It was a wait but at last the tournament kicked off with Italy playing Turkey at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, with prior to KO Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma in the middle of the pitch and a young lady sweeping down from the sky supposedly supported by balloons followed by a firework display. It sounds naff but believe me it wasn't, instead a jaw dropping spectacle of the first order.
The UEFA come into a lot of deserved criticism but credit due in making the best of a Covid situation and setting the tournament in the best stadiums from the far corners of Europe. I predict this will be a big success.
By the way France will win it!
Quote from: Irons on June 12, 2021, 05:03:25 AM
By the way France will win it!
The BBC did a not terribly serious study, based on, among other factors, performance in qualifying, past wins and location of matches and came to the same conclusion.
Half-time at the moment in Wales v Switzerland - we are terrible (although have had the best chance), Switzerland very good but wasteful in front of goal. Not comfortable watching so far.
Having grown up in Northamptonshire I have no interest in football but I hope you both enjoy the competition. :)
Quote from: steve ridgway on June 12, 2021, 08:38:36 AM
Having grown up in Northamptonshire I have no interest in football but I hope you both enjoy the competition. :)
At the old West Ham stadium (Boleyn) a few seats down our row a father and daughter travelled from Northampton to every home game.
Due to family commitments I missed the Denmark game. Hope and prey Christian Ericksen makes a full recovery although his playing career is surely over.
Probably, but actually some named elite players experiencing that are still playing. The game itself was not very good.
Quote from: MusicTurner on June 13, 2021, 12:39:23 AM
Probably, but actually some named elite players experiencing that are still playing. The game itself was not very good.
The same thing occurred nine years ago at a Spurs v Bolton game. A Bolton player "died" on the pitch. He survived, in fact sent a message to Erickson yesterday. He never played again.
Enjoyed Scotland v Czech Republic hard fought game. Class told in the end and the Czech second goal scored from the halfway line must be the goal of the tournament no matter what comes further down the line.
I seem to have started an alternative thread - so, please ignore (which everyone has anyway ;D)
Here is my original post:
I was pleasantly surprised to watch England beat Croatia 1-0 this afternoon, although everything has been rather overshadowed by one of the Danish team (Christian Eriksen) collapsing on the pitch, during their match with Finland, and having to be resuscitated following an apparent heart attack. Thank goodness he has survived. Whilst this terrible event was going on on the pitch it was moving to see the other Danish team members forming a protective ring around Eriksen and both the Danish and Finnish fans chanting his name. Football can often bring out the worst in human nature (sadly often involving England fans), but this demonstrated the best.
Quote from: vandermolen on June 15, 2021, 06:22:44 AM
I seem to have started an alternative thread - so, please ignore (which everyone has anyway ;D)
Here is my original post:
I was pleasantly surprised to watch England beat Croatia 1-0 this afternoon, although everything has been rather overshadowed by one of the Danish team (Christian Eriksen) collapsing on the pitch, during their match with Finland, and having to be resuscitated following an apparent heart attack. Thank goodness he has survived. Whilst this terrible event was going on on the pitch it was moving to see the other Danish team members forming a protective ring around Eriksen and both the Danish and Finnish fans chanting his name. Football can often bring out the worst in human nature (sadly often involving England fans), but this demonstrated the best.
I did not watch the match but there has been some controversy of the BBC coverage of Eriksen's collapse. I understand the excellent pundit Ian Wright who was covering the game was angry at images being televised and said "move to studio FFS!". The BBC later claimed they had no control over what was televised as it is shared from source over Europe. I thought it odd but accepted this as true. Listening to a West Ham podcast today an Irish Hammer who lives in Denmark said the coverage was cut on Danish TV immediately it was realised a distressing event was occurring. It should not need the Danish players to make a human shield to protect Eriksen from the prying eyes of the world.
Quote from: Irons on June 15, 2021, 06:56:49 AM
I did not watch the match but there has been some controversy of the BBC coverage of Eriksen's collapse. I understand the excellent pundit Ian Wright who was covering the game was angry at images being televised and said "move to studio FFS!". The BBC later claimed they had no control over what was televised as it is shared from source over Europe. I thought it odd but accepted this as true. Listening to a West Ham podcast today an Irish Hammer who lives in Denmark said the coverage was cut on Danish TV immediately it was realised a distressing event was occurring. It should not need the Danish players to make a human shield to protect Eriksen from the prying eyes of the world.
V good point Lol.
Apparently UEFA is in charge and controlling the international television signal.
Curiously, I watch some of the games on Swedish TV4, at times there are better commentators there than on Danish TV, and the signal is about 20 seconds or so delayed there.
Some games can only be seen at an extra cost in Denmark, or if I had more channels in my TV packet, but luckily, one is usually able to find them on various Swedish and Norwegian channels, already included in that packet.
Germany huffed and puffed but once France scored - or rather Germany did ;D - game over. Strange coming together between Rudiger and Pogba, either Rudiger was attempting to take a bite or engage in foreplay. Whichever, Pogba did not like it! They both had a cuddle at the final whistle so all forgiven.
Quote from: DaveF on June 12, 2021, 05:55:37 AM
Half-time at the moment in Wales v Switzerland - we are terrible (although have had the best chance), Switzerland very good but wasteful in front of goal. Not comfortable watching so far.
Turkey v Wales the most exciting game thus far. I thought Wales were outstanding with Bales and Ramsey pure class - just don't mention the penalty! ???
Quote from: Irons on June 16, 2021, 01:13:12 PM
just don't mention the penalty! ???
Aaargh, that penalty! Well, it was a pretty soft one, anyway - not sure it was (a) a foul or (b) inside the box. But who needs penalties?
Nul points to Turkey, I thought, having watched Bale try that cheeky run along the goal-line from the previous corner and not realising he might try it again. But yes, great match - not quite up to our demolition of Belgium in 2016, but we're getting there.
Andrea Bocelli opening ceremony. Stunning!
https://youtu.be/j0sTVZMFUfY
Well done Switzerland! Great game, as was Croatia v Spain.
I'm sure that England will have no trouble brushing Germany aside tomorrow night HAHAHA ::)
Not the result I would have liked but very well played Switzerland and well deserved. An actual team wanted it more and beat a bunch of individual players this evening.
Adieu :laugh:
PS: Guess I have to support England now ;D
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 28, 2021, 02:22:47 PM
Not the result I would have liked but very well played Switzerland and well deserved. An actual team wanted it more and beat a bunch of individual players this evening.
Adieu :laugh:
PS: Guess I have to support England now ;D
Oh, it's come to that has it Olivier! ;D
I think that France have great individual players but the Swiss played more as a team tonight.
Quote from: Irons on June 12, 2021, 05:03:25 AM
By the way France will win it!
Shows how much I know!
Quote from: vandermolen on June 28, 2021, 04:01:36 PM
Oh, it's come to that has it Olivier! ;D
at a push :laugh:
Quote from: Irons on June 29, 2021, 12:25:56 AM
Shows how much I know!
Oh that beautiful game and its uncertainties :'( ;)
That was a great game, indeed. I rooted for Switzerland from the beginning.
England - Germany should be interesting too.
Generally speaking, I root for Spain.
Quote from: Florestan on June 29, 2021, 01:35:09 AM
That was a great game, indeed. I rooted for Switzerland from the beginning.
England - Germany should be interesting too.
Generally speaking, I root for Spain.
The Switzerland game was my favourite so far. They looked finished being 3 - 1 down with little time less and their 90th minute goal was terrific.
Totally unexpected result today England 2 Germany 0. First time England have defeated Germany at a competitive match since the World Cup Final of 1966 (which I attended as a young boy 0:))
Quote from: vandermolen on June 29, 2021, 02:09:21 PM
Totally unexpected result today England 2 Germany 0. First time England have defeated Germany at a competitive match since the World Cup Final of 1966 (which I attended as a young boy 0:))
Totally unexpected!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dsd6CPKXgAYeYkb.jpg)
Quote from: Roasted Swan on June 29, 2021, 02:33:47 PM
Totally unexpected!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dsd6CPKXgAYeYkb.jpg)
HAHA - well, there's usually a pattern, with England, of unrealistic expectations followed by crushing disappointment, but this time... who knows?
;D
Quote from: vandermolen on June 29, 2021, 02:09:21 PM
Totally unexpected result today England 2 Germany 0. First time England have defeated Germany at a competitive match since the World Cup Final of 1966 (which I attended as a young boy 0:))
Yes, and back then they were only playing half of Germany. :)
Quote from: steve ridgway on June 29, 2021, 09:16:46 PM
Yes, and back then they were only playing half of Germany. :)
Good point!
England must be now counted as a favorite, but I fear Italy (the team that is actually even more efficient than Germany in efficiently winning tournaments with not really great teams) will win. Unless Belgium (often counted as a favorite but almost always failing) will rise to the occasion.
Quote from: steve ridgway on June 29, 2021, 09:16:46 PM
Yes, and back then they were only playing half of Germany. :)
Actually, more like 2/3 to 3/4 of Germany.
For over an hour I watched two mediocre teams kicking a ball about - I thought neither of these could win the competition. Then the unexpected happened, England scored; for the rest of the game I was on the edge of my seat.
Congrats England !
The exhilaration in Wembley was quite something to see after a year of empty stadiums in the UK (even for a half-neutral like me :P )
(please can you stop with 1966 & 1996 now, you can move on, right ? Right ?!?! :laugh: )
Quote from: Biffo on June 30, 2021, 12:46:34 AM
Actually, more like 2/3 to 3/4 of Germany.
For over an hour I watched two mediocre teams kicking a ball about - I thought neither of these could win the competition. Then the unexpected happened, England scored; for the rest of the game I was on the edge of my seat.
I thought it was a boring game.
Finnish football fans brought a lot of infections from St. Petersburg so that Finland may now have the fourth wave instead of the epidemic dying out. >:(
Why did Finland qualify now? So bad luck!
Have our fans of England's team recovered yet from yesterday's stress and celebrations? :)
They were talking about it and showing people "checking in on it" yesterday at Wimbledon. Too much going on at the moment to keep up with: *Wimbledon, Le Tour de France, footie.....
*coupled with some back to back rain delays messing up the scheduling at the AELTC
So, who will England play next in the quarters?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on June 30, 2021, 04:20:09 AM
Have our fans of England's team recovered yet from yesterday's stress and celebrations? :)
They were talking about it and showing people "checking in on it" yesterday at Wimbledon. Too much going on at the moment to keep up with: *Wimbledon, Le Tour de France, footie.....
*coupled with some back to back rain delays messing up the scheduling at the AELTC
So, who will England play next in the quarters?
PD
Ukraine
Thanks!
Go Ukraine 🇺🇦 :D
Sorry, my girlfriend is half Ukrainian heritage. :). Here in Winnipeg and Manitoba, we have a very large demographic of Ukrainian heritage descendants.
Fourth highest demographic. After English, Scottish and German.
Quote from: Biffo on June 30, 2021, 12:46:34 AM
For over an hour I watched two mediocre teams kicking a ball about - I thought neither of these could win the competition.
Agreed.
QuoteThen the unexpected happened, England scored; for the rest of the game I was on the edge of my seat.
The moment Muller missed I knew it was all over for Germany.
But just because England beat Germany (which anyway is currently a pale of shadow of that Germany before which all the world, including Brazil, trembled ) doesn't mean they can win. As you say, they are mediocre.
Quote from: Herman on June 30, 2021, 03:01:01 AM
I thought it was a boring game.
For once we agree on something. :laugh:
What a great tournament. Sweden and Ukraine was a battle royal. He didn't mean it but the tackle by Danielsson on the poor Ukraine guy was horrific. Watching in slow motion made me feel sick. The sending off was the turning point and although both teams dead on their feet, the one man advantage going into extra time told. You could not make it up! Three minutes extra time on extra time, a cross floated over from the left and the young Ukrainian substitute rose in the air with a bullet header for the winner! A moment that guy will not forget for the rest of his life!
Edit: Tackle but it does come with a warning - https://youtu.be/cmNklNkWBTw
Quote from: OrchestralNut on June 30, 2021, 04:42:58 AM
Go Ukraine 🇺🇦 :D
Sorry, my girlfriend is half Ukrainian heritage. :). Here in Winnipeg and Manitoba, we have a very large demographic of Ukrainian heritage descendants.
Fourth highest demographic. After English, Scottish and German.
Oh, interesting! :) I watched a bit of Elina Svitolina's match today. Very impressive player and getting better day by day.
PD
Quote from: Irons on June 30, 2021, 07:23:17 AM
What a great tournament. Sweden and Ukraine was a battle royal. He didn't mean it but the tackle by Danielsson on the poor Ukraine guy was horrific. Watching in slow motion made me feel sick. The sending off was the turning point and although both teams dead on their feet, the one man advantage going into extra time told. You could not make it up! Three minutes extra time on extra time, a cross floated over from the left and the young Ukrainian substitute rose in the air with a bullet header for the winner! A moment that guy will not forget for the rest of his life!
Edit: Tackle but it does come with a warning - https://youtu.be/cmNklNkWBTw
Oh, ouch!!! ??? Poor guy! Looks like he was hit right on his knee?
Wimbledon for me!
PD
Sorry to see Switzerland go out today. I have greatly enjoyed watching them and felt very sorry for their young player who was so distraught after blasting his penalty over the bar. I hope that they get a warm reception on their return to Switzerland.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 02, 2021, 11:19:50 AM
Sorry to see Switzerland go out today. I have greatly enjoyed watching them and felt very sorry for their young player who was so distraught after blasting his penalty over the bar. I hope that they get a warm reception on their return to Switzerland.
It will always be there. Southgate missed one in '96 and he has been reminded of the fact more then once over the last couple of weeks by commentators.
Italy very impressive last night. Lorenzo Insigne is one fabulous player. The young Belgium winger also caught my eye, he is about the fastest thing I have seen on two legs!
Forgive the musical theme:
Kiril Karabits, the excellent Ukrainian conductor, has said that the England team and fans (if there are any in Rome tonight) need a conductor on the pitch to ensure that the singing of 'God Save the Queen' does not go horribly wrong (out of sequence/out of tune), as it usually does.
8)
Quote from: vandermolen on July 03, 2021, 08:14:08 AM
Forgive the musical theme:
Kiril Karabits, the excellent Ukrainian conductor, has said that the England team and fans (if there are any in Rome tonight) need a conductor on the pitch to ensure that the singing of 'God Save the Queen' does not go horribly wrong (out of sequence/out of tune), as it usually does.
8)
:laugh: :)
When does England play next?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 03, 2021, 08:22:58 AM
:laugh: :)
When does England play next?
PD
Tonight 8.00 PM UK time PD - you're about 5 hours behind I think (depending on where you are in the USA).
Quote from: vandermolen on July 03, 2021, 08:34:57 AM
Tonight 8.00 PM UK time PD - you're about 5 hours behind I think (depending on where you are in the USA).
Thanks! I suspect that I'll have to check into the highlights reel later then.
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 03, 2021, 08:38:19 AM
Thanks! I suspect that I'll have to check into the highlights reel later then.
PD
My recently married daughter worked for the charity Medecins sans Frontieres in Eastern Ukraine for about 15 months and has many Ukrainian friends - so she will be rather torn in her allegiances this evening. We had a fascinating trip to visit her in the beautiful city of Kyiv (taking my 80+ year old mother-in-law on the Kyiv Metro was quite an experience!).
Go, Ukraine!
Otherwise I changed my allegiance from Spain, which had an unexpectedly hard time with Switzerland, to Italy, the most complete team, excellent in all departments, attack, half and defence and a magic goalkeeper. They'll probably win --- and deservedly so.
Yes, Spain was disappointing and I wanted the Swiss to win. Belgium also with its perennial problem, not being able to score. Italy was clearly superior and they play more offensive than they used to in former times. They must count as clear favorites now, I think. Denmark had one good half today and Czechia a good 10 min. at the beginning of the second half but the remainder was rather poor. I would not exclude another surprise (as Denmark has been known for them in former years) but England - Italy will be the probable final.
Quote from: Florestan on July 03, 2021, 10:45:21 AM
Go, Ukraine!
Otherwise I changed my allegiance from Spain, which had an unexpectedly hard time with Switzerland, to Italy, the most complete team, excellent in all departments, attack, half and defence and a magic goalkeeper. They'll probably win --- and deservedly so.
¡Chaquetero! >:(
Good evening to you,
Andrei! :)
Quote from: ritter on July 03, 2021, 11:26:42 AM
¡Chaquetero! >:(
Good evening to you, Andrei! :)
To you too,
Rafael.
Quote from: Jo498 on July 03, 2021, 11:25:10 AM
England - Italy will be the probable final.
Indeed --- F
orza Italia!
I thought that Ukraine were poor today (possibly exhausted by their previous match) and this may lull England into a false sense of security. Denmark and especially Spain or Italy will not be so easy to defeat. In may ways I did not enjoy the one-sided game despite England's victory. Apart from having to defeat Germany, England have had a comparatively easy route through to this stage.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 03, 2021, 01:40:26 PM
I thought that Ukraine were poor today (possibly exhausted by their previous match) and this may lull England into a false sense of security. Denmark and especially Spain or Italy will not be so easy to defeat. In may ways I did not enjoy the one-sided game despite England's victory. Apart from having to defeat Germany, England have had a comparatively easy route through to this stage.
I very much agree, Jeffrey. A supreme effort by Ukraine in the last round, so much so the tank was on empty. Conceding a goal in the opening minutes turned all tactical planning for the game to dust.
Scotland proved more difficult then a poor Germany. The British press are way OTT this morning, Southgate has moulded a good unit but Italy are lying in wait and they are excellent. Not forgetting Denmark of course.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 03, 2021, 08:41:49 AM
My recently married daughter worked for the charity Medecins sans Frontieres in Eastern Ukraine for about 15 months and has many Ukrainian friends - so she will be rather torn in her allegiances this evening. We had a fascinating trip to visit her in the beautiful city of Kyiv (taking my 80+ year old mother-in-law on the Kyiv Metro was quite an experience!).
Oh, wow Jeffrey! What sort of medical background does she have? And I imagine that that would have been quite a special trip for you and your family to visit her. Would love to hear her stories of what life was like there, the conditions and the people that she met....and of course (you know me)...the food and the culture(s).
No football watching for me yesterday...busy running around doing errands--with some quick time outs to watch Federer play Norrie. No tennis there today; however, that will change next year.
PD
p.s. So, if I'm reading their website correctly, England, Spain, Italy and Denmark are currently left standing?
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 04, 2021, 03:07:54 AM
Oh, wow Jeffrey! What sort of medical background does she have? And I imagine that that would have been quite a special trip for you and your family to visit her. Would love to hear her stories of what life was like there, the conditions and the people that she met....and of course (you know me)...the food and the culture(s).
No football watching for me yesterday...busy running around doing errands--with some quick time outs to watch Federer play Norrie. No tennis there today; however, that will change next year.
PD
p.s. So, if I'm reading their website correctly, England, Spain, Italy and Denmark are currently left standing?
Hi PD,
Yes, that's right about the Euros.
OT
My daughter has no medical background but is a trained journalist and was there to publicise the work of MSF - it was a fascinating experience for her but her time in the troubled region of Eastern Ukraine was worrying for her mother and myself as she could hear gunfire and explosions in the distance. I had a rather difficult conversation with her before she went out there but we are obviously very proud of her. The country was beautiful, the people, on the whole, friendly and everything (taxis/restaurants) was incredibly cheap. I liked the food as well and seem to recall eating more meat than I do at home (daughter is vegan/wife vegetarian). Can't remember exactly what but probably meatballs which I really like. Local beer was very nice. I'd strongly recommend a visit to Kyiv which is beautiful. We saw 'The Great Gate' as featured in Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and did a great cruse on the River Dnieper just before we returned home. The architecture and cathedrals are very impressive. There is a terrific military museum on the Dnieper with one of those giant sized soviet statues. So, strongly recommended.
Quote from: Irons on July 04, 2021, 01:29:05 AM
I very much agree, Jeffrey. A supreme effort by Ukraine in the last round, so much so the tank was on empty. Conceding a goal in the opening minutes turned all tactical planning for the game to dust.
Scotland proved more difficult then a poor Germany. The British press are way OTT this morning, Southgate has moulded a good unit but Italy are lying in wait and they are excellent. Not forgetting Denmark of course.
Yes, I dislike the triumphalism of it all Lol.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 04, 2021, 05:45:33 AM
Yes, I dislike the triumphalism of it all Lol.
I enjoyed the June 28th matches Spain - Croatia and France - Switzerland.
After that I got tired of it.
Hearing the comments on the English game, about the historical trauma that needed to be avenged, and then the godawful bullying of the crying German girl, whose grandfather, according to English fans, had murdered "Ann Frank" - I don't want to even get close to that kind of crap.
Englishmen used to pride themselves on their cool and fairmindedness.
Also one cannot help but think the live audiences of these games will be bringing back and spreading virus, which was about to be simmer down.
Quote from: Herman on July 05, 2021, 11:29:03 PM
I enjoyed the June 28th matches Spain - Croatia and France - Switzerland.
After that I got tired of it.
Hearing the comments on the English game, about the historical trauma that needed to be avenged, and then the godawful bullying of the crying German girl, whose grandfather, according to English fans, had murdered "Ann Frank" - I don't want to even get close to that kind of crap.
Englishmen used to pride themselves on their cool and fairmindedness.
Also one cannot help but think the live audiences of these games will be bringing back and spreading virus, which was about to be simmer down.
Very much agree with you. Switzerland v France was my favourite game so far and I'm sorry that the Swiss team went a bit to pieces during the penalty shoot-out in their last match as I'd like to have seen them progress further.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 04, 2021, 05:38:56 AM
Hi PD,
Yes, that's right about the Euros.
OT
My daughter has no medical background but is a trained journalist and was there to publicise the work of MSF - it was a fascinating experience for her but her time in the troubled region of Eastern Ukraine was worrying for her mother and myself as she could hear gunfire and explosions in the distance. I had a rather difficult conversation with her before she went out there but we are obviously very proud of her. The country was beautiful, the people, on the whole, friendly and everything (taxis/restaurants) was incredibly cheap. I liked the food as well and seem to recall eating more meat than I do at home (daughter is vegan/wife vegetarian). Can't remember exactly what but probably meatballs which I really like. Local beer was very nice. I'd strongly recommend a visit to Kyiv which is beautiful. We saw 'The Great Gate' as featured in Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and did a great cruse on the River Dnieper just before we returned home. The architecture and cathedrals are very impressive. There is a terrific military museum on the Dnieper with one of those giant sized soviet statues. So, strongly recommended.
Glad that you had a great trip! And, yes, I could well imagine that you and your wife were concerned for her safety. And to see that famous gate! I'm envious! And really want to try some Ukrainian food. If she has any favorite recipes (and has a chance to share them with you), I'd love to see them over in the food thread. ;D
So, Wednesday is the next match for England? Any other matches today? I should probably focus on more housework today (in between catching snatches of the women's quarters). Weather will be turning hot and sticky again so I'm trying to do some cooking this morning: beets currently steaming before it gets steamy. ;)
PD
I see that Spain vs. Italy is coming up in a couple of minutes; I imagine that this site will be dead quiet for a while. ;)
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 06, 2021, 10:29:02 AM
I see that Spain vs. Italy is coming up in a couple of minutes; I imagine that this site will be dead quiet for a while. ;)
PD
Yes, hoping for an entertaining game ...
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 06, 2021, 04:01:41 AM
Glad that you had a great trip! And, yes, I could well imagine that you and your wife were concerned for her safety. And to see that famous gate! I'm envious! And really want to try some Ukrainian food. If she has any favorite recipes (and has a chance to share them with you), I'd love to see them over in the food thread. ;D
So, Wednesday is the next match for England? Any other matches today? I should probably focus on more housework today (in between catching snatches of the women's quarters). Weather will be turning hot and sticky again so I'm trying to do some cooking this morning: beets currently steaming before it gets steamy. ;)
PD
Spain v Italy tonight (UK time), England v Denmark tomorrow.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 06, 2021, 11:38:09 AM
Spain v Italy tonight (UK time), England v Denmark tomorrow.
Quote from: MusicTurner on July 06, 2021, 10:37:58 AM
Yes, hoping for an entertaining game ...
Check in and it's halftime. Seems that Spain has been in control of the ball? And no scores yet. Comments from the footie lovers here?
PD
p.s. Resting after making some baba ganoush and doing some dishes. Getting sticky in the kitchen and house. :(
Spain were unfortunate to lose this one to the Azuri. I thought Spain outplayed Italy by quite a margin. I hate when a knockout stage has to be settled via penalty kicks.
Quote from: OrchestralNut on July 06, 2021, 02:14:26 PM
Spain were unfortunate to lose this one to the Azuri. I thought Spain outplayed Italy by quite a margin. I hate when a knockout stage has to be settled via penalty kicks.
And yet Spain seemed quite resigned in the overtime 30 mins to let the penalties come.
I am not fond of penalty kicks either. But both teams DID have enough time to try for are win in regular or overtime. I was disappointed by Italy who were not as good as in former matches but Spain would not have deserved a win either, I think.
Obviously, Spain's main problem was that of the precision needed in that very last bit leading to actual goals.
(... even into the penalties :-\ )
The beautiful game! Not always the best team wins and this was the case here. Not to denigrate Italy as they were wonderful but the ball retention and passing of Spain was at another level. Spain had three good chances to score and scored once, Italy had one and scored once.
I laughed out loud at the banner at the Italian end Football is coming Rome. ;D
The law of football averages makes tonight's game a damp squib.
Question for you all: During the additional 30 minutes, an Italian player kicked what looked like a goal. Pardon my ignorance of the rules, but why was that not allowed? Was he too far in (as in into the goalkeeper's area) or was it considered off-sides?
Alas, I missed the scoring of the two goals (bad timing switching channels); however, did catch the penalty kicks.
PD
Quote from: Jo498 on July 06, 2021, 11:14:31 PM
I am not fond of penalty kicks either. But both teams DID have enough time to try for are win in regular or overtime. I was disappointed by Italy who were not as good as in former matches but Spain would not have deserved a win either, I think.
I beg to differ. It was a wonderful game and both teams deserved a win. Italy was eventually the strongest psychologically. They also have funniet players, Chellini and Belotti standing ouț as being all smiley, all the time. :)
There is no hesitation from me as to whom to root for în the final: FORZA ITALIA!
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 07, 2021, 02:42:55 AM
Question for you all: During the additional 30 minutes, an Italian player kicked what looked like a goal. Pardon my ignorance of the rules, but why was that not allowed? Was he too far in (as in into the goalkeeper's area) or was it considered off-sides?
Alas, I missed the scoring of the two goals (bad timing switching channels); however, did catch the penalty kicks.
PD
Off-sides by VAR.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 07, 2021, 02:57:33 AM
Thank you!
The field referee will let the game go on if în doubt about off-sides and the VAR will decide. This is în order not to spoil an action by a decision which cannot be undone if wrong.
Good to know! :)
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 07, 2021, 03:22:17 AM
Good to know! :)
Offside Rule (Soccer)
https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside
Quote from: Florestan on July 07, 2021, 02:47:44 AM
I beg to differ. It was a wonderful game and both teams deserved a win. Italy was eventually the strongest psychologically. They also have funniet players, Chellini and Belotti standing ouț as being all smiley, all the time. :)
There is no hesitation from me as to whom to root for în the final: FORZA ITALIA!
Chellini, I love the bloke - so did Suarez if I recall correctly - ageless, made of steel and a great sport.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2021, 03:28:26 AM
Offside Rule (Soccer)
https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside
Thank you for that link. I expect that I will be consulting that often--today in particular!
Quote from: Irons on July 07, 2021, 06:50:03 AM
Chellini, I love the bloke - so did Suarez if I recall correctly - ageless, made of steel and a great sport.
Was Chellini the one who kept hugging one of the Spaniards and joking around and who, I believe, will be retiring soon? :) There was also a moment in which I thought the Spanish coach was having a laugh with one of the Italian players which surprised me in a pleasant way!
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 07, 2021, 07:04:10 AM
Thank you for that link. I expect that I will be consulting that often--today in particular!
Was Chellini the one who kept hugging one of the Spaniards and joking around and who, I believe, will be retiring soon? :) There was also a moment in which I thought the Spanish coach was having a laugh with one of the Italian players which surprised me in a pleasant way!
PD
You are observant, PD. That was him.
Quote from: Irons on July 07, 2021, 06:50:03 AM
Chellini, I love the bloke - so did Suarez if I recall correctly - ageless, made of steel and a great sport.
I prefer huggers to biters when it comes to football. ::)
Came back home after errands to check into the football. Who scored first and when and when did the second score happen?
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 07, 2021, 12:57:56 PM
Came back home after errands to check into the football. Who scored first and when and when did the second score happen?
Denmark scored from a free-kick first (great goal). England then equalised when Denmark scored an own-goal and then England were awarded a dubious penalty in the first half of extra time. The England Captain Harry Kane made a bit of a mess of the penalty but was able to slot in the rebound. England played well but Italy will be an even tougher opponent.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2021, 03:55:00 PM
Denmark scored from a free-kick first (great goal). England then equalised when Denmark scored an own-goal and then England were awarded a dubious penalty in the first half of extra time. The England Captain Harry Kane made a bit of a mess of the penalty but was able to slot in the rebound. England played well but Italy will be an even tougher opponent.
I saw the penalty and perhaps I missed something or don't understand the rules, but it didn't seem like a penalty....but then, what do I know?! The commentators also seemed to think that it was questionable (and how much of that is do to trying not to say too much? Sorry, but I've seen that in terms of tennis). :( And, yes, I saw the penalty kick...and save by England. Just trying to be fair here to Denmark and not rain on England's parade.
PD
Quote from: North Star on July 07, 2021, 11:49:14 AM
I prefer huggers to biters when it comes to football. ::)
A thoroughly sensible opinion.
Quote from: North Star on July 07, 2021, 11:49:14 AM
I prefer huggers to biters when it comes to football. ::)
Good one! ;D
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2021, 03:55:00 PM
Denmark scored from a free-kick first (great goal). England then equalised when Denmark scored an own-goal and then England were awarded a dubious penalty in the first half of extra time. The England Captain Harry Kane made a bit of a mess of the penalty but was able to slot in the rebound. England played well but Italy will be an even tougher opponent.
We have never lost a final, Jeffrey!
PD, only been in one once and that was 1966 and been living off it since. ;)
So England at home needs a gifted penalty to win against Denmark... not great, although they were the superior team most of the time. I am not sure I see the point of the video check (which takes quite a while in a game that is already suffering from many little breaks) if they can veto a (probably) match-deciding penalty only if it is blatantly obviously wrong, not just wrong ;)
The almost unique thing about football, that rather frequently underdogs can beat favorites is because there are so few goals. But the very same feature makes errors of referees so bad, because more often than not a single penalty can decide a match. If the video assistance does little to really avoid referee mistakes, we should get rid of it again (there was another unjustified penalty and also an unjustified red card in earlier matches).
A dubious - to put it mildly - penalty. The game was going towards kicks and I'm not sure England would have won them.
Anyway, Italy is the clear favourite.
Quote from: Irons on July 07, 2021, 11:59:42 PM
We have never lost a final, Jeffrey!
PD, only been in one once and that was 1966 and been living off it since. ;)
Indeed - I was there at Wembley in 1966 as an 11 year old.
Quote from: Florestan on July 08, 2021, 02:46:39 AM
A dubious - to put it mildly - penalty. The game was going towards kicks and I'm not sure England would have won them.
Anyway, Italy is the clear favourite.
I agree Andrei, although I'm guessing that you are not a fully paid up member of the England Football Team Fan Club! ;D
Quote from: Irons on July 07, 2021, 11:59:42 PM
We have never lost a final, Jeffrey!
PD, only been in one once and that was 1966 and been living off it since. ;)
;D
In any event, good luck to England on Sunday. And condolences to our own MT.
And I want to know, how many of you English footie fans were dancing away at home (or at a pub) afterwards? And how did the song "Sweet Caroline" come to be sung at football matches?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 08, 2021, 03:59:14 AM
;D
In any event, good luck to England on Sunday. And condolences to our own MT.
And I want to know, how many of you English footie fans were dancing away at home (or at a pub) afterwards? And how did the song "Sweet Caroline" come to be sung at football matches?
PD
Watched it at home with my wife's running commentary ('who is the man in blue on the pitch?').
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sweet-caroline-england-fans-wembley-24456155
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 04:38:40 AM
Watched it at home with my wife's running commentary ('who is the man in blue on the pitch?').
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sweet-caroline-england-fans-wembley-24456155
Thanks Jeffrey!
By the way, Jason Goodall was teaching a couple of fellow commentators how to do the dancing properly; this was on ESPN during pre-match commentary at Wimbledon. ;D And, rather than wearing the usual proper suit and tie, he had on a football T-shirt!
PD
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 03:41:40 AM
Indeed - I was there at Wembley in 1966 as an 11 year old.
My wife was in Germany visiting relatives at the time, aged 12. She doesn't recall much detail apart from there was a big celebration by the English side of her family and she drank a load of lager out of a large stein. :-\
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 08, 2021, 05:18:44 AM
My wife was in Germany visiting relatives at the time, aged 12. She doesn't recall much detail apart from there was a big celebration by the English side of her family and she drank a load of lager out of a large stein. :-\
All I can remember is the crowds of people at the match. My older brother and myself were standing and all I could probably see were people's backs!
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 06:15:20 AM
All I can remember is the crowds of people at the match. My older brother and myself were standing and all I could probably see were people's backs!
Were they standing throughout the whole match, or, hopefully, only at a few times to cheer their team on? If not, it must have been quite frustrating and disappointing for the two of you. :(
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 08, 2021, 07:01:10 AM
Were they standing throughout the whole match, or, hopefully, only at a few times to cheer their team on? If not, it must have been quite frustrating and disappointing for the two of you. :(
PD
No, 100% of the time as, in those days, there was a mixture of seating areas and standing areas.
FYI
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57761227
Quote from: Jo498 on July 08, 2021, 12:55:24 AM
So England at home needs a gifted penalty to win against Denmark... not great, although they were the superior team most of the time. I am not sure I see the point of the video check (which takes quite a while in a game that is already suffering from many little breaks) if they can veto a (probably) match-deciding penalty only if it is blatantly obviously wrong, not just wrong ;)
The almost unique thing about football, that rather frequently underdogs can beat favorites is because there are so few goals. But the very same feature makes errors of referees so bad, because more often than not a single penalty can decide a match. If the video assistance does little to really avoid referee mistakes, we should get rid of it again (there was another unjustified penalty and also an unjustified red card in earlier matches).
I disagree. VAR has sucked the life and joy out of Premier League football last season. It reached the point where both players and fans were unable to celebrate a goal due to the likelihood of the dreaded VAR overturning the referee's decision. It has been so refreshing (and surprising) that during this competition the referee has regained control and VAR has taken a back seat and only used when absolutely necessary. Last night the penalty was "soft" but the ref made a decision and there was enough argument either way for VAR not to get involved. About time too, we had Maradona's "hand of God" in the 1986 World Cup and Lampard's disallowed "goal" that clearly crossed the line against Germany in the 2010 World Cup. This time England was fortunate but don't turn football into an exact science.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 08, 2021, 03:59:14 AM
;D
In any event, good luck to England on Sunday. And condolences to our own MT.
And I want to know, how many of you English footie fans were dancing away at home (or at a pub) afterwards? And how did the song "Sweet Caroline" come to be sung at football matches?
PD
Neil Diamond interviewed live last night and said he would be cheering on England - I bet he will "Sweet Caroline" is No.1 in the charts! Great song.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 03:41:40 AM
Indeed - I was there at Wembley in 1966 as an 11 year old.
WOW! TV interview today with a chap who was at the game as a boy scout and caught on a photo behind Geoff Hurst as he took a throw.
Interview on "Talk Sport" this morning with the son of Alan Ball. He said following the reception on the evening of the game, of which the wives were not allowed to attend, the following morning, his dad and Nobby Stiles shared a car driving up North. They called in at a petrol station café and had ham, egg and chips.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 07:39:45 AM
No, 100% of the time as, in those days, there was a mixture of seating areas and standing areas.
FYI
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57761227
Ah! I had forgotten that! Oh, well. :( Hopefully your dad at least treated you two to some ice cream or some fish and chips on the way home?
Quote from: Irons on July 08, 2021, 07:47:36 AM
I disagree. VAR has sucked the life and joy out of Premier League football last season. It reached the point where both players and fans were unable to celebrate a goal due to the likelihood of the dreaded VAR overturning the referee's decision. It has been so refreshing (and surprising) that during this competition the referee has regained control and VAR has taken a back seat and only used when absolutely necessary. Last night the penalty was "soft" but the ref made a decision and there was enough argument either way for VAR not to get involved. About time too, we had Maradona's "hand of God" in the 1986 World Cup and Lampard's disallowed "goal" that clearly crossed the line against Germany in the 2010 World Cup. This time England was fortunate but don't turn football into an exact science.
Things are getting more and more technology dependent in sports. *Hawk-eye is used at 3 out of the 4 grand slams (tennis)--not on clay. Line judges have been replaced at various slams in 2020 to reduce the number of people on the court. They also now have a shot clock to try and fairly enforce the amount of time a player takes to serve--though there's discretion there too as the umpire only starts it after he or she has announced the score. But there are still debates that come up about fairness like in whether or not a ball was called out: did it come before or after the returner hit the ball (meaning did it interfere with their ability to return it properly). And arguments/discussions about whether or not players should be given more time between points as they are now having to get their own towels from assigned boxes [always felt badly for the poor ball kids having to fetch sweaty towels for the players]...anyway. And those darned microphones everywhere catching players muttering curse words and then getting into trouble for that. ;)
*and used at many other tennis events too. By the way, this is the first year that Hawk-Eye was/is available on all of the courts at Wimbledon. If you're match was on Court 8 in the past and you wanted to challenge a point, you were out of luck!
Quote from: Irons on July 08, 2021, 07:58:52 AM
Neil Diamond interviewed live last night and said he would be cheering on England - I bet he will "Sweet Caroline" is No.1 in the charts! Great song.
Oh, sweet (pun obviously not intended)! :D Glad that it's earning him a bit more dough. :)
PD
Oh, I hadn't read Jeffrey's link re the Neil Diamond song (was thinking that I had read it earlier, but that was a different one I believe). I see that in 2013 Neil Diamond pledged all future royalties to a charity supporting the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Nice guy! Way to go Neil! 💕
PD
Quote from: Irons on July 08, 2021, 07:47:36 AM
I disagree. VAR has sucked the life and joy out of Premier League football last season.
It has pretty much sucked the life out of every single sport. There has to be a balance struck between assurance of the right call being made and not destroying the ebb and flow of a game (any sport).
We aren't quite there yet.
Quote from: Irons on July 08, 2021, 08:13:45 AM
WOW! TV interview today with a chap who was at the game as a boy scout and caught on a photo behind Geoff Hurst as he took a throw.
Interview on "Talk Sport" this morning with the son of Alan Ball. He said following the reception on the evening of the game, of which the wives were not allowed to attend, the following morning, his dad and Nobby Stiles shared a car driving up North. They called in at a petrol station café and had ham, egg and chips.
Geoff Hurst ,who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final, was mowing the lawn at home the day after the match. Don't see that happening today!
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 11:30:14 AM
Geoff Hurst ,who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final, was mowing the lawn at home the day after the match. Don't see that happening today!
The Olympics used to have competitions in architecture, literature, music, painting, sculpturing. They arts competition were dropped because the artists were professionals whereas the spirit of the Olympics was all about amateurship. I don't think Usain Bolt or Simone Biles have a regular day job that they go back to after the Olympics.
Quote from: North Star on July 08, 2021, 01:56:36 PM
The Olympics used to have competitions in architecture, literature, music, painting, sculpturing. They arts competition were dropped because the artists were professionals whereas the spirit of the Olympics was all about amateurship. I don't think Usain Bolt or Simone Biles have a regular day job that they go back to after the Olympics.
I remember reading that one of Rudolf Simonsen's symphonies won a bronze medal at the Olympics!
Chellini's hugging and kidding was part of psychological warfare, aiming to unsettle the Spanish players.
Especially when you have 2 x 5 penalties the players need to be absolutely free of distraction, and Chellini was working to get inside their heads.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2021, 03:55:00 PM
Denmark scored from a free-kick first (great goal). England then equalised when Denmark scored an own-goal and then England were awarded a dubious penalty in the first half of extra time. The England Captain Harry Kane made a bit of a mess of the penalty but was able to slot in the rebound. England played well but Italy will be an even tougher opponent.
Denmark's goal was simply terrific. Most of the game was deeply mediocre.
Also, sorry to keep on about it, England fans booed Denmark's anthem and there seems to have been a fan who tried to point a laser light at Denmark's goal keeper's eyes. This added to stuff like the mass bullying of the crying German kid.
Obviously there are plenty of good and fairminded England supporters, but I'm getting the feeling there is a severe mentality problem here and I hope Italy will win - although this may mean there will be some 'unrest' in the city afterwards.
Quote from: Herman on July 08, 2021, 11:50:34 PM
Denmark's goal was simply terrific. Most of the game was deeply mediocre.
Also, sorry to keep on about it, England fans booed Denmark's anthem and there seems to have been a fan who tried to point a laser light at Denmark's goal keeper's eyes. This added to stuff like the mass bullying of the crying German kid.
Obviously there are plenty of good and fairminded England supporters, but I'm getting the feeling there is a severe mentality problem here and I hope Italy will win - although this may mean there will be some 'unrest' in the city afterwards.
Yes, the booing of the opposition's national anthems and the laser-light episode (not to mention the mocking of a tearful young German fan caught on TV) make me ashamed to be English (although I see myself as British). I like to think that most England supporters are fair-minded. One thing that I've noticed is that when you see TV images of continental 'Fan Zones' after their team has scored a goal, they look like (mainly) young people having fun and enjoying themselves, supporting their team. When the England fans are shown they look more like a group of drunken yobs. Infinitely depressing :-[
I hope England win on Sunday but fear the behaviour of their 'fans' if they don't.
On a brighter note I loved this video of England (and Chelsea :)) player Mason Mount giving his shirt to a young besotted fan after the match against Denmark. The clip has gone viral and she appeared with her dad on breakfast TV today. Again she was overcome with emotion after Mason Mount had recorded a special message for her:
https://news.sky.com/video/england-girls-joy-at-getting-mason-mount-shirt-acter-match-against-denmark-in-euros-12351572
https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/09/mason-mounts-sweet-message-to-young-fan-after-giving-her-his-shirt-14899699/
Quote from: vandermolen on July 09, 2021, 05:45:35 AM
On a brighter note I loved this video of England (and Chelsea :)) player Mason Mount giving his shirt to a young besotted fan after the match against Denmark. The clip has gone viral and she appeared with her dad on breakfast TV today. Again she was overcome with emotion after Mason Mount had recorded a special message for her:
https://news.sky.com/video/england-girls-joy-at-getting-mason-mount-shirt-acter-match-against-denmark-in-euros-12351572
https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/09/mason-mounts-sweet-message-to-young-fan-after-giving-her-his-shirt-14899699/
Oh, so sweet! Thank you for sharing that Jeffrey! So nice to see!
Here's another touching story...though it started off horribly (even saying that is a serious understatement). It's one person's actions after seeing that horrible trolling of that poor little German girl and what he and others did to help her: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57743923
And I loved her parents decision as to where they wanted the money to go to instead.
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 09, 2021, 06:17:22 AM
Oh, so sweet! Thank you for sharing that Jeffrey! So nice to see!
Here's another touching story...though it started off horribly (even saying that is a serious understatement). It's one person's actions after seeing that horrible trolling of that poor little German girl and what he and others did to help her: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57743923
And I loved her parents decision as to where they wanted the money to go to instead.
PD
Thanks PD - I was aware of that story but not that the family had been located and wanted the money to go to UNICEF. Maybe football brings out the worst and the best in human nature - thanks for posting the story.
Quote from: OrchestralNut on July 08, 2021, 08:55:23 AM
It has pretty much sucked the life out of every single sport. There has to be a balance struck between assurance of the right call being made and not destroying the ebb and flow of a game (any sport).
We aren't quite there yet.
I hope that EPL take notice and learn from UEFA how VAR can be successfully implemented.
Edit: Booing the national anthem of the opposing team is a disgrace. I find it deeply embarrassing.
But par for course we cannot have a minute's silence at English football grounds anymore for idiotic thugs letting themselves be heard. Instead we have a minute's clapping in the futile hope they will be drowned out.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 11:30:14 AM
Geoff Hurst ,who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final, was mowing the lawn at home the day after the match. Don't see that happening today!
Credit to where credit is due the current England team if they win on Sunday are to make a denotation of their prize money, over £9 million, to the NHS.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9770731/Englands-players-donate-millions-NHS-charities-success-Euro-2020.html
Quote from: Irons on July 09, 2021, 08:23:59 AM
Credit to where credit is due the current England team if they win on Sunday are to make a denotation of their prize money, over £9 million, to the NHS.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9770731/Englands-players-donate-millions-NHS-charities-success-Euro-2020.html
Oh, how wonderful! :)
PD
p.s. I was happy to find out that the Wimbledon men's singles final and the football championship are scheduled for different times on Sunday. :)
Anyone here up for buying a ticket?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9770583/54-000-ONE-Euros-ticket-mad-scramble-history-England-prepare-final.html
PD
Quote from: vandermolen on July 08, 2021, 03:43:23 AM
I agree Andrei, although I'm guessing that you are not a fully paid up member of the England Football Team Fan Club! ;D
Save in exceptional cases --- and this is not one of those --- I always root for Latin teams, France excluded. ;D
Now tbh, I understand and sympathize with the English cause yet I can't and won't support it, first because that penalty was a fake and second because if God forbid England will win I foresee a disgusting wave of triumphalism including Brexit and the likes...
So, much as I love you all Brits here, and I sincerely do, I will root for Italy.
FORZA ITALIA!
Quote from: Irons on July 09, 2021, 07:58:20 AM
Edit: Booing the national anthem of the opposing team is a disgrace. I find it deeply embarrassing.
Amen, brother!
Quote from: Irons on July 09, 2021, 08:23:59 AM
Credit to where credit is due the current England team if they win on Sunday are to make a denotation of their prize money, over £9 million, to the NHS.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9770731/Englands-players-donate-millions-NHS-charities-success-Euro-2020.html
A good point Lol - I gather that Raheem Sterling has donated millions to help disadvantaged youngsters.
Quote from: Florestan on July 09, 2021, 11:51:48 AM
Save in exceptional cases --- and this is not one of those --- I always root for Latin teams, France excluded. ;D
Now tbh, I understand and sympathize with the English cause yet I can't and won't support it, first because that penalty was a fake and second because if God forbid England will win I foresee a disgusting wave of triumphalism including Brexit and the likes...
So, much as I love you all Brits here, and I sincerely do, I will root for Italy.
FORZA ITALIA!
Yes. that penalty was indeed fake (worthy of a Mexican player or the like). Even if I had been British (not the least with the degree of fairness this implies) I would have thought so. But it doesn't matter that much, because Italy probably will beat England, as they probably also would have beaten Denmark.
Quote from: Irons on July 09, 2021, 08:23:59 AM
Credit to where credit is due the current England team if they win on Sunday are to make a denotation of their prize money, over £9 million, to the NHS.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9770731/Englands-players-donate-millions-NHS-charities-success-Euro-2020.html
But this makes me hope that England all the same wins over Italy.
Quote from: Florestan on July 09, 2021, 11:51:48 AM
Save in exceptional cases --- and this is not one of those --- I always root for Latin teams, France excluded. ;D
Now tbh, I understand and sympathize with the English cause yet I can't and won't support it, first because that penalty was a fake and second because if God forbid England will win I foresee a disgusting wave of triumphalism including Brexit and the likes...
So, much as I love you all Brits here, and I sincerely do, I will root for Italy.
FORZA ITALIA!
Since, as my username suggests, we have Dutch ancestors I tend to support the Netherlands if and when England get knocked out/don't qualify for a competition. I used to support Scotland or Wales or N. Ireland/Republic of Ireland in those circumstances as well. However since Scotland's fans are always so hostile to England and support whichever team England is playing against I have switched my allegiance away from them and their invariably useless goalkeepers. ;D
Quote from: (: premont :) on July 09, 2021, 02:17:45 PM
But this makes me hope that England all the same wins over Italy.
This country really needs 1966 to come back. ;D
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 09, 2021, 10:06:16 PM
This country really needs 1966 to come back. ;D
Bobby Moore is better looking then Harry Kane. 8)
The world and their dog are banging on about that soft penalty and home advantage. I fully understand that master of the dark arts Chiellini having a pop but the rest of Europe are falling into Southgate's hands in him being able to create a siege mentality in the England dressing room.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 09, 2021, 09:13:56 AM
Oh, how wonderful! :)
PD
p.s. I was happy to find out that the Wimbledon men's singles final and the football championship are scheduled for different times on Sunday. :)
Talking of finals - Wimbledon and Wembley
the Italians are coming! ??? If they win both......
Never mind that soft penalty, it evens out on a season anyway :P
(oh and come on, England ! ;) )
Quote from: Irons on July 10, 2021, 01:49:52 AM
Talking of finals - Wimbledon and Wembley the Italians are coming! ??? If they win both......
Irons,
You must have read my mind! I was just reading this on the Wimbledon website:
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2021-07-09/buy_a_nice_tv_for_a_special_sunday_says_berrettini.html
Berrettini is the first Italian--male or female--to make it into the finals at Wimbledon...you add that to what will be happening at Wembley Stadium on Sunday....as you hinted at, it will be a big day for Italian sports fans!
PD
Quote from: Irons on July 10, 2021, 01:49:52 AM
Talking of finals - Wimbledon and Wembley the Italians are coming! ??? If they win both......
The economic boom in alcohol sales due to England reaching the finals will have happened regardless of whether they win or not. ;)
The newspapers are doing what they can to help. :P
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/10845/production/_119335676_stards10p01-nc.png)
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 10, 2021, 05:07:30 AM
The newspapers are doing what they can to help. :P
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/10845/production/_119335676_stards10p01-nc.png)
Evil! >:D But funny. :)
But you know what is even worse, no mention of Wimbledon! :( >:(
PD
The BBC showed 'Darkest Hour' this evening on TV. I wondered if this was deliberate to encourage the team!
(//)
Quote from: Papy Oli on July 10, 2021, 02:02:29 AM
Never mind that soft penalty, it evens out on a season anyway :P
(oh and come on, England ! ;) )
Good man, Olivier. :)
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 10, 2021, 05:07:30 AM
The newspapers are doing what they can to help. :P
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/10845/production/_119335676_stards10p01-nc.png)
Sunday Times being a bit more upmarket quotes Shakespeare.
Quote from: vandermolen on July 10, 2021, 01:23:03 PM
The BBC showed 'Darkest Hour' this evening on TV. I wondered if this was deliberate to encourage the team!
(//)
Also yesterday :
Channel 4 showed the '66 final in colour (again)...
BBC 2 showed Pavarotti in Hyde park...
yes, it must be a coincidence :laugh:
Quote from: Irons on July 11, 2021, 01:30:39 AM
Good man, Olivier. :)
I have been spoiled rotten by my national team already in my lifetime. It's my partner's turn tonight to hopefully have a little bit of that winning joy... at last ;)
It's beggar's belief it hasn't happened considering the quality of some players you've had over the years. Whatever the result tonight, It's an even greater credit to Southgate to have re-built the team in his way, from scratch, patiently, with so many youngsters.
(Oh and I really don't want to see '96 or a missed penalty by Southgate, Batty or Waddle ever again on my TV...and I've only been here since '98 :P )
England boss Gareth Southgate has urged fans to roar his side to victory when they face Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 final.
Southgate's team will become the first Three Lions outfit to lift a European Championship if they win at Wembley.
"When we started, three or four years ago we had people throwing paper aeroplanes, they weren't behind the team and there was an apathy," he said.
"Now the energy in the stadium is fantastic. That is so important."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51198762
Now, I expect to hear the roars here in the US folks, so start your vocal exercises! :)
Our father, who art in Wembley,
Southgate be thy name.
The cup will come,
Kane's work will be done,
in London as it was in Rome
Give us this day our daily pint
And forgive Sterling's offside
trespasses, as we forgive those
who bet against us.
Lead us not into under -
achievement.
But deliver us the title.
For football's coming home.
Forever and ever.
Our men.
;D
(//)
Trippier is not going to be as quick on the wing tonight with all that gear on !! :laugh:
Bit tense, innit ? :P
It's coming to Rome!
Quote from: Papy Oli on July 11, 2021, 10:39:06 AM
Trippier is not going to be as quick on the wing tonight with all that gear on !! :laugh:
Haha. Easy to be wise after the event but why didn't Sterling and Grealish take penalties? Not only are they more experienced but they would have found it easier, I suspect, to cope with the heart-break of missing their penalty than the youngsters who were selected instead.
Still, at least I won't have to face seeing Boris Johnson trying to bathe in the reflected glory of an England victory.
I watched it and am now going back to not watching football. :'(
Most of the tournament strangely had pretty good matches with very few goals and way too many overtimes. Despite some very good scenes and goals not really a great advertisement for football, I think.
England had all the advantages (a great but lucky early goal and supportive audience) and could not score another for 120 min. I am afraid they did deserve to lose in the penalties. And with the uncommonly high number of substitutes they should have brought fresh offensive players far earlier achieve a win before the penalties.
Quote from: Jo498 on July 11, 2021, 11:03:07 PM
Most of the tournament strangely had pretty good matches with very few goals and way too many overtimes. Despite some very good scenes and goals not really a great advertisement for football, I think.
England had all the advantages (a great but lucky early goal and supportive audience) and could not score another for 120 min. I am afraid they did deserve to lose in the penalties. And with the uncommonly high number of substitutes they should have brought fresh offensive players far earlier achieve a win before the penalties.
I agree, accept the lucky goal bit. It is very odd as although the game was decided by penalties England were well beaten. Other then the first three minutes Italy were in control, they managed the game so well, even fouling was managed so as yellow cards were spread through the whole team. They battered England through the second half and when it came to extra time the Italians just closed shop as they knew only one team would win the shoot-out.
Quote from: Jo498 on July 11, 2021, 11:03:07 PM
Most of the tournament strangely had pretty good matches with very few goals and way too many overtimes. Despite some very good scenes and goals not really a great advertisement for football, I think.
England had all the advantages (a great but lucky early goal and supportive audience) and could not score another for 120 min. I am afraid they did deserve to lose in the penalties. And with the uncommonly high number of substitutes they should have brought fresh offensive players far earlier achieve a win before the penalties.
Italy was better, and more singleminded.
For England, too many things were in the mix. Boris Johnson claiming to be nr 10 team member. The Queen penning a letter. All these people talking about 1966. The godawful misbehavior of England's fans - just a terrible terrible bunch of beer guts.
The english offense just wasn't that good. BTW there were a couple of terrible misses in Italy's offensive game, too. Both goal keepers were terrific.
It's not good that so many games ended with thirty minutes overtime.
Quote from: Irons on July 11, 2021, 11:22:00 PM
They battered England through the second half and when it came to extra time the Italians just closed shop as they knew only one team would win the shoot-out.
Yes, I guess you need a healthy dose of cynicism to win, and Chielini provided this in spades. And still it's a tricky strategy to go for the penalties.
Quote from: Jo498 on July 11, 2021, 11:03:07 PM
Most of the tournament strangely had pretty good matches with very few goals and way too many overtimes. Despite some very good scenes and goals not really a great advertisement for football, I think.
England had all the advantages (a great but lucky early goal and supportive audience) and could not score another for 120 min. I am afraid they did deserve to lose in the penalties. And with the uncommonly high number of substitutes they should have brought fresh offensive players far earlier achieve a win before the penalties.
I don't agree that the opening goal was 'lucky' at all. It was a great piece of skill from Luke Shaw and a brilliant cross from Trippier. What was lucky about that? Italy were deserving winners but their goal was indeed a lucky one as the ball could have bounced anywhere. As I said earlier, Sterling and Grealish should have taken penalties.
My condolences gents. I was pulling for you. Alas, my traces were not properly attached... :( :-[
Best wishes,
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 12, 2021, 02:01:10 AM
My condolences gents. I was pulling for you. Alas, my traces were not properly attached... :( :-[
Best wishes,
PD
Thanks PD :)
Quote from: Irons on July 11, 2021, 11:22:00 PM
I agree, accept the lucky goal bit. It is very odd as although the game was decided by penalties England were well beaten. Other then the first three minutes Italy were in control, they managed the game so well, even fouling was managed so as yellow cards were spread through the whole team. They battered England through the second half and when it came to extra time the Italians just closed shop as they knew only one team would win the shoot-out.
For the first half of the first half, after the goal, I thought, England would clearly win because Italy seemed to be shocked by the early goal, barely holding out and far from scoring. This did change in the second half when Italy was superior. But anyone following the sport only half-heartedly (I personally watch basically only European and World Cup) should know that Italy is usually the most cold blooded and efficient team and needs to be beaten *actively*, otherwise they will win.
The short story of the final:
First half: Rule, Britannia! (England bested a dizzy Italy by a wide margin)
Second half: Fratelli d'Italia, Italia se desta! (Italy literally awakened from their slumber and played better and better by the minute)
Extra-times: All quiet on the Wembley front (both teams tried hard at first then resigned themselves to going to kicks; I suspect the Italians were actually only too happy with that)
Kicks Italy: (plays Triumphal March from Aida
Kicks England: Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte
Kicks general: Es ist eine alte Geschichte (the curse of the kicks has not yet been lifted off England)
Seriously now, it was a very good game. England started en fanfare and for a long while I was afraid they'll beat Italy hard. I took heart in the second half and when extra-times arrived I had a feeling it was over for England. It lasted until Jorginho missed (if I'm not mistaken, the ball hit the pole before being pushed aside by Pickford) but then I saw Kaya and knew this time it was really over for England. Southgate made a huge misjudgnment by putting such a burden on the shoulders of a teenager; a more mature and experienced player, such as Sterling or Grealish, would have been a much safer bet. In any case, both Pickford and Donnarumma were excellent and can't be faulted for anything.
But actually it was rather poetic justice: England beat Denmark by a fake penalty kick with a great help from the referee(s), including VAR, only to lose it all by a kick.
I was greatly amused seeing today on Euronews an English fan saying: "Forget the UEFA Cup, our goal is the World Cup next year!"
Bottom line, I can't say I'd have been weeping if Italy had lost and I can sympathize with England's disappointment --- yet I am pleased with the result: I wanted it, foresaw it and eventually witnessed it.
Picture of the year:
(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/07/12/08/45337559-0-image-a-7_1626074013738.jpg)
The headlines in the UK have now been taken over by the racist abuse directed at the three players who took the unsuccessful penalty shots. Given that penalties are essentially random, Fate made some very cruel decisions here. :(
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:02:13 AM
The headlines in the UK have now been taken over by the racist abuse directed at the three players who took the unsuccessful penalty shots.
That's awful and unacceptable and only adds to the long list of British press' transgressions. Otoh, had they scored they'd have been praised to the sky. :laugh:
Quote from: Florestan on July 12, 2021, 04:54:53 AM
But actually it was rather poetic justice: England beat Denmark by a fake penalty kick with a great help from the referee(s), including VAR, only to lose it all by a kick.
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:02:13 AM
Fate made some very cruel decisions here...
AMEN
Quote from: Florestan on July 12, 2021, 05:10:16 AM
That's awful and unacceptable and only adds to the long list of British press' transgressions. Otoh, had they scored they'd have been praised to the sky. :laugh:
It wasn't the press doing the abuse but people on social media and whoever defaced the mural of Rashford commemorating his work to get the government to provide free school meals for poor children in the UK.
Quote from: Jo498 on July 12, 2021, 04:19:46 AM
For the first half of the first half, after the goal, I thought, England would clearly win because Italy seemed to be shocked by the early goal, barely holding out and far from scoring. This did change in the second half when Italy was superior. But anyone following the sport only half-heartedly (I personally watch basically only European and World Cup) should know that Italy is usually the most cold blooded and efficient team and needs to be beaten *actively*, otherwise they will win.
Yes, I agree. In many ways it reminded me of England's Semi-Final defeat against Croatia in the last World Cup in Moscow; an early goal followed by a failure to exploit their lead. Attack is usually the best form of defence and in both games England retreated back into increasingly desperate defending. At least, against Croatia, we were spared penalties.
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:15:15 AM
It wasn't the press doing the abuse but people on social media and whoever defaced the mural of Rashford commemorating his work to get the government to provide free school meals for poor children in the UK.
I was so sorry (upset and angry too!) when I heard that news (It's been brought up and discussed on US news stations).
I didn't know though about Rashford's work towards getting poor school children food...I'm truly left without words....
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 12, 2021, 05:22:50 AM
I was so sorry (upset and angry too!) when I heard that news (It's been brought up and discussed on US news stations).
I didn't know though about Rashford's work towards getting poor school children food...I'm truly left without words....
PD
From last November:
"The government has changed its mind again on providing free school meals to children in England during the Christmas holidays.
It comes after the ongoing campaign by Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson phoned the England striker on 7 November to tell him there would be £396 million of support to provide free school meals this Christmas, next Easter and summer holidays.
Rashford, who set up a petition for the cause which more than a million people signed, said it would improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children.
Support had already been announced for children in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland". https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230)
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:28:32 AM
From last November:
"The government has changed its mind again on providing free school meals to children in England during the Christmas holidays.
It comes after the ongoing campaign by Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson phoned the England striker on 7 November to tell him there would be £396 million of support to provide free school meals this Christmas, next Easter and summer holidays.
Rashford, who set up a petition for the cause which more than a million people signed, said it would improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children.
Support had already been announced for children in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230)
What a wonderful thing to have done! Sorry to hear of his own struggles with getting enough food when he was young--glad that there were people there for him.
PD
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:15:15 AM
It wasn't the press doing the abuse but people on social media and whoever defaced the mural of Rashford commemorating his work to get the government to provide free school meals for poor children in the UK.
Oh, I misunderstood you then (I interpreted "headlines" as being racist themselves).
Well, England has its share of idiots and I even dare say that as of late this share has been somewhat larger than that of other nations with the possible exception of the USA... >:D :P :laugh:
Quote from: vandermolen on July 12, 2021, 12:37:12 AM
I don't agree that the opening goal was 'lucky' at all. It was a great piece of skill from Luke Shaw and a brilliant cross from Trippier. What was lucky about that? Italy were deserving winners but their goal was indeed a lucky one as the ball could have bounced anywhere. As I said earlier, Sterling and Grealish should have taken penalties.
I can't speak for Stirling but Grealish volunteered and Southgate declined.
Quote from: steve ridgway on July 12, 2021, 05:28:32 AM
From last November:
"The government has changed its mind again on providing free school meals to children in England during the Christmas holidays.
It comes after the ongoing campaign by Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson phoned the England striker on 7 November to tell him there would be £396 million of support to provide free school meals this Christmas, next Easter and summer holidays.
Rashford, who set up a petition for the cause which more than a million people signed, said it would improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children.
Support had already been announced for children in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54862230)
It was a wonderful thing Rashford did, just a pity he made himself look a complete dick trying to be clever with that stupid penalty. As he was hop, skipping and jumping towards the ball my heart sank. The best penalty taker I have seen is Julian Dicks at West Ham, who after a long run-up blasted the ball. He never missed one and when asked his technique replied "I hit the ball as hard as I can and as I had no idea where the ball was heading between the sticks how can the keeper?"
Quote from: Irons on July 12, 2021, 08:03:34 AM
I can't speak for Stirling but Grealish volunteered and Southgate declined.
It was a wonderful thing Rashford did, just a pity he made himself look a complete dick trying to be clever with that stupid penalty. As he was hop, skipping and jumping towards the ball my heart sank. The best penalty taker I have seen is Julian Dicks at West Ham, who after a long run-up blasted the ball. He never missed one and when asked his technique replied "I hit the ball as hard as I can and as I had no idea where the ball was heading between the sticks how can the keeper?"
Thanks Lol - well, in that case, Southgate ('Saint Gareth') is to blame - although he's done a great job with the England team. The worst penalty I saw was taken by John Hollins of Chelsea, who blasted the ball so far over the goal that it almost flew out of the stadium. A witty Chelsea fan sitting behind me commented: 'Did you see that - Hollins didn't even look upset - well, I suppose at least he'd worked himself into a good shooting position!'
Some posters have expressed disagreement with kicks --- but I wonder whether there is any other fairer method. What do you folks think?
Quote from: Florestan on July 12, 2021, 08:33:11 AM
Some posters have expressed disagreement with kicks --- but I wonder whether there is any other fairer method. What do you folks think?
I say after 30 minutes of extra time, shorten the field to half length, bring it down to six players aside and eliminate the offside rule for the extra time. Yes, it is a variation but the outcome is more determined in a team like aspect, at least more so than a penalty kick. Just an idea that I'm sure could be tweaked.
Allow a greater number of substitutions so that the players are not completely out of gas in the extra time, pretty much ensuring no one scores in extra time.
Quote from: Florestan on July 12, 2021, 09:43:03 AM
Honestly, I find all that much too complicated and complicating., showing you're not an European football fan. :laugh:
Maybe the rule of golden goal is simpler --- whoever scores first during extra time wins.
Golden goal is good if they play continue on after the extra 30 minutes. How about just allowing more substitutions? They can't run forever.
I'm sure they have thought of a lot of things already because I doubt anyone involved in the game likes having things end in a penalty shoot out, particularly for the knockout stages and especially in a final.
I'm pretty sure France vs Italy final in 2000 was golden goal. What made them modify this method of determining outcome to two 15 minutes of extra time?
Quote from: OrchestralNut on July 12, 2021, 09:59:58 AM
I'm pretty sure France vs Italy final in 2000 was golden goal. What made them modify this method of determining outcome to two 15 minutes of extra time?
I think the sudden death aspect of it is just too much. Of course it could go on and on.......
I think even in the days of the Golden Goal, if the scores were still level after extra time then it went to penalties. And at least penalties are fairer than tossing a coin, which was used on occasions in the past.
Enjoyed the reminiscence of Julian Dicks btw, Irons - blast it anywhere and hope for the best. Pretty well encapsulates the great man's attitude to the beautiful game in general!
Quote from: OrchestralNut on July 12, 2021, 09:59:58 AM
I'm pretty sure France vs Italy final in 2000 was golden goal. What made them modify this method of determining outcome to two 15 minutes of extra time?
I think that some time in the '90s, FIFA changed from 2 15-min extra time periods to "Golden Goal", hoping it would lead to more exciting play. Apparently that didn't happen (teams preferred to stall and go to the shootout), and there were controversies, e.g. about offside golden goals. FIFA switched back to 2x15min e. t. in 2002 and concluded that "G G" was a failed experiment.
I don't like the penalties (especially as England nearly always lose them) and I think that it's very unfair on the players who miss them, but I'm not sure that I can think of a better way other than extra-time followed by penalties. In the past there would have been a re-play if the scores had been level after extra time (as in the 1970 Cup Final) which is probably the fairer system, but this would be impractical in a competition like the Euros or World Cup.
Quote from: DaveF on July 12, 2021, 10:16:00 AM
Enjoyed the reminiscence of Julian Dicks btw, Irons - blast it anywhere and hope for the best. Pretty well encapsulates the great man's attitude to the beautiful game in general!
Oh, if only Southgate sat the pen takers down and showed them this clip!
https://youtu.be/qtgwpmM5GCI
Golden goal was used in 1996-2000? 1996 Euro final was also a golden goal by Bierhoff. It was overall not popular, I think, and as has been said, penalties were still an option.
I am relying on memory and have not looked at stats but I think that in the 80/90s it was not that frequent and there were also more overtimes without penalties (and still they tried golden goal!). One possible reason is that fitness and athleticism of soccer players have markedly increased in the last decades so in former times it was more often the case that one team was dead on their legs in overtime and lost.
What I am a bit puzzled about is that we had almost twice the substitutes as usual (and this will remain an exception and change again) teams were so rarely able to impact the game in the overtime by bringing 2-3 fresh offensive players. It seems almost everyone was more afraid of losing than wanting to win.
I am not one who finds soccer boring because there are so few scorings (to the contrary, this is the main reason why there is almost no other team sport where the underdogs have better chances beating favorites) but I admit that I often find matches going to 120 min with zero to two goals overall often tedious.
Quote from: Irons on July 12, 2021, 11:51:50 PM
Oh, if only Southgate sat the pen takers down and showed them this clip!
https://youtu.be/qtgwpmM5GCI
Yes, that's the way to take a penalty!
Amidst all the discussion of racism, hooliganism etc here is a more heart-warming story from the Euros.
https://talksport.com/football/911444/england-aston-villa-jack-grealish-boots-euro-2020-final/
Quote from: Irons on June 13, 2021, 12:37:36 AM
(...)
Due to family commitments I missed the Denmark game. Hope and pray Christian Eriksen makes a full recovery although his playing career is surely over.
A surprise I guess, to all of us:
following Eriksen's collapse during the game, where he was in fact lifeless for about a minute, and his later heart operation, he is now negotiating with a Premier League upcomer that already has a strong Danish presence, Brentford FC. Reports are, that the contract is very close to being signed, but an extra medical examination is needed.
The Italian league, where he played, does not allow players with a ~pacemaker.
Eriksen has stated, that he hopes to play on the Danish National team again later. If all this goes well, it's surely a remarkable recovery, against the odds.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 24, 2022, 03:37:59 AM
A surprise I guess, to all of us:
following Eriksen's collapse during the game, where he was in fact lifeless for about a minute, and his later heart operation, he is already negotiating with a Premier League upcomer that already has a strong Danish presence, Brentford FC. Reports are, that the contract is very close to being signed, but an extra medical examination is needed.
The Italian league, where he played, does not allow players with a ~pacemaker.
Eriksen has stated, that he hopes to play on the Danish National team again later. If all this goes well, it's surely a remarkable recovery, against the odds.
He had a heart attack on the pitch?! :o :(
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 24, 2022, 03:56:03 AM
He had a heart attack on the pitch?! :o :(
PD
Yes. Following the collapse, other examples of players either giving up their career or continuing it came to light, but if he succeeds, he'll be among the most lucky ones.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 24, 2022, 04:23:06 AM
Yes. Following the collapse, other examples of players either giving up their career or continuing it came to light, but if he succeeds, he'll be among the most lucky ones.
Do you know what the reasoning is behind the countries who would not hire someone due to a pacemaker? Are they afraid of liability? I don't know what the risks are for a player in his condition and what could happen between all of the training and matches (and any other stresses in life)? Would coaching, if possible, be a better option for him?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 24, 2022, 10:47:50 AM
Do you know what the reasoning is behind the countries who would not hire someone due to a pacemaker? Are they afraid of liability? I don't know what the risks are for a player in his condition and what could happen between all of the training and matches (and any other stresses in life)? Would coaching, if possible, be a better option for him?
PD
Agree, for a lay-person it does seem a bit strange, given the background, but the medical recommendation must be well-founded somehow. Here, it's reported as if the last check shouldn't be much of a problem. Obviously, the guy's whole life has focused on being a player, and he's only 29. Contracts probably involve passages about responsibilities.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 24, 2022, 11:14:21 AM
Agree, for a lay-person it does seem a bit strange, given the background, but the medical recommendation must be well-founded somehow. Here, it's reported as if the last check shouldn't be much of a problem. Obviously, the guy's whole life has focused on being a player, and he's only 29. Contracts probably involve passages about responsibilities.
Apparently there is a ruling in Italy prohibiting him playing there with his medical condition. Inter Milan, his club, will claim insurance so they will not lose out. He is an exceptional footballer.
Quote from: Irons on January 25, 2022, 07:39:54 AM
Apparently there is a ruling in Italy prohibiting him playing there with his medical condition. Inter Milan, his club, will claim insurance so they will not lose out. He is an exceptional footballer.
So, he gets to keep his agreed to amount and they get a settlement?
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 25, 2022, 09:04:38 AM
So, he gets to keep his agreed to amount and they get a settlement?
PD
Inter paid the English club Spurs £17 million (just looked it up) for Erikson. Obviously such a large amount would be insured which is normal practice. His contract would be cancelled and he can sign up with any club he pleases.
I read just today that he "died" for five minutes. It is on YT, I was going to post a link and then thought better of it.
Quote from: Irons on January 26, 2022, 07:00:17 AM
Inter paid the English club Spurs £17 million (just looked it up) for Erikson. Obviously such a large amount would be insured which is normal practice. His contract would be cancelled and he can sign up with any club he pleases.
I read just today that he "died" for five minutes. It is on YT, I was going to post a link and then thought better of it.
Oh, I see what you're talking about now. With the players, what sort of arrangement would be made for them? Are they paid a seasonal/yearly amount or are payed per match?
I'm just used to how tennis works (to a certain degree at least).
And, yes, thank you for not posting that link!
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 26, 2022, 07:07:30 AM
Oh, I see what you're talking about now. With the players, what sort of arrangement would be made for them? Are they paid a seasonal/yearly amount or are payed per match?
I'm just used to how tennis works (to a certain degree at least).
And, yes, thank you for not posting that link!
PD
Unlike tennis, footballers are paid a wage for the length of their contract. A Premier League player would expect to earn, depending how good he is and which club he plays for, anything between £20,000 and £200,000 a week.
Quote from: Irons on January 27, 2022, 12:35:35 AM
Unlike tennis, footballers are paid a wage for the length of their contract. A Premier League player would expect to earn, depending how good he is and which club he plays for, anything between £20,000 and £200,000 a week.
Thanks for the info; I knew that there was big money involved.
PD
News here are, that the Eriksen deal with Brentford is done, and it will be officially announced within two days or so; and that he passed the very thorough medical tests.
For a start, it will be a contract for 6 months, apparently.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 31, 2022, 02:23:25 AM
News here are, that the Eriksen deal with Brentford is done, and it will be officially announced within two days or so; and that he passed the very thorough medical tests.
For a start, it will be a contract for 6 months, apparently.
Hope that he remains in good health. One can change jobs /careers (hard though it might be).
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 31, 2022, 03:21:23 AM
Hope that he remains in good health. One can change jobs /careers (hard though it might be).
PD
Yes, I guess we're all confused by such an extreme turn of events, in such a short time, but one would think that sufficient medical expertise has been involved ...
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 31, 2022, 03:28:42 AM
Yes, I guess we're all confused by such an extreme turn of events, in such a short time, but one would think that sufficient medical expertise has been involved ...
Hopefully, though one thought that has crossed my mind: Here in the States, when you go to a doctor, they have you sign a waiver stating that you know that medicine is an imperfect science, etc.
PD
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 31, 2022, 03:28:42 AM
Yes, I guess we're all confused by such an extreme turn of events, in such a short time, but one would think that sufficient medical expertise has been involved ...
A electronic thingy attached to regulate heartbeat apparently.
Quote from: Irons on January 31, 2022, 07:32:34 AM
A electronic thingy attached to regulate heartbeat apparently. Been around for some years. I suspect that they have made improvements to it over the years.
Yep!
PD
Yes, it's called an ICD and has a computer with a range of measurements and possible actions. About 10,000 Danes are 'wearing' it, including a few elite sportsmen.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 31, 2022, 11:01:40 AM
Yes, it's called an ICD and has a computer with a range of measurements and possible actions. About 10,000 Danes are 'wearing' it, including a few elite sportsmen.
Interesting, I had to google what the difference was as I hadn't heard of an ICD before. From what I read, an ICD is more of an emergency device as in just kicking in when it's needed vs. a pacemaker which is regular aid because the heart muscles can no longer function normally--that's the gist that I got out of it anyway.
"ICDs or Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are small electrical impulse generator that is implanted in patients to prevent sudden cardiac death due to tachycardia or fibrillation. It is also battery-powered. The device constantly monitors heart rate and rhythm and sends out electrical shocks when it detects anomalies in the cardiac rhythm to correct it. Most ICDs are surgically implanted in a person, although a new subcutaneous ICD is now in development."
PD
p.s. Are the "elite sportsmen" runners overall...or?? Just curious.
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 31, 2022, 11:11:03 AM
Interesting, I had to google what the difference was as I hadn't heard of an ICD before. From what I read, an ICD is more of an emergency device as in just kicking in when it's needed vs. a pacemaker which is regular aid because the heart muscles can no longer function normally--that's the gist that I got out of it anyway.
"ICDs or Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are small electrical impulse generator that is implanted in patients to prevent sudden cardiac death due to tachycardia or fibrillation. It is also battery-powered. The device constantly monitors heart rate and rhythm and sends out electrical shocks when it detects anomalies in the cardiac rhythm to correct it. Most ICDs are surgically implanted in a person, although a new subcutaneous ICD is now in development."
PD
p.s. Are the "elite sportsmen" runners overall...or?? Just curious.
Yes, supposedly he hadn't had measurable heart differences before his one-time collapse, given his elite status and career.
There' been a world-famous female handball player/coach (Anja Andersen), a soccer coach here who played too (Ståle Solbakken), and others. They both became coaches afterwards, though, but that's also a tough job.
Quote from: MusicTurner on January 31, 2022, 11:15:18 AM
Yes, supposedly he hadn't had measurable heart differences before his one-time collapse, given his elite status and career.
There' been a world-famous female handball player/coach (Anja Andersen), a soccer coach here who played too (Ståle Solbakken), and others. They both became coaches afterwards, though, but that's also a tough job.
I'm sure that it would be a hard switch emotionally to make--particularly if you're in your prime--not including figuring out how to coach others and also figuring out the legal, safety and logistic requirements...where to coach, how to become a member of an academy or work for a team, etc. Just guessing at some of the hurdles here off the top of my head. And also figuring out how to balance things with family, life, relationships too....how much time do you want to spend away from your home and on the road (if required)?
PD
Yes, both did very well as elite coaches though.
The afore-mentioned Eriksen did well in his come-back via the Premier League (Brentford), and he has now joined the Danish national team for their next game. A happy story so far.
Quote from: MusicTurner on March 15, 2022, 10:24:28 AM
The afore-mentioned Eriksen did well in his come-back via the Premier League (Brentford), and he has now joined the Danish national team for their next game. A happy story so far.
Great news indeed.
He had a fantastic welcome when he first came on as a sub against Newcastle I think, applauded by the home crowd but also the Newcastle players and away supporters.
There was another quirky and lovely moment last week (or before) when Brentford played Norwich. Eriksen took a Norwich player down in a minor tumble. They both fell arms in arms on the ground. The Norwich player started to react angrily to the foul but when he looked up and realised who made him tumble, he suddenly had the widest beaming smile and decided to hug Ericksen on the floor. He said in an interview that when he realised who had fouled him, he felt like Eriksen might need a hug ;D
Video here :
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667 (https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667)
Quote from: Papy Oli on March 15, 2022, 12:38:34 PM
Great news indeed.
He had a fantastic welcome when he first came on as a sub against Newcastle I think, applauded by the home crowd but also the Newcastle players and away supporters.
There was another quirky and lovely moment last week (or before) when Brentford played Norwich. Eriksen took a Norwich player down in a minor tumble. They both fell arms in arms on the ground. The Norwich player started to react angrily to the foul but when he looked up and realised who made him tumble, he suddenly had the widest beaming smile and decided to hug Ericksen on the floor. He said in an interview that when he realised who had fouled him, he felt like Eriksen might need a hug ;D
Video here :
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667 (https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667)
It's lovely Olivier - thanks for posting it.
Quote from: Papy Oli on March 15, 2022, 12:38:34 PM
Great news indeed.
He had a fantastic welcome when he first came on as a sub against Newcastle I think, applauded by the home crowd but also the Newcastle players and away supporters.
There was another quirky and lovely moment last week (or before) when Brentford played Norwich. Eriksen took a Norwich player down in a minor tumble. They both fell arms in arms on the ground. The Norwich player started to react angrily to the foul but when he looked up and realised who made him tumble, he suddenly had the widest beaming smile and decided to hug Ericksen on the floor. He said in an interview that when he realised who had fouled him, he felt like Eriksen might need a hug ;D
Video here :
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667 (https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667)
Yes, a nice story. And there's no easy way of maintaining Premier League game time or playing role; he really put a lot of effort in it.
Quote from: MusicTurner on March 15, 2022, 10:24:28 AM
The afore-mentioned Eriksen did well in his come-back via the Premier League (Brentford), and he has now joined the Danish national team for their next game. A happy story so far.
Yeah! :)
Quote from: Papy Oli on March 15, 2022, 12:38:34 PM
Great news indeed.
He had a fantastic welcome when he first came on as a sub against Newcastle I think, applauded by the home crowd but also the Newcastle players and away supporters.
There was another quirky and lovely moment last week (or before) when Brentford played Norwich. Eriksen took a Norwich player down in a minor tumble. They both fell arms in arms on the ground. The Norwich player started to react angrily to the foul but when he looked up and realised who made him tumble, he suddenly had the widest beaming smile and decided to hug Ericksen on the floor. He said in an interview that when he realised who had fouled him, he felt like Eriksen might need a hug ;D
Video here :
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667 (https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1501588052237553667)
Can't watch the video here in the States, but I found an interview with the other player....nice story! ;D
PD
Quote from: MusicTurner on March 15, 2022, 02:21:54 PM
Yes, a nice story. And there's no easy way of maintaining Premier League game time or playing role; he really put a lot of effort in it.
It has even been a surprisingly good come-back for Eriksen, scoring fine goals and playing very well in both Premier League and on the national team - 3 scored goals in just one week's three games.
It is not often I feel sorry for the fans of Liverpool football club but the events last week at the Stade de France prior to the Champions League Final were truly horrific. I am aware there are historical reasons why English fans and Liverpool in particular are treated with dread and suspicion on the Continent. But the use of tear gas and pepper spray by the French police went way beyond that. French commentators are unanimous that both sets of fans were well behaved. So why the brutality, including against women and children?
Quote from: Irons on June 01, 2022, 07:27:10 AM
It is not often I feel sorry for the fans of Liverpool football club but the events last week at the Stade de France prior to the Champions League Final were truly horrific. I am aware there are historical reasons why English fans and Liverpool in particular are treated with dread and suspicion on the Continent. But the use of tear gas and pepper spray by the French police went way beyond that. French commentators are unanimous that both sets of fans were well behaved. So why the brutality, including against women and children?
The handling of the Liverpool has been despicable and the handling of the aftermath by the French Interior minister and the sports minister even worse.
For a bit of context, the issue is not just with English supporters but has also been brewing between French supporters and the authorities for a long while.
The local "Prefets" in charge of their local riot police forces take quite a negative view towards football supporters in general, even more so towards kops/ultras/away fans. Before Covid, they had even started to forbid away fans altogether in "problematic" games, even more so when the Covid restrictions were gradually lifted up. The relationship between supporters/clubs/authorities are sour at best.
A bit like the recent examples in England of late with pitch invasions, the post-covid "liberation" has been even more troublesome in France. Maybe they were expecting that Liverpool fans (drunk or otherwise) would create similar troubles, when it was anything but and the piss-poor organisation was solely to blame for the shambles (with a French culturally-expected metro strike thrown in for good measure).
Even with the shoddy excuse of replacing St Petersburg at "short" notice (while being pushed hard by Macron himself), you would have thought the Stade De France and the French FA would know how to handle a major game in their top venue by now. It's only been 24 years !
A very poor reflection on France two years away from the Olympics.
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 03, 2022, 03:11:01 AM
The handling of the Liverpool has been despicable and the handling of the aftermath by the French Interior minister and the sports minister even worse.
For a bit of context, the issue is not just with English supporters but has also been brewing between French supporters and the authorities for a long while.
The local "Prefets" in charge of their local riot police forces take quite a negative view towards football supporters in general, even more so towards kops/ultras/away fans. Before Covid, they had even started to forbid away fans altogether in "problematic" games, even more so when the Covid restrictions were gradually lifted up. The relationship between supporters/clubs/authorities are sour at best.
A bit like the recent examples in England of late with pitch invasions, the post-covid "liberation" has been even more troublesome in France. Maybe they were expecting that Liverpool fans (drunk or otherwise) would create similar troubles, when it was anything but and the piss-poor organisation was solely to blame for the shambles (with a French culturally-expected metro strike thrown in for good measure).
Even with the shoddy excuse of replacing St Petersburg at "short" notice (while being pushed hard by Macron himself), you would have thought the Stade De France and the French FA would know how to handle a major game in their top venue by now. It's only been 24 years !
A very poor reflection on France two years away from the Olympics.
It isn't the poor organisation that sticks in the throat - the Euro Final at Wembley last year was as bad if not worse. But attempting to blame "British football hooligans" as the culprits when they were actually well behaved is very poor. Even worse, it is reported that the police allowed roaming gangs of thugs to assault and rob both English and Spanish fans at will.
On a lighter note, I heard a story from a couple of West Ham fans who went over to Germany for the game with Eintracht Frankfurt which I found funny. Eintracht "Ultras" roamed around the city searching for small groups of WH fans to give them what for. To reach the football ground it was required to walk though a wooded area, these two WH fans sitting on a bench were approached by a gang and asked if they supported West Ham? One Hammer stood up and said
"Nine"! The blows came raining down, followed by the Ultras jumping in a car and speeding off.
Quote from: Irons on June 11, 2022, 01:00:30 AM
It isn't the poor organisation that sticks in the throat - the Euro Final at Wembley last year was as bad if not worse. But attempting to blame "British football hooligans" as the culprits when they were actually well behaved is very poor. Even worse, it is reported that the police allowed roaming gangs of thugs to assault and rob both English and Spanish fans at will.
There's just a lot of fishy behaviour by the French authorities on this matter. All the CCTV files outside the Stade de France have been deleted. They are not to be kept more than 7 days normally, unless requested for by the authorities...who did it 12 days after only...conveniently. Omnishambles. Easier to blame the Liverpool fans I guess. That diversion, thankfully, is not working in France either.
Football itself is not much better this end. France is not faring well in the Nations League and my club has been relegated to the French Ligue 2 (30 years after an administrative relegation and and 55+ years since the last one sporting-wise). It will be a weird one. So much for subscribing to BT sport for the Ligue 1. At least I'll still have the Europa League with Arsenal ( :P ) and the Aussie Rules :laugh:
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 11, 2022, 01:21:27 AM
There's just a lot of fishy behaviour by the French authorities on this matter. All the CCTV files outside the Stade de France have been deleted. They are not to be kept more than 7 days normally, unless requested for by the authorities...who did it 12 days after only...conveniently. Omnishambles. Easier to blame the Liverpool fans I guess. That diversion, thankfully, is not working in France either.
Football itself is not much better this end. France is not faring well in the Nations League and my club has been relegated to the French Ligue 2 (30 years after an administrative relegation and and 55+ years since the last one sporting-wise). It will be a weird one. So much for subscribing to BT sport for the Ligue 1. At least I'll still have the Europa League with Arsenal ( :P ) and the Aussie Rules :laugh:
Bordeaux?
Quote from: Irons on June 12, 2022, 06:04:02 AM
Bordeaux?
Yes it is, sorry. Might even be temporarily relegated further down if we don't pass the pre-season financial checks with the relevant authorities this Tuesday, checks for which we do not have required guarantees yet (I think we need to sell for/find 20M euros extras for end of June).
Harder to do when your team is pants and your 2 or 3 most valuable players are the ones you should aim to keep to come back up immediately :blank:
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 12, 2022, 02:25:36 PM
Yes it is, sorry. Might even be temporarily relegated further down if we don't pass the pre-season financial checks with the relevant authorities this Tuesday, checks for which we do not have required guarantees yet (I think we need to sell for/find 20M euros extras for end of June).
Harder to do when your team is pants and your 2 or 3 most valuable players are the ones you should aim to keep to come back up immediately :blank:
That sounds a similar situation Derby County are in. Great club with a big fan base. Found an American buyer who insisted he had the funds only to withdraw at the last minute. A great club with history to match (Clough years) which could like Bury be kicked out of the EFL.
Quote from: Irons on June 13, 2022, 08:28:28 AM
That sounds a similar situation Derby County are in. Great club with a big fan base. Found an American buyer who insisted he had the funds only to withdraw at the last minute. A great club with history to match (Clough years) which could like Bury be kicked out of the EFL.
The financial commission passed its judgement yesterday and Bordeaux is for now relegated a further step down to League one equivalent. The club has appealed but needs to bring further guarantees to the table and sell for at least €22M worth of players in the next 14 days. if whatever they present to the commission in a fortnight is satisfactory, then we stay in the Championship/Tier 2. If not, this is pretty much curtains for the club and it would go bankrupt. Any potential takeover from there would see the debt wiped off but the club would have to restart from the highest amateur level, the 5th tier (National league equivalent). A sad indictment of our 12-year downward spiral.
Another big club followed that path (R.C. Strasbourg), about 10 years ago I think. They restarted from that 5th tier in an healthier set up and gradually came back, up to the level now of fighting for European spots this last season. They were averaging about 35-40K home attendance even in the 5th tier, breaking attendance records throughout the lower divisions. If there is a worst case scenario to follow, that could be it.
(the less said about the Nations league, the better :laugh: :blank: )
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 15, 2022, 04:46:43 AM
The financial commission passed its judgement yesterday and Bordeaux is for now relegated a further step down to League one equivalent. The club has appealed but needs to bring further guarantees to the table and sell for at least €22M worth of players in the next 14 days. if whatever they present to the commission in a fortnight is satisfactory, then we stay in the Championship/Tier 2. If not, this is pretty much curtains for the club and it would go bankrupt. Any potential takeover from there would see the debt wiped off but the club would have to restart from the highest amateur level, the 5th tier (National league equivalent). A sad indictment of our 12-year downward spiral.
Another big club followed that path (R.C. Strasbourg), about 10 years ago I think. They restarted from that 5th tier in an healthier set up and gradually came back, up to the level now of fighting for European spots this last season. They were averaging about 35-40K home attendance even in the 5th tier, breaking attendance records throughout the lower divisions. If there is a worst case scenario to follow, that could be it.
Sad. Glasgow Rangers were kicked down the divisions and Celtic had a free ride. But with a strong fan-base there is always hope. Rangers are now back.
Quote from: Papy Oli on June 15, 2022, 04:47:26 AM
(the less said about the Nations league, the better :laugh: :blank: )
As my dear old dad used to say "Can't hit the ground with his hat" sums up perfectly the ability of England to score a goal in open play.