[Archived] euro12 thread

[Audax]

Rooney blew his top in 2006 vs. Portugal and got sent off, his latest suspension was because he lost his composure. In 2006, Italy probably did try to get Zidane upset granted Zidane seems, excuse me for saying, capable of being a hothead to begin with. I suppose Balotelli can be that way too. Can't believe these players can not keep their cool for a mere 90 minutes... so this is something to watch.

I will say when Wazza was sent off in 2006, it was a more "spontaneous" situation but Rooney has proved he can be a liability too.

Apparently, we've had some poor officiating, fan abuses but not too much of players' acting volatile on the pitch but that could change.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/euro2012/article-2163416/Graham-Poll-Italy-taken-advantage-weak-refereeing.html So this discusses that there are things to watch out for. Definitely.

And I'd still give France a chance in today's match, can't outright pick 'em to win.

[cn174]

Just catching up on my rss feed and a couple of photos that I like:

[Audax]

Penalty should have been given to Spain, Fabregas Tripped.

Nice photos above, both. Real insightful.

[T4E]

Glad Spain have won, the more teams that lose by mimicking the Chelsea CL style the better. It almost seems like every game these days has one team attacking and the other trying to spoil the game and nick a win.

[M-K]

Well that game was predictably dreadful.

I had an idea to stop Spain passing teams to death and boring the living poo out of a global TV audience: an NBA-style shot clock. Once they cross the halfway line, you've got one minute to take a shot on goal. I'm not watching another Spain game *ever* until they introduce something like that.

[DE.]

Spain are an incredibly boring team to watch. Effective, but mind-numbing. Saying that, the French offered nothing tonight, a spineless effort from them. Croatia gave the Spanish a far better game.

[T4E]

Silly posts guys. You think it's Spain that are boring? It's the teams that play with 9 outfield players behind the ball that make the games terrible to watch.

[Rovermatt]

I really can't understand this 'boring' label that is being attached to Spain. I find their style of play very watchable. The tactical discipline, the excellent technique, the retention of possession are too widely disregarded by many people.

How exactly should they play given that their opposition is usually, and rightly, terrified of opening up? If their opponents were, for some reason, attempting to play an expansive game then of course the Spanish wouldn't be knocking it around for 90 minutes. They would instead use their considerable attacking talent to pick off the other team.

[MarkBRFC71]

Silly posts guys. You think it's Spain that are boring? It's the teams that play with 9 outfield players behind the ball that make the games terrible to watch.

Agreed. Spain had the lead, its up to France to show some ambition and try to win the game. They've gone out with a whimper having sat back and let Spain play keepball.

[M-K]

Pass, pass, pass, pass...

...5 minutes later...

Pass, pass, pass, pass...

Parking the bus makes for boring games too, but I can't say I'm exactly thrilled by the way Spain play.

To use an MMA analogy, it's like watching GSP jab or wrestle-hump his way to yet another points decision. I want Chuck Liddell football, dammit!

[DE.]

I'm sure some people are entertained by the way Spain play, more power to you if that is the case. It bores me, though. I can't deny how effective it is, mind, and I do appreciate it from a tactical perspective. Ultimately football is all about winning, and if you're winning then it doesn't matter how you do it.

Still doesn't mean as a neutral I have to accept Spain are entertaining, though, as IMO for 95% of games they aren't.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Their style of play is better to watch when it has some purpose i.e. going forward but often you see them just playing it back and across for no real reason. I much prefer the German style of playing, technically good with a bit of physicality and drive.

I found tonight's game pretty boring, but you can't put that solely on Spain as France didn't offer much at all. Every single time I've seen Benzema play he hasn't looked international class.

[Majiball]

Silly posts guys. You think it's Spain that are boring? It's the teams that play with 9 outfield players behind the ball that make the games terrible to watch.

+1

[Stuart]

The media are desparately trying to hype up England's chances tomorrow. It's bound to end in tears.

[RoyRover]

I think that Spain have slowed down the way that they play more than they have to. At the same time though, if you look back to the last Euros and to the World Cup to some extent, they played more expansively. The opposition packs men behind the ball, so Spain try to break down the wall by constantly probing and searching until something opens up. The tactial patience to do this is unbelievable. I do think that they over do it from time to time, but I also think that the constant passing of the ball is down to them looking for the other team to make one mistake which they can pounce on. It's not attractive to watch, but the skill, ability and patience to play like this is very impressive. Their players are so good that they eventually make chances which they take. If other teams played an open expansive game, Spain would tear them apart.

The media are desparately trying to hype up England's chances tomorrow. It's bound to end in tears.

Apparently Adrian Childs asked Roy Keane if he thought England would win tomorrow and Keane said no he didn't. Not the answer ITV wanted I think! As big a lunatic as Keane is, I think he's very fair in his assessment on teams and the games played.

[American Rover12]

Silly posts guys. You think it's Spain that are boring? It's the teams that play with 9 outfield players behind the ball that make the games terrible to watch.

It's more the lesser of two evils. If you go out and try and "play" against spain they will put up five on you. If you park the bus and scrape a counter attacking goal, you might pip the match.

[T4E]

How do you quote people on the mobile skin now?

Anyway, on Spain - it amazes me that the other teams look at it in such a short sighted way. They are the World and European champions. Might that suggest their way is tad decent? France have some incredible talent - Nasri, Ribery, Benzema - they're capable to knocking it about and being patient. Why not play some keep ball yourself. Make Spain chase it and tire them out for a change.

[Tom]

The media are desparately trying to hype up England's chances tomorrow. It's bound to end in tears.

I still see it the other way round I think Spain have been way over hyped and the press will go mental when we beat them in the final

[roverandout]

sick of the weaker teams in this tournament sitting back all the time, if france, with the quality players they have, had a go at that spanish defence tonight, they could have gotten something, serves them for with going with 2 right backs, as soon as they asked questions of the spanish team in the second half, the spanish didnt look as composed.

[DE.]

Croatia would have beaten Spain if they had taken their chances and Spain would have been out of the tournament. They aren't invincible.

[Audax]

When Germany lost to Spain in the World Cup semi-finals, this German said Germany played out of character, they played too much defence... so even Germany in 2010, a match for Spain played that. Netherlands played Spain very physically.

Spain started out playing aggressively until about 35 minutes in. Then played all that passing. I don't think Evra played. In the end, this seems to be the first time, Spain has defeated France in a major tournament though Spain's loss in 2006 was not really fair... read up on that if you want to know why I say that....

I heard some Portuguese really bitter about Spain's defeating them in the World Cup, so we will see, obviously, Spain seems the better team but Portugal barely lost to Germany and Portugal were playing very defensive as well.

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Suarez, Messi, Seejdorf, Drogba, Milto, Mascherano and many others, World Soccer Masters and World Soccer Stars charity matches, one things for sure, there's no hard tackling in these games, Bacardi (Rum) Cup, mildy interesting like watching a practise. And Capello is one of the managers, odd, think this is from Miami... one of these games were on the other night, sorry for giving this time...

[Rovermatt]

I still see it the other way round I think Spain have been way over hyped and the press will go mental when we beat them in the final

Can I ask how a team currently possessing both World and European titles can be 'over hyped'?

To my eyes, the Spanish are doing nothing different from what we have seen over the last four years. This irritating predilection for playing without a striker aside, they are employing exactly the same tactics that have served them so well since they won Euro 2008.

[MarkBRFC71]

I still see it the other way round I think Spain have been way over hyped and the press will go mental when we beat them in the final

I'll have whatever you've been on! ;-)

You do realise that IF we beat Italy (and that's a massive 'if' for a team as pedestrian as England have looked so far), we have to play Germany??

[Exiled_Rover]

I really can't understand this 'boring' label that is being attached to Spain. I find their style of play very watchable. The tactical discipline, the excellent technique, the retention of possession are too widely disregarded by many people.

How exactly should they play given that their opposition is usually, and rightly, terrified of opening up? If their opponents were, for some reason, attempting to play an expansive game then of course the Spanish wouldn't be knocking it around for 90 minutes. They would instead use their considerable attacking talent to pick off the other team.

It's boring because nothing happens 80% of the time they have the ball.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

sorry salgado but that england team is completely different to the one which is playing now, in the 2010 world cup, there was an obvious lack of teamspirit and players not knowing exactly what their jobs were, this team has been organised by a good coach and has real togetherness, of course i would expect germany to beat us again, as i have said they are my favourites to win the tournament and have by far and away the best squad in the competetion, as for di natalie having a great season for his club so has rooney, if you dont think rooney is world class then you are clearly misguided, i think even without a number of our regular squad members for this competition, our squad is still as good as theirs. I dont want another arguement with you but you clearly have some anti-english sentiment in you.

You do look better agreed but not good enough to beat the top teams imo. Probably that is, anything can happen. I wasn't saying Di Natale was better than Rooney just I'd rather have their 3 strikers than yours. Rooney is immensely talented but I have problems with his consistency, like I do with Nani and Dzeko. Your squad is normally really good on paper, it just doesn't fulfil it's potential. My anti-English sentiment arose due to the consistent arrogance etc that the English media and a large portion of their fans usually demonstrate. And all the excuses. It doesn't make me rate their players less or anything. I try to be impartial about it. I could say that your view yourself is blinded by a pro-English sentiment.

If you do beat Italy though I could see you maybe going all the way. When I see England beat the top international teams, that will change my opinion of them entirely. But it almost never happens.

Anyway, that was probably the most least entertaining game so far. I'm sure everyone accepts that Spain are technically excellent etc and how they keep the ball is unreal but it does not always produce the most watchable games. France were poor though to be fair. What does Mata have to do to make an appearance? After losing to Spain and playing 10 men behind the ball it is easy to say they just should have attacked them but there is a much greater chance of beating them by doing the former.