[Euro 2012] Discussion thread.

[das_ben]

The opening match is on Friday.

Who are you rooting for? Do you expect any group stage upsets? Which team will go under horribly and not be heard from again for a decade? Any guesses on who will win the tourney? Which are the dark horses? Discuss away!

[Big-Al]

it's all just business.

[tomcat ha]

i dont really know whos going to win and im not as interested as last time...
ill still watch a couple of games at least.

[Sjosz]

I'm actually hoping to see some interesting play from England and France after their horrible fate in the last world championships. Of course I'm hoping for the Netherlands to get far in the tournament, though I'd prefer seeing them win/lose based on actual play instead of the Krav Maga match against Spain in the world championship finals.

[Israphel]

Originally Posted by Sjosz

I'm actually hoping to see some interesting play from England...

You might be disappointed there. England are setting themselves up like Greece in 2004 (or like Chelsea in this seasons Champion's League).
Ironically, they may be more effective than they have been before, but pretty and interesting...?

[DarkEmperor]

Good match the first one. But so much help from the referees to Poland to win the game, LOL that was ridiculous. Greece has every right to protest for 2 non yellow cards to the same player that left them with 10 and a goal (1-2) that was not off-side. The penalty execution was lame, LOL. But overall it was the better team even with 10 vs. 11, the referees unfairly have stolen their win.

[Firefly]

[Selerox]

Originally Posted by Israphel

You might be disappointed there. England are setting themselves up like Greece in 2004 (or like Chelsea in this seasons Champion's League).
Ironically, they may be more effective than they have been before, but pretty and interesting...?

I'm too disillusioned to expect England to do well. I'd take effective and ugly over pretty and incoherent any day. I'd prefer them to do the basics right than try to be clever and fail miserably.

They could play the ugliest, blandest football in the world; if they win it, I'll cry like a girl.

[Israphel]

Some good games today...but crikey, progression from this group might end up complicated.
If Holland beat Portugal 1-0 (not that unlikely) and Germany beat Denmark 1-0 (again, not unlikely), then Holland, Portugal and Denmark will all be on 3 points with a -1 goal difference.
How would qualification work then? Head to head results don't help, cos head to head Holland would have beaten Portugal, but Denmark beat Holland, and lost to Portugal.
Goals scored? Denmark and Portugal will both have 3 to Holland's 2...so would Portugal progress cos they beat Denmark head to head?
Weird stuff.

[DarkEmperor]

Originally Posted by Israphel

Goals scored? Denmark and Portugal will both have 3 to Holland's 2...so would Portugal progress cos they beat Denmark head to head?

Correct.

[Selerox]

Feel seriously sorry for Ireland. They got pounded into the Gdansk turf tonight

But they kept singing...

[JaFO]

Yippy!
One more game and the Dutch can head home.
Either that or they become the second team in history that manage to place despite two (well deserved) losses.

Now let's hope those Germans don't go on to win and all will end well.

[SkaarjMaster]

I'm cheering for Italy, but they haven't won a match yet; of course, they haven't lost either. Here's hoping they beat Ireland.

[Selerox]

Originally Posted by SkaarjMaster

Here's hoping they beat Ireland.

Ireland had a great run making it to the Euros, but they're simply out of their depth. It's a shame, because I wanted them to do well, but from the word go it was pretty clear that wasn't going to happen.

[Balton]

Originally Posted by JaFO

Now let's hope those Germans don't go on to win and all will end well.

If we win, we'll take all your bikes!


kudos to the Irish fans

[das_ben]

I can't watch nearly as much as I would like to (due to work), but I enjoy reading up on the matches and it seems as if this year there are quite a lot of interesting games that are very different from each other happening. Also, the top contenders Spain and Germany are getting into shape but they're not completely dominating the opposition (yet?). Italy and France are also showing some very decent football, and England is doing well despite being a tactical mess, as usual. I really hope Poland is gonna make it to the quarterfinals - they have the best team in decades - and that Ukraine will put up a great fight in their last match.

[Firefly]

[Lruce Bee]

Good start from England in the first half last night but midfield is all over the place and defensively, we're wide open.
I agree with Shearer, in that we've got no chance of winning this tournament with the current team but we do stand a good chance of winning the group after the win over Sweden.

[Selerox]

Slightly dubious first half, but solid in the second. Let's hope we hold it together for Italy

[DarkEmperor]

Yep, today was ugly. Ukraine dominated the match and they played attractive football contrary to England who had not even one chance, no posessive football or passing one, a lucky goal coming from Ukraine's bad defensive moment and a goal that was denied to Ukraine even though the ball had wholy crossed the line, with the 5th referee 4 meters away... So Ukraine should go to the next round instead of England but in football it's usually not the best who continues... Plus France only qualified because of that denied goal... UEFA is cooking and sometimes it smells fishy... (Poland and Russia out - hooligan's riots punishment?, Greece's matches with criminaly unfair referee decisions - debt punishment?) Expecting to see more of these.