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| Euro 2008- Group C (R); ROM, FRA, NED, ITA | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 22 2008, 10:53 AM (974 Views) | |
| rosarino | Jun 17 2008, 07:53 AM Post #61 |
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What must be frustrating for both Italy and France fans is their fate is a bit out of their hands now as not only do they need to win the World Cup Final replay but hope the Dutch reserves can get a result against Romania. Croatia is the blueprint since they showed it can be done, but they also were playing a weak Poland team, not a wily Romanian one. Romania has trouble scoring goals and no matter who is playing for the Dutch you at least know there will be talent out there and players capable of scoring on even as well drilled a defense as Romania's. Mutu looked shaken after missing that penalty the other day, how well does he bounce back? Romania needs him tonight. As for Italy-France, two aging teams in a possible last hurrah both needing a win, it has the makings of an exciting game. Hopefully it lives up to that billing. It is time for Toni and Henry to both step up. |
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| Merengue | Jun 17 2008, 09:25 AM Post #62 |
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But Italy and France only have themselves to blame for being in that predicament. They each got blown out by Holland and couldn't beat Romania. Personally I think it would serve them each right if they don't advance. I don't care who Spain gets in the next round but after getting hammered by Holland neither Italy nor France in my opinion deserve to move on. |
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| dafyd | Jun 17 2008, 09:32 AM Post #63 |
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All too true, Merengue. But if I had to choose between them, I'd go with the Italians. That's mostly due to personal bias, as I haven't liked watching the French sense Platini retired. |
| Leper In A Stange Land | |
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| Yogi | Jun 17 2008, 01:23 PM Post #64 |
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Forza Azzurri! Italy 2 France 0 Holland 2 Romania 0 So Italy joins Holland in advancing out of the group. Not a brilliant game from Italy but a solid one, much better all around that the previous two games. Ribery leaving early with an injury obviously hurt France and then when Abidal was sent off after 24 for committing a penalty on Toni, it was always going to be hard for France to come back. Toni was much better and linked up well with Pirlo tonight. This time Italy were looking for him with through balls or chipped passes as he'd time a run just right and this caused so many priblems for France and led to the penalty and sending off of Abidal. Toni had 2-3 other clear chances to score in the first half but couldn't but Pirlo expertly converted the penalty to put Italy 1-0 up at the half. In the 2nd half a deflected DeRossi free kick went in for the final margin and Italy cruied to a win thereafter. Only a curling Benzema shot which Buffon touched around the post, was the sole danger created by France. No Ribery=no creativity and Henry looked too old and Benzema too young to really trouble Italy's defense. The only dark mark on the day, yellow cards for Pirlo and Gattuso means they'll both miss the quarterfinal against Spain. I didn't see Holland-Romania but Huntelaar and van Persie got the goals as a Dutch team with 9 changes from their previous matches, stillw ent out and did the job. |
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| Simon | Jun 17 2008, 01:35 PM Post #65 |
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Congratulations to Yogi and our other Italian posters, comiserations to Nkono who must be pretty disappointed. Two very dull games unfortunately and not the exciting end to Group C that we'd hoped for, but it's the world champions Italy who advance to the quarter-finals. Yes, Italy weren't great tonight but they did enough to beat a really lifeless and out-of-sorts French team. I've never thought a great deal of Abidal and as a centre-back I thought he was a disaster waiting to happen and that's just what happened. Twice he completely failed to deal with fairly straightforward balls over the top for Toni, the first time he got away with it when Toni scuffed his shot harmlessly wide (something he did a heck of a lot!) but the second time Abidal was all over the back of the Italian, brought him down and conceded a penalty. Toni did link up better but really he looks so cumbersome and slow, and he must have had at least 4 or 5 decent chances that he made a mess of. The ref had no option but to show a red card and in hindsight once Pirlo scored from the spot the game was over because France never committed numbers forward, never played with any pace or urgency and really looked like they thought they were already out. What a disappointing contrast to the determination, energy and belief shown by Turkey they other day. Marcel Desailly was analysing it for the BBC and was laying into France for their lack of enthusiasm, but really that's what we've seen from them throughout their three games. Okay, they lost Ribery, but he was on the pitch for 90 stupefyingly boring minutes against Romania without ever stepping up to the plate. I did think France were more energetic against Holland but were outclassed and really over three games you could argue that they've been the disappointment of the tournament. There unfortunately has been no shortage of bad teams in this group stage, but at least nothing much was expected of most of the others and so the letdown hasn't been as great as with Domenech's team. With one crappy point against Romania and just one goal, France have gone out with a whimper and it seems they need to ring the changes, starting with the manager. I got irritated by the France-Italy game by about 70 mins and started flicking to and from the Holland game. Congratulations to Holland for their honesty - they made 9 changes but still fielded a decent side (ironically pretty similar to the one Van Basten had been expected to play as his starting XI) and looked to win the game. They met little resistance from a Romania side who have shown precious little evidence of any goalscoring threat in their three games and just didn't have the ideas or cutting edge to trouble even Holland's second string. So the 'group of death' was a slight misnoma as it featured one excellent team, one pretty average one and two who kind of made up the numbers. Nevertheless, it gave us two wonderful Holland matches and one between Italy and Romania that was also gripping entertainment. |
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| valenciano | Jun 17 2008, 04:40 PM Post #66 |
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That game was over when Ribery got hurt as he was the only French player with a chance to break Italy down defensively. Then combine that with Abidal's sending off and the penalty converted and the game was really over then. Italy won without playing great but we've all seen them do that before. Other than Benzema's shot superbly saved by Buffon, France never troubled Italy. Yet on the other end even before the sending off, Toni constantly got behind France's defenders. I guess we've seen how much Zidane means to France, without him (OK he played one game on one leg) in 2002 and now in this tournament they couldn't even get out of the group stage! |
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| enganche | Jun 17 2008, 05:17 PM Post #67 |
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Typical Italy, start off slowly, are surrounded by polemics but in the end they manage to survive getting out of the group. Watch out for them now. This may not be a quality Italian team but they are still going to be tough to beat and I don't think Spain are looking forward to playing them at all even if both Pirlo and gattuso will miss that game. As for France, they sure didn't show any of the spirit of the Turks did they? Once they went down they never looked like they could come abck and win it. It is time they rebuild a new team for 2010. |
| Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado | |
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| Manzanares | Jun 17 2008, 08:17 PM Post #68 |
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That had to have been sweet revenge for Italian fans as they finally got a regulation win over France. No question Italy were the better team. Before Ribery went out injured France had more of the ball but Italy were looking more dangerous, once Ribery left, it was Italy's game. I'm glad Gattuso and especially Pirlo will miss the quarterfinal as they are keys to Italy's midfield particularly Pirlo who looked like the Pirlo of old today. How Italy's creativity will be without him is a good question to ask. But Chiellini has played well and his addition to the lineup has solidified the defense. |
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| SuperEagle | Jun 17 2008, 09:44 PM Post #69 |
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It is hard to argue with the view that Ribery's injury took the wind out of France's sails. Then the sending off and penalty only added to their misery. Italy were the better team on the day and this should spur France on to rebuild their team and allow some of their older players to retire. And it also is time for a new coach. One who won't be so antagonistic with his players, press and opposition and one who can pick a squad better. What was Vieira doing on France's team when he was injured? I enjoy Holland's play and even if they were missing the majority of their starters the subs can also play. I saw an interview with Ruud Gullit today and he was asked to compare this current Dutch team with the 1988 European champions. He didn't get into a direct comparison but he did say that in 1988 Holland had much more difficulty getting out of it's group than the current team had. They really did make a mockery of the so called "Group of Death." |
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| historyman | Jun 17 2008, 10:32 PM Post #70 |
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I only saw the second half of the match, but it was enough for me to appreciate that France conjured up yet another dull, lifeless and uninspiring performance. Italy, as they have done in many previous tournaments, did just over the minimum amount required from them to qualify. I agree with you about Toni and his all-round game. How on earth is he firing in so many goals for Bayern Munich? Is he unsuited to playing against defences at the very top level? The most disappointing aspect of France's three games was the failure of Franck Ribery to light up the competition. I was waxing lyrical about him to my brother in law, who had never seen him play before, and raving about what a wonderful player he was. Sadly, for whatever reasons, he didn't really perform despite having an outstanding season with Bayern. I'm glad that Italy have qualified though. They add weight and intrigue to the business end of the tournament, and their Q/F against Spain should be a fascinating encounter. Spain have unfinished business with Italy of course. Who could forget their classic encounter with a Baggio-inspired Italy in the Q/F of USA '94? Great match, but Spain were very unlucky in that game. As the link below shows, Tassotti should have been sent off and Spain awarded a penalty after he elbowed Luis Enrique in the face. He was later banned for eight matches. What the clip doesn't show is that Julio Salinas, the 'English style' centre forward, missed an absolute sitter when clean through against Pagliuca. Yet again, the old cliche is true, if you don't take your chances... I did feel for Spain though, and I can imagine that some of the posters on here must be licking their lips at the thought of revenge 14 years later! Italy v Spain '94 |
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| Martin | Jun 17 2008, 11:50 PM Post #71 |
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I remember that 1994 game quite well and was screaming at the TV set back then when Tassotti's foul went unpunished. Back to the present, missing Pirlo and Gattuso but especially Pirlo will hurt Italy as Pirlo really picked his game up yesterday against France. But he stupidly got a 2nd yellow in the group stages for a foul because he thought France on a counter didn't kick the ball out of play with Perrotta down injured in France's penalty area! Luca Toni was better against France mainly I thought because of Pirlo's service towards him but historyman is on to something. Maybe Toni is one of those players who just plays better for his club than for his country? So with the way Toni has been finishing in this tournament can we really say when Abidal brought him down for the penalty he was the last man back interrupting a legitimate goal scoring opportunity!
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| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
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| Don Balon | Jun 18 2008, 12:15 AM Post #72 |
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I go back to what valenciano wrote earlier, this result shows how much Zinedine Zidane meant to France. When he doesn't play, this group of players looks leaderless out there. Other than Ronaldinho, has any other player dropped in form as quickly as Thierry Henry has? It definitely is time for new blood for France, both on the field and as coach. Like Martin, just thinking about Mauro Tassotti's uncalled foul on Luis Enrique gets my blood boiling. I had forgotten about that but we'll see plenty reminders of it in the buildup to Sunday's quarterfinal! Credit to Holland for still doing what France or Italy couldn't, beat Romania, even when using their reserves! |
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| raconteur | Jun 18 2008, 01:29 PM Post #73 |
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I am a day late to this discussion but I wanted to mention how happy I was with Italy's win over France. The Azzurri shut them down and Chiellini has really developed in this tournament as a top notch international centerback. Not bad for a guy who used to play fullback! Pirlo looked like the player we all know he is once more but his suspension will hurt. At least De Rossi picked up his play and his physicalness should be helpful against Spain's smaller midfielders. Cassano didn't have a brilliant game but made some nice contributions mainly with his passing and with Pirlo out against Spain this is where his passing will become even more important I feel. Finally there is Toni. he does need to finish better but Italy's plan of playng him through on the ground was much more effective than lifting high balls all the time to him. Spain fears Italy I think and that will be a big psychological boost to Italy in this quarterfinal. |
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| libero | Jun 19 2008, 05:30 AM Post #74 |
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I had been telling you raconteur about Chiellini. He is Italy's future in central defense and this tournament has been a great starting place for him on the international scene. Curiously both Italy's centerbacks, Chiellini and Panucci, are converted fullbacks. De Rossi I think will be a key figure for Italy against Spain with Gattuso and Pirlo both out. As raconteur writes, DeRossi's physcialness will be very useful against Span's midfield but his overall energy and ability to cover ground from penalty area to penalty area will be vital to the Azzurri's hopes I think. |
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