June 2004 Archives
We've reached the final four.
Led by the tourney's new leading scorer Milan Baros, The Czech Republic defeated Denmark 3-0 today to reach the semifinals.
In an apparent effort to keep my interested peaked after two long weeks of watching footy match after footy match, host Steve Schroeder missed taping most of the first half. His plan worked to perfection as our trusted BBC commentators Gary Lineker, Peter Schmeichel and co. informed us it was a lackluster first 45. Okay then, on to the second half.
Czech forward Jan Koller is one tall dude. It's a good idea to drive a corner kick in his direction so he can head it into the net.
Too bad this is how he celebrates giving his side the lead.
Not content with the slim one goal advantage, Koller's Czech-mate Baros snuck behind the Danish defense to chip the keeper.
A minute later Baros was still hungry for more and found a Pavel Nedved through-pass on the end of his boot to fire a bullet into the net. At least he did a little better with the celebrations, running around with a big grin on his face.
We were treated to a proud display of fan appreciation by the Czech side as they saluted their supporters and bowed to them.
Photos:
1 Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen can't stand to watch after being beaten by Baros twice in two minutes.
2. Vikings fan is distraught.
3. Sorry to see these supporters so heartbreakingly sad.
4. More bus shots! This time it's a somber Mr. Becks.
Wednesday's matchup features the Netherlands against Portugal, and on Thursday the Czech Reupublic takes on Greece.
Dear Josh Berezin,
On this fine Sunday morning I found myself watching a NBA game from 1983. The date was December 13, 1983. The game took place in Denver, Colorado between the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. The final score of this game was 186 to 184. It was amazing. It is the highest scoring NBA game of all time. The pace of the game was incredible. It went to 3 OTs. Isaiah Thomas, dude. Kelly Tripucka, dude. It was truly a different brand of basketball than we are familiar with from the NBA today. I'm not saying it was better and what we have now is worse, it was just exciting to see. Thank you so much, NBA TV. Thank you so much, Bill Lambier.
Josh Berezin, where are you. You need to see this. I understand, new job, and all, but Josh Berezin, 186-184 3OT on 12/13/83. YEAH.
Another quarterfinal match, another dramatic penalty shootout.
In a game many thought would be a high-scoring affair, neither Sweden nor the Netherlands made it onto the score sheet, and watched as shots hit posts left and right, and spectacular saves were made by both keepers. Perhaps more so than any match during the competition these were evenly matched sides, and it was sad to see one team have to lose.
Freddie Ljunberg seemed determined to see his side through to the next round, but Van Bronckhorst let him know it wouldn't be easy.
Later in the match Ruud Van Nistelrooy had a shouting match with Olof Mellberg following a dive in the box.
Edgar Davids sure didn't seem interested in the match, and he was subbed off early in the second half.
Sweden's deadly strike force of Larsson and Ibrahimovic couldn't find the net today.
In the penatly shootout Ruud scored first and had a few words of encouragement for his keeper, Edwin Van Der Sar.
Van Der Sar didn't have to do anything but watch Ibrahimovic sky this kick over the net.
However, the Dutch keeper came up big with a save in the sudden death portion of the PKs, stopping Mellberg.
Young Dutchman Arjen Robben calmly converted his PK to send the Netherlands to a semifinal matchup with host nation Portugal. The PK victory broke a string of 4 conssecutive penalty shootout losses (The EURO '92 semi-final against Denmark; the EURO '96� quarter-final against France; the 1998 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Brazil; the UEFA EURO 2000� semi-final against Italy).
Photos:
1. The Sea of Oranje are some dedicated footy fans.
3. Farewell Freddie, I'm sure gonna miss your fans, particularly the cute Swedish ladies.
4. Take a bow, you deserve it after losing so many PK shootouts.
Two weeks down, one to go.
Spain, Italy and Germany all failed to make it to the quarterfinals, and now in consecutive days both England and France are out of the competition as well.
Heavy underdogs Greece took on the defending champions France today, and even though most people didn't give Greece much of a chance, they showed they were not intimidated and bounced back from their 2-1 loss to the Russians to show France the exit door.
In the first half neither side looked interested in winning, which was a bit dissapointing since both nations were equipped by adidas. Here David Trezeguet continues to do nothing for his side.
Greece did produce a bit of a scare early on for French goalkeeper Fabian Barthez that almost made it past the line.
While they didn't get on the score sheet with that shot, they sure did with this powerful header by Angelos Charisteas midway through the second half. Barthez could do nothing but watch it hit the back of his net. Greece were prepared to crown some new heroes.
However, you couldn't really count France out of it, not with the likes of Thierry Henry able to create goals out of nothing. Louis Saha came on as a late sub for the listless Trezeguet, but not even his golden boots could help keep his nation in the tournament.
Au Revoir frogs, don't mess with the new Greek gods of football.
Photos:
1. French defender Bixente Lizarazu has some big thigh muscles.
2. "What, you want me to actually do something out here?
3. Zidane couldn't do enough to keep his side in the tourney, but that doesn't stop this lady from showing her love to "Zizou."
4. This is just a classic sad fan photo.
5. Wipe those tears from your eyes and go drink some wine.
6. I am the obnoxious Greece guy Georgios Karagounis.
7. Think Zidane has an iPod?.
The quarterfinals began today, and for the first time in nearly two weeks I had only one game to capture my attention. The matchup was a big one, since England were facing the host nation Portugal.
Andrew joined Steve and I for the viewing, and due to some unfortunate TV recording circumstances we missed the first 15 minutes of the match. Amazingly enough the often ignored English striker Michael Owen put his side ahead in the 3rd minute on a deft kick past Portuguese keeper Ricardo. The English supporters were a bit excited.
England's fortunes took a turn for the worse halfway through the first half when star striker Wayne Rooney went down with an ankle injury. Andrew made a comment that he thought it odd that a player would sit down during a match, but I had to remind him there are no timeouts in football. Steve then reminded me there is no crying in baseball. Exactly.
Portugal applied constant pressure and found their equalizer late in the match. A cross from Sim�o Sabrosa reached recent substitute H�lder Postiga's head for the goal.
England almost grabbed the game right before the end of regulation, but somehow the referee waived off Sol Campbell's header because of a phantom foul in the penalty area.
So the game went into extra-time and we had our first look at the new "silver goal" rule. In previous competitions the "golden goal" gave victory to the side that scored first in overtime. In an apparent attempt to make the game a bit more fair they have now implemented this "silver goal" which allows the other team a chance to equalize until the end of the 15 minute overtime period. When Rui Costa fired home a goal in the 20th minute of OT it looked to be all over for England.
Apparently Frank Lampard didn't think the game was over yet, as he controlled teammate John Terry's headed pass, swiveled and placed the ball into the net in the 25th minute of OT, forcing a penalty shoot-out to settle the match.
England captain and media sensation David Beckham kicked first, and he soon found his shot sailing into the night air. Andrew picked out the culprit for the miss--a bad bit of turf around the penalty spot.
Subsequent English kickers decided to go straight down the middle and found the back of the net. When Rui Costa missed for Portugal both sides were even. However, Wayne Rooney's substitute Darius Vassell found his shot blocked by Portuguese keeper Ricardo. It was now up to Ricardo himself to take his turn at the spot. That's when the cable feed went out, but apparently Ricardo put his shot past English keeper David James for the victory.
Extras:
1. What's up with the Wayne Rooney/Shrek references? Something to do with the ears?
2. I'm gonna need a bigger box of tissues.
3. Damn spot moved on me.
Group play ended today in dramatic fashion, as powerhouse Germany were eliminated following a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic. The Netherlands were rewarded for their enjoyable, attacking style of football with a trip to the quarterfinals following their 3-0 defeat of Latvia. Here's how it happened.
Dutch coach Dick Advocaat might have been a bit worried that Germany would defeat the Czech Republic since the Czechs had already advanced and were playing their second team, but Czech coach Karel Br�ckner proved to be the superior mastermind. His strategy of sitting his regular starters payed off when the reserves delivered an inspired effort and made the Germans work for every scoring opportunity.
Initially things looked good for the Germans, since they went ahead on a beautiful volley by Michael Ballack into the upper left corner of the net. One of the commentators said he considered it the best goal of the tournament. Apparently Marek Heinz of the Czech Republic thought he could do one better and sent a brilliant free kick into the top right corner of Oliver Kahn's net minutes later to level the score. Ballack was bummed as the teams went into halftime tied at one all.
Meanwhile over in the other match in Group D, the Netherlands were busy doing all they could to assure themselves of a fighting chance to advance. Who else but Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored off a PK for the Dutch. Minutes later Ruud headed home his second past the Latvians.
The second half of the Germany vs. Czech Republic match was quite exciting as Germany pushed players forward to go for the win. They created numerous scoring opportunities but couldn't find the net. Meanwhile, the Czechs decided to send on Milan Baros to exploit the stretched out German squad, and he found just enough space to slot home this goal that sealed Germany's fate.
Back at the Netherlands vs. Latvia match Roy Makaay fired home a goal to give his side a 3-0 final score. The Dutch soon found out that Germany had lost and that they were through to the next phase. Dutch dudes were pleased.
Photos:
1. Latvians with swim caps and Dutchmen in uniform are friends at Euro 2004!
2. Can you spot the ball?
3. Different Latvian ladies. Sure am gonna miss them.
4. Ruud is totally lovin' it.
5. German fans are totally bummed
6. Dutch fans are totally psyched about their victory.
7. German coach Rudi Voller resigned after his squad failed to advance.
Controversy! I loved the drama as Italy went home despite defeating lowly Bulgaria 2-1 in the closing moments because the Scandinavian sides drew 2-2.
We began our viewing with the first half of the Denmark vs. Sweden matchup, which was an entertaining affair, especially when Jon Dahl Tomasson struck a beautiful, dipping ball into the far right corner of the net. The Danes took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Meanwhile "The Spaghetties" were struggling with Bulgaria, and went down a goal thanks to Martin Petrov's penalty just before halftime. Things weren't looking so good for the heavily favored Azzurri.
The second half of the Scandinavian derby produced three important goals, the first one on a Henrik Larsson penalty shortly after the kick-off. The Danes weren't done yet, and went back ahead with Tomasson's second goal of the day.
Back at the Italy vs. Bulgaria match Steve and I were watching a desperate Italian squad finally push for the victory after playing dreadful, cautious football for most of the tournament. They finally leveled the score thanks to a scrappy follow-up by Simone Perrotta, just beating the Bulgarian keeper.
However, developments in the other match made things difficult for Italy, since Sweden's Mattias Jonson equalized in the closing minutes to create a 2-2 tie, thus eliminating the Italians regardless of their decision. This Scandinavian result proved to be especially cruel when Italy's Antonio Cassano hit a nice shot into the upper right netting, giving his side the 2-1 victory. Italy immediately celebrated thinking they were through to the next round before running to their bench to find out that Sweden had tied and thus sent Italy home on a total goals scored tiebraker. It was a painful yet slightly pleasing to see a great footballing nation like Italy eliminated in the first round.
In post-game interviews some of the Italians, notably goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon questioned the outcome of the Sweden vs. Denmark match, claiming that the two sides conspired in a Scandinavian pact to send Italy home. Thankfully Italian striker Bernardo Corradi refused to place the blame on outside forces, since the Italians couldn't defeat either Sweden nor Denmark. Of course, some fans seemed to have drawn their own conclusions before the matches began.
Photos:
1. Henrik Larsson is pumped he came out of retirement to help his side to the top of Group C.
2. She looks like the Virgin Mary, but Italy would have needed divine intervention to make it through to the second round.
3. The all-important scoreboard.
England and France both advance.
Today Steve and I watched matches live for the first time, switching back and forth between the England vs. Croatia and France vs. Swizerland matches. It was frustrating for awhile when we would be on the wrong channel and miss a goal, but we eventually ended up seeing the important goals that sent England and France on to the final eight. Here's how it all went down.
Croatia jumped out to an early lead only 6 minutes into their match against England when Niko Kovac poked home a loose ball in the box. However, the Brits were determined not to go home early, and applied consistent pressure on the Croats, eventually finding the net on an awkward angle, Paul Scholes goal. England only needed a draw to advance and were feeling good about their chances. Apparently Wayne Rooney read my slight skepticism in his abilities and proceeded to send a screamer into the far left corner of the net just before halftime, putting England up 2-1. Beckham celebrates in his typical heimlich-maneuver fashion.
Meanwhile, over at the France vs. Swizerland match, France gained a lead on a corner-kick header by Zidane . However, Swiss striker Johan Vonlanthen leveled the score and became the youngest ever Euro tourney scorer, beating the previous record estabished days earlier by Rooney. At halftime the score was 1-1.
The second half of England vs. Croatia turned into a bit of a scoring spree for England as Croatia had to push all men up, leaving them vulnerable to counterattack. Rooney took full advantage of this offensive tactic, and raced on a breakaway to net his second of the day. Croatia's Igor Tudor scored in the 73rd minute to give his side a bit of hope, but England's Frank Lampard erased all doubt about who would advance when he scored in the 79th minute. England were 4-2 winners, and tournament leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney was the talk of a nation.
Back at the France/Swiss match French coach Jacques Santini subbed out striker David Trezeguet and replaced him with Man U's Louis Saha, who immediately flicked a header to Thierry Henry for the go-ahead goal. Back on track, Henry raced down the flank and cut in to net a second one minutes later and France were through (3-1) as group B winners.
Photos of note:
1. Another awesome navel shot.
2. A cock.
4. Sven-spotting.
5. Cute Croat. Weird attempt at "checkerboard on face" paint.
6. France is one quick team.
When I was in college, I took some courses in Fencing. My instructor placed a lot of emphasis on traditional technique and form. That's quite different from the display I watched at the Titan Games last night.
The fencers on the strip were very skilled and it was impressive to see their quick blade-work, but I was disappointed that there was little traditional form left in competitive fencing.
Foil fencing represents a duel to the death. Historically, one's honor was their life, so if another person questioned your honor, it was potentially devastating. The resolution was a duel -- to the death. That's why only the torso, abdomen and groin are valid target area. If you stab someone in the arm, they'll likely survive, and it's not honorable to duel with someone who can't fully compete. If you stab them in the leg, you have to wait until they heal before attempting to kill them.
Epee comes from a more minor form of feud. Historically, the object is to draw blood, not kill. In Epee, every part of the body is valid target area.
Sabre fencing developed for people on horseback. Slicing someone's leg off doesn't do much good if the horse their sitting on still has four more. The sabre weapon is also meant to slice, not stab.
The deviation from traditional form is a result of electronic scoring. This is particularly noticable in the foil event. Fencers wear a vest that is woven with electrically-conductive material. The tip of each blade is a button that is also conductive. When one tip touches the other vest, it completes a circuit letting the judge know that a touch has been made. This doesn't sound like a problem until you consider that fencing foils aren't the most rigid instruments (for many reasons, including safety). Fencers have exploited this by flicking the blade, causing it to bend around an opponent's parry and score a touch.
Also, classically trained fencers focus on proper stance and movement. It is possible to step forward and backward while keeping one's torso at the same level. The fencers at the Games bobbed up and down like boxers. That bobbing motion creates opportunities for an opponent. If your feet are not on the ground, it's incredibly hard to move out of the way of an oncoming blade.
The only fencers who maintained their stance were the wheelchair fencers, which was very interesting to watch. Not able to move forward or backward, this fencers had to rely on their blade work to score touches.
Although I was disappointed in the lack of form of the fencers, their skill was certainly respectable. During the competition, the blades were moving so fast, I could rarely see them. The action was fast and furious. Since it was a team competition, each bout's score was added together. The US and Korean teams traded the lead often, but the US ended ahead 99-88.
Today began the third round of group play, so both matches were played at the same time to avoid any conspiracy problems with teams only playing for ties. This meant that we could only watch the Portugal vs. Spain game (certainly the more important of the two matches), while receiving reports on Russia vs. Greece.
Needing only a tie to advance, the Spanish played some rather lackluster football, and spent most of the first half defending constant pressure from the Portugese. However, to Spain's credit they did a good job limiting any quality scoring opporutunities. Halftime brought a nil-nil scoreline.
In the second half the Portugese looked a bit more interested. Needing a win to advance they broke through when Nuno Gomes found a bit of space outside the box and launched a low shot to the far left corner, just past the outstretched arms of Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Finally the home nation had something to cheer about, as Portugal had never beaten Spain in a competetive match, and they last beat them in a friendly over 20 years ago. Nuno Gomes was their hero, and we soon learned Spain were knocked out of the tournament. Spain's captain Ra�l goes home with only one assist to his name, but Real Madrid teammate Figo has at least one more match in him.
Meanwhile, in the other group A match, Russia showed they weren't going to leave the competition without gaining some pride. Dmitri Kirichen capatilized on a poor clearance and cut through the Greek defense after just 68 seconds, scoring the fastest goal in European Championship history. Russia were pumped, although they proved to have more fight in them, as Dmitri Boulykin headed home a powerfrul header over Greece keeper Antonios Nikopolidis.
Greece looked stunned and would have gone home after two impressive games against Portugal and Spain if not for the important goal scored just before halftime. Zisis Vryzas lifted home a loose ball in the box to send the Greeks on to the quarterfinals on total goals scored.
Notable fans.
1. This Portugese lady made a flag around her belly-button.
2. Spanish man is dejected--is that a kazoo?
Tomorrow brings us France vs. Switzerland and England vs. Croatia. The British press are falling all over themselves praising the young man of the moment, Wayne Rooney. Will England advance to a future destiny with France, or will Croatia break down the Brits? Game(s) viewed at noon.
We've reached the end of the second round of matches in Euro 2004, and only one team has qualified, the Czech Reuplic (the sole 2-victory team). I'll get to their epic victory over the Netherlands in a bit. First I need to mention the early match, Germany vs. Latvia.
Now I'll admit I didn't give tiny Latvia much of a chance before the competition began, but they definitely earned my respect after theire competitive nil-nil draw with world football power Germany. Despite playing a rather defensive formation, Latvia made excellent use of its counterattacking specialist, Maris Verpakovskis, who was on more than one occassion brought down by a defender without receiving so much as an indirect free kick. He should have had a PK on this run.
Germany's poor showing forced their coach into some expressive reactions. By contrast, the Latvians deservedly celebrated as if they had won.
The second match of the day produced one of the most entertaining, positive displays of world football ever seen. The Netherlands jumped out to an early lead on a nice header by Wilfred Bouma in just the fourth minute. Thankfully the goals didn't stop there, as Ruud Van Nistelrooy made liberal use of a new passive offsides rule to touch home a second goal.
The Czechs weren't ready to pack it in just yet, and they capatalized on yet another poor back-pass to get on the board with this tap in by Jan Koller.
At Halftime the BBC studio guys like Gary Lineker and Peter Schmeichel were gushing about how great the first half was, and everyone couldn't wait to get back to the match. Apparently the players felt the same way, since the next 45 mintues began with immediate end-to-end action, with breathtaking long-range near misses and spectacular saves coming in waves. However, the next goal didn't arrive until midway through the second half, when Czech Milan Baros volleyed home a rocket through the fingertips of Dutch keeper Edwin Van De Sar.
The game looked like it might end in a well-deserved tie until Jonny Heitinga of the Netherlands was sent off for his second bookable defense, even though replays revealed a gentle touch of a foul. Now the Dutch had to play with only 10 men the rest of the way, and it helped the Czechs break through for a late winner . Both teams left the pitch exhausted, although Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, perhaps still in shock, stayed around a while.
Photos of the day:
1. Germans watch their national side's lackluster performance.
2. Dutch avant-garde fan photo.
3. Orange headpiece .
4. The agony .
5. The ecstasy .
Tomorrow represents the last matches of group play. It's do-or-die for host nation Portugal against rivals Spain, and everyone is curious to see if Greece will stick it to the Russians. Viewing time is around noon.
One week down, two to go.
I made a wise decision and decided to skip the first match today between Bulgaria and Denmark, and Steve said the commentators were less than impressed by the quality of play from the Bulgarians. Goals at the end of each half from Jon Dahl Tomasson and Jesper Gr�nkj�r earned Denmark three points and sent Bulgaria out of the competetion. Even though the action on the pitch left a bit to be desired, at least the stadium looked nice, since it's carved into a granite mountain face.
Andrew made his first appearance to watch the highly anticipated Sweden vs. Italy match, and as expected it was well-played game. Italy finally looked interested in the tournament and their constant pressure payed off in the 37th minute when Antonio Cassano finessed a header past the Swedish keeper from short range. His reward was a sweaty group hug from his teammates.
The second half substitues for Sweden helped apply some consistent pressure on the Italian defense and in the 85th minute Swedish striker Zlotan Ibrahimovic flicked home a lose ball in the box for the equalizer. This exciting and improbable goal allowed Sweden to escape with a tie and remain top of their group.
Pic of the day:
(Pretty weak day for photos. Where all all the cute shots of the Swedes?!)
Cute Italian facepainted girls .
Tomorrow brings a Latvia vs. Germany early match followed by The Netherlands vs. The Czech Republic.
After enduring intense talk the past four days from everyone at the BBC and ITV claiming that despite their loss to France they would still reach the final, it was time for the next Enlgand match. This time their opponents were the much less-fancied Swiss, and teenage sensation Wayne Rooney put the Brits ahead early in the match on a nice header. Too bad he celebrates with a weak sumersault. After getting a late second goal from Rooney, England finished 3-0 winners on a final tally from midfielder Steven Gerrard. I must admit it was a convincing win.
France faced Croatia in the second match of the day, and early indications were that the trois couleurs would have little trouble. After a Zidane free kick led to an own-goal off this Croat's left boot, the French threatened but coudln't find the net for the rest of the half.
Croatia must have taken some good energy pills, because they came out with new purpose in the second half. After converting a penalty kick, they went ahead minutes later on a nifty quick kick by Dado Prso. Things weren't looking so good for France, but then David Trezeguet read a poor back-pass (so many of those!) and slotted this goal home. He certainly received an earful for his efforts, and the game ended in a surprising 2-2 tie.
Photos of mention:
1. The frogs are also known as the cocks (national bird represented on their uniforms), and that makes for one weird banner depicting Beckham in a compromising position.
2. Way too much checkerboard on these white Croatian jerseys.
3. More Beckham banners--this time from the Swiss.
4. It's way too hot out there for the British knight costumes. Oh, you have cola and lager to cool you off. And her.
5. Weak Swiss banner.
6. Alert the fashion police.
7. HUH?!?
The second round began today, and having already seen all 16 teams in the competition I still believe France has a good chance to repeat as champions. However, those Swedes sure looked good (even if they did only defeat Bulgaria), and the Germans and Dutch could certainly cause some problems. Ok, on to the next round of matches!
Fresh off an inspiring victory over the host nation, Greece hoped for similiar results against the Spaniards (the first match to feature both adidas-sponsored sides). Ra�l and company had other ideas, attacking the Greece relentlously, eventually capitalising on a poor back-pass with a nifty steal and back heel from Ra�l to Morientes, who fired home from short-range for a 1-0 lead.
After the halftime break the surprising Greeks equalized off a nify finish from Angelos Charisteas, and they deservedly celebrated the hell out of it. Greece managed to earn a point after being dominated the entire game, and dudes were pumped! Spanish fans, however, were a bit displeased.
In the second match the newly Mostovoi-less Russians took on the hosts, Portugal. Jumping out to an early lead on a goal by Maniche, the Portugese looked like they were ready to dismiss their early defeat and get down to business. However, they wouldn't receive their second goal until late in the match on a nice play by Rui Costa. Russia's fate seemed to have been sealed a bit earlier when their starting keeper found himself red-carded after an apparent hand ball outside the box. It seemed a bit harsh, but Russia were soon the first nation out of the tournament.
Pics of the day:
1. Portugese fans are crazy and sexy, and Russian fans are cool (or at least their legs are).
2. She's totally thinking "Is this gonna end up on yahoo.com photos of the day or what?"
3. Turns out Totti got naughty and spit on this Dane. Now he's out for three games.
Next up are the second set of games from the Brits and the Frogs. EURO fever!
Check out GameThumb for a post about a link between the video game world and fantasy sports.
Due to some violent food poisoning, Tuesday was the first day I didn't watch every match. Thankfully my mates Ryan and Steve made sure to catch all the action in the Latvia vs. Czech Republic clash, and showed me the highlights. Surprisingly scoring first were the upstart Lats, on a nice counterattack goal by Maris Verpakovskis late in the first half.
Trying to avoid the same upset fate that befell the host nation in their opening match, the Czechs stepped it up in the second half and took advantage of some shoddy defending, scoring two scrappy goals to get the 2-1 victory.
The late match was the real draw, a classic encounter between Germany and The Netherlands. After a rather imposing opening title sequence describing the history of important games between these two nations we were primed and ready for some action. Thankfully the players didn't dissapoint as the teams went all out for the win. Creating most of the early chances were the Germans, breaking through on the score sheet with an improbable free kick goal from near the sideline. It was truly amazing to see all the Dutch dudes watching this ball elude them and make its way into the net.
The second half brought out some important substitutions for each squad, most notably Marc Overmars for The Netherlands, who immediately caused some concern attacking on the left side of the pitch, and the young German, Bastian Schweinsteiger , who brought on some much needed energy to the sagging Deutsch attack.
After finally applying some consistent second-half pressure, the Dutch broke through on a beautiful, defender all-over-him, tough-angle shot by Ruud Van Nistlerooy. The orange supporters clearly enjoyed it, and the game ended in a well-deserved tie.
Photos of the day:
1. Dutch coach Dick Advocaat sweats it out.
2. Fans of the day: This Latvian lady loves the limelight. What's up with the Brazilian shirt?!
These Dutch dudes are conductors or something. Does their banner say something about beating the Germans 5-0?! That would be a nap hand! HA!
Finally, these Germans are showing some love for their coach, former standout striker Rudi Voller.
Well, gotta get ready for the next big games:
Spain vs. Greece
Russia vs. Portugal
Today the Euro 2004 viewing began with a classic, entertaining 0-0 result between Italy and Denmark. Some people might have a difficult time understanding how a game without goals could be interesting, but there were multiple exciting scoring opportunities and numerous outstanding saves by both keepers--Denmark's Thomas Sorenson was named man of the match after making tremendous stops like this.
In the second match we watched Sweden take it to the Bulgarians, coasting to a 5-0 victory after the first half was mostly a back-and-forth affair. Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljunberg opened the scoring with an easy finish off a two-on-one break. However, it was the once-retired striker Henrik Larsson that sealed the deal with two quick goals in the second half, the first on a superb, full-extension diving header that found the bottom corner of the net.
Today's musings:
1. The British TV analyst for the Sweden vs. Bulgaria match made a comment after the fifth Swedish goal about them having a "nap hand." Unfamiliar with this term, I scoured the Internet for an appropriate definition, but the best I could come up with was some hockey reference to a player scoring goals in varying fashion. Considering that a hand has five fingers, I'm gonna assume it just means they netted their 5th goal.
2. Another commentator mentioned one of the players hitting a "brommer" (sp?). I'm still trying to figure that one out.
3. Fans of the day: This Swedish lady is all over the photo galleries, must be the face paint. Italians are real into face paint and slick hair with bands in them. Here we see both, plus some awesome shades.
4. What's up with taking off your boots and storing them in your shorts?
5. This photo's a day later, but I thought it was a nice bit of defending from Sunday's Swiss vs. Croatia match.
Tomorrow's viewing schedule:
Germany vs. Netherlands ~ 2:30
Czech Republic vs. Latvia ~ 4:00
Wow! An absolutely amazing finish to the much-anticipated France vs. England matchup. Bend it Like Beckham? More like Bend it Like Zidane!
After falling behind late in the first half to a brilliant header by Frank Lampard, the French applied heavy pressure to the English defense, only to be thrwarted before any serious opportunities for goals could arrive. When Mika�l Silvestre tripped up Wayne Rooney in the box it appeared to be game over for les frogs. However, English captain and poster boy David Beckham watched as his penalty kick was saved by former Manchester United teammate Fabian Barthez.
The miss would prove devastating, as the French found themselves awarded with a late free kick just outside the box. Captain Zinedine Zidane stepped up and delivered a beautiful curving ball into the left corner of the net, leaving English keeper David James no option but to stand flatfooted and watch his team's lead dissappear.
Not content with salvaging a tie, the French applied pressure and were awarded a last-second penalty kick as James fouled Thierry Henry in the box. Once again Zidane stepped up, and unlike his Real Madrid teammate he finished clinically, sending the English supporters into a dismal state.
Oh, and in the early match we saw Croatia and Switzerland play to a lackluster 0-0 tie. Boo! There were a few interesting moments, especially when the Swiss keeper J�rg Stiel almost made a huge blunder by being caught off his line.
Assorted items:
1. What's up with Beckham's tats? On the neck?
2. Fans of the day--this depressed English fan made good use of face paint. These Swiss supporters get points for coordination.
3. Miss of the day--even though Beckham missed his penalty, at least it was blocked by a terrific save from Barthez. Croatian Niko Kovac however, had little excuse for making a mess of this fine opportunity.
4. Baby Beckham sure didn't enjoy watching daddy lose.
5. Croatian Checkers? Why?
Tomorrow:
Italy vs. Denmark (vieweing time ~ 11am)
Sweden vs. Bulgaria (viewing time ~ 1pm)
First, a word of appreciation to my gracious host Steve Schroeder for hosting the Euro 2004 viewings, as well as thanks to Ryan Wise for providing bevvies and my favorite potato chips, and last but not least thanks to Josh Berezin for making sure the TV recorded everything. Now let's talk about the action.
Well it was certainly an interesting and mildly shocking start to the Euros today. Greece scored an early goal on hosts Portugal and went on to a 2-1 victory. Pictured below is the young Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored late in the match but will be remembered more for his tackle in the box which led to Greece's game-winning second goal on a penalty kick.
The second match went mostly as expected, with favored side Spain defeating Russia 1-0. Everyone was talking about the brilliant substitution made by Spanish coach Inaki Saez, as Juan Carlos Valeron scored what proved to be the game winner seconds after arriving on the pitch.
So, here's what I've figured out so far after two matches:
1. There are a lot of bad haircuts on these guys, especially in the Russia vs. Greece match--I think I counted at least a half-dozen mullets. Check out Fernando Morientes.
2. In the first two games there were adidas vs. Nike sponsorships, and in both instances adidas came out on top.
3. Russian fans are cute and Spanish fans are fancy.
Off to get my TV-watching rest. Tomorrow's lineup includes the Swiss vs. Croatia and the big England vs. France matchup. I bet a limey $10 the frogs would come out on top. Allez Les Bleus!
Hold on a second. You mean to tell me you don't know what the Euros are? Sure, it's currency and a way to refer to people who live in "the Europe", but for the next three or so weeks the word will only be used to describe the best football tournament on the planet. Sure, everyone loves the idea behind FIFA's World Cup, but with the expansion from 24 to 32 teams in the 90s most folks acknowledge that the quality of play suffered greatly.
However, during UEFA's European Championship 2004 only the best national teams from the most intense footballing continent are able to compete. You will find no United Arab Emirates waiting to meet their early exit here, although there are always somewhat surprising qualifiers, such as Latvia or Greece. Hosted this year by perennial under-achievers Portugal, I'm preparing to dedicate 4-5 hours per day to keep up with all the action. Not sure if you understand what all the fuss is about? Let's take a look at some players to watch.
First we have Portugal's own Luis Figo, voted the best footballer in the world a couple years ago. His quality has declined a bit as he gets older, but perhaps the home soil will inspire him. At least he won't have the USA team from the 2002 World Cup to deflate his spirits this time.
Next up is Spain's Ra�l Gonz�lez (generally known simply as Raul), a dead ringer for our own Josh Berezin. Like Figo, Raul is hoping to remedy a poor club season with Real Madrid with a standout performance at the Euros.
Now we see Dutchman Ruud Van Nistelrooij, a standout striker for Manchester United who has never had the oppotunity to shine for his national side. Look for him to also try and overcome some negative club experiences with a few balls in the back of the net.
Doesn't this guy look happy! I would too if I were Michael Ballack, a famous millionaire footballer getting paid to wear adidas for both club (Bayern Munich) and country (Germany). Having to sit out the 2002 World Cup final due to suspension practically handed the tropy to Brazil, and he's another player who ended his club season an underachiever. Will he bounce back this summer?
Here is a man who has known nothing but success this past year leading club side Arsenal to an undefeated English Premier League season. However, Thierry Henry left his last World Cup without victory or a goal, and will surely look to defend the French championship with the pride of the three stripes and the trois couleurs.
Last is the newly shaven Mr. Becks. I'm pretty much sick of hearing anything about him (since most of it is not football related), but I admit I'm still curious to see what he can add to England's side now that he's spent a year playing in Spain.
Well, that about does it for now...stayed tuned for regular updates throughout the tournament, and let me know if you want to get in on viewing some of the action.