Bloody globalisation strikes again.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
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Bloody globalisation strikes again.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
And wasn't he pleased about it too. It's not our fault, honestly. You can't blame us for this one.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarpoJoyce
Thought the RTE panel was quite funny when he said that.
Dunphy _ "Ah, they have Bill, BBC have pictures, Sky, everybody..."
Brady - "It's cos we voted no to Lisbon"
If you seen the weather here over the last few days it has been horrendous. Boiling during the day and then washout at night. The fan Mile in Vienna had to be evacuated because of lightning. Not surprised the satellite was knocked out, but you would think in this day and age they would be able to prepare for something like that.
Saying that it was a very exciting game. Germans will need to get their finger out if they are to win.
try this link and check the videos
1. go to Zur Mediathek
2. At the top click on Startseite
3. On The right sid click on EM Kompakt
All the goals are there
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/content/526810
The Russians froze on the big stage... Bit dissapointed they never got out of the starting blocks tonight... I think the lack of big game experience and good Spanish tactics (esp. midfield marking) were the main factors tonight.
I would say Germany will probably edge the final, a lot will depend on the fitness of young Thorsten Frings.
The Russians always froze. As bad as the Spanish for it. Heard a theory one time that it was partly down to communism, which didn't encourage leadership, so when the heads go down, they've no-one to pick them up and they're screwed.
Lads, the Russians can not break through the midfield of Spain, it happened in the first game, Spain are a much better team, they proved it, its not that Russia were bad, is that Spain tactically know what they doing and how to stop the Russians feeding Arshavin and Pavyluchenko.
Very strong second-half performance from the Spaniards. Nice to see. Russia just didn't seem to want it enough and as soon as the first went in, they seemed to care even less.
It will be a tight enoug match on Sunday.
For me, a lot depends on the line-ups. A key indicator will be the performances of Ballack and Fabregas (if he starts). I think Spain have a better keeper and a stronger midfield but Germany defence doesn't seem as shaky as Spanish one, which wasn't really tested tonight. Both teams have two attacking full-backs so it could be a very stretched game.
I think Villa and Torres is slightly better than Klose and Podolski but Villa being injured will change it a lot. Guiza is a better than Gomez.
I think Spain are better technically but Germany have a stronger team.
I really can't call it.
Following Russian football a lot and seeing the players during the anthems I had a bad feeling they would fold on the night. The players just looked dazed and in awe of the situation, scratch the surface and you could see Russia's squad was limited - they really could have done with another big physical striker to mix it with Puyol and Marchena. Senna (looked like Vieira in his prime) bossed the game in midfield and the likes of Zryianov and Semak didn't get stuck in enough. I think if Pogrebnyak had been available Hiddink would have thrown him on and we would have seen the Spanish really tested, the Russians would have gone 3 up and just bombed it out wide...
The thing about Russia is if they go 1 or 2 down then they tend to lose shape and the back line disintegrates (happened vs Spain twice and also away to England in the quals). They're one of the youngest sides in the tournament and I think they'll be a force in the future, they just need experience and someone to really boss the game for them.
Seen it all so often. A team flatters to deceive. The so-called experts are astounded and don't know what's happened. The Spanish, managed by the so-called "clown" stiffled the Russians and barely let them get a kick in. Great performances by Fabregas and Silva.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
should torres have been booked for kicking out at the russian defender who muscled him off the ball in the 2nd half. I don't think it can be argued he was going for the ball, as it was already well out of his reach
You're a genius owls. We must all bow to your superior knowledge.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
Self praise is no praise at all. I think there was a poll done on one of the football websites yesterday and over 70% thought Spain would win - so thats some call out of you.
Aragones is an absolute clown. The Spanish are winning despite him. I love watching Spain and hope they win it and he's the only doubt I have about them in the final. It's like he has ADD and needs to be the centre of the universe. He could do somehing idiotic for the final like start Guiza ahead of Torres or Fabregas just to be in the spotlight again.
Agree with you about Fabregas and Silva though. Iniesta, Ramos and Senna put in excellent performances too
aragones seems to be doing alright so far reached final of a major european competion not a bad return ... would agree some of his decisions seem a bit strange but it has worked for him so far :D:D so he must be doing something rightQuote:
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
It's not the fact that Spain would win. That's no big call. It's the fact that the panel were mystified as to why Russia had suddenly gone backwards when it was obvious to me that the Russian team had peaked and were most unlikely to be able to match that performance against Holland again. Great teams can do it but teams that haven't shown any great form, and then suddenly produce a couple of great performances, can seldom repeat it when the chips are down. No mystery but the panel seemed to think so.Quote:
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
Some would say the chips were down when they played the Dutch after an excellent performance against Sweden. And they produced a great display of attacking football against the team of the tournament at that stageQuote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
im smiling anyway, although i have only 3 euro on Villa, i do have 50 each way on spain...............nice:)Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
or this.......and yeah i have a b:)ig head
Good for you. I hear that when it comes to betting, guys with big heads are exactly who the bookies are scared of. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
Have Germany-Spain Final at 8/1 before a ball was kicked :)
Is there any 3rd/4th place playoff?
Nope. They scrapped it years ago.
Yeah 1980 was the last time, Italy beat Czechoslovakia 9-8 on penos. No wonder they scrapped it, I wish FIFA would do the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
Girl at work said her brother got 14/1 on it, don't know where, but he put a grand on so was on his way to pick up 15k yesterday :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by stojkovic
I got it with Paddy Power at the start.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Maybe he placed it after the Huns lost to Croatia.
Germany: Lehmann, Lahm, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Friedrich, Podolski, Frings, Hitzlsperger, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Klose.
Spain: Casillas, Capdevila, Marchena, Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Iniesta, Senna, Fŕbregas, Xavi, Silva, Torres.
Well done to Spain. Well deserved. Great tournament.
Only two black marks: the continued exaggeration of injuries and the game being stopped when someone pretends to be injured (other than for head injuries).
Viva Espana.
Yeah, absolutely delighted. Best tournament I can remember. Even the winners were deserved. Well done Spain. My only regret, not lumping on Villa for top scorer when I was skint before payday. Well done Spain, best team won.
Great tournament. Best team won without a doubt. My only regret is backing Luca Toni to be top scorer. Does anyone else have a bookie who greets them with a wide grin and slap on the back?
Delighted Spain won. It was a brilliant finish from Torres to seal the victory.
Although, I thought Silva should have been sent off for the headbutt.
In seven heaven about Spain winning, being half Spanish myself. Two notes from the final.
Firstly this has been a team without a singular star player. Who is the Spanish player of the tournament. Mine is Senna followed by Silva. For others there's Fabregas, Villa, Torres, Iniesta, Casillas even Puyol, Sergio Ramos or Marchena. Actually I'm going for Capdevilla as he's a former Depor man.
Secondly, the team remembered the dead, namely Antonio Puerta of Sevilla, of whom Sergio Ramos wore a t-shirt with his photo at the final celebrations.
A team that has brought the best out in this sport.
Only three red cards, two 0-0s and two penalty shoot outs in the whole tournament. Impressive stuff to add to the points already made about the good football.
Amazing tournament and the team that I wanted to win it from the start did so (even though I doubted them doing so). As Pineapple Stu's post above shows, the stats speak for themselves; the tournament was fantastic.
I was wondering what that was all about as I thought the white jersey stuck out like a sore thumb among the Spanish jerseys. What was the green and white flag he was also wearing?Quote:
Originally Posted by lopez
I have seen red cards for that ok but it wasn't a headbutt Zidane style. It was only the slightest movement and I am glad the German didn't go down rolling in agony. Others wouldn't have been so restrained.Quote:
Originally Posted by superfrank
Well done Lopez. I'm delighted Spain won it.
The green and white flag was the Andalucian flag.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
I thought they both did a nod. Ref took the right decision. Looking at the size of Podolski to Silva and the fact he went over to him, he would have looked a right prat rolling around. El 'Abuelo' did the right thing taking Silva off though.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
BTW: Anyone witness Lehman's rant about it all being a 'fix'. He should try being Spanish for the past 24 years. Boston 94 (Luis Enrique has a nose broken in the area), Wembley 96 (two, not one, but TWO, good goals dissalowed), Korea 2002 (bent linesman). Germany might have had a point if that had happened to them, but they couldn't get a shot on target the whole game. And let's not forget Matt Damon out of Team America's push in the back to get the third goal against Portugal.
Stuttgart, muchas gracias, hope many of you have a sore head like mine this morning. :D
Xavi got player of the tournament
http://www.football365.com/story/0,1...757262,00.html
Squad of the Tournament
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands).
Defenders: Bosingwa (Portugal), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Carlos Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain), Yuri Zhirkov (Russia).
Midfielders: Hamit Altıntop (Turkey), Luka Modrić (Croatia), Marcos Senna (Spain), Xavi Hernández (Spain), Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Cesc Fŕbregas (Spain), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).
Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain).
Disappointed that Deco didnt make it
I was thinking that about the penalty shoot outs alright. This must be the least amount of games decided on penalites in a long time. Great to see. I'm also delighted Spain won. Was supporting them from the start.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
In Euro 88, I think there were no penalty shoot outs, red cards or 0-0s. Though obviously that's from a lot fewer games. Even still, it's commented on in the wiki article as being rare.
LAhm was muck in more than a couple of games - must have been his winning goal that got him in!!Quote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
Though V Nistlerooy did well in the games Holland played.
Ditto Torres, you could argue.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
Lahm wasn't great, but neither were the defences so that can slide. Very surprised Deco didn't make it as I though he was outstanding in Portugals games, certainly I would have him in over Modric. Van Nistelrooy should have made the team, ahead of either Torres or Pavlyuchenko to be fairQuote:
Originally Posted by gustavo