General Chat / Euro 2004

It was quite the match. France 2 - England 1


Won in injury time.

Switzerland 0 - Croatia 0
France 2 - England 1

Unfortunately, I don't get to watch stuff like this. There really isn't enough good soccer on in the US. Besides the MLS, which I doubt you could really call soccer , there isn't much... the only good stuff we get is the World Cup qualifying and the World Cup itself.

Speaking of which, the US wiped the floor with Grenada, 3-0 (game was much more lopsided than the score... some bad finishing and great saves), today in the start of WC qualifying.

How the fuck did we lose that match?

Heskey is a donkey...

That is fucking unreal. I honestly thought we had hung on, I wasnt caring about how they say we were hanging on, I was caring about the win. But credit to Zidane, the freekick was incredible, James stuck like glue to the ground. Whoever put bets on that......

Well, my interest in the competition has already fallen a lot.

Yeah I suppose Zidane doesn't really do anything special does he Deano? I bet your wishing you never said that.

It's laughable the way we sat back and invited the best team in the world onto us because we scored from a set piece. I don't understand how the team can claim to believe they can beat France but then not have the guts to put the game beyond them by continuing their attacking play. And Sven again prooves to be a total idiot by taking Rooney off (the only player who looked like he wanted a second goal) and bringing the laziest man alive on who then gives away the free kick. What the fuck was he doing trying to tackle someone on the edge of our area? He's a striker, no strikers can fucking takle properly. Jesus Christ we deserved to loose. Oh and to top it all off, the guy who came out in the papers this morning saying how the team won't let England down and will repeat the glory of the '66 team watches Bhartez dive to his left and then decides to chip the ball into his arms. I wish Beckham didn't have such a commanding role in the team, then someone with a brain would have stopped him taking the penalty. He was at the same club as Bhartez and probably practised penalties against him every week.

It's a fucking good job the other game was a draw otherwise we'd be up shit creek with out a paddle.

Nvm.

Deanosrs Match Review

African Select XI 2-1 England

A crueler script has never been written - everything that the football god's could throw at England was unleashed; missed penalties, poor refereeing decisions, unlucky breaks, poorly timed mistakes - the country that invented the game felt them all.

The majority of the first half was dominated by England, as they created chances and eventually earnt a deserved goal through a trademark Beckham delivery, the ball flicking off the head of Frank Lampard into the corner of the net. Although the play up to this point had been fairly even, England were the only team who had created chances. Zidane, captain of the African team, had been given no space and Ledley King had more than justified his selection, playing Henry out of the game. His strike partner, Trezeguet, can officially be awarded a TFC (thanks for coming); his few touches of the ball were utterly useless.

The majority of the second half was spent with French possession - but yet again the England back line denied any chances. The only goal scoring opportunity was a selfish shot taken by Thierry "I am an artiste" Henry, who should have squared the ball for Zidane. England eventually broke away and earnt a penalty. Now, the rules of football state that a last man challenge where the defender does not get near the ball should be penalised with a red card. However, Silvestre only saw yellow and an admittedly good save from an average Beckham penalty seems to have been the turning point of the match.

A poor substition - in bringing on the talentless Heskey for Rooney who had worked his socks off, was perhaps Sven's only mistake. Heskey fouled outside the area in extra time, and Zidane (whose name was mentioned for perhaps the 3rd or 4th time) finished off the opportunity. A good goal - but nothing to set him apart from the numerous other free kick takers who could have scored from perhaps the ideally placed dead ball situation.

The final kick in the bollocks came when Gerrard made an uncharacteristic mistake, James fouled "la artiste" and Zidane scored the penalty. Anyone can score a penalty, most of it is luck anyway.

So... England completely fucked over by the African select XI. Questions must now be raised as to the inclusion of a team in the European championships in which nearly half the team weren't even born on the continent. (Zidane, Makelele, Thuram, Vieira, Trezeguet).

Nevertheless, England have proven they can beat the best, and if they progress to the next stages with wins over Switzerland and Croatia (they could also escape with 4 points), future oponents will know the teams' potency.

If that was an attempt at being vaguely humorous it kinda failed

Excellent game, however.

Zidane (whose name was mentioned for perhaps the 3rd or 4th time) finished off the opportunity. A good goal - but nothing to set him apart from the numerous other free kick takers who could have scored from perhaps the ideally placed dead ball situation.

The amount of pressure Zidane was under for both the freekick and the penalty would have been enough to make most players crack. The freekick didn't look special because he made it look so easy, just fooled the keeper by curling it into the opposite corner and leaving James rooted to the spot. It was immense and there is no doubting it.

Anyone can score a penalty, most of it is luck anyway.

Don't say that to Beckham!

I have to to admit though we were unlucky to not get Silvestre sent off but I'm not sure what difference it would have made because we didn't look comitted to going forward in the second half anyway.

No. I was just pointing out that the majority of the French team... well, aren't actually French.

I hate getting robbed like that in matches, and it pisses me off when England deserved more than they got. Now TPM won't shut up with his pessimistic shit, where England actually outplayed France for the majority of the game. If you look at the match ups I did - I was right about the midfield battle, and the French strikers were pretty useless as well.

Sorry who won?

Croatia should not be underrated... they could really surprise against England...

SF

But France were pressurising for almost all of the second half...and since when did it matter where you were born?

Well, I'm not saying that where you were born affects the actual football, just that we lost to an African team, not the French team.

TPM, you and me look at football differently. I put on my England shirt, go to the pub, and shout with passion at the TV. I can imagine you sitting there, impassively, waiting for England to concede. Correct me if I'm wrong. And can you really say England didn't deserve a draw from that match? How many times did you hear the names Makelele or Trezeguet mentioned for example?

I never said Zidane wasn't a good player. I know he's capable of that; I've seen him do it before. But my original point was, and always has been, that he's not the greatest player ever in Europe, and he can be handeled. As England did for 90 minutes.

Oh ,and Mantis, if you read my review, I pointed out that although France were pressurising, they didn't have any clear cut chances.

And correct me if i'm wrong, but you can play for countries based on the nationalities of your grandparents, or something similar to that?

Of all the things you could complain about, the supposed wrong nationalities of the opposition is pretty desperate, no?

As I said, I was only pointing out that we lost more to an african team than a truly french team. Why are you getting so accusing towards me? I pointed out plenty of other stuff in my match review, such as france not creating chances, certain players being kept quiet etc. Can we just drop this, I'm pissed off, drunk and upset right now, so obviously I'm going to be annoyed, biased, etc. Just let me sober up...

Losing the match hurt badly... coming home to get a glass of water and picking out a france '98 mug with zidane's face on it hurt even more. Going into my room, pressing play on my cd player and daft punk coming out hurt even more...

When beckham missed that penalty i got pissed of and turned the tv off, and said theres no point watching england lose, when i turned it back on it was 2 - 1. Then to rub it in, on every paper this morning it was all about england losing, really depressing delivering them for 40 mins

I cant say france didnt deserve a goal, they pressured for most of the second half, but 2 goals in the last 2 mins? . At least england have shown what a force they are (minus owen) and should walk all over croatia and switzerland. I wouldnt be suprised if they lost either of those games though.

As I said, I was only pointing out that we lost more to an african team than a truly french team.

If you want to be that specific, Cole, Campbell, Ledley King or for that matter any black member of the English team isn't english as if you trace their roots they're not english.

Yeah, sounds stupid doesn't it?

They were all born in england, though.

What pisses me off more than anything is the french who now jeer at england. I mean, about 6 or 7 of those french players play in the premiership anyway... it pisses me off. July 4th = revenge.