Irlandos Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Spain play Russia in the 2nd semifinal of Euro 2008. Which team will make it to the final? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irlandos Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 I am going for an in-form Russian team which seems to get better after each game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I'll pick Spain 2-0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REY Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Well, believe it or not even before Euro 2004 I supported Greece for the compet and I was lucky one naturally at the end ;) ...as for this Euro and generally following Zenit's modern football closing to perfection in 2007/08 and overall following Russian football recent years, I started to support their national team and picked them over Greece for this compet and probably for the future, due to the obvious reasons: football in its true definition after I really don't like any more what Otto does and implements. I believe Russia will win this! Maybe more hope than predict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 spain wins this pretty much......3-0.. Its not really a rout, Russia went all ahead and thats what happens...this Spain looks much better than the last game... not really that interesting a game....Spain for an attacking team, is definitley the most boring to watch out of the 4 "attacking sides" (Portugal, Russia, Holland, Spain).....they have no final touch in the area to make big chances, the first goal was a fluke and the 2nd was decent...but Spain doesnt make chances with an ease at all for an attcking team. Villa-Torres owe their tournaments success to basically 1 opening game, Sweden they got a bit of luck, and vs Italy they were both nothing special, Torres very uninspiring tonight too. I cant beleive Spain is actually in the final.... I really hope they lose, I honestly consdier Germany's sit back and strike with a few entertaining runs goals, passes, combinations and chances is much nicer to watch than a Spanish side pass around aimlessley with half chances until something good arrives and whos top strength is really just keeping posession. But they do have a strong backline credit to them, more so than the other "all attack sides" such as Portugal, Russia, and Holland for example..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Its not really a rout, Russia went all ahead and thats what happens...And that's what a rout is!!!! :LOL: :LOL: The Russians lost -- fair and square! The Spaniards had their number. Just like the first game between them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 a rout is a total domination with ease in my book...getting caught up at the end of the game doesnt count as a rout to me.... Spain were better, but this was far from an easy dominated win like a rout would be. its not a rout if theyre in the game, Russia actually had the more threatening moments first half, that Pavluchenko chance was going to be a goal if it werent for that nudge, which is too mild to be a penalty so that just sucks, but Spain were uninteresting first half... Spain only got chances and goals when they just cuaght them up is what im saying. Spain did well to win the game, I think the tactics were right too, possess and close the midfield passing lanes down so Russia cant find itself. Still, not more than a half chance for Spain until the goal, which was luckily Xavi was there to redirect, but this was an accidental play, and then when Russia overcommits itself they were caught, thats fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GS1905 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 seriously man.. WHAT IS A ROUT!!?? :o :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: 9-0!! :LOL: :LOL: They were like Harlem Globetrotters in the second half and it was like 4-5 mins Russians never touched the football!! :unsure: I do really hope Spain wins the title.. Even with an out-of-form Torres, they dominated every team they played.. Even if some people call it "passing the ball aimlessly and vying for half-chances.." :P And while I'm saying this it's not only about Germany beating Turkey very luckily, I simply don't want to see a team that progressed to the final solely with GK errors & set pieces... VIVA ESPANA!!! PS: F***n German Luck Again!!! David Villa, tournament's top scorer, is out against Germany!!! This is driving me crazy!! When will this "luck" end for God's sake?!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakos13 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 seriously man.. WHAT IS A ROUT!!?? :o :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: 9-0!! :LOL: :LOL: They were like Harlem Globetrotters in the second half and it was like 4-5 mins Russians never touched the football!! :unsure: I do really hope Spain wins the title.. Even with an out-of-form Torres, they dominated every team they played.. Even if some people call it "passing the ball aimlessly and vying for half-chances.." :P And while I'm saying this it's not only about Germany beating Turkey very luckily, I simply don't want to see a team that progressed to the final solely with GK errors & set pieces... VIVA ESPANA!!! PS: F***n German Luck Again!!! David Villa, tournament's top scorer, is out against Germany!!! This is driving me crazy!! When will this "luck" end for God's sake?!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: harlem globetrotters?No, because they are actually entertaining. Spain the last 2 games has passed the ball without aim or any final touch. The one break they got was off a shot intercepted clevelry and it was 1-0 and then the Russian defense had to open. Spains game was to posess, block the passing lanes and wait for the goal....not run peircing runs and attacks... Spain do dominate, they dominate posession, and its a good and smart game. But I would not call it beautiful or creative football by any means, becuase its not, and maybe its for the better of Spain, because theyre finally getting somewhere. Spains big difference this tournament is patience, and improved strong back line and Defensive midfield. I mean, its not like Im that crazy, the Euro is too short to judge sometimes I feel. Spain (first team) has shown they can score against Russia and Sweden this tournament. Not to discredit those sides, but the fact that they were so poor offesnively vs a not only bad, but an Italian team lacking its best defensive players makes me a non beleiver. I know you hate Germany, but they were way more than GK errors and Set peices....they had 2 set peice goals and gk gift - give them a break. They were the better side vs Portugal, and they certainly were vs Turkey in the 2nd half. At least Germany is one of the few teams that has shown they can score on set peices, direct, indirect, as well as on the counter, and pressing. They aslo have some of the best counterattacking ball of the tournament, great comnbinations in midfield.... the Schweinsteiger goal vs Portugal was one of the best, prettiest, technical goals of the tournament...that Lahm goal was also quite a special, run, pass and finish....Germany had some luck, but luck is a factor in every single game where you have a win..... For example today Spain got lucky that Iniesta shot was wide enough on target to collide with a midifelders path and him to finish. If it was just another out, Russia would have not opened the floodgates and that game would have had a much different course, maybe even a 0-0, because Spain was not creating anything threatening until after Russia was throwing it all forward. Pavlyuchenko was about to finish a sitter except for the shove he got on his foot sent the ball wide (and seeing pav this tournament, he is a lethal finisher, i thought when he brought it down it was a sure 1-0) I wouldnt go as far to say Spain was "only won on luck though" , even though some instances in the match were lucky, you can go through every match and point out crucial lucky points, Spain, Germany, Turkey, etc... Spain only made it past Italy with luck, I was really unimpressed with them, and yes I know I support Italy. however.....crap offense against a backup centerbacks and backup defensive midfield, and made it through on penalties, and 1 great footsave from Casillas to keep them at 0-0... that however is luck....the other games not so, but everybody gets some lucky breaks somewhere if your going to make it far, weather your Spain,Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Man U or anybody, thats a fact of football.. Anyways....I think the rematch was nice, but it we very nearly had rematches of both groups in the semifinals...why dont they mix it up and make it so they have to wait till the finals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neco_25 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Did everbody's -except for drakos- football understanding changed? I keep being shocked seeing comments about semi final games. Turkey better then Germany?! :o Spain routed Russia?! :o Yesterday Germany let Turkey had the ball and when they got it as they want, scored at wil! Today, Spain had the ball and does nothing with it until they were given a luck by a ball deflecting somewhere?! Everbody saying Spain good! Let's look it at this way. against Russia (groups) 4-1 > definitly a closer game than it resulted against Sweden 2-1 > last minute win, both played same level game against Grece 2-1 > reserves played. against Italy 0-0 pens > had ball for all game nothing created except Silva's long shoots against Russia (semi) 3-0 > had ball for all game nothing created untill deflecting Spain - Russia game was going to penalties if that deflecting didn't happen. Sorry for my bad English. I hope my writings are understood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loup Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Good point neco-- that first goal was a fluke and the flood gates opened after that Spain does have a major advantage and that is with their keeper, also their defenders tend to shut on offensive opponents a little faster not allowing as many shots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REY Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I was 100% with drakos especially before this match as I also thought that Spain and their game were nothing special in general on this tour, that their game is mainly based on how to possess something in the mid and then to try and throw all sorts of balls to Torres and Villa relying on the individual efforts by 2 men in the way that if they receive the ball, receive it, if they create something out of it, create- great for them...but actually they showed even after Villa came off that their little guys like Iniesta, Silva, Xavi, Casc can change places and throw some of their killing passes and finish something, not just Torres. But another issue is whether it is easier (and it is easier indeed) to apply/implement everything over, I don't know, over this strange Russia and Arshavin from the first minute of the match that looked everything but the recent themselves that we met in this Euro cup 'till this match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athinaios Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Hmmmmmmmmmm. What do you expect a team to actually do in a tourney like this one? Seriously, tell me what???? :wacko: Spain has produced the most goals and has gotten wins, and that's that! Had the name been... "Greece" (instead of Spain), there would be 20,329 posts here about the "greatest, super-duper, god-like" team EVER!! : :box: "Did you see the immortals, the superheroes, the Olympian Gods, that [insert some kind of sexual reference here] :xxx: @@ everyone?!!" :P just sayin'.......... :whistle: PS>and, yes, I think this Spain team is better that the Greek team in 2004. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irlandos Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 Everyone is concentrating on Spain, I'll talk about Russia: THIS team beat Holland??? :o They were awful yesterday and Arshavin was nowhere to be found! Did he even play yesterday??? They had 1 (one) shot on target in the 90 minutes this farce was on! This semi was a total let-down after watching the Turkey - Germany game! I wish this game's transmission had been interrupted instead of the other semi's! I would've missed nothing! :tdown: Btw, I had the privilege of seeing both Greece (2004) and Spain (2008) play their qualifiers in Windsor Park. Spain may be a bit prettier but Greece was better! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REY Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I absolutely believe that all this media over-praising and selling him to Barcelona and other powerhouses, damaged Arshaving plus the fact that he wasted some extra energy in that tiring 120 mins against Dutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REY Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Semifinal 2, Vienna, game 30 Russia 0 - 3 Spain half-time (0 - 0) Ref. Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium) Formation/Line-ups: -------------------------Casillas (cap.)-------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- S.Ramos--------Puyol------------Marchena----Capdevila -------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------Senna------------------------------------- ------------------------------------Xavi--------------------- ----------Iniesta-------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------Silva---- --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------Villa-------------Torres-------------------- =================================== --------------------------Pavlyuchenko---------------------- ------------Arshavin------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------Saenko----------Semshov---------Zyrianov--------- -----------------------Semak (cap.)-------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Zhirkov---------------------------------------------Anyukov ------------V.Berezutski------------Ignashevich------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------Akinfeev----------------------------- Substitutions : Russia 56' Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Semshov) 57' Dmitri Sychev (Saenko) Spain 35' Cesc Fabregas (Villa) 69' Daniel Guiza (Torres) 69' Xabi Alonso (Xavi) Match Details : 50' [0 - 1] X. Hernandez 57' Y. Zhirkov YC 60' D. Bilyaletdinov YC 73' [0 - 2] D. Guiza 83' [0 - 3] D.J. Silva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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