UEFA EURO 2008

[WayAbvPar]

Great tournament. I think I saw about 90% of the games and enjoyed them immensely. Bitter that the WC is still 2 years away. Even more bitter that the US has zero chance against the top 5 or so teams in Europe, not to mention Brazil or Argentina (even though they luckboxed a win against Argentina a couple of weeks ago). It is obvious that the US is still a full level below the world class teams.

Euro2008 also inspired me to buy PES 2008, which has me ready for RSI surgery after 2 weeks. I SUCK, but I love it. Every little improvement is such a joy. I even bought the strat guide and DVD, and am trying to incorporate one new move every time I play. Tough though- there is just a ridiculous amount of stuff to learn.

[lamaros]

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.

Schweinsteiger had two good games. But so what, that doesn't make him a good player. I was seriously worried when I heard remarks about Utd maybe getting him. Huge mistake.
I like Podolski, but he's not a genuine star, more a decent player.
Klose is completely over-rated. It doesn't matter how good he might have been at some time in the past, I'm talking about how good he is now.
Ballack is of course a star.
Frings is along the lines of Podolski.
Lahm is someone I like but he is not quality of the likes of Evra, Ramos, Bosingwa, and co. A player who consistently gets exploited is a liability, no matter his sometime benifits. I do think that the lack of quality in the German defence made him look worse than is is though, alongside some decent centerbacks he wouldn't look quite as fragile.

Compare that to sides like Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and so forth and you see some huge gaps in terms of quality across the park.

[HaemishM]

You don't want to compare Germany's defense with Portugal's, since... uh, Portugal's got completely owned on easy set pieces. Mertesacker and Metzelder are both decent centrebacks.

You are right, Klose is overrated now. He's been ten times better. Podolski, when he's partnered up front with Klose, is also magic. And frankly, I think Ballack is overrated (age has not been kind to him) and Frings has a fantastic shot that he didn't get to use in the tournament. Loew going away from a 4-4-2 was really the first big mistake. Hanging onto Gomez so long was his second.

[lamaros]

I didn't compare the defences, I'm talking about the teams.

I wouldn't be making many huge assumptions off the back of one game, either.

Mertesacker and Metzelder aren't that flash, really. The fact Lahm's weakenesses were such a big issue is as much because of their weaknesses as his. Why the was the full back at fault for Torres scoring? Because the centerbacks were in fucking dreamland.

[Der Helm]

... Gomez ...

 

[HaemishM]

Mertesacker is part of Bremen's backline. He's decent enough (and better than Portugal's back line) but there's a reason Bremen were second in the Bundesliga this year and 3rd last year. Their entire defense does not know when to stay back, and thus get caught on the break WAY TOO OFTEN. He's big and slow, and thus his weakness is on the fast break. That Torres' goal was blamed on Lahm because it was Lahm that was covering him, and it was Lahm that tripped over his own dick.

[lamaros]

It's a team game champ. No one's denying Lahm could have done better.

[HaemishM]

Duh? Yes, it's a team game, and one of the centre backs should have covered for him in a perfect world. When they didn't, the lone guy and keeper had the responsiblity and they fluffed it. If you're all alone isolated against Torres, it's your ass if you get beat, not the guy who should have covered for you.

[Jeff Kelly]

Well if Mertesacker wasn't slow as molasses he wouldn't have to

[Hoax]

So, I thought I'd necro this and ask, where did these guys end up?  They were my favorite players from Euro that weren't already on big clubs to my knowledge.

-Luka Modric (CRO)
-KJ Huntelaar (NED)
-Moutinho (POR)
-Zhirkov (RUS)
-Paulychenko (RUS)
-Arshavin (RUS)
-Anyukov (RUS)
-Kolodin (RUS)

Mostly Russians, but no surprise there, they all play in the Russian league.  I know Huntelaar is/was the star on one of the better Dutch teams but thats meaningless.  The Russian defense though, wow Zhirkov esp, player of the tournament imo.

[HaemishM]

So, I thought I'd necro this and ask, where did these guys end up?  They were my favorite players from Euro that weren't already on big clubs to my knowledge.

-Luka Modric (CRO)

Tottenham

-KJ Huntelaar (NED)

Man. U. were reported to be after him, but I don't think he's gone anywhere.

-Moutinho (POR)

Everton were after him, and will likely get him, but haven't yet.

-Arshavin (RUS)

Tottenham wanted him, but didn't want to pay what Zenit were asking so he's still in Russia.

-Anyukov (RUS)
-Kolodin (RUS)
-Zhirkov (RUS)
-Paulychenko (RUS)

Still with their Russian teams as far as I can tell.

[Amarr HM]

Funny thing now is all the talk about Barry and Alonso when Arshavin is a better player than both of them it seems, though I know a slightly different position. If I was Fergies advisor I'd be looking at a replacement for Scholes asap but Ferguson vowed to never buy another player based on their performance in a National tournament. I think after the flops of Djembe Djembe and that forgettable brazilian guy.

[lamaros]

Funny thing now is all the talk about Barry and Alonso when Arshavin is a better player than both of them it seems, though I know a slightly different position. If I was Fergies advisor I'd be looking at a replacement for Scholes asap but Ferguson vowed to never buy another player based on their performance in a National tournament. I think after the flops of Djembe Djembe and that forgettable brazilian guy.

Not buying a guy on the back of one and half games seems to be to be a sounder philosophy than doing the opposite.

[sigil]

Funny thing now is all the talk about Barry and Alonso when Arshavin is a better player than both of them it seems, though I know a slightly different position. If I was Fergies advisor I'd be looking at a replacement for Scholes asap but Ferguson vowed to never buy another player based on their performance in a National tournament. I think after the flops of Djembe Djembe and that forgettable brazilian guy.

Not buying a guy on the back of one and half games seems to be to be a sounder philosophy than doing the opposite.

I just wish Berbatov would be a red already so we could just move on.