2020-21 Euro soccer thread

[Betterread]

France is better than Germany(except for flopping). Starting Havertz and Gnaby as forwards was not a good decision.

[RedTeamGo!]

I know it's a day late, but I root for Austria, so suck it Pandev!

Actually, I've known a few North Macedonians in my time and they are wonderful people, so my statement is all in good fun. It was great game and the tributes to Christian Eriksen that were made after the goals were very touching.

That being said, GEMMA BURSCHEN! LET'S GO AUSTRIA!

My grandpa moved to the US when he was 17 from the area that is now North Macedonia. His siblings all stayed and his brother and all of their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids remain. My mom visited about 10 years and she absolutely loved it there. I really want to take a trip there to meet a pretty large part of my family I’ve never met! With that said, I was and am definitely rooting for North Macedonia. I didn’t think I was going to get too into it but when they statues playing and then when Pandev scored I screamed lol. Cool to see.

[M2]

Starting Havertz and Gnaby as forwards was not a good decision.

I don't know. Havertz was their most in-form guy at the end of the club season. Gnabry was their leading scorer in Euro qualification and the runup to this tournament. Werner was misfiring at a quantum level at the end of the club season. Kind of a bizarre team for Germany in that they don't have a target striker.

[RedTeamGo!]

I don't know. Havertz was their most in-form guy at the end of the club season. Gnabry was their leading scorer in Euro qualification and the runup to this tournament. Werner was misfiring at a quantum level at the end of the club season. Kind of a bizarre team for Germany in that they don't have a target striker.

Basically, they don’t have a Klose(r)

I’ll let myself out

[Betterread]

I don't know. Havertz was their most in-form guy at the end of the club season. Gnabry was their leading scorer in Euro qualification and the runup to this tournament. Werner was misfiring at a quantum level at the end of the club season. Kind of a bizarre team for Germany in that they don't have a target striker.

They had no impact. Germany needed someone to try something creative, and the closest was the gundugan dribble that earned a free kick right outside the area.
Havertz is in-form? After scoring four goals as a Fwd on a super talented squad - the same number as Pulisic, who was a sub all year?
I can understand the arguments for the other players. I don’t know why Muller has a place on the squad. There have to be some other German forwards better than him.

[Betterread]

During games he provides commentary, Taylor Twellman seems compelled to give a medical diagnosis and a strong opinion whether the player should continue playing whenever a player takes a blow to his head, face or neck. He should be discouraged from offering these frequently meaningless opinions. Not only is not medically trained, he obviously only has visual information about a collision, which limits his analysis.
It is one of the reasons why I think he is a weak commentator.

[M2]

They had no impact. Germany needed someone to try something creative, and the closest was the gundugan dribble that earned a free kick right outside the area.
Havertz is in-form? After scoring four goals as a Fwd on a super talented squad - the same number as Pulisic, who was a sub all year?
I can understand the arguments for the other players. I don’t know why Muller has a place on the squad. There have to be some other German forwards better than him.

IIRC, Havertz only became a regular starter late in the season. He got elevated when Tuchel took the reigns from Lampard. Pulisic actually got one more league start than he did. Havertz isn't a volume scorer, but he was Chelsea's most dangerous player (Kante was their best player) in the Champions League semis and final. He can create trouble in the half spaces.

Yet you touched on Germany's bigger problem: they don't have better forwards. The leading German scorer in the Bundesliga this season was Lars Stindl, age 32 and no one's idea of a high scoring player, with 14. He was followed by Muller (11), journeyman striker Max Kruse (11) and Gnabry (10). I'd also argue they should be playing Kimmich as their holding mid so he's on the ball more often.

[M2]

During games he provides commentary, Taylor Twellman seems compelled to give a medical diagnosis and a strong opinion whether the player should continue playing whenever a player takes a blow to his head, face or neck. He should be discouraged from offering these frequently meaningless opinions. Not only is not medically trained, he obviously only has visual information about a collision, which limits his analysis.
It is one of the reasons why I think he is a weak commentator.

I like him a lot for pure soccer reasons. He picks out tactical stuff better than most (e.g. did a great job of focusing on how the French were using the mid-block and counter today).

He is attuned to potential concussions because he spent two years sitting in dark rooms after this game (the play that effectively ended his career is at the 1:00 mark):



So, yeah, he's subsequently done a lot of work to establish concussion protocols in the sport and he errs on the side of taking head shots seriously.

[RedTeamGo!]

Also, that French player should have absolutely been taken out of the game. He was pretty clearly concussed. If this was an NFL game he would absolutely entered concussion protocol.

[dabvu2498]

During games he provides commentary, Taylor Twellman seems compelled to give a medical diagnosis and a strong opinion whether the player should continue playing whenever a player takes a blow to his head, face or neck. He should be discouraged from offering these frequently meaningless opinions. Not only is not medically trained, he obviously only has visual information about a collision, which limits his analysis.
It is one of the reasons why I think he is a weak commentator.

He was super quick to speak poorly of the medical staff in the immediate aftermath of the Eriksen incident. I’d say everyone else watching (like me) was probably thinking they did all they could. And as we know now, they genuinely saved the man’s life.

As M2 said, I get why he’s willing to speak on medical issues, but being a patient doesn’t inherently make you an expert.

[M2]

I really wish the Dutch offside VAR review, where they widen the bars and you're onside if they're touching, was universal. Finland's called-back goal against Russia would have been good, as would the Benzema goal against Germany. They're erasing too many goals with the current system.

[Betterread]

I really wish the Dutch offside VAR review, where they widen the bars and you're onside if they're touching, was universal. Finland's called-back goal against Russia would have been good, as would the Benzema goal against Germany. They're erasing too many goals with the current system.

I think the Finnish player was offside by such a small margin that it gave him no advantage. On the French goal, Mbappe was a leg ahead. It was barely offside but you could see that he had 1/2 a pace on the defender.

[M2]

I think the Finnish player was offside by such a small margin that it gave him no advantage. On the French goal, Mbappe was a leg ahead. It was barely offside but you could see that he had 1/2 a pace on the defender.

I think both (and definitely the Finnish player) would have been onside in the Dutch league. It's a really good implementation of the technology they're using there.

[MWM]

Sergio Ramos leaving Real. Hard to imagine that team without him on the back line.

[M2]

Sergio Ramos leaving Real. Hard to imagine that team without him on the back line.

La la la la. I can't hear you.

FWIW, if the rumors are true, Sevilla is offering Sergio a five-year deal along with the promise to be involved with the management of the club beyond that. Hard to say no to that offer.