The 2012 UEFA European Championship - Poland/Ukraine - The Thread!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

For sure. If Portugal go onad destroy Turkey next Saturday, I won't be any more excited about the team going into the tourney, just like I'm not discouraged about today's pretty poor showing.

like I said, Portugal seemed disinterested for much of the game, showing zero urgency. They very well may be 3 and done at EURO, but it won't be for a lack of effort like today.

I'd be disinterested too! Nothing worse than breaking a leg days before the tournament (see Zidane in 2002).

Friendlies are just for the coach to goof around with tactics and for the players to get some exercise.

[d_phaneuf]

I never like it when a player gets injured

but knowing Gareth Barry won't see the field at the Euro's doesn't disappoint me

[d_phaneuf]

if I were to say that match fixing was effecting one country's squad leading up to the Euro's would it take more than 1 guess?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ing?CMP=twt_gu

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

if I were to say that match fixing was effecting one country's squad leading up to the Euro's would it take more than 1 guess?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ing?CMP=twt_gu

But remember when there match fixing and Italy's pissed off. They play quite well.

[d_phaneuf]

Ya I think they are 2 for 2

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

if I were to say that match fixing was effecting one country's squad leading up to the Euro's would it take more than 1 guess?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ing?CMP=twt_gu

That article doesn't really explain anything.

So Criscito has been dropped from the squad but other than that this really has nothing to do with the national team other than the fact that it is yet another black eye for Italian football.

Still losing him is a blow and the ####storm that has resulted and questions of legitimacy in Italian leagues will no doubt be a distraction leading up to the tourney.

[SuperMatt18]

Yup 2 for 2

There were match fixing Scandels in 82' and we won that year. Actually a lot of the scandel involed Paolo Rossi, and he ended up taking the team to the title that year.

Then again in 06' Juventus and AC Milan were the two teams that were named in the match fixing scandel and that year our best players were players that played for those two teams.

[GirlySports]

I'm not sure Criscito is that big a loss. Maybe he's improved a bit now but he was HORRIBLE in the 2010 World Cup. Might be Italy's worse ever left back for a country rich in tradition of left backs.

Back in 82, can you imagine the if the media was the way it is now? Italy manager not only selects Paulo Rossi to the national team after not playing at all for 2 year but he starts him! For FOUR Games where he was a passenger. 3 draws (Peru, Poland and Cameroon) and a 2-1 win over Argentina.

So he starts him AGAIN against the do-or-die game against Brazil. The unstoppable 82 Brazil team. The media must have thought the manager was nuts or that Rossi bribed HIM!

[Locke]

Ah, the Ukraine. Keeping it classy since 1991.

There are growing concerns regarding the safety of supporters ahead of this summer's European Championship, with the British Foreign Office warning about co-hosts Ukraine that "travellers of Asian or Afro-Caribbean descent and individuals belonging to religious minorities should take extra care".

England trio Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joleon Lescott have already confirmed their families will not be making the trip to the tournament amid worries about being racially abused.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...offins?cc=5901

[d_phaneuf]

Panorama: Stadiums of Hate was aired tonight on the BBC and the video they showed was supposedly pretty graphic with the racism going on

[joe_mullen]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Panorama: Stadiums of Hate was aired tonight on the BBC and the video they showed was supposedly pretty graphic with the racism going on

while poland and ukraine have a long way to go (but have come a long way already), this is pure fear mongering. i'm looking forward to the BBCs documentary on the recent race riots in england and warning tourists about coming to london for the olympics.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by joe_mullen

while poland and ukraine have a long way to go (but have come a long way already), this is pure fear mongering. i'm looking forward to the BBCs documentary on the recent race riots in england and warning tourists about coming to london for the olympics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18233736

that doesn't happen in England nowadays, any racism in the stands in England leads to a lifetime ban from the ground, people being racist in public are charged and stand trial

racism in football is not fear mongering, it's a huge issue, it was brought up by many people when the WC was given to Russia, it would be unfair to ignore it now as well

[d_phaneuf]

the actions the FA has taken against racism are something that should be looked at and implemented, they aren't the leaders in most things but in the area of stamping out racism they aren't perfect, but are in a much better place than most countries in relation to football

[joe_mullen]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18233736

that doesn't happen in England nowadays, any racism in the stands in England leads to a lifetime ban from the ground, people being racist in public are charged and stand trial

racism in football is not fear mongering, it's a huge issue, it was brought up by many people when the WC was given to Russia, it would be unfair to ignore it now as well

i'm by no means suggesting that it doesn't exist in easter/central europe, however, the way it has been presented by the bbc is unprofessional. comments such as sol campbell's are pure fear mongering. i've been to numerous footy matches all around europe (including numerous in poland over the years), and things are by no means perfect. however, to suggest that it is unsafe to travel to poland for fear of violence is ridiculous

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by joe_mullen

i'm by no means suggesting that it doesn't exist in easter/central europe, however, the way it has been presented by the bbc is unprofessional. comments such as sol campbell's are pure fear mongering. i've been to numerous footy matches all around europe (including numerous in poland over the years), and things are by no means perfect. however, to suggest that it is unsafe to travel to poland for fear of violence is ridiculous

That I agree with, Sol is just being a dramatic idiot

I don't think it's unsafe either, Euro/FIFA events rarely have problems because they pretty much enact their own law in the areas where the games are taking place

[Locke]

Well, in response to the British Foreign Office's advice to 'take extra care' I think that goes for everyone. I always take extra care when traveling anywhere, thats just part of traveling.

Sol is being dramatic because for some inexplicable reason he thinks England is perfect. The Eastern European countries do have more instances of racism, the one that stands out in my head is someone throwing a banana at Roberto Carlos in Russia. But its important to remember that someone threw a banana at Wayne Simmonds in London Ontario. This kind of stuff happens everywhere, its sad but true.

[Locke]

Yoanne Gourcuff has been dropped by France. Link isnt working right now.

[d_phaneuf]

not surprising he never lived up to the hype

been terrible for the past 2 seasons

[Locke]

I dont even know why there was so much hype, he never struck me as particularly impressive.

That being said, I think this is going to be a pretty grim tournament for France. Outside of Ribery and maybe Nasri they dont have a whole helluva lot of talent.

[troutman]

Twitter says Ireland is whipping someone 5-0 in a friendly. I don't know who. I don't know where.