UEFA Euro 2020

Status
Not open for further replies.
Italy in final and probably against England. My two favourite countries. :)

I have just learned about the World Football Elo Ratings, a ranking system that takes various football-specific variables into account, like the margin of victory, importance of a match, and home field advantage. I am stunned to see that Belgium ranks #2 after Brazil, and just ahead of Italy, France and England! The FIFA World Rankings even has Belgium has best team in the world at the moment (since the end of 2018). I don't follow football very closely (just a bit during the World Cup and Euro), so I had no idea.
 
Jovialis said:
Indeed, it really is a shame. Honestly, I think some of the ethnic conflict in genetics forums, and other places starts out with competitions like the World Cup and Euro cup, at some point in their lives. Then it snowballs into people trying to prove the other country has some kind of cooties due to their origins. It is sad really.
Click to expand...

“Il calcio è il riflesso, la metafora della storia di una nazione, della sua cultura”

These are not my words, but I share the same thoughts with him.

https://m.huffingtonpost.it/entry/l...iventa-pessimisti_it_5db1bcfae4b0d5b78947670c
 
Maciamo said:
Italy in final and probably against England. My two favourite countries. :)

I have just learned about the World Football Elo Ratings, a ranking system that takes various football-specific variables into account, like the margin of victory, importance of a match, and home field advantage. I am stunned to see that Belgium ranks #2 after Brazil, and just ahead of Italy, France and England! The FIFA World Rankings even has Belgium has best team in the world at the moment (since the end of 2018). I don't follow football very closely (just a bit during the World Cup and Euro), so I had no idea.
Click to expand...

Indeed, and most likely Italy vs England, in London no less.
 
Maciamo said:
Italy in final and probably against England. My two favourite countries. :)

I have just learned about the World Football Elo Ratings, a ranking system that takes various football-specific variables into account, like the margin of victory, importance of a match, and home field advantage. I am stunned to see that Belgium ranks #2 after Brazil, and just ahead of Italy, France and England! The FIFA World Rankings even has Belgium has best team in the world at the moment (since the end of 2018). I don't follow football very closely (just a bit during the World Cup and Euro), so I had no idea.
Click to expand...

It's already since long, maybe 10 years that Belgium has the best team according to FIFA.
But they never reached a final in a major tournament.
Something must be wrong with the ranking.
 
Jovialis said:
What a game between Spain and Italy, right down to the wire.
Click to expand...

Both goals were great! Spain looked more organized and more dangerous but you have to put the ball in the back of the net (or at least over the goal line).
 
Jovialis said:
Did anyone catch Chiellini's hilarious moment with Jordi Alba during the coin flip?

https://www.football-espana.net/202...di-alba-during-coin-toss-for-penalty-shootout
Click to expand...

I think it rattled Alba a bit. :)

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Without Spinazzola, and with Spain's change in strategy, the Azzurri suffered, and they made all the fans suffer, but they got through.

Onore alla Spagna, a great team, and one they faced with much trepidation, but my goodness, they had so much trouble getting it into the net, as Italy had trouble with them.

As for Arrigo Sacchi, regardless of his storied career, on this matter he's full of you know what, imo. I guess he's forgotten that the "Catenaccio" style of play was created, imposed on Inter, by Hellenio Herrera. You would also think he hadn't watched all of Italy's prior matches in this tournament. In this Spain match up, Mancini made a strategic decision that the team had to do whatever they had to do to win, and they did. Are Italians pessimistic as a people? Yes. Has it prevented them from being a great football nation? No. Then, if you want to look outside sport there's a little thing like the Renaissance if you want to talk about creativity, and more inventiveness throughout the centuries, or the fact that some writers have claimed that the great achievements of European civilization are down to four countries: England, France, Germany, and Italy. Enough said. One of our faults that I will acknowledge is being too reverential to old men who display yet another one of our flaws, being hypercritical of their own country. You don't see other countries do it, especially in the middle of a competition. Those are two characteristic traits I pray will change.

Which brings to mind poor Morata. I feel for him. Last time, he was excoriated in Spain and treated abominably; they even went after his family. Meanwhile, without his goal they wouldn't have made it to the penalty stage, and what about Olmo's penalty??? What happened to his eye-foot coordination. Don't like him or his attitude btw, while I like most of the Spanish players.

If Italy weren't going to the finals, I would support England, although I don't like some of their arrogance this time around. It's been 55 YEARS for them. However, we came back from catastrophe just a few years ago. My heart with with our Azzurri. :)

The squad was singing Notti Magiche. :)
 
Angela said:
I think it rattled Alba a bit. :)

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Without Spinazzola, and with Spain's change in strategy, the Azzurri suffered, and they made all the fans suffer, but they got through.

Onore alla Spagna, a great team, and one they faced with much trepidation, but my goodness, they had so much trouble getting it into the net, as Italy had trouble with them.

As for Arrigo Sacchi, regardless of his storied career, on this matter he's full of you know what, imo. I guess he's forgotten that the "Catenaccio" style of play was created, imposed on Inter, by Hellenio Herrera. You would also think he hadn't watched all of Italy's prior matches in this tournament. In this Spain match up, Mancini made a strategic decision that the team had to do whatever they had to do to win, and they did. Are Italians pessimistic as a people? Yes. Has it prevented them from being a great football nation? No. Then, if you want to look outside sport there's a little thing like the Renaissance if you want to talk about creativity, and more inventiveness throughout the centuries, or the fact that some writers have claimed that the great achievements of European civilization are down to four countries: England, France, Germany, and Italy. Enough said. One of our faults that I will acknowledge is being too reverential to old men who display yet another one of our flaws, being hypercritical of their own country. You don't see other countries do it, especially in the middle of a competition. Those are two characteristic traits I pray will change.

Which brings to mind poor Morata. I feel for him. Last time, he was excoriated in Spain and treated abominably; they even went after his family. Meanwhile, without his goal they wouldn't have made it to the penalty stage, and what about Olmo's penalty??? What happened to his eye-foot coordination. Don't like him or his attitude btw, while I like most of the Spanish players.

If Italy weren't going to the finals, I would support England, although I don't like some of their arrogance this time around. It's been 55 YEARS for them. However, we came back from catastrophe just a few years ago. My heart with with our Azzurri. :)

The squad was singing Notti Magiche. :)
Click to expand...

I was so nervous during the penalty, I almost left the house to walk around the block. But I was at the edge of my seat the whole time.

Looks like Sunday will be another reason to have a barbecue.
 
One thing that has hurt England is that there are 4 teams from Great Britain competing for the cup: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I believe they would do better if they fielded a unified team.
 
BTW, I love Dani Olmo, I think he's an excellent player and I wish he would come back to Barcelona.
 
Jovialis said:
Every single one of those teams have been eliminated, except for Italy.

Who is your pick in light of recent developments?
Click to expand...

No pick it can go either way. As I said before no top quality to solve difficult matches. Yesterday Italy left it to fate, it was afraid to lose so did not go for the win in the field against newly build Spain.


Sent from my iPhone using Eupedia Forum
 
I can always count on you to get everything wrong. :)

They didn't leave it to fate. They clamped Spain down after grueling minutes of extra time, and they put their faith in the grit, determination, and grace under extreme pressure of their players when shooting penalties, especially after practicing them, which Spain apparently didn't do. Not a good choice.

It was also a tactical mistake by their coach (after tactical brilliance in changing his lineup) to put Morata up there, and Olmo choked and missed by a mile. Not that he's not a good player; just don't like him personally.

Still, as I said, onore alla Spagna. If we had to lose against anyone, better them than anyone else. I respect them and their team.
 
Angela said:
I think it rattled Alba a bit. :)

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Without Spinazzola, and with Spain's change in strategy, the Azzurri suffered, and they made all the fans suffer, but they got through.

Onore alla Spagna, a great team, and one they faced with much trepidation, but my goodness, they had so much trouble getting it into the net, as Italy had trouble with them.

As for Arrigo Sacchi, regardless of his storied career, on this matter he's full of you know what, imo. I guess he's forgotten that the "Catenaccio" style of play was created, imposed on Inter, by Hellenio Herrera. You would also think he hadn't watched all of Italy's prior matches in this tournament. In this Spain match up, Mancini made a strategic decision that the team had to do whatever they had to do to win, and they did. Are Italians pessimistic as a people? Yes. Has it prevented them from being a great football nation? No. Then, if you want to look outside sport there's a little thing like the Renaissance if you want to talk about creativity, and more inventiveness throughout the centuries, or the fact that some writers have claimed that the great achievements of European civilization are down to four countries: England, France, Germany, and Italy. Enough said. One of our faults that I will acknowledge is being too reverential to old men who display yet another one of our flaws, being hypercritical of their own country. You don't see other countries do it, especially in the middle of a competition. Those are two characteristic traits I pray will change.

Which brings to mind poor Morata. I feel for him. Last time, he was excoriated in Spain and treated abominably; they even went after his family. Meanwhile, without his goal they wouldn't have made it to the penalty stage, and what about Olmo's penalty??? What happened to his eye-foot coordination. Don't like him or his attitude btw, while I like most of the Spanish players.

If Italy weren't going to the finals, I would support England, although I don't like some of their arrogance this time around. It's been 55 YEARS for them. However, we came back from catastrophe just a few years ago. My heart with with our Azzurri. :)

The squad was singing Notti Magiche. :)
Click to expand...

Arrigo is not just a coach, he is “the Coach”, and not in Italy only.

A role model for the biggest Coaches of the last 30 years, starting with Guardiola and ending with Klopp.

For this Italy di Mancini he has said the following:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ar...a-nostra-cultura-individualistica_422088.html







Sent from my iPhone using Eupedia Forum
 
blevins13 said:
No pick it can go either way. As I said before no top quality to solve difficult matches. Yesterday Italy left it to fate, it was afraid to lose so did not go for the win in the field against newly build Spain.


Sent from my ****** using Eupedia Forum
Click to expand...

Do you live in bizarro world? Italy won the game.

Sour grapes!
 
Angela said:
I can always count on you to get everything wrong. :)

They didn't leave it to fate. They clamped Spain down after grueling minutes of extra time, and they put their faith in the grit, determination, and grace under extreme pressure of their players when shooting penalties, especially after practicing them, which Spain apparently didn't do. Not a good choice.

It was also a tactical mistake by their coach (after tactical brilliance in changing his lineup) to put Morata up there, and Olmo choked and missed by a mile. Not that he's not a good player; just don't like him personally.

Still, as I said, onore alla Spagna. If we had to lose against anyone, better them than anyone else. I respect them and their team.
Click to expand...

Penalties means fate for whoever watches soccer, normally the superior team tries to win in the field and Spain did, look at the stats, you will get a hint. Normally penalties are lost by the best players since for some reasons they tend to be more intelligent/ creative and more emotional. Example Baggio 1994 USA.


Sent from my iPhone using Eupedia Forum
 
blevins13 said:
Penalties means fate for whoever watches soccer, normally the superior team tries to win in the field and Spain did, look at the stats, you will get a hint. Normally penalties are lost by the best players since for some reasons they tend to be more intelligent and more emotional. Example Baggio 1994 USA.


Sent from my ****** using Eupedia Forum
Click to expand...

YEAH take a look at the most important stat, Italy won, Spain lost.
 
Jovialis said:
Do you live in bizarro world? Italy won the game.

Sour grapes!
Click to expand...

I don’t care of the out come, just enjoy the game, In the bizarro world the game was not won, it was a draw, check at the score 1:1. In the game Spain was superior and deserved to win. There was a penalty shootout to decide who will pas the turn. Italy has that luck. It was a well deserved penalty shootout. Congratulations [emoji323][emoji322][emoji324][emoji898].


Sent from my iPhone using Eupedia Forum
 
Whatever, for the great playing, at the end of the day, it didn't produce a win.

Imagine you have an employee that does nearly everything right, but in the end cannot close a deal or make a sale. What good is it in the end?

Italy played hard, and didn't allow Spain to beat them, no matter what you think. It came down to penalty because BOTH teams are good. But in the end, Italy won. Penalties are a part of the game.
 
I think Spain was better than Italy, but none of the Spanish players was able to score. They simply couldn't finish the job, the Italians were more efficient and thereby more dangerous.

Ball possesion and tiki-taka don't matter if you don't score.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top