I'm not so sure the keeper did touch it with his arm,he was about to but looked like he may have just pulled it away in time.

Anyway,loooks like Russia are heading out.Portugal should have won the game even if Russia had 11 players on the pitch.

Well i was referring to the going down just to help clear the danger mainly.The Germans didn't seem to go down under minimal contact anyway and the others weren't as bad as Greece,certainly not in milking of the injury.

Nah he definitley touched it with his arm, unlucky puss.

Actually they just showed it again and from the angles they showed, maybe he didn't.

So there are different levels of it now?

He didn't touch it at all.

Doesn't matter if he touched it, you can't send him off for brushing it accidentally.

Keeper's only get sent off for handling outside the box when it prevents a goal or an opportunity, like any professional foul, as far as I know. He won the tackle with his feet, he was just unlucky.

must be fun to watch the fk'n games and argue about if he touched it or not. :'(

I told you already dude, move here and you can crash at mine. As long as you tape wrestling when I'm out getting pissed (since others here are incappable of it) then :D

Russian keeper got robbed

oh yeah, Greece sucks!

Well, one could argue that he used his left hand to stop the ball rolling away from him. And also the first time I saw it I was 100% sure he handballed it.

Italians blame rough socks
Wednesday June 16 2004

Francesco Totti and Christian Panucci believe Monday's display against Denmark was because of their footwear.

The Italians only managed a lacklustre goalless draw and were indebted to goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for getting anything out of the game at all.

Totti, touted as one of the stars of the tournament, had to leave the field midway through the first half to change his boots, with the new pair from Nike causing him endless problems.

"It was like having your feet on boiling sand, nothing like that has ever happened to me before," he said. "It was very painful. I have two big blisters, one on each foot."

Panucci too was struggling with his feet, with his socks being the problem.

"I had blisters at the end of the game on my heels," he said. "The thread that these socks were made with is too rough."

However, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta believes the excuses don't hold any weight and have called on their teammates to instead focus on picking up the three points against Sweden on Friday.

"Don't make me laugh about this story with the socks," said the Milan midfielder. "Kenyans run hundreds of kilometres with bare feet.

"I also had to put on new shoes, in fact, the same brand as Totti's. My foot was smushed, so I put them back in the bag and put on my old pair. We have hundreds of pairs, you know what the sponsors pay us is not too shabby."

Nesta concurred, saying: "I don't even want to talk about it. They're going to take us for being ridiculous.

"The reality is that (Totti) is so good, he could play barefoot."

------------

Hooray for sh</>it excuses

Portugal 2-0 :D

Russia were more threatening with 10 really.Can't see Portugal getting past England or France,should those teams go through.

Ronaldo should start after that.

Good old Gattuso telling it like it is on that sock story.:y:

Again, I wasn't overly impressed with Portugal. Ok, they dominated possession, but thats not suprising with Russia having 10 men. They have to beat Spain, and I don't think they can do it. Even if they did go through, I truly don't fancy them to get anywhere.

Also, I think Portugese fans should be rounded up and beaten purely for being the most annoying bunch of assholes ever. I literally had to watch the game on mute because of all the whistling, which was bullsh</>it.

They were a lot more impressive going forward with ronaldo on the pitch. I can't see the point of leaving him out for long periods to be honest, especially when Figo is playing like a lazy bastard.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ronaldo has a real buzz about him, it lifts the whole team.

Good to see they listened to him about having people run onto crosses too.

I quote liked that one, he recieved some criticism for not passing to players in that last match, to which he replied "at manchester united, they teach me good players make runs to the far post" :love:

I was lifted by the result in the Greece-Spain match. It was pretty funny actually cos the moment I was telling Kid Robb how defensively we were doing well, we gave away the ball which led to the opening goal. :mad: From then on Greece didn't do too badly though Spain clearly dominated. Rob and I both agreed a 1-0 win to Spain would have been the appropriate result as our defence still did very well to hold out, but at the same time Spain deserved a goal and the win. But still, fuck it, I'll take the 1-1 and the point :D. The equaliser came out of nowhere, I was like :|....:cool:.

Balls that Portugal won though. Still, Spain and Portugal have to face each other in the final round while we have Russia. I don't want to be cocky and say we'll win, so instead let's hope that Spain beats Portugal so we can afford to lose to Russia and still progress to the next stage. :D

Turn it up. :rofl:

Alot of Europe and South America is like that though, isn't it?

Ronaldo, in ten minutes did more than Figo.

He MUST start against Spain, probably in place of Simao. That game is huge now :D

You don't get it in the Premiership unless its over an incident

I haven't heard it in most of the European football I've watched in the past, and I tend to watch South American football with the sound down low, as its on at 4 in the morning.

I hope Spain dick Portugal, I really do.

Totti banned until the Semis.

South American football they don't boo or whistle, when there's a bad challenge they might boo, other then that they just light flares in the crowd and bounce up and down.

I just noticed this.

The Germans were diving all over the place against the Dutch. They were an absolute joke.

Oh yeah because Van Der Vaart never dived :foc:

Thats all I got :(.

Greek football you get it a fair bit in the big matches (both in the national league plus when visiting sides come to Greece for the Champions League or UEFA Cup). I've also heard a fair bit of whistling in Spanish and Portugese leagues (bloody Portugese :p). But yeah, there's next to fuck all in the Premiership.

Anyway, England better win tonight cos I want to play them in the second round. :mad:

Is it worth staying up to see England tonight?

Dazz. Answer me.

The commentators (over here) were right, you tits kept feigning injury, and then when the ball went out you got back up

YES, we MUST win, he HAVE to win, or we are out. Campbell and Ashley Cole are your only players playing, but it is definitley worth watching.

DO IT.

OK then.

Whatever you say, Daz :mad:

The Greeks were hilarious yesterday. Every cheating tactic in the book. They basically fouled the shite out of Spain in the first half, giving away a niggly free kick any time Spain looked like building up a pattern.

Then when they all got carded, they started diving the bit out, feigning injuries and getting Spain to kick it out of play.

I don't particularly like watching Greece, but if it was my team, I'd be loving it.

Are you talking to me? :mad:

But you just called the Germans a joke for doing it also. I suppose the difference is Germany are meant to be a better team and shouldn't revert to cheating.

yes,

I got shat off watching them give away frees and earn all those yellow cards in the first half, as it reminded me of the 2-2 draw Greece had with England in 2001 and the amount of free kicks they conceded outside the penalty area in Beckam's range, like about 10 of them which eventually Beckham finally netted one of them. Having said that, the second half I was happy with the tactics Greece used. :shifty: :D

I'm beginning to think that <s>Tazz</s> Dazz likes everyone to know that Chelsea spent 120 million pounds and won fuck all :-\

Yeah, well, you're right. :D

I'm not gunna change it yet because it's funny.

Yeah all these dickheads that don't believe me that Beckham is overrated say 'He got us into th World Cup with that free kick didn't he?' I think he shot from 13 free kicks that day, for a 'free kick genius' it would have been piss poor if he didn't score at least one.

Without being an expert on goalkeeping, is it possible that James was in the worst possible position to defend Zidane's free kick?

Yes he was. Many pundits have pointed out that had he had Ashley Cole on the back post it would have helped. Beckham kept telling Cole to go on the back post, and Cole was going there but James told him not to. Had Cole have been on James' left post, then James could have stood more over to the right, considering the position of the wall and if Cole was on James' left post then it would have been pretty obvious Zidane would hit it James' right post, meaning James could have stood more over.

But he told Cole not to go on the post and look what happened :rant:

No, I don't like seeing any team do it. In fact, I'm getting fed up of negative tactics causing so many upsets, like Porto winning the Champions League.

Ireland manage to play well against teams better than them without resorting to cheating. We just get stuck in, in an honest way, and play our own game.

It's when we play teams not as good, or similar in quality, that we come unstuck.

I don't like the player on the post thing, I stated why earlier on in the thread. It means forwards can push into the box and stand on top of the keeper.

James accepted part of the blame for both goals.The first was just his fault,the walls there to block one side and if Zidane could lift it over the wall and score then fair enough,nothing could really be done.But James was meant to be at the other side and had he been there he probably would've saved it.

On the second i would have blamed Gerrard but when the BBC showed it in slow motion and stopped it when Henry touched it,the pictures showed Henry stretching for it,so it was impossible to get a shot in straight away.Had James stayed on his feet he could have forced Henry into a bad angle or dived a bit later with his hands going for the ball,hopefully winning it cleanly.So i'm not so sure after that,other than Gerrard has to take a lot of the blame.

For tonights game Eriksson has gone back to the diamond,Lampard in the defensive position,Gerrard on the left and Scholes behind the forwards.

:mad:

I tend to agree. It just so happened that the one free kick he scored from (out of about 10) was in the 91st or so minute. Ah well, that's football.

But if you put a player on the post for a free kick then the opposition strikers can sit on your line aswell no risk of bieng offside

1-0 at half time,Rooney after 23 minutes.

Not been brilliant but the Swiss have only threatened at set pieces really.SORT IT OUT LADS

Scholes was offside

:shifty:

Rooney needs to calm down though.

Michael Owen is useless.

GOALLLLLLL :love:

England 3-0 Switerland

Rooney 2 goals
Gerrard

:D

Scoreline flattered us quite a bit but the win's all that matters.

Owen's finishing seems the only concern.

Rooney still looking amazing.

Our defence kept them out well, weren't too good attacking IMO and sorry but the second Rooney goal should be credited to the keeper as if he wasn't there it would have hit the post and come out, not that it really matters.

In the words (well word) or Ric Flair: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

You mean aside from the fact Beckham has done F</>UCK ALL in 2 games so far? (free kick for the Lampard goal aside) Or that Cole has still not learnt how to defend properly?

There was other stuff but damn, to be honest I'd be more worried about those than Owen, by the time he came off he just looked fed up with not having service, given that the midfield couldn't string half a dozen passes together.

BTW yianni Greece are guaranteed to qualify already, we just don't know whether it'll be 1st or 2nd.

It was Beckhams pass to Owen for the first goal. And his pass to Gary Neville which set up Gerrard for the second goal was bloody hard to do, it was a great ball.

Ok fine he's managed to play 3 good balls while standing still, holy shit he's completely anonymous for 90%+ of the game and barely moves forward when he does get the ball, which basically cripples any chance the team has of building forward momentum.

*Receives ball*
*Looks up*
*Pings hopeful pass*

*Receives ball*
*Looks up*
*Turns around*
*Runs backwards since he can't use his left foot*

The only time Cole looked in danger was when he was outjumped,but he's not going to win many headers anyway.Considering there was a man over he did the right thing to pressurise Frei (i think it was him) seeing as the centre backs were nowhere.

Beckham hasn't made a huge contribution but he played a part in 2 goals today and got the assist for Lampards against France.Pretty good for fuck all,i would say.

The team is going to go fairly negative after a goal,i think its just going to happen under Sven.Owen's done what was wanted,providing a target of some sort if the ball is just cleared downfield,it's just his finishing because he fluffed a decent chance in what Bobby Robson described as his "favoured position" coming in on his right foot.Maybe he should look at and copy what Rooney's doing,like they could interchange in who drops off to collect a pass,what with Rooney having 2 great games and Owen having the pace to worry defenders through running at them.

Gallas :mad: :'(

I know there was some debate over whether Henry should have been World player of the year ahead of Zidane,but ZZ would have gotten my vote.That was brilliant and no, hardly anyone else would try that and see it work in a match.

If Greece lose and Portugal and Spain draw then they don't.Unlikely that Greece will lose but had to be said.:$

Penalty to Croatia.:(

scored by Rapaic,1-1 under 3 minutes into the second half.

Silvestre sucks WOOOOOOO. Not a clear penalty.

WHAT A GOAL 2-1

fuck me, 2-1 Croatia.

Good finish by Prso but Desailly's poor defending strikes again.

I've been saying for over a year that Desailly is past it, and I think we would have won or at least drawn if he was centre back.

Him missing that ball for the second goal shows how shit he has become.

Come on Croatia!!! :D

I'm not sure who I wanna win, if Croatia win its harder for us to qualify.

I bet it ends 2-2.

TREZEGUET

2-2

HAVE SOME

Handball, suicidal back pss. :nono:

Molnar you stupid bastard!

Yeah,what a miss.:eek:

RBF told me he's having some passport problems so he may not be at Pompey next year,which they might not mind after that finish.:$

Great game though, probably game of the tournament so far, or at least one of the best.

First half was piss poor. Second half was a different game.

The level of the first half was improved by that Zidane flick alone.

England vs. Switzerland was a terrible, boring match.

England really do not know how to keep ahold of the football, or how to string a few passes together.

Zidane and Vieira are fucking immense.

Henry and Trezeguet are two lazy cunts. Big Ron is probably saying a few choice words about them right about now.

Desailly ought to make the right decision and retire, before the boss has to humiliate him by dropping him. He's shit now, he should have a bit of dignity and take the hint.

Croatia are great. I fancy them to give England a big scare.

I checked this on the Euro 2004 website, and its not the case.

If Portugal and Russia win, Greece can still go out on Goal Difference or Goals Scored.

If Russia were to win 2-0 and Portugal 1-0, Spain and Portugal would be through. Similarly, if Russia won 1-0 and Spain/Portugal finished 3-2 to Portugal, Spain would be through.

Its unlikely though.

I was under the impression that since Greece beat Portugal that gives them the advantage if they're tied on points

Yes, but if Portugal win and Greece lose, Portugal will have more points than them.

I'm not sure which order the methods are in, if its goal difference then it would be Spain and Portugal,then i thought it was goals scored and then results against, but that seems wrong.:-\

Ranieri dropped him for a while once he came back from injury, but Melchiot is shit, so he had to start playing Gallas at right back and Desailly in the centre. For over a year I've been saying Desailly should retire.

I have said all along that I'm worried we won't qualify from our group, I can see the Czech's and France going through.

It's results against, then goal difference.

If Portugal beat Spain, and Greece lose to Russia, Portugal will have 6 points and will top the group.

Spain and Greece will both be on 4 points, and since they drew, they will be seperated by goal difference. In that case, if Greece get beaten by more than one goal, and Spain lose by just one, Spain go through on goal difference.

Since I've been gone a bit, I'll sum up everything quickly - only two teams have stood out for me so far, France and Sweden. France for being behind in a hard fought match and turning it around like they did and Sweden for being in an equally hard fought match but still absolutely stuffing the opposition, two qualities that championship winning teams have often shown. Then again, Frances slip today wasn't their best performance. And remind me again who it was who praised the Swedes as being vastly underrated a few weeks back? Asides from those two, Germany and Holland were hard to seperate so I shan't knock them.

France looked lackluster and seriously suspect. No team has stood out so far as world beaters and as strangely positive as this sounds (at least for me anyway) I really think England are in with a good chance.

Spain, but for their lapse against Greece, look good as well. Their natural wide-players good be a real threat. The position they're now in against Portugal has left is difficult for them though.

The only question mark over the Swedes for the past decade has been scoring goals. If they can manage it, they are good enough to beat anyone.

They've shown that Larsson and Ibrahimovic are on form and playing well together, and Ljungberg is looking fresh after a poor couple of seasons with Arsenal. It's easy to forget just how good Ljungberg is, because he's not been showing it lately.

Spain look good too.

People are being stupid about this competition, because they forget that it isn't the World Cup, it doesn't have teams like China and Costa Rica, whipping boys. All of the sides can at least play good, organised football, even if they lack talent. That is why we aren't seeing a clear front runner.

But France have looked strong. They just need Henry and Trezeguet to start working.

Italy traditionally start slowly, and grow into tournaments. Cassano is a more than able replacement for Totti, but they need to think about replacing Del Piero if he isn't going to bother his arse. I can't believe Gattuso and Pirlo cannot displace Perrotta and Zanetti, two fairly average players.

England have a team good enough to go far, but their football is disappointing. They can't control the tempo of games, and can't keep possession. They need to start doing that. Sven is tactically inept, to be honest.

Usually somebody stands out early on that are notable. Euro 2000 - Portugal, Holland and France. Euro 96 - Germany, England and Croatia. Euro 92 - well, maybe there are exceptions to the rule, though Sweden and maybe Holland were the early forerunners. Right now, nobody looks clear cut unless the Swedes, the Dutch or the Germans end up winning it.

England were turd in their first two matches at Euro 96. They were shite against the Swiss, and very poor against Scotland. I remember distinctly that England were second best until Jamie Redknapp came on, in one of his few appearances where he lived up to his potential. Wasn't until their third match they showed any class, against a fractious Dutch side.

In fact, they were crap against Spain in the quarters, too. Some very poor refereeing kept them in. Two perfectly good goals for Spain disallowed.

Euro 96 was a pretty dull competition, in truth. A lot of negative play.

My point is, anyway, that people are reacting too much to the fact that teams are not steamrolling the opposition. There are no mugs in this tournament.

It's not that nobody is steamrolling, it's that not many teams have lived up to their potential and not shown the qualities you'd expect from the tournament winners bar the four I've listed. For the record, England dominated against the Swiss in 96, their main fault was not turning their play into gilt edged chances. The Scotland game wasn't great but hardly "very poor". And against Spain, the match was crap but over caution does not equal crap, unless you're a neutral.

Its hard to say about front runners until every team has played at least two game, Germany and Italy have both only played one so far, give verdicts on who will win it after at least two games for each team.

No, I remember quite well, England were poor in their first two games. Euro 96 was a triumph of hype over substance, for England. The game against the Dutch glossed over a very average tournament for England.

I didn't say the Spain match was crap, I said Spain were screwed out of victory, which they were. Two perfectly good goals disallowed, and Spain were the better side. Basically, they weren't allowed to turn their dominance into a victory by poor refereeing.