OT: Euro 2016 Round of 16 (Day One), starting at 9:00am EDT, ESPN

Submitted by Wolverine In Iowa on

Today it gets very real for six teams:

Switzerland v. Poland, 9:00am

Wales v. Northern Ireland, 11:00am

Croatia v. Portugal, 2:00pm

Avant's Hands

June 25th, 2016 at 9:20 AM ^

Neither of these teams have ever gotten out of group? That really surprises me. Aren't both of these teams usually decent at least? Hell, Greece have won this damn thing.

Mr. Yost

June 25th, 2016 at 11:32 AM ^

Me personally, I'd like to see:

Howard

Yedlin - Cameron - Besler - Castillo

Zardes - Jones - Nagbe - Bedoya

Wood - Dempsey

LATE subs to preserve a win Pulisic for Dempsey, Beckerman for Jones, Orozco for Zardes or Nagbe.

....there is no reason to mail it in versus a top team. You take the win if you can earn it. That said, I have no interest seeing Bradley in this game. We know what he is and what he'll always be - he can be effective versus the slower teams that pack it in, but he has no business being on the field that play with any type of pace, movement or creativity. Give Nagbe a shot in his role.

 

JayMo4

June 25th, 2016 at 11:46 AM ^

Bums me out that these matches can come down to penalty kicks.  I'd be a bigger soccer fan if they'd play sudden death until a winner was decided on the field.  Take a couple players off every few minutes if need be.  I'd rather see a team advance while playing 8 on 8 than on penalty kicks.

I didn't particularly have a rooting interest here.  I'd just like to see the better team advance by virtue of a winning football play.

Maize Craze

June 25th, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^

I played defense for my club team throughout my youth and that was my biggest fear in defending a cross. I hated that and watching the far post. Never trusted my own touch.




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Wolverine In Iowa

June 25th, 2016 at 5:25 PM ^

OT, but funny:  my mom is watching the Nats game, and becoming more and more disgusted with them.  "They should leave Gio in there until he throws his arm out, and then fire him."

turtleboy

June 25th, 2016 at 5:26 PM ^

The only reason there so much flopping in soccer is because the refs keep blowing the whistle every time a player dives. If they'd stop calling it, players would stop trying it.

drzoidburg

June 26th, 2016 at 6:04 PM ^

they usually dive when they realize they can't get to the ball, so being "a man down" while the ball goes out for a goal kick is not much of a deterrent. The refs would have to clamp down on it an equivalent amount that they totally blow penalty kills, for example a red card every time it happens

Mercury

June 25th, 2016 at 5:40 PM ^

What a gutsy win for Portugal. A very evenly matched game with both teams having a lot of respect for the other.



Having an underwhelming group stage might have been just what they needed to damper expectations and take some pressure off of them.



I think they beat Poland and are in to the semi's!