Aftermath of the Final [R]

[VCFan]

I think a more likely scenario is that in the haste to have a Kumbayah World Cup, they allowed some refs from lesser countries to continue to ref in the knock-out rounds, and these refs were in over their heads, and Spain and Italy got screwed.

This is the more likely explanation. With the exception of Moreno (his misconduct as a referee has been fully exposed), I would say that the referees and linesmen were incompetent rather than malicious or obviously biased. FIFA quality? Nope, but they were born in the right places.

[squidward123]

And I'm telling you that people "expecting" them to win it doesn't mean jack s#it. By the way they ACTUALLY PERFORMED, they did a good job in getting to the final.

I think what he meant is that Germany got further than people thought AFTER THE TOURNAMENT STARTED!

That's all I was commenting on. It wasn't clear if he meant after the tournament started or from before the tournament. If he meant from before the tournament that means he hasn't seen that this team did (regardless of being at home or against who) play much better quality football in the couple of years before.



Just because we "expected" them to do better before the tournament, doesn't mean their actual ACCOMPLISHMENT is any less praiseworthy.

Yeah I am not saying it isn't any less praiseworthy.


Actually, the draw with Belarus and their barely squeaking by Serbia raised some flags with me, but I stuck with my pick. I thought their playing in Austria and Switzerland would still practically be a "home field advantage." It didn't work out that way.

I wanted them to play better as far back as the austria and switzerland friendlies.




Easy competition. The toughest team they beat in friendlies in that stretch were Sweden and Romania. They were still riding the 2006 wave then.

They barely beat England and Serbia. These are friendlies we're talking here. They also lost one to Denmark.


England was with a very weakened team though and Denmark was after all the starters were rested after winning in Prague. Just saying.






The DFB needs to schedule tougher friendlies for them.

I do agree with this.


I also think Low should learn to trust ALL of his players and not just the same 13 or 14.

I'm still puzzled about how a Torsten Frings with a broken rib gets to play ahead of a Tim Borowski.

I'm still puzzled as to why he didn't just select Marko Marin if all he was going to do was put Piotr Trochowski on the bench and leave him there??

I'm still puzzled as to why he chose Oliver Neuville over Patrick Helmes only to play Neuville for 7 minutes against Austria the entire tourney??

I'm still puzzled as to why he didn't try Heiko Westermann over sorry a$$ Christoph Metzelder. Jansen made mistakes and got immediately benched. Why was Metzelder so special??

I called Low a "coward" for being afraid to make the tough choices in team selection before this tourney started. I also said that I could be wrong and maybe he just wanted to take players he trusted.

Well, it's obvious he didn't trust them, so I'm thinking my first guess was correct.

I think Low had better take these easy World Cup Qualifiers coming up and find a full roster he actually trusts.

If he keeps trying to ride the same 13 or 14 guys, he's going to wind up like Berti Vogts.

The beauty of what Klinsmann did is that everyone who deserved a chance got a chance. I think Low has forgotten that and has fallen back into playing the guys he trusts to keep him employed.

Which is exactly what got Germany in trouble in the first place.........

After changing "needs" to "should", I agree with all of this too.

[squidward123]

I'll never forget how they ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds when Joaquin made the cross to Morientes that resulted in a goal. I doubt I'll forget the faces of the Spaniards either after the penalty kicks... Italy just looked stunned, but Spain was distraught. What a sham.

I was supporting Spain in this match and the ball was CLEARLY inside the field of play when Joaquin crossed it. There were about 4 other obvious calls against Spain that would have resulted in goals. It was disgraceful. Even more than the Italy match.

[Cris 09]

Great job, Spain!!

Living here in the US my sport fanatic friends that are die hards over the World Series or the Super Bowl or what have you, all asked me on Monday if I was allright after receiving their "condolences".

Actually, it was easy for me, or "easier" than I thought. Though I wanted Germany to win more than anything I am satisfied knowing that the best team of the tourney did eventualy win it over us.

Going into the final, I was prepared for the game to go either way somehow knowing that it would take a lot from Germany to win - but definetly possibe, nonetheless. In the end, Germany could not score once after scoring 6 in the last 2 matches...and though they recieved 2 goals per game as well - Spain managed with only one.

But it's not only about the single goal. Spain closed tactically shut down a German side with out a compass.

Worthy champs, the Spaniards, worthy champs!!!

LOL at the (R) in the thread title!:D

[Gaboo]

Okay, just to get it right...Germany was lucky in 2002, because FIFA wanted SK to go far in this tournament but not too far, Germany was lucky in 2006, because they were "riding the wave" and luckily played extremely well and Germany was lucky in 2008 because they played poor football, but somehow (no one knows how) managed to make it to the final and lost it with 1-0 (luckily it wasn´t a 4-0, because Spain was way better than Germany)...ah, I forgot, Germany was lucky in 1996, too because of the Golden-Goal-rule!
Hey, everything the German National Team is about is luck...no skills, no spirit, no fight, no will, nothing!

And we´re lucky again...our qualification group for the 2010 WC is not a tough one, too!

So, all I have left to say is, GOOD LUCK GERMANY FOR THE 2010 WC, so that everybody can continue complaining about how lucky Germany was instead of every other National Team in the world...

[footyfan1]

Okay, just to get it right...Germany was lucky in 2002, because FIFA wanted SK to go far in this tournament but not too far, Germany was lucky in 2006, because they were "riding the wave" and luckily played extremely well and Germany was lucky in 2008 because they played poor football, but somehow (no one knows how) managed to make it to the final and lost it with 1-0 (luckily it wasn´t a 4-0, because Spain was way better than Germany)...ah, I forgot, Germany was lucky in 1996, too because of the Golden-Goal-rule!
Hey, everything the German National Team is about is luck...no skills, no spirit, no fight, no will, nothing!

And we´re lucky again...our qualification group for the 2010 WC is not a tough one, too!

So, all I have left to say is, GOOD LUCK GERMANY FOR THE 2010 WC, so that everybody can continue complaining about how lucky Germany was instead of every other National Team in the world...

Hope that was a good cry......

[Gaboo]

Hope that was a good cry......

I don´t think, I´m the one, who´s crying! :rolleyes:

I´m completely satisfied, with the way, things went!
I can even live with Spain (being the better team) winning the EC...:eek: (just to get back "on topic")

[footyfan1]

I don´t think, I´m the one, who´s crying! :rolleyes:

I´m completely satisfied, with the way, things went!
I can even live with Spain (being the better team) winning the EC...:eek: (just to get back "on topic")


That makes two of us. We don't have to agree on the other stuff, but we do agree that the better team won this tourney.

And if you go back I did say the Germany team's accomplishment this tourney was praiseworthy.

[Gaboo]

That makes two of us. We don't have to agree on the other stuff, but we do agree that the better team won this tourney.

And if you go back I did say the Germany team's accomplishment this tourney was praiseworthy.

I´m totally with you!

Let´s get back to topic...

[Cris 09]

Okay, just to get it right...Germany was lucky in 2002, because FIFA wanted SK to go far in this tournament but not too far, Germany was lucky in 2006, because they were "riding the wave" and luckily played extremely well and Germany was lucky in 2008 because they played poor football, but somehow (no one knows how) managed to make it to the final and lost it with 1-0 (luckily it wasn´t a 4-0, because Spain was way better than Germany)...ah, I forgot, Germany was lucky in 1996, too because of the Golden-Goal-rule!
Hey, everything the German National Team is about is luck...no skills, no spirit, no fight, no will, nothing!

And we´re lucky again...our qualification group for the 2010 WC is not a tough one, too!

So, all I have left to say is, GOOD LUCK GERMANY FOR THE 2010 WC, so that everybody can continue complaining about how lucky Germany was instead of every other National Team in the world...

Uhm...ok. :confused: I hope you feel beeter?

[Gaboo]

Sorry, I just can´t stand everybody is complaining about a team that has been in 2002 WC final,, 3rd in the 2006 WC and lost against a great Spanish team in the 2008 EC final!

Germany didn´t play the most beautiful or technical football and they definitely didn´t dominate all the teams they beat in this EURO (and in other Cups as well), but there is kind of a spirit or a winner-mentality, that lead Germany thus far in all the tournaments!

You don´t have to be champions to be winners!

But that´s what espacially Germans are like...complaining at a high level!
Others wish, they would have made it so far in recent tournaments...no matter, if they played the best football during the tournament or not!

[Borussia]

But that´s what espacially Germans are like...complaining at a high level!


Criticizing this German team for very poor performances in the semi-final & final, is absolutely justified in my eyes, dear Niederrhein neighbour & Celtic mate (even our big expert @ Gregoriak was pretty pissed off)!

But this doesn't mean that I agree with all statements from Keith alias @ footyfan...

[Borussia]

Btw: Let's better talk about the worthy winners from Spain now! I think there's enough been said about Germany...


Btw: Can anybody tell me what happened to this Spain team since the defeats in Northern Ireland & Sweden? Everybody knows that they have always been playing a technically great soccer in the midfield (they adopted the Barca style perfectly under Aragones) ... but their new efficiency & coolness in attack and the new strength & discipline in defending was a little bit surprising and impressive! They finally managed to combine their good technical skills with mental & physical strength and tactical discipline. And they finally learned to combine their nice-looking short passing style with efficiency...

I can't remember when a team dominated a tournament in such an impressive manner the last time! Kudos to Aragones & his guys! Great team and worthy champs!

[Gaboo]

Of course, there´s much to critize, if you have a look at how the German team played most of his games in the EC...if nobody would critize the team, no one would try to improve (and there´s a lot to improve - no question), so critics should be pretty welcome! But there´s a difference between crititising and bashing a team and I can´t see anybody has a reason or is an a position to bash the German NT after all it has achieved in recent years...

But you´re right let´s give the Spanish team the attention, it deserves in this thread!

In my eyes, they have had great teams in the past as well...what this team seems to have learnt is, "efficiency and coolness" (as you said) even in "do or die"-games...that´s something former Spanish teams didn´t prove!

[dmar]

This was a huge win for Spain. It put us in the map just when people were losing faith in our way of playing the game. We didn't just add the mental focus, but a bit of smart tactics and defensive awareness.

Let's see what the future holds. The coach change poses many questions. And we'll have to replace Senna and Capdevilla soon. About the offensive players, I'm not worried. Granero, Capel and Bojan, amongst others, are going to be huge talents. Amorebieta, Piqué or Alexis will eventually fill the CB position.

And I must say... You Germans have been the classiest rivals in this boards.

[Dage]

Replace Senna? Why? For me he was the best player of the tournament.

[Pakalolo]

This was a huge win for Spain. It put us in the map just when people were losing faith in our way of playing the game. We didn't just add the mental focus, but a bit of smart tactics and defensive awareness.

Let's see what the future holds. The coach change poses many questions. And we'll have to replace Senna and Capdevilla soon. About the offensive players, I'm not worried. Granero, Capel and Bojan, amongst others, are going to be huge talents. Amorebieta, Piqué or Alexis will eventually fill the CB position.

And I must say... You Germans have been the classiest rivals in this boards.

I have a question. in the past it was said that one of the main problems for the Spanish team were the internal rivalries between basques, andalusians, catalonians, etc., but that now all the players had one goal namely to win the trophy for Spain. is this true and therefore one of the reasons for this years success, or not!?

[uclacarlos]

Replace Senna? Why? For me he was the best player of the tournament.
At some point, in the future, eventually. Most of the team is still very young; Senna's not.

[dmar]

Replace Senna? Why? For me he was the best player of the tournament.

Age. He's 31. Hopefully he'll still be around for 2010.

I have a question. in the past it was said that one of the main problems for the Spanish team were the internal rivalries between basques, andalusians, catalonians, etc.

I've never believed in that theory. Egos hurt more than that. This is a humbler team, IMO.