The Football.....

[Smokin Joe]

Great result for Wales, especially as this was virtually a home game for Turkey. Even Erdogan turned up to watch.

Hopefully four points will be enough to get them through from the group, because a match against Italy in Italy is going to be very tough.

We even did it with Bale, who was otherwise brilliant, missing that penalty.

The format, as I understand it, makes it rather hard NOT to qualify unless you end up with one point or less.

Personally, I'd like to see this tournament and the World Cup run as straight knock out competitions.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I remember when a pink Russian was a drink not a referee.

 

[Rusty Nails]

The format, as I understand it, makes it rather hard NOT to qualify unless you end up with one point or less.

Personally, I'd like to see this tournament and the World Cup run as straight knock out competitions.

Not a cat in Hell's chance. Big competitions are all about the money now, and more matches means more money.

TV, UEFA and FIFA need to make sure that the big money countries get more than one match.

 

[Dave7]

Premier League fixtures for 21/22 released this morning....

First 4 games for Norwich 🔰 [ my team ] are Liverpool, Man. City, Leicester & Arsenal...

Oh dear.
Not the start you hoped for.
That could destroy almost any team

 

[Deleted User]

The format, as I understand it, makes it rather hard NOT to qualify unless you end up with one point or less.

Personally, I'd like to see this tournament and the World Cup run as straight knock out competitions.

Well 8 teams won't get out of the groups, which is a 3rd, so not that easy.

How poor would it be to drag all your fans half way across the World/Europe to watch them play 1 game?

At least all teams play 3 matches within roughly a week which is a good format In my opinion.

 

[matticus]

Great result for Wales, especially as this was virtually a home game for Turkey. Even Erdogan turned up to watch.

Hopefully four points will be enough to get them through from the group, because a match against Italy in Italy is going to be very tough.

We even did it with Bale, who was otherwise brilliant, missing that penalty.

Indeedy. Really enjoyed watching the 2nd half - with a proper punch-up* thrown in too! Game of the tournament so far. (The kit colours really did my head in - why were Australia playing?!?)

Well done Bale, he was class throughout, every touch was quality (well almost every) and worked those last-minute corners perfectly. You could see on his face that he wasn't in the right mood for that penalty; ideally someone else should have taken it, but he took responsibility, "fair play" as I believe they say these days!

*as for the punch-up; credit to BBC for not even mentioning it post-match. I admit I was dying for more analysis, but they handled it correctly. As did the ref at the time; that could have been really nasty with multiple (pointless) red-cards.
Have the refs finally got the balance right in this tournament? :O !! They're penalising the nasty/dangerous challenges, but letting a lot of "robust" stuff go. Still winds me up seeing how much intimidation there is from players, but the refs have taken it in their stride so far.

 

[Smokin Joe]

How poor would it be to drag all your fans half way across the World/Europe to watch them play 1 game?

Tough, that's how sport works.

 

[Deleted User]

Tough, that's how sport works.

Obviously not.

 

[Salty seadog]

Me too. I've got no bloody choice - I got the Welsh in the office sweep 🤦‍♀️

I got France. however Italy are awesome at present.

 

[PaulB]

I seem to recall Golden Goal being a complete non event in most cases, with players so frightened of making an irrecoverable mistake they just played safe.

Liverpool won their third EUFA cup on a golden goal. The final was against the Spanish side, Alaves at the Westfallenstadion, Dortmund and the game was 4-4 after 90 minutes and then it went into extra time.

A lot of us were uncertain about the rumours we'd heard that this was going to be the way the EUFA cup could be won. There was confusion about it with some denying there was such a rule for this game but some were adamant it definitely was. It took a read of the notes in the match programme to inform us that it was going to be a golden goal thing which I don't think any of us had ever seen before. It was Gary Mavers the actor sitting/standing in the seat immediately in front of mine who told anyone in shouting distance this was to be the case and as he was playing Dr. Andrew Atwood in the TV series, Peak Practice at the time, everyone accepted what he was telling us as true.

So we settled in as best we could with that hanging over us particularly in this high-scoring, high-tempo game where literally anything could have occurred. In the second half of extra time, Liverpool got a free-kick on the edge of the Alaves penalty area and Gary McAllister whipped the ball in which was put into his own net by the unfortunate Geli. So that was it, game over, cup won but a few still thought we had a few minutes left to cling on, the concept of Golden Goal being so alien to most of us.

 

[Accy cyclist]

'Tartan Army invasion: Scotland fans party through the night in London despite Met dispersal order as 20,000 descend on capital in defiance of pleas to stay way'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...s-London-ahead-Scotlands-Euro-2020-clash.html

Oh dear,this can only end badly. Mind you,i went to Manchester when an estimated 100,000 Rangers fans 'invaded' in 2008 for the Europa League final. The superb atmosphere was something you just don't witness, watching Accrington Stanley!🧐

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Oh dear,this can only end badly. Mind you,i went to Manchester when an estimated 100,000 Rangers fans 'invaded' in 2008 for the Europa League final. The superb atmosphere was something you just don't witness, watching Accrington Stanley!🧐

Maybe you're not aware of the bit after the superb atmosphere... they trashed Manchester that day, the city centre suffered what the judge called "the worst night of violence and destruction suffered by Manchester city centre since the Blitz".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_UEFA_Cup_Final_riots

 

[matticus]

Belgium-Denmark was entertaining for the neutral. The Danes lost despite a big "attempts on goal on target*" superiority. Even when they were 2-1 down, and BEL looked like they might score more, DEN never looked out of it, always posing threats.
Belgium looked capable of beating anyone, and it will be a shame if DEN go out at this stage.

*something I only realised recently; hitting the woodwork is classed as a NOT on target attempt in the official stats. I know some have strong feelings about this :P

 

[Grant Fondo]

Noticed Eng play second place group F in knockouts, gulp! Fra Ger or Por, gulp again

 

[matticus]

Noticed Eng play second place group F in knockouts, gulp! Fra Ger or Por, gulp again

Hey, don't rule out plucky Hungary yet!

If I've read this right, coming SECOND in Groupd might be better - we'd get the 2nd place from the Spain/Swede/Poland group.

All a gamble of course ...