EURO 2024 - Group Stage Thread

[Franz555]

Spain vs Italy : 3pm

Spain @ 2.25 ( 2 units )

This should be a true classic

 

[Franz555]

Im so excited.....

 

[chuckythegoat2]

It doesn't look like England is not going far in this tourny. Maybe round of 16 or at a stretch round of 8 but sad performance today.

This is one of the truths that repeat over and over: England disappointing at Major Tournaments.

A few factors that repeat:
1) The English players are USUALLY over-hyped.
...It's because most of the soccer press are English. They are constantly looking for the next Great One. That said, this Bellingham guy might in fact be the Real Deal.

2) Players vying for the EPL title and now merging onto the national team.
...Not sure about this particular lot of players. But this has been an issue in the past. Combatants and now teammates, doesn't always mesh well.

As for Denmark? These guys always play their balls off.

 

[Tanko]

Im so excited.....View attachment 36490

That GIF needed to be just little longer..... Jus a little.

 

[Franz555]

This is one of the truths that repeat over and over: England disappointing at Major Tournaments.

A few factors that repeat:
1) The English players are USUALLY over-hyped.
...It's because most of the soccer press are English. They are constantly looking for the next Great One. That said, this Bellingham guy might in fact be the Real Deal.

2) Players vying for the EPL title and now merging onto the national team.
...Not sure about this particular lot of players. But this has been an issue in the past. Combatants and now teammates, doesn't always mesh well.

As for Denmark? These guys always play their balls off.

If you were England's manager, with this group of 26 , would you not chomp at the bit over your chances ?

And I agree with everything you said.

 

[Franz555]

Spain vs Italy : 3pm

Spain @ 2.25 ( 2 units )

This should be a true classic

Adding : Live 11th

Spain 1st half @ 3.00 ( 1unit )

 

[chuckythegoat2]

If you were England's manager, with this group of 26 , would you not chomp at the bit over your chances ?

And I agree with everything you said.

Salud, Franz. Easy to say now, wish I would have played Denmark on the handicap. For the exact reasons I listed.

England is so often overpriced by a 1/4-goal. Because everyone in Englands EXPECTS this to be the year. And Denmark plays their heart out every time.

 

[dhristov211]

I'm looking at the prices now and I like two long shots.

Equally priced are:

Slovenia to win group C (need to beat England which is 'only' 8/1, and not have Denmark win by more goals than Slovenia itself)
Ukraine to win group E (need to win out, and it may not be enough)
Romania to draw Belgium 0-0

Does anyone else think Belgium could end up with 1-2 points in this group? My thinking is Romania will park the bus, and look for a low scoring affair.

 

[dhristov211]

If you were taking a 12/1 or 13/1 shot, would you pick Slovenia or Ukraine?

 

[Franz555]

If you were taking a 12/1 or 13/1 shot, would you pick Slovenia or Ukraine?

Tough one

I liked Ukraine going into this tourney. Shocked at Romania shutting them down altogether. Slovenia have put 2 nice efforts in. Based on that I would back Slovenia

 

[Franz555]

I'm fine with VAR, it might lower the goal total but it adds an element of suspense also. The automatic VAR they roll out at times is of course the better version of it since it's not opinion based. We've obviously seen some bad calls by the VAR officials. The flopping in soccer is still by far the biggest cancer to the game. Spending a few minutes while a goal is being reviews is not nearly as destructive to the game as a goalie falling to his knees and taking a grass nap after a ball gently rolls to him. Something that this Euro tourney has done that should absolutely be enforced in all major leagues is that only the team Captain can approach the ref to argue their case rather than the whole damn team come after him otherwise a yellow card can be handed out. Ref is trying to hear from the other officials or VAR and you have a pack of people crying in who knows how many languages, need to do away with that.

Watching the Spain / Italy game reminded me of this comment here. Spain have the Italians chasing shadows. How many minor contacts , or none at all , has the ref allowed an Italian player to roll around while his team mates grab water from the bench and find their breath again. 2 minutes of added time ? They killed at least 8 - 10 minutes just rolling around

 

[bigdaniil445]

If you were taking a 12/1 or 13/1 shot, would you pick Slovenia or Ukraine?

Would be awesome if Slovenia beat England. Imagine the s..tstorm on X and TicToc...

 

[bigdaniil445]

Watching the Spain / Italy game reminded me of this comment here. Spain have the Italians chasing shadows. How many minor contacts , or none at all , has the ref allowed an Italian player to roll around while his team mates grab water from the bench and find their breath again. 2 minutes of added time ? They killed at least 8 - 10 minutes just rolling around

Italy came to draw this and qualify for the playoffs without having to wait for Matchday 3

 

[thefix]

England is like a Pro-Bowl team put together with the expectation to win it all because what appears on paper. The majority of their starters don't play on the same EPL teams so the chemistry is simply not there. That's why it's laughable that they are favored based on nothing. Never won the Euro tourney and been mostly irrelevant in the World Cup. Might as well be soccers version of the Dallas Cowboys.

 

[Tanko]

At the end of that Spain/Italy game, that ref was going to give Italy every chance to score. He kept the extra time going and going and going.....

 

[Tanko]

Props to Italy goalie... That guy stopped so many shots today from Spain.
Italy lucky to only lose by 1.

 

[Franz555]

Props to Italy goalie... That guy stopped so many shots today from Spain.
Italy lucky to only lose by 1.

Many say he's the new #1

Hard to argue today. Only his own team could beat him

 

[Franz555]

England is like a Pro-Bowl team put together with the expectation to win it all because what appears on paper. The majority of their starters don't play on the same EPL teams so the chemistry is simply not there. That's why it's laughable that they are favored based on nothing. Never won the Euro tourney and been mostly irrelevant in the World Cup. Might as well be soccers version of the Dallas Cowboys.

I felt the same way about Germany these past few years. Finally , Naggelsman comes in and stops the " If you play for Bayern , you play for Germany " mentality. Wirtz and Andrich are inserted from B. Leverkusen , and Midlestadt from Cologne.... The same starting 11 in both games so that familiarity becomes the norm. As you say , chemistry just isn't there for England

 

[Tanko]

Good game in the afternoon tomorrow... Netherlands v France, although I think the Ukraine/Slovakia game will be tightly contested.

 

[Franz555]

Good game in the afternoon tomorrow... Netherlands v France, although I think the Ukraine/Slovakia game will be tightly contested.

I have the Dutch @ 3.60

Mbappe is listed as questionable with his broken nose ( probably wear a face mask )
Hernandez ( D ) and Saliba ( D ) both listed as questionable as well

I think this one is a coin toss