I know Switzerland has been stronger than Italy in last year, but historically the Swiss reputation dwarfs in comparison to that of the Italians. The victory wasn’t a complete surprise to me, so maybe I should have taken another example, Austria - Netherlands maybe, not a complete surprise to me either, but to most people not familiar with Ronald Koeman’s coaching abilities it probably was. What I meant to say is that countries without a great football history, are now able to compete with the so-called greats, and that can be interpreted as a good thing, but they are able to do so mainly thanks to their defensive skills and orgnizations, like you pointed out as well, and therefore these ‘competitive’ games are boring to watch. England - Slovenia, boring; Belgium - Slovakia, boring; France - Austria, boring, etcetera, etcetera. Even France - Holland was boring.
Why do I expect from Germany - Spain?
Both teams were among the more attractive competitors, so one would expect an attractive game, but who knows it will be one more of these games with two strong teams avoiding any risk and looking at each other in the hope that the opponent will make a mistake. I hope for an attractive game, of course, and it’s my feeling that the Germans will take it away in the end. Extra-time, penalties, or within 90 minutes with a goal in stoppage time, anyway. Spain was a pleasure to watch so far (haven’t seen the Albania game), but I’m not sure they are as strong as many people think.
I think we’re heading for a Germany - England or Germany - Switzerland final. I’d like to see the Swiss overthere in the final.
Well, at least they seemed to have woken up from their slumber. It looked a bit more like real football. In the meantime Austria is struggling against the Turks after a very early (and very odd) Turkish goal. 0-1 at halftime.
Yes, the Netherlands are back, and Turkey should be a good chance to reach the half final, and then …
I expected more from Austria, but then, according to what I have read (it was not on TV) they were the better team, but Turkey fought hard. So it seems it was a very entertaining game filled with tension.
I haven’t seen all 90 minutes, but yes, Austria seemed the better team but that early Turkish lucky goal (Austrian defense + their goal keeper looked very clumsy) made things very hard for them. The Turks leaned back and took away all the space the Austrians needed. And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, the Turks scored a second. The Austrian goal came too late, but still they were close to scoring the equalizer in stoppage time.
For me the usual football problem that the better teams do not automatically make goals in the phases they are dominating a game. In handball a team would need a lot of luck to win only by luck, in football it happens too often. And in knock-out games one cannot change a bad day, like in the liga system.
Whatever, Spain - Germany, I think both are more or less equally favourised, maybe a small advantage for Spain after the last games. I hope it will be an exiting game not dictated by mere precaution.
We’re now at the quarter-final stage and the surprise package of this edition are Türkiye. I wouldn’t put Switzerland among the surprises as they’ve been consistently in the knockout stages for the last decade. Although I think the Swiss have had their big win and England will at least grind along to the semi-final. Despite a succession of turgid displays they still have several rare players capable of individual brilliance. Indeed, Greece won the title in 2004 playing a similar style, though better organised, and the last to do so without the need of a penalty shootout.
The other quarter-final, Netherlands v Türkiye: the Turks will again have vociferous home support but the extra class and experience of the Dutch should be enough. I would like to see the Netherlands win another title, but like England, their Achilles heel is the penalty shootout.
On the stronger side of the draw, we have hosts Germany and much fancied Spain. On paper it’s difficult to call, but home advantage is a crucial factor, and Germany should prevail inside normal time. In the other quarter-final, France, a proven tournament team, albeit one that’s solid rather than spectacular, will likely see off dark horses Portugal. Mbappé has been a bit flat but he’ll probably hit form when it matters. I would still make Germany slight favourites ahead of France for the title but they’ll have to break a 40-year tournament hoodoo to do it.
Best match: Türkiye v Austria
Predicted semi-finalists: Germany v France and England v Netherlands
I agree. It could have gone both ways, but yes, Spain were slightly the better team. After 90 minutes I thought Germany would persevere and continue to put Spain under pressure, but they had probably wasted too much energy during the last 30 minutes of the game (to get level) and it was Spain that dominated in extra-time. Maybe the German also counted too much on the penalty shootout, they are normally very good at it while Spain hardly ever wins a penalty shootout. Anyway, Spain is now the great favorite to win the title and I think they are indeed the best team of this Euro 2024.
It was an exciting game, the best of the tournament so far, and now were back in doze off dreamland with France - Portugal, 0-0 at half time. The could do me a great favor and start with the penalty shootout at the beginning of the second half.
Boring France to the semi-finals. They haven’t scored a normal field goal yet: two own goals, one penalty against Poland and now 5 penalties against Portugal.
One consolation: Portugal was just as boring.
So much talent on the pitch, and yet so little excitement.
On the upside, we had the movie theater all to ourselves while the streets where swept empty and the rest of the soccer watching world was glued to the small screens outside cafes and bars
We have arrived at the semi-finals stage and guess who’s coming to dinner?
In many ways this was the tournament of the ‘minor’ teams: Georgia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, they all did better than most of us would have said before the tournament. But in the end the usual suspects will join the banquet: France, England, Spain and The Netherlands. Some of us might have tipped Germany or Portugal, but there can only be four teams in the semis and Germany was unlucky to meet Spain - now the hot favorite - in the quarter finals while Portugal didn’t survive a penalty shootout against France.
I’m hoping for a Spain - Netherlands final, but somehow I have the feeling that it will be France - England. They were the great favorites before the tournament but haven’t played a decent game yet. But … but they are still there, apparently they are hard to beat. The French haven’t scored a field goal yet (they only scored from the penalty spot and were helped by two own-goals from the opponent) but they haven’t conceded a single goal either (except from - you guessed it - the penalty spot). They are as experienced and inflexible as they are dull, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they would grab the title in the end.
Yeah, there seems to be a grim inevitability to France v England. The two pre-tournament favourites, neither of whom have really earned it thus far but both of whom are rolling on regardless. Of course I want England to win (and, failing that, Les Bleus) but, from a football neutral perspective, España-Oranje is far and away the preferable spectacle for the final.
England win a penalty shoot-out and I should be pleased. Well I suppose I was for a few moments. The way I was when I saw Halley’s Comet. It really doesn’t happen that often so seems special until you realise it’s just a dot in the sky and loses its appeal pretty quick.
But it wasn’t enough for me to become excited by the tournament and quell the frustration I’ve felt throughout with the negative, possession obsessed nature of almost all the team’s approaches. Someone (sorry, I forget who) said recently that this is just the nature of modern tournament football. The bar has risen enough in terms of technique across the board that almost everyone is capable of defending if they concentrate on it and everyone is therefore more focused on not losing than they are on actually winning. England and France should not be working towards penalties from the first half onwards. If football had been like this from the beginning we would all be watching tiddlywinks now. This is not the beautiful game. It’s a nervous angst ridden cousin of itself, living in the basement of its Mum’s house for fear of getting sunburned.
So, with no interest in watching the boring crab scuttling taking place in Germany I couldn’t help but think of ways that tournament football might be improved and it seems to me the missing element is rewarding attacking football for its own sake. We have seen the introduction of the Golden Goal in previous years but that didn’t help. In fact it made matters worse and teams just got more paranoid about conceding one than scoring one. And more penalty shootouts ensued.
So here’s my idea. Ready to be shot down but just as an exercise in at least trying to combat the problem at hand. i.e. the seeming advantage given to teams focusing on possession rather than genuinely trying to score a goal, which is, after all, what fans pay to see.
Throughout the game all shots on target are recorded in a running count and at the end of 90 minutes, if the game is tied in terms of goals scored, the team with the most attempts will be the winners. For the sake of clarity I would count any shot blocked which was heading in, any shot saved by the keeper whether heading in or not and anything that hits the frame of the goal as a shot on target. And a tally of these would be kept visible throughout the game. Much like the punches landed in amateur boxing.
In this way, teams will be forced to at least try and score to keep their attempt numbers up and players will be more incentivised to shoot, cross or in some way try and create an attempt on goal rather than just keep the ball and pass backwards rather than risk losing it. And to ensure that teams don’t get rewarded for just lumping it randomly goalward from their own half the attempt must come from within a newly introduced 30 yard line.
Feel free to expose any holes you see in this idea. I am so numb from watching this endless run of pointless football I can no longer feel pain.
We’ve now reached the semi-final stage and as expected the first quarter-final could have gone either way. I thought Spain sat back after scoring, inviting pressure, and Germany may have snatched it before Spain’s late extra-time winner. Spain will have a few defensive suspensions going into the semi-final and France may well go through if they decide to move up the gears.
As mentioned earlier, France haven’t scored a ‘proper’ goal in open play (they haven’t conceded one either) and Portugal failed to score in over 5 hours (!!!) of football. The ‘man in the mask’ had minimal impact again. But tournament football is a different beast. Expecting the fluency of elite club teams is unrealistic. The benchmark is Euro 2000 - arguably the greatest tournament in the modern era. Scrapping extra-time (as they do in Copa América except for the final, e.g. - yesterday’s dire Brazil v Uruguay quarter-final) would save a lot of time and effort, but would also be counterproductive: (1) It would make it even easier for negative teams to play for penalties. (2) For every dull extra-time period there’s an enthralling or decisive one too.
As for the two other quarter-finals: I fully expected England to get past Switzerland, one way or another. The Swiss merit plaudits for eliminating the title holders, but there’s a good reason why Italy lost to England home and away in the qualifiers. Although England can’t keep relying on a flash of individual brilliance if they want to progress any further. Türkiye were involved in the two most intense matches of the Rd 16/Q/F stages and had Netherlands rattled until Koeman made a bold change at half-time. The extra class of the Dutch prevailed in the end.
Very difficult to call this semi-final, but the Dutch may just edge it, if they avoid a penalty shootout.
@Phil_H If you don’t like it - just quit watching it, and ease the pain
Well. It’s going to be the pre-tournament favourites versus the obvious best side in the competition thus far. Cracking winning goal from Aston Villa’s Olly Watkins to be fair.
