EURO 2012 Poland/Ukraine

Nothing more exciting than a team which doesn't manage a shot on target in 120 minutes.
 
Also that was a very entertaining match. Both teams defended extremely well, hence the scoreline. That's the nature of this sport. It's legit to criticise Spain's lack of finishing prowess but all the "tiki taka passing nonsense" complaints are actually completely ridiculous.
 
I am sorry to say as a neutral, the game was boring to watch...even without tiki taka...the referee didn't help either as he didn't ignore all the faking...
the only exciting part was the shoot out
 
As a rule International Football is boring compared to club football, though Chelski by winning CL are ruining club football
 
I can't help but feel that such a complaint is basically a complaint about defenders getting on top?
 
Or as the American talking head said:

It hit the left post and caromed around like a 7-10 spare.
Click to expand...
Nothing like bringing out the bowling metaphors to enhance the game of soccer.

I agree about the diving. It was geting absurd there for a while regarding which player would be up for the best actor Oscar.
 
It's got nothing to do with defenders being on top.

The game had few moments of excitement from a neutral point of view. Hardly any shots on goal, lots of disruptions enhanced by bad acting (which a proper referee would have simply ignored). Spain didn't even get to play their dreaded tiki taka thanks to Portugal. Still, that didn't really help. This year, I feel there is no purpose in Spain's game, I never get the feeling they are out to score. I guess they think they will score one goal eventually and that's that.

I wish in case Spain faces Germany, that the young squad of enthusiastic German players take them apart. Would be nice to see.
 
Yes, both teams appeared to have decided that the worst possible thing to happen was risk letting the other do something.
 
Maybe it's because it's not my primary sport but you guys seem to be objecting to some fairly fundamental facets of the game of soccer here.
 
"Fundamental facets of soccer" being?


I'm glad Portugal found a tactic to deal with tika taka. Hopefully Loev or Prandlli will take note and do the same. Spain never got into their rhythm, beautiful!
 
I'm, calling it, the referee was the best man on the pitch yesterday.

I wonder what would've happened if Portugal had had an ice cold scorer like Gomez who makes a goal with zero chances? I know they have Ronaldo, who worked a lot yesterday, but he's more shiny and show than "just score, no matter how".
 
Not sure, how Gomez would have helped yesterday. After all, you need to get the ball to him.
 
Yup, you have to get the ball off the Spaniards first. That alone can take Herculean efforts by the opposing team.

The disappointment with the Spaniards should really be that we know they should have been able to just increasing the passing speed and mobility of their own effort, making tiki-taka look good again. Only it seems that Spaniards might have gotten so used to winning even without having to break out the really good stuff, they now seem to mostly get confused if finding themselves preassured?
 
To be fair in the first half the Portugese were finding it fairly easy to take the ball of the Spanish, just in the second half they ran out of steam.

Ronaldo had a good chance, one which he has been taking commonly for Real this season and he could not find the target on his free kicks, it would have made the match more interesting if he had scored, as Spain would have had to show some of the passion they finally showed as penalties loomed.
 
Arwon said:
Quite often you get unspectacular matches where nobody scores?
Click to expand...
Yeah but when a team employs tactics that deliberately and necessarily produces games where nobody scores, it's not unreasonable to complain about IMO.
 
Somehow today's Spainish national eleveb has become the Germany of old? They muddle through to the final, might well win it, don't look amazing on the way, and nobody really likes them...
 
Arwon said:
Maybe it's because it's not my primary sport but you guys seem to be objecting to some fairly fundamental facets of the game of soccer here.
Click to expand...

Perversely, the people who complain about boring football at every single international tournament are often the very same ones who complain about the 'lesser' sides being allowed to compete at all (see the expansion of the Euros to 24 teams, or the World Cup to 32), missing the point that games between the strongest sides are the least likely to feature end-to-end action with plenty of scoring opportunities. Aside from those incredibly rare occasions when two great teams create a real thriller (usually by screwing up their defensive plans), the only internationals these people seem to enjoy are the ones where a superior side hands down a savage beating to a much weaker one (eg. Russia-Czechs, Germany-Greece).
 
Whoooa Ballotelli, he has lightened up the Semi Final

Magnificant second goal.
 
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