The EURO 2012 Fandome

[superdupermatt]

It's crazy to think that Russia are out as it stands!

EDIT: Even crazier that Greece have gone through!

[Darnok]

Crap. I hoped for Poland to reach the Quarters. Sad to see a host go...

[emperorpenguin]

Greece have done it again. They'd better not win the tournament again as they'll likely melt down the trophy this time!

[EmperorNorton]

All the experts I've heard lately were giving out warnings about the Russians and how strong they are. Ha.
I'm a bit sad to see Poland go, but I'm glad Germany won't have to play against them. So I guess they'll face Greece in the quarterfinals. That will probably be a snorefest. I am happy, though, to see Kyriakos Papadopulous, one of my favourite players.

[emperorpenguin]

Yup I said on page 2 of this thread that they were over rated. Any side relying on a striker as woefully target shy as Kerzhakov and a player as hot&cold as Arshaving were never going to get far

[DeadInTheHead]

Crazy turnaround in Group A. It's always sad to see the host nation to get dumped out of the tournament in the first round though.

It was good to see England playing a bit more adventurously last night, but they still seem to lack some basic organization, which I can only put down to their chaotic build up the the tournament. France are slowly getting better, it'll be interesting to see how much better they can get. Probably not enough to win the whole thing, but if they can get enough from these games it will give them some positivity going into the World Cup campaign.

[EmperorNorton]

Crazy turnaround in Group A.

I just hope we won't see an equally crazy turnaround in Group B.

[vanvelzen]

I just hope we won't see an equally crazy turnaround in Group B.

I hope we do

[Endobai]

Crazy night!

First time I am glad I had no TV coverage (digital tv and still a storm can disrupt it, really?) and used the web instead - helped keeping more distance from the entire thing.

The Czechs deserved to win; if you fail to exploit any of opportunities you don't deserve to go though. And it was said that if we don't do it now it won't happen in the next 50 years either.

Still it was considerably better than in 2008 (the was a nightmare!).

Probably the only guys happy around here are the hooligans from '****** Euro' movement who hate the tournament and the things it does to them (volleyball was more popular before the Euros and the hoods felt they are the true fans) as well as nationalist-populist part of the opposition which was completely overshadowed by the football induced patriotic enthusiasm.


I'd guess the rest will switch to 'our reserve team' i.e. Germany*.

Gdańsk will don't like it either - they expected many more supporters if Poland was capable to win now (Czechs will be less numerous in Gdańsk, just too far for many of them) and quarterfinals with Germany would be amazing.

Ohh... could be worse and the team is still young and can and should improve. Starting with stamina; they really lacked that playing c.25 minutes in each previous one as well as yesterday.
Moments of brilliance are not enough.


I heard that in Poznań guys started learning some Irish song to help the guests from the Green Island - now they ahve another good reason.


Greece...

Shocking! And frankly I believe they didn't deserve get through, but I guess it might help with the elections somehow or at least improve their collective moods.






*No kidding, if you don't know why you have no idea about this co-host here. That is why the quarters could be more interesting.






Today.

I hope the Dutch are gone, they have 5 teams instead of one so unless all 5 score it would be very unfair to the rest.

[DeadInTheHead]

Greece...

Shocking! And frankly I believe they didn't deserve get through, but I guess it might help with the elections somehow or at least improve their collective moods.

I understand what your saying but I have to disagree, or at least qualify that statement by saying that in the end, Russia and Poland deserved it less. Both countries 'should' have beaten the Greeks, but didn't, so well done to them for not giving up.

As for the elections, I don't want to get remotely political on a Football forum (unless I can score a cheap laugh), but given the extra pressure the Greek players must have put themselves under to give the nation a boost (c.f. Argentina in 2002 World Cup), it makes their achievement all the more remarkable.

[nagash66]

Greece[/B]...

Shocking! And frankly I believe they didn't deserve get through, but I guess it might help with the elections somehow or at least improve their collective moods.

Why not? They won enough games, got enough points, scored enough goals, isn't the whole point of the first round to make sure only the worthy pass?

[Darnok]

Greece obviously played well enough to get to the next round. At the end of the day only the points count - and the Greek have enough to move on. It is not their fault that Poland and Russia don't have enough.

[toonboy78]

so glad i transfered in a russian defender for the next round of games

one of the many reasons i don't work in football

[Steve54]

Yup I said on page 2 of this thread that they were over rated. Any side relying on a striker as woefully target shy as Kerzhakov and a player as hot&cold as Arshaving were never going to get far

Kerzhakovs scoring record speaks for itself - its idiotic to judge him on 1-2 games. From this you could easily say RVP was rubbish. Also Arshavin was blameless as far as I can see, blame Advocaat for having a disunited camp and not playing an out-and out striker

[Melkanador]

Sadly not the best playing teams get further but the most effective.

I just hope football doesn´t evolve into the gamestyle of Chelsa et al because then it´s dead to me.


My guesses for today: Netherlands loses (1:2) again while Germany draws 1:1.

[Endobai]

Why not? They won enough games, got enough points, scored enough goals, isn't the whole point of the first round to make sure only the worthy pass?

It was my opinion and I'd stick to that. I just dislike Greek football since the championship they've won. A phalanx is no fun to observe.

They can win well enough, but watching them play is making my teeth ache. Isn't the game also about pleasure you take from watching it?

Russia didn't make it even if their games were more interesting to watch and that is a shame.

Czechs were much more professional and deserved it.

Polish football... it is just so annoying when finally there is a shred of hope and... it ends up as usual; but hope is the first step on the road to disappoinment, at least in the grim, present state of it. Compared to the rest where everywhere huge strides were made it football is a grotesque abomination which deserves exterminatus and rebuilding it from the bottom level. After the Euros are over it would be preferable to risk an exclusion from the world cup just to finally fix it.



That is why I dislike Greece getting to the quarterfinals - a matter of taste, opinion, not pure efficiency which they do have. But their trench war is making my eyes bleed.

[EmperorNorton]

Okay, my guess for tonight!
Germany 4 -1 Denmark
Netherlands 2 - 1 Portugal

[Artinam]

Never, Germany does 3-0 against Denmark,
The Dutch have a miracle and beat Portugal with 3-1.
Yeah I'm biased.... although I think I should be routing for Germany from this point onwards.

[emperorpenguin]

Kerzhakovs scoring record speaks for itself - its idiotic to judge him on 1-2 games.

Is it? If you need to win games to go through to the next round, why keep picking a striker who missed so many gilt-edged opportunities as Kerzakhov? At least RVP did score.

[DeadInTheHead]

@Endobai

You're basically saying that they didn't deserve it on purely aesthetic reasons. Which is a fair enough opinion to have.

So who would win Euro 2012 based purely on playing eye-catching football ? Germany ? I'd also say Spain, I love watching them play - but watching the opposition park the bus, not so much.