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ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The wrong type of football.

But the one I actually follow [:D]

[image]https://img.wallpapersafari.com/desktop/1024/576/7/27/qED9Zu.jpg[/image]

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University of Cincinnati mourning death of 21-year-old soccer player Ally Sidloski

The student drowned and her body was recovered hours later, authorities said.

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ORIGINAL: warspite1
[...] I mean don't get me wrong [...]

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

England actually have some really promising young players available for this tournament. Sadly, historically our tactics seem to be the same regardless of who is available or who is picked.

I have absolutely no doubt England will remain true to form and for this tournament I see one of two outcomes:

Scenario 1

We lose or draw to Croatia, then under pressure, we lose or draw against Scotland (we won't lose both) and then finish off with a scraped victory or draw against Czech. Maximum points = 4. Result: exit at group stage.

Scenario 2

We beat Croatia, fall over ourselves with ridiculously mis-placed optimism and draw or lose with Scotland. We manage to do enough against Czech to qualify. Result: we make it to last 16 but fail to top the group and so lose home advantage and tamely lose to Spain, Poland or Sweden in the round of the last 16.

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

England actually have some really promising young players available for this tournament. Sadly, historically our tactics seem to be the same regardless of who is available or who is picked.

I have absolutely no doubt England will remain true to form and for this tournament I see one of two outcomes:

Scenario 1

We lose or draw to Croatia, then under pressure, we lose or draw against Scotland (we won't lose both) and then finish off with a scraped victory or draw against Czech. Maximum points = 4. Result: exit at group stage.

Scenario 2

We beat Croatia, fall over ourselves with ridiculously mis-placed optimism and draw or lose with Scotland. We manage to do enough against Czech to qualify. Result: we make it to last 16 but fail to top the group and so lose home advantage and tamely lose to Spain, Poland or Sweden in the round of the last 16.

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ORIGINAL: Piteas

The La Cartuja Stadium (Seville)... 40ºC in June (104F). The hell stadium [:D]

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Skydiver Gets Yellow Card After Landing in the Middle of Polish Soccer Game

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ORIGINAL: RFalvo69

Today's job: we moved ALL the tables so that the customers will be able to face the GIGASCREEN that each and every restaurant in Italy must have during a soccer event (some will have people sitting normally, but in others all people will sit on a side, so to be all able to face the screen; I privately called the latter "The Last Supper's ones", but in times of COVID it seems in bad taste).

Ah, the joys of revolutionizing the layout and to follow the match through the screams of the customers (over the years I learned to tell exactly what just happened by the kind of scream alone. A dejected "NOOOOOOOOOOOH!" means a goal for the other team, "EUYUYUYUEYAAAAAH... ... .... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" means a narrowly failed goal for the supported one, and so on). Isn't reopening great? [:D]

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turkey play very much like Spurs:

- The goalkeeper's distribution is rubbish
- They play too many backwards and sidewards as their first thought
- When they do play it forward its rushed and decision making is poor
- And then there was the free kick on the stroke of half time.... good...grief...[8|]

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

For an opening game that was very enjoyable - often dull affairs, this was very good.

On to Wales vs Switzerland and the all Scandi affair - Denmark vs Finland later.

C'mon Wales!!

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ORIGINAL: shunwick

Italy 3 Turkey 0

Disappointed with the Turks. Not hugely impressed with the Italians. They did what they had to do against a mediocre side. They certainly worked hard. First goal was an own goal. Last goal was Turkey self-destructing curtesy of a goalkeeper whose distribution throughout the game was poor. I need to see more from the Italians to make any kind of reasonable assessment. My thinking so far is that Italy should not have any particular problem qualifying from the group. Not sure I see them as semi-finalists but the jury is still out on that one.

Best wishes,
Steve

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

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ORIGINAL: shunwick

Italy 3 Turkey 0

Disappointed with the Turks. Not hugely impressed with the Italians. They did what they had to do against a mediocre side. They certainly worked hard. First goal was an own goal. Last goal was Turkey self-destructing curtesy of a goalkeeper whose distribution throughout the game was poor. I need to see more from the Italians to make any kind of reasonable assessment. My thinking so far is that Italy should not have any particular problem qualifying from the group. Not sure I see them as semi-finalists but the jury is still out on that one.

Best wishes,
Steve

warspite1

Yes, football can be difficult to gauge as a team having a stinker can make another look like world beaters.

My assessment of Italy was perhaps a little more positive than yours. But I don't buy into the Jermaine Jenas guff that Turkey were 'tired'. That is pathetic. I think they expected a tight, typical first game, and decided to play not to lose. It was Italy that had other ideas and, imo, their attitude made Turkey look even worse than they otherwise would have been.

My poor view on England is that, tactically, we can rarely (and never when it matters) do what Italy did tonight and play with an attacking, fast paced game. Our game is more akin to Turkey, whereby passing backwards and sideways IS the end goal. I think we'll know more when we find out if Grealish and Foden start or not.

But I agree, its too early to make judgements of ultimate potential based off one match.

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

England actually have some really promising young players available for this tournament. Sadly, historically our tactics seem to be the same regardless of who is available or who is picked.

I have absolutely no doubt England will remain true to form and for this tournament I see one of two outcomes:

Scenario 1

We lose or draw to Croatia, then under pressure, we lose or draw against Scotland (we won't lose both) and then finish off with a scraped victory or draw against Czech. Maximum points = 4. Result: exit at group stage.

Scenario 2

We beat Croatia, fall over ourselves with ridiculously mis-placed optimism and draw or lose with Scotland. We manage to do enough against Czech to qualify. Result: we make it to last 16 but fail to top the group and so lose home advantage and tamely lose to Spain, Poland or Sweden in the round of the last 16.

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ORIGINAL: wodin

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

England actually have some really promising young players available for this tournament. Sadly, historically our tactics seem to be the same regardless of who is available or who is picked.

I have absolutely no doubt England will remain true to form and for this tournament I see one of two outcomes:

Scenario 1

We lose or draw to Croatia, then under pressure, we lose or draw against Scotland (we won't lose both) and then finish off with a scraped victory or draw against Czech. Maximum points = 4. Result: exit at group stage.

Scenario 2

We beat Croatia, fall over ourselves with ridiculously mis-placed optimism and draw or lose with Scotland. We manage to do enough against Czech to qualify. Result: we make it to last 16 but fail to top the group and so lose home advantage and tamely lose to Spain, Poland or Sweden in the round of the last 16.

Very unlikely to lose to Scotland. They are a very very poor team.