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I agree with you... almost.

You see, we have good players and they finally played well as a team. In the first half, all was perfect. Then the idiot Advocaat (trainer) pushed some very dumb changes, they players had already protested btw.
Anyway,Robben went off while Van der Meiden and Heitinga (to avoid the red card) should go off. Overmars should have come in, he has the speed we needed at that time. Van der Vaart was a bad call too...

*cryies*

I don't believe the Chechs will want to lose from the germans but they won't go for 3 points. You are right there, and with their b-team on the field who knows what the germans are capable of, they are Germans after all and they always make it... And the Dutch always get the boot while they play some of the best soccer of all teams...

*cryies again*

I agree the referee was not good, but Im not sure he was only unfair to the dutch team. The offside situation in the 2-0 goal was very strange imo.

However, it was still good footboll, so I dont think he ruined the game, even though it looked like he tried.

[QUOTE=Dottie]I agree the referee was not good, but Im not sure he was only unfair to the dutch team. The offside situation in the 2-0 goal was very strange imo.
<snip>
[/QUOTE]

It is just the "new" offside rules in effect, or rather the new defining of the rules by FIFA. (I've read about it both in the papers, and on the Internet, around tournament start).

But many referees would still have called an offside on that one, regardless.

and other would have given us a penalty or two and won't give us an wrong red card.

Collina should do all the refereeing

[QUOTE=Silur]Collina should do all the refereeing [/QUOTE]
LOL



Portugal and Greece go on and spain and russia get to go home early...

spain vs portugal could have ended both 2-1 spain and 0-3 portugal.... but settled at 0-1 to portugal

Yeah, the Portugal-Spain match was a beautiful classic, and Portugal had never beaten Spain in a World or Euro cup before. (I think).
I have to say, even though I cheer for Portugal (I'm half portuguese), I believe Spain played quite badly. Raul missed one or two good chances to score, and I didn't see the other Spanish attackers do much...all I can say is that their defense was pretty solid.
Felipe Scolari has once again shown intelligence as the Brazilian coach for Portugal by substituting Pauleta (who has played real badly so far) for Nuno Gomes who scored the winning goal. He also did well by taking off Figo when he was tired and putting an extra defender. Slowly, the team gets better and better...especially now that I think that Nuno Gomes and Ronaldo will be playing from the beginning of the next games (two really good players that were on the bench before).
But yeah, Spain has quite a few top-class attackers, and how they didn't convert strikes me as surprising (even though a few shots were unlucky and two hit the post).

Let's see now...my favourites will have to be: England, France, Portugal and Czech Republic so far.

*Ysh skips around the thread in exhausted delight*

*phew!!* how do the impartial among you think we played?

Now England meet Portugal - I look forward to that game!

Georgi/Silur - to answer the question (way back) I have one flag on my car, and it is not the sports car - it is hard to attach a flag to a soft top lol! I did have two flags on the family car during the World Cup, lost one back then, and the second the day before the England France game. Bought a new one though, son was upset for having opened the window and releasing the flag on a motorway

@Ysh: Why am I not surprised Congratulations on "your" victory.

I'm so hoping for 2 - 2 in the game between Denmark and Sweden! I quess any draw with a score higher than two would do just as well. The Italian media has gone wild with accusations of the two teams making a deal on scoring 2 - 2 just to keep Italy from advancing. Their reporters even tried to send forged faxes between the hotels the two teams are staying at, and were only caught because the hotel personel got suspicious. Sportmanship is not a big thing in sports these days... more like, getting ahead at any cost.

So my view is that since Italy now has a valid excuse why it wasn't their fault and justification for why they didn't advance, it shouldn't matter all that much that they don't. In the World Cup it was the referee that was unfair, now its a fixed game between Denmark and Sweden. Interestingly, in a survey made by one of the Swedish tabloids, 32% of their readers (60000 votes) thought that the two teams should throw the game just to spite the Italians. In the Danish media they're saying that they are sorry for having to beat Sweden since they'd rather send the arrogant Italians home while one of their star players goes straight out and says 2 - 2 is a perfect score.

In the meantime: Go, Bulgaria, go!

I don't think the italian medias has gone "AWOL"? (military abbreviation of: absent withouth leave) - but I understand your meaning
It is so fun, the mass-hysteria that emits from allmost all the italian medias (and players apparently) covering the Euro 2004 at the moment, and instead of wondering why they are in the situation they are in (bad play against Denmark, and to defensive strategy against Sweden) they start to sling mud around.

It could be so immensly fun if the score actually ended up at 2-2. Danged I would laugh. The danish bookmakers have exceptionel low odds on 1-1 and 2-2, because everybody is betting on that result now.
Could also be fun if Bulgary suddenly came alive and kicked the Italian out of the tournament with a win.

I feel somewhat sorry for Italy, the draw againt denmark was deserved, but against sweden I think they showed they were the better team. Would be sad if they went out without a chance to continue to play that way.

I was going to write "runs amok" but felt it a bit strong since it's not that far from normal media behaviour, so I settled for a perhaps misused expression for "being out of line" Edit: Clearer?

Italy plays great when they decide to play football instead of swan lake. Sadly there are too many divas, primadonnas and ballerinas in the Italian team for me to want them to succeed with anything. Denmark is the better team so most likely they will win, but a draw at 2 - 2 or more would be nice too

LOOOOOOOOL

2-2 between Denmark and Sweden in a most entertaining match.

Now this will spark some italian debate

Italy played ... weak, in my oppinion - untill the 94th minute they had only a draw of 1-1, but won 2-1 over Bulgary with a late goal. Very dissapointing of the italian players, and nice fight by the bulgarians.

But so much fun.
Especially the Sweden "play" at the last 2 minutes of the match

Nice - Sweden first and Denmark second in group C.
Italy goes home

Heh, 2 - 2 it is ... and Italy managed to beat Bulgaria 2 - 1 after 4 minutes overtime. I guess the Sweden-Denmark conspiracy against the poor Italians must be true then. Both scandinavian teams did a very convincing show of it though - I could have been fooled to believe they actually tried to win...

[QUOTE=Xandax]
Especially the Sweden "play" at the last 2 minutes of the match
[/QUOTE]

Hey! I didn't see any Danish players trying to take the ball away from them. Very good defensive play those 2 minutes

[QUOTE=Silur]<snip>
Both scandinavian teams did a very convincing show of it though - I could have been fooled to believe they actually tried to win... [/QUOTE]

Well - looking serious on it for a moment - then it does seems to pay to be first in the group and having to face off against either Holland or Germany (or Latvia if they cause a sensation) which have showed signs of weakness so far. Instead Denmark, as number two in group, has to face off against Czech which seems to play very strong at the moment. (The Czech has already won the group).

But I can't wait to see (hear about) the headlines from the Italian media tomorrow
But anyways - it was a good match between Denmark and Sweden. Nice fast pace and many good chances on a difficult, fast and wet field.
Was one of the better matches this tournament so far with a wonderfull first goal by Jon Dahl Thommason

[QUOTE=Silur]Hey! I didn't see any Danish players trying to take the ball away from them. Very good defensive play those 2 minutes [/QUOTE]

Hehe - well that little "play" will cetainly spark at the conspiracy theories

[QUOTE=Xandax]Hehe - well that little "play" will cetainly spark at the conspiracy theories [/QUOTE]

Good!

The Italian sports tabloids have to earn a living too!

[QUOTE=Silur]Good!

The Italian sports tabloids have to earn a living too! [/QUOTE]

If you can call it a living.
But I'm very sure that the danish and swedish medias will see a boom in sales also, over the next few days, due to the italians "mudslinging".
Then it is "nice" that our countries are so alike - people from both can easily see the fun in this