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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 14, 2004 22:02:21 GMT -5
Not supposed to happen, but when you play Denmark you know it. These guys always hustle and play a very skilled game.
Wonder if there's panic in Italy right now?
Any other teams we should be watching?
Cheers.
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Post by Rimmer on Jun 15, 2004 2:16:42 GMT -5
Not supposed to happen, but when you play Denmark you know it. These guys always hustle and play a very skilled game. Wonder if there's panic in Italy right now? Any other teams we should be watching? Cheers. a great game, IMO. I was surprised to see the Danes play that well, especially with two of their most important players missing (Gravesen and Gronkjaer). it showed that a well-conditioned team that follows a game plan and in which every player gives 100% can defeat a team that is supposed to be much better on paper. still, don't dismiss the Italians yet, they are known as the masters of group stages. they always somehow manage to pull through to the next round. I knew there were going to be a lot of surprises at this Euro championship and it shows. everybody can play football. before the start of the Euro, my friends and I picked two teams that were supposed to win it all from each of the three groups that we formed. the groups were formed according to the percieved strength of the teams and their previous results in tournaments like this one: 1. France, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands (the heavy favourites) 2. England, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany (no surprise if they win it all) 3. Croatia, Switzerland, Greece, Sweden, Latvia, Russia, Denmark, Bulgaria (the rest of the bunch) I picked Italy and France from the first group, Spain and the Czech Republic from the second and Sweden and Bulgaria from the third as possible dark horses. R.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 15, 2004 7:23:02 GMT -5
a great game, IMO. I was surprised to see the Danes play that well, especially with two of their most important players missing (Gravesen and Gronkjaer). it showed that a well-conditioned team that follows a game plan and in which every player gives 100% can defeat a team that is supposed to be much better on paper. still, don't dismiss the Italians yet, they are known as the masters of group stages. they always somehow manage to pull through to the next round. I can't recall them ever being blown out of an international match (not saying it didn't happen), but the Danes always seem to be in the game. Portugal always has promise. France has something to prove, but if it wasn't for an English brain cramp they would still be "trying" to prove something. I mean, how does an elite player like that pull off such a boner? The Netherlands always seem to be hanging around as well. I first started following them when they had Marco Van Basten and Rud Gullet (sp). Their major competition back then was West Germany and their matches against Germany remain extremely contentious today. In fact, they're just plain nasty. German soccer has ebbed in recent years, but they're on their way back up. There was a time they were always in the final-four of any international tournament. England has an abundance of highly-skilled players, but may have a problem finishing off. They always seem to find a way to self-destruct; the French game being another in a long line of examples. Croatian sports programs have come a long way in a very short period of time since the Balkan wars. Athletics, basketball and soccer most noteably. With regards to soccer, they were excelling at one point and now seemed to have stagnated a bit. That aside, they too, are a talented bunch and shouldn't be taken likely. Switzerland is more than capable of making some noise in the tournament, but they'll have to play much better than they did the other day. They are a much better team than that. I like your favourites and agree with them. It would nice to see Portugal deliver this time around. My sentimental favourite is England, but until they can get rid of their curse .... Cheers.
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Post by Rimmer on Jun 15, 2004 8:37:01 GMT -5
I can't recall them ever being blown out of an international match (not saying it didn't happen), but the Danes always seem to be in the game. I recall a 3:0 loss to Croatia at the 1996. Euro in England (group stage) and a 3:0 loss to England at the 2002. World Cup in Japan/Korea (1/8 finals, IIRC). but you are right in that they play the game right to the end and don't give up after they concede a goal, kinda like the Germans. I remember those years very well. Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Koeman brothers against Matthaus, Klinsmann, Brehme, Hassler etc. amazing football... the rivalry between those two nations may be the fiercest among all european countries. I expect we'll see some of that rivalry as they clash again tonight. I have some guests for dinner but I expect them to leave before the start of the game ;D. I think they're on their way down not up. but, as you said, Germany always finds a way to go deep in any tournament as they did most recently in Japan/Korea 2 years ago. Gary Lineker once said something like " Soccer is a very simple game played by 22 players in which, in the end, the Germans win."we always had great athletes but before 1992. they performed under the Yugoslavian flag so it went unnoticed. our success came mostly in team sports, most notably waterpolo, basketball, football, handball and rowing and it continued since we gained our independence. our biggest problem is the lack of money for developing young talents. that's true. there has been a change of generations but we still managed to qualify for the 2002. WC and 2004. Euro which, IMHO, is a great success for such a small nation. we have another talented generation of young players coming so we'll see how that will work out. btw, do you get to watch all the games or only the selected few? I'm surprised to hear that people in Canada follow the Euro championship. R.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 15, 2004 20:14:52 GMT -5
We have soccer nuts here too. Still playing after all these years. Hockey shares a lot with soccer, with more hitting and less diving. But World class is still so impressive, in both sports.
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