superRDF Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Anyone giving England a chance? i wouldn't be surprised if they try to get Balotelli worked up early Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lkjh Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Anyone giving England a chance? i wouldn't be surprised if they try to get Balotelli worked up early They're doing way better than I expected! If their fans were a bit nicer I'd consider cheering for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Anyone giving England a chance? i wouldn't be surprised if they try to get Balotelli worked up early Half-time and it's too close to call. I'm glad England haven't put too much stock in trying to rile Balotelli, Terry's penchant for random acts of thuggery means he's just as likely to get himself sent off instead. The Rooney of recent years is a nine out of ten or a four out of ten performer, at this point he looks closer to the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahi Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 oh my God,can't believe Italy played the whole two hours with such amazing performancea deserved,fair victory for Italy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Enough was enough, there's only so many ways you can dupe your way through a tournament. The second half and extra time were utter torture and really you'd have preferred the Italians to have just put away one of their many chances and altogether avoided the seemingly obligatory penalty shootout defeat. We are what we are and it aint a lot but hey, better to be there than not at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Justice most definitely done. When Pirlo took command after the break, England were thoroughly dominated and it would have been a travesty of epic proportions had the Italians gone out on penalties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superRDF Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Justice most definitely done. When Pirlo took command after the break, England were thoroughly dominated and it would have been a travesty of epic proportions had the Italians gone out on penalties.On one hand i feel for England because they were a few penalties away, but it definitely would have been stolen from the italians. As you guys have said, Italy deserved the win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 It's always gut-wrenching to lose on penalties but in truth, it was something of an injustice that we even managed to hold Italy to a 0-0 draw. Sneaking through tonight would in all probability have meant humiliation against Germany and quite honestly, I wouldn't have wished the indignity or the inevitable media storm on Hodgson. The best four sides are through to the semi-finals, which can only be a good thing for the tournament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superRDF Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 true, true. although now we have to wait till what, wednesday? <_< unacceptable. might as well start predictions i think a Portugal - Germany final isn't too much of a long shot. As long as they play like they have been and don't come out thinking "oh god it's spain let's defend the whole game and hope for our chance" i think they have a chance. Ronaldo is in a groove and has either played with or beaten almost everyone on the spanish team. BUT even if they do decide to sit back and wait for the counter-attack no doubt they have the speed to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahi Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 A 2-day much needed break from games.I think yeah Portugal can make it if Spanish continue their terrible performance like their last match,in fact,I don't think they deserved to get to this stage.For Germany-Italy,most expectations go to Germans,Italians also have great chances after their final performance.They have the spirit of football loving which can make their ambitions high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 For me, Germany are the team to beat. They've evolved again this year, and their sheer adaptability makes them favourites in my mind. Not only can they still counter attack at blazing speed, they can also outmaneuver you in wide areas or grind you into the dust with measured possession. Granted, the Greeks were probably the weakest team in the knockout stages, but I'm not sure we'd have seen the same levels of domination from Italy, France or Portugal. Perhaps more so from Italy, since they did it to England. Spain are no less technically flawless than before and they're still racking up enormous amounts of possession, but they don't seem to be attacking with as much purpose, creating as much space or picking teams apart like they used to. Of course, they've mostly played against lesser opposition so far and may simply be cruising at the moment, but against one of the heavyweights we should really find out what they're made of. Portugal will start as second favourites and rightfully so, but I think they'll fancy themselves a lot more now than they would have done in years gone by. Hopefully, for the sake of pure neutral enjoyment, they don't resort to the spoiling tactics they tried to employ against Germany in the opening group game. Looking forward to both games. Two days to go but the tennis should keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superRDF Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 i think Spain have gotten away with missing their all-time goal scorer and top goal scorer in the last two major tournaments, that being David Villa. They've been able to compensate so far but i think against Portugal (Pepe and Bruno Alves have been two of the top center backs) and more so against Germany it may finally come to bite them. or i could be completely wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geegine Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I'm predicting Portugal to win tomorrow... I don't know why, but it's just a feeling I have. Spain are great but I just can't see them getting into a 3rd consecutive final. That would be pretty insane if it happens. Also.. I feel like Ronaldo is due for some luck on the international level.As for Germany/Italy.. I honestly have no idea who to predict. I feel like it could go either way. Germany is great at this tournament.. but they were also great in 2006, 2008, 2010 lol and we all know what happened there. plus Italy has a great tournament record against Germany-they've never lost against them. So yeah.. I feel like it could go either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Revving myself up for Thursday in the only appropriate manner... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 ^Not since Andy Cole's overlooked classic 'Outstanding' have I heard such a lovely singing voice from a footballer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Absolute corker from ex-Hull manager Phil Brown on Radio Five Live..."Why hasn't Pirlo played in England? Is he just homophobic? Is he Italian through and through and doesn't want to leave?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederick Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Absolute corker from ex-Hull manager Phil Brown on Radio Five Live..."Why hasn't Pirlo played in England? Is he just homophobic? Is he Italian through and through and doesn't want to leave?" Hold on, was he meaning to say xenophobic when he says homophobic or was he referring to Antonio Cassano's recent, ill conceived comments? Its hard to know what the former Sloop John B crooner is trying to say. Regardless, it merely reinforces what I said on the previous page, there will always be a group of jackals n' jokers who will look at a career like Pirlo's, a man who's won three Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues and a little something called the 'World Cup' (I assume its one of those pre-season tournaments in the Far East, haven't checked) and say "yes, but have you played in the greatest league in the world?" or maybe to be witty, "I'd like to see him do that on a wet Tuesday night at Stoke". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael* Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 ^It's not been made altogether clear but yes, I suspect Phil meant to say 'xenophobic' - as if not playing in England could only ever be explained by some kind of latent flaw in Pirlo's character. I'd expect nothing less from the wazzock who once thought paying Jimmy Bullard £50,000 a week for four and a half years would be a sound investment. Incidentally, I may have spoken too soon when I said I'd found this year's Euro pundits slightly less annoying than usual. I thought Alan Shearer's suggestion that Mario Balotelli hasn't achieved anything in his career was pretty bad (alas, the 21-year-old Mario only has one Champions League, three Serie As, one Coppa Italia, one Premier League and one FA Cup to his name thus far. Oh, if only Roy Keane had been there), but a certain Mr Merson well and truly topped Big Al on Sky Sports News today, criticising England for not playing enough like Ireland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lkjh Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Didn't expect a tie.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superRDF Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 WOW! i mean i know the penalties are all luck but wow. I can't help but think if Ronaldo takes that first penalty do Portugal win. I had a bad feeling about him and penalties. He missed the penalty against Bayern, and he missed a penalty in the following league game. Not to mention as they just said on tv when he stepped up first against Chelsea in the Champions League final he missed. So maybe all of that was playing in his head but COME ON. he had to step up there. Second, considering Spain didn't truly show up until it was in extra time i'm keeping my money on Germany to win it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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