Soccer

[MissBarbara]

The school year ended and my summer work-related responsibilities are not time-sensitive, so I have been able to watch many of the Euro matches over the past few weeks. (Most matches air at 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 3:00 pm where I live.)

Some impressions:

* Right now, Italy looks like the team to beat. They won all three of their Group Stage matches via shutouts ("clean sheets" for ODK). I watched all three matches,  and they've looked very impressive in all factors of the game. While they "only" won 1-0 against Wales yesterday, five of their usual starters didn't play, and Bonucci didn't play the second half.

* The so-called "Group of Death" (Group F, with France, Germany, Portugal, and Hungary), has been anything but. No team won their first two matches, and France -- the pre-tournament favorite -- has looked very underwhelming (they beat Germany 1-0 on an own goal, and they drew with Hungary). Wednesday's matches (Portugal v. France and Germany v Hungary) will be interesting. Don't count the Germans out.

* Wither Belgium? They won both their matches to date, and allowed only one goal in beating Russia (3-0) and Denmark (2-1). And Kevin De Bruyne seems to be close to fully fit. They were ranked #1 in the world before the tournament started, and if their defense steps up, they could advance far.

* No offense, ODK, but your English side looks lethargic. They scored only one goal in their first two matches (a 1-0 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw against Scotland (ranked #44), and while they're guaranteed to advance from their group, it's hard to see them advancing far.

[Jed_]

I watched Peru vs. Columbia on Father’s Day with a bunch of Peruvians.  Surprisingly in a house full of Peruvians, only her nephew and myself were glued to the TV.  The rest watched intermittently.  Between 3 of us, the nephew, her sister’s husband and myself, we polished off a bottle of Jefferson Bourbon.  I was fine, but I look over during the second half and the nephew is out cold.  I glance at his hot wife, and she just rolls her eyes and says, ‘I’m driving.’  I didn’t drive either.

Peru won 2-1.  One of the Peru goals was scored by a Columbian player when the ball bounced off his chest.  Columbia’s only goal was a penalty kick.  The penalty was on Peru’s goalie.

[watcher1]

MissB,

Some of the favorites did not play up to their potential in the initial group play. In the upcoming knockout rounds, I think you I'll see better play by teams such as Portugal,  France and Belgium.

I do agree with you that Italy seems the most complete team having won all three of their initial matches and not giving up a goal in the process.

[ObiDongKenobi]

The school year ended and my summer work-related responsibilities are not time-sensitive, so I have been able to watch many of the Euro matches over the past few weeks. (Most matches air at 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 3:00 pm where I live.)

Some impressions:

* Right now, Italy looks like the team to beat. They won all three of their Group Stage matches via shutouts ("clean sheets" for ODK). I watched all three matches,  and they've looked very impressive in all factors of the game. While they "only" won 1-0 against Wales yesterday, five of their usual starters didn't play, and Bonucci didn't play the second half.

* The so-called "Group of Death" (Group F, with France, Germany, Portugal, and Hungary), has been anything but. No team won their first two matches, and France -- the pre-tournament favorite -- has looked very underwhelming (they beat Germany 1-0 on an own goal, and they drew with Hungary). Wednesday's matches (Portugal v. France and Germany v Hungary) will be interesting. Don't count the Germans out.

* Wither Belgium? They won both their matches to date, and allowed only one goal in beating Russia (3-0) and Denmark (2-1). And Kevin De Bruyne seems to be close to fully fit. They were ranked #1 in the world before the tournament started, and if their defense steps up, they could advance far.

* No offense, ODK, but your English side looks lethargic. They scored only one goal in their first two matches (a 1-0 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw against Scotland (ranked #44), and while they're guaranteed to advance from their group, it's hard to see them advancing far.

None taken, MissB.  I have to agree with you.  Dare I say Kane is the most lethargic of all. Despite only scoring two goals we did have the best goal difference in the group.  We will face either Germany, France or Portugal next Tuesday so I don't expect to get any further.  Coming second or third in the group might have got us a slightly easier round of 16 opponent.  It has been said that England don't do well in tournaments because of the strenuous league season. One WC winning final and two semi-finals in over 70 years 

[MissBarbara]

The school year ended and my summer work-related responsibilities are not time-sensitive, so I have been able to watch many of the Euro matches over the past few weeks. (Most matches air at 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 3:00 pm where I live.)

Some impressions:

* Right now, Italy looks like the team to beat. They won all three of their Group Stage matches via shutouts ("clean sheets" for ODK). I watched all three matches,  and they've looked very impressive in all factors of the game. While they "only" won 1-0 against Wales yesterday, five of their usual starters didn't play, and Bonucci didn't play the second half.

* The so-called "Group of Death" (Group F, with France, Germany, Portugal, and Hungary), has been anything but. No team won their first two matches, and France -- the pre-tournament favorite -- has looked very underwhelming (they beat Germany 1-0 on an own goal, and they drew with Hungary). Wednesday's matches (Portugal v. France and Germany v Hungary) will be interesting. Don't count the Germans out.

* Wither Belgium? They won both their matches to date, and allowed only one goal in beating Russia (3-0) and Denmark (2-1). And Kevin De Bruyne seems to be close to fully fit. They were ranked #1 in the world before the tournament started, and if their defense steps up, they could advance far.

* No offense, ODK, but your English side looks lethargic. They scored only one goal in their first two matches (a 1-0 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw against Scotland (ranked #44), and while they're guaranteed to advance from their group, it's hard to see them advancing far.

None taken, MissB.  I have to agree with you.  Dare I say Kane is the most lethargic of all. Despite only scoring two goals we did have the best goal difference in the group.  We will face either Germany, France or Portugal next Tuesday so I don't expect to get any further.  Coming second or third in the group might have got us a slightly easier round of 16 opponent.  It has been said that England don't do well in tournaments because of the strenuous league season. One WC winning final and two semi-finals in over 70 years 

To my mind, Kane doesn't look lethargic, he looks lost. I wasn't able to watch the Scotland match, but in the Croatia match, he seemed to be spending too much time in the D and not enough time making runs.

Kane is "the man" in the context of the national team, and he must step up. One of my take-aways from that 10-part Spurs series you recommended is that Kane is not a natural leader. While his humility and team-focus are admirable, he needs to be ferocious. And I'm not sure he has it in him.

I've heard the "England don't do well in tournaments because of the strenuous league season" argument before, and I don't buy it. The Premier League is no more strenuous than the other four major European leagues, and there are Premier League players on other national sides -- like Kante, Rudiger, Gundogan, Jorgiho, et al. whi are performing at top level.

[ObiDongKenobi]

The other countries don't have such intensive cup competitions in addition to the PL and some sensibly have proper mid-season breaks.  When the PL players you mention go to their internationals they are surrounded by players who haven't been subjected to the physicality of English football.  Kanté is the nearest thing to perpetual motion you can get, they say 70% of the world is covered by water and the rest is covered by Kanté.

[_priapism]

I don’t watch much soccer, but I was interested in the attractive streaker during the Euro 2020 match between Finland and Belgium in Russia on Tuesday.  Saucy Russians.


 

[watcher1]

None taken, MissB.  I have to agree with you.  Dare I say Kane is the most lethargic of all. Despite only scoring two goals we did have the best goal difference in the group.  We will face either Germany, France or Portugal next Tuesday so I don't expect to get any further.  Coming second or third in the group might have got us a slightly easier round of 16 opponent.  It has been said that England don't do well in tournaments because of the strenuous league season. One WC winning final and two semi-finals in over 70 years 

Now some serious football will be played in the upcoming knockout phase. I wonder what country will be the Cinderella team of the tournament..

England still has the best league, the EPL, but are not producing the quality players to play for the national team.   

ESPN will start broadcasting La Liga matches in August.

[Clitical Thinking]

Underperforming often seems to be England's biggest talent when it comes to international football

Though, to be fair, I haven't really kept up with this tournament so far. Club football has just always interested me much more.

[watcher1]

[ObiDongKenobi]

Deep Joy 

The inhabitants of the group of death are all dead 

[Clitical Thinking]

Congrats 

[MissBarbara]

Deep Joy 

The inhabitants of the group of death are all dead 

Congrats, ODK!

Here's a Henry Huggins question:

In the U.S., when an athlete goes scoreless of performs poorly for a stretch and then finally comes through -- like Kane scoring that goal yesterday -- we say, "He got the monkey off his back."

During the match yesterday, when Kane scored, the announcers, who were both British, said something about a duck. What is the phrase?

[ObiDongKenobi]

Thank you MissB. I'm struggling not to break into one of our most xenophobic songs  .   Although, seriously, I would like to apologise for the boorish booing of the German national anthem.

We also use the phrase " got the monkey of his back".  You might have heard a commentator say "broken his duck". This is usually reserved for cricket when a batsman finally scores a run, especially after several runless innings.  I have heard that it was originally "broken his duck's egg" because the 0 placed by a batsman's score in the record book resembled an egg; but why a duck and not a chicken, dodo, penguin, eagle (for Watcher's benefit), ostrich or emu.

I don't think I heard it on the BBC. What broadcast were you watching?

[Clitical Thinking]

Thank you MissB. I'm struggling not to break into one of our most xenophobic songs  . 

'Two World Wars and one World Cup!' ? 

[MissBarbara]

Thank you MissB. I'm struggling not to break into one of our most xenophobic songs  .   Although, seriously, I would like to apologise for the boorish booing of the German national anthem.

We also use the phrase " got the monkey of his back".  You might have heard a commentator say "broken his duck". This is usually reserved for cricket when a batsman finally scores a run, especially after several runless innings.  I have heard that it was originally "broken his duck's egg" because the 0 placed by a batsman's score in the record book resembled an egg; but why a duck and not a chicken, dodo, penguin, eagle (for Watcher's benefit), ostrich or emu.

I don't think I heard it on the BBC. What broadcast were you watching?

It was on ESPN, which has is airing every Euro match (either on ESPN, ESPN 2, or its sister broadcast network, ABC). Both announcers were British.

I was reading yesterday about a chant some England fans were singing called "10 German Bombers in the Air." I didn't find it as outrageous as many commentators deemed it, but I suspect I'm missing the context.

[ObiDongKenobi]

Thank you MissB. I'm struggling not to break into one of our most xenophobic songs  . 

'Two World Wars and one World Cup!' ? 

Yes. To the tune of Camptown Races

[ObiDongKenobi]

Thank you MissB. I'm struggling not to break into one of our most xenophobic songs  .   Although, seriously, I would like to apologise for the boorish booing of the German national anthem.

We also use the phrase " got the monkey of his back".  You might have heard a commentator say "broken his duck". This is usually reserved for cricket when a batsman finally scores a run, especially after several runless innings.  I have heard that it was originally "broken his duck's egg" because the 0 placed by a batsman's score in the record book resembled an egg; but why a duck and not a chicken, dodo, penguin, eagle (for Watcher's benefit), ostrich or emu.

I don't think I heard it on the BBC. What broadcast were you watching?

It was on ESPN, which has is airing every Euro match (either on ESPN, ESPN 2, or its sister broadcast network, ABC). Both announcers were British.

I was reading yesterday about a chant some England fans were singing called "10 German Bombers in the Air." I didn't find it as outrageous as many commentators deemed it, but I suspect I'm missing the context.

It was originally sung by schoolchildren in World War II in the style of the recycle song "10 Green Bottles".  Singing it today is seen as yet another reference to a period that we cannot let rest (not that we should forget it) and associated with the worst of "little englanders" and ultra-nationalists.

Having said that, this is quite a rousing version without the interference by football fans.
Ed. I think this is to the tune of "She'll be coming round the mountain".

[_priapism]

Shouldn’t this thread be called Football or Football s/k/a Soccer? I always had the impression the rest of the world calls it Football, and “American Rules Football” is our NFL...

[Jed_]

Shouldn’t this thread be called Football or Football s/k/a Soccer? I always had the impression the rest of the world calls it Football, and “American Rules Football” is our NFL...

¡fútbol!


Peru plays tomorrow.