Euro 2016 Semi Finals

[John]

Everyone just stealing everyone else's songs and chants needs to fuck right off. Let the Icelanders have their thing.

[Lewis]

If Mahow is seething then lol at the Germans. Glory supporting another country. You're an absolute fucking embarrassment.

[Amigo]

There's something therapeutic about watching Germany lose.

[Shindig]

If Mahow is seething then lol at the Germans. Glory supporting another country. You're an absolute fucking embarrassment.

He really is like some sporting version of Mert.

[bruhnaldo]

Did Iceland originate that? At Orlando City matches we've done that for free kicks for ages* :drool:

* - in the two years I've had season tickets ;)

[John]

Did Iceland originate that? At Orlando City matches we've done that for free kicks for ages* :drool:

* - in the two years I've had season tickets ;)

You must concede loads.

[Pen]

As mentioned before, apparently Motherwell fans did it first.

[Pleb]

Meltdown aside, that was a great game.

[GS]

One should always welcome the unconditional surrender of the Hun, but it's difficult to be fully on-side with a French victory.

That said, it's good to see the home team get through to the final as it ensures a quality atmosphere. The level of seethe if Ronaldo breaks them would be incredible, but fuck that - Allez Les Blues.

[Raoul Duke]

Good game that.

I'd like to see Kante win it. Griezmann has impressed me. He looked bobbins in the first game or so. The Germans missed Gomez and were basically not playing anyone up front.

[-james-]

I had a large bet on Germany so I'm pretty gutted. Apparently having a striker is a good thing sometimes.

Thought France's poor defending would be the main story of the game, not Germany's. Umtiti looks very good.

Doing a 180 on what I said earlier and praying France get done in on Sunday.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdqyh-aeCL8

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

If Mahow is seething then lol at the Germans. Glory supporting another country. You're an absolute fucking embarrassment.
I've been 'supporting' them for about 10 years now.

[Pen]

Not necessarily a dig at Mahow, but I can't understand why anyone would support anyone apart from your own country given the chance. I've been on the Portugal bandwagon since I started watching football as Finland never get to any tournament, but I would rather Portugal lose every game from here to eternity if it meant Finland would make it to the actual tournament even once.

[Shindig]

Ronaldo wins on Sunday and then finally comes out as gay. Because he is.

[John]

I've been 'supporting' them for about 10 years now.

It amuses me that you can't see what you're doing is strange, Mahow. I was always first to defend you any time Chinny had a go at you for using 'we' having never been to Old Trafford, probably a mistake in hindsight, but we're well into the Twilight Zone now. You went from actively wanting England to lose (Baz is a shambles for this as well) to calling them 'we' in about fifteen minutes the other night. What on earth are you up to?

[Spoonsky]

Germany lost that I thought. Even when they were dominating the only chances they created were through Emre fucking Can (what a don). In the second half Muller, Ozil etc were all invisible.

Paris should be a party on Sunday, so I'm happy.

[Boydy]

It amuses me that you can't see what you're doing is strange, Mahow. I was always first to defend you any time Chinny had a go at you for using 'we' having never been to Old Trafford, probably a mistake in hindsight, but we're well into the Twilight Zone now. You went from actively wanting England to lose (Baz is a shambles for this as well) to calling them 'we' in about fifteen minutes the other night. What on earth are you up to?

He's ten?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It amuses me that you can't see what you're doing is strange, Mahow. I was always first to defend you any time Chinny had a go at you for using 'we' having never been to Old Trafford, probably a mistake in hindsight, but we're well into the Twilight Zone now. You went from actively wanting England to lose (Baz is a shambles for this as well) to calling them 'we' in about fifteen minutes the other night. What on earth are you up to?

I wanted England to lose the other night for a few reasons. I hate the manager/style and have done so since around 2003. I hated that everyone was writing the game off as a done deal (here and the media, it was like Iceland didn't even deserve to be on the pitch with the mighty England). The egos within the team (again, a long standing problem) and I was on course to make a tidy amount of money should Iceland beat them.

I've always said that whilst I dislike the national team I've always wanted to get back into liking them and I feel if they appoint the right manager (Allardyce) I'd be on board.

I don't have that sense of patriotism and I probably never will with two foreign parents. My Mum has it with Poland, my Dad had it with Cyprus but I've never really had it.

The whole we thing in terms of other teams (I only use it for Manchester United, the Baltimore Ravens and very occasionally England) is because that's how I support a team, I need to feel like I identify with them and why does it matter if said team is down the road from me or in another country?

[SincereTheRebel]

They decide to allow the best placed 3rd placed teams into the knockout stage. But then we dont get a third place play-off...

[ItalAussie]

Third-place playoffs should be abolished entirely. It's the best decision they made.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nah, they should extend playoffs. England should still be there, dicing with Northern Ireland tonight for 15th place.

[ItalAussie]

Nah, they should extend playoffs. England should still be there, dicing with Northern Ireland tonight for 15th place.
You joke, but Croatia v Italy for 5/6 would be a fantastic (if pointless) matchup.

[SincereTheRebel]

Why are third place play-offs that bad. Am i missing something here..

[Adramelch]

Germany lost that I thought. Even when they were dominating the only chances they created were through Emre fucking Can (what a don). In the second half Muller, Ozil etc were all invisible.


They were the same against Italy. For all their possession and good play, they don't look like they know how to create proper chances.

[ItalAussie]

Why are third place play-offs that bad. Am i missing something here..

They're just a massive waste of time. There's nothing to play for.

[SincereTheRebel]

They're just a massive waste of time. There's nothing to play for.

There is a third place to play for.

[Bernanke]

I've never understood why they're played at the WC but not the Euros. I get both sides of the argument, so either always have the playoff or never, the inconsistency is dumb.

[phonics]

I've never understood why they're played at the WC but not the Euros. I get both sides of the argument, so either always have the playoff or never, the inconsistency is dumb.

They're two completely seperate competitions run by two seperate groups. You may as well complain that the Copa Libatedores (sp) and the Champions League have different formats.

[Bernanke]

They're two completely seperate competitions run by two seperate groups. You may as well complain that the Copa Libatedores (sp) and the Champions League have different formats.

I know that they aren't run by the same organization, but if we're talking about the relevance of having a third place playoff, the difference is relevant. Copa America had one, why not the Euros? I'm sure Wales would love the chance of beating Germany and being third instead of "shared third".

[SincereTheRebel]

I know that they aren't run by the same organization, but if we're talking about the relevance of having a third place playoff, the difference is relevant. Copa America had one, why not the Euros? I'm sure Wales would love the chance of beating Germany and being third instead of "shared third".

This.

International football especially, should have a third place playoff

[SvN]

Noone gives a shit about them, though. Weakened teams are fielded, and the game is usually shit because teams are more devastated about not getting to the final than they are fired up to finish 3rd.

[John]

I know that they aren't run by the same organization, but if we're talking about the relevance of having a third place playoff, the difference is relevant. Copa America had one, why not the Euros? I'm sure Wales would love the chance of beating Germany and being third instead of "shared third".

Alternatively, they're quite happy to ignore the shared part and just say they were third anyway, rather than risk getting fucked up the arse by the Germans and having to say they finished fourth.

That said I'd quite like there always to be a third place playoff, more football is better than less football.

[Pepe]

I think that's it. If you win, well, you still lost the semifinal. If you lose that's one more defeat to your name. That's why teams 'don't care.' They're just scared to fuck it up further.

[SvN]

The Club World Cup has a 5th place play off. What's the fucking point?

[Pepe]

It's a long trip for just one match.

[ItalAussie]

The thing about football tournaments is that they're win-or-bust. I actually had to struggle to remember who came third in 2014, when I was thinking about it the other day. It just doesn't matter.

You're just forcing players who've already gone through the emotional wringer to drag themselves out for one final indignity. "Congratulations, you're the second-best loser".

[SvN]

The only 3rd place playoff I can remember is when Sweden battered Bulgaria 4-0 in 94.

[Bernanke]

The only 3rd place playoff I can remember is when Sweden battered Bulgaria 4-0 in 94.

It's the only one we can remember as well. :drool:

[ItalAussie]

Even that only happened the way it did because Bulgaria spent the entire match trying to create a goal for Stoichkov so he'd win the Golden Boot on his own. Knowing, as they did, that literally everything else about the match was pointless.

[ItalAussie]

On that topic, goals scored in the third-place match certainly shouldn't count to the Golden Boot. You're already eliminated, lads. We're giving you one last go-around to pillory you and figure out which of you is marginally less of a loser, but the goals count for as much as the match does.

Davor Suker, I'm looking at you.

[John]

I wanted England to lose the other night for a few reasons. I hate the manager/style and have done so since around 2003. I hated that everyone was writing the game off as a done deal (here and the media, it was like Iceland didn't even deserve to be on the pitch with the mighty England). The egos within the team (again, a long standing problem) and I was on course to make a tidy amount of money should Iceland beat them.

I've always said that whilst I dislike the national team I've always wanted to get back into liking them and I feel if they appoint the right manager (Allardyce) I'd be on board.

I don't have that sense of patriotism and I probably never will with two foreign parents. My Mum has it with Poland, my Dad had it with Cyprus but I've never really had it.

The whole we thing in terms of other teams (I only use it for Manchester United, the Baltimore Ravens and very occasionally England) is because that's how I support a team, I need to feel like I identify with them and why does it matter if said team is down the road from me or in another country?

Is that why you call everyone by their first name? Because you need to feel like they're your mate to support them.

[Lewis]

Every third place match I've seen (so 2002 onwards) has been miles better than the final. It's worthless, and if I was a player I wouldn't be arsed, but the fans get good value out of them.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Is that why you call everyone by their first name? Because you need to feel like they're your mate to support them.
I don't like calling people by their surname. You don't have to be a friend to call someone by their first name.

How many people outside of sports do you talk about using their second name?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm trying to remember the third place matches.

2014 Holland beat Brazil... 3-0?
2010 It must have been Uruguay against Holland, and I'm thinking 3-2, but I can't remember which way.
2006 must have been Germany against Portugal, but I have no idea what happened.
2002 was the lol 3-2 to Turkey against Korea when Hong Myung-Bo fucked up after 7 seconds or whatever.
1998 was Croatia beating Holland, who had long since internally combusted.
1994... no idea.
1990 we lost to Italy.
No idea prior to that.

[John]

I don't like calling people by their surname. You don't have to be a friend to call someone by their first name.

How many people outside of sports do you talk about using their second name?

Politicians and actors, which when added to sportspeople basically makes up the entire cohort of people I don't know but who I regularly talk about.

There's a reason 'first name terms' is a thing.

[Adramelch]

http://i.imgur.com/6xCTkfB.jpg

[Pepe]

Needs more anal probing.

[Disco]

Had he just seen someone wash their hands after going to the toilet?

[Spoonsky]

I'm trying to remember the third place matches.

2014 Holland beat Brazil... 3-0?
2010 It must have been Uruguay against Holland, and I'm thinking 3-2, but I can't remember which way.
2006 must have been Germany against Portugal, but I have no idea what happened.
2002 was the lol 3-2 to Turkey against Korea when Hong Myung-Bo fucked up after 7 seconds or whatever.
1998 was Croatia beating Holland, who had long since internally combusted.
1994... no idea.
1990 we lost to Italy.
No idea prior to that.

In 2006 Germany won 3-0, with Schweinsteiger scoring a couple of bangers (in his coming out as a young flair wing player).

[Lewis]

I'm sure I just heard ITV news describe this as 'arguably the greatest Wales team ever in any sport'. They only play two sports, and it's not.

[Spoonsky]

What is?

[Disco]

Their rugby side from the 70's.

[GS]

Wales had a great tournament, but ultimately they only beat one team they shouldn't have beaten.

I just don't understand this constant need to try and place everything, if not at the top, then certainly near the top of the sporting pantheon of a city, country or whatever. I assume it's 24 hour news and 'social media' needing something to fill the gap.