EURO 2016 France - Group D

Aye their late 90s team was great, which is what i meant by " growing up " lol.

Sorry i'm old.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:Sad to see what has become of Czech football. A terrible, sorry state, dreary PTB.

When i was growing up they were actually a feared team

Seems such a long way from that now, completely irrelevant really.

They were really, really great in 2004, for example. Koller in prime, young Cech and Rosicky, Nedved, Galasek.

Such a shameful performance today.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Aye their late 90s team was great, which is what i meant by " growing up " lol.

Sorry i'm old.

We're always growing

Valkyrja wrote:

windkick wrote:I just realized Ramos is the captain. Iniesta is 10x more level headed than him, and is usually voted the best player of the tournament for Spain (and scored the World Cup winner). Iniesta should have the arm band

Maybe because Ramos is more of a leader than Iniesta will ever be ?

Someone pls call Oxford and inform them the new word for retard is leader

They were 15 minute away from winning it in 1996 before Germany did their thing .

Modric yesterday Iniesta today

Absolutely dominant performance from both

farfan wrote:They were 15 minute away from winning it in 1996 before Germany did their thing .

I kinda feel the same way about Germany with us tbh

Although i'm not entirely convinced we would have beaten the Czech's anyway, was a great tournament though. Bunch of really talented teams.

Valkyrja wrote:

windkick wrote:I just realized Ramos is the captain. Iniesta is 10x more level headed than him, and is usually voted the best player of the tournament for Spain (and scored the World Cup winner). Iniesta should have the arm band

Maybe because Ramos is more of a leader than Iniesta will ever be ?

How so? By being a red card waiting to happen? Iniesta's play is leading Spain 10 fold more than any BS arguing Ramos will do

Mind you I am picking Iniesta to be the captain not because he plays for Barcelona, but because of who he is and what he's done for Spain. Can you say you are picking Ramos because you genuinely feel that way, or because your are as usual, being insanely bias towards anything Madrid? Actually, I'm pretty sure that's it as everyone agrees Ramos is a dingbat

It was not 'our thing', it was that short lived abomination called 'golden goal', scored no less by the douchiest clown ever to play for Germany, Oliver Bierhoff.

Which idiot was it who called Iniesta a sideman?

Gil? Harmonica?

Hapless_Hans wrote:It was not 'our thing', it was that short lived abomination called 'golden goal', scored no less by the douchiest clown ever to play for Germany, Oliver Bierhoff.

By " thing " i meant winning .

Bierhoff

I remember him so vividly, don't even know why. Other than the fact he was a dick obviously.

Casciavit wrote:Which idiot was it who called Iniesta a sideman?

Gil? Harmonica?

Gil lol.

Despite the fact he's clearly been Spain's best player at multiple tournaments smh.

He's still a big game player even now anyway, he's just not as consistent week in week out anymore.

70% possession
500 passes completed
50 chances created
1 goal (by defender)
Complete destruction if there was any

A couple of clarifications (for all you club fans)

1. For us Spanish, all players are Spanish. In these games we don't care what club they play for nor what region.

2. Ramos has been the vice captain for last 2 years. iniesta is 3rd.

3. Nolito has been simply amazing in last couple of months, been top scorer. he earned the right to start, same as Morata.

4. Morata clearly demonstrated why he not only is starting, much better to suited than Costa or Torres. Although he didn't score, thanks to their centre backs and GK, his movement is excellent. Tell me again why he shouldn't return to Real Madrid. Perfect fit IMO.

5. Compliments to Czech, esp. Centre backs and Cech

I don't want to hurt your feelings Bill...  but this game didn't show any progress from WC 2014.  In fact, I feel that it showed even more decline.

Not sure what you saw in Nolito or Morata.

futbol_bill wrote:A couple of clarifications (for all you club fans)

1. For us Spanish, all players are Spanish. In these games we don't care what club they play for nor what region.

2. Ramos has been the vice captain for last 2 years. iniesta is 3rd.

3. Nolito has been simply amazing in last couple of months, been top scorer. he earned the right to start, same as Morata.

4. Morata clearly demonstrated why he not only is starting, much better to suited than Costa or Torres. Although he didn't score, thanks to their centre backs and GK, his movement is excellent. Tell me again why he shouldn't return to Real Madrid. Perfect fit IMO.

5. Compliments to Czech, esp. Centre backs and Cech

I agree with you, no issues. Even though I still stand by Nolito was only tearing it up the first half of the season, and then declined after his injury around the xmas break. I get Ramos was 2nd captain, but my point is I don't see how he warranted it over the likes of Iniesta in the first place. I was mainly directing my comments to that bias Madridista Valkrye who can't seem to watch anything and not relate it to Madrid some how. The attention span of a 10 year old.

Also, my condolences to you for Oviedo not making to the play off :T

What a shame to that Verratti missing this Euro seeing playmakers of each team dominating this tournament right now.Modric, Iniesta, Kroos all bossing it.

Kroos bossing it against 10 men. (:

Amirite @RealGunner

Where are all the "Iniesta is past it" posters?

Still puts in a masterclass whenever his team needs it. It's unfair to the opposition at this point. Still one of the best CM's in the world even at his age

sportsczy wrote:I don't want to hurt your feelings Bill...  but this game didn't show any progress from WC 2014.  In fact, I feel that it showed even more decline.

Not sure what you saw in Nolito or Morata.

LOL, I guess you were watching something else then. I do agree Nolito wasn't as impressive in this game as he has been in past 3 or 4 games, but I believe you have blinders (or French bias) when it comes to Morata.

I guess we'll just have to see how far they go in this tournament! Seems to me you were saying the same things about Spain (and France for that matter) in 2012!!

Clearly we are not favorites this time around, but I wouldn't count us out so soon, as so many of you and the EPL fans on this board seem to think.

and one more thing re comment earlier that we didn't have wingers.

This time, we have 3 wingers on squad; Nolito, Pedro and Lucas Vasquez unlike previous teams that had only Pedro and sometimes Navas. This is a deliberate change in having Silva (or at times it may be Cesc) play one side and a winger always on the field. Plus at times they have put two out there (or having Morata come on late as a SS or wing). Previous teams always had an AM, sometimes two. And most of the goals for this new lineup have come from the wing.

futbol_bill wrote:A couple of clarifications (for all you club fans)

1. For us Spanish, all players are Spanish. In these games we don't care what club they play for nor what region.

2. Ramos has been the vice captain for last 2 years. iniesta is 3rd.

3. Nolito has been simply amazing in last couple of months, been top scorer. he earned the right to start, same as Morata.

4. Morata clearly demonstrated why he not only is starting, much better to suited than Costa or Torres. Although he didn't score, thanks to their centre backs and GK, his movement is excellent. Tell me again why he shouldn't return to Real Madrid. Perfect fit IMO.

5. Compliments to Czech, esp. Centre backs and Cech

Saw the second half only but Spain were good. Standouts were Iniesta and Nolito.Iniesta proved once more why he is the pre eminent midfielder on the planet. Why is Fabregas starting though?
Really liked Rosicky. Used the ball well whenever he had it and defended with a lot of heart. Seems like yesterday I was watching him impress at Euro 2004. Great player who had his career shortened by injuries.

Bierhoff was a dick? Did not know that.

Really not too sure about Nolito playing all that good. Thought he was kinda meh for most of the match. Morata did well but I something wish he stayed more central considering Spain actually has good wide forwards now. Iniesta is still the best attacking midfielder in the world, Alba actually looked decent, Ramos being captain makes sense and Pique took his goal well. I thought by now he would have been the one wearing the captain's armband but seems he never really showed that sort of leadership skills. Or maybe he did not want it. I don't know.

Also, I actually saw both the 96* and 04 Czech team and I must say, it probably is a sad feeling to watch a wonderful attacking side boil down to a PTB team with a 35 year old Rosicky trying his best (played well too).

Spoiler:

Very nice start from Croatia

Have loved watching them this tournament

Croatia got this tournament.