Euro 2012 - Official Discussion Thread

[Franzl]

Considering what the Greek press was doing before the game and what they would have done especially if they had won, that was really quite harmless.

But alright, at least we have money.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Considering what the Greek press was doing before the game and what they would have done especially if they had won, that was really quite harmless.

But alright, at least we have money.

Until Euro crashes and you fall in recession like us "faulty" nations.

[Peeperkorn]

I would like to see Italy vs. Uruguay in the Confederations Cup. We already defeated them in Rome without Forlán, Suárez and Cavani.

[SPQR]

I would like to see Italy vs. Uruguay in the Confederations Cup. We already defeated them in Rome without Forlán, Suárez and Cavani.

Oh well,it was a friendly.
Even Germany can beat us in friendlies

[Franzl]

I would like to see Italy vs. Uruguay in the Confederations Cup. We already defeated them in Rome without Forlán, Suárez and Cavani.

Oh well,it was a friendly.
Even Germany can beat us in friendlies

Same for us and England. Even England can win those against us!

[Peeperkorn]

England is the biggest lie in football history.

Uruguay vs. Italy = Catenaccio vs. Catenaccio

[SPQR]

England is the biggest lie in football history.

Uruguay vs. Italy = Catenaccio vs. Catenaccio

Italy in this Euro2012 is doing something very different from the catenaccio though.

[Peeperkorn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYps2vozIqI

Balotelli vs the Yanks.

[Antonio the Sixth]

England is the biggest lie in football history.

Uruguay vs. Italy = Catenaccio vs. Catenaccio

Italy in this Euro2012 is doing something very different from the catenaccio though.

Yup. To be honest, I was very surprised (and quite worried) at the mediocrity of our defense compared to how strong it used to be. There were several occasions in the last couple matches when we came very close to taking a goal. Fortunately, we still have the best goalkeeper of the world.

[Keystone Phil]

New fun fact: Italy has now made it to the Final of a major international competition every six years since 1970 except for 1976 and 1988. They've made it every six years without fail since 1994.

Before this, the pattern was that they'd make it to the World Cup Final every twelve years. The six year pattern will continue thanks to that World Cup pattern at the 2018 World Cup. Unfortunately, it would be the Italian time to lose (lose in '70, win in '82, lose in '94, win in '06) but we can always reverse that.

[Velasco]

 Fortunately, we still have the best goalkeeper of the world.

Sorry, Antonio, Buffon is genial but he's only the second best goalkeeper of the world. On the top of the ranking is Casillas to my understanding.

[Keystone Phil]

This would be our first Euro win since 1968 (but it should have been since 2000 ). Still, let's not go too far because anything can happen at this point.

Please don't bring up that heart ache. I'll never forget sitting in some stranger's house in Florence (the restaurant my tour group was dining at didn't have a TV but a relative of the owner lived across the street and let us over to watch), watching them go from basically champions to losers in what seemed like an instant. Of course, it set up the best revenge ever for me but still, that game upsets me so much.

[Peeperkorn]

 Fortunately, we still have the best goalkeeper of the world.

Sorry, Antonio, Buffon is genial but he's only the second best goalkeeper of the world. On the top of the ranking is Casillas to my understanding.

Casillas? Maybe 4 years ago....

[Keystone Phil]

The press is already asking Del Bosque if he regrets not drawing 1-1 or 2-2 with Croatia. He says he doesn't. We'll see what he has to say on Sunday...

[Peeperkorn]

Del Bosque is a puppet, period. He just let Barça guys plays Barça with two or three madridistas in order to be the Spanish team and not the Catalunya team.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This would be our first Euro win since 1968 (but it should have been since 2000 ). Still, let's not go too far because anything can happen at this point.

Please don't bring up that heart ache. I'll never forget sitting in some stranger's house in Florence (the restaurant my tour group was dining at didn't have a TV but a relative of the owner lived across the street and let us over to watch), watching them go from basically champions to losers in what seemed like an instant. Of course, it set up the best revenge ever for me but still, that game upsets me so much.

I was barely old enough to remember it, but I do remember it quite well. It was an enormous upset for me and my family, especially since, for once, Italy had been playing really well from the beginning to the end of the championship. We were a truly amazing team at that point. We did morally win.

[Keystone Phil]

I was 12 and it's the first international tournament I remember. I was in Italy during that classic Semi final. The celebrations in Sorrento were insane. Then we traveled to Florence and Italy lost the Final. Six years later, I was in Sorrento when Italy won the World Cup. In 2010, I watched the games from Naples but never went to Sorrento for a match. Notice a pattern?

I'm crazy enough to hop on a plane to watch the Final over there but I don't think it's going to work. The flight times aren't great and the prices are through the roof.

[Velasco]

Del Bosque is a puppet, period. He just let Barça guys plays Barça with two or three madridistas in order to be the Spanish team and not the Catalunya team.

I don't think so. Del Bosque has character, you don't have to fall for his good-natured personality. Spain plays in a similar fashion of Barça because it's a succesful model and was Luis Aragonés who started with it, not Del Bosque. And Barça is not only the Catalunya team, it's a global club: see Messi; players like Iniesta or Pedro are from other parts of Spain. On the other hand I don't mind if Spain plays in a "Catalan" style: I love heretic catalans like Guardiola or the Dutchie Johann Cruyff.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I was 12 and it's the first international tournament I remember. I was in Italy during that classic Semi final. The celebrations in Sorrento were insane. Then we traveled to Florence and Italy lost the Final. Six years later, I was in Sorrento when Italy won the World Cup. In 2010, I watched the games from Naples but never went to Sorrento for a match. Notice a pattern?

I'm crazy enough to hop on a plane to watch the Final over there but I don't think it's going to work. The flight times aren't great and the prices are through the roof.

You must. Do this for your country !

As for me, I was only 7, so you can imagine my remembrances of the match aren't very precise, but yeah, it was such an incredible shock that the emotion remains. But I remember all the following championships with growing precision. I didn't really care about 2002 after both France and Italy failed miserably. For some reason I was rooting for Greece in the final stages of 2004, though at the time I hadn't fully realized how much their win was an exploit.

2006 is the first I recall with precision. I was in Germany for a school trip during the early stages, I was in Savoie for the eights/quarters/semis and... on a plane for the finale ! I was traveling to Melito Porto Salvo (my father's home town in Calabria). I watched the beginning of the match in the airport, but was in the plane during the whole end, and I only learnt the results at the end of the flight when a passenger was able to switch his phone off. We were all euphoric.

[Peeperkorn]

Current FIFA ranking:



What the hell is doing England in the sixth place? Denmark? WTF?

[Keystone Phil]

Ah, yes. The joke FIFA rankings. Italy was...what?...13th right before the 2006 World Cup?

[Peeperkorn]

Ah, yes. The joke FIFA rankings. Italy was...what?...13th right before the 2006 World Cup?

I can feel your jealousy. Look the second place, look.

[Keystone Phil]

Ah, yes. The joke FIFA rankings. Italy was...what?...13th right before the 2006 World Cup?

I can feel your jealousy. Look the second place, look.

Look at my team's four World Cup titles. Look.

[Peeperkorn]

Ah, yes. The joke FIFA rankings. Italy was...what?...13th right before the 2006 World Cup?

I can feel your jealousy. Look the second place, look.

Look at my team's four World Cup titles. Look.

We have four too. 1924 and 1928 are recognized as fifa world championships.

The stars, look at the stars:



And without help from Il Duce.

[Keystone Phil]

Oh, spare me...