[Soccer] Euro 2020 (2021)

Dave

Staff member
Yeah my fall from grace is happening right now. I knew it wouldn't last, but it would have been fun to win it all as an American.
 
By the way, the group points are averaged, so how many people are in a group actually doesn't matter too much.

And all of us are really quite close for the moment, within one goal of one another, so, exciting :-D
 

Dave

Staff member
I'm now #3 in our group. Told you the fall was going to be spectacular! At one point I was about 70 points ahead of everyone.
 
I'm now #3 in our group. Told you the fall was going to be spectacular! At one point I was about 70 points ahead of everyone.
I don't think it's updated with the scores from England - Scotland yet. Your 5 points from that will put you back ahead of me.

But Scotland didn't lose so I'm happy anyway :D.
 

Dave

Staff member
Yeah I'm the only one in the group that has Poland winning. So I can potentially lose a LOT of ground.

And THIS is where my ignorance is making itself known. :)
 
I also just want to say that in the category of most unearned scores, that 5-0 Spain-Slovakia was really sad. Slovakia has been playing above their level all championship, Spain has been underperforming, and now suddenly it's the biggest goal difference of the championship, Slovakia is out and Spain is through with a monster score.

I don't mind Spain winning (I mean, it wouldn't have been my choice) but 5-0 was really far too heavy a toll. Also, the Slovakian goal keeper is an idiot.
 
Alright... Belgium facing Portugal, then Italy, and France is we keep on winning and everything goes as expected in the other matches. Yikes.
 

Dave

Staff member
Boy I tell you what I'm still in the lead but I have no idea why. The scoring system after the initial rounds is confusing as shit. I have no idea what's going on.
 

Dave

Staff member
Belgium's win is amazing if you look at the stat line. Portugal outshot them 23-6. Belgium's goalkeeper stepped up huge.
 
Eh, numbers don't say everything.
Portugal had a LOT more shots...But the number of shots that were actually dangerous wasn't all that high. I think 6 between the posts out of 27, and most of those were easy pick-ups, too. All in all I think Portugal managed to create 4 or 5 really good chances (on which we definitely needed Courtois :-D). The Belgians played the way France played against us in the WC 2018: with the hand brake on, keeping everything locked, sure and focused, efficient.
You won't hear me say Belgium was the better team, nor that we brought the prettiest football, though.

On the other hand, the Portuguese coach saying our victory was "unfair" and "unearned", while they played so well, is just unsporting and useless. Yeah, congrats, the best team doesn't always win, that's sports Not to mention this ref really shouldn't be blowing on this level. he's been sent home from a large tournament before, and he should be sent home again. KDB may recover by Friday, though unlikely - Hazard's EC is over. Witsel got just barely away from what was intended to be a leg breaker. Pepe ripped Lukaku's shirt from how hard and how long he was hanging on - and killed a scoring opportunity, which means it should always've been carded.
When they got in trouble, they resorted to typical Portugese play, which is really dangerous. Pepe deserved a second yellow card, Paulinha deserved a straight-up red, Moutinho deserved yellow. No to mention the amount of times they deliberately went looking for the physical contact in the second half.

Our defense mostly neutralized Ronaldo, our defensive midfield closed down most passing lines, forcing the Portuguese to try rash long balls, or specific chosen passing lines left open to players who were watched.

With KDB and hazard gone, Italy will definitely be a very hard nut to crack, and even if we do, we seem destined to lose to France in the semi-finals again.
 
It seems such a shame that this golden generation of Belgians hasn't won anything, and time is gradually running out.

Also it doesn't help that your golden generation coincided with a frankly ridiculous French squad.
 
It seems such a shame that this golden generation of Belgians hasn't won anything, and time is gradually running out.

Also it doesn't help that your golden generation coincided with a frankly ridiculous French squad.
If the French were allowed to field two teams, them playing against each other would be a pretty decent finals. The breadth of their base and the individual quality of their players in every position is just ridiculous.
I think I'd put Courtois as being perhaps a bit better than Lloris, but otherwise... Yeah.
 

Dave

Staff member
Fucking France. Gets a goal in the 78th minute that ruins my prediction. I'll still get points, but I WOULD have gotten 30 had they just stalled for time. Dicks. Never thinking about me when they play.
 
Welp. Guess I'm not getting 75 points for predicting the eventual champions or the 20 points for the highest scorer. Damn you Switzerland! *Impotently shakes fist*
 

Dave

Staff member
That was a fucking amazing game, though. Holy shit. The pressure on poor Mbappe must have been monumental. I sure hope the fans don't take it out on him. He's pretty great and this should not be his legacy.
 

Dave

Staff member
I may not get many points from that game, but since I had England moving on I think I'll do okay later.
 
Ukraine. Seriously? The only third who went home was the supposedly strongest one - Portugal. Three group winners have gone home.
The match was an absolute snoozer though.
The red card was a shame. There was clearly no intent. Deserved, it was a dangerous intervention, mind you. But I always prefer cards given for bad behavior over those given for bad choices or bad luck.
 
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