Silly.Mikey
Banned
Italy really stresses me out when they play. They always wait till the last minute to qualify. God damnit.
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Euro 2012 |OT2| of Spain celebrating victory with younger, mixed gender squad
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Broder Salsa
Banned
This is the truth!
I've always found Spain entertaining. They keep possession and move the ball extremely well. Their touches are often beautiful. They normally get plenty of scoring opportunities, too. And when they do score, it's often the product of some great ball movement and team play.
The problem is that, because they hold the ball so well and take it back so quickly, they don't allow the other team to be very entertaining. So if you're not cheering for Spain (and again, who cheers for the best?), you're going to be frustrated throughout.
Once the hate dies down, that's when we'll know that Spain has fallen from grace. So I hope the bitter tears flow for many years to come.
The problem is that, because they hold the ball so well and take it back so quickly, they don't allow the other team to be very entertaining. So if you're not cheering for Spain (and again, who cheers for the best?), you're going to be frustrated throughout.
Once the hate dies down, that's when we'll know that Spain has fallen from grace. So I hope the bitter tears flow for many years to come.
Frank the Great
Banned
good stuff italy
sucks for croatia though, was really rooting for them.
sucks for croatia though, was really rooting for them.
I think Denmark deserved to go through, at least much more than Portugal. They did much better than everyone probably thought they would, and even though Holland flopped, they were technically the worst team of the group, but almost made it.
Russia and Croatia deserved to go, too. I know this is silly discussion but it's true. I was loving the EUROs until the third phase started.
FootballFan
Member
Damn, that must have been a dreadful pass to go all the way to the stands. Disappointed in Busquets if true.
I didn't watch the match, but you just know these things. The best team won, Spain deserved the victory, and soon, the tournament.
Maybe it's because I'm the only one who hasn't seen the match, but I'm the only one who'd like to know what happened in the couple seconds before what's showed in this gif?
Why is the Croatian player's left arm over Busquets' shoulder?
I can imagine two situations:
1. the attacker wasn't touching Busquets at all, his arm was horizontal or high. Busquets grabbed the arm, pulled it down and then happens what's showed in the gif. This would be a really evident gesture and an obvious penalty.
2. the attacker jumped putting his arm over Busquets' shoulder, then happens what's showed in the gif. This situation seems more like a foul by the attacker followed by a foul by Busquets.
I would love to face Russia. Great first math they do. Spain Versus Russia would have been an awesome match.
Frank the Great
Banned
btw for people who watched the italy game: how did abate play?
From what I saw (first half) he contributed both offensively and defensively on that right wing. Putting in crosses for the forwards and making crucial tackles near the box. Solid half.
More this, but still a foul against Busquets. Croat put his arm in front of Busquets neck to block him and fight for position and kind of jumped 'on top of' Busquets. Knowing he was in trouble, Busquets grabbed the guy's arm/sleeve to pull him down/away from the ball.
You repeat the same joke over and over again. We got the point, you can't understand the glory of the pure football (TM)
You repeat the same joke over and over again. We got the point, you can't understand the glory of the pure football (TM)
Trust me. This is not a joke.
He was good defensively, but ironically not so much going forward.
The opposite of Maggio?
Italy needed Urby out there, clearly.
Broder Salsa
Banned
That's going to be a bit of a challenge.
Phantast2k
Member
Grover Cleveland
Member
They're a team playing in a sporting competition. The object of which is to win the competition. That's why (to keep with my Spain point) del Bosque was hired. To win. Not to ensure that people had a good time watching them play.
How it looks on the telly isn't (or shouldn't) be the primary concern of the teams or players themselves.
joeygreco1985
Member
WE'RE THROUGH!
SO glad we got to shut up some loud-mouthed Croatians today. I can't believe people thought that 2-2 draw they were pulling for was even possible. Score two goals on fucking SPAIN? Get out of here! Now my Facebook is flooded with crying Croatians calling Italy a bunch of divers. Sucks doesn't it?
FORZA AZZURRI!!!
SO glad we got to shut up some loud-mouthed Croatians today. I can't believe people thought that 2-2 draw they were pulling for was even possible. Score two goals on fucking SPAIN? Get out of here! Now my Facebook is flooded with crying Croatians calling Italy a bunch of divers. Sucks doesn't it?
FORZA AZZURRI!!!
that's not necessarily true (though I agree). I mean, just look at Cruyff going on and on about how it was better to lose World Cup 74 because it defined their team, it gave them an identity. Sometimes it is about giving your team an identity (Spain = tiki taka, Italy = cattenacio, holland = total football, etc.)... though I am of the opinion that winning should always come first. Still, can't deny that national pride can be just as closely aligned to the way you play as much as how well you do in the tournament.
I'm happy for Mario, he got to finally prove himself. I'm rather impressed by his playstyle, truly a force to be reconed with yet still very technical. Definitely a great addition to the Italian team.
Tomorrow Rooney gets to play, I'm rather curious how it affects the rest of the team. Predicting england will win 3 - 1. I can see France and Sweden ending in a 1 - 1 draw, that or France will score the winning goal on the second half.
Tomorrow Rooney gets to play, I'm rather curious how it affects the rest of the team. Predicting england will win 3 - 1. I can see France and Sweden ending in a 1 - 1 draw, that or France will score the winning goal on the second half.
Weighing in.
Spanish football isn't entertaining to neutrals or the opposition because they retain possession so well and starve the opposing team. The opposing team is played out of the game, and when they do finally get the ball their team is so fatigued and out of position that it usually results in sloppy play. It turns what should be, and what people want to see, a two sided duel into an exercise in patience where one team is slowly being strangled to death.
Spanish football can be exhilarating to watch as a neutral, when played at its absolute peak, but tonight Spain were woefully off the boil and played poorly. I judge a team based on how well they execute their desired system and tonight Spain failed to do that, with the exception being a flash of individual brilliance from Cesc.
As for those moaning about the goal, it was onside. Pure and simple. Trying to debate that makes you look petty and bitter.
Spanish football isn't entertaining to neutrals or the opposition because they retain possession so well and starve the opposing team. The opposing team is played out of the game, and when they do finally get the ball their team is so fatigued and out of position that it usually results in sloppy play. It turns what should be, and what people want to see, a two sided duel into an exercise in patience where one team is slowly being strangled to death.
Spanish football can be exhilarating to watch as a neutral, when played at its absolute peak, but tonight Spain were woefully off the boil and played poorly. I judge a team based on how well they execute their desired system and tonight Spain failed to do that, with the exception being a flash of individual brilliance from Cesc.
As for those moaning about the goal, it was onside. Pure and simple. Trying to debate that makes you look petty and bitter.
Mattlikewhoa
Member
I'm late to the party since I was watching earlier but...Ballotelli!?! What a great goal...
You should weigh in more. Perfectly put...
Cassano: 'A new Euros for Italy'
Good, because that one sucked!
Good, because that one sucked!
That's not an identity, that's a stereotype! C'mon guys, Italy were entertaining to watch in the past three games!
I won't have any better material until tomorrow.
Instead of all this goal line technology bullshit that will be relevant once every 100 games, they need to add an additional referee to the side of each goal, specifically to monitor plays in the box, whether it's physical play during set pieces like this one or possible penalties / dives. Actually not instead of, in addition to. But that is a far bigger issue imo.
Thank you both.
I'm not so sure about the penalty, because what happens (showed good enough by the first gif and also well described by Socreges) is usually enough to give the foul in favor of the defending team. The foul by Busquets is just a split second after, but after anyway.
It seems the referee chose to play the "decision of the undecided": "both players used their arms, I'll just act like nothing happened". Bad decision IMHO, it's too evident that some kind of foul happened, the referee should have taken a decision, one way or the other.
EDIT: now that I'm looking again at the new gifs added by Phantast2k, they're still not really clear, because the one with the better point of view starts when Busquets already has grabbed the attacker's arm. My opinion is based more on the description by Socreges.
Teams should have three appeals to call on video technology. Play on until the ball stops, then ask to look at it. It'll stop dick heads calling for every single thing, because now they can prove it, and secondly it'll stop people from pulling shirts and gaming the system because now they can be easily caught.
Italy didn't play particularly well against us imo.
I'd be slightly worried about the 15 minute meltdown your team had from the 70th to 85th minute. I think a better team than Ireland could have scored a couple against Italy.
I agree with this. Also, people requiring assistance on the field should be out for 5 minutes after that.
Yeah I'm not saying they're playing well as much as playing good football.
Italy won't go far, it's very clear.
Yeah, refereeing in this game has been an order of magnitude better than 2006 or 2002. I think all of us can agree on that.
I couldn't disagree more. I pity you if you believe that team sports have any sort of meaning beyond entertainment.
Para bailar La Bomba
Banned
It will abate diving too, which will be the greatest benefit. But three is excessive. How many game changing calls go against teams per match? Start with two and you only lose one if your challenge is unsuccessful.
Yeah, teams don't give a fuck when they go out in the first round as long as they played well. Stop talking shit.
Italy has these meltdowns in almost every single game...
It's a sickness and a very traditional Italian characteristic...lol
Para bailar La Bomba
Banned
This is hilarious. If you want to be entertained, go watch clowns.
trineo_feo
Member
Thank you for the gifs. People here don't know how the offside rule works, WTF.
Willkiller
Banned
What utter shite
Thats a load of horseshit.
Hmmm.
Otherwise agreed 100%. Would also like to point out that there normally aren't any pure neutrals when it comes to football fans. People normally take a side and rarely favour the champions/favourites.
Hmmm.
"When it's played at it's absolute peak,"
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