Euro 2008

[Franciscus]

I thought of starting a thread about the current Soccer European Championship. Surely some of the europeans around here also like soccer, no ? (I do not expect our friends from across the Atlantic to be overenthusiastic... )

Great game tonight , Holand - France (4-1 ). Holand's team is at the moment showing the best play (Portugal is not bad, either), what do you folks think ?

(Pocus and PhilThib, hang in there, maybe you can still reach the quarters... leure: )

Regards

[Carnium]

Its (European) Football not Soccer
Well Portugal and the Netherland were great so far. Croatia has showed some great team spirit and anticipation and could get quite FAR too. Spain was impressive against Russia but it is too early to say if they will be contenders this time. And there are still the Germans who are always contenders no meter how bad team they might have.
We will see about the other possible surprises quite soon too.
France is a really bad situation as they only have one point just like the Italians whom they will met in the next round. Holland will probably rest some of the key players so the Romanian win is not out of reach either.

[keith]

I have a 10 pound bet at 7 to 1 on Portugal although i want Croatia to win. I like their attitude and i like their manager Bilic. well he did play for Everton the best team in the world !!!!

[Rafiki]

Congratulations to our Spanish friends for today's victory in the semi-final against Russia!

(Though I have to admit that I'll still be cheering for Germany in Sunday's final )

[tagwyn]

My son taught me Soccer when I hauled him back and forth to the pitch. He turned out to be a rather good player. I am for Germany! I am following the matches and am a fan. (Even though I am an American!!) apy:

[arsan]

Hi!
In fact i don't like football too much, but this is a special occasion (usually we lose a lot sooner leure so i'm watching the matches with interest!
This is like the Halley Comet... you must see it as it come or maybe your will be already dead when it comes around again
Let's see how we fare on the final... probably Germany will win (as usual) but most certainly the will play worst (as always)
Italy and Germany teams are usually as effective as boring
Regards

[Primasprit]

[...]Let's see how we fare on the final... probably Germany will win (as usual) but most certainly the will play worst (as always)
Italy and Germany teams are usually as effective as boring
Regards

Indeed. The Germans don't play very well but have some strange ability to force the luck to be on their side...

[GShock]

Soccer is totally cheated. Has always been and will always be.
Too much money involved and too easy to bribe a referee or linesman...or single players and the justice and jail doesn't work with them because of the money involved in the background and the intermixing roles of football team presidents and bankers who are always hooked with the politicians.

Italy wins a world cup every year there's a scandal. I was 8 when we "won" in 1982 and i remember the German players playing like sissies. In 1986 a whole championship was tricked in favour of our actual prime minister against my home team. Last WC Italy won because of the latest scandal but it's an interrupted series of cheated championships. About 20 maybe even more. The trial against Juve proved a lot of "I don't remember" with the players. Doctors who gave EPO, players who cheated, the coach Lippi (coach of the last WC winners: Italy) has a son who represents players with a company (GEA world) who organizes cheated matches so that the value of their players rises and the other players' values drop. At trial all were innocent.

Materazzi is a kung fu player, one of those that should have never been allowed to play. Neglecting the times he injured players in real fights in the locker rooms (and always allowed to play again afterwards) i urge you to look at this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yXJvnYBpFpY

and this

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WJPKM5aJGW8

It is obvious that this player is allowed to do whatever he wants on a football field and you shouldn't be surprised he was able to put Zidane out of commission by kicking his legs for 90 minutes and insulting him constantly until Zinedine reacted as we all know.

It's not about Italy alone...remember Byron Moreno and WC in Korea.

I can understand looking at Euro 2008 but forget the sports...it's a good show but totally cheated sports. And this is just sad.

[arsan]

Hi
On national leagues sometimes, can happen "strange" things specially on ome countries... but thinking about the Italy football federation buying the German team on a world cup final seem very improbable to me...

Luck, experience and keeping a cold head is many times more important than good playing on this kind of matches.

Regards

[Rafiki]

I was 8 when we "won" in 1982 and i remember the German players playing like sissies.

Schumacher's assault on Battiston in the semis was "playing like a sissy"?

Other than that, I think your post goes more to show what goes on in Italian domestic soccer, which I consider to luckily be a particular kind of playing and organizing football not seen too many other places in our parts of the world. (Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm no big fan of Italian football)

Oh, BTW and for the record, I'm not just saying I'm sheering for Germany because I'm driving through Germany today and tomorrow

[dooya]

Indeed. The Germans don't play very well but have some strange ability to force the luck to be on their side...

But still the Germans have their moments, e.g. the match against Portugal. The performance of the German team can be explained best with an German saying

Ein gutes Pferd springt nur so hoch wie es muss.

, which translates to

A good horse jumps only as high as it is necessary.

In other words, good games against good opponents, and Rumpelfußball otherwise.

However, as we have seen against Croatia, the assessment of the necessary height to be jumped over still lacks accuracy.

Actually, given the things I said are true, we can tell from yesterday's match that the performance of the Spaniards will be good in the final and so will (hopefully) be the German's performance. If so, we will see an entertaining match and it will not matter who wins in the end.

[Korrigan]

Schumacher's assault on Battiston in the semis was "playing like a sissy"?

Aaaaaaaaaah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhh!!

Burn! burn! burn!!

[Korrigan]

Materazzi is a kung fu player, one of those that should have never been allowed to play. Neglecting the times he injured players in real fights in the locker rooms (and always allowed to play again afterwards) i urge you to look at this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yXJvnYBpFpY

This one is much better

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=dL3wAqOKP9w

[PhilThib]

Wouarf...

[GShock]

Now u're gonna tell me that Korean WC was a regular one?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z4iW8pDnft8 <---

It's not a national thing. It's global.

And now the final tip for you naive people:

President of FIFA: Blatter (The organizer of WC Korea was President of Dahyatsu or some other car factory and VICE of Blatter)
Right hand man in Italy: Carraro (President of FIGC)
Carraro is the right hand man of Geronzi (Carraro is president of Mediobanca which belongs to Mediocredito a bigger bank owned by Geronzi).
Mediocredito is Juventus FC bank through Agnelli's Family (FIAT owners).
1+1=2.

Cragnotti (ex president of Lazio FC) : Fraudolent Bankrupt (Cirio tomatoes)
Tanzi (ex president of Parma) : Fraud on stock + Fraudolent Bankrupt (Parmalat)
Gaucci (ex president of Perugia): Same
Cecchi Gori (ex president of Fiorentina): Same
Berlusconi: President of Milan: 30 trials in progress, prime minister making laws to avoid jail (much worse than financial crimes i think he's the head of mafia)
Ferlaino: (ex president of my team): About 20 trials in progress for same reasons.

Now if you don't wanna see it, that's why they cheat but denying the truth is an insult to your own intelligence.
Blatter knew and everybody knew...and you know too it's just that you don't want to admit to yourselves.

Mafia is not the shotgun-armed boy in the countryside...that was in 1800. Wake up.

[arsan]

...
EDIT: Post? What post??
Nothing to see here, people. Move on! move on!

[Korrigan]

Now u're gonna tell me that Korean WC was a regular one?
(...)
And now the final tip for you [color="Red"]naive people[/color]:
(...)
Now if you don't wanna see it, that's why they cheat but denying the truth is an [color="red"]insult to your own intelligence[/color].
Blatter knew and everybody knew...and you know too it's just that [color="red"]you don't want to admit to yourselves[/color].
(...)
Mafia is not the shotgun-armed boy in the countryside...that was in 1800. [color="red"]Wake up[/color].

[color="red"]GShock, I think nobody has been really arguing with you about the Italian Championship and you are kind of pushing it here.

You really want to come down.

Thanks,
Korrigan
[/color]

[GShock]

This is not about Italy. It's about FIFA and it's global.

Anyway sorry for calling those who don't think soccer is cheated "naive". That's a bit out of the line.

[Franciscus]

See how football arises the man's passions ?
Now, BOT, I must say that this Euro cup has had some surprises, namely Holland. They played some of the best game that I have ever seen. I truly expected they to reach the finals. Russia also played great, great, in the quarters.
Now, my country's "performance" was not really a surprise. half of the team including the coach were thinking on something else . Coach Scolari was thinking on Chelsea, Ronaldo was simply not there (probably too busy receiveing calls from Real Madrid...). Goalkeeper Ricardo is history, defender R. Carvalho is past it's time, Pepe is great (but Brazilian ). Deco was great (but also Brazilian ). The rest of the midfield is too young and we have no real good forward players (again, Ronaldo was not there).

As to the final I do not really expect a great game - Germany probably will not allow it and Spain will probably not be able to. I have no favorite, really
(Arsan knows well that the usual talk about Iberian brotherhood surely does not extend to football )

Chill, out, it is only a game

[Primasprit]

So, what are your predictions for the final?
My is 3 : 0 for Spain.

[arsan]

So, what are your predictions for the final?
My is 3 : 0 for Spain.

Liar!
How about a 3-3 so everybody will be happy?
Well, if that cannot be... it will have to be a 3-4 for Spain
Whatever it is, let's hope its fun

[Hobbes]

More conspiracy theories.

[lodilefty]

Too bad team USA isn't there. Would have whupped on everyone!

[dooya]

Liar!
How about a 3-3 so everybody will be happy?
Well, if that cannot be... it will have to be a 3-4 for Spain
Whatever it is, let's hope its fun

Arsan, I am sure that everyone will be happy afterwards. All the Spaniards will be proud of their country, because the cup will definitely go to Spain ...






as soon as the German team goes on holiday to Majorca.

[Coregonas]

Soccer is totally cheated. Has always been and will always be.

+1

Football is the opium of the people ----> Surely the Illuminati are still hidden somewhere all around.

Spain is in the worst "apparent, but not real" economic situation since 20 years ago...Just arriving the final has been VERY useful for going up our National morale.

An optional rule for AACW should be added -> Sports competition -50 gold +3 NM!

[GShock]

I guess i've seen too much and too often to get entertained by soccer...but i'm crazy for NHL, NFL and MLB

However, it's not a theory and, honestly, it's not just Italy as you can see from WC scandals like "the hand of God" and what happened in Korea.

You're not italian, that's why you don't know what mafia is capable of. To you probably what i say is just impossible to believe...but i envy you all a bit for being able to enjoy it where i can't.

[Hobbes]

The Spanish should win, the German defense seems poor but the Germans have something about them. The English always think the Germans get lucky and to a certain extent they do but It can't be just luck. I think both the English and the Germans have a sort of hard man resilience but the English have not been in any final since 1966. How many have the Germans been in?

So not just luck, not just northern european stamina and not any more skill. In fact I have no idea what the Germans have but they have something and the Spanish have to beat that.

I think this time they will. In England the odds are Spain 6/5
Germany 11/5 after 90 minutes. I think Spain will win but with those odds I'd bet on the Germans.

Cheers, Chris

[Franciscus]

I expect a dull game (some experts call it "tactical") decided on penalties. Germany wins, of course

( PS:

I guess i've seen too much and too often to get entertained by soccer...but i'm crazy for NHL, NFL and MLB .

GShock: do you truly believe that ANY professional, "highly competitive" modern sports is honest or a model or virtue ? (I would even go so far as substitute "sports" for "human actvity", but I am just in a bad day )

[GShock]

GShock: do you truly believe that ANY professional, "highly competitive" modern sports is honest or a model or virtue ? (I would even go so far as substitute "sports" for "human actvity", but I am just in a bad day )

NFL is definitely clean. 6 refs + replay evidence + salary cap. The fact all teams are allowed a chance to win makes it impossible to spawn an economic lobby that buys the system out to keep winning and that's what happens in soccer. I think putting soccer teams on the stock market is a criminal act on behalf of the state. Strong competition among player legal representatives and companies of representatives also makes it impossible for singular players to cheat.

All you need to see is the episode of the hand of God in Mexico 86 and what happened in Korean WC. If you still don't see it there's not much more i can say, it's like saying the sun doesn't shed light.

[Rafiki]

Aaaaaaaaaah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhh!!

Burn! burn! burn!!

Yeah, sometimes I wonder why things done on the pitch don't lead to criminal charges being brought upon the attacker, when the same action outside the pitch surely would do so.

This is not about Italy. It's about FIFA and it's global.

Football is played on many levels and in many places and in many ways.

That FIFA may have problems, Italian football surely has them, German football has had some (IIRC) and other things have happened, I still think that by and large, football (soccer) is still a fair game played mostly in fair ways.

If people that believe that football (soccer) still is by-and-large a fair sport are naive, I have to say that the same must apply doubly to those that believe that NFL, NHL or MLB are any better.