European Football Thread

[Lief 🗽]

It's okay Phil. Italy is still going to qualify easily. It doesn't matter how ugly the qualification is, as long as you do.

I thought this NYT article was fun:

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/sports/soccer/01soccer.html?_r=1&ref=global

[Keystone Phil]

It's okay Phil. Italy is still going to qualify easily. It doesn't matter how ugly the qualification is, as long as you do.

We don't "qualify easily" by pulling shit like this. I'm really worried about a Euro 2008 repeat - not sure about qualification until the final games and then a disappointing result in the actual tournament.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/sports/soccer/01soccer.html?_r=1&ref=global
[/quote]

The classic Italian defensive strategy has annoyed me to no end.

[Tender Branson]

Ha, Austria won 2:1 against Romania ...

Are we not sucking anymore ?

[Јas]

Though that game must have been awfully boring to watch.

Excruciating would've been my word of choice.

After the Italian goal, we dominated the game - overall we had more than 65% possession, a ridiculous amount. Italy didn't get a second shot on target. The second half was played within the Italian half - and yet we couldn't score and struggled to create many decent chances.

[minionofmidas]

Ha, Austria won 2:1 against Romania ...

Are we not sucking anymore ?

Romania seems to suck.

Though that game must have been awfully boring to watch.

Excruciating would've been my word of choice.

After the Italian goal, we dominated the game - overall we had more than 65% possession, a ridiculous amount. Italy didn't get a second shot on target. The second half was played within the Italian half - and yet we couldn't score and struggled to create many decent chances.

Ah yes, that kind of game. But what do you expect when someone's sent off that early and his team's in the lead?

What was the Red Card about, btw? Was it justified?

[Јas]

Though that game must have been awfully boring to watch.

Excruciating would've been my word of choice.

After the Italian goal, we dominated the game - overall we had more than 65% possession, a ridiculous amount. Italy didn't get a second shot on target. The second half was played within the Italian half - and yet we couldn't score and struggled to create many decent chances.

Ah yes, that kind of game. But what do you expect when someone's sent off that early and his team's in the lead?

My problem isn't with the Italians in this instance (though their general extreme-defensiveness and inclination towards falling over rather easily annoy me generally).
My issue is why we created so few good chances...and with the selection...and with the initial gameplan...

What was the Red Card about, btw? Was it justified?

'Highlights' (Sending-off at around 0:25)
Probably not a sending off - but not an easy decision for the referee.

[Keystone Phil]

The red card was complete bullshit. We had to play 87 minutes without one of our new stars. I'm the first to blame the very conservative defensive strategy for problems and that's why we conceded a goal so late but when you have us playing with only ten men for basically the whole game after a bad call...

[minionofmidas]

Red Cards for these elbow thingies - unless it's really, really obviously pure malice and/or nowhere near the ball - generally get on my tits.

[Silent Hunter]

Shearer's brief stay at the Toon hasn't started well- lost 2-0 to Chelsea.

In other news, West Ham beat Sunderland 2-0.

Never mind Al, we'll be playing you again next season, that's for sure. You're probably safe.

[minionofmidas]

2-1 against Cottbus.

We're exactly where we belong at 12th place. There's one or two teams above us that aren't obviously better, and one team below us that isn't obviously miles worse.

Still a weird game; we went down and came back during the first 15 minutes by two penalties that few people would have awarded.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Never mind Al, we'll be playing you again next season, that's for sure. You're probably safe.

Probably, yeah. Just about. Our fixtures after (but certainly not including!) the next one don't look quite as bad as Newcastle's.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Luckily for you, Hull seem to be constantly sinking... I think it will be 2 from those 4 (3 NE clubs + Hull) which will go down... I think Stoke surprisingly are safe. Hopefully Liverpool will win the league.

[Silent Hunter]

Never mind Al, we'll be playing you again next season, that's for sure. You're probably safe.

Probably, yeah. Just about. Our fixtures after (but certainly not including!) the next one don't look quite as bad as Newcastle's.

You'll have something to celebrate in Sunderland, that's for sure.

[Silent Hunter]

Nice one-one, Hammers!

Hopefully, we'll be in Europe next season.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

We beat Hull 1-0. Should have won by more, but a win is a win...

[minionofmidas]

We beat Gladbach 4-1. Should have won by a lot less, incidentally.

[Silent Hunter]

Man U have been knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties. By Everton..

There goes the quintuple...

[minionofmidas]

There goes the quintuple...

Champions Leage, Cup, League, League Cup and... what's the fifth title?

[minionofmidas]

Oh, btw...
Hamburg's next fixtures on the hunt for the triple:

Wed 22nd Apr German Cup semifinal, at home vs Bremen
Sat 25th Apr some league fixture (away to Dortmund)
Thu 30th Apr UEFA Cup semifinal, first leg, away to Bremen
Sun 3rd May some league fixture (at home vs Hertha)
Thu 7th May UEFA Cup semifinal, second leg, at home vs Bremen
Sun 10th May league fixture, away to Bremen

Lol.

[Јas]

There goes the quintuple...

Champions Leage, Cup, League, League Cup and... what's the fifth title?

They won the World Club Championship earlier (in January, I think).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Man U have been knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties. By Everton..

[Keystone Phil]

Napoli remains winless. They haven't won a game since January.

Here's what I predict: They'll beat defending (and most likely 2008-2009) Champions Inter next week and, of course, that'll be the game I can't watch live (family party).

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Napoli remains winless. They haven't won a game since January.

Here's what I predict: They'll beat defending (and most likely 2008-2009) Champions Inter next week and, of course, that'll be the game I can't watch live (family party).

I like how you pretend any of us follow/care about Italian clubs. 

[Keystone Phil]

Napoli remains winless. They haven't won a game since January.

Here's what I predict: They'll beat defending (and most likely 2008-2009) Champions Inter next week and, of course, that'll be the game I can't watch live (family party).

I like how you pretend any of us follow/care about Italian clubs. 

Haha! And the best part is that I only post about my club and that's only to say they have been royally sucking.

[minionofmidas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vzt2QVjpa0&feature=popular

O. M. G.

And as youtube videos from the Bundesliga don't survive long...

http://soccergoalvids.blogspot.com/2009/04/bayer-leverkusen-vs-karlsruhe-0-1.html