UEFA EURO 2016 France / Tournament schedule in 1. post

Congratulations for the first Portugal title

I'm sad, but it's not worst than 2006, it's a defensive EURO, the best defense win.
 
bebo said:
Benzema was punish for his involvement in the blackmail scheme . This had nothing to do w/ a better Striker ! Portugal won it w/ a ST that hardly got on, yet he won it ! It's futbol , the result matters. I'm happy for Ronaldo .
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I mean player like Gignac should not be on the pitch ... this is Euro final not friendly or mexican league :FAIL:
I expected more spectacle not just few Sissoko runs and late goal by Eder. this is why I said this match missed some great players : Ronaldo, Benzema, Varane/Sakho ...

anyway It's nice for Ronaldo , finally won trophy with national team ... and for sure Ballon d'Or :P:P
 
YAY!!! Happy for Ronaldo and winning his first International trophy!! (I wonder what the Messi fans will say about this...surely this is a 1-0 in favour of Ronaldo)

Can't say they deserved it, but this is football and anything can happen as long as you keep on fighting. Portugal never gave up, even when their star was down and it looked like it was over, they kept on fighting and grew stronger as a unit. Ronaldo was also great going to each player and encouraging them to push on and then being a coach himself in the touchline to get his players going. Great leadership shown.
 
Well.. so many tournaments we were considered the 'sexy team', as one of those that had very attractive football...and unfortunately we weren't very lucky. This time we didn't play nice offensive football and we won...

Best image of the tourment, in my opinion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPhxspZQ5Q
 
Tunizizou said:
I mean player like Gignac should not be on the pitch ... this is Euro final not friendly or mexican league :FAIL:
I expected more spectacle not just few Sissoko runs and late goal by Eder. this is why I said this match missed some great players : Ronaldo, Benzema, Varane/Sakho ...

anyway It's nice for Ronaldo , finally won trophy with national team ... and for sure Ballon d'Or :P:P
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good point I always wonder why Kevin Gameiro wasn't involved.
 
Worst tournament since Italy 1990.
Worst final ever.
Worst winner ever, now i understand how Portugese people must have felt when they lost to Greece.

That coach should get a lifelong ban.

Football is supposed to be entertainment.

This tournament is an example for everything that is wrong with football. Players play 15 decent minutes and go to a big club (Batschuayi), players don't even play well but nonetheless they go to a big club (Meunier).

Nonetheless i saw a couple of very good young players in the Croatian and Portugese teams. I'm sure that this Portugese team can play attractive football too. Their best match was the one without Ronaldo, they even had a very good free kick...

Congratulations Portugal. Don't worry about the criticism and enjoy it. We are just jealous. You people deserve a title for all the great players that came from your country.
 
It is what it is. football is football. You can't expect Portugal to go all out attack against France, they did what they needed to win the title. Portugal (or Greece in 2004) deserved the title like any other winners. Whats the point of playing well if you can score goals? If people say portugal did not deserve to win the FInal, than France did not deserve to win against Germany and where will this end?

Many also complain about the 'unfair' bracket in the knockout stage. Will it would look more 'fair' if England and Spain actually performed well and won their groups.

Congrats to Portugal! Happy for Ronaldo, we can see how much this means to him.
 
gerd said:
Worst tournament since Italy 1990.
Worst final ever.
Worst winner ever, now i understand how Portugese people must have felt when they lost to Greece.

That coach should get a lifelong ban.

Football is supposed to be entertainment.

This tournament is an example for everything that is wrong with football. Players play 15 decent minutes and go to a big club (Batschuayi), players don't even play well but nonetheless they go to a big club (Meunier).

Nonetheless i saw a couple of very good young players in the Croatian and Portugese teams. I'm sure that this Portugese team can play attractive football too. Their best match was the one without Ronaldo, they even had a very good free kick...

Congratulations Portugal. Don't worry about the criticism and enjoy it. We are just jealous. You people deserve a title for all the great players that came from your country.
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Wow...
 
Not always the best wins, the best by far in this tournament and in the world right now is Germany.
the closest thing (among these teams) to a perfect football.
But, football is always and will always be affected hugely by little details and moments that change everything, sometimes a centimeter can change the course of history, in 2009 if Essien did throw the ball (instead of it slipping from his foot) in the 90th minute, Iniesta wouldn't score and the final would be MU-Chelsea.
If Silva scored against Netherlands in WC14, it might have ended even 3-0 or more for Spain.
and there's infinity of IFs in every moment.
of course I don't deny the hard work, skills, tactics. But always little details are a factor.
 
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gerd said:
Worst tournament since Italy 1990.
Worst final ever.
Worst winner ever, now i understand how Portugese people must have felt when they lost to Greece.

That coach should get a lifelong ban.

Football is supposed to be entertainment.

This tournament is an example for everything that is wrong with football. Players play 15 decent minutes and go to a big club (Batschuayi), players don't even play well but nonetheless they go to a big club (Meunier).

Nonetheless i saw a couple of very good young players in the Croatian and Portugese teams. I'm sure that this Portugese team can play attractive football too. Their best match was the one without Ronaldo, they even had a very good free kick...

Congratulations Portugal. Don't worry about the criticism and enjoy it. We are just jealous. You people deserve a title for all the great players that came from your country.
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I agree entirely with you, Gerd. It was one of the worse tournamets I've watched in my entire life. It's not about being deffensive, it's about being mediocre.

I was slapped match after match, witnessing the deffensive, destructive football going on. The only team that tried to do something remotely interesting was Germany. It didn't help that due to circumstances the best teams were all on the same side of the competition.

When Greece won the title against Portugal years ago, it was terribly unfair, but Greece was what it was, you couldn't ask more from them. The current Portugal is not Greece, they could play a far more attractive and offensive football and they don't. That's what makes me very sad.

I know defending is part of football. But everyone has tastes, and mine goes with teams that try to play the ball, be creative and brave. I would cheer the 2004 Portugal team, it was a joy to watch. This one? I wouldn't want to watch them again for a long time.

It seems that mediocrity is extending to all areas of society.
 
drekkard said:
I agree entirely with you, Gerd. It was one of the worse tournamets I've watched in my entire life. It's not about being deffensive, it's about being mediocre.

I was slapped match after match, witnessing the deffensive, destructive football going on. The only team that tried to do something remotely interesting was Germany. It didn't help that due to circumstances the best teams were all on the same side of the competition.

When Greece won the title against Portugal years ago, it was terribly unfair, but Greece was what it was, you couldn't ask more from them. The current Portugal is not Greece, they could play a far more attractive and offensive football and they don't. That's what makes me very sad.

I know defending is part of football. But everyone has tastes, and mine goes with teams that try to play the ball, be creative and brave. I would cheer the 2004 Portugal team, it was a joy to watch. This one? I wouldn't want to watch them again for a long time.

It seems that mediocrity is extending to all areas of society.
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Drekkard, you've admitted not long ago that Barca's style is defensive, but you never had an issue with it. Why's this an issue now? Because it's a different type of defensive football?

I don't mind any style of football, even if I dislike it. I just wouldn't support that style. Any team can play any type of football they want and perfect it and have the others beat them if they can. Sometimes it's really ugly to watch but so be it. This is ironically the beauty of football. As long as all these types are within the boundaries of football rules.
 
bebo said:
good point I always wonder why Kevin Gameiro wasn't involved.
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Gameiro isnt a Target Man like Giroud, Benzema or Gignac but in the end, Gignac is not Euro Final or Euro material at all. In that aspect id rather brought Gomis instead of him, he is much physical at least even he isnt better. The best alternative would have been Rémy, he is more of a complete striker, was he injured?


Btw u cant blame all this on Gignac, it was the coach and teams fault that they played the waiting game with a much better squad even after Ronaldo was out.
 
the Portugal we saw in this tournament was the 1st step in building an organized football team, in football you must always start by building your defensive systematic.
Portugal after 2006 were in years of darkness, nonsense and no-tactics, they were a team full of skillful players but with no tactics, now after 2014, they started building a team as if they are amateurs.
the "signs" of this phase of the cycle is : you defend well as a team, and you don't perform well offensively, which means, a far from attractive football. And we can see that especially in counter-attacks, where most of the players placements and movements were random or just driven by the players' instincts. no strategy, no programmed movements and combinations.
the same goes when Portugal were attacking any team, they couldn't build variant attacks.

well, after securing the first phase and the defensive systematic building, you can now proceed to the next level. If Portugal's coach is good attacking-wise, he'll start working on that matter, if not, he'll keep the same style.
 
Gignac almost scored the winner.

I have nothing against Portugal, but i don't like the cynicism of their coach. In the end he won and people will think he's right. That is what infuriates me.
This style of play will be copied.
 
I agree with Gerd. The problem isn't necessarily the style and definitely not the process of change/stability to attack...the problem is that all fans/bosses want results. This is a results driven sport where sometimes no matter how great you've played, how attacking, how beautiful, if you don't produce the results, then that style is "wrong" or "doesn't work". Then they will see which teams win, how they won and just replicate that instead. Again, Results!

For example, look at the most beautiful team to play in a World Cup (according to many great players/pundits), the 82 Brazil team with Zico. That team was hailed as the most talented, the most beautiful in their style of play, their happiness, and free-flowing goals. But they didn't win, and in Brazil, the next coaches all moved away from playing like that and went to a defensive approach which go them the 94 World Cup. Then, purely because of 3 great flair players in 2002, their defensive approach wasn't too defensive because of the attack, but it was still nothing like the 82 team and even up to now, they never dare to play so freely. Results matter.

Same with Netherlands of 74, and all the other great teams....I am afraid that in the future, more and more teams will adopt the defensive approach cause they are scared to lose. Afraid that an error against a defensive side will lead to them losing their jobs, reputation, etc....
 
Whats wrong with defence, killing the play then counter? Weaker sides should do that, part of the game. Not every team has the team quality of Belgium or Germany. Btw Belgium also plays for counters only. Germany and Belgium were the only team wich didnt change its style during the tournament, even Croatia and France did. Maybe Spain aswell? Havent watched those games.
 
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gabe.paul.logan said:
Whats wrong with defence, killing the play then counter? Weaker sides should do that, part of the game. Not every team has the team quality of Belgium or Germany. Btw Belgium also plays for counters only. Germany was the only team wich didnt change its style during the tournament, even Croatia and France did. Maybe Spain aswell? Havent watched those games.
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ok, maybe I should clarify. Nothing wrong with Iceland and other smaller team with less attacking talent to defend and play counter. My biggest problem is with the teams with attacking talent, with players that can attack with intent and flair to just sit back and defend until extra time to lob the ball into the box and pray that a mistake happens...or a lucky strike appears...
 
today's Portugal isnt the team wich can press any team for 90 minutes, no disrespect but besides Ronaldo and Pepe no star players there, they had to play like this. im more sad to see France and Croatia go out with that safe play, dropping their own style for the sake to seize the moment of a mistake
 
Parabéns aos irmãos portugueses pela grande, e merecidíssima, conquista!!!


To all the people that said Portugal don´t deserve the title, or that they play ugly football, or that not always the best wins ect, i think you people should start watching football from a different perspective. A football game is about offense and defense and the success depends mostly on the balance of those 2 things. It´s a 50% ofense and 50% defense game.

I honestly don´t see any difference from the semi between Germany and France than the final. Many said Germany played much better and deserved to win, i think the oposite, France played better in the semi because it stopped Germany from scoring AND scored twice. Same thing in the final. Portugal played better simply because stopped France from scoring AND scored a great goal. If the result was achieved on penalties or with a referee mistake i would agree about France deserving it more, however the result was done in the 120 minutes with a fair goal, nothing to cry about.
 
I don't cry.
I just don't like the cynicism of Portugal's coach.
This is far from a weak team, they have some good young players and a global star.

It's all very subjectieve and in thee d winners are always right.
 
Sorry if it looked that my post was directly to you, gerd, it really wasn´t. It was more of a generalization for all the media talk since yesterday.

I also understand your angry about Belgium, for me you guys had one of the best teams of the tourney (theorically) and i really though you would be in the final after the draws were set.

National teams coaching is always a complicated science and something totally different from a club coaching... maybe some cynicism and arrogance is necessary in the process, who knows...
 
I think this tourney wasn't the worst . I get the format change led to this. I was impress w/ Italy the way they beat Spain was glorious. I think Belgium are like a bird w/ all the great looks ,but has annoying voice(WC contender nonetheless). France played great ,but in the end that bit of magic wasn`t there. Portugal, what a shocker! Ronaldo leaving injured ,but inspired from the bench- sideline motivator (took Moutinho, motivated, him to score penalty) :WORSHIP:

Messi in contrast might learn a bit about supporting and inspiring your teammates from the bench. Ronaldo will be a good motivator as a coach. Messi don`t have that in his tank. I think that is hard to see many folks world wide! Argentina w/ Messi sulk , Ronaldo w/ Portugal :COOL: In the end Messi retires and Ronaldo inspires.
 
Island win over England
144e79a3-8283-40ca-9aec-a038c1ee218a.jpg

92' min ... Gignac hit the goal post !
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Ronaldo injury
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Zaza penalty
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Srna tears
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Shaqiri acrobatic goal
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Payet last minute goal
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Portugal 3 - 3 Hungary
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Switzerland kits
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Corluka injury, but still playing
624b4d00-303d-483b-8c4a-fc57acdad863.jpg

Joachim low
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Lami said:
Drekkard, you've admitted not long ago that Barca's style is defensive, but you never had an issue with it. Why's this an issue now? Because it's a different type of defensive football?

I don't mind any style of football, even if I dislike it. I just wouldn't support that style. Any team can play any type of football they want and perfect it and have the others beat them if they can. Sometimes it's really ugly to watch but so be it. This is ironically the beauty of football. As long as all these types are within the boundaries of football rules.
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Hi Lami, I think you got it very wrong here... Of course I admitted that Barcelona under Pep Guardiola was deffensive in the sense that they tried to deny the ball to the opponent and control the game at all times. That's obvious. But it was based on skill and creativity. Under Guardiola, while being very deffensive Barcelona was at the same time very offensive when they found spaces. It was all about creating the right space and then take profit of it. And they did it in a way no one had done before, playing with exquisite technique and skills. That's the reason why it was one of the teams generating more goal chances in the planet.

To compare that with the overall style of the Euro... Sorry, but it's a bit absurd. I'm not against trying to be deffensive; I praised Simeone many times, for example. I'm not against defending. But I'm against defending as the only purpose of the game and specially HOW you do it.

The average level of this euro has been excruciatingly low, for all teams. The fact that deffensive/destructive football has had such good results is because no one played to win, it seems that everybody played to avoid being defeated. And it saddens me. The final was a good deifinition of it. Two teams with too much fear to loose, trying to prevent the other team from scoring at all costs, but forgetting to create, or just being too mediocre to do it. Look at France squad: 4 defenders and 3 physical DMF!!! Really? That's the best they can do?

At the end the winner almost always deserves the title, though I really didn't care much about who won it (actually I was watching Calexico live and only watched since halftime). Only Germany tried to play football the way I like it. Oh, yes, I loved how Iceland, Wales and Poland made the most out of it, they did what they had to do.

I agree with Gerd, it seems that the result justifies everything. It might be me being too old, but I don't remember such a skill-less, creativity-less tournament in my entire life. Copa America came close, though, and it worries me as it seems a world trend.

I feel as if all skill and personality is being thrown out of the game in favor for very physical, tactical aspects. And tactically there's too much fear and results justify everything. Personally, this is just the opposite of what I like. Personal oppinion, of course, but totally coherent.
 
I didn't like it when Ronaldo was on the bench line, that's not professional, that area is reserved for, and should be ruled by the coach only. I understand Ronaldo's enthusiasm, but a captain doesn't do that.
 
jihado86 said:
I didn't like it when Ronaldo was on the bench line, that's not professional, that area is reserved for, and should be ruled by the coach only. I understand Ronaldo's enthusiasm, but a captain doesn't do that.
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I was very surprised that he wasn't booked at all. At times he was even out of the Portuguese technical zone. The need of attention of this guy is incredible, but what's shocking is that no one told him anything and he could freely do what he wanted.

By the way, I think that Eder totally changed the match, he was the key player in the final, and not because of the goal, but the way he single-handedly earned space and time for his mates. I'm very impressed by how bad was the reading of the match by Deschamps at that point.
 
^^

agree, the depth he gave to the attack was really impressive, also in the goal, he covered his ball efficiently until he found some space to shoot, that was the work of a classic number 9.
 
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