Match #31 :: The Final :: Sunday 29 June [R]

[Alberto]

I cannot stress how important getting a well refereed game is to the outcome of this match. Germany typically stops playing with skill when their opponent is more technically gifted and resorts to hacking the life out of the opponents most skillful players. This is the German modus operandi, and I expect the first shot will be fired seconds after a skillful Spanish player gains possession of the ball. The referee should be mindful of this and set the tone early by cautioning negative football. Persistent infringement against the most skillful player(s) by various defenders will also be part of the strategy to scare the opponent and get them off their game.

[ForeverRed]

I cannot stress how important getting a well refereed game is to the outcome of this match. Germany typically stops playing with skill when their opponent is more technically gifted and resorts to hacking the life out of the opponents most skillful players. This is the German modus operandi, and I expect the first shot will be fired seconds after a skillful Spanish player gains possession of the ball. The referee should be mindful of this and set the tone early by cautioning negative football. Persistent infringement against the most skillful player(s) by various defenders will also be part of the strategy to scare the opponent and get them off their game.

Pffft.....what a post.....:rolleyes:

[Alberto]

Pffft.....what a post.....:rolleyes:

You may not like it, but it's true. I've seen Germany play skillful, good soccer and then revert to thuggery when their opponents were more skillful.

[ForeverRed]

You may not like it, but it's true. I've seen Germany play skillful, good soccer and then revert to thuggery when their opponents were more skillful.

Oh really? I'd love to hear this.

Its nice how you generalize a team's game with such close minded and rather stereotypical accusations.

[1a Schnitzel]

You may not like it, but it's true. I've seen Germany play skillful, good soccer and then revert to thuggery when their opponents were more skillful.

well football isnt water gymnastics (if I may say so). If a game gets hot then certainly the fighting spirit makes players intervene with a certain risk of fouling. If they overdo it, they have to leave the pitch. Thats not an unfair strategy but just one with a high risk. Poland, England hell even Croatia plays that way.

The following statement is NOT from ForeverRed: ;)
If there is good officiating Spain will win.
And if there is bad officiating Germany will win? You mean like refs = generally favouring Germany?

[Alberto]

Oh really? I'd love to hear this.

Its nice how you generalize a team's game with such close minded and rather stereotypical accusations.


It's not stereotypical. It will be interesting to see which Germany comes to play Sunday. During the 2006 World Cup Germany played a very attractive attacking style of soccer for all games. So far they have done the same, except there were elements of this hard style in the match against Portugal. There were a number of very hard fouls against Ronaldo and others. Portugal stopped playing, but I grant that it was a combination of the hard tactics as well as Portugal losing their focus.

Elements of this hard German style that come immediately to mind were in the quarter final in Japan Korea 2002 against the US. In France 1998, against the USA opening match and against Mexico in the quarter-finals.

Typcially Germany will send a message early in attempt to take one or the two most skillful players off their game by hard challenges. You don't watch German soccer if you are unaware of this tactic.

[Alberto]

well football isnt water gymnastics (if I may say so). If a game gets hot then certainly the fighting spirit makes players intervene with a certain risk of fouling. If they overdo it, they have to leave the pitch. Thats not an unfair strategy but just one with a high risk. Poland, England hell even Croatia plays that way.


And if there is bad officiating Germany will win? You mean like refs = generally favouring Germany?

Don't quote someone else without listing their name. It's misleading. I did not state that with bad officiating Spain win. Another poster said that.

[ForeverRed]

It's not stereotypical. It will be interesting to see which Germany comes to play Sunday. During the 2006 World Cup Germany played a very attractive attacking style of soccer for all games. So far they have done the same, except there were elements of this hard style in the match against Portugal. There were a number of very hard fouls against Ronaldo and others. Portugal stopped playing, but I grant that it was a combination of the hard tactics as well as Portugal losing their focus.

Elements of this hard German style that come immediately to mind were in the quarter final in Japan Korea 2002 against the US. In France 1998, against the USA opening match and against Mexico in the quarter-finals.

Typcially Germany will send a message early in attempt to take one or the two most skillful players off their game by hard challenges. You don't watch German soccer if you are unaware of this tactic.

It is stereotypical. You're associating hard overly physical and overly aggressive play with one specific footballing nation. Forget France 1998, that was a different team, different time alltogether for German football. And all nations have games where they may become aggressive or overly physical, has nothing to do with lacking quality which is what your posts kinda implied and came across as.

I really don't know what you're on about regarding Portugal either, they outplayed Portugal from the beginning of the match. Their physical game had nothing to do with this.

[sendorange]

That's not the idea that almost all non-portuguese have.
I think you'll find every non-portugese knows it was the sloppiness at setpieces which cost Portugal, in open play they were a class above Germany.

[Gaboo]

He's our topscorer, it's not like him not playing will make things better for us now will it?

Well, watching the semi-final yesterday, I didn´t have the impression, that Villa´s loss actually hurt the Spanish game!
Didn´t they start beating the sh** out of Russia after he was out?

Anyhow, you´ve already prepared the excuse...

For me, Spain IS the favourite in this game (and not slightly), but that won´t be a disadvantage for Germany!

[Gaboo]

Germany typically stops playing with skill when their opponent is more technically gifted and resorts to hacking the life out of the opponents most skillful players.


Elements of this hard German style that come immediately to mind were in the quarter final in Japan Korea 2002 against the US. In France 1998, against the USA opening match and against Mexico in the quarter-finals.


Do you really say, the USA has more skillful players and is technically more gifted, than Germany?

[squidward123]

I think you'll find every non-portugese knows it was the sloppiness at setpieces which cost Portugal, in open play they were a class above Germany.

nah, that's not the majority opinion on this forum that i've read and even on bbc606 and blogs ;)

heck, even NZ tv, who normally dislike germany don't think so.

[HerrRupert]

Spain has easily been the best team of this tournament, I don't care what happens in the final. Germany has had one good game all tournament and struggled against average and below average sides. The only thing is that Germany is mentally much stronger than the Spanish.

they always struggle ag smaller sides good that spain is the favourite hehe

[squidward123]

Hey alberto -

just wondering since what year you've been watching germany?

[HerrRupert]

May the BETTER team win :)
Especially since the BEST team is not playing :D

well i do not know about that but i rather play spain then italy italy is almost as good at getting results then us

[Pakalolo]

This should be a great game.

The Germans' machine-like perfection against the flowing play of Spain.

I'm thinking we'll see at least five total goals.

LOL, from all the stereotypes available you unerringly chose the wrong one. The engine of this team is going on and off the whole tournament and is far away from perfection. No one knows whether the team is going into reverse or going full speed next sunday. as long as we don't know whether team has further gears available, Spain is the facourite. but when you really think this team can be compared to a well functioning machine, I just hope that you aren't an airplane engineer, cause this could end fatally. :)

[Dage]

It is wonderful.
There has to be an enemy and in the world of football this is Germany.
Who cares?

Our team is unpredictably at all but the one thing I know is, every time we play versus strong teams, we taped the full potential out of us.
At first, you have to beat this German team and it will be the hardest match spain would have at this tournament.

@alberto: it is wrong, look at the stats, how many yellow cards the german side get in the tournament or/and in the qualification. Since Klinsmann we play a very fair style, which means not, that there are no tacklings or a bodyless kind of play. For example, the game vs Portugal it was the portuguese side who fouled the very hardest tackling.

Spain is favourite, but that means nothing in a final. It's totally 50/50. Look, its the 13th final in Germany football history and we won 6 titles.
I was celebrating yesterday night with some Spanish people in Berlin Mitte and felt a little bit sorry, cause there were not a lot of them. You are a very sympathic nation in my opinion and you really deserved a big international title, but not vs my team!! ;)

I promise a fantastic game with a lot of goals, not this kind of crappy match like a knock- out game vs Italy. I'm sure we will see a winner in 90 or 120 minutes.

gl and enjoy this rarely situation



Statistics prove the Germans never admit they are on a lost cause.
Their win over Turkey was their eighth comeback in the European Championships — the most in the competition’s history.
They have now moved one clear of France who have come back seven times in the tournament.
Five of the Germans’ eight comebacks have been in the semi-final or final of the Championships, including twice in 1996 when they rallied to beat England in the semi-final and the Czech Republic in the final.www.thesun.co.uk (http://www.sun.co.uk)

[dmar]

I'd say Germany is favourite, not us.

Not just because of history, which is something that often matters. They're a physical team that could make things difficult for us in midfield. And they've got the ability of pulling goals out of their collective ass, which we saw against Turkey. Their biggest weakness is Lehmann.

[Buschkauz]

i think spain is favorite. thats not a bad thing ;)

[Gaboo]

Nobody wants to be the favourite... :D