Euro 2008

[Utne^_^]

So we've got another pair of great games this evening. Italy v France and Romania v Holland.
If the first game is a draw, then Romania has to lose by at least 3 goals, or they'll follow Holland out of the groupstages. And if Romania wins, well then they're through no matter what.

Holland doesn't really have anything to play for, and Romania has everything to play for, whereas both Italy and France are desperate for a win.

I wouldn't know where to put my money on tonights games, honestly. It's going to be awesome, though.

[Groks]

few pics of germany against austria

[Akileese]

Just to correct you. There is no "first game". They both play at the same time. I'm guessing this is done to add to the competitiveness of the group games so teams don't just give in when they realize they're done.

[Szlia]

Actualy it's because in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Germany and Austria played a completely fake game to both go through and eliminate Algeria. Since then, the last two games of the pool phase are played at the same time.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Group 2 saw one of the great World Cup upsets on the first day with the 2-1 victory of Algeria over reigning European Champion West Germany. This memorable game resulted in the controversial match between West Germany and Austria, their third and final match. As Algeria had already played its third match the day before, West Germany and Austria knew that a West German win by 1 or 2 goals would qualify them both, while a larger German victory would qualify Algeria over Austria, and a draw or an Austrian win would eliminate the Germans. The fourth team in the group, Chile, was eliminated regardless of the outcome. After 10 minutes of furious attack, West Germany succeeded in scoring through a goal by Horst Hrubesch. After the goal was scored, the two German-speaking teams went into an unspoken agreement and just kicked the ball around aimlessly for the rest of the match. Chants of "Fuera, fuera" ("Out, out") were screamed by the appalled Spanish crowd, while angry Algerian supporters waved banknotes at the players. This sham performance was widely deplored, even by the German and Austrian fans who had hoped for a hot rematch of the 1978 FIFA World Cup match in which Austria had beaten West Germany. One German fan was so upset by his team's display that he burnt his German flag in disgust.[1] As a result of the outcome, FIFA introduced a revised qualification system at subsequent World Cups in which the final two games in each group were played simultaneously.

1982 FIFA World Cup - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Utne^_^]

Originally Posted by Akileese

Just to correct you. There is no "first game". They both play at the same time. I'm guessing this is done to add to the competitiveness of the group games so teams don't just give in when they realize they're done.

I know, I didn't mean which one was played first, just refering to the first one that I'd mentioned.

And yes, they're played simultaneously, so that both games stay competitive.

It'd be rather boring if the Romania v Holland game was played first, and Romania won. Not much reason to watch Italy and France battle it out then, hehe.

Edit; I was trying to find some info about that game! I remember the commentators mentioning that was why, but I couldn't remember if it was in the World Cup, or the Euro cup.

[Akileese]

Well, I like it. It adds to the excitement of it. The Premiership does this too since like every game on the last Sunday of the season is on at the same time.

[Akileese]

Abidal. LOL!

[Ranvier]

Don't know what to say. France's "golden age" of Football is over in my opinion. Like back in the days...they will once again struggle to qualify for major tournaments and be stuck in the group stages for which they qualify. Their greatest has retired and a few of the remaining won't be at the 2010 WC. The youth is not very good. French sides need more players that Wenger himself uses. Its all nice and everything for a French side to have 5 players from Lyon. Lyon may have won 6 or 7 or however fucking many Ligue 1 titles in a row, but French league is vastly inferior to Premiership, Liga, Serie A, and even Bundesliga.

Can't believe Abidal would make that tackle. On paper France's back four is (was) still one of the best in the competition.

I knew it was over after Ribery had to get stretchered off. Credit to the Italian though they didn't have to insult someone and get them sent off to win.

Go go Holland now, I guess.

[Quineloe]

When one team keeps winning the league, yet gets slaughtered in the Champions league every year, it's a pretty good indication that your league as a whole is shit.

[Zanna'Dar]

I really don't blame Abidal. That's what you get when you play a regular season left back as a central back.

Other than that, I feel bad for Ribery; poor lad. I am guessing he's out for a good 2-3 months.

[Miele]

While I'm happy we won 2-0, I admit France was both bad and unlucky. Losing Ribery like that sucked, apparently is a knee injury. I just don't get why Nasri was put in and out, given the pathetic state of some other french player.

I just hope Toni starts scoring, yesterday he got 2-3 enormous chances.
Vs. Spain is going to be very hard, but Italy is tough even when they play like shit, I wouldn't be surprised about a rematch Italy-Holland in the semifinals.

[Zanna'Dar]

Sweden getting dominated. They took the pressure off in the last 10 minutes but it was not good enough.

I expect Russia to go through if Arshavin can keep up the good work. Other than that, I love the swedish chicks. I'd like to see Sweden progress just to get some more blonde action.

[slitz]

Worst fucking game in the last 20 years.
Russia was 200 times better than Sweden today, a swedish team that didn't even touch 10% of their potential. Really fucking sad....
Really embarrassing that they can't even pretend that they want to win the game
Forza Holland!

[Zanna'Dar]

Originally Posted by slitz

Worst fucking game in the last 20 years.
Russia was 200 times better than Sweden today, a swedish team that didn't even touch 10% of their potential. Really fucking sad....
Really embarrassing that they can't even pretend that they want to win the game
Forza Holland!

Do you think the midfield is missing the absence of Linderoth?

[slitz]

Originally Posted by Zanna'Dar

Do you think the midfield is missing the absence of Linderoth?

Well I dunno, I don't think Linderoth would have done a much better game than Anders Svensson or Daniel Andersson. Think we just had the wrong players overall. Wilhelmsson getting injured, Elmander instead of Sebastian Larsson (WTF?), Daniel Andersson instead of Kim Källström etc...
Can't really go into a Euro Cup and think that we'll advance or even play a semi-final with two defensive midfielders, especially not since we don't have two star wingers. Just look at France, they didn't manage it with Makélélé, Malouda and Ribery and we think we'll manage with Ljungberg/Elmander and Daniel Andersson / Anders Svensson?
Fucking joke really...
Sure, we're a small nation with a lot less spectacular players than most other nations in the Euro Cup, but it fucking pains me to see such a destructive team on the pitch. No thank you Lagerbäck, go fuck yourself.