Holland-Italy

mike65

Van Nistelrooy, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Robben, Babel, Huntelaar & Van Persie is it really that hard to believe that that they could go the whole way

Babel is not there but Kuyt is!

Mike.

shane86

Glad I put my money on when the odds were relatively high With this performance, the awful Italian performance and mediocre French one it should surely tie them with Germany soon enough.

Surprising amount of attacking given Van Bastens defensiveness in the qualifiers. Put 1-0 Holland on the sweep in work, doubt anyone could have foreseen this result. tbh I dont care re the offside goal, simple payback for the way they sent the Aussies out, and that bizarre free they were given in Scotland that made it 2-1. The Italians were let down throughout by some shocking passing.

Dutch were brilliant in the first half, merely decent in the second. Thought they took the foot off the pedal defensively somwhat. Thought Bouhalrouz had a good game in contrast to his unspectacular Chelsea outing and his performance in 06. Not sure I would have taken RVN off, maybe Kuyt instead. Was wary of Van Persie with the injury but he was in top form, reckon he would have scored i he had been given a start. Sneijder was quality, v d Sar was on top of his game.

Roll on France Lets just hope Marco doesnt fall out with anyone. Again.....

Galvasean

shane86 wrote: »

Glad I put my money on when the odds were relatively high

Ditto, I got 14/1 on them winning the championship. Its a long way to go yet but a very promising start.

Guy:Incognito

Cant believe I doubted Kuyt and took him out of my ff team. :mad:

When will I learn.

leninbenjamin

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

Van Nistelrooy, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Robben, Babel, Huntelaar & Van Persie is it really that hard to believe that that they could go the whole way

yes. one word. Boulahrouz. Stephen Kelly is a better player than him ffs... if he starts for the rest of the tournament Holland are seriously vulnerable on that right side. I don't even remember a single time tonight that he went forward with any success? someone like Malouda (who i seriously dislike as a player) would go to town on him.

Guy:Incognito

leninbenjamin wrote: »

yes. one word. Boulahrouz. Stephen Kelly is a better player than him ffs.

Thanks.:)

Pepe LeFrits

An experienced Italian midfield outpassed by a younger one? Hard to imagine!

unkel

mike65 wrote: »

Guess the team



Mike

What a foresight that proved to be, Mike!

Shocking to see how a country can go from world champions to no better than mediocre in just 2 years time. Defense has always been Italy's total fortress. There was none tonight. The past with Cannavaro and Nesta in the back must be sorely missed...

I'm delighted with the result of course. I'm not a regular soccer fan and I only usually switch on at champions league, EC and WC times. I was sh1tting myself with Holland yet again in the pool of death and now we're already with one foot in the quarter finals :eek:

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

An experienced Italian midfield outpassed by a younger one? Hard to imagine!

lol.

still, they weren't outpassed as such, more like bypassed. Pirlo and Gattuso still had good games overall, not their best but still a good team performance. It's the defence that collapsed, the Dutch never really had to break down the Italians midfield, wingplay or long balls into the attackers was enough.

internelligent

Delighted for Kuyt and delighted STILL that he's in the Liverpool squad.

Pigman II

unkel wrote: »

Shocking to see how a country can go from world champions to no better than mediocre in just 2 years time.

They've done it before. Check out their Euro 84 qualifying group for a set of results that must surely go down as the most unexpected collection in the history of world football. From World Champions to just plain ridiculous.

pickarooney

Just the start Italy needed. Remember in '94 they lost to Ireland and still made the WC final.

evil_seed

Was very impressed by the john carew look-a-like, Engelaar, in centre midfield. Got stuck in and controlled the game really well, bar the 1st 15 mins of the 2nd half.

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Stekelly wrote: »

Cant believe I doubted Kuyt and took him out of my ff team. :mad:

When will I learn.

Serves you right.

Sherifu

pickarooney wrote: »

Just the start Italy needed. Remember in '94 they lost to Ireland and still made the WC final.

Aye but they were undone by some sexy Houghton magic. They were raped last night. And it's not an easy group to get of.

Mr Alan

Player of the Tournament-Dirk Kuyt?

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Sherifu wrote: »

sexy Houghton

That image is never going to leave me.

Is there an "unsee" button?

mike65

unkel wrote: »

I'm delighted with the result of course. I'm not a regular soccer fan and I only usually switch on at champions league, EC and WC times.

/me waves to Unkel on his bi-annual re-appearence!

Mike.

Sherifu

DesF wrote: »

That image is never going to leave me.

Is there an "unsee" button?

Xavi6

Just watching the highlights here and I'm getting a nice reminder of how much I detest Mauro Camoranesi.

Pepe LeFrits

leninbenjamin wrote: »

lol.

still, they weren't outpassed as such, more like bypassed. Pirlo and Gattuso still had good games overall, not their best but still a good team performance. It's the defence that collapsed, the Dutch never really had to break down the Italians midfield, wingplay or long balls into the attackers was enough.

Well, I only got to watch the first half (gutted), maybe it was a different story in the second. van der Vaart and Sneijder were fantastic in that first 45, the Italians could barely get on the ball at all.

redspider

A good game of football. I'll talk more about that later.

One of the main talking points of course was that 1st goal, and the Ref and Assitant's decision not to call it offside. Within the laws, it was a correct determination. However, many goals like that are given offside, so Van Nistelrooy definitely got away with it. Its surprising how many people dont know about the rule. Just what do people think happens at corners with 2 defenders on the post, where they could just step back and back in again moving forwards into and out of offside positions.

Of course there are other discrepancies with the determination, which have been cleared up by the player in-active rule. An example of this is when an attacker say goes to the by-line and makes a cross, and the on purpose stays behind the by-line so as not to be in an offside position. They do this out of habit now rather than a need as players should be considered in-active.

One thing is for sure, goals with similar traits to last nights goal have been ruled offside, and this is what players are getting at. They are 'programmed' to think and look at what they call the 'line', the line of defenders, etc. Nistlerooy was clearly ahead of that line. Many players that are now pundits are still having difficulties with the active and inactive aspects of the offside laws. I think they have a case at times though when the Ref;s allow players to gain an advantage and get away with it. The simpler rule of old was much easier to spot and interpret.

Maybe its time to scrap the offside rule altogether.

Redspider

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redspider wrote: »

Maybe its time to scrap the offside rule altogether.

Foolish suggestion, completely and utterly ridiculous to even suggest it.

If you knew the offside rule, you'd know that last night's goal was legit.

It's that simple.

Xavi6

redspider wrote: »

A good game of football. I'll talk more about that later.

One of the main talking points of course was that 1st goal, and the Ref and Assitant's decision not to call it offside. Within the laws, it was a correct determination. However, many goals like that are given offside, so Van Nistelrooy definitely got away with it. Its surprising how many people dont know about the rule. Just what do people think happens at corners with 2 defenders on the post, where they could just step back and back in again moving forwards into and out of offside positions.

Of course there are other discrepancies with the determination, which have been cleared up by the player in-active rule. An example of this is when an attacker say goes to the by-line and makes a cross, and the on purpose stays behind the by-line so as not to be in an offside position. They do this out of habit now rather than a need as players should be considered in-active.

One thing is for sure, goals with similar traits to last nights goal have been ruled offside, and this is what players are getting at. They are 'programmed' to think and look at what they call the 'line', the line of defenders, etc. Nistlerooy was clearly ahead of that line. Many players that are now pundits are still having difficulties with the active and inactive aspects of the offside laws. I think they have a case at times though when the Ref;s allow players to gain an advantage and get away with it. The simpler rule of old was much easier to spot and interpret.

Maybe its time to scrap the offside rule altogether.


Redspider

I really hope that was tongue in cheek

weemcd

ruud to score 1st & holland to win = reasonable payout for mcd

delighted by that match last night, it was the first match I was really looking forward to in the tournament and it didn't disappoint. I had always hoped Holland would play to their strengths and put on a display like last night. I didnt get on them to win outright early and i see their odds have been in freefall since last night....

dare i dream?

redspider

Holland 3-0 Italy

That was a very entertaining match, especailly as it contrasted with the very poor match of France and Romania which took place a little earlier. I thought both teams played well. There was good skill on display and both teams wanted to win this match rather than settle for a draw, which I and perhaps many others thought may happen beforehand.

Holland for me were lined up 4-2-3-1, rather than the classic NL and Ajax style of 4-3-3. De Jong and Engelaar as the holding midfielders, although it was very fluid and could also be described as 4-5-1. Kuijt, who a few weeks ago was struggling to make the squad never mind the first eleven, played ala his Liverpool role, and battled all match long on the right hand side, defending and tackling more often than not. Van Nistelrooy was up front on his own, but held the ball up well. Sneijder was the attacking midfielder in the centre and Van Der Vaart was out left. Both had good games.

There was some brilliant tackling from Bhoularouz who was right-back, for once playing and tackling without the fouling. Van Bronckhurst was a pivotal player in the match. Playing as a left-back (he is adept enough to play as a midfielder and does for Feyenoord), he found lots of energy going forward in timely forays which led to 2 good goals.

For all the controversy of the 1st goal and the 'offside', the result was a fair one and it was good to see Holland get two good goals. It was an immense display from Van Der Sar who saved Holland on more than one occassion. 2-1 would not have been an unfair result from this game, but Italy just couldnt get any of their chances in. And they did have chances.

If France continue to play like they did against Romania, I can see both Holland and Italy getting out of this group. Italy are far from out.

As for Holland, they need to be wary I think. This was a great start, in a way perhaps too great, and they need to be careful mentally not to 'peak' too early. Dunphy is right in that they have frailities at the back, as in Ooijer and Mathijsen. That could be an achilles heel. But up-front, if they do go all out attack, they could put out in a 4-3-3 the likes of Van Persie, and Huntelaar and Van Nistlerooy. That would be great to see but I dont expect it. Its a good start for the Dutch. Next up France, but which France will be on the field? Henry-led or Anelka-led? Scorpio's or Leo's? The French do not look happy at all and yesterday were so lethargic. Romania got the point they came to get.

Holland's odds started at 14-1. They are now down to 5-1. Germany are still favourites at 7-2.

Redspider

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redspider wrote: »

Holland 3-1 Italy

That was a very entertaining match, especailly as it contrasted with the very poor match of France and Romania which took place a little earlier. I thought both teams played well. There was good skill on display and both teams wanted to win this match rather than settle for a draw, which I and perhaps many others thought may happen beforehand.

Holland for me were lined up 4-2-3-1, rather than the classic NL and Ajax style of 4-3-3. De Jong and Engelaar as the holding midfielders, although it was very fluid and could also be described as 4-5-1. Kuijt, who a few weeks ago was struggling to make the squad never mind the first eleven, played ala his Liverpool role, and battled all match long on the right hand side, defending and tackling more often than not. Van Nistelrooy was up front on his own, but held the ball up well. Sneijder was the attacking midfielder in the centre and Van Der Vaart was out left. Both had good games.

There was some brilliant tackling from Bhoularouz who was right-back, for once playing and tackling without the fouling. Van Bronckhurst was a pivotal player in the match. Playing as a left-back (he is adept enough to play as a midfielder and does for Feyenoord), he found lots of energy going forward in timely forays which led to 2 good goals.

For all the controversy of the 1st goal and the 'offside', the result was a fair one and it was good to see Holland get two good goals. It was an immense display from Van Der Sar who saved Holland on more than one occassion. 2-1 would not have been an unfair result from this game, but Italy just couldnt get any of their chances in. And they did have chances.

If France continue to play like they did against Romania, I can see both Holland and Italy getting out of this group. Italy are far from out.

As for Holland, they need to be wary I think. This was a great start, in a way perhaps too great, and they need to be careful mentally not to 'peak' too early. Dunphy is right in that they have frailities at the back, as in Ooijer and Mathijsen. That could be an achilles heel. But up-front, if they do go all out attack, they could put out in a 4-3-3 the likes of Van Persie, and Huntelaar and Van Nistlerooy. That would be great to see but I dont expect it. Its a good start for the Dutch. Next up France, but which France will be on the field? Henry-led or Anelka-led? Scorpio's or Leo's? The French do not look happy at all and yesterday were so lethargic. Romania got the point they came to get.

Holland's odds started at 14-1. They are now down to 5-1. Germany are still favourites at 7-2.

Redspider

You got the score wrong.

Pigman II

DesF wrote: »

That image is never going to leave me.

I heard Houghton is quite the pin-up in Hobbiton. Frodo Baggins even has him as a screensaver.

redspider

DesF wrote: »

You got the score wrong.

Have you nothing else to do?
Probably not.

> If you knew the offside rule, you'd know that last night's goal was legit.

If you read my post, you would have seen that I didnt say it wasnt a legitimate goal.

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redspider wrote: »

Have you nothing else to do?
Probably not.

> If you knew the offside rule, you'd know that last night's goal was legit.

If you read my post, you would have seen that I didnt say it wasnt a legitimate goal.

Why do you want the offside rule abolished, then?

And so what if I hvae nothing else to do? I enjoy posting on Boards.

You still need to edit your post up there by the way, it still has 3-1 in it

simonw

I can't believe no one has given van bronckhorst credit for playing such a stormer. aside from creating the second and 3rd goal, he was the one dutch defender who did look solid. motm for me.

Mr Alan

simonw wrote: »

motm for me.

put your hands up for Dirk Kuyt!

Pigman II

Mr Alan wrote: »

put your hands up for Dirk Kuyt!

Great costume. Uncanny resembalance!

Chong

So fupping happy great night for us, didnt see it coming at all.


Great performance by Dirk, always have faith in the lad , he just keeps going an going.

HUP HOLLAND HUP .

Roll on Friday , cant wait .

BaZmO*

Mr Alan wrote: »

put your hands up for Dirk Kuyt!

This is who I thought of when I saw that picture although Pigman's is way better.

Mikeyt086

I really wanted Sjneider & Van Der Vaart to perform and my god they did, 2 of my favourite attacking mids in the world, the Dutch play some really beautiful football and with Robben and Van Persie gaining fitness and the option of Huntelaar it can only get better.

Exellent performances from Engelaar and De Jong aswell.

All aboard the Dutch bandwagon!

~Rebel~

Now the question is, has Dirk done enough to keep his starting place even if Robben and VP get closer to fitness?

Mr Alan

yes.

_blank_

No

BaZmO*

Maybe

gucci

Pigman II wrote: »

Great costume. Uncanny resembalance!

haha, how the hell did you find that? I actually finally understand what people mean by "lol" so my boss now knows im wasting time on the net!! The dirk destroyer, what a legend!

Fuzzy_Dunlop

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Now the question is, has Dirk done enough to keep his starting place even if Robben and VP get closer to fitness?

Not ahead of van Persie i don't think, even if he has played excellently. Van Basten really likes RvP and he is seen by the Dutch public in general as probably their most talented player