Romania vs. Holland 6/17/08

[Tetsuo]

i'm very pesimistic about the future. this generation is getting old and there are no good young players :(. Whatever you may say Toon, Piturca was horrible. this 8-1-1 tactic is just shamefull. i can understand playing defensively and scared in our first match but in this decisive match we played with 8 (!!!) defensive players. what the hell was Piturca thinking?!? did he really wanted a 0-0 with Holland. if so that is stupid. all that remains after this euro is the good match with Italy (the only one in which our tactic worked, because the italians were forced to attack in waves and let some spaces in the defense)

the fact that makes me feel miserable is that we don't have a midfield.....out of 23 players only 2 are creative: Mutu and Dica (the latter beeing very slow) Mutu already is 28 and we don't have a good 18 or 19 player coming up....:(

one last thing. although they didn't have the value to go to the quarters, our players didn't even try in this last match. after holland was 1-0 up our players continued to defend :confused:. other teams would have attacked in waves and risked everything. maybe bring Lobont to a corner....Hup Holland! and Go Turkiye! (the turks had real fighting spirit and deserved to go on)

[forza_azzurri]

Romania took a page out of Greece's playbook from 4 years ago.

May have worked if Romania could score on set pieces.

[benficafan3]

I'm dissapointed with Van Basten. You guys may think football is all about beauty and being "honest", but as we'll see at the end of June, it isn't. He had the chance in his hands to take the group while also kicking Italy and France out, but he didn't. Now Italy will surely, without doubt, face them in the semi's, and surely, without doubt, beat the Netherlands, and laugh right in their faces, right before they go on and win the whole thing. This game is all about strategy. Italy's shown us that before, and hell, let's not forget 2004.

[forza_azzurri]

I'm dissapointed with Van Basten. You guys may think football is all about beauty and being "honest", but as we'll see at the end of June, it isn't. He had the chance in his hands to take the group while also kicking Italy and France out, but he didn't. Now Italy will surely, without doubt, face them in the semi's, and surely, without doubt, beat the Netherlands, and laugh right in their faces, right before they go on and win the whole thing. This game is all about strategy. Italy's shown us that before, and hell, let's not forget 2004.

Can I borrow your crystal ball ?

[SoDamnSmooth]

I'm dissapointed with Van Basten. You guys may think football is all about beauty and being "honest", but as we'll see at the end of June, it isn't. He had the chance in his hands to take the group while also kicking Italy and France out, but he didn't. Now Italy will surely, without doubt, face them in the semi's, and surely, without doubt, beat the Netherlands, and laugh right in their faces, right before they go on and win the whole thing. This game is all about strategy. Italy's shown us that before, and hell, let's not forget 2004.

I agree whole heartedly. He should of laid down and made sure the Italians were checking out of their hotel today.

[Tetsuo]

I'm dissapointed with Van Basten. You guys may think football is all about beauty and being "honest", but as we'll see at the end of June, it isn't. He had the chance in his hands to take the group while also kicking Italy and France out, but he didn't. Now Italy will surely, without doubt, face them in the semi's, and surely, without doubt, beat the Netherlands, and laugh right in their faces, right before they go on and win the whole thing. This game is all about strategy. Italy's shown us that before, and hell, let's not forget 2004.

in a way you're right, but how can you lose against a team that doesn't attack at all ?!? in the first half the dutch actually played very relaxed and practicly invited us to attack, but we had only one action in the 45 minute... what should you have done in order to lose? score an own goal? when you play with 8 defensive players even after you are 0-1 down you can't win. after a good game with italy our team was pitiful. it would have been a shame that a coach that uses this tactic would have reached the quarters. i recall seeing Mutu arguing with Piturca! he asked him numerous times to play more offensively, to ask the wings to advance. we had two good offensive players on the bench - Dica and Cristea - but Piturca was stuborn in his stupidity. his 8-1-1 sistem was just antifootball, and football took a just revenge on him. italy deserved to go through.

[1shot1kill]

Highlight of the game in a single picture.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u65/1658_164/vandervaart.jpg

[Amsteldam]

I agree whole heartedly. He should of laid down and made sure the Italians were checking out of their hotel today.
Or we take care of them in the Semi's (assuming they both make it that far).

Time will tell if vBasten showed good sportsmanship, or sheer stupidity

[forza_azzurri]

Or we take care of them in the Semi's (assuming they both make it that far).

Time will tell if vBasten showed good sportsmanship, or sheer stupidity

Are you saying:

That The Netherlands game against Italy was just a fluke ?
That the Ruud goal threw the Azzurri off its game ?
That Donadoni will NOT start the same team ?


Where is the confident Dutch team that spanked Group C ?
I guess you can always get struck by lightning but.......
The odds of being struck by lightning twice in a lifetime is one in 9 million :D

[Amsteldam]

Are you saying:

That The Netherlands game against Italy was just a fluke ?
That the Ruud goal threw the Azzurri off its game ?
That Donadoni will NOT start the same team ?
Not saying any of that

I will say that Italy only gets stronger as a tournament progresses, not weaker.
We could have one off-day, a few unlucky bounces and perhaps an own goal, before you know it we're out.
Then vBasten can look back and think, well we played fair but didnt win the tournament cause we let the WC champions back in.

Then he's gonna feel real stupid accepting the 'fair play' award while Italy celebrates their 2nd Euro title.

Can you name which country won the 'fair play' award in 1996, 2000 and 2004????
I bet you cant, and neither can I cause nobody gives a damn

[SoDamnSmooth]

Are you saying:

That The Netherlands game against Italy was just a fluke ?
That the Ruud goal threw the Azzurri off its game ?
That Donadoni will NOT start the same team ?


Where is the confident Dutch team that spanked Group C ?
I guess you can always get struck by lightning but.......
The odds of being struck by lightning twice in a lifetime is one in 9 million :D

Italy has that damn luck where they can get pummeled and then beat you in another round... its happened time and time again.

Holland will be very confident should they face Italy again BUT If I were VBasten I would have laid down just to spite the Italians and make them work hard for a win only to go home anyway.. :D

[Dutch Treat]

What the hell is this all about. Losing on purpose against a team to deny another teams advancement is so not done in my book. This is what's so wrong with this game nowadays, everyone is just being scared and thinking about conspiracies. What the feck?! To hell with that.

If we'd have thrown the game against Romania, and went on to win the whole thing, then everyone on here would talk about it not being a great trophy for us because we threw the game against Romania.

Also, everyone is talking about the semi here, HELLO !!.... We still have to play the quarters. If we end up facing Italy again then Italy will be out for revenge. But I say, bring it on. If we lose, so be it. But we've beaten them before and we can do it again.

Credit to van Basten and the team. There's no better way to win it all by winning every single game. I hope we can pull it off.

[Cannons]

What the hell is this all about. Losing on purpose against a team to deny another teams advancement is so not done in my book. This is what's so wrong with this game nowadays, everyone is just being scared and thinking about conspiracies. What the feck?! To hell with that.

If we'd have thrown the game against Romania, and went on to win the whole thing, then everyone on here would talk about it not being a great trophy for us because we threw the game against Romania.

Also, everyone is talking about the semi here, HELLO !!.... We still have to play the quarters. If we end up facing Italy again then Italy will be out for revenge. But I say, bring it on. If we lose, so be it. But we've beaten them before and we can do it again.

Credit to van Basten and the team. There's no better way to win it all by winning every single game. I hope we can pull it off.
In a perfect world, you're right. The Dutch have been the most entertaining of any team and I hope you win it all. Italy on the other had has a habit of "diving' their way into PKs. Let's hope the Dutch don't live to regret letting them advance when they had the chance to block it. Italy would not think twice about doing ANYTHING to get a win

[Cannons]

I'm dissapointed with Van Basten. You guys may think football is all about beauty and being "honest", but as we'll see at the end of June, it isn't. He had the chance in his hands to take the group while also kicking Italy and France out, but he didn't. Now Italy will surely, without doubt, face them in the semi's, and surely, without doubt, beat the Netherlands, and laugh right in their faces, right before they go on and win the whole thing. This game is all about strategy. Italy's shown us that before, and hell, let's not forget 2004.

Tournaments are a bit of a Chess game and sometimes you have to give up a pawn to win the game. I think the Dutch would have had a better chance at winning it all had they somehow lost yesterday

[Amsteldam]

What the hell is this all about. Losing on purpose against a team to deny another teams advancement is so not done in my book. This is what's so wrong with this game nowadays, everyone is just being scared and thinking about conspiracies. What the feck?! To hell with that.

If we'd have thrown the game against Romania, and went on to win the whole thing, then everyone on here would talk about it not being a great trophy for us because we threw the game against Romania.

Also, everyone is talking about the semi here, HELLO !!.... We still have to play the quarters. If we end up facing Italy again then Italy will be out for revenge. But I say, bring it on. If we lose, so be it. But we've beaten them before and we can do it again.

Credit to van Basten and the team. There's no better way to win it all by winning every single game. I hope we can pull it off.
So you would rather play fair and possibly get knocked out by Italy in the SF, after it was in our power to eliminate them????

Is that what you're saying???

[1shot1kill]

I think all these comments say more about the sportsmanship in other countries than about if it was a bad decision by Van Basten or not...

[Dutch Treat]

So you would rather play fair and possibly get knocked out by Italy in the SF, after it was in our power to eliminate them????

Is that what you're saying???

Any team could knock us out, we're not invincable. But yes, that is exactly what I'm saying.

[ToonUSA]

i'm very pesimistic about the future. this generation is getting old and there are no good young players :(. Whatever you may say Toon, Piturca was horrible. this 8-1-1 tactic is just shamefull. i can understand playing defensively and scared in our first match but in this decisive match we played with 8 (!!!) defensive players. what the hell was Piturca thinking?!? did he really wanted a 0-0 with Holland. if so that is stupid. all that remains after this euro is the good match with Italy (the only one in which our tactic worked, because the italians were forced to attack in waves and let some spaces in the defense)

the fact that makes me feel miserable is that we don't have a midfield.....out of 23 players only 2 are creative: Mutu and Dica (the latter beeing very slow) Mutu already is 28 and we don't have a good 18 or 19 player coming up....:(

one last thing. although they didn't have the value to go to the quarters, our players didn't even try in this last match. after holland was 1-0 up our players continued to defend :confused:. other teams would have attacked in waves and risked everything. maybe bring Lobont to a corner....Hup Holland! and Go Turkiye! (the turks had real fighting spirit and deserved to go on)

You're wrong.

[Tetsuo]

You're wrong.

nope. Chivu admited it. when asked by an italian newspaper what happened, Chivu said that we played for "a cursed 0-0" hoping for a draw in Italy vs France. Piturca is an idiot. even a 6 year old would have known that the France vs Italy match will have a winner. if in the 60th minute the score was draw the italians and french would have risked everything on attack and a team would have won. how can you play with 8 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) defenders in a MUST WIN match? look at Russia and Turkey they risked, they've lost a match but they've won two. we must learn from them. Hai Romania!

[ToonUSA]

nope. Chivu admited it. when asked by an italian newspaper what happened, Chivu said that we played for "a cursed 0-0" hoping for a draw in Italy vs France. Piturca is an idiot. even a 6 year old would have known that the France vs Italy match will have a winner. if in the 60th minute the score was draw the italians and french would have risked everything on attack and a team would have won. how can you play with 8 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) defenders in a MUST WIN match? look at Russia and Turkey they risked, they've lost a match but they've won two. we must learn from them. Hai Romania!

Dude, you're going to have to chill out with the Piturca is an idiot crap. Of course we're all disappointed with how things went yesterday but I agree with his tactics up until later when it was clear we needed a goal and didn't have anyone pushing forward. I'm sure if Marica was fit he would have come in. If we held Holland to 0 and were able to get a scrappy goal like we did against them in Constanta we would have been through. Our only chance was to keep it tight and hope for that to happen. A lot of you guys are delusional thinking Romania could have just played open, free flowing football and beat the Dutch. Look how that worked out of the French and Italians.