Soccer thread 07/08

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:57 pm

Great finish...How things can change in the blink of an eye.

One second Sweden has the draw...one mistake and sweet play later Spain has a win.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:37 pm

Great finish, and deserved by the Spanish for sure. Brutal no-call on Elmander. Spain-Netherlands would be a hell of a match, as neither team seems to particularly care if they let in 3, as they'll score 4.

Sergio Ramos is a shambles. Newcastle need to sign him immediately!

Here's hoping that van Basten runs out the end of his bench, the ball boy and his cleaning lady against the Romanians just to see off both the Italians and the French.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:29 pm

Pleasingly enough, Ramos is being mentioned over here as part of a makeweight in a swap deal that'd take him to Man U and the greasy haired show pony to Real Madrid, so here's hoping that happens

Halfway through the Russia - Greece game here. Nice to see the Greeks persisting with their usual style, anti-football.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:34 pm

davet010 wrote: Halfway through the Russia - Greece game here. Nice to see the Greeks persisting with their usual style, anti-football.

Untrue today...

Not anti-football...they have actually tried to score...They just arent any good at it....its just shitty football.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:17 pm

RobVarak wrote:Great finish, and deserved by the Spanish for sure. Brutal no-call on Elmander. Spain-Netherlands would be a hell of a match, as neither team seems to particularly care if they let in 3, as they'll score 4.

How does the ref miss that penalty in the 45th minute is beyond me. Silva just got mauled all over but they call the one involving Austria the other night. It was a tough way to lose the game for the Swedes but Spain did deserve the 2 points.

The Dutch are the best team so far.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:55 pm

XXXIV wrote:
davet010 wrote: Halfway through the Russia - Greece game here. Nice to see the Greeks persisting with their usual style, anti-football.
Untrue today...

Not anti-football...they have actually tried to score...They just arent any good at it....its just shitty football.

The Greeks did get hosed on that offsides call around the 85th minute. Gekas was not offsides.

That linesman had a bunch of debatable offsides calls late in the second half against Greece. It was funny when Andy Gray said, "That linesman must have eagle eyes."

Still, that was a howler by Nikopolidis on Russia's goal, and a great mini-bicycle pass by Semak.

Take care,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:29 am

10spro wrote:
RobVarak wrote:Great finish, and deserved by the Spanish for sure. Brutal no-call on Elmander. Spain-Netherlands would be a hell of a match, as neither team seems to particularly care if they let in 3, as they'll score 4.
How does the ref miss that penalty in the 45th minute is beyond me. Silva just got mauled all over but they call the one involving Austria the other night. It was a tough way to lose the game for the Swedes but Spain did deserve the 2 points.

The Dutch are the best team so far.

Oddly enough, one of the TV pundits over here made a good point about how the Dutch would play if they fell behind, as their game is built specifically for counter-attack.

Spain are my usual tip for trophies, but at the moment I'm not too keen on the midfield, which is odd considering Xavi and Iniesta play for the same club...I'd rather have Fabregas than Iniesta, who's too inconsistent. Problem really is at the back, particularly now Puyol is injured.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:27 pm

pk500 wrote:
XXXIV wrote:
davet010 wrote: Halfway through the Russia - Greece game here. Nice to see the Greeks persisting with their usual style, anti-football.
Untrue today...

Not anti-football...they have actually tried to score...They just arent any good at it....its just shitty football.
The Greeks did get hosed on that offsides call around the 85th minute. Gekas was not offsides.

That linesman had a bunch of debatable offsides calls late in the second half against Greece. It was funny when Andy Gray said, "That linesman must have eagle eyes."

Still, that was a howler by Nikopolidis on Russia's goal, and a great mini-bicycle pass by Semak.

Take care,
PK

Yeah Nikopolidis venturued into Rod Serling's Twilight Zone...A brutal error especially from a player with his experience.

That clown immitating a linesman aside...My boys got what they deserved.

Like I said 4 years ago...They never win another game and Ill be happy...They are holding me to it

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:05 pm

XXXIV wrote:Yeah Nikopolidis venturued into Rod Serling's Twilight Zone...

Ha-ha-ha!

So true.

Take care,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:46 pm

Whatever you do, do not miss a chance to watch the Czech Republic v Turkey game - an absolute classic.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:57 pm

They just showed it live. I had it on but went to the kitchen and the score completely reversed.

The one that Cech dropped was an absolute giveaway.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:01 pm

Turkey played an amazing half.

The Czech's had no idea how to defend them. There was open space everywhere.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:54 pm

That Czech-Turkey match was bloody amazing. Had everything - 15 minutes to go, 2 goals down, an amazing comeback, a great winning goal, Peter Cech doing a David James and then the Turks ending the match with Tuncay in goal. Phenominal!

Pretty sad that the biggest player in the tournament flopped like a little b!tch to get Volkan sent off...compare that to his hard-man act against Ricardo in the Portugal game. What a loser.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:27 am

davet010 wrote:Whatever you do, do not miss a chance to watch the Czech Republic v Turkey game - an absolute classic.

Holy crap you weren't kidding. Fantastic game. Turkey were getting a lot of praise going into the tournament and I guess we're just now seeing why. The Czech's looked awful in the second half, what happened?!?!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:15 am

davet010 wrote:Whatever you do, do not miss a chance to watch the Czech Republic v Turkey game - an absolute classic.

Glad I remembered to set the DVR for this one! Finishing watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans tonight but very eager to watch this match tomorrow.

Thanks,
PK

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:29 am

Macca00 wrote:That Czech-Turkey match was bloody amazing. Had everything - 15 minutes to go, 2 goals down, an amazing comeback, a great winning goal, Peter Cech doing a David James and then the Turks ending the match with Tuncay in goal. Phenominal!

Pretty sad that the biggest player in the tournament flopped like a little b!tch to get Volkan sent off...compare that to his hard-man act against Ricardo in the Portugal game. What a loser.

I can understand why the keeper was upset - if you see it from behind the goal, Koller attempts to do a Schumacher and just clean him out without going for the ball at all. However, the rules are very simple about after the play shenanigans like that - Schweinsteiger's sending off during the week should have made that clear.

The Czechs just looked too ponderous - if you play 4-5-1, the midfield really needs to get up quick to support the target man, and too often Koller was winning the ball but no one was supporting him. Having said all that, just how vital was that shot that hit the post rather than making it 3-0 ?

The British commentators were making a lot of Cech being the best keeper in the world, whereas I wouldn't even put him in the top 5. Oddly enough, I'd been watching a sort of 'own goals and gaffes' video compilation that was on BBC the night before, and as Cech dropped the ball at Nihat's feet, all I could picture was legendary Leeds keeper Gary Sprake, who's name was a byword for 'keeping howlers.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:48 am

davet010 wrote:However, the rules are very simple about after the play shenanigans like that - Schweinsteiger's sending off during the week should have made that clear.

Agree 100%, Volkan shouldn't have pushed him. It was just annoying to see Koller hit the deck, grab his face and then start rolling - particularly since he's a giant and he acts tough all the time.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:02 am

Cech has been a mediocre keeper at best since his 2 injurys im suprised anyone thinks hes playing well nevermind the best in the world.

I bet he goes to bed just cursing that scruffy bastard Hunt everynight sunday for sure as that was a brain fart he gave up.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:03 am

Any chance the Brits will just give us Andy Gray? I've enjoyed him way too much.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:23 am

Jeesus, your commentators really must be shite - you can have Gray bag and baggage tomorrow for me.

Maybe we could send you Clive Tyldesley as an extra, free of charge. It would, of course, mean that US viewers would have to research that 'magical night in Barcelona' to understand what he's on about, as he manages to factor it into any commentary somehow.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:59 am

I'd shoot Clive.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:11 pm

In other news, I counted no less than a dozen South Yorkshire derbies when the fixtures were released today. I don't know if they hurt or helps a team to have that many.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:25 pm

As opposed to City's North West derbies ?

Scum x2
Everton x2
Liverpool x2
Bolton x2
Wigan x2
Blackburn x2

Same number, slightly different class of opposition

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:43 pm

I missed Turkey's big win as I followed instead Argentina and Brazil with their qualifiers matches for 2010. Brazil is lost under the current tutelage of Dunga as they lost 2-0 vs Paraguay, (0-2 a few weeks back vs Venezuela

) and they don't seem to have that identity and fear factor that their past peers planted on their opponents.

Argentina barely tied Ecuador 1-1 with three minutes of extra time, they got Riquelme and Veron back in the lineup and with Aguero and Messi everyone thought it was going to be a Tango. Very far from the truth, both teams will now face each other on Wednesday trying to erase over their weekend poor performances. Look forward to it.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:31 pm

How could Mario Gomez miss that tap- in for the Germans?