Unfortunately there is racism everywhere. I have lived in Philadelphia for the last year and a half and there is even racism here. It's disgusting.
Oh dear. Germany is a counter-attack team if you judge them against Spain. Let it go. Italy is not a counter-attack team. Watch the games against Croatia and England again. Or the Germany first half.
Every team looks like a counter-attack team when they play against Spain, as well as every team looks like Spain when they play against England. It's all about matchups.
And I'd visit galicia every summer, and never experienced none of the things you've mentioned, the south americans were treated well. i didn't see many blacks there, but plenty of south americans, who got on well with others. As for black footballers, marcos senna played the previous euros, thiago alcantara has some black in him, and we had some black players in our u21 teams that won the euro championships.
What is wrong with being a little cocky But seriously I hope Spain play with a striker and Pedro on the wing. If we do this I think Spain should be able to win their 3rd trophy in a row. Italy are going to play tight just like in the group stage, so sending 3 midgets up top to try to win headers isn't going to get us anywhere. We need Pedro out wide to spread the hive of Italians that's going to be sitting around the box, and we are going need a target man in the box if we can't abuse any space that Italy may leave. Italy will be tough and Mario is the most on form striker at the Euro's at this moment.
When Italy played man to man they were a counter attacking team. They play a zone now, but at least in the Germany game their backs step up and are intercepting passes. That part is in a man defense. Do that you get interceptions you don't get in a zone. It worked for them against Germany. They will most likely try it again against Spain. So look for it my friend and see if it happens. I think it will happen, and if it does happen. Italy will be off and running in this game.
Holy crap i saw a video like that with a junkie shooting heroin in his arm wearing Italian blue. So Italy will win. The weird thing about it he looked like the same guy.
I don't know why you're talking about race, it really doesnt matter. Spain doesn't have a large black population, I don't know what you're getting at with spain not having enough black players in their national team.
A Germany Portugal final would have been worth watching.......but it's Spain! Who wants to watch Spain? Engleesh transaltion... Spain= tippytappy5foot2erswhogivetheopposinggoalyanightoff or dulldulldull for short. 70% possession should result in a 7-0 win. Somehow it doesn't happen and if it did it that would be dull as well. I want to see a balls out contest - not a 5 a side passing exhibition. Scoring a goal does not appear to be the goal. When will the tv pundits see it for what it is and say it - IT'S KILLING THE GAME!
he was injured in 2010 so he couldn't make the world cup, and im pretty sure he was injured this season and not in form. doesn't help his case that he's 35 either.
Just like the Portuguese, French, Italian, 2010 Dutch, 2010 German, 2010 Portuguese, 2008 Germans, and 2008 Italian teams were all supposed to beat us at some point
I don't know what you're talking about, and have never seen any sort of racism torwards blacks. If anything romanians are not like because they come to spain to beg and steal, not to work, so there is a dislike for them, atleast in galicia.
Great post. Yes...Football is all about matchups. I'm tired of every fan on this board saying Germany would have beaten spain or some other team because they show a more powerful form/style. They said it in 2010 also. If team A is beating everyone by 4 goals and team B is winning by only 1 goal it doesn't follow that 1 team is superior to the other. They have different style of play and need to meet to determine the matchup. So anyone can say it looks like Spain will be beaten. But when the game starts and Spain is winning the 50/50 balls and wearing down the opponent with possession and making them dizzy with their passing....then it becomes a bit harder to beat them much less by 2 or 3 goals.
I had said it in another forum before the first game of the semi-finals: "if we really have a Spain-Germany final, I think Spain will have 80% of chances to win because the Germany's style of play isn't the most adequate to beat Spain". To beat this tiki-tika is necessary to mark very well and have loads of pacience, then you need to take the few chances that you'll have in the game. Italy has an excellent tradition in marking, but against Spain they'll need a huge amount of stamina, this will be a big factor against Italy IMO. Also, Italy is being very inconsistent in the attack... Ok, this Spain without strikers is really boring and seems much more beatble than in 2010. But I'll be very surprised if they don't win this Euro... Sry my bad english.
Italy has received a disproportionate amount of yellows in the tournament Spain resorts to playing physical, if they dont match well. if mario is fouled by Spain again, by all means, blow the whistle! Spain should have had their ass handed to them by the Italians. A lot of yellows against the azzuri in the first match aided Spain's attack. If the ref wont blow for Spain, he shouldnt blow for Italy. If officiating is fair, Italy wins 3 to 1. Yes, Italy is that good!
I'm collecting posts to lol at and repost after spain wins, congrats your post has made the final cut.
The Spain-Italy was the most tactically fascinating game of the group stage. I expect an equally good game for the final. "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win. Unless they're facing the Italians, that is." --Lineker, revised.
Like I said in another posting: just as they introduced the rule of 3 point for a win to try and end the boring defensive play on the first tournament stage (it worked), they should come up with another rule to end the Spanish-like play on the subsequent stages. I now find that matches of the first stage are the exciting ones to watch (when they do want the 3 points). An idea: just as in Rugby you can only pass the ball backwards, in football you can only pass the ball forward.
The problem with Spain is they too rarely face opponents of a similar calibre, they impose their style on opponents with far too much ease for games to develop as a spectacle. It's a conservative and risk averse style of play but, as their recently acquired trophys show, it's remarkably effective. The onus is on their opponents to counter them and turn games into more competitive affairs. No one abandones a successful formula, I find it difficult to understand the criticism of Spain in light of this. Getting to the final without their top striker and defender should afford them commendations if anything. To each their own I guess.