The Official Football/Soccer Thread: 2017-2018 Season
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Tonight: Germany - Turkey
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And Turkey is out! They lost with 3-2... Not a bad match. I thought Turkey was way better! We couldn't see anything for a few minutes, and the comment fel out twice Was this the same at yours?
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exactly like that here, it comed for the source it seems. if the Euro Cup is ending the Macca Board League of Fantasy Football too. I've been the only one fool on the hill to choose 8 football players of Spain for my XI, let's see what happens tomorrow. Standings today 1. Dan's Dynamos 221 points and with Puyol, Capdevila, Villa and Arshavin still to play tomorrow. 2. La Furia Catalunya 217 points and with Capdevila, Anyukov, Xavi Hernandez, Villa and Arshavin to play tomorrow 3. Oliver Sanz's team 196 points and with Casillas, Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Silva, Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Torres and Villa and Villa again (my captain) to play tomorrow. Daniel and unclesox have Capdevila, Villa and Arshavin in common. So the difference between them can happen with Puyol for Daniel and Xavi and Anyukov for unclesox. It looks that they can make a tie before the final. I have Capdevila and Villa in common with them. 20 points less. But Casillas, Ramos, Silva, Iniesta, Xavi (except with unclesox), Torres and Villa again to reduce the difference. Right or wrong here I go for Spain. Tomorrow Russia vs Spain. Spain won his only champions in a Euro Cup with a final against Russia, with Yashin as the goalkeeper, probably the best goalkeeper ever... yes even better than Casillas, Buffon or Cech, some say the night before he went drinking with Spanish people around Madrid... I only hope Casillas don't drink much or maybe Ramos that seems a little out of place, as usual in Real Madrid defenders. Casillas is the captain and leader of this team, motivating, guiding and leading, substituting you know who and in a similar style. The brains, heart and ball of the team. Tomorrow we are supposed to expect a lot of goals cause Russia is not defensive and Spain either... I think this has been the best football tournament I ever seen, even matches that you wouldn't expect much have got exciting moments... almost any team has had great highlights. I don't know if it's cause the smaller ball of what... Germany is tough but no-one is toughest than the Russians... ask Hitler and Napoleon... and watch out for the battle Arshavin-Puyol if it happens, it will show if Arshavin is so good or not.
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Ever-Present-Paul:
We couldn't see anything for a few minutes, and the comment fel out twice Was this the same at yours?
Yes, it happened all over. From what I heard a lightning strike hit the telecommunications center in Vienna, and even though the game was played in Basel, Vienna is where the world television feed is produced and sent out. But I also heard that some countries got their transmission back before others. And strangely the "fan zone" in Basel never lost their feed. They probably got it straight from St. Jakob Park. Here in the U.S. the game was shown on ESPN and we didn't get to see Klose score live as it happened (2-1 for Germany) but we did get a replay when the link was reestablished. ESPN lost the feed a second time and it came back on just as Turkey was celebrating the 2-2. We got to see the final goal by Lahm but transmission was lost throughout injury time and so we didn't hear the final whistle. A crazy night. I never expected that Turkey would be make it as great a contest as it was. Credit to them, they certainly were the most fun to watch with all those last minute goals. But the Germans have a long history of scoring late winners themselves. I guess you can say Germany out-Germanied the Turks. haha... er : I'm really nervous for Thursday's game. Russia really scares me now and to me it's 50/50 on who will advance. Spain's defence will have to step it up too keep Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko off the scoresheet. By the way, Spain will be wearing their alternate yellow shirts for the match with their regular dark blue shorts and socks. Russia will play all in red. And Turkish club Fenerbahce has announced on its website that they signed Aragonés to a two year deal once the EUROs are over.
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unclesox:
Yes, it happened all over. From what I heard a lightning strike hit the telecommunications center in Vienna, and even though the game was played in Basel, Vienna is where the world television feed is produced and sent out. But I also heard that some countries got their transmission back before others. And strangely the "fan zone" in Basel never lost their feed. They probably got it straight from St. Jakob Park.
Yeah, I heard something like that too But I think, that when the lightning hits it, it wouldn't get back. On dutch TV, they just said the weather was really bad.
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I still don't know how Arshavin plays but if his causing troubles probably Puyol will make a mark to him... The Spanish TV that show the Euro Cup has a place in Madrid where people has already filled the square since 2 hours ago... madness... We saw the Klose goal live... or the Rustu mistake ... and the others too... the interruptions were not the same for every country, it seems, a little weird...
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Why are they singing "Immer wieder Österreich"??? They're out, just in case somebody didn't notice!
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SPAIN!!!!
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Svenn:
SPAIN!!!!
yes, big Spain show. And "our Iniesta", man of the match... they started playing long balls, that didn't work at all, actually Russia had more the ball then... Aragones told them to stop and pass the ball around. Villa's injury made them play as in the end of qualification round before the Euro, it was not improvised. 4-1-4-1 instead of 4-4-2 with Torres and Cesc instead of Villa. And then passing the ball aroud the goals and the "tiki-taka" came... actually with 3-0 Hiddink told Aragones to tell their players to "stop"... not to lose 4-0 or 5-0 in a semifinals with the world watching... I think we're gonna talk a lot bout the final Germany vs Spain. And I think Spain over the years always has had good players but never have competed well, always losing in silly ways. We have been our worst enemies. Kind of eternal loser Spanish legend... buried with the recent world championships in basketball, handball, waterpolo, tennis (the Davis Cup), and even in individual sports, but not yet with the most popular sport here. BTW since 1973! no team has won a semifinal with 3-0 or more, in the Euro Cup or World Cup, and thas was Beckenbauer's Germany. With him watching in the stadium now.
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Macca Board Fantasy Football League Standings just before the final match 1. Oliver Sanz's Team 243 points (Me) 2. Dan's Dynamos 236 points (Daniel) 3. La Furia Catalunya 235 points (unclesox)
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and if I though it would be easy against Russia I don't like it will be easy at all against Germany. Kind of Italy revisited. Not much people thinks Germany has a good team but I think they have one for playing in their way, the German way... Spanish plan should be kind of. 1 Pressure the start of the game of Germany. The last thing Spain can allow it's Germany putting Spain inside their own area... then we're gonna get bombed with crossing-headings and long distance shoots (Ballack, Schwanstaiger, Klose, Lahm...). If Germany can pass easily till being next to Casillas, big danger... Spain could put the defended very advanced but I don't think so... Podolsky is fast, Marchena slow, if they didn't do it against Italy, I don't think they're doing that this time. So pressing and pressing so they don't come to the area (or so ) . 2 Attacking slow... kind of like Italy but not so slow, but not as fast as against Russia in the second half (maybe one the best halfs played for a team EVER). If Germany plays with Podolsky, Klose, Schwazy, and Ballack in attack.. it's not so good defensively as Italy but Ballack can defence and the 6 behind too. 3 Maybe penaties again... possible 0-0... I don't think Spain has better shooters this time.... Villa, Torres, Cesc, Senna, Iniesta, Xavi, Cazorla... vs Ballack, Klose, Schazy, Podolsky and Lahm... but surely a much better goalkeeper this time. So I think we can trust in winning the penalties but not as much as with Italy, though is less likely to be a 0-0, if Germany plays with their usual XI, not so defensive.
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21st Century Paul:
We saw the Klose goal live... or the Rustu mistake ... and the others too... the interruptions were not the same for every country, it seems, a little weird...
We didn't get the Klose goal live, and the transmission came in as Turkey was celebrating their 2-2. Luckily we got the Lahm goal live but then we missed injury time and the frinal whistle. Only Swiss TV and Al-Jazeera in the Middle East did not lose any live video. The rest of the planet lost at least some of it.
21st Century Paul:
yes, big Spain show. And "our Iniesta", man of the match...
Was Iniesta named Man of the Match? He definately had a great game but I gave my Man of the Match to Sergio Ramos. He's been crap the whole tournament and I suggested he be replaced, but he had an outstanding game, imo. The players turned those yellow shirts into gold. But Villa is apparently out for the final. Torres went back to his usual self with the national team, showing up without his shooting boots on. He really needs to be at his best on Sunday. As great as Russia has played in the tournament, Spain seems to be their bogey team. They were nothing like they were against Holland just four days ago. EURO 2000 is generally regarded as the best tournament from a stratigic standpoint. For me, Mexico 1986 was the one I enjoyed the most. But this EURO 2008 has certainly left its mark. Fabulous tournament put on by the Swiss and Austrians (bar the lightning strikes and television blackouts )
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¡Congratulaciones España! Whoever is going to win this final, I hope it will be a game as great as this one was!
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Sergeant_Pepper:
¡Congratulaciones España! Whoever is going to win this final, I hope it will be a game as great as this one was!
Without thunder and lightning, power cuts and TV-blackouts!
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Preparations for Sunday's final have begun! The cup is already in Spanish hands! Enrique Iglesias will perform the official UEFA song,
, during the closing ceremonies. -
Well, for me this one has been the best tournament I remember, but I'm only 30. Not by Spain as I said, of course. Besides the playing... there hardly have been violence anywhere... except that thing the day of the Germans... in the semifinals some got scared with the fact that Basel (150000 people city) was gonna receive 100000+ turks and 100000+ german... and nothing happened... teams have won and lost and no fights about it. Yes, it should be normal, but it's not always like that... For being exacting, the same old complain, the referees... especially in missing maybe dozens of penalties and only signing... one? in all the tournament, and the same goes for yellow and red cards. Yes, Iniesta was man of the match, I saw it on TV an in fantasy football... Well, the other semifinal was even stranger... Lahm himself said he didn't deserve it cause he was horrible in defence, one of his worst matches... but well... I don't know, everyone in Spain in the second half could be man of the match... a tiki-taka masterclass with all kind of passes... like the Fabregas-Laudrup one to Guiza... again the most watched TV moment in Spain, 17.5 milions this time... this night they're gonna repeat the 2nd half in prime time, is worth to be recorded... Germany is a different story, Russia lets you play, not so defensive, and Spain has problems with the ones that are very defensive... but Germany can use a lot of XIs... sd long as they play thinking of Spain... it's very predictable how Spain is going to play but don't know about Germany the say they want to get back to the 442 instead of the 451, so Hitzlsperger out and in someone else not defensive... It seems Ballack wanted to change the original system : so they changed...
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unclesox:
The cup is already in Spanish hands! Enrique Iglesias will perform the official UEFA song,
, during the closing ceremonies.oh no! Enrique Iglesias.... surely there was no-one better... : I hope he doesn't sing live and it's a playback instead... or that he does it after the match ends... And maybe someone's going to sing the national anthems before the match... I read that in the last World Cup Laetitia Casta, sung the France one and I guess someone else the Italian one... Yes, the Spanish one it's not a song but it can be sung anyway... you can't forget the lyrics.
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Timely words of Joao Havelange, previous president of the FIFA. He has just said that after researching he has discovered that the World Cups of 1966 and 1974 were adulterated. In both tournaments English played in a certain round with a German referee and German played in the same round with an English referee... so those matches were adultered for making Germany and England winning. Germany and England did the final of the 1966 World Cup with the famous decisive England goal not passin the goal line really and Pele being kicked by some teams as much as they kicked the ball, leading to Pele forced injury, Brazil playing with 10 (no substitutions) and beling out the 1966 World Cup.
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Today Brazil celebrates today the 50th anniversary of their first World Cup. A Cup won against many opposition in... Brazil!. The medician of the team wanted to leave Garrincha and Pelé out of the team. Garrincha, for being "mentally retarded, unable to play a team sport" and Pelé, for "flat feet". Garrincha had 36 children and Pelé scored more than 1200 goals. And Pelé, Edson Arantes do Nascimento really, was named Pelé cause his mother used to say "Stop playing football and start to study if not you're gonna become a "Pelé"".... a John Doe... or a better translation would be a "loser". And that name became his name.
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Beckenbauer: "The football of Spain in the second half against Russia is the best football of this decade" Amen. Enrique Iglesias is gonna sing before, I hope it's a playback. Some tenor is gonna sing the German anthem. Placido Domingo is exactly there but he is not gonna sing but watch the game. ... a playback ... And that no-ones open the mic.... Enrique Iglesias caught with his mic open...
And this is priceless... the Spanish national team (really, not impersonators) do a Pop Idol-Operacion Triunfo-like casting about singing Spanish goals in the Euro Cup, I don't think it needs translation...