The Official Football Thread

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Sheba

14 years. With 2010 as the absolute nadir of Les Bleus' history. We were so close back in 2006 till Zidane decided to make a point on that Italian with his head.

While 2010 was bad due to the scandal, 2002 may have been even worse considering the circumstances. Going out in the group stage as defending World and European champions without scoring a single goal against Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark.

[KiraYamatoFan]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

Letting an Italian ref the German semifinal. Talk about questionable decisions by the UEFA.

Yeah, that was ridiculous considering how many important calls Germany didn't get when it mattered. I thought it was the perfect time to let Martin Atkinson have that one, especially since the English don't give a fuck about the French or the Germans.

In any case, Germany didn't do enough in the match to earn a result as much as I thought they could do it. Until today, I really believed that past history and the recent experience of thrashing Brazil to death in front of their home crowd was more than enough for the Germans to do what had to be done. I was wrong. This is the year where past "habits" (Italians always beating the Germans, Germans always beating the French, minnows expecting to be mauled, etc.) don't exist anymore on the European front.

Originally Posted by RapidPotential

Germany never had a clear target in the box but pumped in several fruitless crosses, so this really shows the lack of depth they have up front.

It's almost like they never worked harder to find and develop players who would compensate for Miroslav Klose's retirement. Except for Gomez, there was simply no one with the true instinct of a striker to finish the job - something you wouldn't expect from a country with a rich tradition of producing quality strikers for the national team.

My prediction of the winner of the France/Germany semifinal being the eventual winner of the Cup still holds. As much as I'm a huge fan of CR7, I really don't want to see Portugal win that one after they went into the round of 16 through the back door. That would be as bad of a travesty as to when Greece won it in 2004.

[justavisitor]

Portugal didn't do that bad defensively, those goals against Hungry were mainly due to deflection. You can't expect a little better than average team like Portugal to play offense with others.

So far Portgual is the only team with steady sub that works. Quaresma does better as subs. No William Carvalho? Bring on Danilo Pereira . They even used the old Carvalho before changing to Fonte. This is a team that has depth, the quality won't get hurt that much in case players got suspended or hurt, with the exception of C Ronaldo of course

and I cheered for Italy in world cup 1994, and if Italy didn't use the "backdoor" to advance that year, there would be no legacy of Baggio (my favourite player still XD), so I totally don't mind the "backdoor" at all

[germanturkey]

i really want ronaldo to win, but the mental image of pepe lifting the trophy makes me want to vomit.. that said, i do like france as well. my boys jiro and kos deserve to bring it home.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

In any case, Germany didn't do enough in the match to earn a result as much as I thought they could do it. Until today, I really believed that past history and the recent experience of thrashing Brazil to death in front of their home crowd was more than enough for the Germans to do what had to be done. I was wrong.

Hard to do when they are missing four first-team players. And don't forget players of the quality of a Marco Reus or Ilkay Gündogan sitting at home due to injury.

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

It's almost like they never worked harder to find and develop players who would compensate for Miroslav Klose's retirement. Except for Gomez, there was simply no one with the true instinct of a striker to finish the job - something you wouldn't expect from a country with a rich tradition of producing quality strikers for the national team.

Well, this is due to the development of football in recent history, off towards dangerous attackers out of the midfield area and ball-controlling midfielders out deep. Germany doesn't have the number of quality strikers anymore, but then again Germany has better technicians than ever. After Spain they are the second-best team in the world when it comes to than. But the dearth of good German strikers is a problem. In the Bundesliga there were only five German players that scored more than ten goals this past season. Müller, who played some of his worst ball ever, Reus, who is really more of a midfielder and injured, Didavi, who is a midfielder, and another two random strikers that just aren't that good but had a surprising year.

[RapidPotential]

Originally Posted by Sheba

14 years. With 2010 as the absolute nadir of Les Bleus' history. We were so close back in 2006 till Zidane decided to make a point on that Italian with his head.

World Cup aside...

2008 was bad. Finalists just two years ago. You'd expect much more.

2010 was a joke with all the internal upheavals going on.

2012 was again under-par. Undone by Ibrahimovic and Sweden, then losing to Spain, but then again the latter was the best team in the world at the time.

2014 was decent but they went against Germany in a reversal of yesterday's score.

Perhaps being hosts has a positive effect on the players. They always seem to perform at home.

[Sheba]

We poison our guests with our stinking cheese and plenty of alcoholic beverages. Especially calvados and cognac. That's why.

[justavisitor]

Back in 1998, Ronaldo got a mysterious illness before the final and sub performed dramatically in the world cup final in France

Now we will see how another Ronaldo will perform at Euro final, which also takes places in France XD

I hope C Ronaldo can go all the way !!

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by justavisitor

Back in 1998, Ronaldo got a mysterious illness before the final and sub performed dramatically in the world cup final in France

Now we will see how another Ronaldo will perform at Euro final, which also takes places in France XD

I hope C Ronaldo can go all the way !!

Well yeah... It's fairly clear that the French went into the match with the intention to rough up Ronaldo.

[RapidPotential]

Portugal won! I'm disappointed France never lived up to it in the end, but well done to the opponents!

Brilliant low drive from Eder. Umtiti just backed off and I knew there was trouble inviting a shot in, surely wasn't gonna be France's night as they hit the post near the end of regulation and saw a free-kick wrongfully given. Eder should have been booked if Koscielny got yellow wrongly, but it didn't matter in the end.

Ronaldo wins Ballon D'Or this year surely.

[Kakurin]

France's weakness cost them in the end. When their stamina ran out in the extra time they did not have the system to compensate. The entire game they relied mainly on individual actions to create goal scoring chances.

[RapidPotential]

Well, to be fair Gignac did fluff the shot. It was pretty woeful contact and had he hit it well enough they would have snatched it at the death back in regulation time.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by RapidPotential

Well, to be fair Gignac did fluff the shot. It was pretty woeful contact and had he hit it well enough they would have snatched it at the death back in regulation time.

Does not change my point, it was a fantastic individual move by Gignac to turn a world-class defender like Pepe is. It was not like some great combination freed up Gignac.

[RapidPotential]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

Does not change my point, it was a fantastic individual move by Gignac to turn a world-class defender like Pepe is. It was not like some great combination freed up Gignac.

This I would not disagree. Combinations that were fruitful were few and far between for the French.

Portugal were resolute and also won the game on that one individual moment from possibly their worst striker in their roster!

[KiraYamatoFan]

I really wonder if the ugliest international winning side is Greece 2004 or Portugal 2016. Times like this make it tough to call football as "the beautiful game." All Portugal tried to do was mostly to drag the game on and on towards penalties if not to capitalize on a rare moment, which they did.

On the goal, I can only ask serious questions about Umtiti's action. Was it a mental lapse or purely inexperience? I don't know. But defenders are always taught to never show their backs to a shot, and he failed miserably with that regard.

France... I keep asking myself how and why they didn't go full hammers and tons when Ronaldo was stretchered out. I find it difficult for a team not to click when they see the opposition's best player gone. I think Deschamps was once again too defensive and learned nothing from his mentor, Aimé Jacquet, about balancing attack and defence. When they went on the attack though, Portugal had already regrouped. Everyone knew someone else had to come on and help Griezmann (not sure Payet should have gone off that early though). This is where Giroud and Gignac cannot be relied upon when defenders in front of them are giving it all.

[RapidPotential]

I have a couple of questions about Deschamps' decision and the French team in general...

1. The tempo. It was pretty much the story of the French during the game. They moved the ball with so little urgency - it was almost like watching how Germany were doing against the French themselves in the semis. Every time they looked lethargic going up, and Portugal were back in numbers again.

2. Martial. He was brought on with so little time to make a difference. Why wasn't he up there as centre-forward instead of Gignac. He'd have offered much better mobility and he has the ability to get that half-yard for a shot. Giroud did a pretty good job considering his limited role as a target man, and Portugal did well to shut crosses in to him.

3. Pogba's defensive mentality. I don't know what was going on in his mind but if Ronaldo had gone off injured, it was his time to take charge and run the midfield. Instead he was getting all shy about it and gave a lot of respect (read: room in midfield) to Portugal. I don't like how he hollered at Matuidi, Sissoko and Gignac, because he didn't play well enough to warrant doing that. Hell, Sissoko was the French threat throughout the game. Pogba just proved why £100m for him is hyperbole and isn't worth the money. He hasn't proven to rise to occasions (CL Final 15 and now this).

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

All Portugal tried to do was mostly to drag the game on and on towards penalties if not to capitalize on a rare moment, which they did.

Can't blame them though, football's got no style points. The only thing that counts is the win and for the Portuguese today turning this into a slow-paced patient game was their best bet.

France... I keep asking myself how and why they didn't go full hammers and tons when Ronaldo was stretchered out. I find it difficult for a team not to click when they see the opposition's best player gone.

France did not play a good tournament. Aside form the match against Iceland they hardly played convincingly. Struggled a lot in the group stage with their winning goals against football powers like Romania or Albania coming in the 90th minute. Were stifled by Ireland for over 50 minutes before Griezmann broke through. The problems they exhibitied today was on display the whole tournament. A lack of offensive structure and creativity. Simply relying on the individual talents of a Payet, Griezmann, Pogba etc. to make a difference.

And against a depleted Germany they were clearly the inferior team for 45 minutes before Schweinsteiger's mental lapse gifted them the path to victory.

Originally Posted by RapidPotential

1. The tempo. It was pretty much the story of the French during the game. They moved the ball with so little urgency - it was almost like watching how Germany were doing against the French themselves in the semis.

Oh no, it was significantly worse than Germany (in the first half) of the semis. Germany possessed a lot more offensive structure than the French. The Germans had no problem penetrating into the box. However, with Gomez sidelined they couldn't capitalise. Just compare the charts:

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France's formation today was broken. It's like you had two different teams out there with the back six and front four.

[RapidPotential]

Originally Posted by Kakurin-san

Oh no, it was significantly worse than Germany (in the first half) of the semis. Germany possessed a lot more offensive structure than the French. The Germans had no problem penetrating into the box. However, with Gomez sidelined they couldn't capitalise. Just compare the charts:

Images

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France's formation today was broken. It's like you had two different teams out there with the back six and front four.

With the diagram comparison I guess I could see the fractured French formation more clearly.

To be fair Portugal never looked convincing enough to win either - they have only led in the tournament for 72 whole minutes - that's less than a full game! They struggled in the beginning and had Ronaldo to drag them back against Hungary and to break down Wales.

Football in the end, is about winning, even if you sucked and didn't seem to deserve it. Greece have proved it, and even Spain looked unconvincing winning 1-0 pretty much all the way to their world title in 2010, even if they did dominate games.

[Irenicus]

Ronaldo won the Euros in his first match as Portugal manager.

[justavisitor]

Well, happy for C Ronaldo...even tho he got injured early,but without his performance against Hungry, Portugal would have been out of the tournament already

Plus, now that C Ronaldo finally wins something for the national team, we can pretty much expect Messi will announce his return to his national team shortly (Not everyone likes Messi, but his return to the national team will be a good news for the football fans)