Euro 16 gamethread

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
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Buffon reminds the young upstart at the other end that the kid can't be the best until Gigi retires and puts on 45 lbs.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Has to feel pretty good for Italy. I'm sure they remember when Spain was showing off a little up 3-0 or 4-0 to the echoing "ole" going around the stadium.
 

teddykgb

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Conte is playing with some of the best CBs in the world and the best keeper in the world. I don't think he's going to find it quite so easy at Chelsea unless he gets to raid Juve for a defense.
 

coremiller

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Italy-Germany in the quarters, one of the great international matchups, and Italy has long been Germany's toughest opponent. Amazingly, Germany has NEVER beaten Italy in a competitive (non-friendly) match. Italy knocked Germany out of the 1970, 1982, and 2006 World Cups and the 2012 Euros.

Also, "tactical masterclass" is one of the English football cliches that we need to start using in American sports.
 

BelgianSoxFan

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Conte is playing with some of the best CBs in the world and the best keeper in the world. I don't think he's going to find it quite so easy at Chelsea unless he gets to raid Juve for a defense.
Chelsea's goalie is better than Buffon, but the rest of your point stands.
 

teddykgb

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Chelsea's goalie is better than Buffon, but the rest of your point stands.
I understand that your viewpoint is a smidge biased. But I don't think you'll find many who agree with you :)

edit: the ESPN commentary is going too far. It was a great match by Italy but it's not like Spain didn't have chances. I thought it was just a great matchup and a great contrast between a team that is good in attack versus great in defense. There absolutely could have been a reversed outcome in this one. Buffon made some great saves and Spain wasted a few great chances.
 

Cellar-Door

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Conte is playing with some of the best CBs in the world and the best keeper in the world. I don't think he's going to find it quite so easy at Chelsea unless he gets to raid Juve for a defense.
You mean you don't think Matt MIazga is as good as Barzagli?

Though yeah, that 3-5-2 his heavily dependent on the CBs, and I'd say even the bench CBs for Italy (Darmian, Ogbonna) are better than anyone Chelsea has under contract.
 

speedracer

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Italy-Germany in the quarters, one of the great international matchups, and Italy has long been Germany's toughest opponent. Amazingly, Germany has NEVER beaten Italy in a competitive (non-friendly) match. Italy knocked Germany out of the 1970, 1982, and 2006 World Cups and the 2012 Euros.

Also, "tactical masterclass" is one of the English football cliches that we need to start using in American sports.
I'm struggling to think of a tactical masterclass I've seen in a major American match lately though.
 

BelgianSoxFan

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Two years ago Courtois was seen as the second best in the world and Buffon 4th. Last year Buffon was seen as the second best and Courtois as 4th. Courtois had a bad year behind a geriatric defense at Chelsea. I think an argument can be made either way.
If Buffon is Ortiz then Courtois is Mookie
 

fletcherpost

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God Save The Queen is the worst anthem ever, lyrically and musically. I always try to turn the sound down when it comes on, but i was eating there and caught it. Fuckin disgusting.
 

Bozo Texino

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God Save The Queen is the worst anthem ever, lyrically and musically. I always try to turn the sound down when it comes on, but i was eating there and caught it. Fuckin disgusting.
I dunno - it's much better than ours. The Star-Spangled Banner is a musical disaster. I wish we used The Stars and Stripes Forever.

ICELAND!!!
 

teddykgb

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Two years ago Courtois was seen as the second best in the world and Buffon 4th. Last year Buffon was seen as the second best and Courtois as 4th. Courtois had a bad year behind a geriatric defense at Chelsea. I think an argument can be made either way.
If Buffon is Ortiz then Courtois is Mookie
I'm not sure where you're getting these rankings from but Buffon is just a better player. There's no shame in that, but if you seriously think Courtois is on his level then I'm sorry but you're just incorrect. There's no shame in this, Courtois is just in a pack of other very good keepers who are waiting for Buffon to retire to try to make the claim that they are the best. And I'm pretty sure he's not even leading that pack.
 

teddykgb

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"Sturridge has options here" (unsaid - but we all know he's going to try to work space for a shot and that's the only option in his mind)

edit: Huge LOL at "Most Tottenham goals in EPL history" stat. Not that it's wrong, but that's awfully specific.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
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Two years ago Courtois was seen as the second best in the world and Buffon 4th. Last year Buffon was seen as the second best and Courtois as 4th. Courtois had a bad year behind a geriatric defense at Chelsea. I think an argument can be made either way.
If Buffon is Ortiz then Courtois is Mookie
Again, no. World rankings are phooey.

Courtois is a good shot stopper, but he doesn't have the positional sense, leadership, or concentration to be considered the greatest. His body language in the face of adversity is awful. His comments in the press are silly. He's good, but he's not great.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
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Sturridge will infuriate you to the breaking point, then score an amazing goal that earns forgiveness until he's stupid again.
 

fletcherpost

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I dunno - it's much better than ours. The Star-Spangled Banner is a musical disaster. I wish we used The Stars and Stripes Forever.

ICELAND!!!
It's a song asking an anthropmorphic God (which cannot exist) to save a person who is rich and powerful and is likely to see 100. It's crass to ask such a God to save such a person, who clearly does not need saving and is neither gracious or noble. And if the royals had any class, which they don't, they'd get a new anthem. at least the Star Spangled Banner has a narrative and goes somewhere and is about the country not some out of reach whoor in a palace.
 

swiftaw

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I'm done with Joe Hart. Can't wait for Butland to be fit again, he should be England #1.