Euro 2021

wonderland

New Member
Jul 20, 2005
525
I was looking at the lineup Germany had out there today. I’m more intrigued by them than a couple months ago. Top keeper, three in the back with Kimmich’s versatility as a wing back. Kroos and Gundogan in the middle. A variety of talented wingers/forwards. Plus Low’s sawn song. Lot to like there.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
I was looking at the lineup Germany had out there today. I’m more intrigued by them than a couple months ago. Top keeper, three in the back with Kimmich’s versatility as a wing back. Kroos and Gundogan in the middle. A variety of talented wingers/forwards. Plus Low’s sawn song. Lot to like there.
They have the talent but Low has been making some bizarre squad choices that make me question how far they’ll go. He seems determined to put the biggest names out there (ie, Hummels) or reward players who had the best club season even if the pieces don’t really fit (ie a midfield of Gundogan and Kroos).

IMO, he would be better off just piling as many Bayern players into the team as possible and having them line up in a 4-2-3-1 like Bayern usually does, as then most of his squad would be really used to playing together.

———-Werner———
Sane-Muller-Gnabry
—-Goretzka-Kroos
???-Rudiger-Sule-Kimmich
————Neuer————

I think that team could win the tournament.
 

the1andonly3003

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,371
Chicago
They have the talent but Low has been making some bizarre squad choices that make me question how far they’ll go. He seems determined to put the biggest names out there (ie, Hummels) or reward players who had the best club season even if the pieces don’t really fit (ie a midfield of Gundogan and Kroos).

IMO, he would be better off just piling as many Bayern players into the team as possible and having them line up in a 4-2-3-1 like Bayern usually does, as then most of his squad would be really used to playing together.

———-Werner———
Sane-Muller-Gnabry
—-Goretzka-Kroos
???-Rudiger-Sule-Kimmich
————Neuer————

I think that team could win the tournament.
it would be fun to see if Bayern's German players could just win the Euros (bring in Flick to coach), and maybe the RB/BVB players come on as subs
 

cromulence

Member
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Aug 25, 2009
6,699
Phil Foden needs an intervention on his hairstyle choices. It's always been a problem, but he somehow has found a way to make it worse (pic is big so I spoilered it):
 

Kliq

Member
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Mar 31, 2013
22,668
He looks like he is wearing a lot of makeup, was this before or after a photoshoot?
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
One of Foden's biggest weaknesses has always been that he's looked incredibly punchable. That picture isn't helping.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
8,729

koufax32

He'll cry if he wants to...
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Dec 8, 2006
9,092
Duval
Wow. I usually like simple kits, but this is a really staid and boring collection. Definitely dig Finland home and enjoy Portugal away because it’s at least something different.
The Finland home kit is awesome. It’s literally their flag but looks so great anyway.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
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Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Lol...dude is still a great player but he grows more limited year by year.

and no one is going to stop him
 

Bunt4aTriple

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Jul 15, 2005
4,347
North Yarmouth, ME
I know nothing about soccer, but I did join a Euros pool and drew...Austria. I'm guessing I made a donation to the pot?

Euros 2020 Rules and Payouts

$25 buy-in – gets you 1 randomly selected team. Can purchase as many teams as you’d like ($50 gets you 2 teams, $75 gets you 3 teams, etc.)

24 total teams

$600 prize pool

Payout breakdown:
Group stage (top 2 seeds from each pool advance, along with top 4 3rd place teams)
  • Top seed in each pool ($10 per #1 team in pool) – 6 pools ($60 total paid out)
  • 2nd seed in each pool ($5 per #2 team in pool) – 6 pools ($30 total paid out)
  • No payouts for the 3rd place teams
Round of 16
  • 8 winners ($20 per winner) – 8 games ($160 total paid out)
Quarterfinal
  • 4 winners ($25 per winner) – 4 games ($100 total paid out)
Semi-final
  • 2 winners ($50 per winner) – 2 games ($100 total paid out)
Championship
  • 1 winner ($150 per winner) – 1 game ($150 total paid out)
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Bernal

teddykgb

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Jul 16, 2005
11,016
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That pay league sounds like great fun is it too late for us to pull one of those off? I want to desperately root for Hungary during the sunmer
 

koufax32

He'll cry if he wants to...
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2006
9,092
Duval
Well, Greece did win Euro 2004, and Austria has at least as good a chance this year that Greece did then...so who knows? (And if ever there were a year for a screwy winner at the Euros, it'd surely be this year.)
Greece didn’t let anyone score though. Can Austria allow like 1-2 goals the whole tournament?
 

Tangled Up In Red

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Who are the full 7 in the fantasy league? I'll start a 'conversation' so we can discuss/smack talk separately.
@Kliq @dirtynine @Ale Xander @DJnVa (HFTBFC?), I've got. My nemesis, Chelsea's Camelot... what is your SoSHname? I think that leaves 'Sticky Slabs' - who are you n SoSH land?
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
53,840
Yeah....I'm Here for the Beer FC. I was stuck for a name and that's what my indoor team is called.
 

the1andonly3003

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,371
Chicago
anyone know how to get the highlights of the World Feed, BBC or BT Sport commentaries on YouTube? Are they geoblocked there? Are match highlights on ESPNFC's YouTube page?
 

CodPiece XL

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Jun 4, 2007
2,422
Scottsdale, AZ.
anyone know how to get the highlights of the World Feed, BBC or BT Sport commentaries on YouTube? Are they geoblocked there? Are match highlights on ESPNFC's YouTube page?
I use a DNS service that allows me to stream BBC channels live and on demand. I pay $19.95 a year for it but they are offering 2 weeks free trial. Far better coverage in build up to the games than ESPN . PM if you want details. Takes seconds to set up if you have a smart device.At least it does on my Apple TV’s. BBC has both highlights and full games archived.
 

teddykgb

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Jul 16, 2005
11,016
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Another searing, searching piece by Jonathan Liew on supporting the English national team while conflicted about England itself.
I don’t understand the perspective of trying to connect the real world histories of these countries to their soccer NTs. It is impossible to completely divorce but it’s all just too serious . I certainly appreciate the authors point especially about the more modern examples but who among us doesn’t have even members of our families who exhibit all of these negative traits? It’s impossible, sadly, for countries to not have bigots of many types. Any country that has ever had any power has committed atrocities. It’s a type of sporting nihilism or self harm to evaluate through this lens. I’m not trying to turn this into a P&G thread but not appreciating tournaments like this for what it is and instead letting the very real and difficult realities of geopolitics infect this is just a path to depression. I don’t want to be dismissive, I think the author is 100% correct.
 

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
22,668
I don’t understand the perspective of trying to connect the real world histories of these countries to their soccer NTs. It is impossible to completely divorce but it’s all just too serious . I certainly appreciate the authors point especially about the more modern examples but who among us doesn’t have even members of our families who exhibit all of these negative traits? It’s impossible, sadly, for countries to not have bigots of many types. Any country that has ever had any power has committed atrocities. It’s a type of sporting nihilism or self harm to evaluate through this lens. I’m not trying to turn this into a P&G thread but not appreciating tournaments like this for what it is and instead letting the very real and difficult realities of geopolitics infect this is just a path to depression. I don’t want to be dismissive, I think the author is 100% correct.
Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson are definitely responsible for the famines in India and Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish started the Falkland War.
 

cromulence

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Aug 25, 2009
6,699
Feel like I'm gonna throw up. That was one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson are definitely responsible for the famines in India and Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish started the Falkland War.
Though David Seaman’s ponytail and mustache combo was a clear human rights violation.

Part of what Liew is expressing is the ambivalence of the child of immigrants. Why support a national team when so many in that nation despise you and your family? It is a different relationship than with a club team - the bonds of citizenship romantically expressed through a national team represent something much different than supporting a professional club (though Barca fans would beg to differ). I know I found a different kind of joy in the US beating El Tri than I did from Liverpool winning the league because it’s not just about the action in the pitch. It’s our relationship to the team and all it represents.

And it’s just not possible to keep the politics separate when fans boo players taking a knee, when long-time soccer symbols like the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag get flown at an invasion of the Capitol, when opposing fans hurl homophobic chants, when managers question the dedication of dual nationals, when national pursue international tournaments to sportswash their reputations….

Edit: …when Ukraine dons a jersey showing Crimea…
 
Last edited:

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
I don’t understand the perspective of trying to connect the real world histories of these countries to their soccer NTs. It is impossible to completely divorce but it’s all just too serious . I certainly appreciate the authors point especially about the more modern examples but who among us doesn’t have even members of our families who exhibit all of these negative traits? It’s impossible, sadly, for countries to not have bigots of many types. Any country that has ever had any power has committed atrocities. It’s a type of sporting nihilism or self harm to evaluate through this lens. I’m not trying to turn this into a P&G thread but not appreciating tournaments like this for what it is and instead letting the very real and difficult realities of geopolitics infect this is just a path to depression. I don’t want to be dismissive, I think the author is 100% correct.
I had a very different take on the article. The author isn’t conflicted about rooting for England because of history or geopolitics; he’s conflicted because he believes half his country doesn’t accept him as a true Englishman.
 

singaporesoxfan

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Jul 21, 2004
11,882
Washington, DC
I have to say I'm conflicted about rooting for England because of history and geopolitics: I've loved watching England since I was a little kid, when English football was the only football I ever got to see on TV, and there was the excitement of watching familiar players in the 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads and the heartbreak of the Hand of God goal and Gazza's tears. Plus in Terry Butcher England had the only player in any World Cup squad who was born in Singapore. But the whole reason Singapore has that close cultural relationship with England is because it's a former colony, and supporting former colonial masters gives me weird feelings. I do really like cheering for Sterling and Rashford to do well, because they have been targets of bigoted England fans who probably don't see them as truly English.

One memory that always sticks in my mind is doing guard duty in the Singapore army during the 2002 World Cup, and watching a game on the tiny guardhouse TV with fellow Singaporeans - almost all of Chinese descent - rooting loudly against China. And I would do the same today, for nothing to do with the Chinese NT (which I should love as an underdog comically resistant to the Chinese model of state-led sports excellence, despite the desire of the population to see a great Chinese football team) and everything to do with history and geopolitics.