UEFA EURO 2020

[AlterEgo]

Italy will still win the game and the competition, I think.

 

[adrock1976]

Expected Italy to rack up a cricket score against Austria... seems they've reverted to type and are flattering to deceive as usual. Austria have come closest to breaking the deadlock in the second half, with only a very tight but correct offside flag ruling out a goal from Arnautovic.

Italy will probably grab a late winner on 89 or 119 minutes, denying us the drama and spectacle of a penalty shoot-out.

I was thinking that this may be the match that goes into extra time and possibly the dreaded penalty shootout.

 

[Darandio]

Chiesa will score the winner.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm impressed at Danny Murphy's ability to diagnose an injury at that distance...

 

[Cowley]

Chiesa will score the winner.

Pretty well called that man.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

That was nerve racking. I'm glad Italy are through but Austria played so well. In a wierd way, I feel like Italy are now almost more likely to win the tournament as every team that wins the tournament always has a bad match where they scrape through.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

How many international matches is it that Italy have now gone undefeated?

 

[Cowley]

How many international matches is it that Italy have now gone undefeated?

31 maybe? They’re definitely my tip to win it as others have also suggested.

Edit- Actually it’s quite often the team that nobody’s taking any notice of that win these things so we’ll see I suppose (he says while picking up splinters in his posterior).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Television has a habit of showing clips of interviews after British teams have lost a match that are totally nothing to do with football. I am not sure if it was one person in the studio or from an outside group of spectators who said "Ah yes, but they sang our anthem with more passion than other teams"

If that be the case, Wales would have been better entering "The Cardiff Singer of the World" event.

And it also makes you wonder about how likely Maguire is to be fit.

How well did you think he played in that last match, as a first game back?

 

[adrock1976]

I noted that Mark Hughes was in the studio for the Wales match, making various comments.

Bearing in mind that he has never won any silverware in his managerial career, should the BBC have pulled him in the studio as a pundit?

Similar with David Moyes with the Scotland matches on STV - Moyes has never won any silverware during the years he has managed Preston North End, Everton, and Man United?

 

[gnolife]

I noted that Mark Hughes was in the studio for the Wales match, making various comments.

Bearing in mind that he has never won any silverware in his managerial career, should the BBC have pulled him in the studio as a pundit?

Similar with David Moyes with the Scotland matches on STV - Moyes has never won any silverware during the years he has managed Preston North End, Everton, and Man United?

So perfect matches for Wales and Scotland then?

 

[Darandio]

I noted that Mark Hughes was in the studio for the Wales match, making various comments.

Bearing in mind that he has never won any silverware in his managerial career, should the BBC have pulled him in the studio as a pundit?

Similar with David Moyes with the Scotland matches on STV - Moyes has never won any silverware during the years he has managed Preston North End, Everton, and Man United?

Why on earth do you need to have won silverware to be a pundit?

 

[JamesT]

I noted that Mark Hughes was in the studio for the Wales match, making various comments.

Bearing in mind that he has never won any silverware in his managerial career, should the BBC have pulled him in the studio as a pundit?

Similar with David Moyes with the Scotland matches on STV - Moyes has never won any silverware during the years he has managed Preston North End, Everton, and Man United?

Hughes played 72 matches for Wales and managed them for 5 years. That seems fairly well qualified to comment on them. Although he didn’t win anything as a manager, he is acquainted with success as a player.

Moyes won the Second Division title with Preston NE, so it’s not correct to say he’s never won any silverware.

But as @Darandio puts it, the track record as a player or a manager has nothing to do with their quality as a pundit. David Beckham was a wonderful player, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard him say anything insightful in an interview.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

What on Earth has happened to this Dutch team? They're playing like they spent all afternoon in a Coffee Shop...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What on Earth has happened to this Dutch team? They're playing like they spent all afternoon in a Coffee Shop...

Presumably the same one that the Welsh team were at, a day or two ago?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Presumably the same one that the Welsh team were at, a day or two ago?

The difference being that the Welsh performance was no surprise. The Dutch had been really impressive in every game during the groups, barring that 20min spell against Ukraine.

The Czechs weren't fancied by anyone but they're effective without any real stand-out star players... which is often a good strategy for this competition.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I only saw the second half of the Belgium v Portugal match and this was the best 45 minutes of football I have enjoyed for ages. Good end to end stuff, just like an FA Cup tie in the old days.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I only saw the second half of the Belgium v Portugal match and this was the best 45 minutes of football I have enjoyed for ages. Good end to end stuff, just like an FA Cup tie in the old days.

Very watchable. Wouldn't have minded that one going to extra time.

 

[Geezertronic]

For tonights games, you'd assume that Spain should beat Croatia, and that France should beat Switzerland. Although given the Netherlands result last night, anything can happen.

 

[birchesgreen]

As one of the pundits said, the knock-out phase is a completely different tournament.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For tonights games, you'd assume that Spain should beat Croatia, and that France should beat Switzerland. Although given the Netherlands result last night, anything can happen.

Spain haven't hugely impressed me in the groups, with only their final game showing what we've come to expect from them. They're the favourites for that game, sure... but I certainly wouldn't write off a side with Modric in it even now he's as old as he's always looked (must have had a tough paper round!).

 

[Strat-tastic]

Oops! What a howler!

(Spain's own goal vs Croatia.)

 

[AlterEgo]

What a game this is! 3-3!

5-3 to Spain now! LIQUID FOOTBALL.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

LIQUID FOOTBALL.

Eh? Sounds very Ron Manager / Alan Partridgesque!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In Euro matches, not many teams score three...and still lose. One TV consolation is that the extra-time has cut out most of the time that the "pundits" have to talk, before the next match is due to start.

Does anyone expect the England v Germany game to be similar?

 

[Butts]

What a game this is! 3-3!

5-3 to Spain now! LIQUID FOOTBALL.

Can anyone seriously imagine England v Germany being as good as this ?

Fantastic match full of goals and intrigue.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Can anyone seriously imagine England v Germany being as good as this ?

Fantastic match full of goals and intrigue.

I can imagine it, sure...

I just don't expect it to happen!

Meanwhile the French are in a bit of a troublesome spot against the Swiss, who refuse to roll over.

 

[birchesgreen]

But then a missed penalty and two goals the other end in the space of four minutes, astonishing.

 

[Butts]

But then a missed penalty and two goals the other end in the space of four minutes, astonishing.

Now 3-2 these are great matches.

Stop press 3-3

 

[Strat-tastic]

Manic Monday!