Euro 2012 - Official Discussion Thread

[argentarius]

I hope Italy or Portugal wins it. I'm a huge fan of Buffon (and have been for as long as I can rememer him playing), and I also like Balotelli and Ronaldo.

[Tender Branson]

Anyway, Italy was the better team according to the chances and statistics, so they earned it.

[SPQR]

Great game.
We kept the ball possession like Spain or Barça,with more than 60%. England just thought about defending,and when Carroll came in their only strategy was the long ball,hoping that Rooney would invent something afterwards.

Pirlo's penalty was pure magic.
And now,a team against which we never lost in an official competition...

[Gustaf]

I'm honestly really worried about Italy. This feels like 2006 all over again. I'll be really pissed if they knock out Germany.

[NVGonzalez]

Anyway, Italy was the better team according to the chances and statistics, so they earned it.

Que golazo!!!

Also England seems like they tried to go the Chelsea path. Sadly Buffon is 20 times better than Valdes. (I say this as a Barca fan too) I still stick with Germany winning the Euro but Italia was impressive.

[Silent Hunter]

Didn't watch the game; something better on a different channel.

That's on my planner to watch.

[Franzl]

I hope Italy or Portugal wins it. I'm a huge fan of Buffon (and have been for as long as I can rememer him playing), and I also like Balotelli and Ronaldo.

Buffon I can understand. But Cristiano Ronaldo? How can anyone like him?

[Supersonic]

I literally saw a couple of grown men outside the pub shed a tear after England lost.
All very emotional.

Anyhow, guess I'm backing Germany now..

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Didn't watch the game; something better on a different channel.

That's on my planner to watch.

Think you might enjoy it a tad more than the football.

[Keystone Phil]

For anyone not old enough to remember or not a true fan, Francesco Totti converted the same type of penalty as Pirlo in the Euro 2000 Semi final against The Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bBN6D9nBY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Lief 🗽]

I hope Italy or Portugal wins it. I'm a huge fan of Buffon (and have been for as long as I can rememer him playing), and I also like Balotelli and Ronaldo.

Buffon I can understand. But Cristiano Ronaldo? How can anyone like him?

Because he's a fantastic player who's fun to watch.

[Silent Hunter]

Didn't watch the game; something better on a different channel.

That's on my planner to watch.

Think you might enjoy it a tad more than the football.

So far it's a bit less agonising.

[Keystone Phil]

Shocking good news for Italy - Chiellini's quick recovery means he will likely play in the Semi final!

The bad news is that De Rossi and Abate might be out due to injury.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Anyone else notice that it's an axis of evil semifinal? Although I'm not much of an Italy fan, as they did try to enslave us during the roman empire, part of me was happy to see England lose so my ex girlfriend couldn't gloat.

[Keystone Phil]

Oh. My. God.

Have you guys seen the photo of the England fan behind the goal during the shoot out? He pulled down his shorts and underwear during Diamanti's penalty. Wow.

[politicus]

I'm honestly really worried happy about Italy. This feels like 2006 all over again. I'll be really pissed pleased if they knock out Germany

[Franzl]

I'm honestly really worried happy about Italy. This feels like 2006 all over again. I'll be really pissed pleased if they knock out Germany

Sore loser

[Franzl]

I'm honestly really worried about Italy. This feels like 2006 all over again. I'll be really pissed if they knock out Germany.

In all honesty, I am too. But the "curse" has to end sometime...and Germany looks like the objectively better team. Not that that's mattered much in previous games against Italy.

I'm prepared either way, though. Although exiting in another semi-final would be disappointing. We seem to always be in the Top 3 but really rarely on top.

[Keystone Phil]

Report: Di Natale to replace fat, overrated Cassano as a starter against Germany.

[Lief 🗽]

Thanks for the tip Phil, Cassano is on my fantasy team.

[minionofmidas]

Why are Özil, Khedira and Boateng never singing the national anthem ?

Hmmmm...I think the answer is pretty obvious...

No, please tell me ...

Podolski as well.

Seems like Germans of migrant background are the only people in the footballing world left with any sense of manners (well, they and the referees). An orchestra is playing the national anthem - whether your own or the opponents'. All present with any sense of decency will stand upright and be quiet.

[minionofmidas]

I've never seen so little buzz about a penalty.

Because it was legit.

No, I'm not talking about disputing it, but none of the players even changed their facial expression, and the commentators kept talking in their usual voice.

Well, it's the 90th minute and the game is won anyways. No bother. If that had been the 2-1 or 2-2, it would be considered controversial.

[minionofmidas]

For anyone not old enough to remember or not a true fan, Francesco Totti converted the same type of penalty as Pirlo in the Euro 2000 Semi final against The Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bBN6D9nBY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Of course the copyright belongs to Antonin Panenka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2HZNheCZ8

Final penalty of the 1976 final, too - the first penalty shootout in world football history and still the only one that Germany (A) ever lost.

[minionofmidas]

Oh. My. God.

Have you guys seen the photo of the England fan behind the goal during the shoot out? He pulled down his shorts and underwear during Diamanti's penalty. Wow.

I think it's two guys, actually, one of them either pulling down too late or pulling up too early to have his insular dwarfism captured by the photographer.

[minionofmidas]

For anyone not old enough to remember or not a true fan, Francesco Totti converted the same type of penalty as Pirlo in the Euro 2000 Semi final against The Netherlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bBN6D9nBY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Of course the copyright belongs to Antonin Panenka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2HZNheCZ8

Final penalty of the 1976 final, too - the first penalty shootout in world football history and still the only one that Germany (A) ever lost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=aWzn_zIlT_w

A "top ten" of such penalties... including another one by Pirlo, another one by Totti, another one against England (by Portugal's Postiga), five Latin American ones because it's a Latin American video... and Zidane against Italy in 2006, of course, at no.1 because it very prettily kissed the crossbar.