Don't worry. I was surprised when I learned that the ball doesn't have to be in the corner zone when a corner is taken, it only needs to hover above the line of the zone.
All those years of confusion and madness at referees for not punishing players.
Yeah, offside is a fruity rule. You can still be offside and be in front of a defender if the keeper has gone walkabout down the pitch.
The player in black (11, I think) is offside even thought there's a defender on the line. You're offside if you're in the opponents half and beyond the second last defender (including goalkeepers) when the ball is played.
Turkey last night, Game of Thrones today..
I don't think I've experienced this level of disappointment ever.
thread title has not been changed :/
I actually still think England could win this thing.
They looked way better than Germany did today.
Dat frostbite engine
Dat frostbite engine
Turkey last night, Game of Thrones today..
I don't think I've experienced this level of disappointment ever.
There's an interesting bit about a new statistics system on German tv atm.
They are talking about how misleading current statistics can be and are trying something new called "packing".
Überspielte Gegner are the amount of successful passes that leave less of the opposing team between the ball and the goal compared to before the pass.
Überspielte Verteidiger is the same but specific for bypassing defenders.
Top half of top image shows that "statistically" Brazil played "better" in the 7-1 with the standard statistics.
Could be good to highlight "quality" passes rather than quantity maybe, but even this wouldn't account for everything.
I actually still think England could win this thing.
They looked way better than Germany did today.
Deutschland gonna cruise to the title
Can't wait
We needed those statistics as people were gushing over Barca and their gazillion tikitaka passes along the midline. Yeah great number of passes, total snoozefest. Also lol at Go Krauts.Would love for them to always give the defensive equivalent for each player too, as in how often were they outplayed.
England just wants to go home.Lol i think England could at least get out of their group but the momentary lapse the other night really may come back to bite us. I feel that if England turn up on Thursday we will have...not no problem in beating Wales but I feel almost man for man we have a better team.
I can understand Bale's remarks about more passion and desire for Wales because of how long since they were in a major tournament vs for England its years of the press and fans hyping it up only to realize they are a fairly ordinary team much of the time. It makes sense in that way, but I can never understand if these sorts of mind games are just that or something mean spirited on Bale's behalf, but I doubt it.
Wales could win, but if England win I think it will be game on and the group suddenly looks completely different. Although action needs to be taken to combat the pricks who ruin it for everyone else, I feel like UEFA chucking England + Russia out of the Euros would just give some people an excuse for why we would have failed, and we certainly need a change in manager post Euros.
My wildcard pick would be Simeone but it ain't gonna happen
Would love for them to always give the defensive equivalent for each player too, as in how often were they outplayed.
1: Dutch reporter: "Can you describe 'Zlatan' - a lot of Dutch people don't understand?"
Zlatan: "I've never heard this question before, I think it's only you who doesn't understand."
2: An Italian female reporter asks if he is gay.
"Come to my house and you'll see if I'm gay. Bring your sister," he responds.
3: A reporter asks what Ibrahimovic will get his wife for her birthday.
"Nothing. She already has Zlatan."
4: When invited by Arsenal's manager for a trial.
"Zlatan doesn't do auditions."
5: After Sweden were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a reporter asked if Ibrahimovic would head to Brazil to spectate. He responded:
"A World Cup without me isn't worth watching."
6: On house-hunting in Paris after being drafted in by Paris Saint-Germain.
"We're looking for an apartment. If we don't find anything, then I'll probably just buy the hotel."
7: A reporter asks why there are scratches on Ibrahimovic's face.
"You'll have to ask your wife that one."
8: Zlatan didn't mince his words when describing how it was to be marked by Stephane Henchoz.
"First I went left, he did too. Then I went right, and he did too. Then I went left again, and he went to buy a hot dog."
9: When discussing his former coaches, Ibrahimovic doesn't appear to be hoping for a reference letter.
"Mourinho is Guardiola's opposite. If Mourinho brightens up the room, Guardiola pulls down the curtains.
10: Lastly, Zlatan's book and his app are full of colourful quotes. For example, when discussing a recent injury:
"An injured Zlatan is a pretty serious thing for any team."
I ain't no Kraut.
I'm a Fischkopp and PROUD.
Interview with Sébastien Louis, historian specializing in the study of radical supporters, who was onsite in Marseilles and saw the clashes between English and Russian hooligans. The researcher calls out the Russian hooligans as responsible, along with security failings on the part of the French authorities and of UEFA.
England-Russia in Marseilles, people were expecting clashes. They were allowed to happen, how do you explain that?
There were several distinct phases. The authorities were mostly worried about clashes between the English and the locals. The English tradition is to occupy public spaces. They go into bars downtown, put their flags up everywhere, and... get very drunk. The situation slipped on Thursday night. There were some minor skirmishes with local youth who felt their territory was being trod upon, which were expected. But the overall atmosphere remained a festive one. There were families, but the core of the English supporters were men between the ages of 16 and 55, some dressed as members of the "casual" subculture. It was a very English atmosphere, one you could find in the streets of London on a Friday night. These were small incidents, stemming from excessive alcohol intake.
What led to this atmosphere deteriorating into these violent clashes?
The arrival of the Russian hooligans. Friday morning, roughly twenty people showed up to the bars and pubs along the Old Port. I saw 20 "golgoths" behind me. I immediately recognized them as ultra-violent specialists. They all wore the same T-shirt, some had skull bandanas, they were showing off their biceps. Typical behavior for hooligans from eastern Europe.
The police showed up and placed themselves between the two groups. There were some bottles thrown, but that was it. The Russians then left. The error made by the police was to not have arrested them then and there. I found them again a kilometer away, seated in a terrace. The fighting started again around 5pm, and the most violent fight happened at place Estienne-d'Orves. It was orchestrated like a raid, this was a paramilitary commando: they observed the surroundings, designated a target, and then launched the assault. They knew perfectly well the layout of the neighborhood, and avoided police checks by going through side streets.
How do you explain this behavior?
Russian hooligans want to make it to the podium of European hooliganism. The best way to do that? To show up at an international tournament and to attack the "masters" of the game, the English. Even if, in practice, the English have no longer been at the top for the past fifteen years. But they remain a legend among radical supporters across Europe.
A way of marking their territory?
Exactly. This is Marseilles, a sensitive and key city of French football. Attacking the English supporters is a way to raise the bar very high. They were very recognizable with their T-shirts showing off their respective allegiances: CSKA Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv, Zenith Saint Petersburg. Usually, they'd fight each other. But this time, they had some sort of truce. That said, they all left with their own groups, to show that their clubs remained more important than their country.
How would you describe these hooligans?
This is a new generation of hooligans, starting in the late 90s, coming from eastern Europe, mainly Russia and Poland. These are people who practice martial arts, who train daily. They do not use drugs or drink alcohol, they follow an ascetic lifestyle to prepare for these clashes. They even organize parallel [to the games] tournaments in the woods, on parking lots, 15-on-15 full out fights. The stereotype of the drunkard hooligan lurching along is outdated. It's also a geopolitical issue. These radical supporters enjoy a certain freedom in Russia. They are sometimes used by secret service agencies to carry out violent acts.
How do you judge the reaction of the police and the authorities?
The authorities were focused on preventing terrorist threats, not on managing hooligans. I saw a frightened, tired police force, lacking competent leadership. Police anti-hooligan tactics are outdated. There were several English police officers out of uniform along the French police. That is a very good thing, they know the English hooligans and their cultural practices well. But I saw nothing of the sort on the Russian side.
This situation is also the result of the lack of any strategy from the DNLH [French anti-hooliganism group], and of the mixup between fans, ultras, and hooligans. More and more people have been barred from stadiums - 218 this year due to the state of emergency - but it's always been a repressive policy. To say that these incidents are only the fruit of alcohol intake is a mistake. We need to confront supporters and to initiate a dialogue with them, to train ourselves in real conditions. It's nice to practice with students [referring to riot police actions during student protests], but when you're facing Russian hooligans who do MMA, it's a completely different situation.
How did these clashes make their way into the stadium?
After the fights in the city center, the Russians split up and met up at the stadium. I saw them posing in front of the stadium, taking pictures. They all had tickets to the game. But even the worst cop could have recognized them. Inside the stadium, they provoked over and over again. A Celtic cross was displayed for half an hour. There were numerous signs pointing to an increase in hostilities. They made their own law in their stands, fired rockets, firecrackers. There were real dysfunctions on the part of the authorities.
How were such objects able to make their way into the stadium?
It's very easy. Stadium searches don't work well. The instructions weren't clear, the stewards were completely in over their heads. They weren't trained. Private companies weren't informed properly. We also need to stop relying on volunteers to save money, we need trained people in these situations. We weren't far from a catastrophe. I have been following radical supporters for years, and this is the first time I truly felt afraid.
How are you seeing the rest of the tournament play out?
It's very hard to know. Lots of rumors are flying. The Russians made a big impression, they might try to lay low now. But there's still the Hungarians, the Polish, the Slovaks...
Regarding the shit show in Marseilles:
Hoping we don't see much more of this shit :/
The researcher calls out the Russian hooligans as responsible, along with security failings on the part of the French state and UEFA.
20 years of watching football and I didn't know that. In fact I had never thought about it.
TIL
I looked at the 1994 World Cup which had a similar format to this tournament.
You needed 4 points to qualify as a 3rd place team.
Thanks, very informative. Russians wanting to make a mark makes more sense than a sudden revival of English hooliganism. Also shows the authorities are still clueless if they think an alcohol ban solves much.Regarding the shit show in Marseilles:
Hoping we don't see much more of this shit :/
edit: source: http://www.lemonde.fr/euro-2016/art...n-commando-paramilitaire_4949178_4524739.html
24. Young lad. Awful. Going to do a minutes applause at the 24th minute mark in the Ukraine match.So awful. I can't fathom what it's like to look forward to such an event, traveling to the place and ending up dead because you were drunk at the wrong time. Rest in peace to that fellow.
According to the Guardan he was in his 20s too ugh
Deutschland gonna cruise to the title
Can't wait
Should be three exciting games today although I suspect Wilmots will make a snoozefest of Belgium - Italy. After so many years we still cannot play fluid football.
Zlatan is gold. Isn't his new clothing brand called A-Z or something? (From Amateur to Zlatan)?
Believe me, when you have wall to wall coverage of him, like there is on Swedish TV (you'd think there are no other players), then you kind of get fed up.
There's a Volvo ad with him that really gets my goat for some reason. And they have it every. single. advert. break.
Prepare to be disappointed.Really looking forward for Spain today. So far, the games were good, but no team really stood out.
Prepare to be disappointed.
By the way this 1500h start time during the work week is utter shit. Couldn't they do 1700h, 1900h and 2100h?
you could just plant all players on the opponents goal line and everybody would be offside always.
Well spain has had a bad start in every tournament since winning the world cup and i dont expect that to change lol. (loss, draw, destroyed )Let's hope not :/
And yeah, even on weekends the 15:00h CET games are really difficult to watch, especially if you invite people. But I guess this has to do with TV rights.
Prepare to be disappointed.
By the way this 1500h start time during the work week is utter shit. Couldn't they do 1700h, 1900h and 2100h?