UEFA EURO 2008

[Engels]

Spain historically has done well against other romance language countries, only to fold heavily against the northern european adversaries. Its an insecurity complex they have from waaay back. I suspect they will squeak past Russia, then play a timid and disorganized game against Germany and Germany will win by 2 goals or so.

[lamaros]

I said that Russia would give Italy a run and lose to Spain, so I better stick with it. Spain has the pace and the individual skill to undo Russia, something that neither Italy or the Netherlands had, and I expect they will get over the line. Russia has really settled so they could do ok, but I can't see their defence and midfield holding up.

Turkey will find that it's not so easy to win against a team that doesn't have any brain fades in the last 5 mins of a game and will get beaten.

Germany will probably beat Spain in the final and Russia will embarass Turkey in the 3/4 playoff (do they do this for the Euro?).

[photek]

Finals : Russia - Turkey. Turkey wins by scoring X needed goals the last 3 minutes.

EDIT : This is Greece all over again. 

[HaemishM]

I felt if anything Andy Gray was being the most partisan announcer of all time, is he Scottish and mad that Italy eliminated them from Euro qualifying? 

No, I think he just hates pussy Italian defensive football and shitastic refs who favor one team for no good goddamn reason. And and he hates diving, playacting bullshit.

[Paelos]

I felt if anything Andy Gray was being the most partisan announcer of all time, is he Scottish and mad that Italy eliminated them from Euro qualifying? 

No, I think he just hates pussy Italian defensive football and shitastic refs who favor one team for no good goddamn reason. And and he hates diving, playacting bullshit.

Seriously, who likes that shit? Besides fans when they get the call. Honestly, I don't blame the players at all. The blame rests entirely on the referees for rewarding that kind of behavior with beneficial calls. You take away the calls and replace them with cards for diving, and watch how that kind of pussy play that's been a black mark on soccer dries up.

[lamaros]

I felt if anything Andy Gray was being the most partisan announcer of all time, is he Scottish and mad that Italy eliminated them from Euro qualifying?

No, I think he just hates pussy Italian defensive football and shitastic refs who favor one team for no good goddamn reason. And and he hates diving, playacting bullshit.

He's disliked Italy for a lot longer than you've been watching soccer. I not sure of the origins, and it may well be due to an Italian history of boring football. But you can hardly throw that label and viterol at Italy this tournament compared to the past, so I think a lot of it is habit, and, as such, is really quite biased indeed.

[sigil]

FYI, the international feed has gone down more than ... well hell, I can't think even Paris Hilton has gone down that much on anything.

Expect large spaces of nothing but filler during your broadcast. . .


However...

Holy fucking shit, what a game to not be able to see. I don't even know if it's a final, but Damn if Turkey hasn't gotten my respect.  3-2 Germany now.

[squirrel]

FYI, the international feed has gone down more than ... well hell, I can't think even Paris Hilton has gone down that much on anything.

Expect large spaces of nothing but filler during your broadcast. . .


However...

Holy fucking shit, what a game to not be able to see. I don't even know if it's a final, but Damn if Turkey hasn't gotten my respect.  3-2 Germany now.

Wow. Feed sucked. Game rocked.

[rk47]

lol. amazing. this year's pretty predictable on the group stage, but once we entered the finals, all past histories count for nothing.

[HaemishM]

An amazing game, in which all the really amazing bits except the last got lost to the fucking lightning.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't know how Turkey do it. Undermanned, underdog, and they fought Germany to a standstill, with just a couple of key mistakes that cost that dearly. Great run by them.

Think Russia is going to get by Spain today, and then Germany will win the final 2-1.

[Der Helm]

Literary everytime I opened a new bottle of beer yesterday, Germany scored a goal. Expect us to steamroll our opponent in the final 10-12:XX. 

[lamaros]

I said that Russia would give Italy a run and lose to Spain, so I better stick with it. Spain has the pace and the individual skill to undo Russia, something that neither Italy or the Netherlands had, and I expect they will get over the line. Russia has really settled so they could do ok, but I can't see their defence and midfield holding up.

I win again!

The final is a tough one though. I'm not so confident about it. Hopefully it is a close and enjoyable affair.

[rk47]

u seem to be on hot run lamaros  so who's your favorite for cup winner ?

[Abagadro]

This final looks to be shaping up to be really good and I will actually be able to watch it. 

[Jeff Kelly]

I don't think that Germany can win this against a spanish team in that shape. But that's what I also said against Portugal

[WayAbvPar]

Germany always finds a way. They will win ugly, but they will win.


I have been wrong about nearly every game in the knockout rounds, so consider this a major jinx attempt!

[Hoax]

God what a fucking clinic, watched the rebroadcast at a bar last night, they dismantled what had been a fearless headstrong Russian team.  I mean literally I kept forgetting it was a game not a televised practice during bits of the second half.  Russia had no impact on that game whatsoever after halftime. 

I want to see Spain win very badly, I hope David Villa will be back for the final.

*edit*  Well shit

He better start Cesc over that fuckwad Guiza, I really dont like that guy even if he did score with a very nice touch versus Russia.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, Villa missing from the final will be a big deal for Spain. Torres has been just a hair off with his touch this tourney, and it wouldn't surprise me if they go with 5 in midfield and Guiza up top for the final. I doubt it though, I think Torres is first choice to start. Maybe they'll put Guiza up top beside him and go 4 in the midfield with Fabregas coming in off the bench. Lots of really good options for them.

I'm still not sure they can beat Germany, but with Klose being in mediocre form, their goals are going to have to come from Podolski and Schweinsteiger or somewhere in midfield. I predict Germany will win, but whoever wins, it should be a fantastic game. I called it... a Spain-Germany final with Germany winning it.

[naum]

God what a fucking clinic, watched the rebroadcast at a bar last night, they dismantled what had been a fearless headstrong Russian team.  I mean literally I kept forgetting it was a game not a televised practice during bits of the second half.  Russia had no impact on that game whatsoever after halftime. 

Spain totally pwned Russia. Russia never got uncorked and looked like 2 different teams from its previous match w/Netherlands.

Germany, OTOH, had quite a tussle with Turkey.

Which will probably mean an iota on Sunday…

[Engels]

Spain always loses to Germany. Its a psychology thing with Spain, it always is. Russia, who the heck are they? Spain doesn't get intimidated by a johnnie-come-lately. Germany on the other hand...So basically, I think that if Spain gets over its inferiority complex, it'll win, hands down. If on the other hand tradition holds, Germany is going to dance all over them. One or the other.

[lamaros]

lolololol:

http://crouchea.livejournal.com/23874.html#cutid1

[Abagadro]

Torres just has another gear. Amazing.

[photek]

This is awesome. I'm all giddy like a schoolgirl.

[Abagadro]

That was total domination.

[photek]

Football at its best. First 15 minutes looked dark then it just went boom. Same thing in second half, first 15 minutes and then total switch of roles. Fantastic EURO 2008!

[Mosesandstick]

Enjoyable. Kudos.

[Murgos]

That was excellent.  Hopefully, a few more Americans got turned on to 'soccer' today.

[HaemishM]

Fantastic game, fantastic goal. I'm so glad Liverpool went with Torres instead of Milito. He can just turn it on when everyone else is dead to rights.

The better team won, plain and simple. When England got eliminated in the qualifiers, I didn't think I'd watch, but I'm glad I did. That was worth every minute.

[naum]

Had to watch on a little TV in the spare bedroom as satellite ABC feed was not working… …caught most of 2nd half…

/gratz to Spain and I'm glad they won. (nothing against Germania, just that they looked like the better squad and deserved the 'W' - I hate when matches go the PK route)...

[sigil]

The local affiliate decided to go full screen with a thunderstorm update halfway through the 32nd minute.

Motrherfucker...

Great game by the Spanish and a great tournament. The better team with little doubt.  My congratulations to them.

[Jeff Kelly]

It's a pity though that the key german players just fell apart like that. They showed against Portugal that they can play on a level with spain or other teams.

It should have been 4:0 not 1:0. Spain looked like the fucking Harlem Globetrotters most of the game.

Clearly the better team won.

[lamaros]

I don't think they fell apart, I just think they got showed up for what they are.

There aren't really many genuine quality players in the German team.

Well deserved win by Spain, but they really should have won by more. A lot of tired play by both teams in the second half which was really disappointing. I didn't thinkt he match quality was that good overall.

[HaemishM]

There aren't really many genuine quality players in the German team.

I disagree with what you said.

Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose, Ballack and Frings are all quality players. Lahm is a decent offenive back, he just got exploited by wanting to go forward too much. Both Ballack and Frings being hurt did not help them. Klose is a world-class striker. It just so happens he has not been the same since he was injured at the beginning of 2007. World Cup 2006, he was on fire, and he carried that through the '06 part of the 06/07 season, but he got hurt and has never been the same. He looked particularly ordinary in this tournament and I think tactically, the Germans made all the wrong moves from the get go. Starting with 5 in midfield with one striker up top, especially when that striker is on a cold streak, was a really bad idea. They should have gone 4-4-2 with Podolski up top beside Klose to give him some help. Take Hitzelsperger and put him on the wing, or bench him and put Borowski on the wing. I think against a speedy side like Spain, Podolski was wasted on the wing. And even if the formation wasn't suspect, a lot of the German players had really bad games. Schweinsteiger was TERRIBLE at the free kicks, provided zero good service. WIth the height advantage of the Germans, those free kicks should have been gold, but the service blew chunks. Hell, even if they decided to keep Podolski on the wings, they could have started Kuranyi up top to help Klose out.

The German side was not in form on the day, and had been inconsistent through the tournament. Great against Poland, flat against Croatia and Austria, great against Portugal, uneven against Turkey. In hindisght, I probably should have expected the Spanish to win, because they were fairly consistent throughout the tourney. To me, both Senna and Casillas are the real reason Spain won that tournament. Senna was a rock up the middle, giving the weaker Spanish defense some help, and Casillas played a lot better than I thought he would on set pieces and penalties.

[Hoax]

The entire Spanish backline really gutted it out for the last 3 games, after looking very suspect.  Though like others have said during the first 15 I was sure the game would end 3-0 Germany.  It was so easy to slip back into, Spain can't perform and will fail hard mode.  I still think Capdavilla is a weakness, but Puyol really showed me something a couple of times, though Ballack worked him real bad in the final at that one point.

Germany is going to need to find something, most of those players will only be a step slower come 2010, back to the drawing board for them.  They have Russia in their qualifying group for WC too, so they dont have time to waste.

The game was good and bad.  For a neutral ignoring quality of play it was great to see the team that plays more attacking football be rewarded.  The game had ebb and flow.  But the quality of play wasn't incredible.  Both teams didn't do much for finishing, quite poor really.  There were a ton of long balls to nobody by BOTH teams and as said by someone else, a ton of tired play.  Lots of cynical fouling, by the Germans mostly no less in that game as well.  It would have benefited greatly from having David Villa in it I feel.  Also Iniesta had possibly his worst game of the tourny from a highlight reel perspective.  I felt like every time he got it on his feet in the final third he waited too fucking long to do anything with it.