Euro 2004

[AdamW]

rob ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rb)
v. robbed, rob·bing, robs
v. tr.
Law. To take property from (a person) illegally by using or threatening to use violence or force; commit robbery upon.
To take valuable or desired articles unlawfully from: rob a bank.

To deprive unjustly of something belonging to, desired by, or legally due (someone): robbed her of her professional standing.
To deprive of something injuriously: a parasite that robs a tree of its sap.
To take as booty; steal.

 

[pipme]

Not good enough to be Euro champs ... again. Some things do not change.
Been watching for decades ... Just more of the same really !

P

 

[AdamW]

It's not that we aren't good enough, and it wasn't any fault of Portugal in my opinion. Great sportsmanship was exhibited by both sides (despite the obligatory stuntman-style dives when an opponent looked like they might tackle!), however the ref we had tonight, was a gimp.

I could make silly remarks about how "I thought the Swiss were meant to be neutral" but quite frankly I would rather just point out what an idiot he is.

Did I mention the ref was a gimp?

Oh, a few more points:

1) The ref was a gimp
2) There was a gimp on the field tonight, who was the ref
3) On the field tonight, we saw a gimp, in the uniform of a ref
4) All people on the field tonight, wearing black, were gimps.

 

[securespark]

So the England player who had his arm around the Port goalie (thus severely restricting the goalie's movements) was in the right?

Come on.....

 

[pipme]

It is precisely because we are not good enough that we lost.

Winners frustrate and bury their opponents, once in front, do not let them attack a suspect defence time after time ... did anyone feel that Portugal were not going to score? We all knew it was just a matter of time.

England played probably the best team whilst it was unsure of itself .. France, we gave the game away, could have damaged their confidence, maybe beyond repair ... Might have been strategically essential had we progressed.
Then two also rans, Portugal raised their game, as the hosts usually do.
Croatia don't really count in the winner's enclosure.

Sorry, but look at the rugby ... New Zealand and next Australia I am sure will show that the WC victory was a one off a 'rub of the green' .. not the dawning of a great new age .... Wait and see.

Decades of watching and waiting ... makes for cynicism.

P

 

[AdamW]

So the England player who had his arm around the Port goalie (thus severely restricting the goalie's movements) was in the right?

Come on.....

Oh, would that be the England player who didn't even know the goalie was there? You could say that the goalie put himself in that situation. In fact I will! Obviously not with the intention of England scoring a goal, he was just running for the ball like everyone else. But he had no chance. Campbell (who if I recall was the man who scored the goal) is about a foot taller than Ricardo. Seeing as it was a header, I really doubt the goalie would have been able to reach it first.

Don't get me wrong, I actually have a vested interest in England being knocked out of the tournament. I really don't think football is important. But in my opinion, the goal was ours.

Yes, we were playing defensively. Yes, they mounted a strong offensive (more like a swarm of Portuguese chaps around the ball!). But a goal is a goal. And whoever scores the most wins.

 

[securespark]

I can feel a disagreement brewing!!

He (England player) must have known the goalie was there: a) he was in the goalmouth and that's where you usually find the keeper. b) he had his ARM round the guy!

Don't tell me he didn't know he was there. That was a deliberate act.

 

[AdamW]

The linesman didn't seem to think so. He approved the goal, the idiot in the black uniform overruled him.

Now, can anyone tell me how many Euro games are refereed by a national of the country that got knocked out of the tournament in a humiliating defeat (3-0) by one of the teams of that evening's game? Not that it should be an issue. That is the whole point. Impartiality!

Urs Whatchamaycallit should never referee an international match again. He has shown he can not maintain the impartiality required of any umpire. Some of the free kicks he was awarding, I swear the Portuguese looked confused, like they couldn't understand why he was giving it to them.

 

[IanDB]

Roll on to the next World Cup.

 

[pipme]

Soccer again.
Been looking at rules for penalty taking.
I reckon most of the goalkeepers flout the rules, they are supposed to stand on goal line, not MOVE feet, until ball has moved a certain distance, let us call that 'until ball has been kicked' ... Yes, 'penalties' are generally meant to favour the taker not the keeper !!
Also if the keeper flouts the rules, ref is supposed to, in the event of a score give the goal - advantage I believe. In the event of a miss, rule the kick to be retaken.

Ungentlemanly conduct, such as a 'stutter' or 'feint' by the taker in the run up, just prior to the kick.
Postiga paused, whereupon our goalie fell over in shock, then scored with that awkward little chip for Port' v Eng .
In the event of a score, ref should order a retake, in the event of a miss leave at that. Cheats should not prosper.

Just lends weight to 'penalty shoot outs' being a farce.

Tug o' war is the sport of cider heads !!

P

 

[AdamW]

Ungentlemanly conduct

You see, I think this is part of our problem with international sports. We British (unless I am mistaken and it is just the English) place a lot of importance on sportsmanship. Cheating is seen as pretty much criminal (especially when it is the other side that does it!).

But if you go abroad, a lot of what appear to be common sense, unspoken rules, make no sense to them. Queueing is a prime example. The English will queue for anything. I have never seen a country so obsessed with queueing. And dare ye to step into our queue, and a vengance of tutting, along with mutterings of "there is a queue, you know" shall rain forth upon thee.

However, this does not seem to apply to a lot of countries. Even when they are in the UK. Last time I flew into Heathrow I had continental types pushing right in front of me in the passport queue. But being English, I just put it down to a lack of sportsmanship and eating funny food.

But there is one important point about international football: it's just not cricket

 

[securespark]

We agree at last!!

 

[pipme]

There we go !! back to normal, didn't we do well against New Z and Oz in the rugby series.
A whitewash tour down-under ..... Show me another World Champ side foolish enough to go lose so heavily immediately after becoming Champs ? All the ground gained in raising our confidence and lowering that of our potential opponents, gone in one tour ... They are already crowing about our 'lucky' W/C win.

How can a country of 20 M people produce Top cricket, rugby, rowing, swimming, cycling competitors. While we languish as also rans from a base of 60 M .....
Truth is, we are not good enough and allow ourselves to float on a sea of embarrassing media cr*p ...
One thing for sure :-
There's nothing like good cider to make your smile grow wider !!

P

 

[AdamW]

Truth is, we are not good enough and allow ourselves to float on a sea of embarrassing media cr*p ...

I did write an informative and thought-provoking reply that took nearly a whole page, but instead I decided to summarise it neatly in one sentence:

P*ss off!

 

[AdamW]

Anyway, there's more important things in life than sport and games. I was miffed at the England-Portugal farce, but it was because I am a "policeman of the world", stamping out injustice wherever I see it... well, pointing it out if it is on TV, or if the people doing the injustice are really big and look a bit hard.

I am sure that some pessimistic ass will claim I am wrong, but in important things in life such as science, medicine, technology and engineering (and some would say art, but I'm far too literal for that!) we are still in the elite few nations leading the world.

You may say "Engineering?! But what about the TGV?" I say "well what about the bridge across the River Tarn". You may say "but what about the NHS?" I remind you that "I never said we were world leaders in political policy." .

Truth is, we are a great nation of pessimists and a people with a dark humour and temperement. Other nations may sit around all the time saying "We are the best! We are the best!" but the English have always had a reserve. We are the best at being understated. And despite what we say about ourselves; everywhere I go in the world, people are always happy to meet an Englishman. So THEY can't think we are that bad.