YourValentine 08.06.2012 04:09 |
is starting today after months of anticipation. Who is your favourite and are you supporting a team? Of course I would love the German team to win but there are Holland and Spain who have the best chances imo. We do not know how well France has recovered after the 2010 disaster and Italy is alway a candidate when players are involved in a match fixing scandal - like in 1982 and 2006 when they won the world cup :-) |
Holly2003 08.06.2012 05:09 |
Portugal must be in with a chance. They have a tough group but they are good enough to get results. Ronaldo has the skill to create chances and score goals against good opponents. |
greaserkat 08.06.2012 09:51 |
Portugal has no chance; Ronaldo is just like Messi in the national team, they both suck. My bet is on Germany or Holland. As long as Spain, Portugal or England don't win it, I'll be happy |
brENsKi 08.06.2012 10:45 |
fiercely proud that Ireland made it there....and backing them all the way - depsite the impossible "group of death" that has urrent world and euro champs (Spain) as well as last but one world champs (Italy)...and Croatia the other group team as regards winners? hard to look beyond Spain and Germany |
mooghead 08.06.2012 12:26 |
The smart money is on Spain |
Hangman_96 08.06.2012 16:38 |
My favourite team is the Ukrainian team, of course. :-) |
The Real Wizard 09.06.2012 01:43 |
YourValentine wrote: Italy is alway a candidate when players are involved in a match fixing scandal - like in 1982 and 2006 when they won the world cup :-)What can I possibly add to that perfection !?!!! :D |
YourValentine 10.06.2012 02:57 |
I have to add that we really love Italy, Italian food is our favourite and Italy is still our favourite holiday destination. It's only football when we are fierce competitors because German teams just cannot win vs Italy :( @ Brenski: I hope Ireland plays a good cup after having been robbed of the qualification in 2010 by the hand ball of Henry, that match is unforgotten. Italy did not win anything in 2010, so there is a chance to survive vs Croatia and Italy. Last night we saw how Ronaldo can be stopped - by a uncompromising defender like Boateng. If not for the good defenders Germany would have lost their first macth right away. |
thomasquinn 32989 10.06.2012 05:48 |
How does one stop Ronaldo? I should think the Germans of all people are familiar with the use of abatis and entrenched machine gun nests ;-P |
brENsKi 10.06.2012 16:37 |
well, Croatia outplayed us tonight...so that's Ireland's tournament over.... now i can sit back and enjoy |
YourValentine 11.06.2012 01:12 |
Great joke, thomasquinn. My grandfather already laughed about that. The Irish fans are already champions, Brensky - I know it's not a consolation but they can be proud of their team who never gave up for a second. |
thomasquinn 32989 11.06.2012 06:14 |
brENsKi wrote: well, Croatia outplayed us tonight...so that's Ireland's tournament over.... now i can sit back and enjoyFrom what I've heard, you've done about as good as the Dutch. That's got to be at least some consolation. |
greaserkat 11.06.2012 12:47 |
It's always fun to see England lose something they had possession of |
brENsKi 11.06.2012 17:18 |
thomasquinn 32989 wrote:no it isn't. the Dutch can still qualify for the knockout stage...Ireland can'tbrENsKi wrote: well, Croatia outplayed us tonight...so that's Ireland's tournament over.... now i can sit back and enjoyFrom what I've heard, you've done about as good as the Dutch. That's got to be at least some consolation. incidentally, who gained most from that England/France draw earlier? my money is on Ukraine |
greaserkat 11.06.2012 17:56 |
brENsKi wrote:Yes they can, Croatia has 3 points, Italy and Spain have 1 each.thomasquinn 32989 wrote:no it isn't. the Dutch can still qualify for the knockout stage...Ireland can't incidentally, who gained most from that England/France draw earlier? my money is on UkrainebrENsKi wrote: well, Croatia outplayed us tonight...so that's Ireland's tournament over.... now i can sit back and enjoyFrom what I've heard, you've done about as good as the Dutch. That's got to be at least some consolation. |
Hangman_96 12.06.2012 05:12 |
Ukraine won yesterday! |
brENsKi 12.06.2012 10:26 |
YourValentine wrote: Great joke, thomasquinn. My grandfather already laughed about that. The Irish fans are already champions, Brensky - I know it's not a consolation but they can be proud of their team who never gave up for a second.yes but all the same...we'd rather have the championship - or at least a game in the knockout phase it'll take a not inconsiderble mega-miracle now...or failing that neither Spain nor Italy turn up for their games against Ireland...wonder what odds i'd get on bet365pointlessfritteringofcash.com ? ps - there's going to be a right old "knees-up" nbetween poland and russia tonight...riot police are about to earn their overtime bonuses |
YourValentine 13.06.2012 04:00 |
There is always a chance to beat a big team - that is football. But I agree that chances to beat Spain or Italy are really slim having seen them play. Unfortunately, there were street fights in Warsaw last night - there are always idiots who use any far fetched "reason" to start fights with fans from other countries. It's really a shame that a couple of hundred people always manage to ruin it for the thousands of peacful fans who only want to have a good time. |
plumrach 13.06.2012 04:27 |
Obviously i hope that England do well but I got Italy in the work sweepstake so i hope they win! |
thomasquinn 32989 13.06.2012 07:34 |
YourValentine wrote: There is always a chance to beat a big team - that is football. But I agree that chances to beat Spain or Italy are really slim having seen them play. Unfortunately, there were street fights in Warsaw last night - there are always idiots who use any far fetched "reason" to start fights with fans from other countries. It's really a shame that a couple of hundred people always manage to ruin it for the thousands of peacful fans who only want to have a good time.Russia vs. Poland. There was never any question as to whether there would be fights, that's just a given. Most hooliganism is a form of organized crime, but the Russians have turned it into a form of irregular warfare. They make British hooligans look like choirboys. |
Holly2003 13.06.2012 14:32 |
greaserkat wrote: Portugal has no chance; Ronaldo is just like Messi in the national team, they both suck. My bet is on Germany or Holland. As long as Spain, Portugal or England don't win it, I'll be happy They beat Denmark 3:2 tonight, and they should've at least drawn against Germany, who are currently running rings around the Nederlands. I put £20 on Portugal to win the tournament at 20/1 so they better do well! However, judging by the two opportunities he missed tonight, it looks like someone has paid Ronaldo a lot of money not to score. Portugal won despite him. |
brENsKi 13.06.2012 14:40 |
sticking by my orignal comments about Germany they're a class apart from EVERYTHING else in this tournament so far, Barb... hope they win it, as i love their current style of football...they appear to be building a great team for the future...think they'll do well in Brazil 2014 |
YourValentine 14.06.2012 04:30 |
Thank you, Brenski - we were really over the moon last night :-) What I liked most about last nights game was the respect between the teams. Schweinsteiger tried to console Van Bommel who was a long time Bayern Munich player and is still very popular here. The days of the hatred between the German and Dutch teams are luckily over although I saw a lot of "Blitzkrieg" and "Siegfried line" rhetoric on facebook - luckily not on my friends' walls :-) If you saw Spain vs Italy - there are two other hot candidates for the title. To be in the same group is really the worst place to be for any team... Holly - what is the story about Ronaldo - his substandard performance is just unbelievable. |
brENsKi 14.06.2012 08:40 |
not long now til Ireland book their flights home best i can hope for is Croatia thump Italy and Ireland somehow pull off a miracle against spain at least that makes the final round of games of some (theoretic) value ps- that went well lol now it looks really complicated: ireland have to beat Spain to have any chance but if that happened that would leave it: croatia - 4pts ireland - 3pts italy - 2pts spain - 1pt they'd then need to NOT lose to italy in final game to remain second....fucking pipe dreams eh? the "head to head" rule applies to all teams finishing onequal points...makes it interesting |
brENsKi 14.06.2012 15:45 |
well goodbye euros was a nice - but all-too-brief stay good luck to spain, they played very well, i think the next round looks great with spain and germany (almost certainly) in it |
YourValentine 14.06.2012 16:05 |
You can be proud of your team and proud of the fans. Yes, it was hopeless against the best team in the world - world champion and European champion but the Irish team fought with heart and passion and the fans were simply amazing when they sang "Fields of Athenry" in the last minutes of the game, what an incredible atmosphere. Ypou really wondered who was winning that match! Games like this make football the best sport in the world. |
Mr Mercury 14.06.2012 16:14 |
Former Irish player Roy Keane looked well upset on ITV at the end..... His comment about "not going along just for the sing-along" was spot on though. To be honest, the Irish were always up against it in that section. |
brENsKi 14.06.2012 16:33 |
thanks for the nice comments...but it hink (ITV) co-commentator Jim Beglin summed it up perfectly..if the team had performed as well as the Irish fans they'd have cruised into the next round |
Mr Mercury 14.06.2012 16:46 |
I am just thankful that it wasn't the Scottish that faced Spain tonight. It would have been a cricket score for Spain, after our last outing against the USA...... |
Holly2003 14.06.2012 18:24 |
dbl post |
Holly2003 14.06.2012 18:27 |
ITV pundit Adrian Chiles' commented pre-kick off about a Spanish fan playing air guitar: "...and there's a spaniard playing guitar without a guitar. Next, Ireland will have to play football without a football." :) Apparently Spain had a world record number of completed passes tonight :O |
YourValentine 15.06.2012 03:24 |
I do not know Jim Beglin but he was definitely wrong. The Irish team is not to blame, at all. Spain is such a perfect team that it takes the best other teams of the world to beat them on a lucky day when everything goes wrong for Spain and everything goes right for the other team. The Irish team simply does not have the means to beat Spain, it is impossible and they must be applauded for their courage and passion. Just imagine the incredible running effort it takes to cover the technicially perfect and fast Spanish players - no team can manage that completely over 90 minutes. If you saw the other match of the group you saw a team that is to blame for not winning: Italy. They did have the means to beat Croatia but they were too lazy or to arrogant to make the effort. Now it is possible that they are kicked off the tournament by the same Irish ream that won the respect of millions of European viewers last night. |
The Real Wizard 15.06.2012 15:41 |
England vs Sweden Hands down, best match of the tournament so far. |
greaserkat 15.06.2012 16:37 |
Damn it Sweden!!! Why did you let me down; don't you know I HATE the English team??!! |
YourValentine 18.06.2012 01:49 |
I can't believe that Russia and Holland have been kicked out of the game. Last night I really panicked - only one goal made the difference between group leader and complete failure! I did not watch Holland vs Portugal but the later reports showed how great Rinaldo plays when he is in shape. If he only would not look like arrogance on two legs... |
brENsKi 18.06.2012 02:45 |
Germany never looked in danger against Denmark. the Danes appeared to be playign for a draw Ronaldo is a f**king cock...an extremely talented one...but i hate the way the Portugese played last night...lots of gamesmanship and feigning injury |
dianamascarenhas 18.06.2012 04:53 |
It looks like Holand has gone fishing somewhere out of the championship... Portugal is the fair winner, that's it. |
Holly2003 22.06.2012 14:18 |
Greece -v- Germany The Bailout Game link |
GratefulFan 22.06.2012 15:04 |
Read a similar article earlier today on my eyes still half shut morning cruise of the headlines, for those who might be riveted by a Canadian perspective. I think it was a good article. Honestly it might have just been about Baklava v Black Forest cake. I was pretty tired. link |
GratefulFan 22.06.2012 15:08 |
From the comments: Angela Merkel arrives at passport control in Athens. "Nationality?" asks the immigration officer. "German" she replies. "Occupation?" "No, just here for a few days…" |
YourValentine 23.06.2012 02:49 |
The article you are referring to, GrateFulFan, is pure rubbish. I am really disappointed that you link to such a piece of "journalism". Not even mentioning the grammar and spelling errors and all the factual mistakes and outright lies - this guy should not travel in Europe. Apparently, he has no antennas for the joy and euphoria of an international football event - the moaning about his hotel says it all. I can only hope he takes his prejudice and stupidity untouched by reality and returns to wherever he came from. Funny how both articles that you and Holly posted are based on the "Bild" - the worst German tabloid available. This is like writing an article about London based on SUN hatred and defamation. Back to football: I am of course not impartial but I think it is a good thing that the creative and offensive team won over the "brick wall" tactics of the defensive Greeks. We had four players scoring which is very encouraging looking at the upcoming semi finals where the team plays versus England or Italy. |
Holly2003 23.06.2012 09:32 |
Re: hatred, defamation etc. I don't see any of those aspects in the articles :o Both make the point that the Euro crisis adds some friction to this game. Hardly controversial. As for the football, Germany look good going forward but are suspect in defence. Spain still look easy favourites to win overall, but I'm hoping Portugal win it as I'll be £420 richer if they do :) |
GratefulFan 23.06.2012 15:55 |
The only thing the vast majority of Canadian readers will have taken from the article I posted is that John Doyle has written another wry piece on football, this time riffing on the political subtext of one game set against the backdrop of the larger financial crisis. No villains or victims, and nobody really thinks Angela Merkel swings between abdicating her responsibilities and pushing around other European leaders in the pursuit of good football seats. I'm sorry if there was some kind of cultural or contextual disconnect that made the article feel offensive to you or to Germany or to football or to whatever. The writer is from Ireland initially, but emigrated to Canada two or three decades ago. He's a massive football fan and in 2010 he published a book called 'The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer'. A reviewer: In recounting three World Cups (2002, 2006, and 2010) and two Euros (2004 and 2008), he focuses less on the field and more on what happens beyond the camera’s eye, from raging parties in the streets to quiet encounters between fans. He has a knack for choosing telling details, and in chronicling the crowds, context, and spectacle of these mammoth competitions, he makes a strong case for them as “joy-bringers, unique festivals of congeniality.” His focus on the hotel, the merchants, the locals, the subtest etc. of the game in the article may be better understood in this light. |
GratefulFan 23.06.2012 16:04 |
Holly2003 wrote: As for the football, Germany look good going forward but are suspect in defence. Spain still look easy favourites to win overall, but I'm hoping Portugal win it as I'll be £420 richer if they do :)Having no dog in the fight, and deciding an underdog was as good a dog as any, especially an underdog that would make a fellow QZer independently wealthy for a day and a half, I have already taken care of shifting the forces of the universe toward Portugal on your behalf. Before the quarterfinals began I slipped a subtle yet powerful piece of secret good luck Portugual juju into one of my posts. I'll confess after the championship game. Or when they fall on their faces. Ha ha. |
Holly2003 23.06.2012 17:37 |
GratefulFan wrote:Holly2003 wrote: As for the football, Germany look good going forward but are suspect in defence. Spain still look easy favourites to win overall, but I'm hoping Portugal win it as I'll be £420 richer if they do :)Having no dog in the fight, and deciding an underdog was as good a dog as any, especially an underdog that would make a fellow QZer independently wealthy for a day and a half, I have already taken care of shifting the forces of the universe toward Portugal on your behalf. Before the quarterfinals began I slipped a subtle yet powerful piece of secret good luck Portugual juju into one of my posts. I'll confess after the championship game. Or when they fall on their faces. Ha ha. I appreciate that psychic help. I''ll buy you a pressie if they win. And maybe even if they don't ;) |
GratefulFan 23.06.2012 20:15 |
Okay. Listen up soccer fans. It's time to put aside all this nationalistic and jingoistic nonsense and focus on a more important and overarching goal we can all get behind. Winning me a present!! Yay! So, starting now, everybody want and expect Portugal to win. When talking about who will win, the word 'Portugal' is acceptable as well as this list of substitutes, along with any words, phrases or totems that could reasonably represent the substitutes, that will be assumed to translate to 'Portugal': buttertart, goldfish, xray, Spain, Italy, Germany, England and mullet. When talking about who will lose, all references will be assumed to translate to 'ABP' - anybody but Portugal. Thanks! Yay! :P |
YourValentine 24.06.2012 03:23 |
With my comment about hatred and defamation I was referring to the BILD - the worst tabloid upon which both articles are based. In fact, it was the tabloids who made a football match look like a nationalistic fight which is really revolting for anyone who loves the game. I do not see how the Euro crisis added friction to the game: the Germans did not invent the Euro crisis and they did not spend Greece's money. The game was as fair as it comes in an important tournament and I did not hear a single word from a Greek or German player that they intended to solve the Euro crisis on a football field. In fact, 3 Greek players live and play in Germany as do hundreds of thousands of Greek people who do not blame "boss of the Eurozone Merkel" on the crisis. Certainly a lot of ill feeling was created in three consecutive Greek elections but still most Greek people know that they cannot just lay the blame on another European government. I am sure that the Greek players wanted to bring a smile on the faces of suffering fans who are worried about their future but that would have been the case in any match, not just vs Germany. Unfortunately, there are many unpleasant side effects of an international football event, for example street fights between hooligans or ultras. In the 1998 world cup French policeman David Nivel was nearly killed by German hooligans and only survived with severe handicaps for his whole life. Of course such incidents destroy the fun for the big majority who only want to see their teams in a fair competition. We really do not need pseudo problems in addition to these severe actual problems and if this article is about describing the event as a joy bringer I do not want to read an article when the author starts picking on the host country and making up lies. If he wanted to write about details apart from the field he could have taken a look at the enormous effort the whole country of Poland took to make this event possible in terms of infra structure, housing and fantastic new stadiums. But of course it needs research and respect to do that, it is so much easier to sit in a hotel and make up false stories. In the mean time my bet is still on Spain :-) |
thomasquinn 32989 24.06.2012 08:04 |
GratefulFan wrote: From the comments: Angela Merkel arrives at passport control in Athens. "Nationality?" asks the immigration officer. "German" she replies. "Occupation?" "No, just here for a few days…"Come on, YV, you have to admit, this is a pretty funny joke. |
Mr Mercury 24.06.2012 17:13 |
What is it with England and penalties???? That said though, Italy did deserve to win. they were just simply miles ahead in talent.... |
plumrach 25.06.2012 04:22 |
Italy were dominant for most of the game and Pirlo was well deserved Man of the Match, the penalties we missed were badly taken, rushed and in the case of Mr Cole far too casual If we were playing for penalties then it backfired badly!!! |
YourValentine 25.06.2012 06:06 |
The joke is much funnier than your "machine nest" joke, thomasquinn. In Germany we would say that it is so wrong because Angela Merkel comes from the former German Democratic Rep and they were no Nazis, the Nazis all came from the west, Eastern Germany was a heaven of resistance figfhters :-) I think ALL jokes are allowed about politicians but the above posted article was not funny, it was just plain stupid and I cannot laugh about stupidity. I add a cartoon which is not so hateful imo but still refers to the mix up of football and Euro crisis. As to the England/Italy match - I think England was simply not the better team last night or else they would not have risked to play a shoot out - which they always lose. Italy was a great surprise, they played a very attractive , offensive match, no fouls, no dives, no acting - a great team. The German team has been warned (they have never won against Italy in a tournament!). Now Italy has two days less of recreation before the semi finals and they played 30 minutes over time - this is not what I call equal chances and the UEFA should have avoided such a situation. |
GratefulFan 25.06.2012 09:57 |
YourValentine wrote:We really do not need pseudo problems in addition to these severe actual problems and if this article is about describing the event as a joy bringer I do not want to read an article when the author starts picking on the host country and making up lies. If he wanted to write about details apart from the field he could have taken a look at the enormous effort the whole country of Poland took to make this event possible in terms of infra structure, housing and fantastic new stadiums. But of course it needs research and respect to do that, it is so much easier to sit in a hotel and make up false stories.They didn't fly him to Gdansk to write a story on one game. He's covering the entire event, and that's one of about 30 or 40 he's written thus far, often two or three under his byline in a single day. A previous one covered the new stadium and the pride and excitement of citizens eager to show off a modern Poland, people even coming to the new stadium to have wedding photos taken outside of it. While you're fretting about respect for other cultures, maybe you could throw a bone to that particular brand of Canadian humour; dry and light with subtle exaggeration for effect, easily understood here. Easily understood here as well that he's not 'moaning' about his hotel, but illustrating the point about large groups of sponsored attendees in a funny and human way. Failing that, I really hope we can talk about how stupid and ignorant the article was at least 3 or 4 more times. |
Holly2003 27.06.2012 14:14 |
C'mon Portugal! £420 and Grateful Fan's pressie are on the line! |
GratefulFan 27.06.2012 14:49 |
I listened to the first half on radio here at work just in case my magic juju required it. I don't know who any of those people are! Except they seem to be implying my grandmother, who I called Nanny, is on the pitch. Go Nanny! Or, go trip over some crabgrass Nanny! I'm not sure! :) |
greaserkat 27.06.2012 14:55 |
GratefulFan wrote: I listened to the first half on radio here at work just in case my magic juju required it. I don't know who any of those people are! Except they seem to be implying my grandmother, who I called Nanny, is on the pitch. Go Nanny! Or, go trip over some crabgrass Nanny! I'm not sure! :)The one name I was having a blast with was one of Portugal's players from either the 2006 World Cup or the 2010 World Cup (I believe it was the former) whose name is Espiritu Santu, which literally translates to Holy Spirit. |
Holly2003 27.06.2012 16:28 |
Aaaaggghhhh! |
greaserkat 27.06.2012 16:36 |
Germany all the way!! |
Mr Mercury 27.06.2012 16:43 |
If it is Germany that Spain play in the final, then Spain will have to up their game after tonights performance. |
GratefulFan 27.06.2012 16:52 |
Well Nanny might have lost, but that doesn't change the fact that she made the best molasses muffins ever. I didn't even know she was Portuguese! I probably should have called more often. Sigh. I'm sorry Holly. So close. :( Enjoy the rest of the tournament anyway. :) They should have let ? :) |
YourValentine 28.06.2012 03:29 |
I agree, David. This time Spain won through sheer luck, they were far away from the wonder football they played in the last years. It will be a winnable match for either Germany or Italy. I cannot watch the match tonight but my friend in Moscow will record it for me! |
Mr Mercury 28.06.2012 08:08 |
Ok Barbara, I promise not to tell you the final score then - even if Germany win lol :) |
YourValentine 28.06.2012 09:01 |
David - I am sure that all German passengers will terrorize the flight attendants with questions about the football match. We hope we have some sort of TV or radio access, so we can follow the match. I cannot believe that the semi final game is actually happening when I am on an airplane - that is like a "near miss" :-) |
Mr Mercury 28.06.2012 10:59 |
Hopefully your flight will some sort of access to the match Barbara. I pity the poor flight attendants if you dont.... That apart, I hope you have a safe journey :) |
brENsKi 28.06.2012 16:15 |
shitting shitfuck from shitdom...i can't believe what i just witnessed....were the germans impotent or were the italians brilliant in the excution of their neutralizing tactic? |
The Real Wizard 28.06.2012 23:22 |
The latter. Their defense was so well organized. An ant couldn't have gotten through their back four. The better team won. |
Mr Mercury 29.06.2012 05:06 |
Germany's bogey team came back to haunt them yet again. Honestly thought I would see a Spain v Germany final.... |
Mr Mercury 01.07.2012 16:53 |
The Spanish team were well worth their win tonight. They played Italy off the park. |
Vali 02.07.2012 03:24 |
Yihiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !!!!!! :D |
brENsKi 03.07.2012 11:11 |
christ on a bike!!!! have rewatched the game back a couple of times...still can't get over just how good spain are |
Mr Mercury 04.07.2012 12:52 |
So some of the images during the last German match were faked apparently link |