UEFA Euro 2008

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Parmigiano

You guys can legitimately party against Italy, that's perfectly fair and it is in the rules, but don't distort the facts.

Don't take it so personal.

I think what he means by lucky is that they qualified at all. You have to admit that Italy has a habit of not being the better team and still winning...

[Parmigiano]

.... not this time !

It's ok, they did what they could and penalties are a lottery: today's mine, tomorrow's yours

Brava Espana

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Congratulations Spain!

I actually thought both teams did not give there all and was not impressed with the game.

To be honest, I was hoping that Italy was going to win. I really wanted to meet them in the Finals.

[Parmigiano]

Chess match, both teams were fearing the other, Spain was stronger, Italy did what they could do.

No quality in midfield without Pirlo (out one match for 2 yellow cards), no value added from Toni who was his own shadow this June.

Good defense and a couple of goal opportunities: too little to aim farther than 0-0 and penalty lottery.

Spain did better, attacked more but was not able to find the KO punch, but it's fair that they passed to semifinals

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I have to agree with Toni. After watching him play with Bayern all season long and in the Uefa Cup, I really expected him to do more.

[Henk]

I really hope Germany will win this one.

[The Basket]

Spain-Italy was total garbage.

But the Spanish won so hurrah.

Russia-Spain is going to be a great game.
Germany-Turkey will probably either be penalties in a dire game or 10-zip to the Jerries.

Germany in the final...against...hmmm....errr....hmmm...Russia!

[Torch]

Biggest thing was the ref SUCKED especially in the 1st half...The game was so so,looked liked Italy was holding on until they could go for the penalty kicks. If you look at the numbers Spain took it to Italy but I don't think it was really a good game...Way too many whimpy dives by both teams. I'm thinking Germany->Russia...

[seesul]

Originally Posted by Parmigiano

Chess match, both teams were fearing the other, Spain was stronger, Italy did what they could do.

No quality in midfield without Pirlo (out one match for 2 yellow cards), no value added from Toni who was his own shadow this June.

Good defense and a couple of goal opportunities: too little to aim farther than 0-0 and penalty lottery.

Spain did better, attacked more but was not able to find the KO punch, but it's fair that they passed to semifinals

Yes, Italy was missing Pirlo yesterday, both during the game and during penalties.
Still don´t understand why Donadoni let go Di Natale for the penalties...all the stadium was against him after his unfair teather... and he failed...I´m curious what the people in Italy think about this decision and what did they say about it on TV?
Semifinal Russia vs Spain and Turkey vs Germany...who would say it before the tournament...

[Luis Miguel Almeida]

Hi guys!
Congrats to the German team!
They won the game, because they played to win!

To Adler, Cristiano Ronaldo usualy doesn´t fake a foul so easely has Ballack or Metzelder, they were the worst actors i´ve seen in the field!
Cristiano in fact sustained a injury in the foot and is going for surgery, estimating to stop for 3 months.

Now has i told in the beginning i´m going to cheer for Germany

[Parmigiano]

Originally Posted by seesul

Yes, Italy was missing Pirlo yesterday, both during the game and during penalties.
Still don´t understand why Donadoni let go Di Natale for the penalties...all the stadium was against him after his unfair teather... and he failed...I´m curious what the people in Italy think about this decision and what did they say about it on TV?
Semifinal Russia vs Spain and Turkey vs Germany...who would say it before the tournament...

Don't recall any 'unfair teather' from di natale, only thing i remember is that once he needed medical support and the referee stopped the game, like it happened several other times for Spaniards and Italians. The spanish supporters booed. The ball was in midfield, so there was no important action delayed and no reason to simulate something.
But maybe I am missing some other episode.

The only player who was yellow carded for simulation is a Spaniard who plunged in the Italian penalty area, but in my opinion that was not deserved because my impression is that he slipped rather than simulate a foul.

Dinatale failed the penalty because he failed to shoot properly, that's it!
Since penalties were under the spanish supporters curve every Italian was booed. But this is normal and a professional player is not impressed by that.

Italians thinks that Donadoni made worse mistakes than send DiNatale to shoot a penalty... The biggest one is to have used DelPiero (top scorer of the Italian league) only for half match+the last 10 minutes and stubbornly let the phantom of Toni play all the match...

But this is already the past, makes no sense to lose more time with that:the match is over.

What about a Germany-Russia final in Vienna, the capital city of eastern Europe? That may look scary ...

[Negative Creep]

I'm not sad to see the back of Italy and their negative defencive play. Despite the fact Ballack plays for them I could never support Germany, so I'm hoping Spain will win it. Have to say it's been better for England's absence as well

[Torch]

As watching football from across the pond I found one thing that was pretty irritating. Seemed there was a ball taken away from a player and the other team would start to mount an interesting counter attack when the ref would blow the whistle because all of a sudden the player who lost the ball is in agony. The replay clearly showed there was no foul and he was probably faking it to stop the opponents from gathering momentum.This happened numerous times. Should there be some kind of penalty? Maybe a free kick from the 25 meter distance? Yellow card? something? Just slows the whole game down. Opinions?

[seesul]

Originally Posted by Parmigiano

Don't recall any 'unfair teather' from di natale, only thing i remember is that once he needed medical support and the referee stopped the game, like it happened several other times for Spaniards and Italians. The spanish supporters booed. The ball was in midfield, so there was no important action delayed and no reason to simulate something.
But maybe I am missing some other episode.

The only player who was yellow carded for simulation is a Spaniard who plunged in the Italian penalty area, but in my opinion that was not deserved because my impression is that he slipped rather than simulate a foul.

Dinatale failed the penalty because he failed to shoot properly, that's it!
Since penalties were under the spanish supporters curve every Italian was booed. But this is normal and a professional player is not impressed by that.

Italians thinks that Donadoni made worse mistakes than send DiNatale to shoot a penalty... The biggest one is to have used DelPiero (top scorer of the Italian league) only for half match+the last 10 minutes and stubbornly let the phantom of Toni play all the match...

But this is already the past, makes no sense to lose more time with that:the match is over.

What about a Germany-Russia final in Vienna, the capital city of eastern Europe? That may look scary ...

Di Natale was slightly fouled in the overtime behind the side line, he fell down and moved back into the field just to stop the game which I think was unfair from him. Since that all the stadium whistled on him after his every touch with the ball. That´s why I don´t understand why he went for the penalties as he had to be under pressure...
But it´s really nothing against you, this is what I´ve noted...

[Parmigiano]

Originally Posted by seesul

Di Natale was slightly fouled in the overtime behind the side line, he fell down and moved back into the field just to stop the game which I think was unfair from him. Since that all the stadium whistled on him after his every touch with the ball. That´s why I don´t understand why he went for the penalties as he had to be under pressure...
But it´s really nothing against you, this is what I´ve noted...

Oh, ok I understand now, but I don't think is a relevant episode.

Let's try to put things in perspective, and also to give some info about some aspect that is not familiar for those who did not play(ed) or know soccer.

When a player is temporarily injured and need assistance, it is normal behavior that the team who has the ball stops the game by throwing the ball out, and the other team will then return the ball at the restart of the game.
It is one of the few remaining non-written rules of fair play, and is normally considered very rude when it is not applied. Sometimes it happens that a team does not notice that a player is in need of assistance, and either the other team draw their attention or the referee applies the rules and stops the game himself.

This does not happens if there is a clear important action in place (an effective goal opportunity when the injured player is far away from the action) but this is the 'way to behave' in all other cases.

What the supporters of one team or the other believe, has little to do with the actual facts.

I don't believe that DiNatale 'moved back in the field to stop the game', the ball was in midfield and was an action like another. If it was a clear offensive opportunity, the referee would not have stopped the game, especially a referee with the style of the guy that was in charge (some ref whistle for everything, some other tolerate a more tough play. This ref was of the second type)

About supposed 'theatre' of the players in need of medical aid: guys, in 99% it is not theatre.
Taking a kick on your shin or on your thig's muscle, even if it is not foul, hurts like hell. It is a short-lived pain, but for about one minute is really intense and you literally can't stand it.
Bear in mind that any hit brought with a kick (like is almost always in soccer) has much more strenght than a hit brought by hands or arms, and normally you bring the tackle with all your available strenght.
Just ask somebody expert of martial arts how more powerful is a kick than a push.

So, even if i.e. you first touch the ball and after that the other player leg (and this is not foul), be sure that he will notice the hit. Same if you revert roles...
Even in sports more violent than soccer, like rugby or american football, the legs are mainly used to run and not to play or tackle, so there is a lot less chance to hit somebody with a kick.

Acting from soccer players normally take place when there is a potential reward, like diving inside the penalty area or enhancing the effect of a 'forbidden' foul like a slap or a fist. But divers are normally well known by the referees, and they are seldom successful...