Euro 2016

[firiki]

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.....

I think they shouldn't be getting paid all this money in the first place. I don't like professional sports really.

But, missing a penalty isn't hard. You also have to face the goalkeeper. Even a half-decent goalie can stop many balls near him so it's better to:

a) aim as near (the right side of) the post as possible, as near the ground as possible

b) try and fool him so he goes he other way, and kick the ball hard enough so he doesn't have the time to come back
 
c) try to send the ball right where the horizontal and the vertical post meet, as that's the hardest spot to reach

Now, the ball being round and the distance not very long it takes a quite precise strike to send the ball in as intended. Even a small amount of excessive force on the wrong spot can send the ball to the stands. Pressure helps and it takes some chill ans some skill to take a good penalty, esp. on a shootout.

But yes, they are professionals, they shouldn't be failing to send the ball towards the goal even with a blindfold

[firiki]

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

They're still going home as heroes

Oh no, they didn't, instead they kept trying for the best outcome, but the truth is team France was better and perhaps more athletic.

I feel Icelanders were tired, I was hoping to see them play with a clearer mind. It's hard to think clearly when you have to keep up with the opponent's pace and I suspect they were a bit nervous too.

Still a very decent place they got to, fair and square.

[dks]

... and they seemed to have had some attractive followers....

Scoring 2 goals, good goals, not accidental, against France was impressive. Not many teams would have been able to do that.

[firiki]

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.

Ahh, a fan of tactics, I see

Re France vs Germany, it's pretty hard to call this game, indeed. Somehow I don't get that ominus feeling from Germany in this tournament.

Que sera, sera

[firiki]

... and they seemed to have had some attractive followers....

Scoring 2 goals, good goals, not accidental, against France was impressive. Not many teams would have been able to do that.

I was waiting for that comment 

I agree on both counts. What I mostly like about Iceland's team was that they believed in themselves and played cleverly, focusing on wdhat they could do at every given point in the game. They obviously knew both their limits and how to play football, not just kick a ball around.

[kkokkolis]

Female Icelanders are beautiful. But, according to mitochondrial DNA, original Icelandic females were not Norse (Western Norway), but Celtics, from Ireland and Scotland. They left Scandinavia without females, so they invaded Scotland and Ireland (Danish Norsemen had settled in East England and Normandy earlier) and kidnapped females from there. Next generations of Icelanders are 60-80% Norse (Germanic) and the rest Celtic. Evolution-wise, that was a successful combination and they survived in those harsh climates until now. In Rekjavic I saw some of the most beautiful women in the world. There might be also a secondary (cultural) factor, since Africans and Asians were beautiful there also. Maybe the fish they eat?

[dks]

Maybe the cold climate preserves them 

[kkokkolis]

It might be. UV rays from the sun are bad for the skin. Up there they get a 6 month skin treatment every year.

[dks]

many people moving from the south to the north, in Europe, have mentioned the fact that the skin of women there looks smoother, less blotchy

[kkokkolis]

To get back on topic, men from southern climates play better football.
You have the superpowers, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina.
Other powers, France, Portugal, Uruguay, Chile (the last two go down to a colder zone, but inhabitants are a mix of Spaniards and local people).
Countries with occassional successes, Turkey, Greece, Cameroon, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia etc.

From the North you have one Superpower (Germany), one power (Netherlands) and one or two occassional powers at any given time (now Belgium and a bit of Croatia, in the past Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Soviet Union, England, Poland).

In World Cups, we have 15 for the Latin countries and 5 for the Germanic countries. Runners up it goes 8/12, but that means that the Northen countries lost more times at the final. Northen countries use a lot of southern players in League levels and they also use as many they can in their national teams (mostly colonial players, even Germany has players of African descent now). And Southern countries played at times spectacular football.

It's the same for Basketball (were the best players are usually of African descent, add here Israel also), but the opposite for other sports, except field, were Africans excell.

I find it bizzare, since Northen countries are richer and they are regarded as more disciplined, something that counts in team sports.

[Etherealicer]

To get back on topic, men from southern climates play better football.
You have the superpowers, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina.
Other powers, France, Portugal, Uruguay, Chile (the last two go down to a colder zone, but inhabitants are a mix of Spaniards and local people).
Countries with occassional successes, Turkey, Greece, Cameroon, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia etc.

From the North you have one Superpower (Germany), one power (Netherlands) and one or two occassional powers at any given time (now Belgium and a bit of Croatia, in the past Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Soviet Union, England, Poland).

In World Cups, we have 15 for the Latin countries and 5 for the Germanic countries. Runners up it goes 8/12, but that means that the Northen countries lost more times at the final. Northen countries use a lot of southern players in League levels and they also use as many they can in their national teams (mostly colonial players, even Germany has players of African descent now). And Southern countries played at times spectacular football.

It's the same for Basketball (were the best players are usually of African descent, add here Israel also), but the opposite for other sports, except field, were Africans excell.

I find it bizzare, since Northen countries are richer and they are regarded as more disciplined, something that counts in team sports.

ANATOMY:
Especially in the ankle joint there is a difference between with African roots compared to e.g. Europeans. There is also measurable difference in musculature / muscule distribution. Its been a while since I read that scientific article but if I recall correctly then the overall conclusion was that Africans are superior runners / jumpers whereas Europeans are more agile (I don't recall any information as to Asians).

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT:
A football is cheap you can even play with a can or whatever somewhat roundish object. I think this is part of the reason why football is so popular all over the world. So, while kids in rich countries play on their computer and then go scuba diving, kids from poorer countries play football all day long.
In addition, becoming a football star is "the only" hope for many growing up in poor conditions, so they train, the play with their heart and their hope. You can see this that many top football stars come from poor / modest families.


As far as football goes I think there are other factors to be considered and countries have their ups and downs (Brazil going from THE football nation to getting their teeth kicked out at the World Cup and now the Copa America). Strong players don't make a good team. It takes a leader (captain) a regisseur (trainer) and somewhat the nation that can push a team to excel.

[kkokkolis]

Asians (Far East Asians to be precise) excel in academic tasks, according to research in US schools and universities. And martial arts I guess. They always get better degrees compared to Caucasians and African Americans.

All these are statistical differences. There are exceptions and there are crossbreads and also people who were raised in a culture different from their race's. Differences make the world interesting. I'm interested in those anthropological differences, genetic and cultural, but some times it is difficult to talk about these things outside academic settings, since people are suspicious about unfortunate events of the past where global policies and racism played big parts. We all must be equal in the face of the law and society, but that doesn't mean we can't be different. All dogs are dogs, but not of the same breed and all cheeses are cheeses, but not of the same kind.

Agreed about the cheapness of the football. I played with a plastic ball on the cement of Piraeu's central square for years. That didin't make me a good player (talent is another factor) but some of my friends were very good. All of them became doctors, engineers and lawyers, but some might become footballers if the road to higher education was closed to them.

[Etherealicer]

Just stumbled upon this FIFA RANKING and I have to ask

Austria in 10th place before Italy and England
Switzerland in 15th before France

[kkokkolis]

That's short term, according to then recent results.

[Etherealicer]

That's short term, according to then recent results.

Yeah, but it can't be that short term.

Netherlands did not qualify for the Euro
Austria on the other hand lost every game at the Euro

Switzerland did 1 victory, 2 draw and one defeat...
Italy is still in the running

AND this are the data published today.

[kkokkolis]

I don't know how they measure this.

If I get it right, they add 2016 points (100%) to the three previous years, 2015 with 50% weight, 2014 with 30% and 2013 with 20%.

But  Chile  should go up, since they won the Copa America. Or do they just count regular time and not penalties?

Wales went down, that doesn't make sense also.

Where is Encki by the way?

[dks]

Just watching the European athletics championship... Some fit participants....

[Billy Ruffian]

This is a bit strange, Wales and Portugal both playing in their change kit? I get they can't both play in red, but why not one or the other change, not both? 

[dks]

Boring.. I am impressed by Collins.

[Ricardomfs]

Paris.....

[dks]

[pfrsantos]

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[pfrsantos]

OK, two notes on yesterday's match:

1 - I feel robbed!

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I thought all Portugal matches lasted 2h + penalties. Only 1h30?!
 

2 - Respect for the welsh team! Any other team (Portugal inluded/specially) loosing by 2 goals at 80min would put down their arms and just give up on the game. Not the welsh. Fighting to the end, Bale in particular. Like Ronaldo, he was carrying the full burden of the team in his shoulders.

 

Also the welsh fans. Supporting the team all through the game and after it ended. I'm sorry to say, portuguese "fans" would start booing the national team after they suffered the first goal, if the situation was reversed.

[Humppa]

Indeed! The welsh were great yesterday. As was iceland.
Two teams I think it´s a pitty they are out of the match.

Now we have the usual suspects... no realy surprise. Not like in 2004 when the underdog Greece won the european championship.

It would have been great to see welsh or iceland in the final match. But nevertheless... they are out, ok - but some years ago they didn´t even qualify at all.

Today will be an interessting match, I suppose. I hope Germany will be in the final match. But that´s just some kind of patriotism and not my knowledge about this sport.

[firiki]

And Germany vs France 0:2 it is. Bien joué, les Bleus. A clean outcome in a good but not terribly exciting match. The Germans huffed and puffed but they couldn't push the ball to the net while the French managed to keep things under control, in general, with a bit of luck too.

The first goal serves Schweinsteiger right for flirting with penalty kicks, personally I'd have carded him earlier in the game for trying to trick the ref into awarding him a penalty... The second goal was a skillful one by Griezmann

So, who will win this trophy, Portugal or France? We'll find out on Sunday, July 10.

[kkokkolis]

I missed both matches working. But I want to see the final. Portugal wasn't astonishing, but they proved effective. Could they win with Ronaldo the Advertiser what they didn't with Euscebio and Figo? Or it is France's chance to add a trophy to those they won with Platini and Ziddane? They played better football but what they'll do during the final matters more.

[zoidberg]

I don't know how they measure this.

If I get it right, they add 2016 points (100%) to the three previous years, 2015 with 50% weight, 2014 with 30% and 2013 with 20%.

But  Chile  should go up, since they won the Copa America. Or do they just count regular time and not penalties?

Wales went down, that doesn't make sense also.

Where is Encki by the way?

Off chasing butterflies, he'll be back shortly.

[dks]

Maybe he got arrested in a football match 


Iceland scored more goals against France than Germany did

[firiki]

[Whoey]

Is anyone else pinning for an Iceland v Wales match? I think I'd rather see that than the actual final.