Official Euro 2008 Thread

[Bigdan]

Originally Posted by tbailey

do they have a bright future?
any World Cup victories in the next several years?

The next World Cup is 2010. This Euro could be considered as a good training for the French team. Now, the team is meanly young, and this Euro was a good ( but hard ) way to learn how to play at this level...

I think the coach will be removed and a new era could begin...

[Ali]

Germany wins! Sorry Ricardo. Close game nonetheless, nerve-racking last couple of minutes. This ends the Scolari era at Portugal, I think it will be while before Portugal to returns to the level that they have preformed the last couple of years under Scolari, unless of course Mourinho takes over, which I doubt. Portugal lost and Ronaldo did not cry? He's starting to grow up, lol.

Edit: 200th Post! Yaaay!

[Ali]

Originally Posted by Bigdan

The next World Cup is 2010. This Euro could be considered as a good training for the French team. Now, the team is meanly young, and this Euro was a good ( but hard ) way to learn how to play at this level...

I think the coach will be removed and a new era could begin...

Yeah, the team is very young indeed. France's young players like Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema, this is their very first tournament, while Holland and Italy have players that have been playing in tournaments in '02, '04, '06 and even '00. These players are like babies when compared to all those players like van Nistelrooy, Van Persie, Robben for Holland and Pirlo, Toni, Zambrotta for Italy. Even Ribery is young, this is his second tournament.

I do hope that the French Football Federation chooses a coach like Van Basten of Holland and play more attacking and exciting football. France certainly has the talent to play like that. Too bad Domenech didn't make use of it.

[chazkimies]

Originally Posted by Ali

Germany wins! Sorry Ricardo. Close game nonetheless, nerve-racking last couple of minutes. This ends the Scolari era at Portugal, I think it will be while before Portugal to returns to the level that they have preformed the last couple of years under Scolari, unless of course Mourinho takes over, which I doubt. Portugal lost and Ronaldo did not cry? He's starting to grow up, lol.

awesome! i didn't catch the game live because it's too late. i'm going to bed!
watching the delayed game right now.

[Ali]

OH MY GOD!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST WITNESSED!!

ONE MINUTE left in the game and Croatia scores, then a MINUTE later Turkey scores. They go to penalty shootouts and beat Croatia 3-1 on penalties. I seriously think I had a mild stroke watching that game. THAT is without a doubt the greatest comeback that I have ever seen in a game at this stage! You never see a team score with a minute left in the game and then have the other team scores in the last minute, the last play of the game in FOOTBALL. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

GO TURKEY!!! They have gone above and beyond their expectations, just reaching the quarterfinal was above expectation, now they have reached Semis! Crazy!

[TheBarrett]

Originally Posted by Ali

OH MY GOD!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST WITNESSED!!

ONE MINUTE left in the game and Croatia scores, then a MINUTE later Turkey scores. They go to penalty shootouts and beat Croatia 3-1 on penalties. I seriously think I had a mild stroke watching that game. THAT is without a doubt the greatest comeback that I have ever seen in a game at this stage! You never see a team score with a minute left in the game and then have the other team scores in the last minute, the last play of the game in FOOTBALL. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

GO TURKEY!!! They have gone above and beyond their expectations, just reaching the quarterfinal was above expectation, now they have reached Semis! Crazy!

Ertegun would be proud.
(just kidding, I don't know if he even digs football)

[Ricardo]

This won't ever happen again in Football History. What an exciting team...

Originally Posted by Ali

Germany wins! Sorry Ricardo. Close game nonetheless, nerve-racking last couple of minutes. This ends the Scolari era at Portugal, I think it will be while before Portugal to returns to the level that they have preformed the last couple of years under Scolari, unless of course Mourinho takes over, which I doubt. Portugal lost and Ronaldo did not cry? He's starting to grow up, lol.

I'm not sad nor pissed. Actually, I think it'll be good as a lesson for them. Ricardo and Paulo Ferreira suck so much it hurts. And I've never liked Scolari as well, we need someone that knows when to choose other players...We left Euro with the feeling we could do much more if we had luck (or skill in some cases, 7 goals total by 7 different players wtf...and 5 or 6 balls off the post )... Anyway, congratulations to Germany, even if they're not even close to the WC06 level...

[Ali]

Originally Posted by TheBarrett

Ertegun would be proud.
(just kidding, I don't know if he even digs football)

I think Ertegun would be proud. I think he diggs footbal becuase he used to own a soccer franchise.

Regradless, Croatia losing is good for you guys. Croatian players are absolutely devasted by this loss, they will be psychologically affected for a long time, so they may not be quite the same when they play England in a couple of months time for World Cup 2010 qualifying. Croatian coach Billic said that he will forever by "haunted" by this loss for the rest of his life and I can't even describe how Croatian fans must have felt.

As for Turkey, their Cinderalla run will end on Wednesday. They will be missing their two good mid-fielders Tanil and Arda and as I said before, he who can't control the midfield will lose the game. The Germans are bigger, taller and faster. No way in hell can Turkey beat Germany. Portugual beat Turkey 2-0 and Germany beat Portugual 3-2, so they will without a doubt beat Turkey. It's reminiscent of 2002 WC when Turkey made to all the way to the semi-final but lost to eventual winners Brazil, samething will happen this time. It was nonetheless a great run by Turkey, a pleasure to watch.

[Ali]

Originally Posted by Ricardo

This won't ever happen again in Football History. What an exciting team...



I'm not sad nor pissed. Actually, I think it'll be good as a lesson for them. Ricardo and Paulo Ferreira suck so much it hurts. And I've never liked Scolari as well, we need someone that knows when to choose other players...We left Euro with the feeling we could do much more if we had luck (or skill in some cases, 7 goals total by 7 different players wtf...and 5 or 6 balls off the post )... Anyway, congratulations to Germany, even if they're not even close to the WC06 level...

Portugal's defending in set pieces was absolutely atrocious, how in the world can they allow two goals off of set pieces. I so thought that Portugual would go further. Oh I so miss those days of Zidane and Figo when France used to win WC and Euro and make it to finals and Portugal making it to the semis/finals of Euro and semis of WC. I think it will be a while before these two teams return to their level. Good game by Germany though, I will be seeing them in the final.

Off to watching Holland VS Russia.....

[Ricardo]

We only got once in an Euro final (2004) and twice in semis of WC (1966 and 2006) We started the hype in 2004, no one knew about us before lol... But this was the our worst Euro in the last decade :\