Official EURO2004 Thread

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As someone asked for it, I fekt obliged as one of the football(the real thing) fans on SP to create it.

Today's top discussions:

1. Greece shocks the entire football world by winning their first international competition game by beating Portugal with 1-2. Will Portugal be able to qualify for the quarter finals now? Was this the chance to take a spot in the second round for Greece that they managed to take?

2. Spain beated Russia, but not without too little struggle. Are Russia's chances to qualify for the quarter finals gone now when they have zero points and Spain and Greece are in a good position while Portugal will fight for their life and Russia have lost both of their ordinary middle defenders?

3. France versus England tomorrow. Which of these two top-notch nations, both contesters for the gold in the tournament, will take home the gold? Both teams have awesome attack and good playmakers but now with England's recent injury and France's old defence, both of them are in big trouble in the back with so good attackers against them.

4. Croatia versus Switzerland tomorrow as well. Both teams know that if the game draws, both of their chance's to qualify for the second round are slim to none. Who will win? Who have the strongest team? Will Croatia be able to survive in a tournament without their great goal-scorer Davor Süker, the man that led them to the WC bronce 1998? Will Switzerland take advantage of their underdog position and manage to beat Croatia?

[ June 13, 2004, 19:52: Message edited by: Caleb: The Chosen ]

 

Portugal will have to beat russia who didn't impress against spain yesterday. But Portugal wasn't playing on it's best either. I felt that Portugal underestimated Greece by playing nonchalant and with arrogance, while greece played their game and did very well. Figo is going downroad in my opinion and Ronaldo should be in the starting eleven from now on, even though he gave away a penalty. It only proves what happens when an attacker tries to defend.

No surprises at Spain, although I hoped that Eleinechev scored that fabulous action in the first halve (He's on my EC managers team )

Today I think England VS France will end in a tie, with hopefully a lot of goals. But if I had to vote for a winner it would be France if only for Henry.

 

I think Croatia and Switzerland will be a surprisingly good and open game. Both teams realise that the opposing team is probably the only time they have a real chance of putting points on the table and scraping their way out of the league. I think Croatia are that bit better man for man though and I think it will be 2-1 to Croatia.

England vs France. Of course, I hope England win this match. But I must admit, I'm running scared of Zidane and Henry. Especially with 2 of our first choice centre backs not playing. We've simply ran out of men in that position and will most likely play Ledley King. He's actually played in midfield all season for his team, Spurs. Doesn't bode well.

But I'm sure young Rooney will love be loving it. He'll explode onto the scene and work his bollocks off. Plus, I think Owen will devastate that back line. However, as ever, the outcome of this game will depend on who owns the middle of the park. Vieira vs Gerrard, Lampard vs Zidane, theres some fascinating battles there and the game will hinge on who wins them.
Personally, I think so early in the tournament both teams will be reasonably happy with a draw. I expect 1-1. Or maybe one side will snatch a winner (hopefully England!). Will be tight!

 

While I agree with Morsmodre's points, I think the game will end with much more goals than a mere 1-1. 3-3 or 3-2 to the team that scores first is my guess. France have the advantage, but I know they can play very ignorant at times, as we saw in 2002 but England, while it doesn't have all these profiles, have a very stable team that could do a quick goal or two in the beginning of the game.

 

I didn't really think that Portugal would make it in the first place. I expected a 0-0.
Portugal will loose the match versus Russia also (at least they will not win), because they cannot fight.

 

Portugal was a major dissapointment in 2002, and it won't be any different this time. That they have homeside advantage won't make any difference, if you're not good enough, you're not good enough, simple.

 

5. Croatia - Switzerland ended 0-0. For Croatia this was a disaster. From the 55th minute the Swiss had one man down due to two yellow cards and Croatia played reasonable well. Was it their inability to run on the long balls that caused their downfall? Was it the fact that Milan Rapaic, the best Croatian player of the game, wasn't in the beginning eleven? And how about Switzerland? They managed to hold of the massive Croatian attack in the middle of the second half with one man down and still have some goal-chances as well. Is this enough for them to boost their morale enough to take points against France and/or England? Will Croatia be able to advance from the group stage now that they drawed the game?

 

congrats to the swiss holding out for a point after the unfair send-off...

 

That was not unfair. He kicked the player down, you get's a yellow card. One wonders why he wasn't more careful when he already got one card.


And if you mean that it was tough overall, then I say that the referee, although not that good referee in the game, decided to give hard punichments. He gave it to the Swiss players, he gave it to the Croatian players. All fair to me.

 

My pre-tournament predictions are already looking very shaky after Portugal's lame first-up effort. If the rest of my picks turn out to be just as useless, it might even mean that England will go on and win the whole thing!

 

Amazing. I've forseen 2:0 defeat. Now it's only France and England... he, he. But I think that group is going to have France as first and England as second none the less.

 

Harbourboy, I don't think you should go and get your hopes up. The game between England and France may still be 0-0 in the 33th minute but I don't expect it to continue. France have an overwhelming ballcontrol and England really needs to get their attack up.


EDIT: Well, they did, and now it's 1-0 to England after a free kick by, you know it, David Beckham and a header by a English midfielder(?). Good job, kick out France of the tournament.

[ June 13, 2004, 21:33: Message edited by: Caleb: The Chosen ]

 

Wooo! Go Engerland! 1-0

 

BTW, 20 bucks that BOC have a hangover after last night's game.

 

If France don't score in the next 5 minutes then I might as well give up on all my Euro predictions because so far they have all been completely wrong (except Spain beating Russia). I hope I won't have to eat my words about the England team.....

Maybe it's time for me to give up on soccer and go back to rugby.

 

Heh, now that Beckham have missed a penalty France maybe can take this home anyway.

And I really think that Beckham, the most overestimated player in the world, should have let Rooney get that penalty. Beckham is only good for free kicks, as a playmaker he is overestimated and he should not be England's captain.

However, I don't say that he is bad, just overestimated.

 

HAHAHAAH!!!! What a game! Can you believe that


owned

 

Gah, I can't belive that, I really can't.

 

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****.


It ain't ****ing fair. France didn't deserve this, they ****ing don't.

I hate when this happens.

**** **** **** ****.

 

@#%$ God Dammit!!!!!!! What the hell have I just seen!!!!!!