# EURO 2012 Poland/Ukraine \[OPEN SPOILERS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 2, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883 "2012-06-02T18:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 25
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/481 "2012-06-24T17:56:39Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Not me - the English already think so incredibly highly of their mediocre football team, regardless of how poorly it does. Even after missing the Eurocup four years ago, you still hear things like ‘we’re clearly contenders’ :rolleyes: and after the draw against France you had the pundits talking arrogantly as though making it to the quarter final was a mere formality because there was no threat that either Sweden or Ukraine could ever represent. :rolleyes::rolleyes: There’s nary a nation of football fans around with such an inflated and misplaced belief in the abilities of its side. For England to beat the Italians would truly be a tragedy. As a general matter, England is over-hyped. It’s the nature of the cannibalistic English media; they want the team to fail to meet expectations so they’ll have a fire-the-manager “controversy” to report on. At the same time, the England squads from 1998 on were more _talented_ than any English squad other than the 1966-era one, including the 1990s teams that lost on penalties to the Germans in every tournament. However, those (96’-on) teams were always doomed by poor goalkeeping and poor management. _This_ England team has not been overhyped, though. As **NoveltyBobble** and others noted, nobody expected the team to win its group and France were odds-on favorites in [British betting shops](http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/euro-2012-football/group-win-sees-punters-pile-into-england-odds-for-tournament-win_108554.html). > [@Bozuit](#): > > Yep but you said England “over achieved” by reaching the quarter finals. I think that’s understating the England team’s ability. I’ve heard that many times (including from Roy Hodgson) and it seems silly. Look at England’s players, though. Other than Gerrard and Rooney, there are no real superstars in sight. The most noticeable characteristic of this team is that there are no other players on it who you’d call dangerous with the ball at their feet. John Terry _was_ arguably the best defender in Europe at one point, but those days were a long time ago. Ashley Cole seems to have had a bit of a club resurgence last season, but he seemed to be on the downslope of his career otherwise. The only other defenders on the squad with more than 20 caps are Lescott and Johnson, who are no great shakes. The midfielders are no more distinguished. Walcott and Young are dangerous going forward and a liability when defending. Milner and Parker appear to be distinguished by nothing other than high workrates. The two forwards who have played (other than Rooney) are the same: imposing physical presence, great in the air, unimpressive with the ball at their feet. Taking into account the fact that Hodgson got the manager’s job just a month before the tournament, it’s not hard to see why England weren’t expected to do much. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/482 "2012-06-24T19:00:29Z")
Very good show by England. It won’t be an one-sided match if they play like this. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/483 "2012-06-24T19:01:23Z")
Minute 15. Who are these guys playing forward in the Italian kits? They’re quite entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/484 "2012-06-24T19:02:29Z")
In other news, England actually carrying an attacking threat! They look organised _and_ able to attack, this can’t last. They should be in front after 15 minutes. There’s a kiss of death for you. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/485 "2012-06-24T19:14:48Z")
25.00 good defending by John Terry. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/486 "2012-06-24T19:20:02Z")
Tell me about this Balotelli guy. Given the amount of screen time he’s commanding, I would think that he’s supposed to be the best player out there, but he’s not doing anything special that I can see. Twice he’s had solid chances at generating shots, and neither time did he wow me with his skills. Is he really good, or just really easy on the cameramen? Great game so far. Miles better than last night’s debacle. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/487 "2012-06-24T19:20:29Z")
Just what I was hoping to see from England so far. Building on some stodgy but respectable performances by passing it around with more confidence and showing more attacking intent. A really good opening 25 minutes, but no goal to show for it, and Italy are coming back into the game now. It’s a good game to watch, with chances at both ends. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/488 "2012-06-24T19:28:57Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Tell me about this Balotelli guy. Given the amount of screen time he’s commanding, I would think that he’s supposed to be the best player out there, but he’s not doing anything special that I can see. He can do wonderful things but is prone to be erratic. He is as likely to be sent off as he is to win you the game. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/489 "2012-06-24T19:38:25Z")
Kind of a strange game. Italy dominated the first five minutes, then England did for the next ten, then Italy for the last 30. If England continues to give Italy this much possession, then they better damn well take advantage of the few chances they get. Wellbeck has got to put that great pass from Rooney at least on frame. They won’t get a lot of chances like that. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/490 "2012-06-24T19:53:53Z")
Another great chance for Balotelli, another failure to impress me. Still, Italy has come out hot in the second half with quite a few decent tries and solid play. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/491 "2012-06-24T19:58:22Z")
The finishing in this game has been horrible. With the amount of chances there have been we should have seen 3 or 4 goals by now. Balotelli is at least as entertaining for his personal life as he is on the field. He does things like park his car in the middle of the street and bring a paintball gun to practice to shoot the youth team. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/492 "2012-06-24T20:01:53Z")
60’. Such sloppy midfield play. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/493 "2012-06-24T20:09:16Z")
Some very good defending by John Terry. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/494 "2012-06-24T20:21:21Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > John Terry _was_ arguably the best defender in Europe at one point, but those days were a long time ago. I could be wrong. If England pull this out, I don’t think there’s any question that Terry deserves man of the match. > [@Hamlet](#): > > Tell me about this Balotelli guy. Given the amount of screen time he’s commanding, I would think that he’s supposed to be the best player out there, but he’s not doing anything special that I can see. Twice he’s had solid chances at generating shots, and neither time did he wow me with his skills. Is he really good, or just really easy on the cameramen? Thin T.O. or Albert Haynesworth. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/495 "2012-06-24T20:22:44Z")
Your keeper (England) is having a good game. Is he the same guy who let in that weak shot vs. USA in the World Cup? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/496 "2012-06-24T20:24:10Z")
Italy are bossing this now. We are just short of technique and keeping the ball with any confidence is difficult. Full marks to the defence though, still organised and Joe Hart is proving himself a top keeper. Here’s hoping for bit of a miracle! ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/497 "2012-06-24T20:26:11Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Your keeper (England) is having a good game. Is he the same guy who let in that weak shot vs. USA in the World Cup? No that was Rob Green, Joe Hart is the young keeper with EPL champions Manchester City. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/498 "2012-06-24T20:34:15Z")
Rooney’s bid for Euro immortality fails. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/499 "2012-06-24T20:35:25Z")
That would have been classic Rooney. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883/500 "2012-06-24T20:39:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Thin T.O. or Albert Haynesworth. If he’s as talented as those guys, I would have thought he’d have impressed me more this game. But he’s done nothing special. Great defense by England (Johnson? and Terry?) is all that makes this a game, because Italy is outplaying them by a wide margin. Bring on overtime! (It is called overtime right?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883.md?page=24) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euro-2012-poland-ukraine-open-spoilers/623883.md?page=26)