Discuss, Discuss! :hammer:

Looks like a tough game for the czechs..

I hope for Greece but I guess it will be the Czechs.

I hope the greeks will win. Then the Portuguese can have their revenge for the humiliation the greeks cause them in their first game.

I would be very, very surprised if the Czech do not win. Just look at their game vs. Denmark... Playing it safe and cool during the first 45 and then full throttle for 15 minutes during 2nd half - Game Over. And the Danes never understood what happened. Greece are in the semis thanks to a horrible French performance in the quarterfinal, they won't stand a chance against a superior, very lively, Czech side.

I hope that the Czechs can continue their excellent play in this tournament and win from this one. I admire the skill which the Greeks showed to get to the semi-finals, but Portugal - Czechia would be the fitting final for this tournament. These are the best teams.

I think it's mostly due to luck that the Greeks have made it this far. I think they will have a hard time doing to the Czechs what they did to the French. Fast movement against the Greeks, the kind of style the Russians used, is the best way to defeat them for the Czechs, I think.

Once the Czechs get ahead, it will be game over. So I expect Greece to be in the trenches, looking for a counterpunch. If they survive until the 60th minute, they have a reasonable chance.
Still, I estimate the chances of the Czechs going through are at least 75%.

Hopefully the Czechs will go through...

If think the Czechs win. But I hope there's a surprise ;)

Ελλαδα !!!

Clearly Czecks has played exceptionally well so far, they have been the best team in the tournament, and they are rightly strong favourites to win this one.

Having said that, I do fancy Greeks to nick it. So far, despite the excellent play of Nedved and Poborsky, Czecks has relied heavily on Baros and Koller, and one thing Greece have been excellent at this tournament is snubbing out the opponents dangerous forwards. If they can do the same again they can really diminish Czeck attacking impetus. And Czecks defence has conceded goals against Latvia, Holland and Germany.

I think the Czechs will take this one 3-0. Something about this Czech side just has "Winner" written all over it.

Whether it's the fact that most of them only get rare games for their clubs, and are thus fit and fresh, I don't know. Look at Baros - injured then benched for just about the whole season, he comes to the tournament looking fit and with something to prove.

I admire what the Greeks have done, but I can't see them getting any further - still, getting to the semis has been a huge achievement - they haven't exactly had any easy games! Portugal, Spain, Russia, France. Yikes...

Its interesting that since the Czech republic reached the final in 1996 they failed to qualify for the WC98 by finishing 3rd in their group, in Euro2000 they were knocked out in the group stage by Holland and France and in WC2002 they failed to qualify after losing to Belgium in the playoffs. It seems that the Czechs do better in Europe...

I think the Czechs will take this one 3-0. Something about this Czech side just has "Winner" written all over it.

Whether it's the fact that most of them only get rare games for their clubs, and are thus fit and fresh, I don't know. Look at Baros - injured then benched for just about the whole season, he comes to the tournament looking fit and with something to prove.

I admire what the Greeks have done, but I can't see them getting any further - still, getting to the semis has been a huge achievement - they haven't exactly had any easy games! Portugal, Spain, Russia, France. Yikes...

I agree with all you say ;) . It seems Czechs should thrash them, but....

0-0 at halftime.

The game was kind of like expected. The Czechs played carefully like usual as did the Greeks. Some chances for the Czechs. Not really a big one for Greece.

The most important thing that happened in the half was probably Nedved's injury. Though I don't think that significantly changes their chances in this match I think it would in a possible final, should he not recover until then. But first they have to reach that anyway, which is not certain at this point. The Greeks are not bad when it comes to technical abilities, they are always good for a goal.

I thought Greece played very well. Nervous at first when the Czechs hit the bar, but Baros and Koller haven't really had any room.

Greece have done well in possesion. They are doing well i think by keeping Czech players further back and tossing hopeful balls in, occasionally getting in behind and causing some real danger.

I belive the Czechs will win this, but Greece has gotten to far to not be given a chance.

Greece is doing a good job until now in holding off the Czechs, but Czechia obviously has the preponderance in this game. But both teams play very well, this match is much better than yesterday's.

Keep us updated, we are very interested.

0 - 0 after 90 minutes.
Extra time.

0 - 0 after 90 minutes.
Extra time.

Could we possibly see a Greece upset??? :scan:

Why were the fans whistling for full time?

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The perfect silver goal takes Greece through...

The Czechs payed the price for fear. Why did they stop their offensive in the overtime? Greece dominated the last 15 minutes. :eek:

What happened? What happened? What happened? :confused: :scan:

Dear goodness :)

Well deserved, is my first thought. At least Greece tried during extra time.

Well no-one can say the Greeks has an easy route to the finl. They've beaten the holders, the favourites and the home side!

GREECE 1-0 :LOL:

Im having trouble beliveing this!!!!

@Dgfred

Greece scored in first-half extra-time injury-time.
Under the silver goal rule, whoever is winning at the end of the first half of extra time goes through.

So Greece are in the final :clap:

Wow, that's really sad for the Czechs... But granted, the Greeks have played very well and indeed were the better team in the extension time. Really exciting match btw. Congrats Greece!
They might even be the favorites for the title now, considering their earlier win on Portugal!

Just great! :D

Greece really did it, and the goal was scored by the guy I picked for my team. ;)

Oh, and we might just have seen the sudden death of the silver goal...

They might even be the favorites for the title now, considering their earlier win on Portugal!
Nah, Portugal know their tactic now, they'll score a clear win. But who cares, this is already about the biggest sensation ever in EURO history. More so than Denmark's win in 1992, as Denmark weren't a comparable underdog (and it were just 8 teams).

With Turkey and South Korea reaching the semi finals in the World Cup, this shouldn't be a total surprise. Greece IS a football nation...

Turkey deserved to be there...South Korea.......NO!

That's hardly my point Inter32...

Nah, Portugal know their tactic now, they'll score a clear win. But who cares, this is already about the biggest sensation ever in EURO history. More so than Denmark's win in 1992, as Denmark weren't a comparable underdog (and it were just 8 teams).Czechia knew Greece's tactic as well and still couldn't win. It's a very tough team to beat for anyone. Portugal should ask the Russians how they managed to beat them!

The greeks barely attacked in the second half, and for a while, after Basinas was replaced by Giannakopoulos, they seemed to have lost the plot completely at midfield. In the extra-time however, Tsartas, a player whose left foot is a gift from the gods, came in too and Greece gained an offensive expression with these two substitutes that came in. There were a few chances and exactly at the right time, the goal by the best player on the pitch after an assist by Tsartas precisely.
I'm sad for the czechs though, because they also deserved the final, and Nedved was really unlucky in that first half injuree. It may have been his last game for the NT at this level.

Oh man, not again lol I would prefered The Czechs, because the final would be more open.... Portugal type of game doesnt fit well in the greek game....

The greeks are very defensive and have a great percentage of scoring.....

Lets go Portugal, revenge!! :D

The Czechs were of course unlucky that Nedved had to drop out half way the first half, but really, except for the first five or ten minutes Greece was very solid and could play according to plan.

Rehagelos will be a new Greek God, I am sure.

and the home side!

Clearly there was some kind of evil plan behind that... :mischief:

Oh, and we might just have seen the sudden death of the silver goal...

Hopefully...

The Czechs were of course unlucky that Nedved had to drop out half way the first half, but really, except for the first five or ten minutes Greece was very solid and could play according to plan.

Rehagelos will be a new Greek God, I am sure.

They call himselfs the 11 Greek Gods (not the usual 12, they dont put the coach in :lol: )

@Hitro:

Now that Ottmar said no, are you gonna try to have Otto?

Once again, a defensive team has beaten an offensive team. :(

The big disappointment of the euro is exactly there for me. At the opposite to Champion's league or national championships, it seems that not conceding goal was more important than scoring in this euro. All the most beautiful games of the euro had been made by teams which were offensive.

Otto's technique worked perfect : exhausting the players and counting on fitness to strike when the opposite side is burned out. Greece didn't shoot to goal many times in this game. Czechs have been eliminated in the same way than us (France).

If I were Scolari for the final, I would take Greeks at their game and I would play very defensively. Greek defence is certainly the best of the championship, we need space to score... and for that, I would play counters against Greece.

I'm 100% for Portugal in the final.

Great job, Greece! It's always nice to see the underdogs win.
:thumbsup: :goodjob: :thumbsup: :goodjob: :thumbsup:

This is one of the reasons why I would have preferred the Czech republic in the final as both teams would have played reasonably offensive football whilst now we will have a final between an attacking and a defensive team again. It'll still be interesting but perhaps not as entertaining but the Greeks won the games so they have earned their place in the final.

Italy could learn a lot from Greece! :wow: :lol:

Oh, and we might just have seen the sudden death of the silver goal...

:lol:

Ottos antique defense system is still alive! but maybe that fits for Greece ;)

Once again, a defensive team has beaten an offensive team. :(

The big disappointment of the euro is exactly there for me. At the opposite to Champion's league or national championships, it seems that not conceding goal was more important than scoring in this euro. All the most beautiful games of the euro had been made by teams which were offensive.

But I think Greece was actually the only succesful team that had a defensive strategy. So I don't think you can generalise it too much. 3 out of 4 teams in the SF were attacking teams, you might even say 7 out of 8 in the QF were more or less attacking teams.

Come on Greece! I've been supportin them since England went out but I never believed they'd beat France and Czech Republic, and I don't think they'll beat Portugal. But who knows they just might do it.

Even though Greece often play defensive I think they're great to watch. They aren't rigid like most teams and when they play there is a lot of overlapping and movement which I think makes them fun to watch.

Really sad, IMHO. Yes, Greece were well organised, and actually tried to attack in extra time (though not to any great extent in the first 90 minutes). But the Czechs made several good chances, had a pretty decent claim for a penalty turned down, and were the far more attacking team overall.

I guess it comes down to the fact that defending well, closing down space, and tackling well are all parts of foootball, and ones which the Greek team did very well at. There's still the small kid in me though that wants to see teams try to play like the 1970 or 82 Brazil team, pass the ball, run with it, attack. It would be nice if it was more important what you did with the ball, than what you did when your opponents had it. :(

:lol:

Ottos antique defense system is still alive! but maybe that fits for Greece ;)
Actually that is the greatest about this result. It shows how much nonsense there is in the almost dogmatic following of "modern" tactics in football.
What matters is on the pitch, as Otto would say.

The task for a coach is not to play a modern tactic, but a successful one, one that suits the team. Tactics are the big strength of Greece, in that regard (and only that...) they were the best team in this tournament.
@Hitro:

Now that Ottmar said no, are you gonna try to have Otto?
Good question.

The comments he made after the match were as evasive as you'd expect in any way. Same for the FA president.

I don't know how the Bayern lobby stands towards him, and I guess that has alot of importance. There are however few alternatives. Christoph Daum would be a popular one but he is more or less a persona non grata in many circles of German football. Except for that there are no really popular German candidates, and a foreigner would have the advantage of being just that - a foreigner.

I'd actually like Guus Hiddink, but I think it's rather impossible that they'd take a Dutchman. Arsene Wenger was also mentioned, but if I was him I wouldn't do it.

Arsene Wenger was also mentioned, but if I was him I wouldn't do it.

everyone who takes this job can only lose, despite the poor team the expectations for the World Cup here are pretty high. So I think a less known coach with little merits would be best suited for the job.

everyone who takes this job can only lose, despite the poor team the expectations for the World Cup here are pretty high. So I think a less known coach with little merits would be best suited for the job.
No, I wouldn't say so. What is important is that he has some credit with the media, they'll surely lose some of those stupid friendlies we'll have to see thanks to not having to qualify, and then it is important that they don't instantly start crying for Hitzfeld all over again. Just remember the disaster with Ribbeck...

In fact it will be hard for anyone now, because if something goes wrong people and the media will soon remember that he's originally only been the second choice (at best).

So I think a foreign coach would be a good idea in that sense. Or someone truly controversial like Daum.

This result was a surprise but it shouldn't have come as a huge surprise. Czeck had been exceptionally good before this match, but they did rely on their 2 forwards, Koller and Baros a lot, and anyone seeing the earlier games would know that Greece is exceptionally good at making forwards ineffective. This was the key to their victory, those two were much less effective than in previous games.

I'm not just being wise after the event, I predicted this would happen in the 10th post of this thread :p

For the final I think Greece will lose, however. And I think they may lose decisively, and I don't expect any extra time. The Portugal coach Scolari will have learnt from the tactical mistakes in the first match, and Greece's only game-plan is basically as 'spoilers'. And so if that is neutralised it will come down to has the better players on the day, and 9 days out of 10 that's going to be Portugal. Plus they have the crowd on their side.

I have mixed feelings about this. I can't believe Greece defended a 0-0 lead for 90 minutes, but their attitude in extra-time almost made up for this.
Greece to give hope to other less well-endowed footballing nations, like my own.
I think it's safe to say that the two best-managed teams have got to the final. Luckily I don't think AW will leave the Arse...