MERGED ----> the Euro 2004 thread + Say a little pray for France + England 1 France 2

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Oh, I have to say that the best moment was the Bar?a supporter who threw a FC Barcalona flag to Figo though. Especially when he - in his Jimmy Jumping T-shirt - jumped into the net of the Greek goal. :laugh:
 
That looked painful...the guy went full speed into it and more or less got clotheslined. Then 10 security guys jumped on him. :lmao:

...at least he wasn't naked. :shifty:
 
Congratulations to Greece, they deserved to win and they have played very well throughout the tournament, i'm very happy for them...plus I supported them from the start (though at first it was just because I wanted them to knock Portugal or Spain out).

I really hope we don't get tirades from people in the press saying greece's victory is a tragedy for the game or any of that crap like we got with the excellent South Korea etc in the world cup- the big nations have no divine right to victory and just because a team does not have a glorious past does not mean they can never be good. That really pisses me off.

Well Done Greece! :applaud:
 
I'm not a fan of either team, so this was a bit painful to watch. But I must say I absolutely detest the way Greece plays soccer, it's boring and unimaginative. They are like the bloody Italians, they don't play to win, they play not to lose. Hopefully score a goal and then all 10 men back, or all 10 men back right of the bat and hope for penalties. IMO, this is terrible for the game, and I cringe at the thought of the WC and how many other mediocre teams will go for this strategy exactly, totally shutting down any possibility of a creative game. Even the Italians finally started to realize that this was the way to play in the 60s but not anymore, then you get a team like Greece who gets lucky on this strategy, only giving other teams incentive to play this way.

I like an open game, and this EC was a total and utter disappointment to me, I must say. The Czechs were fun to watch and I liked the Dutch also - their game between each other on the 1st round was the best overall, IMO. Oh well, bring on the WC and the qualifying groups. Those can be a lot of fun too!
 
the same guy scored again :ohmy: :laugh:

final match was a copy of greece vs france match

unbelievable !!

congrats to greece and all greeks here ( no puns intended)

WELL DONE GREECE..

i think the dutch won against germany in hockey in final..they were leading 3-1 when i last saw.
 
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The Sage said:
Congratulations to Greece, they deserved to win and they have played very well throughout the tournament, i'm very happy for them...plus I supported them from the start (though at first it was just because I wanted them to knock Portugal or Spain out).

:|

Definitely Greece was the fair winner because they managed to score and we (Portuguese) didn?t.
We, Portuguese, all admit it ? we were not able to exceed and to play against Greece?s soccer so defensive and so ?destructive?. But, when I read this kind of comments, I realize that I am proud for being Portuguese: we know how to lose ( in contrast to other teams ) and we?re definitely the best hostages that this tournament could ever had.

I will never understand those of you who say that Greece "played well". :scratch: Greece does not play WELL. They play the worse soccer that I?ve ever seen. They deserve the Cup 'cause they had a cold and infallible strategy while that we play "with our
hearts".
I think that you wrote this out of spite or because you don?t really know nothing about good soccer (probably both). Though, I?m a fan of the English and of the Dutch soccer, they?re my favourite (as well as the Portuguese). Anyway, the Olympics are coming, and we?re playing in Greece. Who knows what can happen...


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I for one am thrilled that Greece won.... they did whatever it took to win.. no matter how pretty or ugly it was (although it looked pretty sweet to me).... and finally gave us Greeks something to be proud of! As a Greek-American I have never seen such a showing of Greek pride before..ever... people wouldnt even carry greek flags during our independence day parade that were handed to them for free but in these past few days...people couldnt get their hands on them fast enough! It was great and Greece finally gave us a reason to be proud.
 
White_Dove said:

I will never understand those of you who say that Greece "played well". :scratch: Greece does not play WELL. They play the worse soccer that I?ve ever seen. They deserve the Cup 'cause they had a cold and infallible strategy while that we play "with our
hearts".
I think that you wrote this out of spite or because you don?t really know nothing about good soccer (probably both).


I admit that Greece do not play with the greatest flair, but their strategy is as valid as any other and they played extremely well using that strategy, defeating teams such as France and the Czech Republic who would surely be considered to have far superior individual players...what an achievement that is and they deserve all the praise going to them. Personally I enjoyed the match, and for me watching the skill of the greek defence dismantling the portugal attackers was just as enjoyable if not better than watching the elaborate tricks and stepovers of Figo and Ronaldo, which ultimately got them nowhere, though maybe it was not the greatest match for people who believe that goals are all that is worth watching in football. Also I only wanted Portugal out as I believed England would struggle against them in the next round, not 'out of spite'.

As for your saying that 'I think that you wrote this out of spite or because you don?t really know nothing about good soccer (probably both)', this is untrue, as I am a football fanatic (perhaps the only thing that can rival my u2 fanaticism), but one that can appreciate many different types of strategy and play, attacking or defensive. I think you are the one who knows little about good soccer - Greece did not play badly because they played defensively. That comment of yours is the only spiteful thing I can see on this page, not anything I have said.
 
I agree with The Sage.

Consider who Greece beat: Portugal (twice!), France, and the Cezch Republic, not to mention holding Spain.

That's an accomplishment for any football team, let alone an 80-1 long shot.
 
Greece victory in euro 2004 was fully deserved and as an expert on international football, i think my opinion is a qualified one.

Also, the fact that greece won euro 2004 against all the odds, is one of the most significant sporting moments in decades.

Olympics mean bugger all when comparing it to the passon international football tournaments such as the world cup the european championship and african nations cup can generate....

anyhow, what an awesome tournament, roll on copa america
 
but their strategy is as valid as any other
Of course it is! As I said before, they're the fair winner ('cause they scored). No one's questioning that.

Personally I enjoyed the match
So did I, but we've seen better in this tournament.

dismantling the Portugal attackers
You're absolutely right. That's why we didn't score, and why they won!

if not better than watching the elaborate tricks and stepovers of Figo and Ronaldo, which ultimately got them nowhere
You're absolutely right. That's why we didn't score, and why they won! Again.

maybe it was not the greatest match for people who believe that goals are all that is worth watching in football
I'm not one of them. I simply don't like the soccer they play, that's all. England doesn't play that way, nor Italy, nor Holland, nor Portugal, etc. I just don't like their soccer, and that is all that I meant, nothing else. I've bean hearing lots of people who are experts in this matter (not only Portuguese) - including my dad, who used to be a soccer player - that share this opinion.


Also I only wanted Portugal out as I believed England would struggle against them in the next round
I thought you were referring to this particular match. Anyway, I think England wouldn?t have won Greece. How could they? England was the biggest deception (and I speak as a fan of their soccer) of this tournament. Portugal won fairly against England and Cezch Republic, the best team in this tournament - in my humble opinion also lost with Greece. Perhaps I didn't understand what you meant to say, anyway.


I think you are the one who knows little about good soccer
You wrong about me, and so was I (though it was only a thought...).
the only spiteful thing I can see on this page, not anything I have said.
I still think that it was out of spite that you said "it was just because I wanted them to knock Portugal or Spain out". I didn?t like that, of course, and I?m sure that you understand why. It's OK to admit that you wanted Portugal out, because Portugal sent England back home. I can understand that.

I also must say that Portuguese people never thought, before this tournament started, that we had the chance to get to the finals as we did. So we do think this the greatest thing that ever happened for us this year. We have already congratulated Greece for being Europeans Champion?s; we even celebrated with Greek fans after the game, in Lisbon streets.
 
brkngrrl said:
I for one am thrilled that Greece won.... they .... and finally gave us Greeks something to be proud of! As a Greek-American I have never seen such a showing of Greek pride before..ever... people wouldnt even carry greek flags during our independence day parade that were handed to them for free but in these past few days...people couldnt get their hands on them fast enough! It was great and Greece finally gave us a reason to be proud.

Congratulations. About the flags: you should have been here! We still have (even now!) our flags in our houses, in our cars, everywhere really. :cool: We need this to get on our feet again, 'cause we've been facing so many social and economic cruelties lately. We're a small country, but we received every single tourist better than they expected, and we're proud of it. Greece deserves the victory, but if Portugal had won, it would have been has fair ('cause it would have been something new for us too).
 
intedomine said:

Olympics mean bugger all when comparing it to the passon international football tournaments such as the world cup the european championship and african nations cup can generate....

I apologize if my English is not as good as yours (though I studied English at the University, I'm Portuguese), but I clarify what I meant: I did not have intention to compare our football (your soccer) tournaments to the football that will be played in the Olympics - the most important sports event of the humanity since the Antiquity. But I intended to remember that soccer is also going to be played in the Olympic Games of Greece. I?m not a soccer fanatic. I?m not a fanatic at all. But I do love sports, specially swimming. I feel that there?s a kind

I feel certain dissatisfaction from you. I feel that you are not to enjoying my comments (as a Portuguese citizen, obviously). I am being paranoid?! Maybe that?s why I?ve been coming here to often.

Enjoy yourselves.
 
intedomine said:
Also, the fact that greece won euro 2004 against all the odds, is one of the most significant sporting moments in decades.
don't know about that
Denmark proved back in 1992 that you don't need the best players to win the Euro Cup and Germany has proven over & over again that you don't need the best attack to win matches :wink:

Greece limmited themselves to what their good at
I still think if teams such as Czech Republic and Portugal had done the same and focussed more on their attack they could have won
it seemed they both played Greece with an element of fear in their game though

France lacked form
England and Holland lacked quality

Greece deserved to win
 
Salome said:

I still think if teams such as Czech Republic and Portugal had done the same and focussed more on their attack they could have won
it seemed they both played Greece with an element of fear in their game though

France lacked form
England and Holland lacked quality

Greece deserved to win

I agree with everything you just wrote. Actually, that's the current opinion around here. Everything's is well because it finished well.
I never thought I would feel this, and I have to share it with you. If I hadn't be here, I wouldn't believe what has just happened in Portuguese during this tree weeks. It was magic and I'm really satisfied to have been a part of it. I don't have worlds to describe all the union, all the friendship, all the joy, etc, that people shared all over the country, along the streets on this hot Portuguese spring / summer. I?ve never seen anything like this. Only the images can show a little bit of this magic.

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thing about denmarks victory in 1992, is that they didnt really deserve to be in the championship as they were only invited after yugoslavia got banned from the tournament, incidentally the danish coach was busy redecorating his house when he recieved the invite.

Also, back then it was only an 8 team tournament, and the normally strong Soviet Union was in the midst of dissolving.

Greece defeated a chain of traditionally powerful nations , france, czech, portugal twice, and were strong qualifiers for the tournament.

Denmarks achievement is significant, but piss weak compared with greece's.


White dove, you are being paranoid, lol, i meant no oppositional feelings towards you.
 
valentina said:
DO YOU THINK ATTACKS VS ITALY WILL NEVER GET TO AN END?

Only when the Italian players stop bitching about every little thing, stop blaming everyone else for their problems, and finally learn to accept that some things are their own fault. :wink:
 
intedomine said:
thing about denmarks victory in 1992, is that they didnt really deserve to be in the championship as they were only invited after yugoslavia got banned from the tournament, incidentally the danish coach was busy redecorating his house when he recieved the invite.

Also, back then it was only an 8 team tournament, and the normally strong Soviet Union was in the midst of dissolving.
Denmark defeated The Netherlands and Germany to win that title who at that time were definitely among the best teams of the world
(I have no idea who they defeated in the poule games to make it that far)

and the fact that they won it without any real preperation only adds to what an achievement it was IMO

Greece accomplishment is more impressing though
but it doesn't really tower over what Denmark did in 1992
 
intedomine said:

White dove, you are being paranoid, lol, i meant no oppositional feelings towards you.

;)
Thanks for letting me know.
And no I'm not (yet), though I enjoy pretending it... :)
Although I have strong opinions about almost everything, I can live peacefully with people who hare different ones. I'm a nice, happy girl, really.
:wink:
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best moment of the tournament for me was just the pure fact that greece won the whole tournament....although ballacks goal and the czech supremity in the groups stages were both unforgettable moments.

from a neutral perspective, ( although i hate england national team, ) it was great to see the underdog win, but sad to see the golden generation of portugese players miss out yet again, such a great group of players, inc. figo, costa....have failed to deliver after their success at youth level 15 years ago....even though their obvious class meat they deserved success
 
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