Additionally, I hear that there was an Italian player behind the goal, which still makes Ruud eilgible to score (since the said Italian can come back at any time).

 

Italy can have no complaints, Toni's 'shot' 1v1 was terrible and before Del Piero they created nothing. Gio scores and it's 3-0 to the Dutch.

Whoha Holland, I'll be rooting for them from now on. First match without dull patches

3-0, and that's the first truly entertaining game in the tournament. Excellent viewing, and it's always good to see Italy lose.

 

Good to see Van Persie get some match fitness and he was unlucky not to score with a great shot. When Robben comes back and Huntelaar gets involved Holland will be formidable.

Excellent game. Italy played really bad on the defence, even the finnish commentators said after the third goal: "Look at them! Look at them! effortlessly watching the ball flying over their heads. What a bunch of douches, what a bunch of douches". Del Piero was the the only Italian who really wanted to win though.

 

Germany and Holland are now my favourite teams so far.

It's awesome to see Italy get a taste of their own medicine.

Sneijder pwnz.

Hahaha suck **** Italy.

 

**** I wish I could've seen the game.

 

It'd be interesting to see a Portugal-Holland final. I'm sure that'd be a clean match.

Why you didn't watch it then?

 

This game reminded me why del piero is one of my all time favourite players (my first football shirt I got was his Juventus playshirt my dad bought to me ), otherwise Italy was quite...meh. Nothing really happened before they brought him on the field.

 

Van der Saar had some great saves

I didn't watch the game because I couldn't, because it wasn't on SBS.

Ouch. That was an unexpected one. Italy was completely zombified while Holland was very refreshing. I doubt Portugal's chances of getting that far, but I agree, it would be interesting to see a Portugal vs. Holland final.

That WAS a surprise. Honestly, faith in our team was at an all-time low. Go Holland!

 

When Robben comes back and Huntelaar gets involved Holland will be formidable.

 

I watched the game in a pub and before the first goal was scored we were singing "we want Huntelaar". (After that it became more ridiculous like "Go back to your Pizza Hut")

 

It'd be interesting to see a Portugal-Holland final. I'm sure that'd be a clean match.

 

Hehe. Some dutch people still haven't forgiven the Portugese. I'm sure the same is true on the other side. No one was innocent in that game. Well, except maybe the guy who got ninjakicked in the head. I remember the forums getting just as nasty as the game though.

 

Van der Sar had some great saves

 

He doesn't get enough recognition anymore because we've come to expect it from him, he's just that good. As far as I'm concerned he's a legendary player.

 

Also, a nice surprise to see Boulahrouz, as I thought he was cut from the team (which I thought was a shame). He's the only dutch defender who comes anywhere close to the now retired Jaap Stam (though he lacks Stam's intimidation factor).

 

EDIT: So apparently Russia's getting it's ass kicked. I was hoping for another miraculous Guus Hiddink team, but I guess one coach can only perform so many miracles.

Edited June 10, 200817 yr by TrueNeutral

Van der Sar is great. When you look at him he doesn't seem that great, but after a while it dawns on you, I think.

 

I thought De Jong was rather pedestrian compared to Engelaar, and a more determined and less tepid attack would probably put more pressure on the rather average Dutch defence. But if they can carry this momentum against an absolutely boring France, they're at elast out of the Group of Death and give their best creative players (RVP, Robben) a chance to get back.

 

Spain currently 3-0 up against Russia with a few minutes left on the clock. Russia has looked amazingly dour, and you can tell Hiddink wants to kill the entire squad - oho, a consolation goal from Pavlyuchenko from a corner. Still. Hiddink always said 2008 was too early, but today's Russia team wouldn't hold a candle to Hiddink's Korea or Australia.

 

Luis Aragones continues his little game with Raymond Domenech, namely, who can come up with the most inexplicable squad decisions. They have the best playmaker in the world in Cesc Fabregas and a fantastic striker in Fernando Torres, but he refuses to use pacey wingers or a midfield system to benefit them, even leaving Fabregas on the bench for a completely useless Xavi. Villa's hattrick will cushion this kind of logic, but unlike Holland's case, I don't think Spain have been tested today and it was just an easy game - we will see what they are made of i n other games.

 

Edit: Case in point - That's 1 goal and 1 assist from Cesc Fabregas, having played less than 40 minutes. Nothing from Xavi, who hardly bothered to run up in support.

Consolation goal rendered completely useless. 4-1. I feel kinda bad for Russia. They redeem themselves a bit and then BAM, right back into the gutter.

Fantastic game by the Spanish! I am now on my way to a pub to watch Sweden enter the tournament on a huge screen + beer!

 

GO SWEDEN!

Fantastic game by the Spanish! I am now on my way to a pub to watch Sweden enter the tournament on a huge screen + beer!

 

GO SWEDEN!

 

 

It's going to be a draw

Edited June 10, 200817 yr by Hildegard

No, it's not

SVEEEEEERIGEEEEEEEE!

Wow. The first half was boring as hell so I just got myself another hour of sleep, but it seems you guys scored after all. Congrats.

 

edit: I didn't know there was so much interest in the Euros in OE, or I would have suggested this earlier. I am currently involved in two prediction leagues (where we just predict the scores on the forums and I give out points) and the fantasy league. The latter requires a bit more time investment, but is anybody interested in any of them? I could whip up an obsidian prediction league today and we can go from Round 2.

DO IT!

SVEEEEEERIGEEEEEEEE!

Ingen kickar fotboll som han, Zlaaatan jag sa Zlaaatan... (

 

Ibra-kadabra! (That's probably the most ridiculous nickname a player ever been given, but it's OK to use now. Just for now.)

DO IT!

 

You heard the man, get to it!

 

So Spain owned Russia first up, eh? Lets not get too carried away with that. They impressively owned Ukraine in their opening World Cup match, and look what happened. They could very well be the Fremantle Dockers of international football.

 

They've got the personnel, but they always underachieve because there's something wrong with them off-field that affects them on-field, 'causing them to underachieve, or so I believe.

 

And there could very well be a Holland-Sweden quarter-final again, with a repeat result on the cards.

Edited June 11, 200817 yr by The Architect

My apologies, I was working on the thesis. The thread is now up here. Everybody paaarticipate!

No, it's not

 

I'm glad that it isn't...Greek play is so

My guess for the winner's Portugal.

I hate to say it, but now Portugal is playing like I expected them to.

 

The midfield has completely lost the plot. I'd like to say that it is because the Czech are piling more pressure, and are just better than the Turks, but the fact is that even when they aren't under pressure, Deco, Moutinho, and Petit keep losing the ball and missing passes.