UEFA Euro Cup- Day Three Open Thread
Got Spain and Ireland today.
Shame Villa is out for the tournament.
Italy has historically been a nemesis for the Spanish. In 29 matches against Italy, Spain has just eight wins all-time, seven of them in friendlies. OTOH, Spain has reversed a lot of its historical jinxes in the last few years.
Darke just said "Spain have never beaten Italy in a major tournament over 90 minutes"
Very interesting
He also just said something like, "Spain can LITERALLY out pass their opponets to death"
It's okay, Darke, we knew what you meant.
Yeah - their one win in a tournament over Italy was in a penalty shootout (in the 2008 Euro).
It's funny how things can hang on by a thread in soccer. Spain has been the best team in the world over the past 4-5 years, but they needed to win on PKs to survive that day in the Euro and then in the 2010 WC final, they dodged a huge bullet when Robben missed an open goal.
Both teams are playing aggressive, exciting football. As an american I have no true rooting interest (outside of Germany a bit, but only because I'm learning German in school), but the Euros have been very fun to watch nonetheless.
Boy, those Italian players sure do love flopping dont they?
Soccer players in general, yeah. A bit of exaggerating for a foul I understand, even if I don't like it it happens in every sport. But rolling around on the ground after getting tapped on the shoulder, without the chance of getting a call? I don't even get that.
I don't think it's a soccer thing, I think it's a foreign thing. American soccer players (except for the Latin guys, not coincidentally) don't flop like the foreign players. Also, foreign players in the NBA (Parker and Ginobili, for example) also flop far more than the American players.
It's a cultural thing. People attribute it to soccer because that's the only sport where we see a lot of foreigners. But Americans have an attitude that they want to look tough, so they'll pretend they aren't hurt even when they are. Foreign athletes don't feel the need to look tough, and will sacrifice their pride to get the calls. I don't think one is better than the other, it's just a different outlook.
I had this discussion with my Guatemalan father in law yesterday during the Germany-Spain game. I was making the comment that the Spanish players made themselves look like pussies when they hit the ground screaming in agony only to be playing just fine in 30 seconds. He said, "who cares what you look like, you want to win, and getting a call to go your way, especially if you get a guy a card, can help you win."
I'm of the opinion that whether or not a call goes your way should have nothing to do with whether or not you grab your ankle when you fall, but it seems that it makes a difference. I also think this is one of the reasons soccer doesn't catch on with most sports fans in the US. American sports fans like watching "tough" athletes.
with most everything you say, but i would argue that dempsey is our biggest flopper, and jozy is right behind him. dempsey, specifically, is our most sucessful player abroad - has he learned to dive because it helps him get the calls? its hard to say - but you see significantly more flopping from international players/leagues.
with all that being said, some inernational players (messi comes to mind) dont dive at all....
There are exceptions to every rule, but I agree with most of what you say. Many of the European leagues are terrible to watch because of all the diving. I guess I should say European players in general and note some specifics.
I watch the EPL as a rule and the english players don't do a lot of diving, rarely ever in fact. As I said, there are some exceptions, but more often than not they tend to be on the tougher side. When you watch champions league matches or international play and you get to see teams or players from Spain, Portugal, Italy etc, it is almost painful to watch.
I think WLA is on to something though. If you look at the USA, Canada and England (three countries that I don't see a lot of diving from) and look at what other sports are big in those countries and you see very physical games. England- Rugby, USA- football, Canada- Hockey. All sports that are very physical.
I would bet many players who are now soccer players have tried their hands at those sports in those countries and are probably fans of them. I would think it would be hard to be a fan of any of those sports where you watch players encounter far more physical stressors and simply shrug them off, then be able to play a sport and act like those Europen players and flop all over the pitch.
I understand why they do all the flopping and until the refs start making calls based on the offence rather than the degree of pain inflicted on the player (or seeming degree of pain) they will continue to do it. They also need to take a hard line on people diving, which they always say they are going to do but it never seems to play out that way.
Spain vs Italy= Divefest 2012. Some of these tumbles have been impressive so far. Plenty of magic water/spray at the ready.
I want Ireland to take first in this group.
I think Mario Balotelli getting fouls/cards is just a self-fulfilling propechy...
Obviously, the guy is a little testy, but the refs know they can light him up because its 'expected'
Hoke has never done anything like that, nor has he shown a propensity for that sort of behavior (not to mention the staff seems to love Dukes, and we need WRs)... so basically you have some random guy posting a random negative rumor, our rival's board jumping all over it (big surprise), and an actual authority pretty much saying it's not true. So yeah, I'm not worried.
It's also very possible that Dukes has decommitted and the Ohio board are framing it as Hoke letting him go simply because of his rankings.
He's a 4 star to scout, which is where the board is... I'd say it's more than very possible that this is all made up.
Yes, that's still very possible.
But just because the board is on Scout doesn't mean the posters don't look at rankings from other places, and Dukes is certainly one of the least guru approved players in our class, even to Scout. So "if" the decommit is legit, their reasons for it might not be. <-- that's the only point I was trying to make.
In shock and disbelief. Italy scores to lead it.
And the fans confirmed that "Seven Nation Army" should not be the rally song at the Big House.
Also, Silva and Fabregas just responded, saying "Oh, you guys want to play?"
Too early, friend-o.
More like O'Friend.
Touché.*
* (Just to bring another language/country into the mix.)
And just like that, Spain ties it up! What a game
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awfulannouncing Wow, Italy takes the lead against Spain, who will now surely field 11 midfielders in trying to come back. 6/10/12 7:20 PM |
This about sums up my feelings about Spain's team pre-goal
Also, wow, the old Torres is LOOOONG gone.....
It's kind of sad watching him at this point.
The streak continues. Spain has still never beaten Italy in a 90-minute contest in a tournament. David Villa's absence seemed to be felt today. Torres is not back to his old form.
both sides had chances today
Balotelli - wth were you thinking today ( head case )
I'll take the draw vs spain
croatia vs ireland-- should be a good matchup
this is anybodys group
any 2 teams in this group can advance
Hopefully Italy can handle croatia on thursday and Ireland on monday
I was in Ireland last summer and they are amongst the most pessimistic people I know. So I'm rooting hard for them to somehow come out of this group. But they didn't look too good against Croatia. And they'll probably have to get a win against both Spain and italy. Not happening.
Regarding Irish pessimism, I think it's worse than you described.