that great kick to Simão's knees.

I saw no such thing. A muslim man was going for the ball and his body language suggested just that, thats all I saw :-". I'm hoping for a repeat lucky streak from the 2002 World Cup from Turkey, hopefully they can pull off another semi-final, would be interesting.

[Trefellin]

I'm hoping for a repeat lucky streak from the 2002 World Cup from Turkey, hopefully they can pull off another semi-final, would be interesting.

That could happen. The Czechs aren't as good as they were a couple years ago without Nedved but Switzerland won't be short on determination.

[f2akid]

^ What happened to Nedved? I don't follow the Czechs but I thought he would have at least made the squad.

[Trefellin]

I'm not sure, I guess he's just had enough of international competition.

[Caster13]

Except for the names of countries, I have no ****ing clue what you people are talking about.:huh:

[f2akid]

Ah here we are, I see Nedved's international status on wiki now:

Pavel Nedved has since all but ended his affiliation with the Czech national side after he rejected a call-up for the Euro 2008 squad by Karel Brückner on the 14th of May 2008.

That's the end of that then. I had no idea he was 36 years old! Same age as my mum and he gets a call-up for the Euro's. But isn't it illegal to reject a call-up to your national team? I remember Claude Makelele being forced to play after retiring from the 2006 World Cup because by law if he received a call-up he had to play.

[Trefellin]

^ Yeah, that's quite old for football player, especially for an international tournament. If you're 36 years old, your body can't really take such high class play plus a season of club competition. Portuguese defender Jorge Costa was 38 in his last World Cup though.

I've never heard about laws forcing someone to play for their national team. Maybe there are some countries who do that but conscripts rarely fight as well as volunteers. Even if you can, it seems like a bad idea to force somebody to play.

[Rafufu]

Some team from Africa (cant remember which, could have been Zimbabwe) couldnt compete in the World Cup as the players refused to play unless they were paid around 0.5 million $ each

Anyway, i think that from group A it will be Portugal (obviously) and Czech, because even though Switzerland have the home advantage and Turkey have the quality, nothing gets past Petr Cech

Group B will be Germany (with ease) and Croatia over Poland on goal difference (i'm siding with the Croat's because they beat us)

Group C will be impossible to call, so im not going to try

Group D will be Spain (their curse wont kick in yet) and Sweden, Greece are over-rated

[f2akid]

I've never heard about laws forcing someone to play for their national team. Maybe there are some countries who do that but conscripts rarely fight as well as volunteers. Even if you can, it seems like a bad idea to force somebody to play.

Nah I remember they were talking about it in the news when the Euro 2008 qualifiers started back in 2006. Makelele had just retired after the World Cup but because he was in the official squad he had to play by law, and there was all this talk about it being unfair to him at that age playing for club and country at the same time. Maybe it's only in some countries like you say, wouldn't be surprising if it's a French law.


...nothing gets past Petr Cech

Nothing but Ryan Giggs...

[Trefellin]

I'm watching today's Austria vs. Croatia match right now. Croatia is winning 1-0. Afterwards, Germany plays Poland. I've been looking forward to this game. There was some trouble between Polish and German supporters already. If they are fighting before the game, what will happen after the final whistle blows?!

[SlackerDude]

Why do Americans feel the need to wear armour when they play their own version of rugby?

Probably this ... (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xz2QNHi7aPE)

[Caster13]

I've seen a few clips of Rugby, and I can tell you that if you had 6' 5'' 270pound ripped guys rushing at you out for blood in Rugby, the rules would change pretty quickly.

There are guys bigger too. But even though they're pretty fat, they're still strong, and even with protection if they hit you hard enough, you're gonna get ****ed up bigtime. I don't think Rugby guys are nearly as big.

[Tom Servo]

Who the hell watches the european league besides when their home country is playing anyway. Nobody cares otherwise.

[Naraku]

^ What happened to Nedved? I don't follow the Czechs but I thought he would have at least made the squad.

He's old.

If you want to know why people don't like football/soccer, watch and learn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6FWI-ivaoI

People prefer to see a sport where people play strong, and not try to sell fouls, which football/soccer is notorious for now. It gives football/soccer a bad name, and any international players a bad name who come to America to play some professional sport.

Also, you could make the arguement that baseball is the world sport, or becoming it. Especially in Asia, and North/South America. Maybe not so much in Europe, but definitely everywhere else.

[Trefellin]

Ooooooh, tomorrow we have Italy against the Netherlands in the group of death!

[Xhalen]

Italy, no doubt.

[Trefellin]

Italy is the favourite though the true outcome is irrelevant to me. I only want to see some clean, quality football. Both teams have been nasty in the past.

[Xhalen]

I only want to see some clean, quality football.

Yeah, don't hold your breath, although quite frankly I doubt it'll be too dirty. So far the matches I've watched this year haven't had too many wacky things happening.

[Lone Signal]

So what was with Poland's defense? Mindsets like that gets you invaded in soccer and in war.

[Trefellin]

I really thought the Poles would do better. I saw them in action during qualification. They were in Portugal's group and finished in first.

[Naraku]

Poland never plays well against Germany though. I'm pretty sure they've never beaten them.

[J.Mizuno]

england's not in it and i'm still mad at Italy for beatin the USA in the world cup. so....go france?

[Rafufu]

I was surprised that Croatia Austia was only 1-0. with the penalty in the 4th minute, i thought the floodgates would open and we would see a 4 or 5 nil thrashing

[f2akid]

Germany v Poland got real boring after the first goal last night, I fell asleep after the first goal. Before that though I was enjoying it.

[Trefellin]

Wow, what a surprise! France isn't starting off well. With fifteen minutes left in the match, it's 0-0 between France and... Oh, Romania of all countries.

[Caster13]

The Italian game is gonna be in a ton of Pizza places all over New Jersey.:lol:

I swear I'm not lying and contributing to a stereotype. I live in Jersey, and this is a fact.

[SlackerDude]

Wow, what a surprise! France isn't starting off well. With fifteen minutes left in the match, it's 0-0 between France and... Oh, Romania of all countries.

Hey, what, they they played like a bunch of old women on wheel chairs. I don't think it's odd that we ended up 0-0 with them .. If anything, we deserved to win.

Boring match tough...

[taily]

The Italian game is gonna be in a ton of Pizza places all over New Jersey.:lol:

I swear I'm not lying and contributing to a stereotype. I live in Jersey, and this is a fact.

My lost socks end up in Jersey? wow...

[Caster13]

My lost socks end up in Jersey? wow...

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk167/ferrariaddict/facepalm.gif

I think you ate some brownies recently. Did they have any bits of oregano in them?

[taily]

Stop bullying me

[Caster13]

I'm not, but I don't want a good member to be banned.

[Xhalen]

Wow, talk about some uninspired football.....WAY TO LET ME DOWN ITALY!!!!!

[Naraku]

The Dutch dominated. Italy looked very very weak, they played terrible defense. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the Netherlands.

[Xhalen]

The Dutch dominated. Italy looked very very weak, they played terrible defense. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the Netherlands.

I agree 100%, if they keep playing like that they could be tough to beat. I'm still shocked at how bad Italy looked out there.

[Trefellin]

Netherlands 3-0 Italy. Wow, I mean... just wow. I didn't see that coming. I was hoping that Italy would win.

There's that wops vs. chops kind of thing but do you know what I like about the Italians?

[Naraku]

I agree 100%, if they keep playing like that they could be tough to beat. I'm still shocked at how bad Italy looked out there.

Well, the Dutch do have probably the best attack in the world. I'm not suprised at how well they scored, but how well they defended. The Italians had a few good chances, but Van Der Sar made some good saves. Overall, great defense by the Netherlands though.

[Trefellin]

There's that wops vs. chops kind of thing but do you know what I like about the Italians?

Obviously, nobody cares but I'll tell you anyway. What I like about the Italians is that they are not Dutch... or Greek.


Yes, I quoted myself.

[Naraku]

Obviously, nobody cares but I'll tell you anyway. What I like about the Italians is that they are not Dutch... or Greek.


Yes, I quoted myself.

So... You're racist, then?

[Trefellin]

That has nothing to do with race!

[Naraku]

That has nothing to do with race!

Racism hurts, my friend.

[Trefellin]

Racism hurts, my friend.

:|


Aaaaanyway, tomorrow we have Spain vs. Russia and Greece vs. Sweden. I'll be following Greece closely. Those cup stealing bastards...

^_^

[Naraku]

:|


Aaaaanyway, tomorrow we have Spain vs. Russia and Greece vs. Sweden. I'll be following Greece closely. Those cup stealing bastards...

^_^

I'm still standing by my Sweden pick for this group, hopefully they don't disappoint me.

[f2akid]

Don't worry Teff I got you're seemingly racist remark. Not gonna get much football context across round here it looks like.

But on topic - I didn't see any of today's games (was at work) :(. Missed the Dutch thrash Italy, I would have most definitely watched the match otherwise. Meh group games are never worth too much of a view anyway, not much drama and hardly any urgency from the players in those games, unless of course it's a struggling top team (ala France anyone?).

Edit: Just had a thought: Anyone thinking a France mirror performance of 2002 World Cup? Too early to tell I know but there's no denying they're on course for it.

[J.Mizuno]

so was it offsides or not in the Dutch-Italy game. Andy Gary kinda confused me.

[Trefellin]

^ Ummmm...

I still don't know for sure. I think that Van Nistelrooy was technically onside. There was an Italian player lying on the grass beside the net. Buffon shoved him down in trying to return to his line after he failed to clear the ball properly. I guess the Italian player was still technically in play. Otherwise, people could dive off the pitch to gain an offside call.

[f2akid]

I saw a clip of the incident and yeah you're right the Italian player (Christian Panucci) played him on even though he was technically off the pitch. Since he had been injured seconds earlier and ended up off the pitch and play was not halted, him being off the pitch still stood as playing Van Nistelrooy on.

Now, I don't have an official referee's rulebook or whatever but I'm pretty sure the book clearly states the offside applies to players on the pitch. So although it was given I think they have just found a glitch in the rule they need to rectify. There's a lot of confusion and contrast with this particular situation today.

I think that Van Nistelrooy was technically onside.

You do know there's no such word as onside. You're either offside or you're not. :P

[Naraku]

I saw a clip of the incident and yeah you're right the Italian player (Christian Panucci) played him on even though he was technically off the pitch. Since he had been injured seconds earlier and ended up off the pitch and play was not halted, him being off the pitch still stood as playing Van Nistelrooy on.

Now, I don't have an official referee's rulebook or whatever but I'm pretty sure the book clearly states the offside applies to players on the pitch. So although it was given I think they have just found a glitch in the rule they need to rectify. There's a lot of confusion and contrast with this particular situation today.



You do know there's no such word as onside. You're either offside or you're not. :P


He wasn't injured, he was flopping to try and sell a penalty/injury. He got pushed off the field by his own goalie, then just layed there instead of making an effort to get back on. Not calling offsides was a good call, he could have made an effort to get back on. He wasn't hurt at all.

[f2akid]

^ Relax man don't have a fit everything will be alright. I was simply putting it from a referee's perspective.

[Naraku]

^ Relax man don't have a fit everything will be alright. I was simply putting it from a referee's perspective.

...? So was I.

[f2akid]

^ Then you gave it from the wrong referee's perspective. The Austrian referee commision chairman (or whoever, he's basically on top of refereeing in the competition) released a statement clearly indicating that the goal was given on the basis that the injured player by the goal had been playing Ruud V. Nistelrooy on.

[germanturkey]

poorly done by france. good for the dutch though. way to show them italians that they're not as good as they think they are.

spain game should be good tomorrow.

[Trefellin]

Spain wallops Mother Russia 4-1. Spain played marvelously. Greece plays Sweden next today.

If you don't remember, this group is nearly exactly the same as in Euro '04. The difference is Sweden taking Portugal's old spot. Russia is no stranger to losing to Iberians, they were in Portugal's qualification group a few years ago. Back then they lost 7-0 to the Portuguese. I find the Russian conduct to be very commendable. Even when they are losing badly, they are extremely sportsmanlike.

I think the Russians will defeat the Greeks like they did four years ago.

[Justinian]

Spain wallops Mother Russia 4-1.

Yeah I was just watching that game. Twas very funny.

[f2akid]

What a performance by the Spaniards, pure football from them. David Villa played with a hunger and urgency that's been missing from pretty much everyone so far in this tournament. Torres as well, brilliant playmaking by him imagine once he starts scoring the goals as well. Look out for the lad next season he's going to overshadow Ronaldo.

As I type this Sweden are comfortably in the lead against the Euro champions winning 2-0 against Greece. Pretty quiet game that one, not much from the Greeks here for some reason...

[Trefellin]

As I type this Sweden are comfortably in the lead against the Euro champions winning 2-0 against Greece. Pretty quiet game that one, not much from the Greeks here for some reason...

I just finished watching that. The first half was a farce. It was exactly like that Simpsons episode...

"To centre... passes to the wing... back to centre... holds it, holds it, HOLDS IT!"

The Greeks just kept passing between their back four because the Swedes wouldn't fall for it and stayed in their half. I found it hilarious. The Greeks are still a little dirty with the kicks. I don't know what that Greek was thinking because the ball was nowhere near Ibrahimovic's groin... ouch!

As a Portuguese fan, I'm very happy.

[f2akid]

Full time and Sweden comfortably hold on to win 2-0 against Greece. Anyone who missed this game should feel priveleged. There were sparks of brilliance here and there from Ibrahimovich and Larsson but they were few and very far between. So today's results = Spain 4-1 Russia and Greece 0-2 Sweden.

That about raps up the first games for each group. Every team has played one game each so far and the group standings are as follows:

As mentioned each team has played one game so far and their respective points after this are included after the team's name.

Group A

1. Portugal - 3
2. Czech Republic - 3
3. Switzerland - 0
4. Turkey - 0


Group B

1. Germany - 3
2. Croatia - 3
3. Austria - 0
4. Poland - 0


Group C

1. Netherlands - 3
2. France - 1
3. Romania - 1
4. Italy - 0


Group D

1. Spain - 3
2. Sweden - 3
3. Greece - 0
4. Russia - 0

[Trefellin]

1. Germany - 3
2. Croatia - 3
3. Austria - 0
4. Poland - 1


Doesn't Poland have zero points seeing how they lost their game?

[f2akid]

^ Sorry about that.

[Trefellin]

^ No problem, buddy. I just saw that and thought, "did they add a new rule to the points system?!" ^_^

Tomorrow, Portugal against The Czech Republic and host nation Switzerland against Turkey.

Portugal and Czech Republic promises to be the biggest match of this group though neither team is as strong as they were a few years ago. The Czechs are short Nedved, Baros and Rosicky(?) but the Portuguese don't have star defender Andrade and most of the Golden generation has retired from international play. It will be very important for the Czechs to neutralize Ronaldo, the greatest player in the world at the moment, like the Turks managed to do. It would be ridiculous for a side not to mark C. Ronaldo like mad.

Deco is really letting us down. As soon as he gets the ball, the play dies and he loses it. Maniche would have been much better. Deco is Scolari's darling or something.

[f2akid]

The Czechs are short Nedved, Baros and Rosicky(?)

Actually Milan Baros is in the squad, he's just not in the starting line up. I think the manager sees him as more of an impact player since he's been playing that role for Portsmouth all season since he moved there. And yeah Rosicky is out for the tournament (injured).

It would be ridiculous for a side not to mark C. Ronaldo like mad.

He's got too many distractions what with the constant speculation about his eventual move to Madrid, I don't see him performing. He's never at his best in the bigger games as it's not his comfort zone (CL final was a fluke since after the goal he was nowhere to be seen).

Deco is really letting us down. As soon as he gets the ball, the play dies and he loses it. Maniche would have been much better. Deco is Scolari's darling or something.

He's had one **** season at Barca and still he's always starting for club and country. Do the managers see something we don't?! I agree Maniche should be there instead of him. What happened to him anyway? Haven't heard nothing of him since he left Chelsea.

[Trefellin]

Actually Milan Baros is in the squad, he's just not in the starting line up. I think the manager sees him as more of an impact player since he's been playing that role for Portsmouth all season since he moved there. And yeah Rosicky is out for the tournament (injured).

He is, I thought he was injured! Dammit!


He's had one **** season at Barca and still he's always starting for club and country. Do the managers see something we don't?! I agree Maniche should be there instead of him. What happened to him anyway? Haven't heard nothing of him since he left Chelsea.

Maniche has basically been on a tour of Europe for the last few years. Dynamo Moscow, Chelsea, Athletico Madrid and Inter Milan. He just couldn't find a place to settle down. I have no clue why Scolari didn't take him to the Euro though. His greatest strength is his positioning. Maniche is always where a player is needed.

Deco is a liability for Portugal, plain and simple.

[f2akid]

His greatest strength is his positioning. Maniche is always where a player is needed.

Definitely. He get's in the best positions for those long range shots he so loves. He's also got a great shot on him. I've see some real howlers by him.

It's a shame he can't settle down though, maybe that's why he didn't get picked, Scolari must've thought he's not in the right frame of mind at the moment, or something like that. His experience of different leagues would have been a huge bonus though especially at international level.

[Naraku]

^ Then you gave it from the wrong referee's perspective. The Austrian referee commision chairman (or whoever, he's basically on top of refereeing in the competition) released a statement clearly indicating that the goal was given on the basis that the injured player by the goal had been playing Ruud V. Nistelrooy on.

The wrong perspective? We are saying the exact same thing except that the player was injured - which he wasn't.

Glad Sweden pulled through today, I thought the game was pretty exciting, even though the Greeks were basically in a defensive shell until they realized they were down 2-0.

[f2akid]

^ Mate, please let the argument die.

On topic: Toady's matches are as follows -

Czech Republic v Portugal 1700 BST kick off.

Switzerland v Turkey 1945 BST kick off.

Looking out for the Portugal game, it's going to be interesting to see which team gets to play their own game: Portugal - flair and creativity mixed with a disciplined back four (or at least attempting to), Czech Republic - technical play with both short passes and long balls. I predict a bore though (hopefully I jinx it that way).

[Trefellin]

And just for luck. :P

Força Portugalhttp://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/Trefellin/Portugalsmiley.gif

[Trefellin]

Oh, it's a happy day for me. Portugal defeats The Czech Republic 3-1 ensuring them a place in the quarter finals. That Deco made so many mistakes but also had some shining moments. Scolari needs to make sure Deco passes instead of holding the ball until it's taken from him.


Edit: I'm watching Turkey and Switzerland right now. They're pretty well swimming at this moment. there is so much water on the pitch, it's hilarious!

[germanturkey]

Scolari's leaving portugal after the tournament for Chelsea.

I would like to see Netherlands play Portugal in the quarters. rematch of the round 16 world cup match with like 4 red cards..

[Trefellin]

Scolari's leaving portugal after the tournament for Chelsea.

I found that interesting. Bosingwa will be the third Portuguese national team player on Chelsea's roster, they'll get the coach too then.


I would like to see Netherlands play Portugal in the quarters. rematch of the round 16 world cup match with like 4 red cards..

Oh please God no! I've been fearing the next time those two play for quite a while. Those damned sour oranges, they started it! I like a little controversy in a tournament but not when it involves my team.

[f2akid]

4 down, 1 to go. (Pepe). After that it's on to the Portuguese midfield for Chelsea.

[germanturkey]

if they meet, it'll be in the finals i believe. because i think they'll both win their groups, which means they can't play the top seed from another group, and since portugal is A and netherlands is C, they won't meet until the finals, which won't happen because netherlands will lose to spain.

of course i'm assuming A plays B and C plays D..

[Naraku]

^ I thought seeding was decided by points and goal differential?

Also, I hope the Netherlands can win it all, that's who I'm rooting for anyways. They looked dominant against Italy, I just hope they can keep it up. For some reason, I just have a bad feeling about Spain. I just get the feeling that they won't make it that far, of course they could prove me wrong though - and they did have a pretty impressive match against Russia.

[Justinian]

This Portugal-Czech game is getting really good.

[Xhalen]

Portugal is starting to look more and more impressive.

[Trefellin]

4 down, 1 to go. (Pepe). After that it's on to the Portuguese midfield for Chelsea.

:lol:


of course i'm assuming A plays B and C plays D..

I'm pretty sure that's how it's going down, according to the schedule I saw at least.

Portugal is starting to look more and more impressive.

They are the type of team who rises to a challenge. I think that Portugal will be eliminated in the semi-finals by Germany after defeating Poland or Croatia in the quarter-finals. My expectations could change depending on the outcome of Croatia vs. Germany which is in it's second half right now.

The Germans aren't as hot as they were against the Poles.

[f2akid]

Oh my 57 minutes gone and Croatia are in the lead against Germany at 1-0. It's true then Croatia really do perform when they are underdogs. Let's see how this turns out, I expected more from Germany but there's no urgency at the moment.

EDIT: 62nd minute goal from Ivica Olic. Sloppy goalkeeping from Lehmann which is the only reason why he spent 90% of the season on the bench at Arsenal. A shot came in and hit the post which Lehmann went for and couldn't catch and Olic was there for the rebound to tap it in. Germany have a real problem in Lehmann's goalkeeping composure.

Croatia win. It would take a lot of steam for Germany to come back from this scoreline which is clearly what they lack at this particular moment.

[Trefellin]

Croatia scored again! I never would've imagined this.

[f2akid]

Germany are playing like a bunch of headless chickens right now.

[f2akid]

Podolski with a belter!

Croatia 2-1 Germany

EDIT: That settles it, 1 minute to go and Sebastian Sweinsteiger gets himself sent off for a silly push after getting tackled. This match is all but won by Croatia. Let's wait a minute for Treffelin to announce it...

[Trefellin]

...And it's over. I would never have thought that Croatia could've beat Germany. I just don't get it. This shakes my predictions of what would happen in this group. I'm suddenly less afraid of my team facing Germany.

It's half-time in the Austria vs. Poland game. Austria played gloriously for the first 30 minutes. I was hoping they would win because they are a host nation. The Poles had the luck up front while the Austrians can't find the net.

[J.Mizuno]

And just for luck. :P

Força Portugalhttp://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/Trefellin/Portugalsmiley.gif

Oh put it away! No one likes them but you!

:( I wish england was playing

[Trefellin]

Oh put it away! No one likes them but you!

Dude, I'm half Portuguese! I can't just put it away.

I'm glad that England isn't in the tournament because it gives a chance for more talented, more entertaining teams to play.

I'm watching Romania vs. Italy, a very important game for both sides. The next game today will be interesting too. If the Netherlands wins, they are assured a spot in the quarterfinals. France also really needs a win after drawing with Romania.

[Naraku]

Oh put it away! No one likes them but you!

:( I wish england was playing

A ton of people like Portugal, they are a very talented team and very entertaining to watch. England isn't really THAT great, I guess which is why they didn't qualify.

Netherlands secured group C, so I'm glad about that. Sweden fell to Spain, damn it all! Of course they had to get scored in stoppage time haha. They can still win the group if Spain makes some huge mistakes in their last match, though, so I'm hoping for that.

[Trefellin]

****!

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/Trefellin/Rage2.gif


Well, Germany goes through courtesy of a push by Ball(s)ack!

[Naraku]

I'm so glad Portugal is out. Germany was really the better all around team. I would have been suprised if Portugal won.

[Trefellin]

Now you're bull****ting. Portugal was the better team. They were more skilled in attack and controlled giant portions of the game. What saved Germany was height, constantly defending in depth, being able to shut down Ronado* and Ballack's little shove that let him score the winning goal.

I'm pushing for Spain now.

*It's hard to play when you are marked.

[Naraku]

Germany has just as good, if not better, attack/midfield as Portugal does(especially seeing as they scored 3 goals). Germany plays much better defense, and most of the game Portugal just looked outmatched, out of sync, and confused while onthe attack.

[germanturkey]

woot. portugal out. too bad ronaldo didn't get injured. did he cry? i didn't watch the game.

anyways, its a freaking shame that spain and netherlands can't meet in the finals... that semi is going to be EPIC.

[Franksta]

Aside from the final moments when they stacked defenders, Germany looked in control. However, Portugal did more passing and Gomes's stat of 1 shot, 1 on target and 1 goal is significant. Portugal was taking wild, far off shots at towards the end showing they were struggling and acting out of desperation. That goal close to stoppage time was truly exciting though. Height advantage definitely favored Germany. The commentators I was watching were basically saying that if Germany got a free kick or a corner kick they could easily secure a goal.

I'm looking forward to Turkey's game, tomorrow. I still can't believe they beat the Czechs. But I'm most anticipating Russia v. Holland on Saturday.

too bad ronaldo didn't get injured. did he cry?

Yes, he cried. I didn't see it on the video broadcast but I saw pictures afterwords, online. There was a moment when Ronaldo fell down and for a moment looked okay, then rolled around in pain. The delayed reaction looked so faked I laughed, but upon replay some German player stepped on his foot. Poor Ronaldo...

[f2akid]

I was working tonight but I saw the results for the Croatia v Turkey game and it's as I predicted - Turkey won (on penalties). When Croatia enter a match as underdogs that gives them a boost of confidence after being taken lightly and they perform in all sections. However when they enter a match as favorites (or at least thinking they're better than their opponents) they get complacent and switch off at the most important parts of the game, which leaves it to opponents to show if they can take their chances.

Any other team with the quality of Turkey would have lost to Croatia but Turkey's resilience overcame the Croats (based on finding out Turkey scored a late equaliser).

[Trefellin]

I really didn't think that Portugal would beat Germany but I'm pissed that it was quite close and victory came down to a dirty shove.

I'd like to know why some people dislike Portugal. Is it because a smaller nation can often compete against bigger teams?

[germanturkey]

croatia was playing without their best striker. i didn't expect them to get this far. anyways, the "good" games are about to go on in the next 2 days

[Trefellin]

Wow, Russia is beating the Netherlands at 60 mins in. It's 1-0 and Russia's teamwork is overcoming the Dutch physicality. The Dutch are starting to play a little dirty though.

I'm hoping that Russia takes this match. They impress me with the gentleman like game they play. Watching Russia play is very refreshing for me.


Edit: I never could've imagined that Russia would beat the Dutch 3-1. Wow! I'm glad for the Russian victory.

[f2akid]

Stupid Dutch! They do this every tournament. They never show up for the knockout stages.

Just wait and see Spain will do the exact same thing, it's expected of them (as it should have been of the Dutch).

[Trefellin]

I still can't believe 100% that this actually happened. After watching their games against France and Italy, I was sure the final would be between Germany and the Netherlands. I guess the Russian style really puts the Dutch physical game off balance. It's similar to how Portugal, a lesser team, could beat the Dutch despite their obviously superior players.

I'm still wondering, "did I actually see that or have I gone insane?"

[f2akid]

Yeah the playing style definitely had something to do with it. Guus Hiddink (Russia coach) used to manage the Netherlands and has won a few trophies in Holland so he knows a thing or two about Holland's playing style to say the least.

[f2akid]

So it's gonna be Germany v Turkey (wednesday) and Russia v Spain (thursday) in the semis . Wonder if the recently Arshavin inspired Russia can give the Spaniards a different game than their 4-1 thrashing in the group stages.

On a side note isn't Andrei Arshavin a funny name? Up until he helped beat the Dutch the commentators kept pronouncing his name wrong thinking it was said 'Arseshaving'. Funny.

[Trefellin]

On a side note isn't Andrei Arshavin a funny name? Up until he helped beat the Dutch the commentators kept pronouncing his name wrong thinking it was said 'Arseshaving'. Funny.

Yes it's somewhat funny. I like to laugh at lanky Luca Toni's ridiculous moustache. It looks like he's planning to work in the pornography industry if this football thing doesn't work out for him.

[germanturkey]

HOLY CRAP. I JUST REALIZED THAT ITS GERMANY VS TURKEY!!!!! MY HANDLE FINALLY HAS A MEANING!!!

anyways, its great to see Cesc put spain through.

[Jia]

Team France - going for the home team :P

[Naraku]

Team France - going for the home team :P

Hmm, they didn't win any matches, already out.

[f2akid]

^ I'm pretty sure he was trolling Naraku.

[Haro!]

I go for Turkey if only to have an interesting final.

[Jia]

Hmm, they didn't win any matches, already out.

Yeah I didn't find that out until I read.

^ I'm pretty sure he was trolling Naraku.

I AM GIRL DAMMIT.:devil:
>_> And no I didn't find that out til later as I said.

[f2akid]

But what would possess you to think France is the host nation this year?

[Trefellin]

Turkey vs. Germany today, I believe. Of course I want the hated hun to go home today but I don't think that will happen. Go Turkey, limp past Germany and go for the finish!

[germanturkey]

screw germany.. they didn't deserve to win

[Trefellin]

Schweinsteiger is one dirty bastard with those dives. Germany is this tournaments least respectable team. They are a juggernaut that has barely scraped by lesser countries. Turkey was very impressive with their tenacity and ability to bounce back. I'm rather proud of them somehow. Especially since they did so well against Germany with so many key players missing.

[Naraku]

But what would possess you to think France is the host nation this year?

She was probably referring to herself. Maybe she lived in France, or is of French lineage.

[Trefellin]

Spain goes over Russia 3-0 in a fairly exciting match. The final is between Germany and Spain on Sunday. It should be good. The Russians have nothing to be ashamed of. They did great, much like Turks who will be their opponents in the 3/4th place match.

[germanturkey]

so who wants to chant "CESC IS LEGEND" with me?

[Trefellin]

Spain wins the final, ha ha ha! I very happy for Spain and glad that the Germans lose. Germany were lucky to scrape by to the final and the Spaniards played an exciting, inspired game today. That's Iberian attacking football for you. I'm generally happy with how this tournament went. A great showing.


What's next? What do I do from here?

Next up is the qualification for the next World Cup in South Africa. Portugal will have a new coach but their group is not difficult. We'll see.

[germanturkey]

good for cesc. he deserves a trophy for the way he's played this year. he had a quiet final though.

[f2akid]

Torres, what a player!

[Jia]

But what would possess you to think France is the host nation this year?

Because I wanted them to win. Not host it.

She was probably referring to herself. Maybe she lived in France, or is of French lineage.

I was and I am ^_^