Euro 2012 - Official Discussion Thread

[Velasco]

I think I wrote this in a previous post: Prandelli deserves praise because Italy is now a good looking team. It would be even a more entertaining game if Germany is able to score but Balotelli's goals may have a crushing effect.

[Franzl]

We're being dominated. The Italian "curse" is alive and well.

[Tender Branson]

Looks like the Preissn will get a 3-0 soon ...

[Tender Branson]

Germany seems to be falling apart ...

[bore]

You know, it's quite possible that the tournament will end with the highest scorer having only got 3.

[Tender Branson]

Germany to miss the penalty ...

[Tender Branson]

No.

[argentarius]

Oooooooooooh

[Keystone Phil]

You mad, bros?

Amazing! Absolutely amazing!

[Franzl]

Let me be the first to say. Italy deserved this win very clearly and the 2-1 doesn't even do justice to it. Hats off to you, you earned it.

[Velasco]

Back to the starting point: Spain vs. Italy. Que Dios reparta suerte next Sunday as we say here.

[Lief 🗽]

Italy didn't "deserve this very clearly", but they won and played well and finished their chances (well, Balotelli finished his chances) better than the Germans did.

[argentarius]

Clearly Ireland were the fourth best team in this tournament.

[Franzl]

Italy didn't "deserve this very clearly", but they won and played well and finished their chances (well, Balotelli finished his chances) better than the Germans did.

Give credit where it's due. Italy could have easily shot 1 or 2 more.

[Lief 🗽]

Sure, but so could've Germany.

Anyway, at least we can take some solace in the fact that Obama and Casey will win re-election now.

[Keystone Phil]

Trivial note: by getting to the Final, Italy has earned a spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup since Spain have already qualified for the tournament as the reigning World Cup champions.

Anyway, at least we can take some solace in the fact that Obama and Casey will win re-election now.

[GMantis]

Well, congratulations to Italy! I supported Germany, but Italy certainly deserved this -  they didn't dominate but that is irrelevant if you can use your few chances and the other team can't.
This victory once again reminds me once again of an excellent article (written during the 2006 World Cup, but still relevant) which called the Italian team an enigma. They have difficulties getting out of their group, waste loads of chances against England, their main star is constantly criticized and then he and Italy go on and defeat once again Germany, the supposed perennial favorite and make it almost seem easy.
So whatever surprises Italy can deliver in the final, I wish them luck!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Quite the day for sporting shocks, no?

[argentarius]

Quite the day for sporting shocks, no?

I wouldn't call Italy-Germany a shock, but that was some tennis match- apparently. The guys in the other room didn't tell me they were watching a classic.

[SPQR]

Beating Germany feels so,so sweet
Especially after an amazingly good performance,with loads of wasted chances and a dubious german penalty.
But who cares,NEVER BEATEN IN AN OFFICIAL COMPETITION!!!

[Franzl]

Do me a favor and actually beat Spain please.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Italy : beating Germany since 1970.

Seriously, what a great team. Based on what we had done in 2010, I really wasn't expecting us to go so far. In some way, this Euro displays quintessential Italy : our qualification was mediocre, our match against England was good but not great, and then we eventually crushed a team which was considered as one of the big favorites of the championship. Overwhelmingly considered as underdogs, we were able to surprise everybody, like in 2006.

The way we play might not be magnificent, but it is highly tactical and sometime displays true geniality (see Pirlo's ability to contol the ball and keep it despite being overwhelmed, and let's not even mention Buffon...). And today, Balotelli finally had the occasion to show the great player he is. All this is, in great part, Prandelli's success, as he managed to build a balanced team (one which is able to score goals and not only to defend well) and to motivate the players enough.

Of course, it was Italy-Germany : we had a reputation to defend. Losing would have been pretty embarrassing, but the fact Germany was considered as the favorite made this victory particularly pleasant. For the way we played, I think the score should have been even higher (a beautiful 3-0 to make things clean ! ). But we deserved it for being dumb enough to give the Germans a penalty. During the last minutes, I was really going to die from anxiety, because the Germans came close to scoring again and a draw would certainly have destroyed Italy's moral. I though "oh God, this is 2000 all over again". But we held on, we preserved tradition and earned a place in the final !

We had, of course, the support of southern Europe in its entirety, and I wouldn't be surprised if the crowd in Athens would be pretty happy about this result. I doubt Merkel is the kind of person who will let such events reduce her arrogance, but at least in the world of soccer we proved able to vanquish the evil dictator. Let's put it so : the first goal we scored to the Germans was for being unable/unwilling to solve the crisis, the second was for shoving austerity down our throat, and the goal we let them score was for setting us free from Berlusconi.

Now, Spain's turn ! If we play like we played against Germany and they play as they played against Portugal, we should be able to win. Spain, like Germany, is far below its past levels and it should be possible to surprise them with some great playing. This would be our first Euro win since 1968 (but it should have been since 2000 ). Still, let's not go too far because anything can happen at this point.

[Franzl]

Antonio you clearly deserved to win, but you're saying Merkel should change her policies because of a lost football game? Sounds like typical Southern European arrogance to me

[GMantis]

It just occurs to me that we all overlooked the fact that there is another football scandal in Italy - obviously making them favorites

[Antonio the Sixth]

Antonio you clearly deserved to win, but you're saying Merkel should change her policies because of a lost football game? Sounds like typical Southern European arrogance to me

I thought it was evident I was joking. But maybe the morality of this game is that the Germans aren't always as good and righteous as they think they are.

BTW, what did the German media say about Germany-Greece ? "We won't be able to save you this time", "Let's be tough like Merkel"... Now, this was arrogance.