“Britain”, my arse. There are definitely better looking players than Rooney and Murphy in Scotland.
As for Zlatan, I’ve recently been alerted to this page, which highlights some of his pithier moments. (Sample quote: Reporter: “You’ve got some scars in your face, Zlatan. What has happened?” Zlatan: “Well…I don’t know…you’ll have to ask your wife about that”) I like this guy a lot.
Here is the Gay fotballers list in all it’s glory: (safe for work etc)
http://www.gfsn.org.uk/news.htm#News1
Odd to see that Luke Chadwick and Gary Doherty didn’t make the list.
On more important matters - Rooney - what a star!
I think we’ll deal with the Portugese reasonably easily if we can keep them away from set pieces in dangerous areas.
Congrats, Ingerlund, on a match well played, and a deserved qualification.
I’ll eat crow wrt Rooney. I dismissed him after the match against France, but he was fantastic last night! I guess Evertons budget is sorted for 2005, huh?
Truth be told though - that Croatian goalie really, REALLY sucked donkey arse. Both Rooney’s first goal as well as Lampard’s weren’t all that difficult to stop for any goalie worthy of a Euro championship. Why the hell doesn’t Croatia field Didulica?? He has some playing experience with Ajax, and he’s certainly better than that poor chap we saw last night.
Thursdays Portugal-England QF ought to be a complete thriller, but if you don’t mind, I’ll be crossing my fingers for the Czech Republic first. They need to draw or win against Germany. Of course, this is me labouring on the impression Holland will actually beat Latvia, which of course remains to be seen. :eek:
If Holland don’t go through it’ll be a tragedy.
Their game against the Czech republic was one of the best games I have ever seen.
Whereas Germany have been very dull and ordinary so far.
I second what Coldfire said. Rooney had failed to impress me until last night. He’s always seemed to be more youthful energy than anything else, the kind of ‘skill’ that rapidly fades after a couple of season. But there are definite signs there that he could be on the way to world class. Unless he’s another Gazza.
But the Croatian keeper really was a muppet. Two of England’s goals were very softly given, and his acting up when ever anyone went near him was embarrassing.
Oh, they’d better. Or else Dick Advocaat will be strung up by his balls when (and if) he comes back to the Netherlands.
I liked Wim van Hanegem’s (co-trainer of “Oranje”, for those unfamiliar with him) comment when he was asked what he would do if Holland was leading 2-1 against Latvia, and Advocaat decided to bring in a defender for a forward. His answer was:
This translates to: “I’ll punch him out!”. My follow-up question would have been: “But Wim, why didn’t you do that very thing in the 60th minute of the match against the Czech Republic?”
I just hope the Czechs don’t decide to protect their entire team, and let Germany beat them. I can understand if Nedved and Poborsky don’t play, but at least give your team half a chance to beat the Germans. Please? I have a Czech colleague here at work, and I have alredy warned him not to show up on Thursday if Germany wins, otherwise he will be risking his personal well-being.
A general question:
Where are you all watching the games? Pub? Giant Screens? At home?
I am watching most of the games at home, with the England games down the pub (which get VERY busy indeed).
Wow, you really want Germany to lose, don’t you, MH? 
The Van Hanegem comments were even more precise - he gave than answer in response to the question what he’d do if Advocaat were to take Robben off for a defender like in the match against the CR. Then he went on to explain that he actually had argued Advocaat should take Van der Meijden off, instead of Robben. He revealed quite a lot. Perhaps he’s warming up to fill the gap? Personally, I think Advocaat’s history anyway, even if Holland win the entire tourny.
A propos, what kind of name is “Wayne Rooney”, anyway, for an Englishman? It sounds American, fercryinoutloud. Perhaps it reminds me of Wayne Rainey too much (former 500 CC bike rider in the late 80’/early 90’s). 
Owl, I tend to watch matches at home, alone or with friends (Holland matches usually in company, of course). If Holland make it to the finals, I’ll be watching that at a quarter to noon local time, in whichever pub has the relevant satellite TV in Phoenix, AZ, as I’ll be visiting my lovely wife there. 
Nah, it sounds Irish.
Mostly, either at home or at work, but I’ve seen a couple of them in the pub as well. I’m really not going out of my way to watch them at all this year.
I watch the games at home also (with the wife and kids). Since my wife is Brazilian, watching an exciting match can be a pretty loud affair. You should have heard her during the match between the Czechs and Dutch. She was ready to kill the referee, if given the chance. In her opinion the second card against Heitinga was a joke, and Ruud van Nistelrooy deserved to get a penalty when he accidentally became part of a wrestling match at one point. For some strange reason (having to do with my personal well-being this time) I agree with her.
Coldfire, you’re right, I really don’t want Germany to win. They don’t deserve it, and just for once I would like for a German team to actually finish an important tournament according to their actual skills, instead of always ending up in the finals anyway. For once, I want Gary Lineker’s famous quote to not become a reality.
I also think van Hanegem’s comments yesterday were to prepare us for the days when he becomes “Bondscoach”. He can’t be worse than Advocaat. I think the problem is not that Advocaat is a bad coach, it just seems like the man is scared, and afraid to take risks or do something too spontaneous and “out there”. Taking risks and doing something spontaneous is what Dutch football is all about. Do you think van Basten could have scored that incredible goal against the Soviet Union in 1988 if he had thought about it first?
Ha! You make it sound like an achievement.
And to answer **Owlstretch’**s questions. I’ll be watching at home. Tonight so I can drool in peace. For the Holland match there’s no point watching it in the pub away from home. Actually, I don’t miss the bars full of fans half as much as my dad’s who’s shouts are so loud you can hear him halfway up the street.
Sounds like my wife. I’m surprised the neighbours haven’t complained yet. Since she doesn’t really have a preferred team in most matches, any exciting action will elicit a scream and stern looks from me (at least as long as she doesn’t see me).
I take my little boy down the pub to watch the England games and frankly the imaturity is becoming a bit embarassing. The tantrums, wilfull disobedience, refusal to get things in perspective, tears and rages, and general childishness is really becoming a bit much.
I buy him a coke he promises not to tell the wife what i’m like.
I am German, and even if you all will hate me for this, I really hope Germany is going to win tomorrow. I did enjoy watching the Dutch play, but for me watching Germany is always more exiting than the other teams.
Butina was Croatia’s second choice apparently. Their first (not sure if it was Didulica, but sounds about right) was injured just before the tournament. Besides, he sucks, we win. heh heh.
“Shit! Did you see that?! Rooney must have a foot like a traction engine!”
mkl12, I don’t hate you.
A bit of national pride is what this tournament is all about. Well, maybe not for the likes of Mycroft Holmes, but then, he’s pretty much Dutch anyway.
May the best team win in the Czech - Germany match.
Paulberserker, no, Didulica is amazingly the THIRD goalie for the Croats. The first (don’t recall his name) got injured so Butin’ A filled the goal. Somewhat.
Well… Denmark v Sweden coming up and talk is of a possible fixed match… surely not? A 2-2 draw would put both teams through even if Italy beat Bulgaria.
Bookies are quoting odds of 9/2 about a 2-2 draw… so they clearly think it may be fixed; a 2-2 draw would normally be more 10/1 or 12/1 or so…
Would they dare? I can’t believe they would.
These claims are ridiculous. I can’t even imagine both or either of the teams going out to play for a 2-2 draw. However, if the score does get to 2-2, neither team have any incentive to play too offensively, and so the game will most likely end up finishing like that if it does reach that point.
Personally, I’d be very happy with a 2-2 draw eliminating Italy from the tournament and sending two scandinavian teams into the quarters.
Less than 30min 'til kickoff. Can’t wait…