Who Will Win Euro 2004?

[Eriksson]

I hope Sweden win, but i dont think that is gonna happens..
I think the Czech got i really good chance!

[Craig Tucker]

Is that Sven. You are supposed to be cheering for England

[Craig Tucker]

Roooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooney


Yes I am pissed, and very happy

What a game, England tore Croatia apart. They were a bit sloppy on set peices, but in open play they completely bossed the game. I thought Ashley Cole played out of his skin, and obviously another solid performance from Campbell.
What can you say about Wayne Rooney, 18 years old, top scorer in Euro 2004 with 4, and 9 goals in 11 games for England. The boy is a star and god knows how much he will fetch when this tournaments over. I can't see any way the Everton could afford to keep him though.

Bring on the Portugese.

[Will Hay]

Apparently they've said today £50m would do it.
Bad move for him IMHO.
England's ability to defend set peices is a real big worry
Will

[Will Hay]

Sweden and Denmark?
2-2?
Hmmmmm!


Man, that poor Italian bastard; celebrating one second and virtually crying the next.
I didn't want the Italians through but I must confess I found the whole scene quite touching
A great tournament so far.
Will

[SatStorm]

Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi

"Nordic Power
bye bye Italia"

Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi

[Baldrick]

We sucked against italy and denmark...but we won the group...

[indolikaa]

Denmark 2-2 Sweden

YEEEEE-HAWWWWW!!!


Now THAT is a DVD I will burn with pride on MADE IN JAPAN media!

Thank you, Mattias Jonson.

[Craig Tucker]

Well Italy's gone, now its time for the Germans

Heres hoping for an England Sweden semi final

[indolikaa]

I just read this on soccernet.com...

Wednesday, June 23, 2004


Buffon leads bitter chorus


GUIMARAES, Portugal, June 22 (Reuters) - Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said he was bitter about his team's early Euro 2004 exit, and suggested Denmark and Sweden should be ashamed.

'Someone should be ashamed and it is not us. I'm very bitter, I really didn't believe (this would happen) with two peoples who are proud of their spirit of fair play,' Buffon said.


The 2-2 result between Denmark and Sweden ensured Italy's departure from the tournament despite their 2-1 victory over Bulgaria, a scenario many in the Italian camp had feared.

'When you talk for days about a result, a 2-2 result not just a draw, and then it comes out like this, well I'm very surprised,' said Buffon.

'It was said that they need to give an example of football in front of everyone and then this happens,' he added.

'All those who talk about fair play and sporting values should open their eyes,' he added.

Italy thought they were on their way into the last eight when Antonio Cassano struck the winner against the Bulgarians four minutes into stoppage time.

But the joyful celebrations of Cassano's goal were cut short as the players were told that Sweden had scored a late equaliser.

'We knew it was 2-1 to Denmark when we scored,' said midfielder Stefano Fiore. 'After the goal we found out that it was 2-2 and you could see the reaction.'

Buffon said he realised the score in Porto as he turned to Italy fans to celebrate Cassano's goal.

'You could see from their faces that it was 2-2,' he said.

Striker Marco Di Vaio who came on as a late substitute said he had already begun to wonder if it was all going to end badly for Italy when he was on the bench.

'When I heard it was 2-1 then I started to fear,' he said.

Asked what he thought about the Nordic spirit of fair play, Di Vaio replied: 'It remained just chatter'.

Defender Alessandro Nesta said he was still convinced Italy were a better side than Sweden or Denmark.

'I'm very bitter that we have finished third behind two teams who are inferior to us. To go out undefeated with five points really hurts,' he said.

Midfielder Simone Perrotta was more cautious with his words, however.

'There is a risk that in this bitterness you can say something you might regret,' he said.

Could somebody who also saw all six matches that involved Sweden and Denmark (Baldrick? Eriksson?) please explain to me what kind of "unfair play" and "lack of sporting values" these Italians are talking about?

Did I miss something, or is this a textbook case of underperformicus crybabius?

********.

[Will Hay]

Mark my words, England vs Germany semi-final
Will


EDIT: Indo, having seen the four goals there is no way that game was a fix.
However, had four goals gone in after twenty-five minutes I have absolutely no doubt there wouldn't have been a fifth.
I suppose it was lucky the fourth goal went in at the 88th-ish minute

[Craig Tucker]

Mark my words, England vs Germany semi-final
Will

Would you like to rephrase that Will

[VCDHunter]

Mark my words, England vs Germany semi-final
Will

D'oh !

You've gotta feel sorry for Latvia though, they didn't deserve to finish below Germany

[indolikaa]

Indolikaa is a happy gambler tonight!


While Sweden was the only team on my bracket that won their group, I still won the Group Play Pool, according to the message I got from the 'Pool Administrator' (i.e., holder of the money) a few minutes ago. The vodka will flow freely tonight, I can assure you.

We 'parlayed' our resources based on a 1-2-4 pool. That is, you have to pick the winner, the runner-up, and the last-place finisher. You also have to choose your goal differential and overall record for the last-place finisher, just in case a tie-breaker is needed.



And if you are interested... Here are some stats regarding our Gentlemen's Challenge (and ladies, too!)

* Out of 60 people involved, nobody picked Portugal to win Group A. Six people picked Greece to advance and only one person picked Russia to finish last.

I picked 'em as Spain-Greece-Portugal-Russia, so I won Group A by predicting that the drug-using cheaters would suffer for their sins.

* All but seven people picked France to win Group B, but everybody had England advancing. Only four people had Switzerland finishing last, but one person did predict Switzerland's goal differential at -3, and that was the tie-breaker. The gal (you read that right! ) who won Group B didn't win Group C or D.

I picked 'em as England-France-Switzerland-Croatia, so I didn't do to well. At the 80th minute, I would've bet the Ranch England would beat France...

* I was the only person to pick Sweden to win Group C, and all but three other people picked Italy. So I won Group C automatically.

I picked 'em as Sweden-Italy-Denmark-Bulgaria.

* 49 people picked Group D as Germany-Holland-Czech-Latvia, the remaining poolsters had Germany and Holland switched. Six people picked Latvia to have a -4 goals difference, but only one person had them drawing in any of their three games. He won Group D.


So, I won the Group Pool Play because Sweden won, and Russia lost. Could you ask for a better happenstance?

[Hardcoreruss]

Well tonight is the night, I think this will be our toughest game.

Also what is this not resetting the yellow card business

[Craig Tucker]

Also what is this not resetting the yellow card business

Where did you hear that Russ, there is nothing about it in the Euro 2004 web site. Surely they cant change the rules half way through a tournament.

And here it states the contrary
http://english.sina.com/news/sports/6591407.shtml

[VCDHunter]

Well tonight is the night, I think this will be our toughest game.

Also what is this not resetting the yellow card business

I think England will piss over Portugal, I really expect this to be over by half time. I hope it isn't but I think it will be.

As far as I know the yellow cards are wiped off after the group stages - have you heard something to the contrary ?

Did anyone see Alan Hansen during the England v Croatia game ? They showed a clip of the "pundits" when England scored and there was Wrighty and Reid jumping up and down with Hansen still in his chair trying to conceal his dismay - priceless

[Hardcoreruss]

Probably something that was processed when I was pissed and then when I woke up it was in the true section in my brain.

Good to hear that, can so see Rooney or Scholes getting a yellow.

[Craig Tucker]

What surprises me Indolikaa is that you found 60 people in the USA who knew enough about football to wager on group placings.

[Hardcoreruss]

What surprises me Indolikaa is that you found 60 people in the USA who knew enough about football to wager on group placings.

[Will Hay]

You mark my words, an England vs. Sweden semi-final
Will

[indolikaa]

What surprises me Indolikaa is that you found 60 people in the USA who knew enough about football to wager on group placings.

That 5-sided building in Washington does have a lot of employees, you know...

[makntraks]

A linky for all you to practice while you sit here, pissing and moaning (all in good fun of course) about who's going to win...

http://technetguru.com/host/206/

makntraks
p.s. Apologies if the link's already been posted...

[Grimey]

England lost?.....ENGLAND LOST?!?! thats just no good at all.

[airwid]

Actually, England won, 2-1, with a goal at the end of regulation by Sol...oh, yeah, right, that's in the land of make believe where the refs aren't afraid to let goals stand that go against the home team...arrgh.

[Will Hay]

You mark my words, it'll be a Sweden vs. Portugal semi-final.
Will

[Hardcoreruss]

You mark my words, it'll be a Sweden vs. Portugal semi-final.
Will

Very funny. Cannot believe we lost.

I feel dreadful: -

extra time, penalties = more lager, less sleep and angrier missus

[Craig Tucker]

What a ******* disgusting piss poor excuse for a referee. And I am not just talking about Sol Cambells goal which the cheating bastard disqualified and then allowed the portugese to take a sneaky free kick while we were still celebrating. We were playing against 12 men from the kick off and it just got worse and worse as the time went on. I have seen bad refereeing performances in the past, but IMHO he was'nt bad he was simply a ******* cheat.

[SatStorm]

Will Hay, don't mark any more words, please !


Wait: Tell "Greece gonna loose from France"
That way, we might have a chance!

[Hardcoreruss]

I would love to see you beat the French