258 replies to this topic

[RedSoxinIsrael]

Just thought I'd open it for discussion.

Tomorrow it begins!

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy

Thoughts? Predictions?

The first and final games are great matchups and the other 2 are going to be very interesting as well.

I'm going with Portugal, Turkey, Netherlands and Spain in the semi-finals.

[ossie schreckengost]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey (4 red cards combined)
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy (scoreless draw&penalties)

[mic99]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy

[vtred]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy (Forza Italia!!!)

[cjdmadcow]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy

I expect one 'upset' this round and I can't really decide whether it's Turkey or Russia, so I'll go with Russia.

That will also allow me to claim a moral victory in the fact that the three teams I tipped at the start were Spain, Croatia & Russia.

[MarkInLondon]

At least one of the four games will be a total 'epic', and one will be a real drab, 'wake me up when it's over' affair.

I'll take Germany over Portugal, Turkey to win 'the battle of Basel' over Croatia, Russia over Netherlands in the 'epic' and Spain to beat Italy in ET.

[Kremlin Watcher]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy

I am shocked at the Russians' performance last night. They just absolutely smoked the Swedes, and I can't decide if it was Swedish malaise or Russian skill. Probably some combination of both. But they are too young and not cohesive enough to make a strong impression on the skills of the Dutch. I never thought they'd make it out of the group, so I'm still picking against them.

Turkey is my sleeper pick. No particular reason for it, but they have good big match experience and I think there's a nationalistic element after getting blackballed by the EU.

As for the other two, I find it hard based on history to bet against the Germans or the Italians. The Italians will pack the back and wait for the one or two chances they get to score, and Spain's big match history speaks for itself. The Portuguese are reasonably easy to pick because of the skills but their big match history also doesn't bode well. Not a great reason to pick them, but my final four prediction is the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy and Germany.

[shawnrbu]

Portugal vs. Germany
Croatia vs. Turkey
Netherlands vs. Russia
Spain vs. Italy

The biggest upset of this round would be if Spain/Italy does not go to penalties.

Does anyone know, roughly, the pre-tourney odds on either Croatia, Turkey or Russia winning this championship?

[Plantiers Wart]

Germany
Croaita
Russia
Italy

[Main Ingredient]

Portugal
Croatia
Spain

and THE ORANJE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




HUP HOLLAND!!!

[AusTexSoxFan]

Portugal, Croatia, Holland, Spain

Casillas outshines Buffon in the PKs 4-3.

[jschip1]

Germany
Croatia
Netherlands
Spain

And its time for me to really embrace my roots and join Main Ingredient and state: HUP!

[Apisith]

Germany, Turkey, Italy and Holland.

[cjdmadcow]

Does anyone know, roughly, the pre-tourney odds on either Croatia, Turkey or Russia winning this championship?

On 3rd June I wrote:

"Latest betting from a leading UK bookmaker has Germany at 4/1 favourites with Spain second at 5/1. Not great value if you fancy a bet, so I'd look a little further afield if you want to wager a few $/£/€...

Croatia at 12/1 is my outside bet but I really do have a feeling for the Russians at 22/1. It goes to show what great coaching can do with good players.

Spain, Croatia and Russia in that order for me."

Don't know about Turkey, I think they were around the same figure as Russia.

[Tony the Pony]

Portugal, Croatia, Holland and Spain

[ragnarok725]

June 19th: Portugal vs. Germany
June 20th: Croatia vs. Turkey
June 21st: Netherlands vs. Russia
June 22nd: Spain vs. Italy

[cjdmadcow]

First up tonight, Portugal v Germany, and the team news is as follows:

Portugal: Ricardo, Pepe, Ferreira, Carvalho, Bosingwa, Simao, Petit, Moutinho, Deco, Ronaldo, Nuno Gomes.
Germany: Lehmann, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Friedrich, Schweinsteiger, Rolfes, Hitzlsperger, Ballack, Podolski, Klose.

[cjdmadcow]

As Scolari mentioned in his last pc, there is a significant size advantage with the Germans judging by their line-ups before the game. This could be decisive at free-kicks and corners, particularly with Ballack.

[cjdmadcow]

Brilliant goal by Schweinsteiger, 1-0 Germany

[ossie schreckengost]

schweini!!! dude!!!

[cjdmadcow]

This is too easy for Germany, Klose makes it 2-0.

[Zomp]

HA!

FUCK YOU PORTUGAL

[RedSoxinIsrael]

2-0!

Fuck you Ronaldo allright!

Edited by RedSoxinIsrael, 19 June 2008 - 02:14 PM.

[ossie schreckengost]

kloe!!! 2-0 super germany!!!

[PedroSpecialK]

The marking on Klose's goal was hilariously bad - it's like Ronaldo expected Klose to be called offsides or something - that's the only way he could conceivably be as far away from Klose as he was.

[PedroSpecialK]

I love that the Portuguese would rather dive than score. Hilarious.

[ossie schreckengost]

(Boy is Cristiano having a horrible game)

but all it takes are 10 minutes of ronaldonian brilliance to sink my germany´s rather shaky defence.

this one will go down to the wire. which is not what i expected. i fully expected a clear cut german loss.

[fletcherpost]

3-1 to the Boxheads.

Was there ever any doubt?

[Lars The Wanderer]

I have to say that this is a surprising match so far. 3-1 with under a half hour left!

[ossie schreckengost]

ballack!!! you magnificent bastard!!!


and now i´d substitute poldi for trochowski (poldi doesn´t bring it up front and is a defensive liability), and later klose for ölli neuville (who´s our main thread on fast breaks). please neither gomez nor kuranij.

[RedSoxinIsrael]

Good, Ronaldo on the way out.

Germany is going to pass Croatia/Turkey in the semis, imo.

[RedSoxinIsrael]

I really thought that as soon as I click send Portugal will score. I saw it coming. Stupid me.

[cjdmadcow]

Well now....how you feeling Ossie?

[ossie schreckengost]

Well now....how you feeling Ossie?

valium&weizenbier

[RedSoxinIsrael]

Dramatic ending, great game, good result.

[Carmine Hose]

Portugal clearly has talent, but not enough of it. Outshot the Fourth Reich handily, but horrid defense kills them.

[fletcherpost]

Where was Ronaldo in the lasty 15 minutes when you need a flair player to take the game by the scruff.

He hardly had a touch and Protugal were far too predictable in the last 15 minutes and they lacked quality. Some of the crosses and the pot shots were poor.

[ossie schreckengost]

after 35 years of following my beloved nationalmannschaft passionately, they´re still able to surprise me. never would have thought we´d make it past the portuguese.

i´m so proud of them. so proud.

[JohnnyK]

They'll just blame it all on Scolari because he announced he'd be going to Chelsea...

Another shady goal in a tournament of bad officiating proofs to be the difference though (and before anyone gets their panties in a twist - yes, this is something that is rarely called anyway, but it makes all the difference in the world nonetheless), but IMHO Germany deserves to go through. Portugal was aweful on defense and not much better on offense. The German defense would scare if I supported them, though.

[Apisith]

Germany were always going to win that one.

Them and the Italians were made for knock-out football.

[MarkInLondon]

i´m so proud of them. so proud.

Quite rightly too.

Portugal did seem rather clueless in the last 20 minutes - far too many speculative shots from about 35 yards, rather than any decent approach play.

Not quite an epic, but a good way to spend a Thursday evening.

[mic99]

Portugal clearly has talent, but not enough of it. Outshot the Fourth Reich handily, but horrid defense kills them.

It isn't talent they lack

[Vinho Tinto]

If I had to list my pre-tournament concerns for Portugal, they would have been:

1) Ricardo: Does he burn them?

2) Defensive line: A strength that showed signs of weakness over the past year. They were also playing an above average right back at LB.

3) Midfield: Which Deco and Petit show up?

4) Ronaldo: Does he live to the hype?

5) Goals: Who scores them?

Besides #3 (Deco and Petit were fantastic. If Deco's form is for real, Chelsea may be getting Porto-era Deco and that would make them early favorites in the EPL), the others popped up at various times during the tourney and today. Paulo F was clowned today and Ricardo gave up a turkey on the winner. Ronaldo and Simao had a poor games, as did Nani off the bench.

Disappointing end to Scolari's run, but they have not displayed the form of a champion in over a year. The only good thing to happen today was Nuno Gomes scored in what could be his last game for the selecao.

Edited by Vinho Tinto, 19 June 2008 - 08:32 PM.

[Snakebauer007]

If I had to list my pre-tournament concerns for Portugal, they would have been:

1) Ricardo: Does he burn them?

2) Defensive line: A strength that showed signs of weakness over the past year. They were also playing an above average right back at LB.

3) Midfield: Which Deco and Petit show up?

4) Ronaldo: Does he live to the hype?

5) Goals: Who scores them?

Besides #3 (Deco and Petit were fantastic. If Deco's form is for real, Chelsea may be getting Porto-era Deco and that would make them early favorites in the EPL), the others popped up at various times during the tourney and today. Paulo F was clowned today and Ricardo gave up a turkey on the winner. Ronaldo and Simao had a poor games, as did Nani off the bench.

Disappointing end to Scolari's run, but they have not displayed the form of a champion in over a year. The only good thing to happen today was Nuno Gomes scored in what could be his last game for the selecao.

If Deco replaces Lampard, Chelsea are worse. If Lampard does not leave and Deco still comes, I wonder where exactly he fits in.

[ossie schreckengost]

4) Ronaldo: Does he live to the hype?

which for me was my main reason to believe in portugal. cristiano ronaldo.

i have a history going back to the old board, loving him as a footballer, his style of play. his occasional shit be damned (today he had just 1 instant when he realized he had been fouled, and grabbed the wrong ankle in pain). he´s still the best footballer in the world today, and nobody, nobody, is even close.

but in this game he was no-show. which saved my germany´s ass. was it our tight coverage, or did he just have a bad day? i don´t know.

i was relieved when scolari brought in nani for nuno gomes. nani´s assist be damned. nuno gomes might have been tired, but even as half a player he´s still an incredible threat.

it was a fantastic game.

now i´m looking foward to our match in the semis. i dread the turks, their sheer willpower, but i guess the croats and their mean and spiteful ways will prevail.

but then again our semi is only for the "honour" to be defeated by italy for all the marbles. it´s football, after all.
.............

edit:
this is not a built-in excuse for our upcoming defeat vs italy. it´s just history. which, according to karl marx, repeats itself first as tragedy (leon ´70, referee yamasaki), and second as farce (again and again and again, on a club level as well as in internationals. notable exception: ´82, when the italians just were the better team).
HUP HOLLAND HUP!!!
that might become a final to kill me even before kick off...

Edited by ossie schreckengost, 19 June 2008 - 10:01 PM.

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

I was going to pick Portugal...

as for the others:

Turkey
Netherlands
Italy

edit: I actually looked at the brackets this time!

Edited by The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa, 20 June 2008 - 03:12 PM.