...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 1)

[joemcg15]

some top-quality long ball irish football will be played tommorrow. prediction is a 0-0 draw, richard dunne playing out of his skin, with multiple last gasp stops in defence and late dangerous clearences, the croatiains to be in complete control but end up fustrated with a draw

[Der_Don]

Portugal were playing like Chelsea during the CL-Final this year. 11 man in the box and wait for the counter. Glad that Gomez scored finally. Still, a very dissapointing game. Hope we'll start Reus instead of Müller and Klose instead of Gomez next game. Hummels and Badstuber were boss though.

Podolski was sh*te, too.

Edited June 10, 2012 by Der_Don

[A J]

It made no sense to me, why Portugal played so deep in that match, great players on the ball, but some reason they rather focus on defending than attacking, German deserved the win for that reason, but I hope Portugal steps it up in the next game.

 

 

[Domeux]

So excited, cannot wait for the Ireland match, if we stand any chance of getting out of this group we really have to beat Croatia tonight. Wouldn't mind seeing a little draw between the other two.

 

Gonna be very tough for Ireland.

[Waddy]

Torn tonight...Croatia I have as black horses to win the Euro's and Jelavic for golden boot. Then we have Gibson for Ireland...who isnt starting which is a little strange.

A draw!

[Canoxa]

Portugal were playing like Chelsea during the CL-Final this year. 11 man in the box and wait for the counter. Glad that Gomez scored finally. Still, a very dissapointing game. Hope we'll start Reus instead of Müller and Klose instead of Gomez next game. Hummels and Badstuber were boss though.

Podolski was sh*te, too.

On the counter? Portugal was slow in transition and always built their play solidly. Postiga got the ball from Patrício maybe two times, goal kicks went straight to Coentrão or Pereira. Moutinho and Meireles tracked Schweinsteiger and Khedira: the only time these two dropped deep was when the Germans decided to push at the same time. Veloso tried to keep up with Ozil, so he was naturally very close to the defense. The same for Nani, he dropped deep to track Lahm. Your "eleven men in the box" was actually the exact mirror of your Germany while defending: a regular line of four and two holding midfielders. It may seem like you're against eleven when the defense is organized (Sacchi famously said that an organized four man defense can stop eleven, and often drilled his men like that), but we were far from being "on the counter" as you describe. Germany just wasn't creative enough to be able to hit that last killer pass. The cross that Gomez hit home wouldn't even connect if it hadn't deflected off Moutinho.

 

Khedira was ace, I don't think I've ever seen him play like this in Real. I imagine this was closer to what he played in Borussia. Hummels was huge, as well. Ozil was brilliant, as usual. Other than that, you were effectively annulled. Given that, and recalling the amount of chances we had, a draw would have been the fairest, had justice ever existed in football. We didn't score, tough luck.

[Crokey]

Finally sussed it out, it's been bugging me for a while but I've worked it out after seeing a trailer today.

 

Mario Gomez

 

Thin Man from Charlies Angels

[Vercetti27]

what sets germany apart from both holland and spain is their defensive side is as strong as their attack, it's difficult to see them getting beat.

 

one big match today, the other will be quite dull I presume. I would like Croatia to do well but the starting eleven prediction leaves out Eduardo so I probably won't be giving two sh*ts.

[Seddo]

Missed the two games last night as i was out all day but it doesn't look like i missed much. I'm expecting the Spain-Italy game to be another close cagey affair with both teams not wanting to lose their opening game.

 

 

but BRA -ARG game is just epic right now.

 

 

Messi's third from 4:10 was class.

[Der_Don]

@canoxa: Yeah I was talking utter nonsense yesterday but in my defense, I was really really drunk.

Portugal deserved at least 1 point, great defensive effort, unlucky with Pepe's shot just before halftime. I think you'll have a really good chance to beat both Holland and Denmark.

[Crokey]

Messi's third from 4:10 was class.

 

Messi looks good in Sky Blue... just saying.

[Canoxa]

@canoxa: Yeah I was talking utter nonsense yesterday but in my defense, I was really really drunk.

 

Spirit of the Euros, mate!

[Domeux]

We were winding this guy up in my TEC saying that Brazil were going to win the Euros.

He was like "I'm not stupid, I know Brazil isn't in Europe".

We were like "Okay, but on a serious note, who do you think'll win?"

He said Argentina.

[Seddo]

 

Messi's third from 4:10 was class.

 

Messi looks good in Sky Blue... just saying.

There isn't enough oil money in the world to prise him away from Barca just yet .

 

 

We were winding this guy up in my TEC saying that Brazil were going to win the Euros.

He was like "I'm not stupid, I know Brazil isn't in Europe".

We were like "Okay, but on a serious note, who do you think'll win?"

He said Argentina.

 

He's a few billion years early from seeing Argentina on the European continent.

[jogy]

Portugal were playing like Chelsea during the CL-Final this year. 11 man in the box and wait for the counter. Glad that Gomez scored finally. Still, a very dissapointing game. Hope we'll start Reus instead of Müller and Klose instead of Gomez next game. Hummels and Badstuber were boss though.

Podolski was sh*te, too.

What about our wonderboy Götze. Would like to see hem play though

[Der_Don]

Portugal were playing like Chelsea during the CL-Final this year. 11 man in the box and wait for the counter. Glad that Gomez scored finally. Still, a very dissapointing game. Hope we'll start Reus instead of Müller and Klose instead of Gomez next game. Hummels and Badstuber were boss though.

Podolski was sh*te, too.

What about our wonderboy Götze. Would like to see hem play though

He missed lots of games due to an injury last season and I don't know if he's already 100 % fit though. He'll get his minutes against Holland and/or Denmark but I doubt that he's gonna start any of those games.

[GTA_stu]

I'm nearly 24 hours late but I'll just have a quick comment on the dutch game. Just shocking finishing, they played ok but just didn't take their chances. I still think they will qualify ahead of Portugal, and Germany will win the group.

 

I saw a bit of the Germany-Portugal game yesterday, seemed a bit dull from what I did see. For someone who did watch it, how did Ronaldo play? Also for the Dutch game, I was impresed with the young guy Willems (think that was his name). I think it said he was 18 years and 70 days old, or something like that.

[GTAdedan]

 

I'm nearly 24 hours late but I'll just have a quick comment on the dutch game. Just shocking finishing, they played ok but just didn't take their chances. I still think they will qualify ahead of Portugal, and Germany will win the group.

 

I saw a bit of the Germany-Portugal game yesterday, seemed a bit dull from what I did see. For someone who did watch it, how did Ronaldo play? Also for the Dutch game, I was impresed with the young guy Willems (think that was his name). I think it said he was 18 years and 70 days old, or something like that.

Yeah, Willems is with his 18 years the youngest player of the tournament. He made his debut in the Eredivisie last season for PSV and due to injuries he's now the left-back of Holland. I thought he did surprisingly well.

[Canoxa]

Spain playing with no spearhead. Busquets, Xabi, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Silva. Very interesting to watch.

[OchyGTA]

Good game so far, real midfield battle.

[Seddo]

Have a f*cking crack at goal, one annoyance of the Barca/Spain team is too many touches inside the box trying to walk it in. Because they don't shoot and like to pee around all these teams now know just to pack the defence out and hit them on the counter.

 

Wonder what the likes of Torres and Llorente are thinking now, Spain preferring to go with a false 9 rather than an out and out striker.

[Miro]

It was a nice and peaceful half. Not many occasions, but none of them wants to risk anything. Hope to see goals in the 2nd half though!

[Vercetti27]

I'm sure Torres is used to being on the bench. To be fair Iniesta has been running things so far, he's definitley due a goal for his hard work. Been impressed with Chielleni so far too.

[Canoxa]

Good game so far. I find Spain's strikerless formation counterproductive, but those positional switches are gorgeous.

 

Italy's 352, now that's beauty. Good to see Cassano back in shape.

[OchyGTA]

Oh balotelli... Tut tut tut

[AndyGanteks]

And then suddenly Italy scores to kill the boredom.

[OchyGTA]

Yet the boredom does not settle in again as the Spainards hit a quick reply.

[Canoxa]

Good game, overall. Di Natale's goal was all class. Killer pass from Pirlo.

[Miro]

Good to have seen some goals. Torres was once again the protagonist of the match.

Yet I can't understand what happened with Balotelli there. Why the hell he didn't shoot?

[Seddo]

Lol Torres, it didn't take long for him to mess something up. Torres from a few years ago would have munched those 3 chances up in a flash. Can't see how you can trust someone like that who misses vital chances in high pressure games.

 

Del Bosque definitely brought the wrong Fernando Torres on.