The 2008 Euro Cup Thread

[bhlloy]

As stupid as it is to make predictions after one game of a tournament (how many times has a team scraped through the group with a win and a tie and won?) I think this could definitely be Spain's year.

Holland looked good, but Spain were just unbelievable going forward. They could have easily had 7 or 8, and Torres didn't have his best game.

[ISiddiqui]

But we are talking about Spain here. They always find a way to mess it up .

And their defense did NOT look that good in the match.

[Critch]

I'm hoping for Spain to win this year. The BBC always goes on about Spain underachieving at Euros and World Cups, so a Spain championship would shut them up and force them to admit that England are Europe's underachieving football "power".

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Critch

I'm hoping for Spain to win this year. The BBC always goes on about Spain underachieving at Euros and World Cups, so a Spain championship would shut them up and force them to admit that England are Europe's underachieving football "power".

Spain underachieve at major championships. England underachieve in the qualifying stages and end up watching the tournament at home.

[Fighter of Foo]

Hopefully Spain will play the Dutch at some point. I'd love to see a 5-3 game in this tourney.

[MJ4H]

First game today was terrific to watch (cze-por).

[-apoc-]

Brutal end to the Turkey - Swiss match imo. Fun game to watch though in all that rain.

[MIJB#19]

Group A results are in and they mean Portugal goes through, while Switzerland is done. Get ready for penalty kicks in the Tukey-Czech Republic group game, because if neither side wins in regulation, penalty kicks will decide which of them advances.

[illinifan999]

Germany-Croatia. Wow.

[Galaxy]

Austria likes to run-and-gun, so to speak.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

I love how how this tournament is on ESPN/ESPN2. Seems like a big move forward for the growth for soccer in the US.

This is the first year I've even been aware of something called the "Euro Cup", and now I'm TIVOing all the games and following it pretty closely.

[Galaxy]

Wow....

[B & B]

Garbage call, garbage tie.

[MIJB#19]

That last minute goal means you can strike Poland off your list of candidates for the championship. Unless they beat group winners Croatia and Austria beats Germany by a goal less and while scoring as much or less goals than Poland, the Polish are done. Germany advances with a win or draw, Austria only with a win and if Poland doesn't do the aforementioned.

[cougarfreak]

Both of tomorrow's games should be dandys. Now that I'm done teaching for the school year, I may have to fire up a game of Football Manager.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by B & B

Garbage call, garbage tie.

Both goals were.

[ISiddiqui]

Nice job Croatia! They looked like the team I thought they'd be (and put the Austria game behind them).

[SirFozzie]

Somebody check the bridges in Italy, Romania leads!

[SirFozzie]

Don't call it a comeback! Cancel the suicide warning, but keep an eye out.

[illinifan999]

oh boy

[illinifan999]

oh no he didn't

[Critch]

what a save.

[-apoc-]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

Very questionable penalty on Italy there. Buffon saves however.

I actually disagree with that. The defender had him in a damn chokehold and was pulling him back on his way to meet the cross. It may not always be called but I dont think that makes it a questionable one. The one from the Austria game was way softer imo but anytime the defender has his arm around the attacker in the box he is taking a chance.

I really had mixed feelings about that game overall. The ref seemed to favor the Romanias in most of the 50-50 calls. Plus the legit Italy goal waved off so I can see where they would feel hard done by. However I think they brought alot of it on themselves also constantly looking for calls and going down like they were a sack of potatos constantly so I don't really feel that sorry for them.

This next game will be tough for me due to my love of Arsenal since half of France play or have played for them but Holland will always come first and I want to qualify now without a tough game vs Romania to close it out. So 3-0 in the first 15 mins to the Dutch please.

[MrBug708]

Go Dutch

[-apoc-]

Good opening 20-25 mins for us but France really had us on the back foot for the second part of the half. Hopefully we can get reorganized and nick one on the counter early to kill the game off.

[SirFozzie]

Anyone who thinks soccer is boring should watch today's game.

[SirFozzie]

Corniest line ever after that last goal.

"It's a Dutch Oven, and the French are Toast!"

[MIJB#19]

wow

[MIJB#19]

I hope we save something for the next four games. It wasn't all pretty, heck, I even think we were weaker than France for most of the game and a good chunk of the game vs Italy. Seven goals against the World Cup finalists, that's freakin' amazing.

[-apoc-]

Awesome is really all I can say. I really didnt think we were going to make it out of this group and we go and win it after 2 games is just fan-fucking-tastic.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Anyone who thinks soccer is boring should watch today's game.

Speaking of this, I headed out to grab some coffee this afternoon and was passing by this wine bar in the lobby of my building. They have two tvs in there with the game on. I slowed up to check the score and saw Henry score. It happened so fast that I was sure I had to be watching replays, but it was live. Then, a few seconds later Robben scores.

Pretty good timing on my part...

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

wow

You should be feeling pretty good right now - 7-1 aggregate scoreline against the two WC finalists two years ago.

Looking very good right now, and playing good football as well. I thought the press was pretty down on the Dutch pre-tournament?

[cthomer5000]

The Robben goal immediately after Henry got them back in it was crazy. THe highlights the Dutch have produced alone have made this a great tournament.

They're the team i've been offically rooting for, so im pumped that they're through as group winners.

I wonder if they'll be tempted to not quite give it their all in the 3rd game... knowing that a result for Romania would eliminate Italy and France.

[3ric]

Watching Sweden-Spain right now. Zlatan Ibrahimovic!

[samifan24]

And Ibrahimovic comes off at half-time.

[DaddyTorgo]

little bit behind on the sweeden-spain game (20 mins in right now) - nice goal by torres though

[kingfc22]

wow

[samifan24]

David Villa is unbelievable.

[DaddyTorgo]

86mins in - i'm guessing I still have something to see

[DaddyTorgo]

damn...david villa FTW

viva espana!!

i'm pulling for them - love to see them get the monkey off their back and win a major

[B & B]

Eleven hundred dollar swing for me as I had bet on the draw.

[DaddyTorgo]

ouch

[3ric]

Originally Posted by samifan24

And Ibrahimovic comes off at half-time.

We lost the game there - without him the best Sweden could hope for was a tie.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

You should be feeling pretty good right now - 7-1 aggregate scoreline against the two WC finalists two years ago.

Heh, really, I've been feeling good about these players ever since I glanced over the 26 remaining names. In fact, as crazy as it sounds, Babel's dropping out may have even boosted it, I'm a huge Boulahrouz fan (hey, he's from my home town!) We have the guys to decide games. But so far they managed to hide it very well in Oranje. We had two good games at the World Cup, but that was it.


Last night I got asked who's that Ribery guy? I said, he's the French combo of Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder. After the game, there was a simple conclusion was: France has Ribery, we've got three (of those).

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

Looking very good right now, and playing good football as well. I thought the press was pretty down on the Dutch pre-tournament?

It wasn't just the press, I think 95% of soccer fans were unhappy with our team and the selection choices of Van Basten (Van Nistelrooij was written off as being over the top). The qualification campaign was horrific, 1-0 in the last minute, goodness, we're not Germany or Italy. We've got our own identity, play ball! It was nothing close to what we've seen in these two games. And yes, it's amazing how people are rolling over the streets now about how great this team is. The results are there, but I remain to be cautious, the majority of the second half versus Italy and of the first half against France were nervous as hell. Good thing we've got that Edwin van der Sar wearing the #1 jersey. People are now talking about starting the backups and giving Romania a free pass into the quarterfinals. The same team that dominated us in the qualification round. Don't get me wrong, when our team plays, they're still our guys and we'll root for them. It's our nature, we, the Dutch are a bunch of complainers.

[daedalus]

am i evil if i want van basten to rest all regulars and give romania an easy win?

[cthomer5000]

I wouldn't mind the Dutch taking a dive either to knock those two teams out.

[samifan24]

Huge match today between Turkey and the Czech Republic.

[MIJB#19]

Just in time,

Scenarios for round three of group play:

Group A
Portugal clinched group victory
Winner of Czech Republic-Turkey finishes 2nd, loser finishes 3rd. Note that if the game ends tied after 90 minutes, there will be no extra time, but there will be penalty kicks to get a winner.
Switzerland have been eliminated (clinched 4th place)

Group B
Croatia clinched group victory
Germany finishes second with a win or draw (they finish third with a loss and Poland loss or draw; they finish fourth with a loss and Poland win)
Austria finishes second with a win and a Poland loss or draw (making Poland finish fourth)
Austria finishes second with a win and a Poland win, providing: they either win with the same goal difference, or win by one goal less and score more goals than Poland (making Poland finishing third)
Poland finishes second with a win and an Austria loss, providing: they win by two goals more, or win by one goal more and score as much or more goals than Austria (making Austria finishing third)

Group C
Netherlands clinched group victory
France finishes second with a win and a Romania loss or draw
Romania finishes second with:
* a win,
* or a draw combined with an Italy-France draw,
* or a loss by two goals or less and a 0-0 draw between Italy and France
Italy finishes second with:
* a win and a Romania loss or draw,
* or with a 1-1 or higher draw and a Romania loss,
* or with a 0-0 draw and a Romania loss by four goals,
* or with a 0-0 draw and a Romania loss by 3-0
I'll spare the details on third and fourth place

Group D
Spain clinched group victory
Sweden finishes second with a win or draw (making Russia finish third)
Russian finishes second with a win (making Sweden finish third)
Greece eliminated ('clinched' fourth place)

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

I wouldn't mind the Dutch taking a dive either to knock those two teams out.

yup. Domenech is an idiot.

At this point, I'm wondering when Spain and Holland will self-destruct - it wouldn't be a major international tournament without it.

[DaddyTorgo]

dutch won't dive