Euro 16 gamethread
- Thread starter Schnerres
- Start date
Agreed Frye, Portugal does not impress me this go round, but the reality is they have decent depth and CRon is always a threat to score, which likely makes them less appealing than some other R16 qualifiers.
Let's see: Third place teams
Group A: Albania 3
Group B: Slovakia 4
Group C: N. Ireland is on 3 points, will probably park the bus, but most likely a loss.
Group D: Czech is on 1 point, needs a win to advance
Group E: Sweden (-1) and Ireland (-3) are on 1 point, need wins to advance
Group F: Portugal Iceland on 2 points, a draw might advance, Austria on 1 needs a win.
While Slovakia certainly created very little I'm not sure I'd simply chalk that dire match up to bus parking. Slovakia kept men behind the ball but England were far too content to pump crosses into the box and hope for the best. They've struggled to create much in the way of straightforward chances since probably the 1st half versus Russia.
If the opponent is going to park the bus, the secondary attackers - your fullbacks and box-to-box midfielder - are often the key players in overcoming that strategy, attacking weak parts of the defense in numbers. Yet Roy decided this was a good time to start his second choice fullbacks and Jordan freaking Henderson in those positions. Totally indefensible decision.
That's probably it on the men's side. Last year's Women's World Cup was the first one since expanding from 16 to 24 as well.
The Copa America before this year has has a similar issue, with 8 of 12 teams advancing from the group stages.
I'm surprised Stones didn't get a chance today, England could really stand to have a CB who can pass it back there. And if the other team is sitting back as much as Slovakia were, there's really very little reason to play Dier either, let along Dier and Henderson. It's very easy to say after the fact but the team just needed far more creativity than was on display today. I think it's really weird how intent the English fans and media seem on ruining Raheem Sterling but they probably could have used the Raheem Sterling that used to exist today. Only Lallana and Sturridge had any semblance of beating a man on the dribble and those types of things can also be the difference in these situations where the other team defends deep.
In major finals you don't really want some teams getting byes in the knock out stages. It's not the FA Cup.
If the fancied teams can't break down so called inferior oppostion, so be it. The kind of matches some of you guys are complaining about...and not entirely without justification are just as common in the group stages of World Cups and Euros where there's been 16 or 32 teams making the finals with the standard top two from each group progressing. So too have there been plenty 'snoozers' in the knock out stages. So many of the smaller nations just want to have something to play for, be that going into the next game or playing for extra time or penalties.
I don't mind it at all. Even the so called boring games aren't boring, there's still a lot to enjoy. It's hard to play for a point. It's hard to park the bus. There's an art to running the clock down, most teams aren't that good at it. Slovakia are happy to get 3rd...great. They'll be lucky to beat whoever the play in the last 16. they'll likely play to keep it tight, maybe nick a goal, or get it to penalties. The team they play will know that and will try to beat them in 90 minutes...and that's football, and we watch to see how it unfolds.
And, we get more matches, more footie, which is all we really should want. Cos when there's no footie...
Agree with all of this. Honestly, the team selection seemed to have no tactical logic whatsoever, more like a U12 lets-give-everybody-a-chance-to-play-at-least-once logic than any coherent strategy for approaching a match in which everybody knew the opponent would defend and play for a point. That somebody leaked the team sheet to the press last night, and hypothetically gave Slovakia like 18 hours to prepare a game plan, was also completely bizarre.
It would, but I don't think they want some teams sitting around for more than a week without playing.
It's amazing how quickly things crumble when England don't get the right result. Hodgson and some of the other England players saying how none of their opponents thus far have come to play against them, that it's been attack versus defense, that maybe in the knockout matches they'll play teams that'll have a go at them, and give them more space to exploit going forwards.
But we've seen this a million times with England, when they play the better teams, who have a go at them, they tend to lose, cos England as a team aren't that good. If you can't break down weaker opposition...fuckin tough luck. No use moaning about it. Robbie Savage has been pure gold on Radio 5 Live, giving Chris Waddle pelters. England had over 20 shots tonight...yeah, five on target though.
But we've seen this a million times with England, when they play the better teams, who have a go at them, they tend to lose, cos England as a team aren't that good. If you can't break down weaker opposition...fuckin tough luck. No use moaning about it. Robbie Savage has been pure gold on Radio 5 Live, giving Chris Waddle pelters. England had over 20 shots tonight...yeah, five on target though.
Slaven Bilic has been a terrific pundit all tourney. He had a great bit when Ian Wright said that "we (England) had all the possession", he answered that their opponent wasn't interested in having the ball. Which was true, teams don't want to possess against England, they want to defend and counter because they expect England to be toothless (which they mostly have been).
He was blabbing about how England has bossed all their games, teams have sat back against them, which makes it difficult to find space (lol boo hoo) and break teams down. And they've had loads of shots on goal. Loads. He was defending the England team, which is fair enough, but he was kind of taking the moral high ground...England have played the right way, what more can they do?...and like Hodgson, opined that maybe England will have more chances when they play a team that really comes at them, has a go at them. But Savage just laid into him, saying England got their tactics wrong against Slovakia, that there's no plan B just plan E; E for excuse. Savage also mentioned that teams sit back against Real Madrid and they just won the Champion's League, Waddle countered that Real Madrid have a team full of amazing players and savage mentioned that England had around £150m worth of talent on the pitch.
When an England fan came on to say pretty much what Waddle had been saying,Waddle felt vindicated and thanked the caller rather profusely.
They had 26 shots on goal against Slovakia and a lot of those shots were never going near the goal. Their build up was often very laboured. And why on earth did they rotate the full backs? Why wasn't Rooney on from the start? And they don't have a plan B.
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You're right Bilic has been a breath of fresh air. He doesn't give a fuck. He has such a passion for the game, and he's a realist. I thought it was nice how he kept putting his hand on Ian Wright's knee when he knew he was busting Wright's balls a wee bit.
Thanks. I love Chrissie Waddle without reservation (like Sheridan, and Hirst, and Nilsson, and Pearson) but he's always been a little silly when England is involved. He can't help himself, but I've always found it kind of endearing, the way I love my aunt for acting like she's 100% of Irish decent, even though the rest of us are Belgain and Scottish and welsh and Swedish and the mutts we really are.
NIR keeper already has his hands full and we’re less than 12 minutes into the match. Germany looks like they want to make a statement.
Northern Ireland is pretty bad but Germany has looked great and could have four with some better finishing. Ozil and Muller have been really active.
I don't know if its just me, but it seems like the finishing in this tournament has been terrible - lots of shots straight at the keeper or duffed into the ground or even opportunities where a player misses the ball altogether. Germany certainly performing that way today.
Good point
UEFA Could have set up some friendlies with Haiti for the bye nations to stay sharp and the fans could see some goals. Win win
So the results of the first matches means the following are through to the next round:
Hungary
Slovakia
Croatia
Hungary
Slovakia
Croatia
Yep, also, a Turkey win by less than 4 goals or a draw between Turkey and Czech Republic will see Northern Ireland through. (They have other ways through depending on tomorrow's result, but they could be through by the end of the day).
Also hoping that Ireland win tomorrow to go through on 4 points, and that Portugal lose tomorrow and go home on 2 points.
Terrible penalty call, and then terrible call to let the goalkeeper come four yards off his line to save the penalty. So it's all sort of a wash.
Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and England all on the same side of the draw.
Belgium will be sitting pretty assuming they can get second in that group.
Belgium will be sitting pretty assuming they can get second in that group.
Are third place qualifiers for the knockouts decided by group points, then by goal differential?
This is pretty insane, still one day to go but it seems like one of Belgium/Portugal/Croatia/Poland/Switzerland/Wales is guaranteed a place in the finals.
Meanwhile, the Euro Champs Spain have to play Italy, then Germany and host France just to MAKE the finals.
And with the draw last night, England falls on the tough side of the draw of course. Amazing.
Meanwhile, the Euro Champs Spain have to play Italy, then Germany and host France just to MAKE the finals.
And with the draw last night, England falls on the tough side of the draw of course. Amazing.
Eurosport is hosting a very good and simple website which allows you to quickly and easily see what the knockout stage draw will look like:
http://euro2016.eurosport.co.uk/
I'm pretty sure Albania is all but out - the only way they can advance is if Hungary defeats Portugal and neither Sweden nor Ireland win tomorrow. So with that in mind, it's really now a question of whether Turkey (3 pts, -2 GD) gets in or the third place team in Group E (realistically Ireland if they win and Sweden doesn't, or Belgium if Sweden wins by 1 or 2 goals; it could be Sweden, but Ireland would have to thrash Italy for that to happen). So realistically speaking, let's look at the two possible draws:
If Turkey goes through:
--Switzerland vs. Poland (locked in)
--Croatia vs. Group F 3rd place ( Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
--Wales vs. Turkey
--The Group F winner (Portugal/Iceland/Hungary) vs. the Group E runner up (probably Belgium)
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Northern Ireland
--England vs. Group F 2nd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
If Ireland/Belgium goes through:
--Switzerland vs. Poland
--Croatia vs. Group F 3rd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
--Wales vs. Northern Ireland
--The Group F winner (Portugal/Iceland/Hungary) vs. the Group E runner up (probably Belgium)
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Ireland/Belgium
--England vs. Group F 2nd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
I expect Portugal will defeat Hungary, Iceland will not defeat Austria (so Portugal tops Group F, Hungary finishes second and Iceland or Austria third), and neither Sweden nor Ireland will win, which would set up the following draw:
--Switzerland vs. Poland
--Croatia vs. Iceland/Austria
--Wales vs. Turkey
--Portugal vs. Belgium
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Northern Ireland
--England vs. Hungary
http://euro2016.eurosport.co.uk/
I'm pretty sure Albania is all but out - the only way they can advance is if Hungary defeats Portugal and neither Sweden nor Ireland win tomorrow. So with that in mind, it's really now a question of whether Turkey (3 pts, -2 GD) gets in or the third place team in Group E (realistically Ireland if they win and Sweden doesn't, or Belgium if Sweden wins by 1 or 2 goals; it could be Sweden, but Ireland would have to thrash Italy for that to happen). So realistically speaking, let's look at the two possible draws:
If Turkey goes through:
--Switzerland vs. Poland (locked in)
--Croatia vs. Group F 3rd place ( Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
--Wales vs. Turkey
--The Group F winner (Portugal/Iceland/Hungary) vs. the Group E runner up (probably Belgium)
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Northern Ireland
--England vs. Group F 2nd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
If Ireland/Belgium goes through:
--Switzerland vs. Poland
--Croatia vs. Group F 3rd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
--Wales vs. Northern Ireland
--The Group F winner (Portugal/Iceland/Hungary) vs. the Group E runner up (probably Belgium)
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Ireland/Belgium
--England vs. Group F 2nd place (Portugal/Iceland/Austria/Hungary)
I expect Portugal will defeat Hungary, Iceland will not defeat Austria (so Portugal tops Group F, Hungary finishes second and Iceland or Austria third), and neither Sweden nor Ireland will win, which would set up the following draw:
--Switzerland vs. Poland
--Croatia vs. Iceland/Austria
--Wales vs. Turkey
--Portugal vs. Belgium
--Germany vs. Slovakia
--Italy vs. Spain
--France vs. Northern Ireland
--England vs. Hungary