Im glad to see a Euro 2004 thread

Germany never seem to have alot of world class players but they always seem to do well, why is this?? Germany are one of my personal favourites to win euro 04. I agree that Italys manager is probably the reason behind there lack of success, with there line up what else could be the problem?! I was on the verge of being devastated when zidane scored the penalty against England to make the game 2v1. Ahh well hopefully England will have more luck in there next matches.

I look forward to todays matches .           ;   P.S 5v1   

You hit the nail on the head there, Diddy - the word "TEAM" makes all the difference.

My prediction for tonight is a close 3-2 to Germany, with the first two German goals coming in the first 10 minutes of either half, then a belter towards the end to break the tie.

I think Holland will equalise just before half time, then score a quick retalliation to the second German goal.

Should be a great match!

Any other predictions?

I'd say good luck to Germany but as there are members form both countyrs on this forum i dont want to be bias. I will post my view on the macth after it has finished, I would be interested to hear your views aswell.

Lets just hope its an exciteing match with plenty of goals

P.S. I think that the most important thing to any team is that the players work well as a team, but i suppose brazil ruin that theory

Germany v Holland : 1 - 1

Well it looked as if the two teams were trying to make my prediction come true in the first half - even if Holland did try to get an early look in!

Germany threatened the goal from about the 11th minute until that sucker went in - but what a scrap!

That referee was useless - always in the way unless fouls were being committed, and there were so many he missed most of them - just the token yellow cards liberally doled out!

Great comedy!!

Czech Republic v Latvia : 1 - 2

Those Latvians are sooo fast! Great to see them keep their advantage - and great goal from Heinz!

Must go out and replenish the fridge...

diddy wrote: What a game...I aged a lot during this 90 minutes.   But what a mistake that led to the equalizer, you can't loose the ball like this in the corner. The referee HAD to give a penalty, Stam hit Kuranyi on the HEAD, that wasn't nice

I think it was an accident.. he didn't do it on purpse, but he was not very careful on the other hand.

What a crappy game. Germany was a little better than Holland I think... what a waste of time! Why don't they play some music instead?

I watch the games with the sound turned down and some music playing on my hi-fi. The ITV games have particularly crappy commentary - and if you pick the music right it enhances the game no end. The only thing you miss out on is crowd noise - but in my opinion the English crowds make the best noise!

I was listening to "Live at the Target" by Twelfth Night for the first half, and "Live and let Live" for the second half.  

The  meant that I was only saying that because I'm English - I totally agree otherwise! It's the sheer quality (or familiarity, more like) of our songs that makes me turn the sound back up.

The English do tend to only sing when they're winning - we've made football chants out of it that go "You're not singing any more", when our team gets one up on a rival, and "You're going home in a Saint John's Ambulance" by way of traditional response.

Other English classics include;

"We hate Tottenham and we hate Tottenham, We hate Tottenham and we hate Tottenham, We hate Tottenham and we hate Tottenham, We are the Tottenham haters"

I'm really not too sure what the lyricist was trying to say when he wrote those, but my observation is that the theme of hating Tottenham runs quite strongly...

And who could forget;

"We love you Chelsea, we do, We love you Chelsea, we do, We love you Chelsea, we do, Oh Chelsea we love you."

And, of course, the ubiquitous

"What the fing, What the fing, What the fing hell was that? (hell was that?) What the fing hell was that?"

Sheer bloody poetry! (set to “Cwm Rhondda,” John Hughes, 1907).

Yes, the English football chant is a joy to behold - so much so that Pink Floyd set one to music in "Fearless" (Meddle); Can anyone who does not live in the U.K. name the song - and for bonus points, the composer(s) and original source (what the song was written for)? Additional bonus if you can tell me which team it is associated with!

Wayne's World

Wayne's World

Party time

Excellent!!!

Actually, the only excellent thing about the England v Switzerland game was the score. What a bag of spanners!!!

I hope we're as lucky against Croatia - coz that's all it was, IMO!

DENMARK    BULGARIA 2 -0

diddy wrote: BTW Holland - Czech Republic yesterday was the best game so far, what a match...

Although the 2nd half of tonight's Spain vs Portugal was a belter!!! I'm amazed that Portugal kept their 1-0 advantage and knocked Spain out of the tournament!

Incredible stuff - and great football!

Why did Spain's manager only give Morientes 10 minutes? Presumably he was not fully fit? That seemed strange to me.Looks like England won't be getting the 'easy' Q Final against Greece that was hoped for,instead the much tougher Portugal (that's assuming that England don't lose to Croatia and that France beat Switzerland) awaits.

And I can imagine that often it's true (sadly)

DVLA Warning

The DVLA at Swansea has issued the following warning:

"In order to assist other motorists in identifying potentially dangerous drivers, it's now compulsory for anyone with a lower than average driving ability to display a warning flag.

The flag (comprising of a red cross on a white background) should be attached to the top of at least one door of the vehicle.

For drivers of exceptionally low ability, additional flags would be appreciated."

My only hope is that this "lower than average ability" does not apply to persons entering Portugese football stadia with the intention of playing football...

...and ENGLAND go through!!!

To play Portugal...

diddy wrote: Certif1ed wrote: ...and ENGLAND go through!!! To play Portugal...   Remember last Euro ???

Yep ,England didn't go through on that occasion! (Thanks Phil Neville)

But we are there this time! Portugal v England will be too close to call.I can see this going to penalties and more 'hurt' for English supporters like myself.No doubt Germany will 'win' all their remaining matches 0-0 on penalties

It will still be Rooney's tournament no matter what happens from now though

  I doubted Rooney at first but now he has proved to be a great young player. I'm just hoping he keeps his temper against protugal and doesn't get sent off.

  I obviously want England to beat Portuga; but it's always a bit gutting when the host nation is knocked out because the competition loses a bit of its edge, the host nation are always good to watch.

   ENGLAND!!!!!

C'mon, Zidane has to get past England's defence

Hopefully we will not be in so generous a mood as to continue giving away goals through free kicks as we have been...

...mind you, Henri looked dangerous in that Switzerland game

I am, of course, assuming that we will make it through to the final, as France almost definitely will .

We want revenge

This Euro Cup has been a lesson (that won't be undestood) for Italy, Trapattoni is a criminal against football, with an amazing team refuses to kill the enemy who's just one step before KO, and when the enemy get's the second breathe, he kills Italy.

Against Sweeden they thought 1 goal was enough and Trapattoni changed Cassano for Fiore and thanks heaven the tactic didn't worked, I have nothing against Italy, my mother is 50% Italian but I hate defensive football or in Italy's case anti-football, and I laughed when Ibrahimovic made that beautiful goal.

Now Italians blame Denmark and Sweeden for a 2 - 2 that was obviously not planned instead of blaming Trapattoni, the only guilty.

Netherlands almost had to go back home for the same reason, they were winning 2 - 1 and Advocaat changed Bosven, the only man who was still a danger to Czech's back line for the ultra defensive Bosven. At that point their destiny was signed, the Czech defensive line could join the attack because there was nobody who could cause them real danger, and of course Czech Republic won, even when I believe Netherlands have a better team.

And What in hell is Kluibert doing in the bench? Netherlands was saved by Czech Republic this time (because even with an alternate team won the game with Germany), but miracles are not common.

Seems Advocaat learn the lesson and today never gave rest to Latvia, that's the way a great team should always play.

Iván

Yes Certif1ed it's unfair in mathematical terms, but not in reality.

Italy is used to that, remember Spain 82, they tied with Perú (The referee didn't saw 3 penalties against peruvian players), also tied with Polland and Cameroon and were Champions, when other teams as Brazil (not my favorites) took the risk.

In this Euro, they placed a butcher as Gattuso that kicks anyone that comes near (the referee didn't threw him out I don't know why) and place their 11 players in the penalty area if they make a goal, that's anti-football and a fraud against those guys who pay a tickett to watch a good football game.

Teams as England have less points because they take the risk and sometimes doesn't work, but you are happy after the game because you saw 11 warriors instead of 11 shy or timid players who hide in the area and kick every ball anywhere or throw to the grass 10 minutes.

Thanks God didn't worked for them and thay learn the lesson as Netherlads did.

Iván

We

Wuz

Robbed!!!

Again!!!

Even if we did play like a bunch of old ladies after Rooney had to go off - that last-minute goal should NOT have been disallowed.

Still.

ENGLAND have the MORAL victory.

Beckham missed! I bet his tattoo was stinging!

Joren wrote: Beckham missed! I bet his tattoo was stinging!

I was amused by this as well. And I NEVER watch football!! Pretty damn exciting game (at least at the end)

I think everyone in England knows that Beckham is a tattooed tser, but Terry had his eyes on the ball and the goalie would never have got near the ball, so no foul committed.

It's also well known that referees from countries other than England make harsher judgements against England players.

(still lickin' those wounds)

France will win. everyone knows that!

Certif1ed wrote: (still lickin' those wounds) France will win. everyone knows that!

First: Yes indeed, that's the only explanation I can expect for the foul thing  It WAS a foul, maybe not for the English but everyone outside england KNOWs that this was a foul  

Second: Yes, everyone KNOWS but does everyone WANT that france wins? Not me because they played so minimalistic...and ALL of their goelas were free kicks, corners or penalties, no good moves...and Greece has a german coach: He's very famous here one of our best coaches...he coached Werder Bremen for a long time as well as Bayern Munich...

I think everyone in England knows that Beckham is a tattooed tser, but Terry had his eyes on the ball and the goalie would never have got near the ball, so no foul committed.

PLEASE CERTIF1ED!!!!!!

It doesn't matter if the Portugal's goalie would have never reached the ball, he was pulled by his shoulder in the goal (small) area (Rule 12).

This could be even worst, If I commit a foul against a player that's far from the ball, the referee can show me red card because that is agression.

The foul is committed where the agression or fault happens not where the ball is beoing played. There are even cases like the one I describe: The ball is being played in the area of team A, at the same time the goalkeeper of team B (100 Mts. away) pushes a player of team A. The referee stops the game, takes the ball from area A, runs 100 Mts. and sanctions a penalty in area B.

Also, you must remember a goalkeeper can not be touched when he's inside the goal area, everywhere else he's a normal player, even in the penalty area, but inside the small rectangle he's untouchable.

Iván

Just one look at the front pages of every English newspaper will confirm that almost every true John Bull Englishman (apart from some referees) thinks the same way I did immediately after the game!

I mean, c'mon guys! No need to put the boot in when a man's down!

In the cold light of day, it's just a game, and the referee's decision is final, but it's obvious to me that the goalie was not pulled, but Terry's hand inadvertantly came down on his shoulder as he jumped for the ball. The goalie was on his way down after jumping anyway - so no foul committed as he was not going for the ball and could not. If anyone was fouled it looked like Terry was fouled by Campbell!! We could argue about this for ages, but that would be pointless. It's an opinion thing, and if the referees are disagreeing with popular opinion in England, including that of Ian Wright and Gary Linneker, then they must be right.

England, however, put in a few brief moments of exemplary football, and what seemed like hours of playing like a bag of spanners, defending unnecessarily deeply and making rubbish passes straight back to the opposition. Portugal played well and dominated possession, but had to work hard for their win.

Germany, of course, went out earlier in the tournament, due to playing like a pound of sausages!!

So we're out now, let's just enjoy the rest of the games and just pray that someone beats France!!

diddy wrote:   I'm happy that I couldn't see the last game against Czech Republic due to a YES concert...

If you went to a YES concert, then that was probably better than any football match!!!

France won't be winning this either

Holland will be the last 'big name' to go out when they lose to Sweden tomorrow thus leaving the door wide open for Portugal.''Conspiracy Theory'' anyone?

http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001">

I'd forgotten about that, but now you mention it...,

No don't get me started!

Oh OK, I'll just say England had the ability and the opportunity to win the whole competition. I think the English media (I always thought the B in BBC was for British*) is now coming round to the fact that while they may not have liked that decision, there was the possibility that in the ref's eyes the keeper was impeded. In the end, it wasn't that decision which put them out, it was the fact that Beckham has the penalty taking equivelent of golf's yips just now.

Did you notice in the previous England game how Motty managed to mention 1966 before they'd even kicked off. I lost a fiver on that, I had him down for the first five minutes!

I can understand the frustration felt by England, they rightly know they could have won. At the end of the day though, they underperformed, and went out fair and square. I would suggest that the team and the media let Britain down slightly by not having the good grace afterwards to congratulate Portugal on their win. (If they did, sorry I didn't see it).

(*It gets really irritating when the BBC commentators talk about England as "we", but when the other UK countries are playing they talk about them as if they were a foreign country. Have you noticed how on the news for example they might say one night "The prime minister visited a primary school in Islington". The next night "The prime minister visited a primary school in Scotland". To the BBC, the two are geographically equivalent!)

See what you did, you got me started!

France was really disappointing. Czech Republic deserves to win.

I think so Lucas, but Czech Republic needs to win the game against Denmark first.

My favorites still are Portugal and Holland, in that order.

Iván

ivan_2068 wrote: France was really disappointing. Czech Republic deserves to win. I think so Lucas, but Czech Republic needs to win the game against Denmark first. My favorites still are Portugal and Holland, in that order. Iván

The Dutch are even able to take penalties, nowadays!

ivan_2068 wrote: France was really disappointing. Czech Republic deserves to win. I think so Lucas, but Czech Republic needs to win the game against Denmark first. Iván

Denmark-Czech Republic : 0-3. Crushing victory of the Czech players. Czech Republic is on the way to the final...