Anyone would be forgiven for not eagerly anticipating Poland vs Greece but the tournament kicks off in TWO DAYS. Get used to these sights:
http://emajmagazine.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/english-fans-at-england-algeria-game.jpg
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jun/Week4/15655059.jpg
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 10:45 (eleven years ago) link
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/5/16/1337124297217/Yulia-Tymoshenko-protests-008.jpg
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 10:48 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.mnpls.com/306/30622.jpg
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 10:53 (eleven years ago) link
Anyone would be forgiven for not eagerly anticipating Poland vs Greece
I am though! Coupla Celtic players in either side. Don't know if the Polish guy will play tho.
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:02 (eleven years ago) link
Don't know if the Polish guy will play tho
If his Celtic "career" has been anything to go by, I suspect probably not.
― ailsa, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:15 (eleven years ago) link
who's that, brozek? nah no chance
i am officially riding for polska this tournament fyi
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
Generally hope for the best for Poland but they are invariably utter shite in tournaments
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:24 (eleven years ago) link
oh i know, believe me
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:26 (eleven years ago) link
I have my Yulia Tymoshenko t-shirt at the ready.
Brozek's still probably the second best striker Poland has so i'd imagine he'd get a few sub appearances.
― Temporarily Famous In The Czech Republic (ShariVari), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:36 (eleven years ago) link
If only their best strikers didn't keep playing for Germany
― Tom D (Tom D.), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:37 (eleven years ago) link
Lewandowski is pretty handy tho. The Guardian podcast tipped him as a decent outside bet for top scorer
― Number None, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:42 (eleven years ago) link
Poland should be p good with their all Dortmund right hand side + Lewandowski. Excited.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 11:50 (eleven years ago) link
I love Eastern European footballers, since USA 94 I've gone into pretty much every tournament hoping for a new Stoitchkov and Hagi and I've usually been disappointed. Any decent Ukranians out there who could have an impact?
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:01 (eleven years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Yarmolenko
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:12 (eleven years ago) link
rafal wolski at legia warsaw's meant to be handy on the left too, dortmund are trying to do a deal
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:14 (eleven years ago) link
konoplyanka at dnipro
yarmolenko is a paaar n pace epl type
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:15 (eleven years ago) link
hrvatska
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:16 (eleven years ago) link
can't imagine supporting poland, too maudlin, too boring
Slawomir Peszko (Cologne)
The winger won't be going to Poland and Ukraine after being dropped following a drink-fuelled incident with a taxi driver but his experience reveals plenty about Smuda and his relationship with his players. (Also, the Cologne player has four kidneys, which was only discovered when he joined the Bundesliga team in 2011. His mum reportedly said about her son: he just "goes to the bathroom more than most people".)
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:18 (eleven years ago) link
He swallowed his twin brother when he was 3 iirc
― pandemic, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:21 (eleven years ago) link
Igor Denisov
He is, without a doubt, the Russian Mark van Bommel. The Zenit St Petersburg midfielder has been involved in a series of incidents on and off the pitch, including: a brawl with the Spartak coach, Valery Karpin; a refusal to join the national team before Euro 2008; a fight with a team-mate, as well as with a driving instructor and several security officers. He is a really good chess player, which may surprise some considering his tough-guy image. He has two South African pitbulls. Never gives an interview.
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:22 (eleven years ago) link
what's not to love!
2 Russia DF Aleksandr Anyukov3 Portugal DF Bruno Alves4 Italy DF Domenico Criscito6 Belgium DF Nicolas Lombaerts8 Serbia FW Danko Lazović9 Russia FW Aleksandr Bukharov10 Portugal MF Danny11 Russia FW Aleksandr Kerzhakov14 Slovakia DF Tomáš Hubočan15 Russia MF Roman Shirokov16 Russia GK Vyacheslav Malafeev (captain)17 Italy MF Alessandro Rosina No. Position Player18 Russia MF Konstantin Zyryanov (1st vice-captain)20 Russia MF Viktor Fayzulin22 Russia GK Dmitri Borodin23 Hungary MF Szabolcs Huszti24 Serbia DF Aleksandar Luković25 Russia MF Sergei Semak (2nd vice-captain)27 Russia MF Igor Denisov29 Russia FW Andrei Arshavin (on loan from Arsenal)30 Belarus GK Yuri Zhevnov34 Russia MF Vladimir Bystrov63 Russia DF Denis Terentyev99 Russia FW Maksim Kanunnikov
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:24 (eleven years ago) link
bruno alves looks like a departure from their traditional 'no blacks' policy
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:25 (eleven years ago) link
Also, the Cologne player has four kidneys
oh of course.
― Merdeyeux, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:26 (eleven years ago) link
WHAT?
Nikica Jelavic
The Everton striker's colourful uncle, also called Nikica Jelavic and nicknamed "The Boxer", is said to be "the uncrowned king of Zagreb". He has been linked to several high-profile incidents, one including a failed assassination attempt using a handheld rocket launcher in the city centre, when a passer-by was blown up in 1999. Each time he was cleared of all charges by the court. "He helped me a lot in my career because he loves me, and our relationship is strictly family," says Jelavic the footballer.
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:28 (eleven years ago) link
Think the CM for Russia, Shirokov, once faked a broken leg or smthg like that.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:36 (eleven years ago) link
russia should surely have a bunch of sub-standard brazilians in their squad these days, c'mon let's diversify.
― Merdeyeux, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 12:40 (eleven years ago) link
Evhen Khacheridi. Not so long ago Oleksandr Aliev called his Dynamo Kyiv team-mate "The woodpecker". Khacheridi was known for his stupid behaviour on the pitch, which saw him sent off several times, but he has now matured and is playing his best football. He is a cool, collected and reliable operator.
― mizzell, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 13:49 (eleven years ago) link
http://en.euro2012fantasy.uefa.com/my-leagues/67725/join/?autojoin-code=13714-677
anyone interested?
― Michael B Higgins (Michael B), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 13:55 (eleven years ago) link
Yes. It doesn't seem to be mobile-accessible, but I'll have a look shortly.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
Poland's passionate coach Franciszek Smuda is so excited by the prospect of Euro 2012 that, according to assistant Jacek Zielinski, he's behaving like a feral animal.
"Smuda? He's like a wild fox in a cage," champions Zielinski. "He just wants to waste them all. He can't wait."
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
knew that would be a bullshit translation, and so it proved
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:08 (eleven years ago) link
waste dem wastermen
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:10 (eleven years ago) link
Heiko Wastemann (born 14 August 1983 in Alzenau, West Germany) is a German footballer who plays as defender for German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and the German national team.
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:17 (eleven years ago) link
http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/fourfourtwoview/archive/2012/06/06/possession-jon-harley-amp-foreign-coaches-henry-winter-s-blueprint-for-a-better-england.aspx
lulz
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 14:18 (eleven years ago) link
Did McManaman ever actually play for England after that? I'm struggling to remember.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
i'm in.
― second only to popcorn (or something), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 15:57 (eleven years ago) link
mcmanaman never got a decent go for england, ludicrous.
― ooooiiiioooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaoooooh un - bi - leevable! (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:01 (eleven years ago) link
You could cast him in with Hoddle, Le Tiss, Rio, etc. as too suspiciously foreign for England. He did play in the 4-1 Holland game I'm sure, but seemed to fade out of the reckoning as he got more accomplished.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:10 (eleven years ago) link
england's mythical left winger, too good for them imo
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
was "no way no way, mcmanaman" ever a chant?
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:23 (eleven years ago) link
hard 'ch'?
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:26 (eleven years ago) link
not today
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:27 (eleven years ago) link
don't get fresh with me
lol
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:31 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/BC0Eh.gif
― too cool graham rix listening to neu (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
great country by country previews at zonal marking: http://www.zonalmarking.net/category/euro-2012/
― Steve Youngblood (dan m), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
yeah been reading them, good stuff.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 16:46 (eleven years ago) link
Man Utd putting eight past Arsenal seemed horribly transgressive, and the couple of nines they've managed too.
'Only' the one nine, isn't it? (v Ipswich in 95)
― Özil Gummidge (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:19 (eleven years ago) link
this was pretty awkward i remember http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/1993/03/02/england/premier-league/sheffield-united-fc/tottenham-hotspur-football-club/555420/
― caek, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:21 (eleven years ago) link
I know Spurs did it recently, but I thought you'd had a big one over Forest too
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:21 (eleven years ago) link
That was 8, I think
― Özil Gummidge (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:22 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, it was 8-1. Solskjaer came off the bench to score four
― Number None, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:23 (eleven years ago) link
It is pretty funny to hear about an actual minnow getting smashed, like Germany taking San Marino(?) for 13. God knows what that game where Australia scored 31 was like.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:26 (eleven years ago) link
Many years ago I joined a five-a-side league (with some mates, not as a one-man team) and we got absolutely slaughtered. The scorelines were something like 21-3 and 18-1 and the games were only 45 minutes long, iirc. Unimaginably dispiriting - our goalkeeper would roll it out to one of us and we'd immediately be closed down with no passes on and either lose possession or pass it back to the keeper again. After two matches we just gave up.
― Özil Gummidge (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:33 (eleven years ago) link
cruyff testimonial to thread
perhaps my fave single football match ever
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 12:45 (eleven years ago) link
The meaninglessness of the match is what makes the Cruyff testimonial so awesome. Bayern just dished it out purely to fuck with them.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:10 (eleven years ago) link
i dunno if the actively decorous mercy thing in footer really rings true tbh, it's just a natural gestalt subconscious fluctuation in desire
like the final on sunday spain were alright with seeing it out and then the wind suddenly changed for a bit and it was all wahey
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:21 (eleven years ago) link
Ipswich totally deserved that stuffing after the misery of the 6-0 defeat they dished out to Man Utd in 1980 iirc.
― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:31 (eleven years ago) link
Anyhow, what's this about England rising to #4 in the FIFA rankings?
― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:32 (eleven years ago) link
i can't work that out, there must be a bunch of teams who consistently place higher than us in tournaments, assume the rankings are based on some kind of Sensi Soccer pool in FIFA HQ or sumpn
― coopflaggypost (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:37 (eleven years ago) link
Australia vs Samoa was a circus partly because there was visa trouble which kept all but one of Samoa's original team out, and their under-20 team was doing exams. They had to draft in their youth team - the average age of their 11 was 18.
Mind you, the previous record was Australia 22-0 Tonga, two days before.
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:38 (eleven years ago) link
i think pretty much all the teams that played in the euros went up in rank. if you didn't play competitively this year then you go down, e.g. brazil
― caek, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:43 (eleven years ago) link
you know i'm obliged to do an "England did not play competitively this year" line now, right?
― coopflaggypost (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:48 (eleven years ago) link
there was some complaint in italy when roma scored seven vs someone crap a few years ago (when they were playing the og 460)
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:54 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvk-M2KPG1U
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:55 (eleven years ago) link
oh yeah well i'll believe anything with italian's bizarro honour/corruption confection
i do quite like prandelli's code of conduct thing although he'd probs get sued or something doing that in england
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 13:59 (eleven years ago) link
what was the reaction when united gubbed roma that time, fair dos theyre foreign savages or this is just not cricket?
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:01 (eleven years ago) link
"Last night was an epochal beating that Italian football has never previously suffered at the hands of the English," says Roma fan and columnist Candido Cannavò. "Now I run to father Dante to find out what circle of Hell my beloved Roma has fallen into: maybe that of the proud and vainglorious. Conceding three goals in eight minutes could only have happened to a squad that thought it was divine."
― Number None, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:03 (eleven years ago) link
conceding three goals in eight minutes is forgiveable, conceding a goal to alan smith (who hasn't scored in any of the five following seasons iirc) will besmirch their name for eternity
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
actually he scored two whole goals on his loan spell at mk dons last season, no word on which teams were responsible though
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
sheff utd of course
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:09 (eleven years ago) link
Wow, I'd forgotten Alan Smith existed.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:25 (eleven years ago) link
For many it felt like a necessary game too, one that not only closed a unique cycle, of Euros-World Cup-Euros, but closed the debate too. Amid the criticism and accusation, the final felt like the kind of performance Spain needed.
XA: No, no, no. We were secure and calm, confident in what we were doing, confident that we were doing things the right way. I thought a lot of [the criticism] was demagogic. I laughed at a lot of what I read.
You read it? Footballers always say they don't read the papers
XA: No, I read things. I read things, but I don't change my mind because of them. I am very clear in my own mind. I knew what was being written in 'X' country or the other country. I laughed a lot. A lot.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/03/spain-euro-2012-xabi-alonso
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 14:50 (eleven years ago) link
awes quotes
― deems irreverent (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 16:17 (eleven years ago) link
I'm watching the final now. I was in a pub with a non-football-liking person on Sunday night and saw bits out the corner of my eye, knew the score etc. but didn't get to fully appreciate it. At half time now. I think Jordi Alba's goal is gott if only because the run he made was oh so very spectacular in a way you never really see. It is things like that which should make Spain a lovable team and it is a shame they were much more reserved in the France and Portugal games.
This Spain isn't the best international team of all time. The Spain of 2008 is imo. If only because 2012 Spain have two positions not playing to ABSOLUTELY-PERFECT-STANDINGS as Cesc just isn't a v good false 9 and they do not, now or ever, actually need XA AND SB when they could have someone provide width. But these seem like such minute details regarding what is 9/10ths of the same team. Oh and I've obviously not seen those Hungary or Uruguay or Brazil teams to compare.
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 16:21 (eleven years ago) link
Spain 08-12 basically counts as the same team. Villa and Puyol would have been in there had they not been injured.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 16:53 (eleven years ago) link
Marcos Senna, how quickly we forget
― Number None, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 16:55 (eleven years ago) link
Capdevilla and Torres rip
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
This sort of thread is why I Love Football exists. It is ILX's version of the pub where endless footie conversations take place every single day and night of the week.
***---> Endless! Footie! Conversations! <---***
When such a heaven exists, why would anyone not want to go to heaven?
― Aimless, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:29 (eleven years ago) link
One day, eventually, we will run out
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:32 (eleven years ago) link
one day we will tog out, you mean
― deems irreverent (darraghmac), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 17:46 (eleven years ago) link
'Only' the one nine, isn't it? (v Ipswich in 95)Ipswich totally deserved that stuffing after the misery of the 6-0 defeat they dished out to Man Utd in 1980 iirc.― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Wednesday, July 4, 2012 1:31 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Wednesday, July 4, 2012 1:31 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
totally deserved. as an ipswich fan living in manchester i'm not sure where to start with that sort of one-eyed nonsense.
― For bodies we are ready to build pyramids (whatever), Wednesday, 4 July 2012 21:07 (eleven years ago) link
haha. reading about that cruyff testimonial. pretty funny in a cruel kind of way.
― kid steel (cajunsunday), Thursday, 5 July 2012 11:32 (eleven years ago) link
Actually the real best thing about the Cruyff testimonial is Cruyff unashamedly having a fag in the middle of the game.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 5 July 2012 11:38 (eleven years ago) link
are there any good articles on it
― kid steel (cajunsunday), Thursday, 5 July 2012 11:50 (eleven years ago) link
Is that real, Matt?! Awesome.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 5 July 2012 11:50 (eleven years ago) link
Tiny bit in The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/22/least-successful-testimonial-match-ever):
And take Johan Cruyff's farewell fixture for Ajax against Bayern Munich. You might think the result doesn't matter in a testimonial and, by and large, you'd be right, but what about when the team you invite turn up and give you a proper shoeing?
"The German champions wanted to show their Dutch counterparts something after earlier defeats and not being welcomed at Schiphol Airport," writes Dave G Boham. "They even had to sleep at a sub-par hotel. After jeers from the crowd, they showed their hosts something. Three goals were disallowed during the 8-0 hammering dished out by the Bavarians. The Ajax players just wanted to have a good time. In 2006, Bayern apologised."
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 5 July 2012 11:51 (eleven years ago) link
I didn't get to watch much of the tournament (combo of working when games were on/not actually being fussed about it at all), but did I get any predictions right? http://noisey.vice.com/blog/euro-2012s-most-predictable-soundtrack--cliches
― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Thursday, 5 July 2012 12:10 (eleven years ago) link
The Song They'll Probably Use: "Sexy And I Know It" by LMFAO. It works on two levels, one for the actual sexy shots of buxom Swedish girls picked out by pervy camermen (no doubt on the behest of Lineker) and for ironic purposes when juxtaposed against some beer-bellied brute from Dagenham doing the Macarena.
I feel like this was done at some point.
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 5 July 2012 12:43 (eleven years ago) link
The song at least; I can't remember the setting.
England's exit got a cover of 'In The End' by Linkin Park. I don't think anyone could summon the enthusiasm for a Torres montage, but his kids were cute.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 5 July 2012 13:50 (eleven years ago) link
who did the horrible cover of "thriller" after the final?
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:28 (eleven years ago) link
Imogen Heap.
― Chris, Thursday, 5 July 2012 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
Zonal Marking's TOTT http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/07/04/zms-team-of-euro-2012/
---------------------------Casillas----------------------------Pereira-----------Pepe----------Ramos-------------Alba--------------------------------Pirlo-------------------------------------------------Khedira-------Mountinho-------------------------Jiracek-------------------------------Iniesta------------------------------------Fabregas--------------------------
― pandemic, Friday, 6 July 2012 07:17 (eleven years ago) link
Jiracek?
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 6 July 2012 07:30 (eleven years ago) link
where did rooney go?
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Friday, 6 July 2012 12:21 (eleven years ago) link
went to grab lunch
― from the desk of mr. and mrs. eazy and sheila e (m bison), Friday, 6 July 2012 14:21 (eleven years ago) link