Euro 2008 - UEFA - Page 11 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Sune76 · 06-09-2008, 03:00 PM

btw, is Canada improving soccer vise? How is soccer in Canada? I really have no idea.

Sune76 · 06-09-2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Zlatan is a choke.

Choke in team Sweden maybe, but not in Inter as he led Inter to the scudetto this season.

troutman · 06-09-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sune76

btw, is Canada improving soccer vise? How is soccer in Canada? I really have no idea.

Canada is #60 in FIFA rankings.

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ra...ank=170&page=2

They just lost a friendly to Brazil 3-2 in Seattle (not sure if BRA sent their A Team).

We'd be doing a lot better if Hargreaves was forced to play for his true country.

Thunderball · 06-09-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sune76

Choke in team Sweden maybe, but not in Inter as he led Inter to the scudetto this season.

That's a little gracious. I think Cruz was their key forward, Ibra got shutout by the big teams, he prays on the little teams... just like he did with Juventus. Plus, yes, he had 17 goals, but 8 of them were PKs. Cruz had 12 on field goals and one PK. Even Suazo had 8 goals. Zlatan was MIA in the Champions League, which is nothing new for him.

Sune76 · 06-09-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

That's a little gracious. I think Cruz was their key forward, Ibra got shutout by the big teams

what? Zlatan came in 2nd half scored 2 goals in the last game that settled Serie A, and that after been injuried for 2 months.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Zlatan was MIA in the Champions League, which is nothing new for him.

Zlatan scored 5 goals in Champions League, which was among the top.

I am sorry, but you cannot have watched many Inter games lately.

Flame Of Liberty · 06-09-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

A little off-topic, but what would you all say to an amendment to the off-side rule?

Ex. An off-side line at 30 m (like the blue line in hockey). Once the ball is brought over the 30 m line, there can be no off-sides? I think the off-side trap is a real excitement killer. How many scoring chances are wasted because the defenders all run forward at the last second? That's not defending IMO. Make the defenders play defence!

I'm sure I'm not the first person to suggest something like this. Would it lead to more goals?

Maybe, but more goals doesnt mean more exciting hockey...err football

I think the off-side trap can be very exciting, its risky so if it doesnt work out, the team gets burnt badly, see: Poland - Germany. Two collosal off-side screw ups in a matter of minutes, I'd say thats exciting

troutman · 06-09-2008, 03:11 PM

Good point FOL.

I don't need to see 5-4 games, but I think 3-2 would be better than 0-0.

Thunderball · 06-09-2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

A little off-topic, but what would you all say to an amendment to the off-side rule?

Ex. An off-side line at 30 m (like the blue line in hockey). Once the ball is brought over the 30 m line, there can be no off-sides? I think the off-side trap is a real excitement killer. How many scoring chances are wasted because the defenders all run forward at the last second? That's not defending IMO. Make the defenders play defence!

I'm sure I'm not the first person to suggest something like this. Would it lead to more goals?

It would be interesting to experiment. I would bet it would at first lead to way more goals, and then teams would adapt, and that would lead to even more defensive, lane-clogging defense. Quite possibly the mainstream return to a 5-4-1 system or worse...

They have been tinkering with offside but not to any great result. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I really don't think a "blueline" would work with soccer.

GirlySports · 06-09-2008, 03:12 PM

Stat of the day for you guys I just heard on radio.

Tonight's match is the first time Italy has given up 3 goals in a major tournament since they lost 4-1 to Brazil in the 1970 World Cup final.

Thunderball · 06-09-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sune76

what? Zlatan came in 2nd half scored 2 goals in the last game that settled Serie A, and that after been injuried for 2 months.

Against whom? Parma. Where are they now? Serie B. Zlatan is excellent against weaker opponents. In Serie A, he scored zero goals against Juventus, one PK against Roma, zero against Fiorentina, and zero against Milan. To be fair, he was injured this season, but even with Juventus, he was not good against top teams.

Zlatan scored 5 goals in Champions League, which was among the top.

I am sorry, but you cannot have watched many Inter games lately.

Well, he scored zero goals against Liverpool, an opponent at Inter's level. Two of his five goals were against CSKA Moscow, who I would say are a weaker team. Seeing as they were dead last in Group G, I'd say that's the case. Another one of his five were a penalty kick.

He's not a big game player... thank you for proving my point. I watch Inter a lot actually.

troutman · 06-09-2008, 03:23 PM

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affe...006_e_1581.pdf

Sune76 · 06-09-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Well, he scored zero goals against Liverpool, an opponent at Inter's level. Two of his five goals were against CSKA Moscow, who I would say are a weaker team. Seeing as they were dead last in Group G, I'd say that's the case. Another one of his five were a penalty kick.

He's not a big game player... thank you for proving my point. I watch Inter a lot actually.

he is not? that's why he has won the scuddeto 4 times in a row now.

Thunderball · 06-09-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sune76

he is not? that's why he has won the scuddeto 4 times in a row now.

Well, Materazzi must be Serie A's best defender, because he's won 3 straight scudetti (watching today, there's no one on the planet who could say that with a straight face). Mancini should not have been fired because he won 2 scudetti on the pitch and one in a board room. Last season was a farce since all the real competition was either relegated or penalized to a point where they couldn't realistically compete. Since season was very close, and if it wasn't for AC Milan's total meltdown (and why Donadoni thinks their midfield will cut it for Italy I don't know), who knows?

He's a good striker, no doubt, but he's simply not a big game player. Inter is a very deep team that doesn't have to rely on him to win. Just like when Juve won their Scudetti with him, it wasn't because of him, it was because of the strike force as a whole, and arguably the best defense core on the planet at the time.

Sune76 · 06-09-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Inter is a very deep team that doesn't have to rely on him to win.

Inter had a mad lead, but struggled heavily when zlatan was out and it had to go down at the last match to win it. Oh and he has scored big goals in the past, the italy-sweden goals or sweden-bulgaria goal comes to mind.

Thunderball · 06-09-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sune76

Inter had a mad lead, but struggled heavily when zlatan was out and it had to go down at the last match to win it. Oh and he has scored big goals in the past, the italy-sweden goals or sweden-bulgaria goal comes to mind.

He's has his moments... but he has to be the most baffling striker I've ever seen. He goes from completely dominant to totally useless game to game. I remember from his Juventus days, he'd look like Cristiano Ronaldo does one game, and then the next game, he couldn't dribble past the ref. Its not for a lack of chances, Capello leaned pretty hard on Ibrahimovic and he got more slack than he deserved.

The balance of probabilities said that those poor games were against good teams. Does that mean he never had a good game against a good team? Absolutely not. It means he is, on average, not a big game player.

There were other aspects in play at Inter's downward spiral to a close race. Many teams get the January lulls, as they did... but it was the CL and its effects that really hurt them... and the circus-like atmosphere created by Mancini's "I quit -- oh wait, no I don't," and some of the allegations circling the Italian papers.

PIMking · 06-09-2008, 04:21 PM

sorry to jump back to Klose and Lukas I do belive that the land that they were born in was German land before they lost it in ww2 also im pretty sure that most people that live there are naturalized ( I cant think of the right word) germans.
Klose was born in Opole Poland and

Quote:

Today, many German Upper Silesians and Poles of German ancestry live in the Opole region and the city itself.

Quote:

Lukas Podolski was two years old, his family moved from Poland to West Germany. Podolski grew up in Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, and later in P
ulheim, both near Cologne

KootenayFlamesFan · 06-09-2008, 04:41 PM

Well, being Dutch and living around quite a few Italians, I have to say today's result makes me feel a tad giddy. Shame I was working, guess I'll have to catch the replay sometime tonight.

Might even have to make sure to wear an orange shirt to work tomorrow.

Ironhorse · 06-09-2008, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Might even have to make sure to wear an orange shirt to work tomorrow.

+1

ricoFlame · 06-09-2008, 04:59 PM

yikes, tough one for the azzurri. yeesh.

Locke · 06-09-2008, 08:48 PM

This Dutch win is going to set up one helluva Italy vs. France re-match and really goes a long ways to setting the Dutch up to go through.

EDIT: BTW, after talking to some refs, the first Dutch goal was 100% legit. As the Italian player behind the net was hit by his own player (Buffoon) and therefore no foul was committed, thus the player could return to the field of play at any time without the referee's permission so he was technically the last man back and he kept Van Nistelrooy onside.