All things Football (soccer) related

[RFalvo69]

I must see that warspite1 was right. This was the first match I was able to sit down and watch, and all I saw was England just loving to pass the ball to each other while never leaving their half. Croatia was inferior, but they tried. Croatian players always tried to push the ball forward and to finalise - even if they were really bad in the latter phase.

England scored, literally, the first time that they actually attacked (and Sterling was lucky: both a Croatian defender and the goalkeeper weren't able to deflect the ball for a matter of centimeters). They then returned to their "this is my pitch so this is my ball and only I will play with it" tactic.

Croatia tried and tried. The last gasp was a shot towards England net in extra time.

Amen to that. Who wins is always right. I'm curious to see what will happen against Scotland.

[warspite1]

England 1-0 Croatia

I think its important to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong.

I was right about England's annoying ability to play the same old way, and after a good start we began to revert to type in the last half of the first half. We then did that - but worse - for the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

But then, what a move - straight out of the best teams play book - Walker, a drilled pass forward through to Philips (who made a great run), and then his forward run to the Croatian box, beat a man and a slide rule pass behind the defence to Sterling.

But I was totally wrong on Gareth's 'controversial' selections. Trippier played well, Sterling played well, and Philips - 'The Yorkshire Messi' - was man of the match (no matter what UEFA say).

Well played England - still plenty of room for improvement, not least cutting out the sideways/backwards nonsense, but overall a well played game.

Let's hope I was wrong about scenario 2 too...... [:)]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

England 1-0 Croatia

I think its important to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong.

I was right about England's annoying ability to play the same old way, and after a good start we began to revert to type in the last half of the first half. We then did that - but worse - for the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

But then, what a move - straight out of the best teams play book - Walker, a drilled pass forward through to Philips (who made a great run), and then his forward run to the Croatian box, beat a man and a slide rule pass behind the defence to Sterling.

But I was totally wrong on Gareth's 'controversial' selections. Trippier played well, Sterling played well, and Philips - 'The Yorkshire Messi' - was man of the match (no matter what UEFA say).

Well played England - still plenty of room for improvement, not least cutting out the sideways/backwards nonsense, but overall a well played game.

Let's hope I was wrong about scenario 2 too...... [:)]

Do you feel better now knowing that you were wrong?

[RFalvo69]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

England 1-0 Croatia

I think its important to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong.

I was right about England's annoying ability to play the same old way, and after a good start we began to revert to type in the last half of the first half. We then did that - but worse - for the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

But then, what a move - straight out of the best teams play book - Walker, a drilled pass forward through to Philips (who made a great run), and then his forward run to the Croatian box, beat a man and a slide rule pass behind the defence to Sterling.

But I was totally wrong on Gareth's 'controversial' selections. Trippier played well, Sterling played well, and Philips - 'The Yorkshire Messi' - was man of the match (no matter what UEFA say).

Well played England - still plenty of room for improvement, not least cutting out the sideways/backwards nonsense, but overall a well played game.

Let's hope I was wrong about scenario 2 too...... [:)]

There is simply no way that warspite1 and I can agree on something [:D]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: warspite1

England 1-0 Croatia

I think its important to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong.

I was right about England's annoying ability to play the same old way, and after a good start we began to revert to type in the last half of the first half. We then did that - but worse - for the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

But then, what a move - straight out of the best teams play book - Walker, a drilled pass forward through to Philips (who made a great run), and then his forward run to the Croatian box, beat a man and a slide rule pass behind the defence to Sterling.

But I was totally wrong on Gareth's 'controversial' selections. Trippier played well, Sterling played well, and Philips - 'The Yorkshire Messi' - was man of the match (no matter what UEFA say).

Well played England - still plenty of room for improvement, not least cutting out the sideways/backwards nonsense, but overall a well played game.

Let's hope I was wrong about scenario 2 too...... [:)]

Do you feel better now knowing that you were wrong?

warspite1

I'll tell you next week when we find out if I was wrong on Scenario 2 or not.... But yes, if I am wrong on that I will be delighted [:)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: warspite1

England 1-0 Croatia

I think its important to hold your hands up and admit when you are wrong.

I was right about England's annoying ability to play the same old way, and after a good start we began to revert to type in the last half of the first half. We then did that - but worse - for the opening 12 minutes of the second half.

But then, what a move - straight out of the best teams play book - Walker, a drilled pass forward through to Philips (who made a great run), and then his forward run to the Croatian box, beat a man and a slide rule pass behind the defence to Sterling.

But I was totally wrong on Gareth's 'controversial' selections. Trippier played well, Sterling played well, and Philips - 'The Yorkshire Messi' - was man of the match (no matter what UEFA say).

Well played England - still plenty of room for improvement, not least cutting out the sideways/backwards nonsense, but overall a well played game.

Let's hope I was wrong about scenario 2 too...... [:)]

There is simply no way that warspite1 and I can agree on something [:D]

warspite1

You are wrong about that [:D]

[loki100]

So Scotland will:

a) dominate the match and find a way to lose 1-0 right at the end
b) get played off the pitch and win 1-0 with a ridiculously early or late goal
c) get hammered so badly our next international competition will be a tense struggle with the Faroes over who gets to lose to Iceland in the Semi-finals
d) or something else will happen

think that covers all the options

[RFalvo69]

ORIGINAL: loki100

So Scotland will:

a) dominate the match and find a way to lose 1-0 right at the end
b) get played off the pitch and win 1-0 with a ridiculously early or late goal
c) get hammered so badly our next international competition will be a tense struggle with the Faroes over who gets to lose to Iceland in the Semi-finals
d) or something else will happen

think that covers all the options

Russia - Belgium had two commentators a male and a female. The male was painstakingly explaining why Belgium wasn't scoring when the female interjected "I think that Belgium is about to score". And, boooom, instant goal by Belgium! Covering everything helps... [:D]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: loki100

So Scotland will:

a) dominate the match and find a way to lose 1-0 right at the end
b) get played off the pitch and win 1-0 with a ridiculously early or late goal
c) get hammered so badly our next international competition will be a tense struggle with the Faroes over who gets to lose to Iceland in the Semi-finals
d) or something else will happen

think that covers all the options

Russia - Belgium had two commentators a male and a female. The male was painstakingly explaining why Belgium wasn't scoring when the female interjected "I think that Belgium is about to score". And, boooom, instant goal by Belgium! Covering everything helps... [:D]

Well, I guess that she should know if someone is about to score while he is making excuses as to why not. [;)]

[loki100]

looks like we can reduce my list of outcomes to (c) or (d) ... Faroes are nice this time of year [;)]

[loki100]

in fact we can simplify it to (c) .. ah well nice while it lasted

[warspite1]

Scotland 0-2 Czech Rep

Well there's a shocker..... I had hopes for Scotland this time around. Just need to beat England now.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Scotland 0-2 Czech Rep

Well there's a shocker..... I had hopes for Scotland this time around. Just need to beat England now.

och you have to give it to us for finding inventive ways to lose. Try an utterly pointless long range shot and then they score from a near perfect example of the genre

[RFalvo69]

ORIGINAL: loki100

in fact we can simplify it to (c) .. ah well nice while it lasted

I watched only the highlights, but the Czech goalkeeper did some miracles.

The second goal was an artillery strike. I don't know what the Scottish goalkeeper was thinking. Never leave the box like that in international football: anyone with a bit of class and awareness will immediately notice. [&:]

[warspite1]

Half Time: Spain 0-0 Sweden

Wow. Spain have absolutely BATTERED Sweden. But the Swedes almost took the lead!

Unless Spain tire or Sweden come up with some better tactics, this is going to be a loooonnng 45 minutes for Sweden....

[warspite1]

...and Sweden kept it to 0-0. Not sure how - especially with the chances Spain had in the last 10 minutes. But the goalkeeper was brilliant and the whole team put in a shift.

And, like in the first half, bizarrely it was Sweden, with less than 20% possession the whole match, that arguably had the better chance to score in the second half too.

For those that think 0-0 must be boring, this is yet further proof that this is so wrong.

And today its onto the group of death.

C'mon you Magyars!!

[TulliusDetritus]

I'm not even paying attention to football since Covid striked last year. My money is on France (current world champions) and England (excellent crop of talented players and it's them that win you things).

[RFalvo69]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
And, like in the first half, bizarrely it was Sweden, with less than 20% possession the whole match, that arguably had the better chance to score in the second half too.

Spain needs a new lineup of attackers. The Swedish goalkeeper was amazing but he was also spared a lot by all those easy shots that were sent astray by the so-called Spanish "forwards". Sweden spent the last 10 minutes (long extra time included) totally out of breath but even this didn't help Spain. Were I Luis Enrique, I would send ​in the reserves.

It must be said that Spain had a troubled build up, with a player positive to COVID, a scare with a false positive, and this bizarre choice by Enrique to pick only 24 players instead of the 26 allowed (which will hamper any reshuffle).

Sweden aimed for a draw and got it. Now they will try to do their best against Slovakia and Poland. Slovakia up there with 3 points is for sure in an interesting position...

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

....and this bizarre choice by Enrique to pick only 24 players instead of the 24 allowed (which will hamper any reshuffle).

warspite1

I read the most sloblocks article this morning about England and the fact that Southgate had to leave out three people from the squad and so this breeds unhappiness he's got to manage..... Apparently it was for that reason that Enrique choose not to take the extra allowed players....

What a load of toss. So until quite recently there were squads of 23 with only 5 subs allowed to be named. Prior to that there was no subs of course.

So in a tournaments past, many players have always known they were likely to never get picked let alone get a game. Recently they changed things so everyone gets to sit on the bench and now, apparently, anyone that doesn't is going to turn into a homicidal loon that will destroy the fabric of the squad... What is the matter with people nowadays???? Everything has to be a conspiracy ridden crisis....[8|]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

ORIGINAL: warspite1
And, like in the first half, bizarrely it was Sweden, with less than 20% possession the whole match, that arguably had the better chance to score in the second half too.

It must be said that Spain had a troubled build up, with a player positive to COVID, a scare with a false positive, and this bizarre choice by Enrique to pick only 24 players instead of the 24 allowed (which will hamper any reshuffle).

I think that Sweden had some trouble with the build up as well, with two players (I think) that were COVID positive.