GameBanshee Forums

[QUOTE=Xandax]Something of a generalization there now is it ...
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I never overgeneralize. I always have balanced views on everything.

Still, football is much more pleasant when he is the referee because I get so aggravated when players start cheating. "Aw fer christs sake, choose football... or acting, NOT both!" Wonderful advert that, especially with the right accent.

[QUOTE=Yshania]I wish we could have had Collina refereeing the England/Portugal match
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Well - after watching countless reviews, I have to agree that I don't see it as a free kick. The goalie simply jumps to late, and thus is "caught" under the closest english player that jumped before him, so the goalkeeper couldn't get to the ball headed from the "scoring" player.

However, I think that it would in most cases be called as a free kick, due to the referee's position and the fact that an attacking player can hardly touch a goalkeeper withouth it being a free kick. The reason the line-refere didn't call it, was because he was in a position where he couldn't see the incidents. Otherwise I'm affraid I think he would have called it also.
It is the state of the game, unless they start using video for deciding such incidents (much like the "Coach's challenge in American Kick-once-and-run-using-hands-ball )

[QUOTE=Xandax]Well - after watching countless reviews, I have to agree that I don't see it as a free kick. The goalie simply jumps to late, and thus is "caught" under the closest english player that jumped before him, so the goalkeeper couldn't get to the ball headed from the "scoring" player.

However, I think that it would in most cases be called as a free kick, due to the referee's position and the fact that an attacking player can hardly touch a goalkeeper withouth it being a free kick. The reason the line-refere didn't call it, was because he was in a position where he couldn't see the incidents. Otherwise I'm affraid I think he would have called it also.
It is the state of the game, unless they start using video for deciding such incidents (much like the "Coach's challenge in American Kick-once-and-run-using-hands-ball )[/QUOTE]

Both of the English players were in "legal" positions, the goalie could not have got there in time.

The referee could not have seen the incident from where he was, in which case he should have consulted his linesman - who had already given the goal! The thing is, there was an "apparent" impediment on the goalie (whether intentional or not) and the ref ruled in the goalies favour. He should have still consulted his linesman though IMO.

It was not just that incident, though, it was the amount of dodgy decisions against us throughout the game. To a point I think it is necessary to consult video footage, like they do in Rugby to determine a scrum, and also in football to determine whether a card was deserved or not...but that said, I don't think I would like to see a final result overturned by video footage - otherwise what is the point of having a live referee? There are enough officials on the field already, the ref's decision is final, but if in doubt consult...

In my mind, we won that game, even though we scored against the run of play, those were our points. I am not bitter, just disappointed.

Go Greece!

It was not just that incident, though, it was the amount of dodgy decisions against us throughout the game.

In my mind, we won that game, even though we scored against the run of play, those were our points. I am not bitter, just disappointed.

Well, all I have to say is that England didn't play well after the first 3 minutes of the match...staying too defensively in the game, and letting the Portuguese attack all the time. Also, I noticed some dodgy decisions against Portugal...including a few fouls given to England, and one ball which seemed to have entered the English goal but came out.
As for that English "goal", I still believe the English player got in the way of the goalie and his arm DID touch the goalkeeper, and impede him in a minor way. Granted, I believe the goalkeeper would still have not reached the ball in time...but the fact is that you had the Portuguese goalie obstructed by that English player.

Anyway, regardless of goal given or not, it was not a sure way of saying, 'had the goal entered, England would win'. There would have been still time for Portugal to come back. And besides, England had a chance at extra-time (if it had been Golden Goal, Portugal would have won there), and then at the penalties. It's their fault they missed it. So you can't say you were robbed per se, because you still had loads of chances.

Now, talking about european football in general, I think European teams play too defensively. 1-0 up (like England for example) and they immediately shift to a defensive posture and rely solely on the counter-attack to create goals. You know what, I'd venture to say that this tactic isn't particularly great or very successful. No matter how defensive you are, you can still take goals! And one goal difference is no guarantee that the game won't turn around!
I think Brazil does so well in World Cups because it always plays offensively. We don't score 1 goal....then go hug the goal's area for the rest of the match, being as defensive as possible. We got out there and score some more! It seems that everywhere I look in Europe, the teams use the same tactic...1-0, 2-1, 3-2 up and they go defensive, relying on counter-attacks. Basically, going defensive puts you on a lot of pressure...IMO it's a tactic that should be avoided until you're 2 goals up or 1 goal up near the end of the game.

Holland wins with the penalty's.
How shocking is that!?

[QUOTE=Lost One]Now, talking about european football in general, I think European teams play too defensively. [/QUOTE]

I agree completely! Even so, they have become better... I remember the good ol' "Ipswich - Aston Villa 0 - 0"-times when I hated football more than I did going to the dentist. Now they at least play offensive some of the time. Nothing like Brasil or Senegal though. In african football you have 10 players wanting to be forwards and no one likes playing defense. Actually, it could even be 11, since the goalie also wants to play forward

Bah - looks like Denmark will be eleminated. No wonder if you can't really produce any chances
At one point I though my TV was broken, cause it looked like all the danish players were running in slowmotion.

Oh well ... still plenty of time left to score (yeah - right)

Oh well, 3-0 to Czech in a match where I felt Denmark played really poorly. So what if we held the ball for about 60% of the time.... you gotta score in that timeslot

But anyways - the Czech are very strong this tournament, so cudos to them. (*sobbing* )

ROFLMAO! sums it up!

On the subject of defensive play, I agree. That is why I find it more exciting to watch the African Nations cup than many Euro games...though I am often happier to be an impartial lol!

[QUOTE=Xandax]Van Der Saar(sp?)[/QUOTE]

Van der Sar. Almost right.

LOL Yshania! That's really funny...I'm laughing my heart out here. HAHA!

Well, we gotta wait until wednesday for the Portugal-Holland match, and Friday for the Czech Republic-Greece. (assuming this information is correct).

Which means no more games to watch until then (except national football which is never as great).

[QUOTE=Lost One]LOL Yshania! That's really funny...I'm laughing my heart out here. HAHA!

Well, we gotta wait until wednesday for the Portugal-Holland match, and Friday for the Czech Republic-Greece. (assuming this information is correct).

Which means no more games to watch until then (except national football which is never as great). [/QUOTE]


Well - be thankfull you at least have natioanl football to watch.
All that is running in Europe besides the Euro2004 is the "TOTO-Cup" which is so uninteresting to everybody, and most of the teams that play it, that I doubt many TV-networks even shows matches from it.
All the national leauges will not start up for some time still.
It is like going cold-turkey this. Watching football almost each day since euro2004 start - and now .... nothing for 2 whole days .... danged.

Xandax wrote:Uhh - a trip to Paris, I'm jealous - hope it was a good trip

It was a good trip indeed, I presented at a very good congress, however it was a pity I missed out on the football games because of all the late dinners. On Thursday night I was lucky though, because the buses taking us from the banquet back to our hotels, passed the square in Paris where lots of people watch the games on a big screen. It was just as the penalties between England and Portugal was about to start, so I asked the bus driver to drop me off. Many Portugese live in Paris, so it was celebrations on Champs Elysees all night! I was cheering for England so obviously I wasn't too happy, but it was still nice to see all those people dancing and singing on the streets.

Sorry to see Denmark go out, but I really think they lost to a better team, which is always fair. The Czecks have been playing really good so far!

Lost One]Now wrote:
I totally agree with you, and like Ysh I like to watch the African Nations cup I think it was Scolari, or maybe the coach before him, who said in an interview that when Brazil leads 1-0, he tells the players to as if it was 0-0.

I walked through Paris together with a Brazilian-French guy, and when we passed all the celebrating people at Champs Elysees he said with a puzzled look at his face: "Why so happy? Portugal play bad football - Brazil play good football"

Rob-hin]Holland wins with the penalty's. How shocking is that!?[/quote][/quote] I'm a bit disappointed that Sweden is out since I really like Zlatan and Freddie Ljungberg wrote:finally[/i] see Holland go through on penalites, they really needed to break that bad spell

@Ysh: ROFL, that's a great picture Poor Beckham!

Portugal 2 - 1 Holland and Portugal is in the final!

A good game, though Holland could have played better football. Van Nistelrooy didn't do anything the whole match. Great goal by Maniche. Also a good header by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The dutch goal was actually an own goal by a Portuguese defender...though I think if he hadn't stuck his leg out, causing the ball to loop over Ricardo, Nistelrooy would have finished it off anyway.
I'm not sure what others think, but maybe taking off Robben or Overmars in second half wasn't such a good idea by the Dutch coach (despite their having yellow cards) or keeping Kluivert (a great attacker IMO) off all the games during this Euro Cup.

Comments?

PS: who wins...Greece or Czech Republic?

I seriously hope the Czech wins. They have played stable and good during the entiere tournament, even when fronting their B-team against Germany. And allthough Greece has won some spectacular victories, they are not really playing that good

(btw - was annoyed that Portugal went onwards - had hoped Holland would win, but Portugal played better, so it was earned)

Yup, they were better. Most unfortunate.
I must see the highleights again to see if the ref was right or wrong about blowing off the two Dutch goals. Strange that a Sweed was the ref at this match after we beat them in the quarter finals...

I hop the Czech win, they haven't lost a match all tournament and they deserve it. Besides, they beat Germany for us.

[QUOTE=Rob-hin]Yup, they were better. Most unfortunate.
I must see the highleights again to see if the ref was right or wrong about blowing off the two Dutch goals. Strange that a Sweed was the ref at this match after we beat them in the quarter finals...

I hop the Czech win, they haven't lost a match all tournament and they deserve it. Besides, they beat Germany for us. [/QUOTE]
I was wondering about that as well... Frisk is a very good ref and all, and I doubt he would consiously choose one side over the other, but who knows what the unconscious mind thinks and pushes forward....

Bah - boring match so far.

Not even gonna bother watching the Silver Goal or possible penalty, but get the result tomorrow.
No fun

What a scalp for them!! I say again, go Greece!

[QUOTE=Yshania]What a scalp for them!! I say again, go Greece! [/QUOTE]
Sorry, Ysh, I think most of us are Czech...

[QUOTE=Yshania]What a scalp for them!! I say again, go Greece! [/QUOTE]

Typical - but that is what you get when playing ineffective against a team as the greeks
I was very let down by the Czech in the ordinary time, and allthough this means I loose my final bet on Euro2004 (unless somebody starts scoring many many goals in the final - I wanted Baras to score 3 more goals ), I applaude Greece.

Now I hope they can win the final also - I don't want Portugal to win