Euro 2020 - AH Official Thread *READ OP BEFORE POSTING*

Bobblehats

“And Italy have now scored 29 goals, since they last conceded one.”

AllGunsBlazing

wallop!

Arghus

The swish sound of the net there was so satisfying.

jojofizzio

odyssey06 wrote: »

Could Italy be about to do the coveted Eurovision / European championships double?

Has that double ever been done before??:pac:

Bobblehats

Them balls them balls need , cal-cio

odyssey06

Goal reminded me of Tardelli 82

odyssey06

jojofizzio wrote: »

Has that double ever been done before??:pac:

No... most of Irelands wins seemed to come in european championships years!

odyssey06

Did you smash it wrote: »

The present Italian squad has players of a much lower profile than the noughties and nineties. They have a shot but be surprised if they went all the way.

At some point they will lose home advantage...

Arghus

If Italy do have a weakness it's a ponderousness with their final ball at times. They get into a lot of good positions and then can seem casual.

Bobblehats

odyssey06 wrote: »

At some point they will lose home advantage...

There’s a good chance to whom.

odyssey06

Bobblehats wrote: »

There’s a good chance to whom.

Round of 16 in London v Austria Ukraine or Macedonia

QF probably Belgium in Munich

Arghus

The Swiss have been very dissapointing. Thought they'd have more about them than this.

odyssey06

Arghus wrote: »

The Swiss have been very dissapointing. Thought they'd have more about them than this.

And if they beat Turkey in last game could still get out of the group

Bobblehats

odyssey06 wrote: »

Round of 16 in London v Austria Ukraine or Macedonia

QF probably Belgium in Munich

Then it’s whoever hosts the semis and final

odyssey06

Bobblehats wrote: »

Then it’s whoever hosts the semis and final

London has the semis and final

The quarters are Munich Rome Baku and St Petersburg but I dont think anyone will be at home.

Bobblehats

odyssey06 wrote: »

London has the semis and final

I see.

mzungu

Great strike.

Bobblehats

- 31 and counting…. hard act to follow these lads

jojofizzio

Moves well enough for a bloke called Immobile..

Arghus

odyssey06 wrote: »

And if they beat Turkey in last game could still get out of the group

That's one of the biggest problems I think with the 24 team format, aside from diluting the quality, it reduces the jeopardy of the games.

Group matches aren't do or die right from the off like they are in the WC or 16 team Euros - there's way more intensity to games when teams know they have to finish in the top two. The Swiss have been arsing around since the second goal went in, because they know they'll get their chance against the Turks and the final game between Italy and Wales is nearly a dead rubber. As crazy as it sounds I'd nearly prefer a 32 team euros because the group games would be more crucial.

Bobblehats

jojofizzio wrote: »

Moves well enough for a bloke called Immobile..

That’s what.

trashcan

Bobblehats wrote: »

they break out the same football every time

They need to bring back the black and white footballs from the 70’s World Cups. They were classy.

Bobblehats

trashcan wrote: »

They need to bring back the black and white footballs from the 70’s World Cups. They were classy.

That was very much a soccerball



All the ones that were used at the euros. There’s your friend off to the left; what about that brown one? In sharp contrast to this year’s. It’s actually quite a novel design, if a little disorientating. Or at least in Gareth Bale’s case..

Mad_maxx

Still wouldn't expect Italy to go near the final , switzerland poor

gormdubhgorm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Still wouldn't expect Italy to go near the final , switzerland poor

Italy will likely have to play Belgium in the QF. However Italy are a team designed for knockout football. It is in their DNA they always have a chance once they get to the knockouts.

ebbsy

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Still wouldn't expect Italy to go near the final , switzerland poor

That is when Italy are at their most dangerous, when they are written off.


I also expect England to batter Scotland tomorrow.

Did you smash it

ebbsy wrote: »

That is when Italy are at their most dangerous, when they are written off.


I also expect England to batter Scotland tomorrow.

Italy are at their best with an experienced team of winners who are the numbered among the best players in the world. 2006 and 1994.

Arghus

I want Italy to be the real deal, they've looked great so far: dogged defence, assurance, but slick and incisive going forward and they seem to have a great spirit about them.

It's a great mix, a properly entertaining style of play, definitely the most enjoyable team to watch so far. Maybe the quality of individual players isn't as sky high as previous tournaments, but there's a collective aspect to what they do that makes them pretty formidable to my eyes, everyone has performed in tandem so far. They seem like a very a-typical Italian team.

But they haven't faced truly top quality opposition yet. Turkey aren't great and the Swiss are functional, but uninspired and seemed to give up after the second goal last night. Mind you, I think the Italians made the Swiss look bad, they were all over them.

They've yet to be properly tested, they could turn out to be paper tigers. But these tournaments are so short that there's a lot to be said for a team coming into it with outstanding form, a sense of momentum, belief and an understanding of what they're about.

Mind you, last time out Portugal were bang average in the group stages, fell over the line in some of the knockouts and rode their luck somewhat to winning the whole thing. So anything is possible.

Bobblehats

Jimmy Cranky on co-comms

EmmetSpiceland

Bobblehats wrote: »

Jimmy Cranky on co-comms

I thought it was Stephen Kelly until the other lad said Áine.

Bobblehats

This is the Arena Națională in Bucharest. You see that cube overhead basically a massive tarpaulin is stashed in there which unfurls, covering the entire circumference of the pitch. Like a massive gypsy tent.

AllGunsBlazing

That seemed to happen in slow motion.

Spudmonkey

Christ that accent. I can't watch it cause I'm working but listening to it is proving painful....

ebbsy

Did you smash it wrote: »

Italy are at their best with an experienced team of winners who are the numbered among the best players in the world. 2006 and 1994.

Listen if you just agree with Ebbsy it is easier.

Bobblehats

Gerrin!

Elmer Blooker

ebbsy wrote: »

I also expect England to batter Scotland tomorrow.

... and North Macedonia were getting licked by Ukraine ........ oh wait, they've just pulled one back to make it 1-2.
https://twitter.com/EURO2020/status/1405450850231848962

AllGunsBlazing

That's never a yellow.

Larbre34

Even for football, I've never seen a bigger bunch of cheating, whinging pussies appear on the same pitch at the same time. Both teams.

Get on and play the ****ing game you ****ing clowns, you wouldn't last three seconds in a Junior B final.

Bobblehats

Could have told yous this tie was potentially the biggest cracker. Some fixtures just stand out

Arghus

I wonder is that North Macedonia's head of steam beginning to dissapate, their was a bit of momentum dying feeling there about the way they wasted that corner.

Your one's sniffling on co-commentary is hard tó unhear.

Bobblehats

The schnoz on that fella who went off

Tilden Katz

Arghus wrote: »

That's one of the biggest problems I think with the 24 team format, aside from diluting the quality, it reduces the jeopardy of the games.

Group matches aren't do or die right from the off like they are in the WC or 16 team Euros - there's way more intensity to games when teams know they have to finish in the top two. The Swiss have been arsing around since the second goal went in, because they know they'll get their chance against the Turks and the final game between Italy and Wales is nearly a dead rubber. As crazy as it sounds I'd nearly prefer a 32 team euros because the group games would be more crucial.

Well, I don't know. With this format, the last tranche of group games is where the jeopardy is. Like Ireland needing to beat Italy to advance in 2016. The suspense is just pushed out the last set of group games.

EmmetSpiceland

Nonsense call but the guy shouldn’t have had his arm up there.

wawaman

Arghus wrote: »

I wonder is that North Macedonia's head of steam beginning to dissapate, their was a bit of momentum dying feeling there about the way they wasted that corner.

Your one's sniffling on co-commentary is hard tó unhear.

someone needs to give her a tissue quick

Bobblehats

Save.

Peter Flynt

The last three pens in this tournament missed.

AllGunsBlazing

Cramp. The universal language of football.

Peter Flynt

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Nonsense call but the guy shouldn’t have had his arm up there.

Definite penalty.

Ball hits his arm.

Arghus

Tilden Katz wrote: »

Well, I don't know. With this format, the last tranche of group games is where the jeopardy is. Like Ireland needing to beat Italy to advance in 2016. The suspense is just pushed out the last set of group games.

I think the jeopardy is lessened considerably if you know if you finish third you're more likely to go through.

Let's not forget that we were playing an already qualified Italy side in that third game, resting a lot of players. It was nailbiting from our perspective whether we could do it, but I don't think the Italians were unduly bothered about the result - we put in a few reducers in the first ten minutes to remind them that they weren't supposed to care - a lot of them looked delighted for Ireland in the end.

So far the football has been good in this tournament, but there was definitely a lot of limited sides in 2016 hoping to eke their way through the group stage by finishing third on three or four points and it led to a lot of drab games in the group stages.

Bobblehats

Aww.