Euro 2012 Group A

Mr.Nice Guy

This destablises things. Wonder will the Greeks be asked to leave the Euros.

Orando Broom

Does the Russians going out put any perspective on Ireland's abject showing. Bth teams from our qualifying gone in the first round.

keith16

Fcuking LOL at Russia.....bottlers....Dzagoev would want to cop on to himself.

steelcityblues

fullstop wrote: »

There were people on here during the week sating they were worse than Ireland!

Hold my own hands up. After the Russia match, I thought they were the joint worse team with us.

That was a very good display tonight, though.

mike65

The Greeks were heroic tonight.

fullstop

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

Yep, Russia, Greece and Czechs would have ended on 4, Russia and Greece would go through on goal difference

It goes on a head to head mini league first though doesn't it

To Alcohol

Yeah fair play to the Greeks. Would like to have seen the Poles go through with them but not to be.

kitakyushu

Orando Broom wrote: »

Does the Russians going out put any perspective on Ireland's abject showing. Bth teams from our qualifying gone in the first round.

Perhaps. Russia are a team that will play spectacularly if you let them or play open (like Czech did). A solid defensive side would have no problems with them as was proven tonight. Pity Ireland never fell under that description.

LuckyLloyd

mike65 wrote: »

The Greeks were heroic tonight.

They were, just like the first game. They suffered awful refereeing decisions in all three games and still dug themselves out of the group. Fair play to them.

missingtime

missingtime wrote: »

Drew Greece in the sweepstakes here in work...'mon Greece!

Whoop!

dfx-

Thought the Czechs would go through, great width and breakaway play. They played well going forward against Russia..

Delighted and surprised Greece are through. They were excellent on the opening day.

mike65

That ref was a joke, should have been 2-0 win (assuming the peno was converted).

G.K.

A great writer and tennis player once said:

"Not to risk anything is to risk everything".

By playing the uncreative Polanski, Murawski (Who was very bad) and Dudka, Poland did just that.

The Czechs did very well. I thought Sivok, Kadlec, Hubschmann and Pilar especially were very good.

keith16

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

They were, just like the first game. They suffered awful refereeing decisions in all three games and still dug themselves out of the group. Fair play to them.

They are certainly playing with a lot of heart, likely driven by the events back home. Heard one Greek commentator saying that sport is all the Greece have left at this stage.

ArmaniJeanss

Lapin wrote: »

I'd love to know what the odds were on the outcome for that group.

Best prices.

To win Group.
Russia 6/4. Poland 11/4, Czech 9/2. Greece 5/1.

Reverse Forecast (Greece CzechRep in any order) 10/1 (The outsider of the 6 combos).

Straight Forecast (Czech 1st, Greece 2nd) 18/1.

kingshankly

Delighted to see arshavin go home he's a complete waste of space

Orando Broom

keith16 wrote: »

They are certainly playing with a lot of heart, likely driven by the events back home. Heard one Greek commentator saying that sport is all the Greece have left at this stage.

We have no idea how bad it is in Greece.

Charisteas

What an amazing game. Heroic defending from Greece and the gameplan went exactly according to plan.

Now Germany will try to finish second in Group B to avoid Greece............

kitakyushu

Here's to Greece. Best team in the group imho. Put themselves in bad positions a few times (and refs clearly against them too) but dug deep and did enough to make it through.

ollie1

I am glad Russia out their fans have been a disgrace.

Fonze07

If it's based on head to head, how have Holland still got a chance to go through according to pundits?

rebel girl 15

fullstop wrote: »

It goes on a head to head mini league first though doesn't it

Technically it is not head to head - "higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question", but wouldn't matter because the Greeks beat the Russians, the Russians beat the Czechs and the Czechs beat the Greeks - each would be on 3, so it goes to goal difference

Johner

Absolutely delighted for Greece, they have got barely any decisions go for them and they were excellent tonight. It was great defending in the second half although Russia lacked any real creativity.

kitakyushu

Fonze07 wrote: »

If it's based on head to head, how have Holland still got a chance to go through according to pundits?

If Germany finish on 9pts and the other three finish on 3pts then Holland have a chance on head2head vs Den and Por.

Jelle1880

Can't believe Greece are through...

LuckyLloyd

Charisteas wrote: »

Now Germany will try to finish second in Group B to avoid Greece............

On a serious note, Germany are in big trouble if they have to play Greece. It doesn't matter how much better they are...

kitakyushu

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

On a serious note, Germany are in big trouble if they have to play Greece. It doesn't matter how much better they are...

Despite the final table and results I actually think getting Czech Rep would be an easier game than Greece.

Jelle1880

Why would Germany be in big trouble ?

Greece are average, at best.

Orando Broom

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Why would Germany be in big trouble ?

Greece are average, at best.

Greece owe the Germans as serious batein'.

LuckyLloyd

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Why would Germany be in big trouble ?

Greece are average, at best.

It's a once off, how much better they are won't matter when they're playing a team that is froathing at the mouth like men possessed...

A Dub in Glasgo

Well done to Greece, happy for Samaras

steelcityblues

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Why would Germany be in big trouble ?

Greece are average, at best.

All about geo-politics.

kingshankly

Orando Broom wrote: »

Greece owe the Germans as serious batein'.

They owe them about 200 billion

dfx-

Would love to see Greece v Denmark QF, though it'd probably need 1,000 minutes to see a goal..

Both battling unfancied sides with a chance at the semis

LuckyLloyd

kingshankly wrote: »

They owe them about 200 billion

True, but they don't see it like that.

keith16

kingshankly wrote: »

They owe them about 200 billion

Kingshankly, you crack me up :pac:

dfx-

Karagounis is a massive loss though, so no further realistic expectations. Like if they lost Charisteas in 2004...

Greece are not the most attractive team but are an honest group of lads ill give em that

LuckyLloyd

dfx- wrote: »

Karagounis is a massive loss though, so no further realistic expectations. Like if they lost Charisteas in 2004...

Surely that card should be rescinded? ****ing joke of a decision.

Orando Broom

kingshankly wrote: »

They owe them about 200 billion

The batein' is the cheaper option!

kitakyushu

dfx- wrote: »

Karagounis is a massive loss though, so no further realistic expectations. Like if they lost Charisteas in 2004...

Karagounis actually got booked in every single game he played at Euro 2004 (4) and served 2x suspensions (including the final).

rebel girl 15

According to Sky Sports, Franciszek Smuda, the Polish coach has resigned - and the Czechs have made history by being the first side to qualify from their group with negative goal difference

Nuri Sahin

Smuda never said he resigns, only that his contract runs up after the tournament.

Nuri Sahin

Just to add, I'll be shocked if he stays on. Lot of anger being aimed at him by media and fans, and rightly so IMO. Players like Lewandowski as I said before questioned his fitness plans ahead of the tourney saying it was too much and that showed in their performances in the 2nd half of games

edit - and he's gone.

steelcityblues

Don't get why ITV are not doing the 'simultaneous' thing with their highlights.

That's bad if you didn't know the outcomes before watching.

kitakyushu

The Poles are celebrating Russia's elimination.

G.K.

Wrote a very small thing on Poland:

http://gkfootball.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/on-poland.html

Ronan|Raven

Well done to Greece, sorry to see Poland go out though.

fryup

that head to head rule is ridiculous...the team with the best goal difference should go through simple as

feel sorry for russia

adamski8

just read this thread, the amount of posters that were asserting that goal difference decided who went through was funny, get the facts right before posting maybe!
i was at the poland russia game on tuesday night. i only saw assaults by polish fans on russians. i think 90% of people arrested were polish too so calling the russian fans a disgrace is a bit much. nearly all were peaceful and friendly there.
i was watching the match with the polish ambassor tonight with polish and czech fans, great hosts here and there, felt sorry for the polish people, harsh for a host nation to finish last.

looked like a weak group, pity ireland didnt get drawn in it