The Real Football Thread

[BullsFan22]

A different coach is what they need asap!

Klopp!!

 

[gunara]

The Dutch couldn’t do it with players like Bergkamp, Davids, Seedorf, Stam, De Boer, Van Der Sad, Overmars, Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Van Persie, Van Bronckhorst, Cafu, and others.

You meant that PSV's/Barcelona's Phillip guy, right? But honestly van der Sad is funny.

 

[BullsFan22]

You meant that PSV's/Barcelona's Phillip guy, right? But honestly van der Sad is funny.

LOL. Stupid autocorrect. 😂🤣😂.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Damn, Pogačar really killed all other discussions today. The only real football team (including theatrics) has taken the title.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Might take up cocaine or something

I've identified the problem, it was that they were good and we were bad.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Damn, Pogačar really killed all other discussions today. The only real football team (including theatrics) has taken the title.

Like Pogi, I was just waiting for someone to make the first move before unleashing my powers.

But yeah, a deserved victory here.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Might take up cocaine or something

I've identified the problem, it was that they were good and we were bad.

Ok, I'll settle for you trashing any room.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

A good thing for the sport of football here, that the only team playing positive football AND having high enough calibre players/depth (other teams like Romania, Austria and Turkey also played positive football, but just hit against their ceilings unfortunately) are the ones that go home winning. England outlasted France, Belgium and the others that were playing stifling, low-scoring anti-futebol and did play better as the tournament went on, such that they did create some opportunities and made Spain have to really work for it harder than they did against anybody except maybe Germany, but I don't think anybody can really criticise the English team for today, that John Stones backpass in the first half excepted (wtf was that?) - they played their part and looked like they belonged in a final more than they had done anywhere else in the tournament.

Although I would argue that Dani Olmo clearing Guéhi's header off the line was the moment that sealed it, Spain had had the chances to be out of sight and England just kept on coming back at them. It felt like that clearance sucked all the life out of the English challenge, however, and sealed their fate. Dani's going to win the golden boot because he has more assists than Kane, but that goal-line clearance is probably his most vital contribution to the tournament.

 

[BullsFan22]

Better team won. The Spain Germany winner was going to be the winner of the tournament, unless they dropped off in form and/or others really picked it up.

England didn’t deserve to go past the round of 16. Slovakia choked in that final two minutes. The Slovaks had chances to put the game away well before stoppage time. Switzerland had a chance. The Dutch started well. England should be content to have made the final, given the pedestrian form they’ve shown here, even with a weaker side of the draw.

IMO, they likely would have lost to whoever they played in the final from the quarter finalists that were on the other side of the draw.

 

[Tim Cahill]

A good thing for the sport of football here, that the only team playing positive football AND having high enough calibre players/depth (other teams like Romania, Austria and Turkey also played positive football, but just hit against their ceilings unfortunately) are the ones that go home winning. England outlasted France, Belgium and the others that were playing stifling, low-scoring anti-futebol and did play better as the tournament went on, such that they did create some opportunities and made Spain have to really work for it harder than they did against anybody except maybe Germany, but I don't think anybody can really criticise the English team for today, that John Stones backpass in the first half excepted (wtf was that?) - they played their part and looked like they belonged in a final more than they had done anywhere else in the tournament.

Although I would argue that Dani Olmo clearing Guéhi's header off the line was the moment that sealed it, Spain had had the chances to be out of sight and England just kept on coming back at them. It felt like that clearance sucked all the life out of the English challenge, however, and sealed their fate. Dani's going to win the golden boot because he has more assists than Kane, but that goal-line clearance is probably his most vital contribution to the tournament.

They're giving it to all the top scorers apparently, assists don't count

Yeah 6 winners, farce. I need a new sport to follow after todays events, maybe there's a decent curling or gymnastics tournament going on somewhere.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

They're giving it to all the top scorers apparently, assists don't count

Yeah 6 winners, farce. I need a new sport to follow after todays events, maybe there's a decent curling or gymnastics tournament going on somewhere.

There‘s a decent gymnastics tournament soon enough, I think it‘s called the Olympics or something

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They're giving it to all the top scorers apparently, assists don't count

Yeah 6 winners, farce. I need a new sport to follow after todays events, maybe there's a decent curling or gymnastics tournament going on somewhere.

Ha! Through the whole tournament they were saying assists counted and when Kane was substituted that that basically gave Olmo the golden boot unless somebody scored big later in the final, and then it turns out they change their mind and remove the countback anyway!

 

[Tim Cahill]

There‘s a decent gymnastics tournament soon enough, I think it‘s called the Olympics or something

Yeah tbf I'm unironically looking forward to some uneven bars, bit of Judo and some fencing as well perhaps

 

[RedheadDane]

I need a new sport to follow after todays events, maybe there's a decent curling or gymnastics tournament going on somewhere.

Why do you need to follow any other sports than the one we're all on the forum for?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Why do you need to follow any other sports than the one we're all on the forum for?

A bit rich coming from the forum's shot put expert, but ok.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Why do you need to follow any other sports than the one we're all on the forum for?

The best reason of all, because my favourite riders aren't winning and I'm sulking.

And aren't you always going on about shot-put or something? That's what I've heard.

 

[RedheadDane]

The best reason of all, because my favourite riders aren't winning and I'm sulking.

My favourite rider isn't winning either.
Well, my favourite rider is retired! I haven't really find a new favourite rider yet.

And aren't you always going on about shot-put or something? That's what I've heard.

I mentioned once in a survey that I'd done some shot-putting at a school almost 20 years ago, and then some people - whose names shall not be mentioned, but one of them might have written in this thread very recently - took that fact and just... ran with it.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I mentioned once in a survey that I'd done some shot-putting at a school almost 20 years ago, and then some people - whose names shall not be mentioned, but one of them might have written in this post very recently - took that fact and just... ran with it.

I only think mods/admins have those powers, unless someone has hacked your account.

 

[RedheadDane]

I only think mods/admins have those powers, unless someone has hacked your account.

It's late. I should go to bed.

 

[Brullnux]

Spain much the better team and very deserved winners, I think they only genuinely suffered against Germany. The final felt like a very similar experience to 2021, just without the goal within two minutes. One team loved possession and counter pressed well, and England basically didn't see the ball or have a shot.

When the opposition team is so much better drilled and coached than you, it is so hard to win. You are constantly late to the ball, without options, and on the back foot. It would've taken a semi-miracle for England to win, and, since they have the players for it, almost snatched extra time in very Real Madrid 2022 fashion

 

[Rob5091]

So the team everyone said was the best, won. Dull, I think sums up the Euros. Tired players, going through the motions. Sort of end of season exhibition matches.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Recalling a pre-season trip to Thailand, Hamann writes: "One morning when I was on a sun lounger by the pool, he walked towards me with a bottle of champagne and two glasses on it. It was still only 10 in the morning. I looked up and said, ‘Boss, what are we celebrating?’ expecting him to make the triumphant announcement he was staying.

"He turned to me and smiled that gentle smile of his and took the air of a Buddhist philosopher, as he said, ‘Life, Kaiser. We are celebrating life’. With a glass of champagne in hand he stood and looked out towards the horizon, then spoke in that higgledy-piggledy Swedish accent: ‘You know Kaiser, I like this place. I think I will manage for another five years and come back here and live with two women. Yes. I think I need two beautiful women.’

Fly high Sven, you were a mad ba*stard.

 

[Rob5091]

A picture says a thousand words ...

 

[gunara]

Indonesia held two Asia's giants, Saudi Arabia and Australia, to draw away and home in the first two World Cup qualifier 3rd round. Just being in the 3rd round with those two plus Japan, and for a national team ranked 133 in the world, the fans should have been ecstatic, but most of us still feel weird. Not because it's too huge a jump in quality, but becausse we hardly know any of the starting eleven😁 Most of them come from the Netherlands, some play in England, one in Serie A, and another in the MLS. They all have Indonesian ancestry, but I doubt any of them ever thought about playing for this country as a child.

Indonesia doesn't even allow dual citizenship, so until ten years ago it didn't even cross our minds, not even about someone like Radja Nainggolan, maybe he was too good but at least he looks Indonesian and have Indonesian name.

I guess such things are more normal for countries with more natural connection to others, but we - geographically separated by sea from almost anyone and never really have close tie to the old colonists - have never been one of them. So it still feel strange. I also think that some of our neighbours - some have larger diaspora pool than Indonesia - will also look to exploit the same strategy.

 

[Rob5091]

Sir Jim's men reduced to a shambles -
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-united-tottenham-premier-league-match-report

This is the nadir of Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United tenure: a shambolic mess that Tottenham exploited gleefully, pinging the ball about and punching through their storied host as if in a men-v-kids knockabout.