Not a single point from the team that many fancied to win the whole thing.
Not a single point from the team that many fancied to win the whole thing.
Portugal v. Czech Rep.
Germany v. Greece
The Dutch team had no chemistry, and didn't play with any heart or urgency. Arjen Robben is a really good player, but i think they'd have been bett off without him this time around.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
If you go down and grab a body part. You should have to sit out 5 minutes to "heal".
The Robben wasn't great, but he did create their only goal today. Sneidjer was just atrocious. Every pass was off the mark and he kept taking long shots that were way off target. Also, I have heard that not only don't he and Van Persie talk, but they absolutely hate one another. You can't have your "engine" be such a bad player and devisive force. They probably should have left him off the teams and ran everything through Robben and Van der Vaart, who looked dangerous.
Variatio delectat - Cicero
I watched Germany-Denmark over the Dutch-Portuguese match, but from what I saw, the Dutch seem to play more like an English team than a classic Dutch squad. Positioning seemed static, with players stuck in predetermined roles. The Germans actually look more Dutch than the Dutch, with overlapping wings, defensive mids and defenders taking part in the attack, attackers working back on defense, wings working the center and central players drifting to the wings. They seem to be constantly probing the other team's defense looking to find a mismatch to create goals.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
True, and I'm glad the Germans are through, because I admire their style of play.
But refs are criticized for rewarding diving and players who accentuate fouls, however, in this case the player fights through the foul to try to score and gets nothing for his effort. It's a shame because it emboldens the argument of those who fall at the first sign of contact.
The Germans would've been down 1 late in the second half and down a man ... A tough situation for even the best of teams.
"The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson
I want to see Germany play Spain.
I also want to see Ireland send Italy home tomorrow in the worst way.
What I don't understand is why UAEFA (or FIFA) doesn't take the obvious approach of awarding red cards after the game based on video evidence. If it's blatant like the German defender, he should not be playing in the next game. I thought Pastigo from Portugal should have been suspended the game after the Netherlands game for stopping the game while laying on the ground pretending to be hurt when the replay shows he was barely touched, it at all. It's an easy fix, and it would definitely work.
Michael Ballack was very critical of the German defender after the game.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
I don't watch a whole lot of soccer aside from the big events. I don't quite understand the two yellow cards and missing a game thing. When I watch the best in the world square off I want both teams to be at full strength. The last thing I want to watch is a team down their best player for something that happened before the event or something that happened in the group stages.
I realize that those are the rules but I think they make more sense in league play, not big time tournaments.
Today at the half:
Italy 1, Ireland 0
Spain 0, Croatia 0
Right now based on tiebreakers, Italy would qualify first, and Spain second.
But there's still 45 minutes of soccer left to play in each game.
"The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson
Spain wins 1-0 and wins the group.
Italy wins 2-0 and finishes second.
Croatia and Ireland go home.
"The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson
That second golazo by Italy was amazing.
Sounds like the Croats were robbed of a penalty.
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