The Real Football Thread

[BullsFan22]

Those of us that watch the premier league on a regular basis and have teams we cheer for in that league, know just how awful the refereeing can be. Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver are proving for everyone to see. Especially Taylor. What an absolute disgrace.

 

[ice&fire]

This one had 0-0 and penalties written all over it. One goal should sort it.

Can't they kick both France and Portugal off the tournament and have Spain and Germany play again in the semifinal?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Game has basically been fought between Pepe and the passing of time.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Game has basically been fought between Pepe and the passing of time.

The only thing that is bad about this infuriating Portugal side going out is that Pepe had to be on the losing side. So much about that team is so infuriating and as I said, as soon as they were drawn against each other, I just knew 0-0 and penalties was going to be the outcome. However, Pepe is one of very few real footballers that remains in the game and I'm going to be sad to see him go.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Incredible, the French don‘t know where the goal is if you don‘t say ‚11 m, straight ahead‘ and that‘s enough for a semifinal

 

[BullsFan22]

France at the Euro’s: 1-0 win against Austria, courtesy of an own goal.

0-0 against the Netherlands.

1-1 against Poland, courtesy of a pk via Mbappe.

1-0 against Belgium, courtesy of a Belgian own goal.

0-0 and 4-3 in Penalties against Portugal today.

What a road to the semifinals.

As dirty (on both sides of the ball) the Spanish have been, at least they can score goals from open play and set pieces.

Now rooting for the Dutch. Hopefully they are gaining form and can break their duck. They’ve only won one major tournament, and that was the Euro’s in 1988.

 

[Rob5091]

Can either England or Switzerland muster up one goal? It's tough watching ...

 

[Rob5091]

OMG! Switzerland scored ... I was sure it was going to penalties as 0-0.
edit -
and England equalise so we still could have penalties.

 

[Rob5091]

Kane seems to be injured running into Southgate. Just about sums it up!

... and it ends in penalties ...

England win but what a non-event.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Kane seems to be injured running into Southgate. Just about sums it up!

... and it ends in penalties ...

England win but what a non-event.

England are not quite as much of a non-event as France, but I wonder what Southgate traded for down at the crossroads to get this kind of luck. The best team they've beaten in a tournament since he took over is probably... well, it's Germany in the group stage in 2021, but in knockout games they've had so much luck with the draw it's unbelievable, this Swiss team is probably the best team they've beaten in six years, and even then they drew after 120 minutes. The team is still miserable at creating from open spaces and they've been pulled out of the mire by two golazos from Bellingham and Saka - but, again, France haven't even had that so you have to give England that at least. At least a couple of their underperforming players with big reputations have pulled a rabbit out of the hat once or twice - although the French would simultaneously argue that they've had to beat (the similarly under-performing) Belgium and Portugal to get to the semi-finals.

You really have to hope Turkey upset the formbook or Spain just steamroller everybody for the sake of the tournament though, it seems there's an awful lot of rewards out there for anti-futebol.

 

[Netserk]

The Dutch are off to a lively start.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Biggest mid-off in football history going on between France, Netherlands, England and Spain in the semi-finals, unless Turkey can sneak through.

Then again Brazil and the Argies look average too so its not much better over there, quite like the look of Uruguay under Bielsa when I saw them last week.

 

[Netserk]

Spain - Netherlands in the final would be very welcome.

 

[Netserk]

Great game, good goal for continued action!

 

[Tim Cahill]

Koeman out Frank De Boer in.

He's just Southgate without the voodoo.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is there like a Central American 2.3 race I can watch somewhere?

There's some crit racing from Anguilla if you're that desperate.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qqLvgr6nI

 

[Netserk]

Turkey with dead batteries.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Turkey were looking like peak 2013 Turku in the first half there. Sayer, Metlushenko, Gabrovski tearing the Dutch apart.

In the second half they looked like Turku after they all *** themselves and stopped doping after Sayer got popped. A loss for both cycling and football.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Turkey with dead batteries.

On the plus side, this is the best we've seen from Turkey since they were unjustly eliminated from the World Cup thanks to the most disgusting dive in the history of the sport. Including Condor Rojas.

 

[Netserk]

Better team won clearly.

Can't go wrong against England.

 

[BullsFan22]

Another own goal at this Euros.

C’mon Netherlands. Save Europe!

 

[Gigs_98]

I'm just crying a little.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Teams today would probably thump their equivalents from 10/20 years ago, however I still sense a distinct lack of ballers at the moment, I fear Josep is the culprit

https://twitter.com/x/status/1809577998347051348

 

[Gigs_98]

Teams today would probably thump their equivalents from 10/20 years ago, however I still sense a distinct lack of ballers at the moment, I fear Josep is the culprit

https://twitter.com/x/status/1809577998347051348

I honestly think this is just a phase of international football that's gonna pass. I mean the knockouts in Euros and Worlds have been cautious games my entire life, but the fact that it's so f*cking bad this tournament can easily be put down to the fact that argubly the three most talented teams are coached by Deschamps, Southgate and Martinez who are all mediocre coaches prefering these kind of tactics. Nobody felt like there was a shift to super defensive football during the group stages but now that we are constantly confronted with these teams their tactics are more and more in the center of attention.

That being said, man do I hope France and England both lose. Unbelievable how they are playing with these kind of players at their disposal. I know everyone is now on the "they made it to the semis so their tactics must have been the correct one" wave, but if you have a squad this good you should not have to depend on winning a penalty shootout. You cannot tell me England, who needed a late equalizer for the second game in a row, is actually tactically set up in a way that maximizes their chance to win.

 

[Gigs_98]

Feels like I haven't often seen the difference between shitty national managers with great teams and average squads with good managers so clearly.

Also seen a lot of blame on fixture congestion in club football and that players are just running on fumes, but honestly managers should just make sure to select players who are ready to play.

Yeah, England in theory would be able to select a bunch of bench players from the premier league while still having a significantly better squad than Switzerland.