The Soccer Thread

[Senser81]

I just don't understand how parking the bus against the Spanish and getting a 0-0 draw somehow redeems a terrible performance in the tournament

Even the US drew 1-1 with Italy in the World Cup...much more impressive than a 0-0 draw.

[1ke]

Destroyed by the Dutch who always look great in qualifying/group stages, but seem castrated once they're in any knockout games.

Good point about the Spain game. Let's eliminate penalties after extra time and just look at possession and shots on target instead.
NB - If one team had more shots on target and the other had more possession who would you give the win to?

I dont understand how the Dutch looking bad in the knockout stages has anything to do with them destroying the Italians in the group stage. Oh wait it doesnt.

[wr50l]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8082147.stm

So Kaka's gone to Madrid for £56m ...

[davie]

I just don't understand how parking the bus against the Spanish and getting a 0-0 draw somehow redeems a terrible performance in the tournament

It's not. I was just pointing out that they only lost on penalties to a team that was good enough to win the awful tournament that was Euro 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...pe/8082147.stm

So Kaka's gone to Madrid for £56m ...

Italy's richest man just got richer.

[T.Dot]

And guess where Kaka goes...

[calgaryballer]

The great owners of Liverpool charged 2 million GBP in expenses to the Kop holding company

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jun/08/liverpool-tom-hicks-george-gillet

It seems it is a real danger that Liverpool goes into administration, and with shit like this, it would be no suprise

[calgaryballer]

It's not. I was just pointing out that they only lost on penalties to a team that was good enough to win the awful tournament that was Euro 2008.



Italy's richest man just got richer.

What's a great tournament in your opinion then? Are you just contrarian for the sake of it?

There was a lot of great football this past summer IMO. Holland's clinic in the early stages, Spain's passing football, the comebacks that the Turks pulled out, Russia's emergence (and Hiddink's role in it), etc

I bet you preferred Euro 2004 when Greece played a nice defensive style and bored the continent to death enroute to the title

[Archer]

What's a great tournament in your opinion then? Are you just contrarian for the sake of it?

There was a lot of great football this past summer IMO. Holland's clinic in the early stages, Spain's passing football, the comebacks that the Turks pulled out, Russia's emergence (and Hiddink's role in it), etc

I bet you preferred Euro 2004 when Greece played a nice defensive style and bored the continent to death enroute to the title

I actually loved that . Greece had a plan that tournement and it paid off , gotta love it

But i thought the last Euro`s were ok aswell

Major tournements always entertain me

[davie]

What's a great tournament in your opinion then? Are you just contrarian for the sake of it?

There was a lot of great football this past summer IMO. Holland's clinic in the early stages, Spain's passing football, the comebacks that the Turks pulled out, Russia's emergence (and Hiddink's role in it), etc

I bet you preferred Euro 2004 when Greece played a nice defensive style and bored the continent to death enroute to the title

It did amuse me that no one could break down a hard-working team willing to use just one striker.

Holland played well early as always, agreed. Spain beat on some bums (Russia 4-0? 4-1? in the group?). Other than that the only good thing about the tournament was that England weren't in it.

The 2004 tournament at least had a winner that was a surprise. Only Spain or Holland looked like winning 2008, maybe Germany but that's just because they've got the balls to handle knockout games properly. Even Italy didn't perform that well with Totti getting sent home for dealing with a Danish player appropriately, they still could have gone through but it just so happened that two Scandinavian teams got a high-scoring draw when necessary thanks to a soft goal to make it 2-2 very late in the game.

The 2006 World Cup was a good tournament ("yea you're just saying that because Italy won bla bla bla"). Argentina looked amazing at the start of that tournament, Zidane (not France) looked great throughout, Italy were good, Brazil were shit but always had good enough players (Ronaldo and Kaka) to threaten, Germany were the hosts and played some nice football.

[Senser81]

It did amuse me that no one could break down a hard-working team willing to use just one striker.

Holland played well early as always, agreed. Spain beat on some bums (Russia 4-0? 4-1? in the group?). Other than that the only good thing about the tournament was that England weren't in it.

The 2004 tournament at least had a winner that was a surprise. Only Spain or Holland looked like winning 2008, maybe Germany but that's just because they've got the balls to handle knockout games properly. Even Italy didn't perform that well with Totti getting sent home for dealing with a Danish player appropriately, they still could have gone through but it just so happened that two Scandinavian teams got a high-scoring draw when necessary thanks to a soft goal to make it 2-2 very late in the game.

The 2006 World Cup was a good tournament ("yea you're just saying that because Italy won bla bla bla"). Argentina looked amazing at the start of that tournament, Zidane (not France) looked great throughout, Italy were good, Brazil were shit but always had good enough players (Ronaldo and Kaka) to threaten, Germany were the hosts and played some nice football.

Russia was actually one of the better teams in Euro 2008. They made the semis. And no mention of Turkey, the most exciting team of Euro 2008? Did you even watch the tournament?

World Cup 2006 was a garbage tournament. Other than Zidane's performance against a lackluster Brazillian team, there wasn't any Joga Bonita.

Italy drew 1-1 against a short-handed USA, played pitifully against Australia and snuck by on a soft PK, then defeated France on PKs thanks in large part to Zidane's red card. Italy basically did just enough to win, which was effective but not necessarily memorable.

Portugal made it to the semis by scoring just 1 goal in the knockout phase, and that 1 goal occurred in the worst World Cup game ever played (Portugal-Holland).

[jags224]

russiaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[davie]

Russia was actually one of the better teams in Euro 2008. They made the semis. And no mention of Turkey, the most exciting team of Euro 2008? Did you even watch the tournament?

World Cup 2006 was a garbage tournament. Other than Zidane's performance against a lackluster Brazillian team, there wasn't any Joga Bonita.

Italy drew 1-1 against a short-handed USA, played pitifully against Australia and snuck by on a soft PK, then defeated France on PKs thanks in large part to Zidane's red card. Italy basically did just enough to win, which was effective but not necessarily memorable.

Portugal made it to the semis by scoring just 1 goal in the knockout phase, and that 1 goal occurred in the worst World Cup game ever played (Portugal-Holland).

Mostly difference of opinions.

Anything good Russia did was down to Hiddink.

Isn't joga bonita just what they do on those fake/staged adverts? Stuff that doesn't work in a game.

Yes I watched every game of the tournament since it was on when I left school and had the summer before finding a job.

Edit: What would Senser know about what works in a game? It wasn't Rio Ferdinand's fault.

[calgaryballer]

If United replace him with Valencia, there is a severe dropoff in talent. Ribery, if they can get him, maybe not. But Ronaldo is a one of a kind goal scoring winger. Ribery, for all his skill, won't replace the 20+ goals that are leaving

[davie]

Florentino Perez has issues and, evidently, a lot of money.

The most I'd seen one team spend in one summer before this was when Milan spent £107m a few years back (Juventus spent £106m the same summer). Then though it was for groups of players when Fiorentina when bankrupt and were raided. £136m on two players ... wow.

Ronaldo has wanted to leave for some time? I thought he'd enjoy playing alongside the "magnificent" Wayne Rooney lol

[Archer]

I still dont think Real will win anything next season even after getting Ronaldo (to go with Kaka)

Maybe they will get the league seeing as how bad some of the spanish defenses are but until they buy some sort of defence i dont see them getting a champions league