2020 Euro - Spoilers inside this thread [R]

HT break. Portugal front line is a bit wasteful at the moment .. but oh boy, they are really stacked with technically-gifted talents (CR7, Jota, Silva and Fernandes). Amazing that they haven’t scored. Hungary is clinging on by their fingertips - can’t imagine it will last much longer.

 

Missed the second half (had to work ) - I saw that Portugal scored three in the final 6+ minutes of the match to secure a win. Evergreen CR7, wow.

 

This game is really two levels above what Netherlands (and most other teams) can do.

Only question is whether they can apply this intensity the entire game or the whole tournament. We all know this was previously not the case. That was the way a full-strength Netherlands won those games or got a result.

Another thing to mention is that the decision making isn't always optimal. That provides some chances maybe.

Benzema does many things right, as Sneijder said and showed during half time (followed by Pogba not having the same brain). Technically he is the best player on the pitch.

 

Spain is dominating but toothless, unable to convert. Germany is not that impressive and lacking their clinical finish as well. Portugal and France are stacked with talents. These 2 teams will be hard to beat. It is boring to watch but these teams are efficient and find a way to win with the talents they have. So far I like France's, Portugal's, Belgium's and Italy's chances (from the bracket, if Belgium and Italy win their group they will meet in QF). England also has many talents but I do not think they can beat France or Portugal in round of 16 if England win their group. There are still 2 more rounds in the group stage. After the 2nd rounds maybe we can see one or two dark horses although Netherlands may also clinch the group thumbsup.

 

Gareth Bale with a missed-penalty of the tournament so far… rumor has it that the ball boy is still searching and trying to locate the ball

Also, found this quote from the Twitter world…

Gareth Bale is the first player to miss the goal frame entirely from a penalty at the Euros (excluding shootouts) since Spain's Raul against France 21 years ago...

 

The Turks close to elimination, very nice!

 

Because the KNVB is a pub canteen organization run by an old boys network. Where every debuting Ajax player is immediately made a national team player.



"There was [around 2006] too much Ajax in the team", he says after 10:35.

That said, also some of the super stacked teams conceded goals and points against them:
https://www.eloratings.net/Turkey

 

. Quotes from Reuters:

“This is a very bad result and a blow, but it was only the first of the 10 qualifiers that we will play so we now have to make sure we don’t drop anymore points. They were a good opponent, but certainly not one that we had to lose to,” De Boer told Dutch television after the Group G match.

“We knew that they are on the lookout for counter-attacks and their first goal was a textbook example of that. We needed to foul so that they could not make the transition but that did not happen.”

De Boer also bemoaned the pace of the Dutch play.

“It seemed like we were not that aggressive or alert, but we certainly had good opportunities ourselves,” he said.

“We have to keep up the positivity, however, because things can change fast in football. We have to turn on the switch and with the experience of the boys I’m sure they will do just that.

“We think this is terrible, but I’m not standing here with tears in my eyes. We must do much better,” he added.

 

Do you mean that? In the first game they totally outplayed Wales. Many of their players are also playing at clubs of a good level. Their player quality is probably somewhere in the middle of the pack, not the bottom.

#WAL first team to basically qualify for the knock-off stage. pic.twitter.com/BVaRaVjl2c

— Goalimpact (@Goalimpact) June 16, 2021

Odds based on #ITASUI starting XI.#ITA: 47.6%
Draw: 29.2%#SUI: 23.2%

— Goalimpact (@Goalimpact) June 16, 2021

 

Last time I checked it landed on the ....moon.