Euro 2016

[Top-Gear-24]

I love France, I love the Netherlands, so I should love Belgium double.

Yet, France and the Netherlands have the same flag colors, and you, Top-Gear-24, used Germany's colors for your flag. Are you NUTS?

(Image removed from quote.)

The last decades before the Belgian independence in 1830 we had been ruled by France, followed by the netherlands, maybe that's the reason why we went for the colours of the coat of arms of the Duchy of Brabant, so we wouldn't "share" colours with France or the Netherlands.

Maybe that's why they passed through Belgium everytime they decided during various wars. Your flag misleads them.

That's some dangerous territory you're strolling in there my friend ... 

But since we don't do politics here, I'm going to let this one slide  .


So, back to Euro 2016 ...  Belgian defence has been altered quite a bit, since Thomas Vermaelen got suspended after receiving a second yellow card, and Jan Vertonghen is injured and out for a couple of months.  Both of them are quite important for the Belgian defence, and their replacements lack experience ... 

[kkokkolis]

I'm with Belgium on this one. Your 4-0 was a highlight of the tournament and Wales might not be in the 8 if they hadn't against them another British team.
From the Isles I always support Scotland. Scotland, Netherlands and Greece were disqualified, so I support at will and I can change sides everytime I want to.

[pfrsantos]

[pfrsantos]

My wi-fi passsword:

[firiki]

Oh, wow! That was an impressive goal from Belgium's #4, Nainggolan

[firiki]

How many consonants are there in the Welsh word for "goal", I wonder

Good show from Wales, they are through to the next round, having turned the match from 0:1 against them to 3:1 in their favour.

There are a couple of moments that Belgium could claim the ref didn't make the right decisions. First one, Davies' tackle on Lukaku should probably have been a free kick and cost him a second yellow card and suspension for the rest of the game -Wales would have to keep on with a player less for 10 minutes. The second one, was that a penalty on Nainggolan? I'm not sure it was, I think not. Just a couple of minutes later Wales scored their third goal thus securing the victory.

Wales' second goal was a very nice one; a very smooth cross from Ramsey to Robson-Kanu who picked the ball up and kept it under his control brilliantly then turned very swiftly to face the goalkeeper all while taking out three defenders and bringing the ball to his left foot with a single move so as to drive it home from about the penalty spot. Good stuff  

Wales' third goal wasn't bad either, a well-executed diagonal header from a distance from Vokes who leapt high in the air to beat the defender and take advantage of Gunter's cross.

I felt Belgium's defence was lacking. All in all, I think this was a fair result.

[jerseydevil]

A Brit, an Irishman, and a Scot meet in a pub.

Their Welsh friend doesn't meet them since he's still in France.

Sorry, I had to. Saw it on FB earlier....
.

[firiki]

This is the first time Wales participates in a Euro. They must have liked it and thought they'd stay a little longer.

Iceland is also a debutant. A final between Iceland and Wales would probably be the wackiest final ever played so far!

[kkokkolis]

I missed that match. I'm going to search the second goal you talked about.

[kkokkolis]

That was nice. True British center forward actions. But the second goal was unusual. How easy he made it seem!

[firiki]

That was nice. True British center forward actions. But the second goal was unusual. How easy he made it seem!

True, considering it was all a matter of seconds

[firiki]

Tonight's match is an interesting one: Germany vs Italy.

Italy has never lost to Germany in a Euro or World Cup; in 8 matches Italy has won 4 times and the other four games were a draw.

[dks]

  40min,    5 min

[kkokkolis]

And at the end the Germans win. Italy deserved that but that's history now.

[firiki]

40min,    5 min

5 min  ?? It must have been while I was snoozing during the first half 

[firiki]

Tonight's match is an interesting one: Germany vs Italy.

Yeah, bah. Boring match, for lack of a better word for that sort of play I'll say amorphous 

Although we did see some interesting, read funny, ways to take a penalty kick -and miss. I'm mainly looking at Zaza here    but there were some others as well.

[dks]

I am always impressed by how these highly paid stars can not put the ball in a huge box, right in front if them. I can not think of any other line of work where it would be acceptable for people getting paid so much money to be able to basically do one thing properly, to miss on so many occasions.....

[kkokkolis]

True. But anxiety and tireness are factors here. Look what Messi and Baggio have missed with bad penalty kicks.

[dks]

Try to use that excuse on a misdiagnosis. 

The family will not be understanding.

[kkokkolis]

I agree with you. Yet, failures of great stars give to weaker countries a chance. Now it's Iceland and Wales, in the past Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Greece were given the chance to win the Euro against Goliaths of the time. Greece didn't need penalties to do so, it just happened that Ziddane, Nedvend and Ronaldo couldn't score a goal against us. For the money they costed, they should.

[kkokkolis]

http://www.sport24.gr/football/Euro/Euro2016/einai-to-penalti-toy-zaza-to-xeirotero-olwn-twn-epoxwn.4151204.html

It's in Greek, but names are with Latin characters, for all to see. You can see some epic failures and historic misses from Terry, Baggio, Becham, even the greatest of the greatest static ball player, Platini himself.

[firiki]

France vs Iceland 2:0 already.

Come on Iceland. You can do better!

[dks]

No, they can't.....

[firiki]

4:0 at halftime.  They really need to go berserker in the second half to stand a chance

[kkokkolis]

Oh, mon dieu!
Deformé !
Béton armé.
Quelle Catastrophe!
Rectifier.
A tout à l'heure!

[kkokkolis]

They reacted with dignity. Hail to the Vikings!

[firiki]

That they did. I really enjoyed the football they played

Edit: Final score France - Iceland 5:2

[Billy Ruffian]

All set up for the Germany v France semi final. What a game that should be. I watched the Italy/Germany game last night and it was fascinating, if not exciting; Germany just seem to play like no other team in world football at the moment, they just kept probing, patiently, for the whole match. Just watch their passing, it was always forwards, because they always seemed to have a player ready to receive the ball.

France by contrast are all about movement and quality on the ball. They have real individual class from Pogba, Griezmann and (especially) Payet; I am convinced that Payet is the best striker of a static ball playing today. And his passing in the final third is just a dream.

Very difficult game to call, but I did say that whoever won out of the Germany/Italy game would go on to win the whole thing.

[firiki]

Bloody UEFA is removing videos to protect "their" intellectual rights... Better do something about corruption in football, I say

[Whoey]

gutted and proud of Iceland's effort... they didn't lay down and die.

They're still going home as heroes