View Full Version : PBP: Croatia v. Germany [R]
footyfan1
11 Jun 2008, 10:27 AM
I'll settle for a scare...as long as it doesn't have a side order of "lose" with it.
No way man.
I don't think Germany will lose at all, but I think the Croats have the means to throw a scare into the Germans if they aren't on their game.
The Croats may not have been "impressive" in the qualifying and against Austria, but they sure as hell are better than the Poles and should give Germany a harder time.
If they don't, Bilic should just quit on the spot.
footyfan1
11 Jun 2008, 10:29 AM
Germany and Cyprus tied as well...remember that?
Of course not. It wouldn't prove his point. LOL!! ;) :D
footyfan1
11 Jun 2008, 10:31 AM
From BBC.co.uk
Germany captain Michael Ballack feels Croatia will offer his side their first true test of Euro 2008.
Both teams won their opening matches in Group B and the winner of this game will be all but guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals.
"We can be happy with beating Poland but we will know our true level after this game," Ballack said.
BBC Story Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2008/germany/7371158.stm)
milicz
11 Jun 2008, 01:59 PM
The Croats may not have been "impressive" in the qualifying and against Austria, but they sure as hell are better than the Poles and should give Germany a harder time.
The Croats were not just unimpressive, they were bad, and let us wait until Monday to determine whether Coatia is "sure as hell better than the Poles", I'd rather do that then just take your word for it. I hope Poland gets a rematch against Germany after the group stages. As for this game, I expect Germany to win, but the pressure is kind of off of Germany now so they may not come out as hungry as they did against Poland, but if Croatia plays like it did against Austria then we should expect a 4-0 scoreline.
Projekt4
11 Jun 2008, 02:03 PM
The Croats were not just unimpressive, they were bad, and let us wait until Monday to determine whether Coatia is "sure as hell better than the Poles", I'd rather do that then just take your word for it. I hope Poland gets a rematch against Germany after the group stages. As for this game,
Haha, the 17th game is the one Poland will win, definitely;)
milicz
11 Jun 2008, 02:09 PM
They may not win it, but I never tire of them trying!
footyfan1
11 Jun 2008, 02:12 PM
Haha, the 17th game is the one Poland will win, definitely;)
Be careful. He seems pretty sensitive. You know, with our doubting the awesome football machine that is Poland.. and all.... ;)
But he did have a point. I spoke way too soon in declaring the Croats "better."
Won't do that again.
cromagnum
11 Jun 2008, 03:34 PM
The lack of utmost desire which some matches before the tournament were approached (esp. last autum) and the lack of desire to score a second goal against Poland. The team is generally not trying as hard as it used to.
This is my impression, perhaps you don't share it, won't really affect mine.
Doing only the "required minimum" doesn't need to be bad either.
Anyway, Croatia hasn't done anything to impress except perhaps that Wembley win against England; not in this tournament and not before. Maybe tomorrow is their chance.
well croatia dominated england in zagreb and outplayed them in wembley..they played very well in qualifers except for maybe the 2 games against macedonia..croatia has not played well lately in there friendlies or in there match against austria..i think alot of this has to do with petric being out of form and eduardos injury..everyone thinks he is just a goal scorer but he is so mcuh more then that..he is a complete player who worked excellent with our midefiedl espically with modric who he played with at dinamo and the under 21..since his injury croatia has not looked the same..not only from a goal scoring point but the way they controlled the midfield with him..with that said i think croatia will come out and play hard tommorow and give the germans everything they have..germany might win but they will not dominate this game as many people in here think..
milicz
11 Jun 2008, 04:03 PM
with that said i think croatia will come out and play hard tommorow and give the germans everything they have..germany might win but they will not dominate this game as many people in here think..
That's what I will be curious to see, whether it will be the Croatia we saw against Austria or the Croatia we saw against England tomorrow (which you expect to see), therein lies the answer to whether it will be a close tough played match or a blowout.
Cris 09
11 Jun 2008, 04:09 PM
That's what I will be curious to see, whether it will be the Croatia we saw against Austria or the Croatia we saw against England tomorrow (which you expect to see), therein lies the answer to whether it will be a close tough played match or a blowout.
I think Germany can handle both...my concern is; will we see the Germany that won at Wembley or the one that tied in Cyprus.
nekkibasara
11 Jun 2008, 04:55 PM
You guys are acting like dominating England is an achievement…we’ve been doing that for the past 42 years http://forum.e46fanatics.com/images/smilies/biggrinpimp.gif
cromagnum
11 Jun 2008, 05:08 PM
yes well not too bad for a nation just under 5 million people..:D
BlitzKrieg
11 Jun 2008, 05:24 PM
I think it'll be a tough match and I also think Germans will most certanly not win this. I mean all of a sudden winning against England and throwing them out of EURO is not a big thing? Now of course everyone are trying to say how Croatia is nothing special because Germany is sooo superior but I'm saying the exact opposite. I don't think Germany will win the EURO or something like that and that their team is really nothing special. It is equally strong as England only with better coach. Our main problem is that we don't have Eduardo anymore but that problem can be solved in many ways.
Most likely I'd say this match will end in a draw with Croatians showing their real class...
nekkibasara
11 Jun 2008, 05:30 PM
I think it'll be a tough match and I also think Germans will most certanly not win this. I mean all of a sudden winning against England and throwing them out of EURO is not a big thing?
It never was such a big thing. It was obvious to everyone but the English that their team was absolute garbage and would have been knocked out regardless of the qualifying group they were in.
Now of course everyone are trying to say how Croatia is nothing special because Germany is sooo superior but I'm saying the exact opposite.
Croatia is a good team.
Our main problem is that we don't have Eduardo anymore but that problem can be solved in many ways.
Most likely I'd say this match will end in a draw with Croatians showing their real class...
This is why Croatia is only a good team. If you lose one striker and that completley destroys your ability to compete, you are not a special team.
cromagnum
11 Jun 2008, 05:55 PM
No way man.
I don't think Germany will lose at all, but I think the Croats have the means to throw a scare into the Germans if they aren't on their game.
The Croats may not have been "impressive" in the qualifying and against Austria, but they sure as hell are better than the Poles and should give Germany a harder time.
If they don't, Bilic should just quit on the spot.
hey footy what the heck did dortmund do to petric?;) its too bad he is not in form or healthy as if he was he would give the germans plenty of problems..instead it looks like we will have to rely on our version of nelson valdez ivica olic for goals..:( who knows maybe klasnic can show some of his great form from bremen 2 years ago but i highly doubt it..he played ok after he came back form kidney transplant but it seems bilic does not have confidence in him..this is why i think germany will win as we dont have any stiker who is in good form riight now except for maybe the young kid kalinic from hajduk-split but bilic wont have the balls to play him as he is only 19 and played 1 game for the senior squad..
Borussia
11 Jun 2008, 06:18 PM
We're playing Croatia - a good team who are at their first big tournament
Who told you that?
You're the most pessimistic person on our board about this tournament :p
Well, I simply don't like the overconfidence and a few almost arrogant statements shown by some guys on this board ... since I know that we're not (much) better than many other teams ... and cause I also know that we shouldn't be so silly to rate Croatia only from their 2nd half against Austria!
Borussia
11 Jun 2008, 06:30 PM
I predict a close game with croatia, but i hope they play the way they did with Austria, then we can finish them off.
I wouldn't rely on this hope...
They will be top motivated and give us a tough fight, I bet on this!
^I really don’t know why people are ‘rating’ the Croatians. They are a very weak team. Beating England is meaningless, come-on Macedonia got a draw against them. MACEDONIA! Anything less than a dominating performance would be worrying for our chances in this tournament.
Honestly we should have little trouble scoring on this Croatian team. Their defense is extremely slow and foul prone. All of us Bayern fans know how poorly R. Kovac plays against big physical strikers like Gomez. The Croatian midfield is also quite slow and Ballack/Frings should have little trouble controlling the tempo of the match.
Your're exactly that cocky type of fan I don't like! :rolleyes: And I don't think you know very much about the European and especially the Croatian football...
squidward123
11 Jun 2008, 06:35 PM
Actually, I think he was dead on.
It seems you are saying it doesn't apply because it's tournament time now.
How quickly we forget that crappy World Cup opening performance against Costa Rica.
Sometimes this German team needs someone to give them a scare to really get them going. At the World Cup, it was Costa Rica. Who's to say it isn't the Croatians now??
Ok then, I'm fine with that as long as Germany don't lose and preferably win the game.
It's just that I didn't think they would be complacent now that it's tournament time and ballack will be lighting fires under their asses before each game.
squidward123
11 Jun 2008, 06:36 PM
^I really don’t know why people are ‘rating’ the Croatians. They are a very weak team. Beating England is meaningless, come-on Macedonia got a draw against them. MACEDONIA! Anything less than a dominating performance would be worrying for our chances in this tournament.
Honestly we should have little trouble scoring on this Croatian team. Their defense is extremely slow and foul prone. All of us Bayern fans know how poorly R. Kovac plays against big physical strikers like Gomez. The Croatian midfield is also quite slow and Ballack/Frings should have little trouble controlling the tempo of the match.
You're underrating croatia a lot here. They are a good team.
Borussia
11 Jun 2008, 06:36 PM
The Croats may not have been "impressive" in the qualifying
So finishing the group ahead of Russia and England isn't impressive enough?
my concern is; will we see the Germany that won at Wembley or the one that tied in Cyprus.
We better don't see any of these two ... since we'll surely lose tomorrow with the performance shown at Wembley!