EURO 2004 last stage

[Finellach]

Yes as I said I believe Portugal and Czechia will be in the finals. Netherlands has some chance, but since they are playing against home team which playes really good and has really great player on all positions I don't give them that much chance. That being said I think that Czechia if they go to finals against Portugal that Portugal will be the one to win it. Czechia has great midfield and attack, but it is my impression they have rather weak defense and although this has not shown yet so obviously I think it may pose a big problem for the Czechs in the finals against Portugal.

[azores]

Very good team are the Czech.r altough they had a couple of presents from the danish defence. Denmark may go home with Honour I adimire them, they did the game buy maybe more expierince is needed.
Holland are not giving their 100% just like Franca, I liked Sweden more yesterday. I think the Final will be Portugal-Czech.R. but thats an opinion and i wouldnt be surprised with any other final combination including Greece also.

[Henrik]

Though tonights result sorta hurts abit :( then i find conciliation in the fact that we got beaten by the team that i'm 100% sure will end up being European Champions - i also think that both Denmark and Czechia has shown the rest of Europe how a quarter final is supposed to be played.

I think the match - especially the first half - showed both some really great defensive and offencive play - just to bad for us that they scored a very IMO stupid goal which caused our defence to "bleed" and after the next goal our defence was dead - they really sorta stabed the dagger right into the heart of the beast and killed it ! ( metaphorically speaking )

So i'll gues that the la<st thing there is to say is that i'm looking forward to enjoy seeing Czechia :go: "slaughter" it's next "victim" Greece.

[Ledhead]

Originally posted by Ben Nevis

Little comment on yesterdays game. Dutch didn't play very well, but the Swedes played even worse. I think Holland is the right winner, but of course I'm biased ;). I look forward to the Semi-finals, although I'm pretty sure the Czechs will be in the final.

You think that a team that prides itself with their offensive football, has 60-65% ball possesion (Holland!) and still can't produce single goal plays better than a team thats style is to play organized and to counter (Sweden!)? Seriously...
I that case I don't think you posses much football knowledge in Holland as I thought you did:(
Swedens chances to score was more dangerous and frequent than Hollands.
Your defense was terrible btw, van Bronckhorst is a security risk like he plays, Larsson won everytime against Stam in the air (and Larsson is at least 10 cm shorter than Stam!) and de Boer would have gotten a red card sooner or later cos his so slow (he deserved a red card for what he did in the first half, the Dutch were lucky he got injured so that you didn't have to play with 10 on the field!).
Why doesn't Hoijdonk play from start?!
Or Maakay?
As I see it Holland won't be able to win against Portugal even with 90% ball possesion against Portugal with that starting team and the way you play. Portugal will play your shorts off!
Good luck!
:angel:

[Ben Nevis]

I didn't say we played well; only said we played better, check the stats at Euro 2004 (http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/matches/Round=1582/Match=1059190/Report=TS.html) , Holland had more shots and more shots on goal. Van Nistelrooy had three really good chances. One was a goal by the way, it wasn't offside. But anyway, I don't like counterfootball, thus I'm glad Sweden didn't win (besides the fact I'm Dutch of course :D )

[Elewyn]

:cheers: :hello: :cheers: :hello: :bowl:

woooooow!!!!
Milan Baros is a scoring killer!

To be honest, I think that the reslt didn't fit to the game. Denmark surely played better in the first half (except some 10 minutes in the beggining) :go: They had really good strategy of defending corners. I really hated that, they didn't allowed Czechs to have more than 4 or 5 players in the penalty area, having all 3 strikers on the central ring (so at least 3 Czech defenders had to be there). But first corner in second hald when taller defenders (Bolf and Jankulovski or Ujfalusi) went there, Koller scored, Danes had to open their play and it was time for MILAN BAROS!!!

After 70 mins, Czechs didn't try hard, they just defended (If you complain, tell me who wouldn't? it's not 1:0 lead after 3 minutes:)). I would prefere more attacks and breaks, but 3:0 was enough to get through, so I understand Baros going off and defensive play. Danes didn't deserve such result. Czechs were luckier team. One corner and 2 deadly strikes of Milan Baros (seen Poborsky's pass before 2nd goal? :go: ) decided the match. It was honorable defeat with result little more cruel than Danes deserved.

I hope Czechs will play against Greeks beter than the French did.

[Bagpipe]

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Greetings to all Czechs and their fans here! Sympahty to Danes, for such a good football they demonstrated in this EURO!

:cheers:

[Nike]

The EURO2004 Plan (http://berkstock.hit.bg/tmp/euro/euro2004_plan.html) - Fun! :D

PS. Cheers to everybody! :cheers:

[Henrik]

@Elewyn

I think that you give the danes IMO wayyyy to much credit ! - i'll agree that they played a great 1st. half, but so did Czechs - one has to admire their defence :go: i really enjoyed seeing the dicipline i.e. you could really see the "chains" or defencive lines which they formed - i noticed the danish team did the almost the same.

Now down to some of the core the problems the danes have: We have really problems when it come to scoring on freekicks and corners for that matter + we don't really have players which can kick and score from long a distance.........

I think that the danish team in general lacks some things like passing the ball between the players without hitting an opposing player - we loose way to many ball that way - what good can a great tactic do if you can't pass the ball to another teamplayer ?? - also i haven't really never understood why we always seem to have the "urge" to drible with the ball all the way into the goal :confused:

So i'll guess it's back to the drawingboard for the danes.

[Ben Nevis]

Nike

The EURO2004 Plan - Fun!

Haha, like it a lot (and it's true, somewhat ;) ).

[Ledhead]

Originally posted by Ben Nevis
I didn't say we played well; only said we played better, check the stats at Euro 2004 (http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/matches/Round=1582/Match=1059190/Report=TS.html) , Holland had more shots and more shots on goal. Van Nistelrooy had three really good chances. One was a goal by the way, it wasn't offside. But anyway, I don't like counterfootball, thus I'm glad Sweden didn't win (besides the fact I'm Dutch of course :D )

And the stats tell me that Holland was worse! Holland had the ball for a longer time than Sweden and still couldn't score a goal...
Holland Had more shots on goal and still couldn't score, not very good right?!
Sweden had two shots in van der Saars frame among other chances, so I don't agree with you on that either...
And I am as convinced that Nisterooys "goal" WAS offside that you are wure that he was not.
And...de Boer should have gotten a red card for what he did in the first half. You wouldn't have won against Sweden with 10 men on the field. The ref didn't dare to pull a red card so early in a quarterfinal...
So face it Holland, you were just lucky! Both with de Boer not getting a red card and then in the penalty shots. Sweden could have won just as much as Holland did. But that's the way it goes...
Just don't count on luck against Portugal, Holland needs to shape up for the semifinal.

[Ben Nevis]

nevermind, we will never agree on this matter

[Elewyn]

Originally posted by Nike
The EURO2004 Plan (http://berkstock.hit.bg/tmp/euro/euro2004_plan.html) - Fun! :D
:go: the most I like Holland, Croatia and Italy :D

PS: Ben. I don't agree with everything Leadhead said, but fact id that De Boer really deserved red card. It was sure he didn't want to play ball. It was a question of broken leg. I don't knw which foul deserves red card if not De Boers against Ljungberg (wI guess it was Ljungberg)

btw, I found one thing really strange to me:
Greece, 2nd most fouled team (http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/statistics/TeamStats/Category=DISC/Section=33.html) :scratch:

[azores]

I mights agree with a cpuple of your points my friends by no team reaches the semi finals of a european cup only with luck. all 4 semi finalist deserve their position and maybe yes also other teams deserved to be here but only 4 can play semi finals and only 2 will be in the final. however greetings to sweden and denmark for their good football.
COME ON PORTUGALLLLLLLLL !!!!!

[Ledhead]

Originally posted by azores
I mights agree with a cpuple of your points my friends by no team reaches the semi finals of a european cup only with luck. all 4 semi finalist deserve their position and maybe yes also other teams deserved to be here but only 4 can play semi finals and only 2 will be in the final. however greetings to sweden and denmark for their good football.
COME ON PORTUGALLLLLLLLL !!!!!

My point was that if a football match ends with penalty shots then it's most luck (or maybe unluck!) that anything else that decides.
As for the best team...well of course a Dutch will think that his team was better.
But to draw that conclusion by refering to stats that show that EVEN when your team had the ball much more, they still couldn't get it in the goal...And that that team then is better and deserves to win based on that fact is beyond me...
For me Sweden AND Holland was just as good, or just as bad. But Sweden was unluckier in the penalty shots.
Then of course we can also have a more philosphical discussion about how once offesive Holland has sunken to the same boring defensive type of football that Sweden plays...:p

[azores]

I agree , i love attacking football but lets admit one thing SOCCER IS A BEAUTIFUL THING BEACUSE IT MIRRORS LIFE, LIFE HAS MANY DIVERSITIES AND SO IS SOCCER EVERYONE HAS HIS STYLE.
GOOOOOOO PORTUGALLLLLLLL !!

[azores]

Tonight PORTUGAL-HOLLAND ohhhhhhh god mannnn . what do you think the final risult will be guys ???? brrrrrrrr

[Finellach]

Originally posted by azores
Tonight PORTUGAL-HOLLAND ohhhhhhh god mannnn . what do you think the final risult will be guys ???? brrrrrrrr

I tnink the voting quite clearly suggest's who will be the winner. ;)

[Ben Nevis]

I hope Makaay will play in stead of van der Meyde and not Overmars.

[azores]

We will soon know the game is about to begin in 2 hrs !!!!!!!