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What is it about the Aussies and Yanks at sport? You can never ever write them off.... amazing [&o]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

What is it about the Aussies and Yanks at sport? You can never ever write them off.... amazing [&o]

Chile 3 - Aus 1. I think they got written off in that match. [;)]

ORIGINAL: Mac67

ORIGINAL: warspite1

What is it about the Aussies and Yanks at sport? You can never ever write them off.... amazing [&o]

Chile 3 - Aus 1. I think they got written off in that match. [;)]

warspite1

I thought the Aussies were excellent - remember we are talking about a team composed largely of lower league players. They were unlucky not to get a draw from that game.

They had a good second half, but not really good enough at the end of the day was it?

ORIGINAL: Mac67

They had a good second half, but not really good enough at the end of the day was it?

warspite1

No it wasn't - they did not have that bit of extra class required (Cahill and Jedinak accepted), but the point is they punched above their weight and gave a good account of themselves - and you can't asked for more than that.

They made a good game of it, I will give you that. Chile vs Spain will be an interesting game to watch...

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Well.... that was a turnip for the books [X(]

End of an era for Spain, or just a really bad day at the office?

Seems like the end of an era to me.
Casilla was rather weak compared to his best, and why on earth they want Torres up front I cannot understand. They appeared "toothless" as we would say in Norwegian, and ALOT needs to change if they want to succeed.
My bet, the avg age is too high now.

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: cohimbra

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

Netherlands 5 - 1 Spain [X(]

[X(] ...and tomorrow...Italia-Inghilterra. (my bet? 0-0).

My bet is 1 - 2, Italy winning. "Italy is always Italy". Along with Brazil and Germany they are always there, goes to show they are 100% professionals [:)]

100% professional actors? [:D]
Come within 3 inches of an Italian player, he falls down in what appears to be agony, rolls 4 times around the field, only to jump up either to cheer or yell at the ref, after the ref has given a free kick one way or another.

England wins 2-0 (Gerrard and Rooney)

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Well.... that was a turnip for the books [X(]

End of an era for Spain, or just a really bad day at the office?

Seems like the end of an era to me.
Casilla was rather weak compared to his best, and why on earth they want Torres up front I cannot understand. They appeared "toothless" as we would say in Norwegian, and ALOT needs to change if they want to succeed.
My bet, the avg age is too high now.

The key Dutch players aren't that young either.
Could be the Euro league extra matches. Most spanish players played more matches last season than the Dutch.

I'd say it was a bad day for the Spanish coupled with a good recovery from the Dutch. Spain seemed to me to have a good start but they didn't build on it, they just seemed to coast through (almost as though they assumed they would win) instead of building on their goal. Once the Netherlands took the lead things rapidly got away from the Spanish which maybe caused them to become frustrated and lead to a further drop in concentration/performance.

I wish I'd placed a bet on a 5-1 win now [:D]

ORIGINAL: AxelNL

The key Dutch players aren't that young either.
Could be the Euro league extra matches. Most spanish players played more matches last season than the Dutch.

No, but the average age is actually close to 2 years younger for the Netherlands (26.5 vs 28.2 years). Spain has the 8th oldest team in Brazil
according to this site

soundtrack of the day

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus
My bet is 1 - 2, Italy winning. "Italy is always Italy". Along with Brazil and Germany they are always there, goes to show they are 100% professionals [:)]

100% professional actors? [:D]
Come within 3 inches of an Italian player, he falls down in what appears to be agony, rolls 4 times around the field, only to jump up either to cheer or yell at the ref, after the ref has given a free kick one way or another.

LOL No comment [:D]

Now seriously the Three Big Ones deserve a lot of respect. Because here it is not only about what they have won.

It is about what they did when they lost (ie they failed to win a WC). Somehow they consistently manage to get to the finals or semi-finals (again, which they lose). That is the mark of the great (along with the titles they managed to bag).

The others? You have a special case, the Argentinians. Their most hardcore fans think they belong to this aristocracy. Well, I'm sorry but they don't. Just like -oh coincidence, oh luck- England, France and Spain, they managed to gather a Golden Generation (from 1978 to 1986). The objective fact is that except in that concrete case, they do NOT regularly get to semi-finals or finals (to lose them). Once that Golden Generation faded away, back to reality... unlike the Three Big Ones, always there near the goal.

And of course Uruguay. They won the first WC (before WW2) and then the first WC after WW2. After that they basically disappear from the map.

ORIGINAL: Dixie

I'd say it was a bad day for the Spanish coupled with a good recovery from the Dutch. Spain seemed to me to have a good start but they didn't build on it, they just seemed to coast through (almost as though they assumed they would win) instead of building on their goal. Once the Netherlands took the lead things rapidly got away from the Spanish which maybe caused them to become frustrated and lead to a further drop in concentration/performance.

I wish I'd placed a bet on a 5-1 win now [:D]

I'm definitely a clown [:D] I'm the only one (on this thread) who's said Holland would be winners of their group (first page). But then when I had to place my bet on British Exil's page, I was too conservative and predicted Spain would be on top!

I was / am pretty certain their cycle is over. Not only ageing squad. You have a group of people who have won absolutely everything which matters (domestic leagues, domestic cups, Champions Leagues, World and Euro Cups)... They are not too hungry anymore that is.

Now maybe the will prove me wrong [8D]

But anyways they will not avoid this law: what goes up must come down [:D]

And once this golden generation disappears (the only one they had, and indeed they put it to really good use) back to reality...

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: Dixie

I'd say it was a bad day for the Spanish coupled with a good recovery from the Dutch. Spain seemed to me to have a good start but they didn't build on it, they just seemed to coast through (almost as though they assumed they would win) instead of building on their goal. Once the Netherlands took the lead things rapidly got away from the Spanish which maybe caused them to become frustrated and lead to a further drop in concentration/performance.

I wish I'd placed a bet on a 5-1 win now [:D]

I'm definitely a clown [:D] I'm the only one (on this thread) who's said Holland would be winners of their group (first page).

warspite1

I'm definitely a clown

Nah, clowns serve a useful purpose and are funny [:D]

I'm the only one (on this thread) who's said Holland would be winners of their group (first page)

Well I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist - Holland have not finished top yet. Some of us said Chile... [;)]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus
Their most hardcore fans think they belong to this aristocracy. Well, I'm sorry but they don't. Just like -oh coincidence, oh luck- England, they managed to gather a Golden Generation (from 1978 to 1986).

Issue with the English team lately is that it is full of athletes, give me more Gazzas, Bests and Adams'.
I am sure that if the English players went to the pub the day before a match (or even that same day), they would play alot better [:D]

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus
Their most hardcore fans think they belong to this aristocracy. Well, I'm sorry but they don't. Just like -oh coincidence, oh luck- England, they managed to gather a Golden Generation (from 1978 to 1986).

Issue with the English team lately is that it is full of athletes, give me more Gazzas, Bests and Adams'.
I am sure that if the English players went to the pub the day before a match (or even that same day), they would play alot better [:D]

Well the famous Dutch team of the 70s had smokers among them. I remember reading that they even smoked in the changing room. Not sure about the players but I am pretty certain Neeskens was one of them [:D]

Costa Rica [:D]
Did not see that one coming....

WOOHOO look who just scored in England Italy game [:D]

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

WOOHOO look who just scored in England Italy game [:D]

England scored the 1 - 1 a few minutes later [;)]

Best match so far in my opinion. Two different styles. Great display. Positively surprised by the English team (they were weak in previous championships). Gerrard was correct. Now they only have to show what they know to do on the pitch. And that's what they're doing.