Uefa Euro/ Copa America 2024

Euro is completely unpredictable as for who wins.

Copa I'm probably taking Argentina but Brazil could spoil their party. The young generation is strong over there.

 

England have a very talented squad and should be one of the favorites based on that alone, however, they have Southgate as manager, and their backline/goalie is an issue that could be decisive deeper into the tournament against better attacking teams. Also, it's England.

 

As for the copa, it's between Argentina and Brazil, surely. Who else could realistically pose a challenge?

 

Uruguay and Colombia come to mind. I think both Argentina and Brazil are quite beatable, actually.

That's like 2 pages each! Alot of pressure.

 

Wait, England?

England, as in "Just Lost To (checks notes) ICELAND?????"

They're already starting the normal English cycle for international tournaments:

1. Step 1 was to be overhyped by the English media, who have ignored their obvious flaws.

2. Step 2 will be to underperform, relative to pre-tournament expectations.

3. Step 3 will be for the English media to have more tropes and talking points to write and talk about, after the tournament.


The British media do this ALL. THE. TIME. Its a perennial cycle of them ginning up stories/overhype before a tournament, only to have more stories/disappointment after the tournament. They're not reporting news, they're selling you lines of bullshyte.



TL/DR: England are flawed, and the English language media think you're stupid.

 

Agreed.

For my part, I just want Mexico/US/Canada to all get curb-stomped, humiliated, and embarrassed, so that maybe CONCACAF will cease their never-ending cavalcade of stoopid cashgrab tournaments that are permanently hosted in the US. I want them to just all get CRUSHED, so that these cashgrabs are revealed to have weakened the so-called "giants" of CONCACAF.

I fvkcing HATE gold cup and nations league with the FIRE of 10,000 Arabian suns.

 

I think the Iceland loss will actually be good for England in the long term. The hype had really been off the charts this time, so being brought back to Earth (or at least the Milky Way) is a good thing for them.

 

There are significant differences between the Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup, and The Euros; among other differences are:

1. The Euros are relatively rare, The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup is biennially.

2. The Euros rotate hosting, which gives each host the privilege, BUT ALSO, the RESPONSIBILITY to put on a good event; The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup is ALWAYS comfortably in the US, which allows other nations in CONCACAF to shirk responsibility.

3. The Euros are COMPETITIVE, The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup is a foregone conclusion, even before the event starts.

4. Having to play on the road makes for intriguing challenges for all non-hosts in the Euros; Having The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup comfortably in the USA every time locks in all of CONCACAF into their comfort zones, and weakens the competitive edge of the teams over time.


Because of all of this, The Euros "lifts all boats" in UEFA; The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup has seen all nations in CONCACAF become less competitive.


In sum, Nations League and The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup are meant to separate the naive from their money. The Euros are a competitive and ELITE EVENT, that is compelling to watch, that players WANT TO play in, and helps the member nations of UEFA improve on and off the pitch.

The Jack Warner Memorial Cashgrab Gold Cup has lined the pockets of corrupt FAs in CONCACAF, while weakening the member nations. They're so frequent that they're annoying. They're common, not relatively rare. And they're a glorified friendly tournament.


Honestly, if CONCACAF wants to continue their cashgrab events in the US, I'd rather that the USMNT send an U21 team/B team to scrimmage CONCACAF fodder. I'd rather the A Team of the USMNT have either friendlies against more compelling foes, be they better national teams, OR top clubs, like Barca.

 

Perhaps.

But if we're all supposed to fear Mbappe and Dembele as Culers, why aren't Three Lions crapping themselves over the idea of Lewis Dunk getting humiliated by them?

We've all seen this movie, and we know how it ends. The English media are at it again, and rather than taking a sober view of their chances, Three Lions have been overhyped. Again. As usual.


And yes, up front, England are impressive, with Kane/Bellingham/Foden/Palmer, et al. But of their defenders, we wouldn't rate the majority of them, and we certainly wouldn't rate Southgate as manager. I think anything beyond the QF would be a GREAT tournament for them, given that they're in a CONCACAF-quality group.

 

Barca don't have anyone like Declan Rice who can protect the backline. And while their backline isn't great, its certainly better at RB than Barca's. They don't have to play with 3 CBs every time they face a speedy winger because they have Kyle Walker.

And didn't we shut down Mbappe pretty well until the 10 men ran out of gas towards the end of the 180 minutes? Dembele tore us up a bit because he was playing Barca but I expect him to sleep through the Euros like he did most of the past 5 years.

 

He's the "ONE GUY" out of their 8 defenders that I would rate over Barca's defenders. He's also 34 years old, and coming off a long and tough season. We'll see.

Not a damn one of us would want Dunk over Araujo or Cubarsi, for example.

All of this may be true, but I also would rather have Barca's backline against France, than I would England's. On 11 times out of 10.

What's more, I don't rate Xavi much, but then, I rate pretty much any Native English-speaking manager below him. That said, with a competent manager, maybe Barca correctly pulls Cancelo out of the game, instead of trusting Cancelo to defend a lead.

Or even better, pulls Pedri out of the game, moves Cancelo into the MF, and puts in a better defender in the backline. The PSG game was not lost on talent, but rather, because Lucho >>> Xavi as managers.

But strictly on talent, England are deficient in the back and in the dugout.

 

i'm looking forward to seeing what Bielsa can do with Uruguay.
his teams are always fun to watch.

 

i wouldn't trade Kounde for Walker. unless you meant Cancelo, then ok.

 

I think I agree on this.

It should be Argentina on one side of the bracket, vs one of Brasil/Uruguay/Colombia on the other for the Final.



I think it'll be more interesting to see which CONCACAF side can advance the furthest:

The USMNT can/should advance out of their group, but then get curb-stomped in the knockouts to either Brasil or Colombia.

Mexico should also advance, but Ecuador and Venezuela are no pushover in that group. If they finish 1st, they can then advance further. If they finish 2nd, then they'll get curb-stomped vs Argentina in the knockouts.

Canada/Jamaica/Panama/Costa Rica probably won't advance out of their groups.

 

For The Euros, I'm thinking Germany or France will take this one.

I'm stoked.

 

only to see if the protesters manage to extinguish the flame

 

And CL final is getting better and better.

===
Were the Scotland players drinking alongside their fans? Germany isn't this good.