UEFA Euro 2008 - Who are you going to cheer for?

[CHOW CHOW]

wow russia has had so many close shots... they deserve to win this but watch holland win

[CHOW CHOW]

wrika how long is the overtime? 15 or 30 min

[WrikaWrek]

wrika how long is the overtime? 15 or 30 min

30. And yes Holland will probably win this. Too bad. Russia is playing some wonderful football, but it's one of those things, they insist on not scoring, i mean, the last 10 minutes have been ALLL about Russia. It's like they are playing alone.

[WrikaWrek]

ALE FUCKING LUIA

It's like Holland has submitted to Russia's strenght. They deserve nothing.

[CHOW CHOW]

russia wins!!!!!!!

[Grecco]

Beuiful Seccond Goal by Russia. The Holland Defensive line has been exploited and embarrased. What a game.

[WrikaWrek]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARSHAVIN!!!!!!!!!

Somebody buy this kid man, this kid is magic!

[Grecco]

What an Embarrasement by Holland. Wow. Hilarious just getting owned by russia. Wow.

[WrikaWrek]

I guess sometimes justice prevails in football. 

[Grecco]

Wow. Never in my mind would i have expected this game. 3-1. The Holland defensive line was just demolished. Russia played well but Holland played like utter crap. Great Day. Soo stoked.

[Tieno]

I guess Kosma isn't going to take that vacation day after the finale

[Powerslave]

mijn team is eruit...

[Reb]

Wow, respect to Russia.

[Herr Mafflard]

I guess this only means one thing, a Turkey v Russia final.

Year of the underdogs.

[thekavorka]

usa will shock the world.   it's funny because nobody here gives a shit about soccer yet our team is pretty good.

back in the Japan/Korea world cup, yeah, you were a great team and didn't deserve to lose to Germany.

but the last world cup exposed the USA quite badly.

the draw with an out of sorts Italy was the high spot, but the Czechs and Ghana rolled you over.

I'm not saying you are a bad team, you just aren't as good as you were 6 years ago.

it's too bad that all the crappy athletes take up soccer in america. if real athletes you see in the nba or nfl take up soccer, then I could see America being a top 5 side. of course, we'd have to get better coaches than what we have now. but that shouldn't be a problem with all the money available.

[thekavorka]

i think it has to be a grassroots effort to get the best athletes interested from a young age and spend a ton of money on better coaches and training schools. over time (couple of decades maybe), a quality soccer league will appear.


apparently, kobe loves soccer. i'm being completely serious. for WC10, he should be added to the roster. if the US are a goal down or something, and have a free kick or corner, they should bring in Kobe.

[thekavorka]

The lack of experience at any level of soccer competition would mean he gets schooled.

it's not like that's any different from what the US have already. and i think kobe learned how to play soccer when he grew up in italy. so he already knows how to flop and play dirty

no matter how bad kobe may be, it can't be any worse than what we've already got sitting on the bench

[Grecco]

USA and Soccer is a Chicken and the Egg conondrum imo.

USA loves sports its really good at. If USA Had a great run in a World Cup, getting a top 3something like this you would see interest rocket but you cant get far without talent and the talent isnt at that level yet.

I remember a couple of years ago i attended an interesting exposition by a Political Science professor from the University of Michigan who wrote a book on the reasons why Soccer wasnt popular in the states. His thesis was the history of the sport and the history of the united states. Ddint make much sense to me.

[Tieno]

Holland failed to deliver. The magic was gone  :'(

I guess Kosma isn't going to take that vacation day after the finale

I already took the day off 

You can't untake it?

[thekavorka]

it's not like that's any different from what the US have already. and i think kobe learned how to play soccer when he grew up in italy. so he already knows how to flop and play dirty

no matter how bad kobe may be, it can't be any worse than what we've already got sitting on the bench

you're kidding yourself if you think Kobe is anywhere near the standard required. Hell, he might be a good "kick around" player but man, international class ? no chance.

just keep him on the bench. if the US have a corner in like the 90th minute down 1-0, bring on kobe. sure, he'll be taking someone else's spot on the bench, but i mean, most of those guys won't play in WC anyway

[thekavorka]

so what if he's taken someone's place as a sub. they probably wouldn't even play in the match anyway.

even if you need all those things like a pin point cross and a good header on the ball, i'd still trust kobe over a lot of the subs on bench. kobe is taller, stronger, faster, and can jump higher than 99% of soccer players around the world. after he gets bored of basketball, give him one year of practicing nothing but headers. he might not be world class, but he can't be any worse than some of the current squad trying to head the ball

[WrikaWrek]

Wtf is this kobe talk?

Are you insane or something? What are you? 12?

Football is considerably a harder sport to master than Basketball, and just because one is good at one of them, it doesn't mean they will be any good at the other because they are vastly different, although anyone can learn how to play basketball on a basic level very quickly, because it's hand based control.

And saying Kobe would be good at football is like saying Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo, would walk into NBA just like that. Lol, really, wtf

[thekavorka]

jesus christ, can you fucking read?

no one is saying for kobe to play all 90 minutes. and no one is saying that just because kobe is good at basketball, he'll be good at soccer. no one is comparing the sports. kobe is one of the most athletic people in the world. have him practice headers for a year with the men's national team.

and guys like jan koller began playing forward professionally at the age of like 22 after being trained as a goalie for the majority of his life. i dont see why someone as tall, strong, fast, and has his leaping ability can't only do one thing for one minute in the game - head the ball

[WrikaWrek]

Why is Kobe one of the most athletic people in the whole world? How can you just drop that statement like it's nothing?

[CHOW CHOW]

kobe is easily one of the greatest athletes in the world...better than all soccer players imo.  so is roger federer.  a lot more skill is involved in basketball and tennis than in soccer i think

/ignorant post

[CHOW CHOW]

tennis players can have matches that last 4 to 5 hours... compare that to 90 mins of soccer, an hour or two of football, 48 minutes of basketball, etc. 

imo tennis players are the most underrated athletes in the world

not only do they have matches that last 4-5 hours but they have to hit 120-150 mph hour serves and incredibly fast volleys with the utmost precision.  the other sports are team sports so you dont have to do all the work all the time and they're shorter length like i said
cant wait to get top spin 3

[CHOW CHOW]

As for todays match... Spain vs Italy.

i wish i could watch, i dont have cable... but thankfully the finals are on abc next week. not sure if the semifinals are as well

[Grecco]

As for todays match... Spain vs Italy.

i wish i could watch, i dont have cable... but thankfully the finals are on abc next week. not sure if the semifinals are as well

Just DL TV Ants and go to Myp2p. Its what i do to watch Braves games.

[Powerslave]

WOOOOO

SPAIN WINS



bye bye crappy italians, dive harder next time

[Grecco]

Powerslave your bitter tears are awesome


(Penalty Kicks Suck).

[Powerslave]

Powerslave your bitter tears are awesome


(Penalty Kicks Suck).

Im not the one with the tears, my other team just made it to the semis friday, and shitty italians are out today. 

[Grecco]

  other team? your not allowed multiple teams.


and i dont see how spain "deserved" it thats a really silly statement when it was 0-0 till penalty kicks, PKS are just luck.

[Powerslave]

WTF powerslave. Faghead.

what?

[Powerslave]

Sup Grecco, Italy just lost the fucking game

They are going home

[Grecco]

WTF powerslave. Faghead.

what?

For Cheering for Russia after they eliminated Holland

Thats like Me cheering for spain now. Aint happening. Aint Kosher.

[Powerslave]

I'm cheering for Turkey you idiot!, I said 'friday'

[Grecco]

Sup Grecco, Italy just lost the fucking game

They are going home

Good thing is Roberto Donadoni gets fired now. So its not a total loss.

[Grecco]

and i dont see how spain "deserved" it thats a really silly statement when it was 0-0 till penalty kicks, PKS are just luck.

Lol so 100% Italian there. The whole game Spain attacks and Italy bends over and I bet you would have claimed they deserved to win if they magicly scored a goal 

Italy Bends over?  They played brilliant defense. Old School italian counter attack soccer.

Thats my problem with saying the "attacking" team deserves to win. Its unfair to counter atacking teams.  If Spain "Deserved" to win they would have won before Penaltys.

[Powerslave]

Italy is just meh. There isn't one memorable moment that Italy provided in this tournament.

Or the last tournament.

[Grecco]

Italy is just meh. There isn't one memorable moment that Italy provided in this tournament.

Or the last tournament.

So Bitter. 

[Powerslave]

You are so bitter that you started to capitalize random words


Shitty italians go home!

[Powerslave]

Or the last tournament.

In fact I can't remember Italy playing nice attractive football on a tournament, ever.

Damn dude you're so bitter!

[Powerslave]

Me too. I cried the entire day, and the morning after. And just now 2 hours ago again. Bitter tears.

[Grecco]

Or the last tournament.

In fact I can't remember Italy playing nice attractive football on a tournament, ever. I stopped rooting for Italy as my third team when I discovered this after 1994 WC when I cheered for Baggio only.

Italy has always played contacalcio. Counter attacking. If your definition of "nice football" is attacking all the time then italian soccer was never for you.  

[Powerslave]

Italy goes hooooooome 

Italy disqualified 

[Grecco]

Meh. Alot of teams play counter. Romania did vs Italy for instance. Italy just does it better. Theres a reason why Italy is always praised for its defense. We have and had some of the best fbs in the world Baresi, Maldini, Nesta, Cannavaro.

Attacking all the time gets the fans happy, its glitzy. Reminds me of the Nike commercial with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Chicks dig the long ball. Chicks dig the attacking teams. Really good defense just doesnt get the fans roaring i guess.

[Grecco]

Itsaaa meee Luca Go Homeeeeey :'(

God i never want to see Luca Toni again. Soo overrated. Glad hes in Bayer and not a Serie A team.

[Darunia]

[thekavorka]

so what if he's taken someone's place as a sub. they probably wouldn't even play in the match anyway.

erm... you seem to be missing the point. Any sub that could possibly play for the US (i'm looking at a couple of Fulham players, a watford player, either Howard/Keller as sub goalkeeper) are not going to be given up for someone whose talent is going to be "might be able to score on a header and would leave us, effectively, with a non player on the pitch". The equivalent is having Payton on the Lakers bench so that, if in the last seconds you need someone to throw a 3 pointer from your own out-line, he can do it cus he throws good. Except of course you could potentially sub him back out. Imagine a situation where Payton has to stay on the field for overtime and think what would happen and why.

What I'm saying is that the US brings on guys that they have no intention on playing anyway. Kind of like when Theo Walcott was included on the England WC team even though everyone knew he wouldn't play. and if they dont trust kobe in the knockout games, he could always only play in the group games. just getting out of the group stage would be a huge accomplishment. and theres no extra time

I don't know how i can help here. Even if he practiced for headers and became really great at it - it -wouldn't matter-. Every single attacking line player on your bench would still be an infinitely better header of the ball than Kobe. And him jumping higher isn't going to help him - ignoring that he won't get off the ground in the first place because an international class defender would destroy him - let's say he jumps up and some how manages to get a free header outside the 6 yard box, he's done this because he's been able to reach the looping corner because he can jump to an effective 8-9ft height....

... now he only needs to angle a header downwards , with power, to beat at least an international class goalkeeper and each post defending defender. And that would be without a defender making physical contact throughout the execution.

Kobe could easily get off the ground with a slow-ass weak, international class defender, white guy defending him. or if you want, you can substitute kobe for a Terrell Owens or something. theres a guy who's used to physical contact on trying to get up. obviously peter crouch has more experience, but if an uncoordinated doofus like him can manage to get off the ground, i trust kobe to be able to do the same thing.

[Powerslave]

Dudes, no one cares about how american athletes would fare in soccer.

[Grecco]

I dont care how Kobe would do in soccer

but the lack of popularity of Soccer in the states is a fun litle connondrum.

[Powerslave]

I actually hope it doesn't take off in the USA. The game would be ruined. American sports are FUCKING SHIT, they should leave real football alone.

[thekavorka]

kobe is the greatest athlete in the world. anything he puts his mind to, he will succeed (except beating the celtics)

[Powerslave]

I don't even know who Kobe is. Dead serious. That's how much I give a shit about American sports.

[CHOW CHOW]

bo jackson was the greatest athlete of all-time

[WrikaWrek]

kobe is the greatest athlete in the world. anything he puts his mind to, he will succeed (except beating the celtics)

Why don't you just go suck his cock?

Didn't the lakers lost the championship anyway? Bunch of fucking losers.

[thekavorka]

bo jackson was the greatest athlete of all-time

yeah, i agree that Bo is the greatest of all-time. if he took on soccer, he'd have received FIFA World Player of the Year 10 times.

[Powerslave]

yeah dcharlie and thekavorka should gee tee eff oh

[Grecco]

Russia looked a hell of a lot better vs Holland than they did their first game. I think Russia has a chance.

[Powerslave]

The loser of this Turkey - Germany match is goalkeeper Rustu. The second time he made the mistake of moving out of his goal, and again a goal against. Jesus....

Turkey played marvelous tonight though, they deserved to win this. That 2-2 at the last couple of minutes gave me hope again, but too bad about Germany's last goal. Germany reaches at least the semis in almost every tournament. Meh.