football: the beautiful game

[fruitbrute]

It was a godawfully boring game with shitty goals. Did you even watch it? It seems rather self-evident to me that only a Madridista could have maybe enjoyed it, if he cared about the score and nothing else (I myself do not care much for either team).

[OTL]

watched the whole game and it sounds to me you're just mad cuz barcelona lost,

i'm more of a barcelona fan, btw

do you remember how few past el clasicos were? it was more rugby match than a football game. I'm partly happy this game wasn't as violent as before, and you gotta admit madrid did a good job of containing barcelona. Arbeloa pretty much raped tello, dani alves was pretty much useless as well, was surprised coentrao did such a fine job of containing him. iniesta, xavi, thiago never found their rhythm because of constant pressure. also, nothing shitty about ronaldo's second goal. barcelona had few decent opportunities, but they fucked it up, so they only have themselves to blame.

[fads]

i extended this ss to 8th place so we can praise david moyes

(fuck liverpool)

i think city can win this weekend, w tiote out n simpson iffy but who knows w cissé (especially after today)

edit: tiote not out, says pardew my b

Edited May 3, 2012 by hyun

[TheCaptain]

Cisse's goal number two!? worth talking about, it looks like he can't believe that it has gone in.

[Dan.]

Where are all the glory hunting yank manc cunts? hahahaha

[fads]

lol liverpool

ynwa more like ymca

u maddd

Where are all the glory hunting yank manc cunts? hahahaha

[cyberPUNK]

Fantasy Euro anyone?

[fads]

ya lets do it

[fads]

i really dont mind liverpool but i do mind liverpool "fans" who feel like everyone should be reminded again and again about the past.

enjoy your stay in the europa, carling cup glory!!

ymca ymca ymca

[boy better know]

forgot how much i hate italy's playstyle

balotelli is a fool

[Kasper]

yeah, relatively boring matchday 1, no real surprise apart from the netherlands playing with 6 strikers and not being able to put it in (and while i had picked the dutch as one of my favorite, i know many don't feel the same way). hopefully we'll get better game going forward. hope the poles trash the ruskie too!!!

[fads]

debuchy was great today, partly bc chamberlain didnt really track down for him ha.

rootin for the croats! DAVOR Å UKER 2012

[gaijin44]

I cannot believe that Russia started well, but finally they did not through the first round.

[robbieboy]

so far group 'a' seems most suprising...poland and russia were supposed to go trough, but czech and greece will. football is really beatiful game!!!

[gaijin44]

Don't know what the surprise again today, between Denmark, Portugal and Germany?

[boy better know]

if only ronaldo could always play like he did today

nani is my du though

[Chad Hugo]

It's a shame the Netherlands were underperformed so badly, would have been good to see them in the quarter finals at least, so much attacking talent and generally an entertaining team to watch..lack of team work seems to have harmed their chances again.

Portugal could be a dangerous side, England always seem to struggle to overcome them in recent tournaments.

[Njalle]

portugal is one lucky team and pepe is a sick cunt:

[Chad Hugo]

Hopefully England can avoid Spain in the quarter finals, I think we can get a result against Italy, wouldn't be favourites but stranger things have happened.

Bad luck in as much as we have two strong teams in our pool..

[devilish]

personally I'm glad the dutch got sent packing and i hope someone does the same to the spanish. both teams act like they think their shit don't stink, especially the spanish. 70% of the time the refs seem to agree with them. There was a clear penalty in today's game where corluca (i think) was absolutely mugged in the box, shirt pulled, arm grabbed and dragged to the ground, the ref blew for a foul the other way. I'm rooting for anyone against spain.

[Chad Hugo]

Agree completely about Spain getting away with murder, although if England can't go all the way I would still probably rather see them win the tournament than Italy, France or Germany, mainly because they are a better footballing side and a lot more watchable.

Personally I would be surprised if Spain won, and in a strange way I would admire them as it's not easy for a team to stay so motivated after winning everything in international football in a short space of time.

[ssheat]

Two into the last four... Portugal and Germany. Germany was so good going forward today against Greece. Ozil dictated play completely, he basically ran the whole game. I think Low's move to put Reus on the right was good. Ozil and Reus were combining well and also with Klose. And its those quick passes and movements that create opportunities when the opposing team is clearly going in to play ultra-defensively. They're going to be tough to beat. If they do get beat, I think it's going to be by a defensive team that hits a goal or two on a quick counter. Portugal, too, I think is strong and would favor them over France and would give them a chance against Spain depending on who wins that match. They're solid defensively and in the midfield, and the overall team seems to be in good form. And they have Ronaldo.

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but how Spain plays sort of pisses me off now. They pass the ball around a lot, and particularly when not playing with a striker, don't create that many clear chances. The other team doesn't touch the ball so they don't create chances either. It lends itself to pretty boring matches for me. I'm kind of in the same boat. I'm not rooting for any team really, but don't want Spain to win.

[Chad Hugo]

Villa being injured and Torres being rubbish leaves doesn't leave Spain with that many options really, I do agree that they look a poorer side.

I quite fancy England do beat Italy tomorrow, it will be a close and low scoring game, two defensively minded and disciplined sides, I just think we have more of a point to prove and will be the more hungry team, hope I'm not wrong.

The bad news is Germany in the next round if we do beat the Italians, it's hard to be optimistic about that potential match up!!

[Rob060]

Villa being injured and Torres being rubbish leaves doesn't leave Spain with that many options really, I do agree that they look a poorer side.

I quite fancy England do beat Italy tomorrow, it will be a close and low scoring game, two defensively minded and disciplined sides, I just think we have more of a point to prove and will be the more hungry team, hope I'm not wrong.

The bad news is Germany in the next round if we do beat the Italians, it's hard to be optimistic about that potential match up!!

my thoughts, exactly. england's looked better this tournament than they have... in a long time. i'd like to see them do well. kind of like how spain seemed to be cursed up until recently with bad luck. england's been the same way. always a threat but never had the luck and the players never perform to their potential. i don't see why they can't and shouldn't beat italy, but germany is so good and the history between the two will probably weigh heavily on everyone's minds. will probably end up like euro '96 sadly. that '96 team was the best england has had in decades. as crazy as he was, england really need another midfield badass like paul gascoigne.

Edited June 24, 2012 by Rob060

[funkyrounds]

all the quarter finals so far have been boring as fuck. i think it's mostly because portugal, germany and spain were so superior to their opponents that it never became interesting. however i think todays england - italy have potential to be good, and the semis will be good as well.

[grilled cheese]

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but how Spain plays sort of pisses me off now. They pass the ball around a lot, and particularly when not playing with a striker, don't create that many clear chances. The other team doesn't touch the ball so they don't create chances either. It lends itself to pretty boring matches for me. I'm kind of in the same boat. I'm not rooting for any team really, but don't want Spain to win.

It's not just you. I don't care who wins the Euro, so I won't root against Spain, but it really is amazing that through some inversion/perversion of reality Spain has become the new Italy, at least in the sense that they are incredibly boring to watch. Of course this applies mainly to their 4-6 formation they've been playing in this tournament. I still love Iniesta, though. If I ruled the world, I'd drop Alonso or Busquets from the team and play with only one holding mid, let Fabregas stay in this false nine, and give Llorente a run out as a true targetman.

[evisu 2000]

I'm like the only non Italian who roots for Italy

[evisu 2000]

I'm like the only non Italian who roots for Italy

[Armfelt]

I don't think you are anymore.

I'm like the only non Italian who roots for Italy

I don't think you are anymore. Balotelli, Pirlo, De Rossi, Buffon. Great team that was completely underestimated by all because of their failure two years ago.

[Carl]

I'm like the only non Italian who roots for Italy

No way...Forza Juve = Forza Azzurri

Baby boy Marchisio shittin all over germany