Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Sara's Audio-Visual Import-Overflow Retail => Topic started by: nav' on June 10, 2016, 03:40:24 PM
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So who's going to watch this in its entirety, or at least take a quick peek? I'm not sure how popular this tournament is among MoTK's denizens, considering it's less significant than the World Cup and the recent expansion from 16 to 24 teams means many matchups involving so-so teams like Albania, Wales
or Poland.
Where I live (Poland), the hype is probably greater than ever, unhealthily so in my opinion. For one thing, after experiencing numerous failures in my short life, I can't trust our national team to achieve anything serious anymore. Our team is pretty strong personally (see Lewandowski or Krychowiak), but they way they play just isn't convincing me. Then again, promoting from the group is going to be easier than ever...
In terms of predictions, Germany aren't looking all that well and Spain has suffered a surprising loss to Georgia lately, so perhaps France is poised to win the entire tournament after all. I can certainly see them making it to the final match. I would also love Iceland to become the major surprise of the event; their qualifier performance was inspiring.
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Going to be watching Romania v. France with my boys tonight, but really, the whole thing is a foregone conclusion when it's a matter of scientific fact that Iceland's going all the way this year. Ignore biased BBC analysis - go to betsson and drop your life savings on Iceland now!
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Maybe if England or Wales do well I might watch later rounds. I have little interest in Football.
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Man, Romania has France rattled in the first 5 minutes. Could be fun!
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Futbol. :toot:
Watching with my pa. First game is looking good so far.
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Too bad Romania failed to convert their early chances. I sure have a feeling France will score something eventually, if only thanks to individual quality. Especially Payet is making himself visible tonight. With a Segunda Division striker, Romania really needs more set pieces to have a chance.
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France for the 2-minute goal! Romania gave them a good game. Good stuff, flags and all.
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Drat. Giroud's goal was illegal, he fouled the keeper. The match definitely should have been a draw. And Payet alone isn't enough to win the entire tournament.
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Fuck, we're not in this. Damn it.
But Turkey is. :V
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Maybe if England or Wales do well I might watch later rounds. I have little interest in Football.
Wales just beat Slovakia 2:1 after a fine match, so perhaps your hopes will come true! Now to see how early does England get kicked out of the tournament.
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Wales just beat Slovakia 2:1 after a fine match, so perhaps your hopes will come true! Now to see how early does England get kicked out of the tournament.
RUSSIA SMASH. :popcorn:
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RUSSIA SMASH. :popcorn:
30 left in the second half and still waiting for either team to wake up.
73 m. Oh, fuck you and your penalty kick, England.
90 m. Russia never really snapped together and rallied. Every time they got possession, it was like they were unsure what to do with the ball. BUT THEN.
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30 left in the second half and still waiting for either team to wake up.
73 m. Oh, fuck you and your penalty kick, England.
90 m. Russia never really snapped together and rallied. Every time they got possession, it was like they were unsure what to do with the ball. BUT THEN.
I actually only caught some of the first half and wasn't impressed.
ONWARDS TO GERMANY V. UKRAINE.
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Going to be watching Romania v. France with my boys tonight, but really, the whole thing is a foregone conclusion when it's a matter of scientific fact that Iceland's going all the way this year. Ignore biased BBC analysis - go to betsson and drop your life savings on Iceland now!
Iceland's plan for recovery from 2008 revealed and diversification from an EVE-based economy revealed.
As someone who knows less than nothing about futbol, does this relate to the World Cup at all?
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If I remember correctly the winner of Euro represents UEFA in the Confederations Cup in 2017, which is basically a mini-WC at the host nation. A great tournament to get familiar with your likely opponents and the host country's stadiums, but you still need to qualify.
Mini-hijack: US advances in Copa America after despite the ref doing everything in his power to send off half the team. Fuck him.
On-topic: Saw the Wales game today. A great game and a great moment for that country.
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My eyes today are firmly fixed on Group C where the world champions have something to prove in their match against troubled Ukraine, but most importantly, my national team will be trying to face all the domestic hype and defeat Northern Ireland. I'm pretty sure international interest in Polish team is the highest in a long while too, if only because of Lewandowski.
Of course, Turkey - Croatia starting in just a minute is nothing to scoff at, either.
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Turkey's quality is as usual being represented on the field again. Dramatic and rubbish midfield control. Star players nowhere to be found. Only the last 20 minutes interesting things started happening after some swaps. Also Arda, who is suppose to be good because he is playing at Barcelona, was nowhere to be found. Sadly we're not a good football playing country.
And our next match is with Spain. I don't think we'll survive the pool lol.
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Yes, they did it. The FIRST EVER Polish victory in an European Championship match. Mediocre offense (with the exception of brilliant Kapustka), shaky defense at times, but total midfield control was enough to give us the win. Promotion is real close now.
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Yes, they did it. The FIRST EVER Polish victory in an European Championship match. Mediocre offense (with the exception of brilliant Kapustka), shaky defense at times, but total midfield control was enough to give us the win. Promotion is real close now.
I liked both Poland and N. Ireland in that game, so yay for everyone.
Germany vs. Ukraine is proving to be exciting, Germany being lucky to have survived the first half with a clean net.
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I liked both Poland and N. Ireland in that game, so yay for everyone.
Germany vs. Ukraine is proving to be exciting, Germany being lucky to have survived the first half with a clean net.
Really? Judging by online comments, most Polish fans didn't like Northern Ireland very much. People were quick to point out their tactics largely consisted of defending and playing a long ball towards Lafferty.
I honestly expected a draw in today's last match, but Ukraine completely lost their momentum in the second half. A deserved victory for Germany. Ukraine might actually be within Poland's reach.
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42' HOLY SHIT BELGIUM. Pass to the ones with shirts like yours. Jesus.
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Really feels like Belgium's defense is weaker when (at least) compared to the 2014 World Cup. Even on the last few friendlies before the Euro, it was pretty weak.
..of course, there's still the second half to come.
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57' Belgium waking up it seems. A lot of nice breaks, they might level it up.
78' The Italians are starting to annoy me with their endless tactical bookings.
90' Belgium is allergic to the box. They beat their heads against the wall over and over, stuck in some German Ball holding pattern. Of course the Italians clipping them helped, but Belgium never got their shit together. Italy swarmed them.
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Belgium 0-2 Italy.
...Welp, that doesn't quite bode well for Belgium (especially with such a shoddy defense).
If only they were actually able to score... Oh well, congrats to Italy on winning the match.
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That second half was actually terribly shaky by Italy, some simple mistakes that would have resulted in deadly counterattacks if it wasn't for Italy's tactical fouls. The one that actually came through ended with Lukaku missing a relatively easy chance. No idea how did Italy manage to keep a clean sheet... Then again, when only 2 out of your 18 attempts are on target (as was Belgium's case), you can't hope for much.
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And now, we will see if Iceland is defeated brutally or mercifully.
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I don't know Ammy, after seeing Hungary beat Austria pretty handedly last match, along with Portugal never seeming to meet the hype outside of Ronaldo, I honestly wouldn't be too shocked if Iceland got a result out of this.
I think ESPN's little pre-match monologue put it nicely: "Today: a match filled with expectations. The hope of a country with nothing to lose, and the burden of one man with everything to lose."
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31' Well. Portugal is playing great technical ball, squeezing Iceland into downfield. Iceland has a good goalie, but Portugal is taking a lot of shots on them. However, they're a bit sloppy, and I think Iceland could take advantage of a mistake to even it up. We'll see. All I know is our official announcer is the most optimistic man in the world.
50' LEVEL UP!
90+' Hahaha eat it Ronaldo! Jesus that was stressful, but fun. I think Iceland got their second wind in attempts, but only just so. It was their defense that saved the day for them. Portugal were no slouches themselves. I'm very curious to see what unfolds going forward.
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First major tournament goal in Iceland's history holy shit. Once again Portugal's other 10 make a crucial mistake against the run of play. For those not watching, a defender left his mark wide open in the box; the guy volleyed a cross with his foot with 0 problem.
The next 30+ mins are going to be fun.
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GG WP Iceland. They almost scored a second one too but a 1-1 is pretty good.
People shouldn't underestimate Iceland imo.
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Wow I don't think I felt more desperate for a country as a neutral than I did for Iceland in the 93+' with the 2 free kicks. That goalkeeper needs a statue built starting immediately after his performance all game.
One of the crazy stats I saw on tv was "Chances" as of the 83': Portugal=23, Iceland=3 (1 in the 2nd half, which was of course the goal).
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Wow I don't think I felt more desperate for a country as a neutral than I did for Iceland in the 93+' with the 2 free kicks. That goalkeeper needs a statue built starting immediately after his performance all game.
Yeah he was the player of the game. Birkir got super lucky with his goal, but Hannes was just on point the whole game.
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Not enough midfield control on Iceland's part, but the few chances they do create always lead to danger. The final score is seriously impressive for obvious reasons. Still, playing long balls upfield might not be a viable strategy for the entire tournament. Maybe things will be looking different against enemies that aren't Portugal. As for the Portugese, Andre Gomes was a much better player than Ronaldo today.
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What I like about the fans here is there's a cheerful utilitarianism to their support, like just getting there was the goal; they did that, so anything else is gravy. I think they take opportunities well, but don't make nearly enough to advance very far. No one seems to expect to, either. It's a pretty chill fandom.
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I think they take opportunities well, but don't make nearly enough to advance very far. No one seems to expect to, either. It's a pretty chill fandom.
A good attitute to have. I'd say Iceland have already exceeded all expectations by qualifying for the Euro in the first place. Still, the draw against Portugal was a huge step towards achieving something more. Even a single victory with Austria or Hungary should be enough to promote from the group, and they have already beaten stronger enemies than that in the qualifiers. And when you're in the knockout phase, anything can happen (remember Greece 2004). A beautiful story might be about to unfold.
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http://screamer.deadspin.com/this-hilarious-imaginative-icelandic-twitter-account-i-1782038758
Sir Amat, is this you?
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No, that was John Rogers, who is great. I just wrote a football news round-up. Our site is on fire today. Gotta bunch of articles all getting fine traffic.
Right now, I'm rooting for Albania, though with totally realistic expectations.
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Nice! Great job for you lot. Here's hoping it continues (and we continue getting incredible tweets on Saturday).
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Albania's doing pretty well so far. For such an underdog, their game is remarkably based on retaining possession, short, technical passes and individual skill. Pretty enjoyable to watch. Maybe there's a chance for a major surprise.
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I agree. And France by contrast are cavalier and careless. I didn't expect 0-0 at the half but yeah, Albania could get a chance here.
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Getting nervous. Of course Deschamps is trying to bury our hopes by letting Pogba and Griezmann in, but so far Albania is doing well to weather the storm. On a different note, we've had like 20 shots so far and still none on target? I wonder if this goes on for the entire match.
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83' France is playing like a group of individual showboaters, while Albania is playing like a team. These corners make me nervous.
89' HELV?TIS FRAKKAR
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Jeez. What a heartbreaker for Albania.
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Sigh. Why must these things happen?
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It's funny that I'm almost more shocked by France's win today than Iceland's tie yesterday. France's only 2 shots on target were the two late goals; you really can't say they "deserved" this win based on how they looked the first 88 minutes. Albania made only 1 defensive mistake all game and that was the one that gave up the goal at 89; otherwise they did a great job. Heartbreaking way to lose of you're them.
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So England and Wales had their match today...
I watched it because I was going to laugh if Wales beat England... and going 1-0 up looked like it would. But no, ended up laughing because England copied Russia and scored in the 91st minute...
Finished Wales 1 - England 2
... This group is going to end in a weird way; though I'm certain Russia will finish bottom regardless of what happens in the next matches :V
{Also, it's the first time England have ever came from behind to win in an Euro game; that's just kind of bad XD }
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As much as I'd prefer a different result, I say England deserved the win though. They were clearly superior in the second half. Too bad Wales couldn't keep it up.
And wow, Ukraine sure is hopeless so far. What happened to the team that actually posed a threat to Germany?
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I'm pretty excited about Germany v. Poland, myself. Knowing little about either time, I can't help but root for Poland.
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I'm pretty excited about Germany v. Poland, myself. Knowing little about either time, I can't help but root for Poland.
Personally I'm convinced we will lose, but perhaps it's my pessimism speaking.
We (the Poles) consider Germany to be our great football rival ever since World War II that one 1974 match. It was the World Cup semifinal played in completely ridiculous conditions: there was a downpour right before the match and the ball would constantly stop dead in huge pools of rain water. West Germany won by sheer luck, probably depriving us of an eventual World Cup triumph. Any match against Germany is a very significant event for our nation, even for people who normally don't even watch sports.
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NIR 2-0 UKR
What a crazy game. Rain, hail, ref taking players off the field due to the hail, crazy substitution hilarity with the refs having no idea what's going on, and it all ends with Northern Ireland's sub crossing the ball into the box in the last 20 seconds instead of taking it into the corner (despite every announcer and fan screaming to do just that) but next thing you know they get the rebound after the first shot is blocked and get a huge +1 overall goal differential at the whistle.
Crazy. Game.
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World War II
Almost the whole reason why I'm supporting Poland. That, and my mom's mom was from Poland, and there are no Germans in our family. Blood before beer!
17' Poland looking pretty dangerous here.
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Can't say it's a particularly exciting match so far. Both teams are fairly unconvincing. Germany's hogging the ball but can't do much with it, while we struggle with getting the ball in the first place. However, we sure can hope either Oezil or Khedira will be forced into committing another tactical foul, resutling in a red card.
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Germany annoys me. Putzing around with the ball, and those aforementioned tactical fouls.
90+' Shit game.
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So apparently solid defending was enough to neutralize the German threat completely. Totally happy with the result, because it both basically guarantees our promotion to the knockout stage and proves we can hold our own against a very strong team. Heck, we should have won this one, but Milik failed to hit the ball straight when gifted with two golden opportunities. And yes, the Germans were annoying, completely ineffectual and far from their usual magic. Something tells me they won't be winning this tournament. They might still win this group and defeat a 3rd place team in the 1/8th, but a team like Italy should be able to defeat Germany easily in the quarterfinal. Well, maybe not exactly "easily", but you get my point.
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Turkey has one hell of an assignment today vs Spain. They need to win if they want to secure their road to last 16. A tie is unwanted and risky, considering we're talking about Spain here.
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I guess the Euro 2016 so far can be summed up as the tournament of surprises nobody expects, seeing, most prominently, the victories of Wales against Slovakia and Northern Ireland against the Ukraine, and, not to forget, the tie between Iceland and Portugal.
The Icelander as new participants in the tournament sure were standing strong, good luck against Hungary and Austria! ;)
And those last minute goals were legit surprises. (Italy just scored a late one against Sweden, 88').
Nonetheless, I, as a German, gotta say that yesterday's match against Poland was mildly disappointing. I've expected so much from the usual top players such as M?ller and Hummels, and ?zil, Kroos and Khedira had potential too, but sadly didn't deliver it.
The missed chance by Milik right in front of the open goal surprised me good, that should've went in.
The only ones I was enjoying watching were Neuer, pretty much my fave goalie, although I'm seeing a general increase of all goalkeepers' skills within the world cups and euros, and Boateng. His defensive maneuver against the Ukraine in 36' was really risky, and he did well against Poland too. Sad thing is that their offensive play weakened quite a bit compared to the Ukraine, what likely is a reason why this match only resulted in a tie. Hope that L?w comes up with a better lineup against Northern Ireland, and doesn't underestimate them.
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I'm ashamed to admit i didn't even think about checking if there was an Euro 2016 thread until now....
First off, thoughts about my own team: the match against Belgium was a surprise, i was convinced they would OWN us and yet Italy played somewhat well with what we had available (and Belgium's mediocre play helped).
The match against Sweden..... oh hello usual Italy, i was almost worried ::) Utterly blocked match, a draw was the rightful result but if there HAD to be a winner then i feel we deserved more simply because we at least made a few dangerous attacks, while Sweden did practically nothing (the only serious threat was in offside to begin with).
I could have done without the pathetic yellow card to waste 10 more seconds on the clock >_>
Well, considering the ridiculously low expectations i had for our team i'm already satisfied. :V
As for the others, i'm totally rooting for Iceland! Really hope they get as far as possible, i like them in the same vein i liked Leicester in the last Premier League ^_^
As for the "big teams" i'm a representative of the average Italian supporter:
Spain, please get rekt
France, please get rekt
Brazil, please get rekt
Germany..... WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU WITH OPEN ARMS :D
Seriously, after Italy i'm rooting for Germany as final winner..... we just CAN'T dislike them
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I can't believe the Czechs actually managed to equalize. Or rather, that Croatia managed to let the victory slip out of their hands. The match was so one-sided!
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Late Goal Championships 2016 continues!
It says a lot when a 93' penalty wasn't even the craziest thing that happened at the end of the game. What the fuck is going on with security?! (https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2016/jun/17/czech-republic-v-croatia-euro-2016-live) One thing the article doesn't have (yet) is that it appears that a steward nearly got his head blown off when he bent down to pick up something from the field, only for it to be (I believe) a FUCKING EXPLOSIVE FIRECRACKER! Again, what the fuck?!
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Watching it live, I legit thought it was going to get worse after that explosion :ohdear: And I don't mean in the way that it did for Croatia.
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The overall security at the tournament leaves a lot to be desired. Firecrackers could be heard throughout the matches since the first day, and that isn't even close to a good idea doing such a thing within a crowd of tens of thousands of people.
Also, the riots outside the stadiums are really disgraceful, no matter from which country the ones involved come from.
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ANOTHER late game-changer goal?? And in a mostly one-sided match to boot?
The last 10 minutes of play are becoming a minefield in this tournament....
As for the so-called "antics" of certain people, i'm simply disgusted. Especially by what happened the last few days OUTSIDE the stadiums.....
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According to explanations post-game, Croatia has a lot of turbulence between its Football Association and its fans; there is a loud subsection of fans that are extremely unhappy with 2 top executives and are actively doing everything they can to embarrass them and the FA. They've already had to play games in empty stadiums recently. That's why they started all this despite being up 2-1 late, they want their national team to get kicked out of Euro. That means you have hooligans and non-hooligans fighting in the stands (the latter angry at the former for being such malicious idiots), danger on the field, and the players are unfortunately stuck with a subset of fans that are actively trying to ruin their hard work. Crazy.
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According to explanations post-game, Croatia has a lot of turbulence between its Football Association and its fans; there is a loud subsection of fans that are extremely unhappy with 2 top executives and are actively doing everything they can to embarrass them and the FA. They've already had to play games in empty stadiums recently. That's why they started all this despite being up 2-1 late, they want their national team to get kicked out of Euro. That means you have hooligans and non-hooligans fighting in the stands (the latter angry at the former for being such malicious idiots), danger on the field, and the players are unfortunately stuck with a subset of fans that are actively trying to ruin their hard work. Crazy.
Sometimes I'm quite worried about the attitude of the fans that are running around.
I mean, for heaven's sake, they don't need to devastate everything in order to draw attention to their dissatisfaction, more or less normal regularly held protests should've done the thing AFAIK. Their current behavior is only going to cause more trouble.
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I just saw footage of the firecracker, and holy crap how was that not any worse than it was. I've heard various bits and pieces of the other security issues that have happened so far (haven't been following the tournament as a whole as closely as some others here), but the general implications behind these breaches are really concerning.
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lolTurkey got wrecked, packed and sent home. I don't think we'll ever become a good football country. (Not that we were one in the first place).
Edit, well there is still 2nd half but unless SanaeMiracle happens, this is over.
Edit2 lolnope Sanae is not even going to help out here. Faith is for the transient people.
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Looks like Turkey have given up at this point. Was hoping they could die with dignity, but a goal seems really unlikely, and you can see on their faces that they've given up. Ah well.
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First problem, Turkey's coach. Fatih Terim is simply not fit to run a team. He has failed in the past and currently as well. But this isn't just all his fault.
Second problem, Turkey's football skills. It is a blown up bubble. Turkey hasn't performed well in neither Euro Cup, World Cup, Champions League or Europe League. We can't play disciplined like the Germans. We don't have the endurance like Russians. We don't have the spicy play like England. Fuck.
Third problem, Turkey's football environment. Face it, almost all famous foreign players who join a Turkish team usually do it for the money and sort of retirement / career ending reason. It is like retirement paradise, because you just have to perform a little bit well and then you can lay around at some beach eating borek and drinking Raki. Nobody will care if you're loved, foreign and famous
I know I am bashing my country too much, but every cup and league I see the same thing over and over and over. We need young talented players, but won't be happening for another 10 years.
Dutchland has the same problem a bit. Also old farts who can't just face that their time is over. (That is why they failed to even qualify for the EC, lol).
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First problem, Turkey's coach. Fatih Terim is simply not fit to run a team. He has failed in the past and currently as well. But this isn't just all his fault.
100% agree. Don't know how he got to lead a national team. Has he ever been successfull wih ANY team?
And i think the same can be said regarding Roy Hodgson too, although i seems to remember he actually did good in the past with a club team.....
Dutchland has the same problem a bit. Also old farts who can't just face that their time is over. (That is why they failed to even qualify for the EC, lol).
While i agree that old players shouldn't hog the team spots (God knows Italy have been a prime example of this many times >_>), some of them can bring experience and leadership in a younger team.
Are you speaking in a general sense or about some specific players that instead of helping were dead weights?
Anyway, congrats to Spain for being the first team to soundly, clearly defeat the opponent.
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Speaking of Turkey, the Turkish referee seems to be missing his glasses today. His decisions so far are often unfair towards Ireland. Makes watching the game a frustrating experience.
Edit: of course at this point there's no doubt Belgium deserves the win. These counterattacks are pure murder.
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15' Scary Iceland Football Chant got a mention on BBC! Still gotta work on passing to where someone is, or to teammates. Hungary looking dangerous.
30' Both these teams missing chances.
39' Cheap penalty, but we'll take it!
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Iceland finally able to exploit Hungary's awful, awful defending. All this ball possession isn't doing much good for the Hungarians. Their creativity runs out near the penalty area.
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42' FIRST
yellow card
!
Another solidly defensive game from Iceland, despite some missed chances. But Hungary is a mess. I still think Iceland's penalty was pure luck, but if they can punch through Hungary again, they could take it.
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Go Iceland Go!
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I still think Iceland's penalty was pure luck, but if they can punch through Hungary again, they could take it.
The penalty was clearly a direct consequence of Kirlay's rather amateurish goalkeeping mistake. That's why my post above puts emphasis on Hungary's poor defending. Many silly, easily exploitable errors mean the midfield and ball possession dominance is completely undone. Agreed that Iceland could easily pounce on another such chance and extend their lead.
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66' Hungary getting rowdy all of a sudden!
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Is it me, or is Iceland's defensive work slowly getting shaky? Not that Hungary know how to exploit that.
As a bit of trivia, one of Hungary's subs, Nikolić, played for Legia Warszawa (the Polish champion) last season and was the league's top goalscorer by far. For whatever reason the Hungarian manager doesn't seem to trust him much.
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80' Hungary is rattled, but Iceland is tired. This is nerve-wracking.
83' Iceland's golden boy is here!
87' DJ?FULSINS ANDSKOTANS
90' Aaaahhh!! That was too stressful!
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Late Goal Championships 2016TM, now with own goals. :colonveeplusalpha:
While my heart goes out to Iceland, that was a seriously entertaining game right to the very end. I would give anything to have these 2 teams escape the group, I want more of this. This has been a tournament full of firsts, and this game added two more:
- Latest own-goal in Euro history.
- First time Hungary earned a point after trailing at halftime in a major tournament (previously 0-13-0).
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Yeah, Hungary really rallied in the second half. Their goal was well played, and they just kept heading up field. Iceland's nuclear option defused in the end, and Hungary had wore them down. Local announcers remain mathematically motivated optimists.
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Half an hour in and I can't believe Portugal isn't in the lead already. Austria is fiercely competing with Ukraine for the dubious title of the worst team of this tournament so far.
60 minutes in. This is going to end with Austria scoring in the last minute, isn't it?
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79'
PENALTY for Portugal.
But Ronaldo MISSED it, he hit the left post!
Holy crap.
:V
EDIT: 85', Ronaldo actually got the ball into the net, but he was offside!
EDIT 2: Ladies and gentlemen, the second goalless tie in this Euro!
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100% agree. Don't know how he got to lead a national team. Has he ever been successfull wih ANY team?
He has been like maybe once successful in Champions League ages ago and made Galatasaray 1-2 (forgot, maybe more) times National champion. But that is about fucking it. The best Turkey ever did was World Cup (forgot year) where they were 3rd. They got destroyed by Brazil back then in the 1/2th finals and won the loser-bracket-match vs Korea. Hakan Sukur did score the fastest goal ever that game though. (at 0:12 seconds or so?)
Speaking of Turkey, the Turkish referee seems to be missing his glasses today. His decisions so far are often unfair towards Ireland. Makes watching the game a frustrating experience.
Haven't seen the match, couldn't judge. Normally he is quite strict with many things.
Fuck it, I am going to root for Iceland. Tengu, you got my cheers for your country. I'll ask Remilia to slightly alter the fate in Iceland's favour :V
I am neutral about Belgium. I wish them good luck but I am not going to root for them as their neighbour. Hope they get to the finals vs Iceland, ghehehe.
Edit: Also lolRonaldo.
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(http://i.imgur.com/0q6XqGh.jpg?1)
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Lesse, that Portugal vs. Austria tie is a lucky break for Iceland, but they still definitely need to win against Austria. Or everyone ties again. :V
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Thank you guys, that hilarious/painful pic and the comments about Lolnaldo made me crack a smile even in the worst day of my life. I really needed it.
Come on Iceland, don't give up!
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Thank you guys, that hilarious/painful pic and the comments about Lolnaldo made me crack a smile even in the worst day of my life. I really needed it.
Come on Iceland, don't give up!
Glad to hear that. By the way, the picture is of two Belgian players trying to stop the Irish forward in their own area. The penalty was not given. Totally legit tackles, as everyone can plainly see.
Watching the tournament is going to be a fairly difficult task in the coming four days, because of all the matches played simultaneously. I'll be trying to watch both matches at once whenever possible, one on TV and one on my laptop via online stream. Fun times ahead.
Edit: So, watching both matches. Unfortunately the Polish commentators take great pleasure in bashing the Albanian team for no good reason, making the game a pain to watch. Romania is completely neutralized and Albania deserves the lead, being the dominant side in terms of danger created. Meanwhile, France keeps trying to crush Switzerland. No luck so far, but Swiss counterattacks seem rather ineffective.
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Double post, but damn if it isn't worth it. Romania - Albania was so fun to watch! Truly a game of passion, ambition and fighting spirit, tense to the very end. Albania is now officially my favourite team of the tournament and while their -2 goal difference isn't very optimistic, they still retain a chance to reach the knockout phase! I wish them all the best.
In contrast, France - Switzerland was mainly a game of torn t-shirts and broken footballs to me. Couldn't keep my attention at all.
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Not going to lie, watching Albania bag their first ever win in a major tourny was special; much like Northern Ireland bagging their first ever Euro win. It's proving to be a special time for the teams that don't normally get to enjoy this sort of taste...
Today is the big day for both England and Wales; especially Wales as this could see them really make the headlines if they make it to the last 16. Sure, I'd love to see them both in there, but I'm actually hoping Wales do it more just to rub it in! XD
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Picked Russia v. Wales, wasn't disappointed. 0-2 at 37' and Russia is being really shy up field, while Wales is making a lot of beautiful attempts. Their defense is still a bit loose, tho, so maybe Russia can take a chance in get in there.
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Wales are doing an amazing job to exploit Russia's hopeless defending and midfield work. These dudes are yet another reason why I greatly enjoy the decision to extend the finals to 24 teams. These new "weak" teams are giving me far more joy than major players like Germany or France so far. Their efforts really lift the spirit. Keep this up!
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BBC just now:
Almost a quarter (23.5%) of first-half goals at Euro 2016 have been scored by Wales!
Yep. It's not often you hear much about Wales [Even as an Englishman!] but now; all of Europe is impressed by Wales.
It's great identifying as British and not solely English. You get extra teams to cheer for.
Two Home Nations in the same group? Beh! They'll BOTH go through! Northern Ireland look set to go through as a 3rd place too.
... I might actually have to watch the Futbol if the Home Nation[ s] gets to the Quarters... it's been a while since I've had to do that. Hell; it'll be the first time for Wales if they make it that far.
Also for all this talk about Iceland/Albania I have no clue because my interest in footy extends to 'How are the Home Nations doing have they lost yet?'. Still; sounds good for them. I always like an underdog story. Unless it's against England. [Although with England's recent record and form like the disaster last Euros calling them the Underdogs might be more accurate...]
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67' 0-3, Wales. Game is officially a slaughter. Russia's re-grouping efforts aren't pushing hard enough, and Wales keep breaking through. I wonder if Russia have it in them.
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If Russia wants to have any chance, they need to putin more effort than this.
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The Russian team sure got wrecked by Wales. The Russians just seemed to have lost their motivation after the Wales' second goal.
putin
:D
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Well. Rarely do you see a team so powerless as Russia, a team composed of experienced, highly praised multimillionaires. This was the most thorough thrashing of the tournament so far and the final score simply isn't high enough to reflect Wales' domination. It's enough to say that Wales, a team that thrives on counterattacks, has actually had a higher ball possession rate. Incredible.
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Wales beats two teams England can't and tops the group.
England beat Wales.
Man. Who gets to rib who? The correct answer is everyone gets to laugh at Scotland who didn't even qualify.
Here's hoping the Russian 'fans' behave.
Also unless I'm mistaken; England did well in their friendlies and things. And Wales honestly look better than England atm. Wales could actually be a contender. Now wouldn't THAT be a story!
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So is Wales going to be the next to go on the 'Putin invades X' meme? Because golly, 3-0... Wales making history right there!
England going 0-0 is... sad in one way, but outright funny; as Rai pointed out, the only team England beat in this group was Wales. I don't care who laughs at who, I'm so happy to see both go through to the main 16. The only thing that could top this is Northern Ireland causing the shock of the century and going through to the top 16 as well... sorry, I lie; shock of the century would be them actually beating Germany. Like, no one would see that coming :V
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I remember Russia really impressing me, not sure if it was Euro 12 or the last WC. Way to let me down guys. :fail:
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A reminder for anyone that will be Jonesin' for more football after the Euro's games are done today that the USA/Argentina Copa Am?rica semifinal match is on later tonight (though admittedly past midnight for all of Europe).
It'll probably be closer than Mexico/Chile!
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Now, Jogi L?w, don't underestimate the Northern Irish team! I'm counting on you and your boys!
I'm actually curious on how Poland VS Ukraine is gonna turn out, the two host countries of the previous Euro. I'm rooting for our neighbors though :D
7' SO. DAMN. CLOSE.
18' Pretty concentrated in the Northern Irish half
23' What a chance!
29' TOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRR!!!
45' Oh damn that ref at the corner got it right into the guts. Hope he's alright.
First half: German offensive play has certainly improved from the previous match, passes look more elaborate and these handful of chances. Neuer being awesome as usual. The Northern Irish defense looked kinda a little tough to break at first, but seemed to have worn out a bit.
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I'm actually curious on how Poland VS Ukraine is gonna turn out, the two host countries of the previous Euro. I'm rooting for our neighbors though :D
Some poor defending by Ukraine in the first few minutes, but otherwise Poland's rather terrible. Not sure why. Fortunately Ukraine seems lacking the finishing quality to capitalize on our multiple mistakes.
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53' The chances continue. Goetze! Almost!
57' The Northern Irish team have accelerated their offensive play quite a bit. Dangerous moments in the German half. I also see that Poland got one in too, nice.
FULL TIME: Germany 1-0, Poland 1-0. Neat, that should suffice. Kimmich as a new German player did exceptionally well in this match, most preps for the goal attempts were done by him. Seemed to me that the German team ceased their offensive play in the second half a bit, but still remained in the Northern Irish half for most of the time. Gomez, M?ller, ?zil and Kimmich were doing nice elaborate combined passes, but kudos for the Northern Irish defense, they improved compared to the first half, but partly it's also because of some lacking precision within the attempts which kept the ball away from McGovern. I'm curious on which team the Germans are gonna face in the first round of the knockout phase.
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33' Czech Republic v. Turkey, 0-1. What the shit.
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So on one hand, it's good to see Poland winning despite playing terribly. On the other hand, our next opponent is Switzerland, a solid team that will kick us out of the tournament mercilessly if we keep playing terribly, so I'm hoping for a return to solid performances against Germany and Northern Ireland. If we do, the match could go either way.
In other news, GO CROATIA
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64' Ok that was a beautiful goal, Turkey. 0-2 and CZ is tired. Shame about the flares tho.
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Looks like Turkey is gonna make it to the knockout phase. They went wild all of a sudden.
65' CZE 0-2 TUR
71' HOLY SHIT that Croatian goalie. He held the penalty shot from Ramos. Kudos to him.
87' What an attack by Perisic. That was amazing. CRO 2-1 ESP
94' Croatia just defeated Spain. Wow. Congrats. The Croatians did play better though.
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This is pretty amazing. Croatia over Spain caught me by surprise, and now with Turkey moving up... Whole lotta twists. Gives me superstitious hopes for tomorrow afternoon!
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Looks like Turkey is gonna make it to the knockout phase. They went wild all of a sudden.
Turkey isn't through yet. They're now third in the 3rd place ranking, meaning they could drop to the fifth place if tomorrow's matches take a wrong turn for them. Specifically, I think Sweden beating Belgium and Portugal beating Hungary would be enough to knock Turkey out of the tournament, as long as Sweden wins lower than 4:0 and Austria doesn't defeat Iceland higher than 2:0.
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COPA AM?RICA HIJACK LOL
USA/ARG begins! GET FUCKING HYPE
EDIT: wups
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Copa Am?rica Hijack over. You may new return to your regularly scheduled Euro tournament.
(At least it was closer than Mexico/Chile!)
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Copa
Didn't watch the game due to a prayer vigil for Orlando. I don't even need to visit message boards anymore to know what the "fan" reaction has been:
Win over Ecuador: Klinsmann's the greatest! The system works!
Loss to Argentina: Klinsmann's the worst! Deport him!
The US was down 3 starters due to cards, including our new young forward whose runs opened up space for our goal-scoring veteran forward. Honestly I don't think anybody with half a brain gave the USA a shot at keeping it close short of Argentina being super unlucky and half their starters developing a sudden stomach virus. Just the fact that we can say "still better than Chile v. Mexico" is good enough. Also congrats to Messi on the record.
That said I'm looking forward to the 3rd place game.
Euro (On topic)
Watched the Croatia v. Spain game. Holy shit even the announcer couldn't help yelling "YEEEES!" for both of Croatia's goals. A spirited performance indeed.
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Today's games are taking on an interesting turn already! Pretty sure Portugal is out if these results hold (and I want them to).
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27' and Iceland scores on Austria. Holy crap! Can they keep the momentum going?
50' Wake up, Icelanders! Your defense is way too weak and Austria is stepping up their efforts.
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Dang, Hungary and Portugal are literally going head on head. As soon as Hungary shoots a leading goal, Portugal equalizes a few minutes afterwards. What a scoring frenzy! HUN 2-2 POR
UPDATE: HUN 3-2 POR
Definitely the match with the most goals in the tournament so far.
62' HUN 3-3 POR. This is madness.
Oh damn, Austria equalized. Come on, Iceland!
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Meanwhile, Dzsudzsak is having some seriously incredible luck with his long shots on the right flank. 3-2 for Hungary, what a spectacular match.
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60' 1-1. Guys. The goalie cannot be your only dude on defense.
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THAT LAST
MINUTE SECOND GOAL. WHAT. THE. HELL.
Congratulations, Iceland!
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?FRAM ?SLAND BEST ? HEIMI!!!!
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HOLY SHIT
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ICELAND DID IT! ICELAND DID IT! ICELAND! DID! IT!
Once again Portugal shows that one man does not make a team. Hungary and Iceland finish 1-2 in the group; Portugal would've been eliminated in any other tournament. :smug:
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Sir Amat, please give John Rogers the regards of a random internet person. #ICELANDSMITES o/
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What a story. Iceland goes through as a runner-up. Portugal is also through via the third place, meaning Albania is out. Turkey's fate hangs by a thread, they will be out if either Ireland or Sweden win their matches, as long as Sweden doesn't demolish Belgium too badly. If both Ireland and Sweden win, then Turkey is out no matter what.
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Sir Amat, please give John Rogers the regards of a random internet person. #ICELANDSMITES o/
I most certainly will!
Austria's double substitution at halftime might have given them a second wind, but fortunately Iceland wised up and tightened up their defense, however late, which has served them well so far. I was worried they weren't taking enough chances, but that last minute var bara gj?rsamlega fallegur ?rumur wooooooooooo
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So there, while the Swedes eliminate themselves through their own ineffectiveness, Ireland manages a win against Italy, going into the third place ranking and knocking Turkey down to the 5th place of said ranking. Not sure if anyone expected both Irelands and Wales to go through alongside England, but there they are.
A handy draw of the knockout phase available here at Soccerway (http://pl.soccerway.com/international/europe/european-championships/2016-france/s7576/final-stages/) (the 1/8th is slightly incomplete right now, but that's very much temporary).
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I missed ALL of these games. :(
I'm super happy with this tournament so far, though. The national tournaments always give you this excitement that the Champions League can't muster.
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More good: http://screamer.deadspin.com/icelandic-announcer-shreds-vocal-cords-calling-home-cou-1782447411
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lolTurkey should've just won their pool games instead of trying to survive barely as 3rd best. If they only played like this with their first match.
Still rooting for Iceland. Belgium continues but their play isn't solid yet. They have weird ups and downs (3-0 previous game and now barely won)
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More good: http://screamer.deadspin.com/icelandic-announcer-shreds-vocal-cords-calling-home-cou-1782447411
Ah, Gummi Ben (aka Gu?mundur Benediktsson). Dude is a former footballer himself, and a bit of a sports nerd. What makes him especially beloved in Iceland is that he doesn't employ the Detached Sports Scientist tone of a lot of Icelandic commentators. Instead, he talks like some guy sitting next to you in the stands, in good times and bad. So he goes nuts when things go wrong and when they go right. This outburst of his is just one of many, many explosions of joy we've heard him give over the years. He's a treasure.
e: John Rogers to the rescue again: https://grapevine.is/culture/2016/06/23/what-was-that-commentator-who-lost-his-mind-actually-saying/
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Now with both of the big boys Spain and Italy defeated by Croatia and Ireland in the final group match, I'm certainly looking forward to Spain VS Italy in the first round of the knockout phase. It's gonna be great.
Still having the memories of how Spain completely demolished Italy 4-0 in the final of the 2012 Euro.
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The fun resumes today! For obvious reasons I'll be keeping a very close look on Switzerland - Poland, which should be a very even and close game, but, really, every single match should be good today. So, apparently both Switzerland and Poland have already achieved their best European Championship result ever and at least one of them is about to go even further. Same for Wales - Northern Ireland, except their presence at this stage can be seen as a significant surprise in itself. Both teams are known for their fighting spirit and ambition, so it's going to be a great match which should end in Wales winning, but who knows. And finally, Croatia will demolish Portugal on their march for the semifinals. Or will they?
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First knockout match, first penalty shootout already. Let's see how it turns out.
UPDATE: Poland enters the quarter-finals, 5-4.
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Congrats Navpirx :V
Mind if I ask though, what does your coach have against substitutions?
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Congrats Navpirx :V
Mind if I ask though, what does your coach have against substitutions?
Thank you very much. As for substitutions? I don't understand it either. I guess he predicted there would be an extra time, but not making a third sub is puzzling. We don't exactly have a short bench: there's Thiago Cionek, one of Nawałka's favourite defenders who played vs Ukraine; Piotr Zieliński, an extremely talented midfielder; or Mariusz Stępiński, a solid forward ready to replace the ineffective Milik. Strange, especially considering he let in Peszko, a terrible player who's there basically only because others like him. Waiting with subs like that and not making a third one is something Smuda (our previous coach, widely criticized for completely clueless decisions on the previous Euro) would have done.
Also, I was ostensibly wrong about Wales - N. Ireland. This is the worst match I've seen so far.
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Nothing sucks more than losing a match, then to lose it via an own goal. Got to feel for Northern Island, but as people have said, they (and Wales) have never got this far before; so mad props to them. The game was zzzzzzzzzzz indeed, but hey, we have a dragon in the quarter finals for the first time ever; we'll take that. Especially if (and when) England dump themselves out :V
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I thought England already voted themselves out yesterday?
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Nothing sucks more than losing a match, then to lose it via an own goal.
Wales would have scored anyway, I'm sure. There was a Welsh player following just next to the N. Irish defender, going right at the ball.
Generally speaking, I'd say the Welsh way of playing was stunted today because they're a counterattacking team and Northern Ireland had no intention to actually give them any counterattacking chances. Thus Wales was reduced to positional attacking that they simply can't do, turning the match into somewhat of a borefest. Shame, but I'm sure their next game will be far more interesting.
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Aaand here's a game without a single on target attempt to cap off the day that seemed so promising. Do I dare to watch the extra time?
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Late goals make a return in the knockout phase. Portugal is leading.
CRO 0-1 POR
UPDATE: Croatia is out. Croatia why.
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The soccer gods have spoken. Croatia was by far the more aggressive side in the final 10' of extra time, but a risky managerial decision (leaving on a player who's been limping and down throughout extra time) came back to bite them when Portugal's counter-attack struck true in part because said player couldn't mark Nani tight enough. That and when you have as many chances as Vida did, you have to finish or else risk results like this.
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Soooooooo...
Who wants to see Poland beat Portugal? Also, that match was even worse than the Wales one; the only shot on target (counting the 2 as 1 because it was literally seconds apart) came at the end of extra time. Utter snooze fest; please let tomorrow be better, please ><
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A reminder for anyone that will be Jonesin' for more football now that the Euro's games are done today that the USA/Colombia Copa Am?rica 3rd Place match is on later tonight (though admittedly past midnight for all of Europe).
It'll probably be closer than USA/Argentina!
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I sure wonder why am I getting a feeling of deja vu after reading the above post!
(I'd totally watch the entire Copa America if only it wasn't so late in the night... Too bad, Argentina - Chile is shaping up to be a spectacular match)
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COPA AM?RICA HIJACK LOL
USA/COL begins! GET FUCKING HYPE
(Also congrats to Columbia for the peace times!)
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Copa America hijack over, more Euro to come! So anyone rooting for Slovakia and Hungary today? Probably Ireland too, if you remember how Ireland was once eliminated by France after Thierry Henry's famous handball (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Republic_of_Ireland_v_France_football_matches) (not as famous as Maradona's perhaps, but still).
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I'll keep on rooting for Jogi's boys. Otherwise I'm somewhat neutral about the matches today, but kinda hope that Belgium and Ireland can advance.
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Super early goals are now joining the tournament. Keep it up, Ireland!
61' France turning the table all of a sudden. Admittedly, the two goals by Griezmann were beautiful.
FULL TIME: France advances to the next round. The match really picked up speed in the second half.
GERSLO: Just saw the German lineup against Slovakia, looks promising. Hope that it's effective too.
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Griezmann show. Too bad, Ireland was looking solid up to a point, then everything fell apart. Now comes a match where my favourite team plays our Slavic brothers and neighbours, so I'll be happy no matter who wins (although Slovakia is slightly preferable, if only because no one expects them to win this).
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Well, didn't actually expect a goal within the first 10 minutes, good job, Boateng. And that attack by Draxler with the 2-0 by Gomez was amazing, his room was so narrow, but he nailed it. Pity about the missed penalty though. Neuer looks like he's almost as effective as a whole defense squad, considering the dramatic measures he takes to keep the ball out of the goal, that save of Kucka's shot was well done.
Keep going!
63' That goal by Draxler was damn elegant.
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Well, didn't actually expect a goal within the first 10 minutes, good job, Boateng. And that attack by Draxler with the 2-0 by Gomez was amazing, his room was so narrow, but he nailed it. Pity about the missed penalty though. Neuer looks like he's almost as effective as a whole defense squad, considering the dramatic measures he takes to keep the ball out of the goal, that save of Kucka's shot was well done.
Keep going!
63' That goal by Draxler was damn elegant.
Neuer is high on my list of favorite players.
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Neuer is high on my list of favorite players.
He's done some spectacular saves in the second half against Slovakia too. Certainly overall also one of my favorite goalkeepers.
FULL TIME: Quarter-finals, here we come! Excited to know tomorrow which team among Italy and Spain the German team is gonna face.
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Is it me, or are the goalline assistant referees completely useless? So many corner kicks missed today because these guys won't make a call.
Edit: darn, Hazard tearing the Hungarians apart by himself right before being substituted. What a pleasure to watch.
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Holy hell, Belgium.
That was a pleasure to watch. (too bad Vermaelen won't play the upcoming match, due to a second yellow card in this tournament)
Next stop: Wales!
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COPA AMERICA HIJACK LOL
Messi ends his international football career as his Argentina fails to claim a major trophy once again. Chile defend the title! Yay!
COPA AMERICA HIJACK END
Now time for what might just be the best match of the tournament, Italy - Spain. Not going to lie, I've always found del Bosque's Spain to be quite annoying and nowhere near as enjoyable to watch as Barcelona for example, so I want Italy to win, and how. And who knows, maybe this is the point where we say goodbye to England as well? I'd love to see Iceland pull off a major surprise, especially after yesterday's underdogs were completely massacred.
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England v. Iceland is still some nine hours away but Grapevine's Twitter is already in attack mode (https://twitter.com/rvkgrapevine).
#ICELANDSMITES
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Nothing will please me more than to see Spain knocked out of the Euros. Let someone else win the damn thing, please XD
As for Iceland v England... I don't care who goes through. If England win, then hey, we've got 2 home nations into the Quarter-Finals. If Iceland win, then I'll be backing them like I did with Turkey in 2008; because no one expected them to do as well as they did that year, and the same applies to Iceland for getting this far XD
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I'm torn on this one. On one hand, I'm all for a perennial powerhouse like Spain getting upset. On the other, I loathe the Italian MNT with a passion, more so than any other country's men's team by several kilometers.
Hopefully there'll a double disqualification or something.
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Yeah Italy is annoying as hell. Any sort of punking or penalties against them is most welcome.
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Going good so far, Spain can't do a single thing, Italy dominating and on the lead with a pretty much perfect performance all around. If this keeps up, we should totally be seeing something like yesterday's Hungary - Belgium game.
Edit: Spain's lucky they aren't losing like 0-3 now. Apparently del Bosque's answer to the Italian threat was bringing another tall forward in. What a puzzling solution, and not really doing them any good.
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The Italian manager wants to be a player on the pitch it seems :V
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The Italian manager wants to be a player on the pitch it seems :V
I like his attitude. Tons of genuine emotions.
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THE CHAMPIONS ARE OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTT!
2-0!
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Wow goddamn Italy play style is so boring, but effective. 10-men massdef since 2nd half. 45 minutes of perma defending. Only the last 5 minutes stuff started happening due to slip ups from Italy side. They can thank their keeper for saving their asses four times. But yea, they finished Spain off with the 2-0. Gg wp I guess.
First half Spain was losing so many balls on mid-field. Those basic passes at short distance were inaccurate or completely missed. After the 1-0 Italy just pulled back, which is why Spain had the mid-field for themselves.
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Yeah as much as I hate to admit it, Italy earned that one.
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Wow goddamn Italy play style is so boring, but effective. 10-men massdef since 2nd half. 45 minutes of perma defending.
You're forgetting Eder's missed one-on-one and another chance where a low cross passed through like three Italian players, any of which could have easily kicked it in. The mass defending started a bit later on, around the 60 minute mark.
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You're forgetting Eder's missed one-on-one and another chance where a low cross passed through like three Italian players, any of which could have easily kicked it in. The mass defending started a bit later on, around the 60 minute mark.
The keeper blocked that with his belly/crotch :V though he came out from his goal on time so I guess it is well done.
60' minute? It honestly started actually before even the first half ended. Slow ball play. Idling with throw-in etc. Lying on the floor randomly due to some weird gravity effect.
But yea, they won and that is all that counts.
Edit
This is btw the same style Italy had also used during World Cup 2014 and Euro Cup 2012 many times. Not surprised at all they would apply the same style here too. Except in 2012 they got wrecked by Spain.
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60' minute? It honestly started actually before even the first half ended. Slow ball play. Idling with throw-in etc. Lying on the floor randomly due to some weird gravity effect.
I mean, playing in a defensive, slow and annoying manner is one thing, but they've had good offence and solid midfield control throughout most of the match too. The 60 minute mark was when they gave that up and focused on defense only.
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Ah like that. Yea I can agree with that part.
@ Tengu, yo man. Iceland vs England tonight. Not the easiest match up :ohdear: do your best!
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Saying this now, will be cheering on both to put on a good match. On one hand, England winning would be cool because, you know, it's home after all. However, I wouldn't be sad if Iceland won because, I mean, they've never got this far before. Think about how historic this would be for them; I would love that! XD
So yeah, whatever happens, here's to a good game of football... oh, and the huge task of facing France next game :V
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Thanks! It's already pretty nuts right now. The streets are teeming with blue. I'll be watching from my friend's house.
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Italy
Lying on the floor randomly due to some weird gravity effect.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Icelanders watching the game on the big screen (http://imgur.com/BWVPTku).
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...
Italy defeated Spain. Italy got into the quarter-finals. The German team is gonna face Italy.
DAMN IT :getdown:
I'm reminded of the painful moments of Germany VS Italy in major tournaments (WC 2006 and Euro 2012, both semi-finals, in particular), where the Italians scored these damned last minute goals to kick out the German team all of a sudden (well, Super Mario Balotelli didn't score that type of goals though).
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... Don't Germany have a pretty rotten record against Italy?
Also, wow Tengu! <3
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... Don't Germany have a pretty rotten record against Italy?
That's exactly what I meant. The statistics from the Germans' POV look absolutely terrifying.
But who knows, the team does have some fresh new faces (such as Kimmich, Draxler and Hector) who proved themselves to be quite good already, I still remain kinda pessimistic however.
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3 minutes in, penalty for England!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand...
1-0!
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4' Come on, Hannes. You're better than that.
5' Hahaha oh shit! Tiein' it up!
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AND IT'S 1-1!
Hollllllllllllllllllyyy crap! This is going to be one hell of a match! XD
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Smite for smite!
BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT
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https://twitter.com/rvkgrapevine/status/747505123325280257
This makes me glad. Brexit jokes are required for as long as England stays in the tournament.
EDIT: OH GOD HERE WE GO
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1-2! ICELAND TAKE THE LEAD!!!
HISTORY IN THE MAKING RIGHT HERE <3 <3
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2-1 YEEEESSS!!!
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18' Love the way that ball just casually rooooooolled into the goal.
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Holy hell...
Iceland rocketing up all of a sudden... keep it going!
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I WISH I COULD WATCH THIS. Unlike most games in this Euro so far, this game isn't behind some lousy paywall, but one of our main channels has the rights. Except they're putting some crap prime-time reality show over the first 60 minutes with the game following that, with the description "second half". Fuuuuck that.
Good luck, Iceland!
EDIT: OKAY, found a good stream. Down with the system.
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My god this match. What is going on lol.
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Hilarity, Hele. That's all I can say XD
It's all over the place at the moment; pretty fun match to watch, it must be said
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Call me crazy and all but..., if Iceland keeps up that pace, I honestly think they'll make it to the final, or at least to the last four. :V
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Beautiful. England mostly reduced to long distance shots. Iceland's mastery of simplistic yet elegant football is lovable and satisfying to watch as usual.
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1st half done: England 1, Iceland 2.
Wild start to this game, and frantic all the way. Hopefully, more goals will come in the 2nd half...
Also, Jimmy, could you imagine the headlines if Iceland beat England, France, and then either Italy or Germany? We're talking Leicester levels of shenanigans with that one XD
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My stream is some British/Scottish channel and the mid-time commentators are flabbergasted trying to rationalize Iceland being deservedly in the lead.
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We're talking Leicester levels of shenanigans with that one XD
I'd say it's more like a Conference team winning the FA Cup.
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Yeah it's pretty incredible. Iceland is making good use of possession, but they better shore up their defense if they want to keep the Brits at bay.
Fun side note: Grapevine's Twitter has been getting a lot of "Please smite us" tweets from Brits who feel guilty about Brexit.
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All through the first half all the announcers could say about England was criticism on their play past the 1st Iceland goal.
"They're too static (no movement)."
"There's no width. Everything's going through the middle."
"They come back to the ball, constricting play even more."
"They're slow going forward, meaning they have to break down Iceland's defense every time they have posession."
"Nobody in the starting 11 has stood out or 'done themselves justice'."
I've only been watching this sport for 6 years now, and I must have the worst viewership luck ever, because I've never seen an England game that made me think "wow, this is a world-class squad." It reminds me of college sports, in particular UCLA basketball (my mom's an alum): all hype and expectations based on the past that have no supporting evidence in the present. Back when people pointed out that they are a "former World Cup winner" in 2014 when arguing what was the true "group of death" all I could think was "yeah, they one 1 time when they were the host nation decades ago. That has nothing to do with [the 2014] team."
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That's because the English MNT are the masters of underachieving on the big stage. No one collapses under limelight pressure better than them.
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1st half done: England 1, Iceland 2.
Wild start to this game, and frantic all the way. Hopefully, more goals will come in the 2nd half...
Also, Jimmy, could you imagine the headlines if Iceland beat England, France, and then either Italy or Germany? We're talking Leicester levels of shenanigans with that one XD
I'm SO rooting for Iceland right now! :D
I already have a vague idea about the possible headlines, but the best I can imagine right now is that even in the German media they'll be all capitalized, topped with half a dozen exclamation marks at least :]
Germany actually beating Italy would be really amazing though, the German news reporters and mods will definitely go all bonkers.
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I don't know if I should cheer for the underdogs Iceland or for the overpaid but still my home team England.
The irony of voting out of Europe than going out of Euros immediately afterwards would not be lost on me.
Not surprised. England bottle it a lot. Still have Wales to cheer for at least.
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60' Sweatin' bullets over here!
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The Icelandic fans starting to cheer and chant every time an Icelandic player gets the ball. I'm almost purely enjoying this atmosphere right now. This is bonkers, and I really like how enthusiastic the Icelandic fans are. Also England just all desperate to equalize again :]
70' That was close.
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69' Holy crap, that block!
Also wow England what are you doing
78' The Great Wall of Hannes takes it again.
-
10 minutes to go... this is insanity! XD
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83' At least you tried, Aron. Nice break.
-
> Need offense in a hurry
> Sub Rooney out
????????????
-
So.
Who's next England Manager? Because it's basically 100% that Hodgeson's getting the boot and he knows it.
-
WHO'S "SMALL-MINDED" NOW, RONALDO?!
Excellent game. There are actual fireworks going off right now here in Reykjavik, while the team conducts the Chant in France.
-
HOLY BALLS!
Iceland did it!
I'm now really thinking they're going to kick France's asses too and enter the best four.
-
Fun fact:
Per the Belgian commentators, the Icelandic commentators were screaming so much, they couldn't hear themselves speaking (I think I even faintly heard them in the background). They also blocked the Belgian commentators' view over the field, since they were standing (lol).
Tengukami, can you confirm the screaming part?
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:getdown: :getdown: :getdown:
-
ENGLAND ARE OUT!!!! ICELAND WIN 2-1!!!
Well, well... Iceland are going in the history books now. Many congrats to Iceland; this has been an amazing experience! Like I said before, was fine with either team winning, and I'm going to hope Iceland go further!
You know what else this means? Wales were the only ones from our islands to make it to the Quarter-finals; with Ireland (counting them because), Northern Ireland, and now England falling out. Wales are going to be rub this all over England, of that there's no doubt...
And I love it! <3 <3 <3
-
I just hope things stay safe in Nice tonight!
Tengukami, can you confirm the screaming part?
I had to watch it on ESPN because of a rights dispute between public broadcasting and a telecom. I'm not downloading their app just to watch a game.
-
Sorry for disappearing a week ago, tragedy struck my family so I really wasn't in the mood to chat about football.
Italy's victory cheered me up a little, so i wanted to post my congratulations to both Wales and definitely Iceland for their incredible achievements.
P.S. about Germany-Italy: the reason Germans dislike meeting us so much (while we love them) is that Italy is the only team they have NEVER defeated in tournament match.
Every single time we met the past 20 years I was sure they would finally trounce us yet somehow we always pull it off....
-
> Need offense in a hurry
> Sub Rooney out
????????????
Honestly he should've been subbed earlier, like 80' at latest. Every pass he had went straight to nowhere or an Icelandic player. The whole team was horrible except for that super-late sub that should've been given more time.
This story shall never die! Ammy can I please adopt Iceland as my other national team? The attitude and passion on the field and in the stands are simply beyond words! :*
-
I love listening to
Bob Costas whoever this Costas voice impersonator is talk about Iceland.
And of course, SH. The team belongs to anyone with a taste for smiting.
-
Believe me, if Iceland knock the hosts out, everyone will be backing Iceland <3
-
Wow. This... actually happened.
-
Hodgeson's stepped down already.
-
So it is France vs Iceland / Italy vs Germany / Poland vs Portugal / Wales vs Belgium in the 1/4 huh.
Hmmm, Iceland can have it tough. Though my guesses are: Iceland, Germany, Portugal and Belgium advancing to 1/2.
-
So here it comes. The match that dreams are made of. Polish dreams, that is; Portugese ones don't count.
Let's face it, our half of the draw is so weak, we can realistically make it into the final, even win the whole thing! Just a few minor steps along the way. 1. Kick Portugal's butts. 2. Kick (presumably) Belgium's butts. 3. Face Iceland in the grand finale. 4. ??? 5. Become second Greece (no, not financially)!
Can we do it? Well, yes, our players on the whole are no weaker than Portugal's or Belgium's and we obviously have a team that's pretty well put together. Still, I'm worried, mainly about running out of steam. We probably won't be able to keep it up in case of yet another extra time.
-
Still, I'm worried, mainly about running out of steam. We probably won't be able to keep it up in case of yet another extra time.
Clearly the solution Poland came up with was Early Goal Championships.
-
Way to go, Poland!
Man this tournament is getting really interesting.
-
wat
OK, to elaborate a bit more: woah.
-
23' Poland is straight-up on the attack. This is amazing.
-
I totally saw this coming, though not that early. The Portugese seemed rather weak in this tournament so far, except the 3-3 tie against Hungary.
Also, in minute 29 they were just standing around watching the Poles passing the ball to each other in the Polish half, like seriously, no joke.
33' Forget what I just said. Portugal is catching up!
-
That was a good goal. My money's still on Poland though. It could end up 2-2, but Poland is playing pretty aggressive ball.
e: Uuuuuuughhh no not another 30. This is intense.
-
I badly need a gif of Ronaldo missing the ball in his late 1v1, plus his long dumbstruck look at the camera as they cut to the replay.
-
Well, this is going to end in another round of penalties, isn't it? Can't see it any other way.
-
109' Did some random spectator just decide to charge onto the field? :V
120' PENALTIES INCOMING
-
109' Did some random spectator just decide to charge onto the field? :V
It's been a while since I saw the last streaker! Not that he was naked, but...
-
Oh, great. A showdown. Please, please give me more Ronaldo tears.
-
Ahhhh shit. RIP Polandball.
-
So, so close. Poland played great ball.
-
Portugal advances, Poland is out! I kinda feel sad for the Poles, I think they've overall played better than Portugal...
It's been a while since I saw the last streaker! Not that he was naked, but...
I can't remember at all the last time I've seen such a thing happening, but it was not in a major tournament for sure.
-
Too bad, but you can't always count on winning the penalty shootout, now can you? We should have won this before extra time.
I'll be blunt, our games bored me to death, but we consistently got the job done, enough to achieve the best European Championship result ever. Portugal was well within reach, but aside of solid defensive play, we failed to create any clear chances. Of course so did they, not counting Ronaldo's hilarous miss. Too bad they no longer make a coin toss if a match is undecided after extra time.
-
My bucks are on Wales tonight. Do the surprise!
13' I'm actually neutral on which team advances to the semis in this match, though I kinda hoped for the Welsh (well, there's still time!), but Belgium currently has more momentum. Belgium takes the lead, the Welsh defense looked kinda shoddy at that moment.
-
Well, it's 1-0 for Belgium now.
That was a nice goal by Nainggolan.
-
This is terrible for Wales, I can't really see them score with a positional attack unless Bale or Ramsey pull off something magical. Then again, the Belgian defense is severely weakened today (yellow cards and injuries), so who knows.
Also the Welsh are collecting yellow cards so quickly, we might yet see a sending off today. Not many red cards in this tournament so far.
Also Jordan Lukaku isn't a very good defender.
-
31' The Welsh are catching up! Keep it going, boys!
55' Wales turning the tables! Getting England vs Iceland vibes right now...
-
Robson-Kanu turns on the style! Belgium's entire defense humiliated by one simple maneuver.
-
Good luck shooting two goals in four minutes (+ some stoppage time?), Belgium :V
Their defense was literally falling apart like a worn-out brick wall, Wales really gained some momentum and attack power in the second half.
-
Welp, pre-emptive congrats to Wales for their win. They played really well.
-
85' Wales has killed it. And not for lack of Belgium trying. Too bad they're shit at corners. I think Wales could take Portugal. What an intense game!
-
Their defense was literally falling apart like an worn-out brick wall
Yeah, there were two defenders marking Vokes, how on Earth could they let him take a shot? This kind of thing simply has no right to happen with proper defending.
So. Semifinal: Portugal who still hasn't won a single match vs Wales without Ramsey. Should be interesting.
-
Is that Robson-Kanu goal online anywhere? I need to see it with all I've heard about it.
-
So. Semifinal: Portugal who still hasn't won a single match vs Wales without Ramsey. Should be interesting.
That for sure.
Too bad Ramsey is gonna be out for Wales though, hope their coach can figure out a good replacement (from their roster ofc) for the semi-final.
I'm getting the same feeling for Wales like for Iceland, the pace they're playing the matches at and how they wear out their opponents' defenses and attacks, that the Welsh can also be making it through Portugal.
Also getting excited about France VS Iceland already, if Iceland can defeat them and make it into the semis as well... dude that's gonna make some headlines!
-
Is that Robson-Kanu goal online anywhere?
Here you go. (http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2016/7/1/12084962/wales-belgium-score-update-euro-2016-hal-robson-kanu-goal)
Anyway, I guess I'll be pretty much on the neutral side from now on.
-
So; Wales won again.
And Portugal suck right now.
Wales has a real chance to be in the Finals.
People are already wanting Wales v Iceland final.
-
Here you go. (http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2016/7/1/12084962/wales-belgium-score-update-euro-2016-hal-robson-kanu-goal)
Holy Toledo, that did not disappoint.
-
Wales have earned this position. They haven't been a team carried by Bale either. Their tactics during this match were great and they really played well. I really want them to win. Considering how crap Portugal have been I fully expect them to get to the final.
I do very much want Wales vs Iceland for the finals. If Wales (or probably even Iceland) win this tournament then this will be the best EUROs of all time.
-
The welsh commentator on the BBC... when that 3rd goal went in, I'm pretty sure he was struggling for breath by the end of that. Not on the level of the Iceland stuff, but he was pretty damn emotional.
Can we all please have a Wales v Iceland final? Not just for the headlines, not just to p*ss England off, but because what a match it'll be! And with Portugal being as bad as they have been, I'm seriously expecting them to get there <3 <3 <3
-
Once again Wales deserve sincere congratulations, that was a brilliant comeback.
Honestly disappointed by Belgium, with that much talent in the team i expected something more.....
Now about that Wales - Iceland final..... my preferred choice would obviously be Wales - Italy (duh), but in the extremely likely chance we get stomped by Germany i'm all for it! ;)
-
Too bad Ramsey is gonna be out for Wales though, hope their coach can figure out a good replacement (from their roster ofc) for the semi-final.
Ramsey seems rather irreplaceable, but honestly, Wales is simply good all around. I loved how they thrashed Russia and confidently turned the Belgium game around, they can beat Portugal even without Ramsey.
And speaking of Italy and Germany... I don't believe anyone can accurately predict today's result other than by sheer luck. Two excellent teams, best to just relax and watch. There are some possible injuries for Italy (Candreva and de Rossi) and no absences for Germany, so perhaps this will be the tipping point, but still, I'd rather sit on a pincushion than bet money on this game.
-
Ramsey seems rather irreplaceable, but honestly, Wales is simply good all around. I loved how they thrashed Russia and confidently turned the Belgium game around, they can beat Portugal even without Ramsey.
And speaking of Italy and Germany... I don't believe anyone can accurately predict today's result other than by sheer luck. Two excellent teams, best to just relax and watch. There are some possible injuries for Italy (Candreva and de Rossi) and no absences for Germany, so perhaps this will be the tipping point, but still, I'd rather sit on a pincushion than bet money on this game.
I sure hope so, the Welsh thoroughly deserve to be among the best two if they keep that magnificent play up they delivered so far. Similarly to Iceland, they weren't intimidated or shocked by Belgium's early lead and played confidently, which in the end did good for them.
About GERITA: If you ask me what to suggest for a possible outcome, I'd be completely clueless. Italy, under Conte, is both very powerful and unpredictable, being able to attack very dangerously and defend like a solid wall. Germany was rather unspectacular during the group stage, but is improving in the knockout phase and starting to show their real strength. However, I think the real hurdle are both teams' goalies. Neuer and Buffon are both incredibly good at their position, being able perform some really dramatic saves in case their defenses are conquered.
The atmosphere's already getting tense over here in Germany, and from what I can see at the kiosks around me in Munich, the newspapers keep speculating about the upcoming match with a lot of, partly frantic, comparisons between both teams' rosters and performances so far.
I appreciate L?w's view of not thinking about all the defeats in the past against Italy in major tournaments, which he explained at a press conference few days ago, and that should mentally stabilize his team, although they all already said they don't care about said defeats, and keep looking forward.
JOGI komm diesmal schaffst du das!
This sure is gonna be something.
-
Yup, congratulations to Wales. Just like Iceland, props for fighting back.
Like quite a few of my friends I was expecting our team was going to lose because of the defence that was already problematic before the injuries/yellow. I thought they were going to score first, and then lose control of the match when Wales equalised from stationary, probably a corner. I was expecting Wales to win 2-1.
I was wrong, they completely fell apart after Radja scored. Courtois is the only reason Wales' victory was limited to 3-1, it could've been even worse.
I don't know who to blame, Wilmots, the players or the Belgian fans in the stadium staying completely quiet after Wales' equaliser. It was probably a combination of all three.
Looking forward to Germany-Italy now.
-
Wilmots
I heard he's on good terms with the player, but not exactly the best tactician in the world. Which is enough to win a group, but his player can be rather lost and helpless when facing a better organized opponent. Still didn't expect them to lose so easily though.
-
Words cannot describe how freaking nervous I am right now. Is Jogi L?w finally able to break Germany's streak of defeats against Italy for once? We're about to find out!
IT HAS BEGUN
:getdown:
27' Schweini y u do dis? Could've been a goal!
-
Started off slow but game is picking up now. Waiting patiently for the second half.
Poor Khedira and his injury.
-
This sure is shaping up for a late Italy goal, probably after some kind of defensive mistake by Kimmich (provided he's not substituted earlier on, of course).
-
The match is clearly picking up speed, both teams having chances but no one in yet...
?ZIL!!!1!!1!!11!
GER 1-0 ITA
-
HOLY SHIt BUFFON
-
IT BEGINS
-
wtf Boateng
Raising your hands up like that
Edit: Oh god it's in
-
Great job Boateng, really. Does this count as a late goal?
-
WHY
BOATENG
WHY
UPDATE: Please let the extra time be a thing...
-
Italy has scored three goals after 88' in this tournament. :popcorn:
-
So this Extra Time is basically... Germany has chance after chance, and then fluffs it. We all prepared for penalties? :V
EDIT: Wow, that ref really didn't want that ball to go far huh; decent block XD
-
Dat 120' substitution.
-
Penalties...
oh god no :ohdear:
-
NEUER
VS
BUFFON
Lessgo
-
Whhaaaaat is going onnn
-
WILD BALL GONE!
EDIT! WHAT! Still level!
-
OZIL ;_;
Edit WHAT THE FUCK
-
Oh dear gosh!
GERMANY ARE BEHIND!
EDIT: EVERYONE IS MISSING :V
-
NOW THEY'RE AHEAD
-
oh my god
-
WHAT THE HELL AM I LOOKING AT IT?!
-
THAT'S IT
THE GERMANY KILLERS ARE DOWN
-
ITALY IS OUT!!1!!! THE CURSE IS BROKEN!!1!11
-
Wheee! The first 10 penalties was the weirdest penalty shootout I've ever seen. Just how badly can you miss?
-
Utterly ridiculous shoot-out! So many misses, and 9 shots each... that was stressful to watch as much as it was hilarious!
Italy are out of here; and the World Champions are through...
nav: I still remember shoot outs that did go to the 10th; where the goalies did step up :V
-
@Tamashii Kanjou: I remember one like that too, but this one being a Germany-Italy decider at a late point in the tournament makes it all the more special. This was actually the longest Euro penalty shootout ever, ex aequo with the Czechoslovakia-Italy 1980 match (yes, I checked Wikipedia for that).
Oh, and now Iceland will have the honor of knocking out the current world champions on their way to the final.
-
If only Gomez didn't went artistic bullshit with his attempt to score, it would've been 2-0 and demoralize Italy quite far.
gg wp Germany.
Next up Iceland. ARE YOU READY TENGU?
-
Nevermind Tengu, I don't think many of us are ready for that; let alone if Iceland win. Paint the front page Iceland if they win, no? :V
Also, another quick mention to the penalties, that one guy who pretty much ran on the spot taking his shot only to hurl it elsewhere... is very quickly orbiting oh so many jokes XD
-
Ouch, the curse is no more. It has to happen sooner or later but it still hurts. :V
Anyway, Germany clearly deserved to win more than Italy, we were basically hoping for a lucky break almost the entire match....
Highlights:
- Buffon casting "Miracle" to save us from 2-0
- Boateng thinking he's playing volleyball and going for an amazing block, gifting us the equalizer
- THE MOST RIDICULOUS SHOOTOUTS I'VE EVER SEEN
Seriously, both teams missed HORRIBLY half of their shots >_>
Oh well, i guess Wales - Iceland is it then :V
-
Nobody understood what Boateng was doing. But basically he was duelling inside the 16. He raised his arms to signal: "Look I am not touching my opponent while duelling for the incoming ball." The idea was good. Because within the 16, the dude might drop himself and earn a penalty that way. However, the unfortunate part was that the ball changed direction due to earlier contact and went for his hands.
So yea, next time, don't raise your arms at all.
-
Nobody understood what Boateng was doing. But basically he was duelling inside the 16. He raised his arms to signal: "Look I am not touching my opponent while duelling for the incoming ball." The idea was good. Because within the 16, the dude might drop himself and earn a penalty that way. However, the unfortunate part was that the ball changed direction due to earlier contact and went for his hands.
So yea, next time, don't raise your arms at all.
So true. If he didn't do that, it would've spared everyone involved the extra time and that hell of a penalty shootout, but shit happens, I guess.
It really was almost pure luck that we won with after Boateng's pitiful mistake.
That match really wrecked my nerves, and hell went loose inside me the moment Hector got it in. Now I need time to recover my voice :V
I'm betting my bucks on Iceland tonight.
-
We have guests tonight. Dad is like, "Bruh, it's France v. Iceland, we're not missing much." Screw that. I'm watching France v. Iceland. :colbert:
-
Iceland certainly does have its work cut out for it. Should be an exciting game whatever goes down.
-
France got two in already, within 20 minutes. They're playing really fast paced, with far more dangerous attacks.
Can Iceland still catch up?
I be losing me bucks tonight. Ok jk.
43' Ok France is literally shotgunning towards the Icelandic goal. The French look like to be the more aggressive and offensive team on the field.
45' OK I THINK IT'S ALREADY OVER
FRA 4-0 ISL
-
Yeesh.
-
Well, that's unfortunate. Still hoping for a miracle though.
-
Not like this
-
Yeesh.
Hoo boy. This is comically bad. Iceland just too shy to take a chance and take the ball, maybe with all them yellow cards in the lineup no one dared. They made good use of the ball when they had it, which wasn't much, but they were tired as shit. To be honest I was pretty certain France would take this but holy crap it's a smite storm. Or, I guess, a guillotining.
-
Can I still hope that Iceland score at least one goal? Stranger things have happened in recent years; but yeah, that first half was just... at least it isn't as bad as Brazil :V
-
Damn. I try to raise my spirit by thinking "it's not over, remember, they beat England", but then I think "so what? my grandma could beat England, and she's dead". Well, if Iceland must go, let them at least score a goal or two because they current scoreline is just unfair.
-
SIGTHORSSON
59' OK nevermind
France 5, Iceland 1
Giroud is a beast
-
ICELAND IS FAR BEHIND WHAT THE FAK KIND OF NOT REALLY
Okay so what's going on with the most based team in Euro there? It's not much of a surprise given their opponent, but still... ;w;
-
Well, it's not like France is bad, because they're most definitely not. Honestly, this score reflects far more poorly on England than Iceland.
EDIT: Hot off the Deadspin Comments press (http://screamer.deadspin.com/iceland-are-just-like-boris-johnson-fuck-up-england-an-1783053013):
Iceland are just like Boris Johnson, fuck up England and then leave.
-
At least Iceland keeps fighting until the very end, no matter what the ongoing score is. They're genuine fighters.
-
Those Icelander don't seem too excited with the recent goal.
FRA 5 - 2 ICE
At least Iceland keeps fighting until the very end, no matter what the ongoing score is. They're genuine fighters.
That's why they're the most awesome team.
-
Well, miracle didn't happen. Nonetheless, I have to give credit to France. They didn't underestimate Iceland. Both teams kept trying right to the end.
-
That's why they're the most awesome team.
Definitely, and while we're at it, I want to give the Icelanders sincere congratulations for getting this far in their first official Euro participation. They performed extraordinarily well as a new team. No matter what the outcome tonight right now, they lost with dignity. I sure hope to see them soon again in a major tournament!
-
Yea, I'm glad they were able to have defeat with dignity. The goal for the men's team was just getting there - everything after that was gravy. They played with a strong defense and great use of possession, and fought a worthy opponent. It's been fun times. I look forward to seeing how all this pans out!
-
Even until now, I'm still surprised that Iceland actually made it this far in the tournament. It's just... too awesome. They're just that based, aren't they?
Well, with Iceland out of mind, that left me with the Welshmen to root at...
WALES! Uuu~
-
...
Iceland lost 5-2.
England probobly would been humiliated 10-0.
-
gg wp Tengu. I think like it was said here, France took no risk and trying to underestimate them. Though a few of the goals I wondered why the defenders let them walk away so easily to the ball. Is it lack of speed?
Well, seems it is going to be Ger vs Fr at this rate.
-
England probobly would been humiliated 10-0.
The best part is, I can totally see this happen. #sarcasm
Well, seems it is going to be Ger vs Fr at this rate.
Rooting for Germany, as always.
-
Well, no matter. Wales - Germany will be an acceptable final match as well. Fully expecting both these teams to dish out some sweet, sweet revenge in the semis, respectively for knocking out my national team and the team we've been all rooting for.
Meanwhile, Iceland has earned very good money for participating and making it this far into the tournament. They need to invest it into more and more indoor football fields for all the kids inspired by their performance to train on.
-
I'm sad to see Iceland and their fans go out, but they showed a lot of spirit in defeat. Even down 4-0 they showed a lot more heart than, say, my Grandma's home of Brazil in 2014. I am proud of my newly adopted football brethren.
The USA honestly could stand to look at Iceland's developmental system which seems light-years ahead of ours. My fear is that greed and stubbornness will continue to make serious childhood soccer in the USA a "pay-to-play" system which will always limit our ceiling.
-
Okay, it's time for the semifinals of sweet, satisfying vengeance. Step one: Wales enacts revenge on Portugal for knocking out my national team. Hopefully. Go Wales, I want to see you in the final!
-
I hope I get to watch the matches today. As it is the second day of our feast, we might be having visitors. orz
-
Cristiano Ronaldo VS Gareth Bale
let the show begin
-
By the Norse gods, please Wales make it rain #RonaldoTears all over the stadium.
-
What a header from Ronaldo.
POR 1-0 WAL
:V
UPDATE: HOLY SHIT Portugal is waking up! 2-0.
UPDATE2: WALES OUT! Why Bale why. I can smell POR-GER coming.
-
It's over. Can whoever wins the next match please beat Portugal >>
-
It's over. Can whoever wins the next match please beat Portugal >>
This
-
Nobody likes Portugal. :derp:
-
Choice between rooting for France or Germany now. I love the way both these teams play, but I'm inclined to Germany. They just play more like a team to me.
-
Even though the French don't appear to play as rough as the Italians, a few things do make me worry a bit about the upcoming semi-final:
1) Hummels, who is an excellent defender alongside Boateng, is blocked due to two (questionable ?) subsequent yellow cards in the knockout phase.
2) Khedira and Gomez, two important players as well, midfield and attack, have injuries in their muscles (rupture in the musce fibers, I think) which makes playing properly impossible for them.
3) The uncertainty whether Schweinsteiger can play or not, he got injured too, but fortunately not as severe as the aforementioned two. I've heard that he's participating in training sessions again, but still.
I hope L?w's figuring out an alternatively effective lineup. H?wedes and Mustafi should fill the defense, while Draxler, G?tze, Can, and probably a few more stabilize the center (midfield and attack).
France looks dangerous with Giroud, Griezmann, Pogba, Matuidi and co. in the starting eleven. I wonder if the match is gonna be as intense as against Italy. There's a solid likelyhood that it could be the case.
-
Oh man, tonight is going to be an epic match.
-
Sure hope so. I've sort of lost my heart for this championship after yesterday's match, hopefully this game will rekindle the fire. You show them, Germany!
-
In this game: France isn't ready for Germany's offensive. :derp:
EDIT: On the other hand, no one was ready for that penalty. :munch:
-
Welp. Germany is the better team in my eyes, would be a shame if they end up losing after this kind of a silly penalty.
-
That retarded passing in front of their own goal. Shoot the fucking ball away instead of doing dumb things which made the 2-0.
-
Germany is the better team
I take that back. Ugh.
-
Technically they were the better team. Except mass-def France with only counter-attack moments. They have been mass-defending-counter-only since 1'.
Edit
This is over unless Sanae Miracle.
Edit2
gg wp France. Germany was their first formidable opponent in this entire EC and they had major trouble with them.
Edit3
So it is Pr vs Fr huh. Well then.
-
Welp, damnit :V
Hats off for the French, they did pretty well tonight. The Germans have committed a couple of fatal mistakes, of which one Griezmann could exploit for his team's victory. France certainly did better in regard of actually utilizing their opportunities at the right time, the Germans were superior in defense, except that unnecessary slip of course. The moment Boateng came down due to an injury, I thought that the outcome was pretty much clear because the actual German defense was already immensely weakened with Hummels missing and the center lacked stability due to the absence of Khedira and Gomez. We stood almost no chance against the pretty aggressively playing French in the second half.
What I basically think is that almost all powerful international countries' men teams are missing something crucial: willpower. Like Iceland. They pulled something off against France that I did actually not expect after such a score deficit. They kept fighting no matter what. Albeit quite pointless, they managed to get two goals in not necessarily to win, but to show that they're not afraid of their opponent and not giving up. A prime example of lacking that particular skillset is Brazil in the WC 2014 semi-finals, all they did after the second German goal was to hopelessly trudge around on the field. Germany tonight might have done more to catch back up, but in the end still lacked said skills and proficiency and their passes became chaotic, which allowed the overall dominance to shift over to the French.
So, all in all, congrats to the French for advancing to the final, I'll be neutral from now on ;)
-
I thought Germany played the better game but this is an upset I can live with.
What I basically think is that almost all powerful international countries' men teams are missing something crucial: willpower. Like Iceland. They pulled something off against France that I did actually not expect after such a score deficit. They kept fighting no matter what. Albeit quite pointless, they managed to get two goals in not necessarily to win, but to show that they're not afraid of their opponent and not giving up. A prime example of lacking that particular skillset is Brazil in the WC 2014 semi-finals, all they did after the second German goal was to hopelessly trudge around on the field. Germany tonight might have done more to catch back up, but in the end still lacked said skills and proficiency and their passes became chaotic, which allowed the overall dominance to shift over to the French.
Like, I dunno, willpower doesn't mean you'll have accurate, effective play under pressure, it just means you won't get lazy. Germany continued attacking after the 0-2 and only after like ten minutes did their passes start getting wobbly and rushed. I have no complaints.
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I thought Germany played the better game but this is an upset I can live with.
Like, I dunno, willpower doesn't mean you'll have accurate, effective play under pressure, it just means you won't get lazy. Germany continued attacking after the 0-2 and only after like ten minutes did their passes start getting wobbly and rushed. I have no complaints.
Both teams were technically good, although I also think the Germans were slightly superior but only in the first half, at least that's how I'm seeing it. The German attacks seemed to have weakened in the second half and completely plunged into chaos the last few minutes.
I do think that actually skilled players like in the German, English or Brazilian teams could've done a lot better if they kept up their will to win. The reason why Brazil conceded 7 goals in that fateful semi-final is that they completely lost that will and hopes after two German goals, if they didn't, I'm fairly convinced that the outcome would've significantly differed from that 1-7, because they weren't actually bad players to begin with.
Sure, willpower alone isn't particularly useful, but if combined with actual skills it does work wonders.
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Just to chime in, speaking of Brazil, today is the 8th July... the day Germany handed that absolute thrashing of Brazil 7-1. While the Germans are out of the Euros now, and major credit to France, it's certainly something people are not letting slip under their radar :V {Also still the first time ever Puppy actually watched a football match with me because she outright refused goals were going in that quickly}
Slightly back on top, who we all rooting for to win now? ^^
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I'm fine with either team, France or Portugal, winning the final, although I'll actually feel happy for the French to win the tournament as the host country's team.
We have been already thrashed on our own soil in the WC 2006 semi against Italy, so I'd be glad if France manages to go all the way through in Paris and see the French fans celebrate in patriotic joy.
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France winning makes Iceland look better. I mean, we managed to get 2 against France at least.
Now my hope and dream is to see one of my ancestral homelands do their best to put Portugal in its place. Kind of a tough call to make, considering both teams feature peacocking showboaters and are not so strong on actual teamwork. Should make for an interesting match at least.
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Welp, here comes the final and I find myself not caring who wins. Rationally speaking, it should be France, but people have been drawing comparisons between this Portugal and 2004's Greece (who, incidentally, has beaten Portugal twice on their road to the championship). One way or another, breaking through Portugal's defence is going to be an extremely painful experience, both for France and possibly for the spectators. The best scenario for us is an early goal for France to open the match up.
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I think I could call this Cristiano Ronaldo VS Antoine Griezmann, since Griezmann is one of the more striking players in this tournament since France puts more emphasis on teamwork compared to Portugal.
As mentioned, I'm pretty neutral here, I'd be happy for either team to win:
> Portugal because Ronaldo's dream was shredded by Greece in 2004 and beating France is another, albeit much harder opportunity to claim the European trophy
> France because they'd be winning as the host country's team (which didn't actually happen for quite some time)
Let's see how this turns out. :munch:
EDIT: Oh good heavens I'm already feeling sad for Ronaldo now :( He seems to have complications with his knees...
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Ronaldo and the butterfly... what a tearjerker.
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EDIT: Oh good heavens I'm already feeling sad for Ronaldo now :( He seems to have complications with his knees...
Ok nevermind, all good again (hopefully)
EDIT: OK NEVERMIND AGAIN, HE'S BEING SUBBED OUT... o noes
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So unfortunate for Ronaldo... And Portugal's chances sinking even further.
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France are really playing beautifully, and it was heartwarming to see them clap during Ronaldo's exit, despite his hearty appetite for the clock.
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France are really playing beautifully, and it was heartwarming to see them clap during Ronaldo's exit, despite his hearty appetite for the clock.
If you're saying he overplayed the injury, you're wrong. Ronaldo's really competitive and a jerk and it's what gives him his character that everyone mocks. When he got injured due to circumstances in what's probably his last high-profile national game (Euro finals), definitely while in his prime, those were true tears.
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Personally, I think the only beautiful thing in this game so far is Quaresma's "laurel wreath". *insert Figo yawning GIF here*
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The injury is real, certainly. Just think he should've walked off a lot sooner, instead of sitting down and taking all the wind out of his teammates' sails three times.
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The injury is real, certainly. Just think he should've walked off a lot sooner, instead of sitting down and taking all the wind out of his teammates' sails three times.
Oh sure that's true. Still felt pretty bad for the big baby.
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Coman is doing a lot to make the game more lively, but I have my doubts if his efforts will be enough to give France the lead.
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At least the Portuguese seem to do good defending at least, denying Griezmann's chances. Rui Patricio is doing solid work.
By overall play, I think both teams are pretty much on par, with France being a tad superior in attacking, yet to completely crack open the Portuguese defense.
UPDATE: Aaaaaaand Extra Time! Either France weakened, or Portugal is doing surprisingly well without Ronaldo. Well, thumbs up for both teams to survive the ET (and a possible penalty shootout :V)
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everyone sighs as thr ball hits the post and we get another 30 minutes of this shit.
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Let's not forget Portugal could have easily lost it within full time. Despite their best efforts, France still got two clear chances: Griezmann's header and Gignac's last minute chance so perfectly described in BT's post above. Portugal's lucky to be still alive, but then perhaps they deserved some good luck after the giant stroke of misfortune that Ronaldo's injury was.
Only 20 more minutes of this excruciating experience.
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Yeah, this match is a slog. Yeesh.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/35980361
HALF-TIME
Portugal 0-0 France
Posted at 22:12
Wake me up when September ends.
This is what BBC commentary has come to in this game. Also this:
Dom Lucas: Can we have a red button option for David Attenborough narrating 'Moth Watch'. It would be more exciting.
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Way to go, Clattenburg! Giving the wrong player the yellow card for handplay.
PORTUGAL SCORED :getdown:
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Wrong handball, and then the actual offender scores. Fucking hell.
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That goal was actually beautiful though
France getting chaotic by that late shocker :derp:
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Sounds like the game is devolving into chaos. Ref's probobly a bit tired too.
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I love how actively Ronaldo is cheering for his teammates, especially after the 1-0 by Eder
UPDATE: 2004 FINAL DEFEAT MADE UP. Congrats Portugal!
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Looks like Eder will be getting his fifteen minutes in the spotlight. Scoring the decisive goal in the Euro final against the hosts? That's quite a story for a striker who just moved to Lille from Swansea.
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To be honest, I didn't actually expect Portugal to triumph over France without Ronaldo, while knowing that similarly good players like Pepe and Sanchez were on the field.
They made history with their first ever victory in an international tournament though, so big kudos from me :)
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Love how easily a boring final can turn into a historic game. Love Portugal's fight and win against the favorites in their home field of Paris, plus the shots of Ronaldo limping up the stairs to raise the trophy after mini-coaching and pushing his teammates onwards from the sidelines.
Good Euro, everyone. :toot: Thanks for posting in the thread and stuff.
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Yup, good tournament, thank you for participating. I'm glad I made the thread. Next stop: the Rio olympic games?
Oh, and the final bit of hilarity:
https://twitter.com/tmistah/status/752258028020310016