Bosvelt for Robben was the stupidest caoching decision ever.
The ref hated van Nistelrooij. What does it take to get a PK called??
Horrible red card (2nd yellow actually). That wasn’t even a foul, let alone a card.
Just found this thread! Doh! :smack:
Was anyone else watching Sweden-Italy yesterday? Zlatan’s goal was just astonishing! (…unfortunately for ValleyGirl [4 months], who got a bit jostled while we all jumped and screamed. She started crying. I guess it’ll take a few more years to make a real football fan out of her, although she looked adorable in her yellow and blue.)
Too bad Sverige’s first half stank up the screen. Lucky to get a tie, they were.
My stomach hurts. 
An actual foul? Although it does seem that RVN’s constant cheating is starting to rebound on him now, as referee’s expect him to be on the floor constantly.
Yay! Finally someone here acknowledges the best goal in the tournament so far. Zlatan will go on to be one of the top 5 strikers in Europe, I think. I’m really glad Sweden have him. Think that they will manage at least a draw with Denmark to get through group stages. Hopefully Denmark and Sweden are the two teams to go through. Would like to see Italy knocked out in group stages (always fun to see big teams fall).
Yesterday’s Czech - Holland game was probably the most entertaining I’ve seen so far in the tournament. Its always fun to watch some offensive goal scoring football. It should be interesting to see how the Czechs play in the final group game. Personally, I’d like to see the Germans go through, so this could be a good thing.
It’ll be a fun next 4 evenings of football to watch…
Slight hijack, but what is the correct spelling of his name? On the Man U shirt it said Nistelrooy but I see the Nistelrooij spelling a lot - including (I think) on the Dutch shirt. What’s up with that?
Larssons first goal was better than Zlatan’s. Zlatan isn’t a team player.
He’s grown quite a bit as a team player, I think. That’s why he is now a part of Sweden’s starting XI as opposed to previously. I was convinced that he would take the shot on his own in Sweden’s opening game vs Bulgaria when he passed nicely to Ljungberg for the 1-0 goal. I think he’s exactly what Sweden need. Someone who can win header duels and keep the ball long enough to let the rest of the offence move up as well.
Now, I’m just counting the hours until tonights Spain-Portugal game. I think that home country advantage will take Portugal to next stage. Or at least I hope so…
Colophon, the correct Dutch spelling is “Van Nistelrooij”. The “ij” combination in Dutch amounts to a “y”, though, so it’s a small step, and indeed both names exist.
As for the match:
There’s tons to be said - I think both sides played really well, with a fantastic Dutch side in the first half. We didn’t have the ref with us, that’s for sure - certainly at least one penalty there for Van Nistelrooij. And Heijtinga never should have gotten a second yellow for that foul. It’s not like he was constantly tossing Czechs to the ground - he’d gotten one deserved card, and that should have been it - this was a mild foul. Free kick, sure, but never a yellow. Then some bad luck scorewise - Davids hitting the post, Seedorf missing a long shot by mere decimeters, Van Nistelrooij for some reason finding it entertaining to hit the keeper instead of the net…
… but at the end of the day, there’s just no fucking excuse for giving away a 2-0 lead when you’ve got a team with THIS much quality. I can only console myself with the thought that the Czechs should go very very far indeed in this tournament.
Yeah, we can still qualify - surely we’ll beat Latvia now, but then it’s up to the Czechs. Will they show sportsmanship, and go all-out against Germany? Or will they do the sensible (if not so fun) thing, field a B-team, and play just to get the match over with? Frankly, I couldn’t blame them if they chose option “B”. Ferchrissakes, I hope they at least draw against the Germans, because frankly, even though Holland have shown that they are still desperately good at rescueing a defeat from the strong jaws of victory, they are just far more entertaining than Germany, if yesterday’s match was any indication. So, if the two most entertaining teams of Group D should make it to the Quarters, they definitely need to be the Czech Republic and Holland.
And I say that without patriotism whatsoever, for I’m quite disappointed with the effectiveness of our national squad. Advokaat should resign for that stupid substitution alone. Robben was the best man on the pitch.
I disagree. I see this kid play on a weekly basis for Ajax. He’s grown tremendously as a team player. Van der Vaart is a lot more selfish than Ibrahimovic.
The only thing missing on one play was the decency of a reacharound. When the defender has his arms wrapped around you while dragging you down, that is quite clearly and unmistakenly a foul.
damn russians!
why didn’t you score in the second half to net me a nice wedge from Paddy Power?
roll on Zidane and Hakin tomorrow with a 11-1 bet on them both scoring during the 90 mins.
Yes, that was an impressive goal as well. I can’t imagine having the ability to throw myself into space like that knowing it’s gonna hurt like heck when I land. Add another line to the long list of reasons why I’m not a professional-grade football player.
I don’t like it anymore.
I’m Dutch, support my team terefore. Always support Italy as plan B (due to them being so goodlooking. Typical woman footie fan. :rolleyes: Started a whole thread about it, which no one will take me up on.)
They both play great. And draw/loose in a stupid fashion. I have the evil eye, I think.
C’mon now. I want Holland to win and I want to watch Italian men in shorts.
Sulk.
The hour draws near…A nation holds it’s breath…
And I for one am a bit alarmed by the assumption that we will casually smite the Croats. We could be in for a nasty shock.
According to the press they are going to targhet Rooney as they think they can wind him up enough to get him sent off. This is playing right into our hands I think. If they spend all their efforts on Rooney they will take their eyes of Owen, Scholes, Gerrard etc.
Also the Croatians seem to be a tall team and we most certainly are not - so I have concerns around set pieces (especially with Calamity James in goal).
I am already excited and nervous. God knows what I’ll be like by 7.45.
[QUOTE=PookahMacPhellimey]
I don’t like it anymore.
I’m Dutch, support my team terefore. Always support Italy as plan B (due to them being so goodlooking. Typical woman footie fan. :rolleyes: Started a whole thread about it, which no one will take me up on.)
QUOTE]
Not to get sidetracked but, as reported in the Observer on sunday according to something called the Gay Football Supporters Network these are the most attractive players in Britain.
- Thierry Henry. 2. Wayne Rooney. 3. Freddie Ljungberg. 4. Shay Given. 5. Steven Gerrard. 6. James Beattie. 7= Danny Murphy, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer. 10= Jake Robinson, David Unsworth
My wife thinks that Totti is accurately named. He must remind her of me 
Admit it, you put those names in yourself. Or maybe the Gay Football Supporters Network is pulling our legs.
So long as they’re not pulling anything else, I can live with that. 
Besides, there’s no such thing as the Gay Football Supporters Network really. They’re all too busy decorating and offering lifestyle advice to watch such a rough, boisterous game no matter how manly the players are.
Not this time.
Lobsang, I noticed! Goooooo, England. [I always yell for the ones I like at this moment ;)]
PookahMacPhellimey is a woman? Gooooooo, PookahMacPhellimey 