Predictable? Mate, that is easy to say after the game and I know you wouldn't have made that call during the moment of it. The keeper could have done better? Good on the keeper for keeping Ronaldo's shot out in the first place. He couldn't save it and mark Quaresma at the same time. You are asking way too much of a keeper. You know the counter attacks that I rate? The ones that finish in the back of the net. Did we do that? Yes. Game over. I can't stand armchair coaches. Get off your arse, get your coaching badges and go coach a football team and talk about how easy it is. Things don't happen with a flick or click of a finger. Portugal went in with a plan and executed well enough to win. Was it perfect? Hell no.
I think we will see a Portugal-Belgium semi-final, which should be a pretty good match, as neither side bunkers too much. I get the sense that Belgium will have more of the possession, but are also more likely to allow in a foolish goal. Have Belgium and Portugal ever met in the World Cup or Euros?
Not in the final event but in World Cup/Euro qualifiers 3W 3D 2L in favour of Belgium ... Portugal won a recent friendly (2-1) against a B side enriched with a few starters ... that tie was planned to take place in Brussels but because of the attacks was moved to Portugal.
I don't think the Euro group stage was more entertaining than Copa America. There were some good games there like Colombia-Paraguay, Mexico-Uruguay, Ecuador-Peru, Mexico-Venezuela, Panama-Bolivia ... Lots more goals in general and several world class goals. In fact where Copa America got worse for me was in the knockout round. Not enough competition. Chile and Argentina just too easy and not tested enough on the way to final. Too many one sided games. It took the Euros two weeks to finally have a game won by 4 goals ...
True about the first part, but the Euro had Shaqiri's equaliser and Ronaldo's backheel. Trumps anything at the Copa.
Oh for goodness sake anyone could predict that Nani was going to pass to Ronaldo and you know it, this is part of Ronaldo's playing style. He has done it more times than I could count, he waits for a pass inside the box and tries to finish which is actually his specialty. Then the keeper had a lot of time to think, he saw Quaresma (he was looking towards the goal) and Ronaldo (he was on his left side). So, what Subasic should have done there is left a bit of space on his left side so that way Ronaldo finds it harder to shoot to the right side and then if he shoots to Subasic's left side which is easier, Subasic can try and save to the left side for a corner. Just so you know I watch De Gea every week in the BPL, and then I tell you what, I could receive all my coaching badges because actually I want to become a football coach except I am still 18 and way too young to receive it all at once, because that does not happen in a flick of a finger. You mention armchair coaches, lol stop trying to make me laugh. There is no such thing as an armchair coach unless it it is in your dreamland which is what you are in with that comment right now lol game over I think what happens is there are fans that prefer matches with more goals, and then there are fans that prefer matches with more solidity which is fair enough. I like to judge matches, performances and competitions the way I see it, whether there is entertaining defensive football (Atletico Madrid and Juventus) or entertaining offensive football (Barcelona and Real Madrid). From someone that did not watch the Copa America this year, I actually thought that Chile and Argentina crushing everyone in the knockout stage was quite funny, because it exposed how good Chile and Argentina are compared to these other teams and then it shows that these other teams were made to look diabolical even though they are not really. I tell you what though, the final ended up being dejavu which is also quite funny. They draw 0-0 and win on penalties again. Next thing it will end up happening again in 2019 lol
I'm pretty sure most GK's would have protected the nearest post first. How could you blame the GK when clearly Portugal outnumbered Croatia at the back? Armchair coach? People that pretend they understand how football works. I'm not going to claim to be an expert in coaching (I've only been doing it for 4 seasons plus another 2 as an assistant) but you can't sit here and say it was predictable and it was a schoolboy goal. It was well worked by Portugal (they probably worked on counter attacking at training) and Croatia didn't recover in time. To say it was slow.. it was the 118th minute.. I'd love to see you run to your full potential after 118 minutes of football. They are human.
1980: expansion from 4 teams to 8 - Winner Germany. 1996: expansion from 8 teams to 16 - Winner Germany. 2016: expansion from 16 teams to 24 - Winner ?
You know if I did not understand how football works, I would not even be here, lets get that straight. And also what happened in those 118 minutes? Miss after miss after miss and the ball being kicked around the pitch nearly the whole time, and meanwhile everybody is sleeping and thinking about how boring the match is and how they feel like they want to get up and do something else last time I checked. Now I would love to see your team try and play the way they did vs Poland.
Funny how you seem to bring up how I would play in a professional football match, it does not matter. The only teams that matter right now are the teams in the competition, and anyway you would do just as bad. You try and make me feel bad yet all you are doing is trying to make me laugh.
I'm not saying if the game was boring or not. You've completely changed the topic. I don't know what you are arguing anymore.
The difference is I am talking about what matters most, the way Portugal played, how the match was and the team they are facing next, Poland. Meanwhile you are bringing up how I would play as a professional football player when actually you would do just as bad
Please go back to your posts. I replied to your post based on your comment about the goal being predictable and easy. I didn't bring anything up about your playing career.
So you did not say you would love to see me play the way Portugal did in 118 minutes? No, you should go back to your Portuguese fan forums and threads where more biased Ronaldo fanboys would actually agree with you on what you say.
I was highlighting how hard it would be for professionals to play at their best for 118 minutes, let alone US non-professionals (myself included) OR do you now want to argue that you would do a better job than the Croatian defence after 118 minutes? That was not an attack on your playing ability. I've never seen you play. And I'll post where I wish to.
Lol for goodness sake I just said that both of us would be just as bad, and none of us in this forum would do a good job in the Croatian defense, we would all be minced meat! Now Italy will be playing Spain in 3 hours, so we shall move on from this and we shall all talk about Spain vs Italy or England vs Iceland which is also taking place today!
Spain and Italy. Two big giants in European football already facing each other, it is the hardest match anyone can predict. I still think Italy have the edge, but Spain do have a chance, and they have world class players as well. England vs Iceland, I am still predicting Iceland to win lol we are a team of jokers if I had to be honest
BIG GAME today. Its this team: -Nolito-Morata-D. Silva- -Iniesta-Busquets-Fabregas- -Alba-Ramos-Pique-Juanfran- -De Gea- against this team: -Eder-Pelle -De Sciglio-Giacherinni-De Rossi-Parolo-Florenzi- -Chiellini-Bonucci-Barzagli- -Buffon- I say 2-1 Italy.
No I have a feeling there will not be many goals in this match. If a team was to win, it would be 1-0 for me
As a Poland fan - I appreciate your kind words; however, I think you are trying to atone for the Brexit vote. Poland is a decent squad and will give Portugal a run for their money - but they are not better than Portugal (maybe if Ronaldo is not playing).
1-0 it is! How unlucky is that for De Gea?! Eder caused him all sorts of problems there, and Chiellini who caused Pique some problems took advantage and Italy are ahead!