IT. IS. COMING. HOME.
Spain
Germany
France
Portugal
Italy
Actually I think [insert team who won't win] could win it!
I'm a bore and want league football back
I'm even more of a bore and want to discuss TRANSFERS
A glory-supporting turtle wearing the winners' kit
Regardless of individuals, Spain are the only team from those in the last four who have attempted to play well throughout the tournament. Germany were the only other one in the last eight. England, France, Holland and Portugal have all played to avoid mistakes.
How often has the best team actually won an international tournament?
I’d put money on more often than the pervasive myth suggests.
Italy were the best team for the most part last time around and Spain were the best team in the two that they won 10-15 years ago. That's 3 out of the last 4, but then you have Portugal in 2016 and Greece in 2004 stinking the place up and I don't remember France in 2000 being that good either, though that's too far back for me to properly remember (I vaguely remember the Dutch being really strong in that one).
The France and Italy teams in 2000 were obscene. Proper footballers as well, not just mongs running NFL lines.
Roster-wise they were immense, I just remember them slogging it out in a few of their games, so I'm not sure if they were the best performing teams in the tournament, can't quite recall.
The Dutch squad was also bonkers. Van der Sar, Stam, the De Boers, Davids, Kluivert, Bergkamp, Overmars and the list goes on. They've gone from Kluivert as their starting striker and Makaay as the backup to fucking Depay and Weghorst.
Last edited by Adramelch; 10-07-2024 at 11:25 PM.
I'm not sure about 2004 or 2014, but other than that I think every tournament in my watching lifetime (1996-) has been won by the best team in it.
Actually 2006, dunno. Italy were scabby for most of that.
Germany were the heavy favorites in 2006 both on paper and based on actual performances, but they got done by the Italians in the semis after extra time.
Weren't Brazil the heavy favourites in 2006 with all of their ace attackers? I actually tipped Italy in the sixth form competition we had (and won nothing), which I think was the last time I correctly predicted an international tournament winner.
Munoz
Got “pinched” by Ugarte and swings an elbow. Gets a second yellow. Stood there showing the ref his side like it justifies swinging an elbow.
Nunez clouted at the 0:12 mark
I like his comical stick 'em up routine stance. It's all a bit childish, isn't it?
In the context of the tournament, sure. But before that? Olmo, Yamal and Williams are great players, but I don't think they have done enough (yet! Will probably change in at least two out of three cases) to be picked over the English alternatives.Originally Posted by Pepe
Dani Olmo is better than any English player (or anyone in this tournament, for that matter). Yamal is at least as good as Saka and Williams is better than Foden.
Morata or Kane?
EDIT: and Cucurella is a left back, at least.
Cucurellanot that he's been terrible, but that's just an illustration of the extreme shortage of good left-backs in both countries.
Anyway, hope I'm wrong and the Spanish three behind Morata waltz (or rather flamenco) their way around the English backline.
There was a bloke stood on his own (everyone else had seats) in the pub yesterday, with number 40 on his England shirt (didn’t catch what name he had with it, any guesses?) who was desperate for interactions last night. Not sure if I pity or admire him. When Watkins scored he grabbed my mate who went with the moment but he tried to do it again at full time (literally 90 seconds later) and it was a bit strange. Hope he’s there again on Sunday.
I'm a twit
I've been impressed by Cucurella this tournament. He's got pace in both directions.
I get this reference now, Wienfriend.In the context of the tournament, sure. But before that? Olmo, Yamal and Williams are great players, but I don't think they have done enough (yet! Will probably change in at least two out of three cases) to be picked over the English alternatives.
Cucurella
Anyway, hope I'm wrong and the Spanish three behind Morata waltz (or rather flamenco) their way around the English backline.
Yeah Vuvuzela has been surprisingly good this tournament. Not game-changing by any means, but solid on both ends.
https://www.theguardian.com/football...medium=twitter
Do I not like that.
Yesterday was fantastic. I've never seen the father in law so angry. I'm heading to Manchester for the final to avoid any potential murder suicide.
Can you tell the VAR he's just got me the sack.
Just clocked it was Palmer who played the through ball for Watkins. Shouldn’t really be a surprise, the only player in an England shirt who passes forward
I'll tell you what's winding me up at this tournament, and it's English clubs and club fans trying to promote their players for things that are happening in a national game. There's enough of it in this thread, but let's say the official Chelsea twitter when the goal goes in last night: PALMER ASSIST! No, you wankers, it's an England goal.
Then there was a nice virally retweeted post by a Brentford fan absolutely fucking SEETHING when Ollie Watkins came on instead of Ivan Toney. Just embarrassing stuff.
Is anyone keeping tabs on how many times Phil Foden has hit the post for England? Feels Nunez-esque at this point. #clubref
Supporting Cucurella instead of England.
Maybe this should be in the transfer thread, but how did PSG manage to get Ruiz from Napoli for £20m? Seems like a weird nexus of a mega rich club prone to overpaying and a club notorious for driving a hard bargain that's gone all wrong.
Had only one year left in his contract and knowing Napoli, they were probably offering him a pay decrease (as they did with Lozano a year later) and he told them to shove it. 20m still low, even under these circumstances, mind you.
100% we are winning this tournament. We were great when Holland played open for the first half hour. No way will Spain sit back.
Bellingham is going to be public enemy number 1 in Spain when he does a Ronaldo.
Went back through all tournaments since 1990 with a mate to test the hypothesis about the best team not winning and all we could point to where the best team hadn't won the tournament were the 2016 Euros and the 2014 World Cup, with France being the best team in both but losing to Portugal and Italy respectively.
There are a couple beyond that where you can have debate (which we did) but you quickly realise that it's so close that you have to give it to the team that won it being the best as they, you know, won it.
Every other one is a slam dunk for the winners.
1998 I think Brazil were probably better than France up until the point when they poisoned Ronaldo, but like you say, can't really discount final wins in such things.
Who was the best team at the 2014 world cup?
And what about the 2004 Euros?
The more time goes on, the more I think Greece might have been the best team at 2004, but in 'football' terms it was probably Czech Republic, Holland or Portugal.
Starmer hinting at a bank holiday if victorious, made more amusing since the guy I work with who is a staunch Tory actually complains about them already as enforced time off and doesn't used his legally entitled holidays as it is, he'll be pissing blood if it comes to pass.
England were the best team in 2004.
People like that want putting down.
If anything we should cancel a forthcoming weekend, to make up for the time people have taken off watching England soccer.
Oh really? Mon the 'lish.
Only in England, like Boxing Day.
Hopefully Scotland and Wales too. We should also do additional trophy parades in Edinburgh and Cardiff. We're one United Kingdom and the trophy will belong to us all.
With the benefits of hindsight there was an awful lot of stodge in that 1998 Brazil team, and the French - particularly defensively - looked a lot stronger.
We had France.
It was manifestly Greece. Ok, so it wasn't very easy on the eye but it was disgustingly well organised and incredibly effective.
And as was pointed out earlier in the thread, they came through a group with Portugal and Spain in it (when only the top 2 qualified) and then beat France, a decent Czech Republic side and Portugal, without conceding a single goal in the knockout stages. Not really sure what else they needed to do to be considered the best team in it.
Are you sure you're remembering the 2014 World Cup correctly?
I can't remember the French team of 2014 all that well but I feel like smashing Brazil, who were the hosts, 7-1 probably earns you "best team".
Yeah, my bad. Was confusing it with another tournament where France were the best but didn't win (the headbutt loss to Italy). Germany definitely the best team in 2014.
We talked through them all but I didn't write anything down before I posted it on here.
France at the 2006 World Cup and the 2016 Euros were the two we had.
I think it was by quite some margin the Czechs. They were also the only team we played against where we were actually very lucky, as they battered us until Nedved got injured.
Pretty sure I remember Germany being the "best team" in 2006 as well.
1998 was a strange tournament. The final really should have been Croatia v Holland.
It's going to come home. Southgate will get knighted. All of the squad made OBE/CBE. Big summer party on the new bank holiday.
You'll get to parade it in Dublin in September.
We really are the best nation ever. Bring the election back round I wanna vote Reform.
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