Euro 2012 Qualifiers

[Gustaf]

I'm not seeing a topic on it.

Great start for Sweden with a solid 2-0 win over Hungary, while Finland surprisingly lost against Moldavia by just as much.

Also great start for England who beat Bulgaria 4-0.

Italian start for Italy, beating Estonia 2-1 after being down 1-0 at half-time.

France continues to suck and lost against Belarus by 0-1. Portugal also sucked, drawing against Cyprus 4-4 (!).

[minionofmidas]

Germany on normal service. Marginally stronger, cleverer side in a weakish, though not completely boring, game. And win 1-0 thanks to putting good use to a realyl stupid defensive mistake once.
Yawn.

[Lief 🗽]

lolfrance

Though to be fair most of their team has less than 10 international caps.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

France - Biélorussie

0 - 1

In Stade de France...

...

Yeah, everything is to build here...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I suppose it's nice to see Ingerland not fail utterly, especially as the keeper was born in the same town as me. Wales lost to Montenegro which is less good, though not surprising.

[Phony Moderate]

The Euro seems to have become a big deal only in the last 20 years or so. Also, I've been told that it wasn't referred to as the "Euro" until 1996, when it was held here in England.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Also, I've been told that it wasn't referred to as the "Euro" until 1996, when it was held here in England.

Not sure, I think I remind of this yellow rabbit in 1992 (Sweden) in my football magazines, and iirc they called it Euro 1992, has to be checked.

[minionofmidas]

The Euro seems to have become a big deal only in the last 20 years or so.

Nope. Make that a 30.

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Yep.

   

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Oh maybe not in the logo, but as far as I remind people always said 'Euro', and it was called 'Euro' in media as well, then for everybody here it was 'Euro '92', I can't remind this as people saying or writing 'UEFA '92'.

[minionofmidas]

Well people here still call it "EM" (or "Europameisterschaft"), except for complete tools who might say "Euro". I'm pretty sure (though, hey, maybe I'm wrong) nobody called it "Euro" before UEFA started calling it that. Which was in 1996.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

I'm pretty sure (though, hey, maybe I'm wrong) nobody called it "Euro" before UEFA started calling it that. Which was in 1996.

Ah! I found back a cover of the football magazine I read when I was a child:



In the top left: 'Euro 92'. Hey France might have launched the fashion.

And it was even before '92:



And still before!



Was harder to find some cover for before with something mentioned about it, but the very few I found went 'Europa '80', which might had this name due to the fact it was in Italy.

[Gustaf]

In Sweden it is also called EM. I've never heard a Swede, in Swedish, refer to it as "Euro" (although I know it is called that in English, hence why I used it for this thread title).

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

If anyone is actually coming to see games, she or he can go drink with me.

Just for the future.

[Lief 🗽]

Does anyone have any idea how to buy tickets to any of the qualification matches? Scotland is coming to play the Czech Republic in Prague in October and I'd like to go. Is there a UEFA website for this?

[Јas]

Does anyone have any idea how to buy tickets to any of the qualification matches? Scotland is coming to play the Czech Republic in Prague in October and I'd like to go. Is there a UEFA website for this?

The tickets would be primarily distributed by the national associations which I presume all have different means of passing on their allocations. So if you're going to try online then the Czech and Scottish football associations might be a better bet than UEFA.

[minionofmidas]

I'm pretty sure (though, hey, maybe I'm wrong) nobody called it "Euro" before UEFA started calling it that. Which was in 1996.

snippety-do

Well, nobody here anyhow.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

I'm pretty sure (though, hey, maybe I'm wrong) nobody called it "Euro" before UEFA started calling it that. Which was in 1996.

snippety-do

Well, nobody here anyhow.

Yes, yes, that's what I thought you could be saying, was making the point for France, forgot to delete your quote. France has been avant-garde (once in a while...).

Well, about tonight's match, that's funny we go play Bosnia as if it was a major team and the favorite of the group and going like 'no, no, we're not eliminated yet, we still have a little chance, we have to try!'.

Laurent Blanc is very nice and open-minded, full of good will, but is the opposite of someone reassured and reassuring. Everything is to build here. Bosnia which seems to be offensive, dynamic, and with psychological assurance clearly is the favorite tonight, especially in Sarajevo.

[Gustaf]

Great result for France, especially since Romania continue to suck.

Lol, Portugal.

Bad for Sweden losing Mellberg for the Holland game.

Lol, Scotland.

Good for England. And good for Turkey, bad for Belgium who are going to struggle for a top-two spot now. Lithuania and Slovakia are doing great!

I don't think Ireland is looking good though, despite winning. Sorry Jas.

[Lief 🗽]

My Czech roommate was pretty depressed about last night's game.

Poor Kazakhstan.

The Norwegian goal against Portugal is hilarious, by the way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqtIwkNkHfg&feature=player_embedded

[Јas]

I don't think Ireland is looking good though, despite winning. Sorry Jas.

You mean a 3-1 thrashing of mighty Andorra following a dogged 1-0 victory over Armenia hasn't sent shockwaves around Europe!?

I haven't actually seen anything of either; just been following press reports which have been fairly mixed but generally cautiously pessimistic.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

I don't think Ireland is looking good though, despite winning. Sorry Jas.

You mean a 3-1 thrashing of mighty Andorra following a dogged 1-0 victory over Armenia hasn't sent shockwaves around Europe!?

lol. But I know the feeling.

But now: Yay France!

We won a match!!

Had been 7 matches it hadn't happen.

And we goaled with feet, actually, and by attacking! and with passes! all the stuffs!! we played football!!!

Yeah, dominated the whole match, lots of occasions, and some beautiful ones, especially in second half. The fact that Bosnia isn't a team with a über blocking defense might have helped, maybe, but we developed interesting things, especially in the attack and the middle. Now we have an attacker of reference, Benzema, and the Malouda-Benzema-Valbuena has been a pretty interesting attack, and the M'Vila-Diaby-Diarra a pretty solid middle.

Was only one match, and remains Bosnia, but still, it's different. Wasn't fan of them before but now I almost don't want that players like Ribéry and Evra (barred from playing several matches because of their behavior in South Africa) come back, we have several other good players that could better than them to make a team. Hope we will have friendly matches against strong teams to see more the worth of it.

[Gustaf]

Bosnia is a pretty strong team, beating them by 2-0 is a strong showing and bodes well. If you can get the stars back and get the team to work together again there is still great potential in the team.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Congratulations to Scotland for their heroic defeat of the mighty Liechtenstein. No, seriously. Their coach has stated that he is 'thrilled' with the result.

[Keystone Phil]

Portugal has become a total disaster. That game against Cyprus had to be one of the craziest things I've ever seen in Soccer.

As for my beloved side, I have very mixed feelings. That first game was an embarrassment but, as stated earlier, a pretty Italian start for the Italian squad. Crushing the Faroe Islands was great because even though they're minnows, it is very un-Italian to win 5-0.

Friday will be tougher and next week will be the first real challenge. I think we'll take the group rather easily but we'll need some improvement for the final tournament. After that disaster a few months ago, this team better get us to to least the Semi finals.

[Keystone Phil]

Prandelli isn't going to start Rossi against Northern Ireland tomorrow. The same Rossi that scored a goal and had a great game against the same team just a year ago. This is our first real test and I'm worried they might screw it up.