European Football Championship 2024

[Stavros]

The Euros kick off in Munich in a few weeks time, and the New York Times has 10 of the best ever scored, and not behind its paywall. No prizes for guessing which is No 1.

Ranking the greatest Euros goals of all time: Van Basten, Schick and… Robson-Kanu - The Athletic (nytimes.com) (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5521909/2024/05/29/greatest-euros-goals-ranked/)

[Stavros]

This link will give anyone interested the scheduled matches, etc

UEFA EURO 2024 | UEFA.com (https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/)

[rodinuk]

I wonder if Kleenex has a stand outside the stadium so Scottish fans can dry their eyes in a couple of hours :peanutbutter:peanutbutter

[Stavros]

They probably spent a wild evening of bier, wurst und sour Kraut in one of these places

Munich Beer Halls - Ranked – Thirsty Explorers Club (https://thirstyexplorersclub.com/2023/09/13/munich-beer-halls-ranked/)

[Stavros]

I spend two months of the year in Germany -for the music, not the football. I asked a friend if Gelsenkirchen was worth a visit, the answer was 'no'. The game yesterday was played 7km outside town in the home of FC Schalke 08, and though the ground has a capacity of 50-60,000, the transport links to the ground and the 'fanpark' were overloaded, allowing Germans as well as fans to complain about the decline in the efficiency of their networks.

That said, England did win, but should have scored at least 3 in the first half, and Kane hit the bar via a fantastic save from the Serbian goalkeeper. Now all eyes turn to France and Portugal, but it's too early to call. Of the top seeded teams, Italy and the Netherlands look beatable, Germany and Spain ahead of England and probably in the last 4. But as my predictions are as poor as my bets on the horses, I don't know this means anything.

Fans left sidelined and with nowhere to go thanks to Uefa’s bumbling genius | Euro 2024 | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/16/fans-left-sidelined-and-with-nowhere-to-go-thanks-to-uefas-bumbling-genius)

[Stavros]

France like other teams are good at pressing, their passing is fluent, imaginative, but doesn't put the ball in the back of the net. Their star player has a broken nose and will miss the next game. In their group Romania showed what happens when belief drives the team to attack and score with the kind of enthusiasm one so rarely sees in football these days, carried over into the stands with magnificent support. Austria, again, good at pressing, passing and not scoring, so this group now looks uncertain, though Ukraine are unlikely to progress on yesterday's evidence.

Thus, with only one more group to debut, Germany and Spain look the two strongest teams.

[Stavros]

What happens if the team wins a goal, and then goes for a cup of tea? The other team scores. Things can only get better, innit?

[rodinuk]

So far it’s been fairly entertaining though last night was a dismal watch seeing England looking like an early work in progress rather than a cup-winning candidate. They remind me of Toblerone with all the triangles and it’s great to be able to pass the ball but they look like a mutual insecurity society by passing the ball to each other until the opponent regains it.

Georgia looked good like a young person not ground down by the system yet and Ukraine are still in it perhaps they’ll squeeze through who knows?

[Stavros]

So far it’s been fairly entertaining though last night was a dismal watch seeing England looking like an early work in progress rather than a cup-winning candidate. They remind me of Toblerone with all the triangles and it’s great to be able to pass the ball but they look like a mutual insecurity society by passing the ball to each other until the opponent regains it.

Georgia looked good like a young person not ground down by the system yet and Ukraine are still in it perhaps they’ll squeeze through who knows?

Toblerone! Never thought of it that way, but still an accurate description of the aimless in search of the useless -as in strikers who never or rarely get to touch the ball. Georgia showed what it means to be there, fighting for every ball, charging at the opposing team and winning too, though most of Portugal's 'stars' were rested for the game. England are not about to change, so I don't see any of the attacking flair we saw last night happening against Slovakia. As usual they will pass the ball around and if someone dares to run down the wing and cross the ball, they will use that as their goal scoring opportunity. The irony is that dull football often wins games, even titles, which is why teams that have not been fun to watch -France and Italy, for example- could go all the way, though so far I don't see any team as good as Germany and Spain who on paper have the easiest games in the round of 16. But who knows? Switzerland and Austria have shown a lot of skill, and if England beat Slovakia they play either Switzerland or Italy in the Quarter Final.

[Stavros]

The result does no justice to what preceded the goals in Fergie Time. 5 substitutes were available, but dear Gareth seems to be emotionally committed to the players he has put on the field, even when they are not delivering the passing movements that create goal scoring opportunities. At the death he put on Ivan Toney who did at least pass the ball that Kane headed, but Conor Gallagher? When the score matters and it doesn't matter how, the team wins but nobody likes watching it.

Switzerland can score against England, but England can score against them too, and on the basis of what we have seen, we can expect an England victory, but not much fun.

Pleased to see Georgia score, and they had a couple of chances, but Spain look the best team so far, so their game against Germany is going to be one of the highlights of this tournament.

[rodinuk]

England were utter shite.

They again dominated possession in the first half and faced with a competent but Championship level team decided to pass it backwards and sideways in their own 18-yd box. Why you want to slow down the game to a crawl is beyond me?

As you say Southgate was too limp to substitute at half-time he only did it when forced to by the injury to Trippier and put Toney on with 2 minutes to go. While we’re at it Pickford who thinks he’s captain seems to want to direct operations but came out of his goal so far that Slovakia could have lobbed the winner.

Georgia excellent throughout, Spain too classy though and looking forward to what could be better than the eventual final when they play Germany.

[Stavros]

Austria looked a strong team, but Turkey had the passion, and one of the finest, and most crucial saves from the goalkeeper I have ever seem. The game was an object lesson in both attacking football and strong defence, which is why it was so good to watch. It was the kind of football England seem allergic to, unless something unexpected happens against Switzerland.

One thing that puzzles me is crowd control -numerous incidents of people running on to the pitch, the flares, which are surely a fire hazard?- and the cups -and worse- being thrown on to the pitch when a corner is being taken, something should be done about it but I am not sure what.

I also think reserves ought not to be so close to players at thrown in's, and I think the time has come to put a 1 minute time limit on goal celebrations, and to ban reserves and team officials from running onto the pitch.

One final thought -when Dupay passed the ball that led to Malen's first goal, half of him was not on the pitch -is this legal?

Turkey advance at Euros after epic goalkeeper save (nine.com.au) (https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/football/turkey-advance-at-euros-after-epic-goalkeeper-save/cly4zf41f000g0ho0rhjci6hg)

[Stavros]

At one point near the end of the first half, England had a corner. It was taken short, the ball passed to a player on the edge of the penalty area. He passed it to another player, who turned round and kicked the ball all the way back to Pickford. How is England to win a game if it doesn't attack the opposing side's goal? On last night's performance, Saka scoring doesn't sound credible, a case of seeing is believing.

Maybe they can stifle the Netherlands and score a lucky goal, or grind it through two hours to a penalty shoot out, knowing that Pickford usually saves one or two -last night had he stood still instead of diving one side or the other, he could have saved at least three.

Boring football might win games, it doesn't win hearts.

[rodinuk]

I’m sorry but they won and the whole performance whilst not exactly perfect was far more convincing than all the previous outings put together.

I can’t understand why you’re needling Saka he was excellent:

https://www.arsenal.com/news/saka-enters-record-books-after-england-goal

I think hearts are won by passion, perseverance and five damn good penalties.

Netherlands are a different kettle of fish though, they have strong players and endurance and were impressive in the previous match

[Stavros]

Yes on reflection I was a bit harsh on Saka. I just think he and the others need to press more, be more aggressive, and certainly take more chances.

Do you have a view on the commentary? If Shearer is commenting aside the main man, I turn the sound off, it's just too much, whereas Ally McCoist and Lee Dixon make fair comment. I don't watch the pre match chatter, as it is repetitive and uninteresting, and the post-match analysis is usually of little interest unless something controversial happened, though both Lineker and Pougatch are vastly superior to the Daily Mail style comperes of the past, notably Des Lynam and Brian Moore.

I leave for Germany this week, as it happens, for the music of course -I won't see whoever is in the final as I am in Bavaria for a concert on the 14th.

[holzz]

Felicitaciones, ESPANA. El campeon de Europa!

And southgate is GONE. GOOD!

[Stavros]

On the day it was a simple question: Wagner or football? I could always watch a repeat, whereas the musical evening was unique. Was it worth watching? Only to observe the strengths of Spain, and the weaknesses of an England team lacking an attacking strategy. Kane is popular here, Germans puzzled with Southgate for not using his skills where they work best. And yet, Southgate remains the most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsay in 1966, but without the trophies.