The Megathread for Football/Soccer

[Hitti-Litti]

As some of you may have noticed, threads about football have a bad habit of becoming OT. So, this thread is for that discussion that doesn't belong to other football threads.

I'll start to continue the debate about former stars players:

Did either Poland or Belgium have a star player before [wiki]Aulis Rytkönen[/wiki]? He was a star player in France, some even said that he was almost as good as star players like Raymond Kopa. He almost moved to Atlético Madrid, but something got in the way of his transfer and Aulis went to Toulouse instead, where he played when Toulouse got promoted to French premier league and won the French Cup. Like Jari Litmanen, he was rated much higher abroad than in Finland.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Did either Poland or Belgium have a star player before [wiki]Aulis Rytkönen[/wiki]? He was a star player in France, some even said that he was almost as good as star players like Raymond Kopa. He almost moved to Atlético Madrid, but something got in the way of his transfer and Aulis went to Toulouse instead, where he played when Toulouse got promoted to French premier league and won the French Cup. Like Jari Litmanen, he was rated much higher abroad than in Finland.

Like Jari Litmanen? i think you finns idolize him much more then us non-finns.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

Litmanen isn't even nearly as highly rated as for example in Netherlands. Only Finnish football fans idolize Litmanen, others just think him as a player who was good some years ago and now is always injured. Regular people don't think Jari as a world class player, they think that he was as good as Hyypiä, who is of course a good player, but isn't an extraordinary player.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Litmanen isn't even nearly as highly rated as for example in Netherlands. Only Finnish football fans idolize Litmanen, others just think him as a player who was good some years ago and now is always injured. Regular people don't think Jari as a world class player, they think that he was as good as Hyypiä, who is of course a good player, but isn't an extraordinary player.

well only ajax fans really like him >.<

Also what do people have to say about the euro warm up friendlies today?

Turkey 0 - 0 Sweden
Isreal 1 - 0 Romania
Greece 2 - 1 Finland
Croatia 0 - 3 Netherlands
Poland 2 - 0 Czech Republic
Austria 0 - 3 Germany
Italy 3 - 1 Portugal
England 2 - 1 Switzerland england didn't qualify
Spain 1 -0 France

 

[Darkness]

Litmanen isn't even nearly as highly rated as for example in Netherlands.

Not really. Only Ajax fans idolize Litmanen. The rest of us have more sense.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Litmanen is a system player. He's a good player, but he only excels in the old Ajax system.

 

[azzaman333]

Australia 3-0 Qatar

 

[kalif]

so, what is a pole doing after winning the european championship?






turning the playstation off...



i am saving the england jokes for when the ec has begun.

 

[Joe Harker]

England 2 - 1 Switzerland england didn't qualify

To be fair, they got in by being the hosts.

Bit of a nervous start (i was at Wembley) but we got a lot better once everyone started booing them!

i am saving the england jokes for when the ec has begun

I do hope Russia and Croatia make the final, then we can claim we only lost to the first and second best team in europe!

Don't worry about us, we are saving ourselves for the inevitable disappointment of the Olympics instead!

 

[TheLastOne36]

I do hope Russia and Croatia make the final, then we can claim we only lost to the first and second best team in europe!

Don't worry about us, we are saving ourselves for the inevitable disappointment of the Olympics instead!

I'll be looking for the olympics aswell. Poland always does well during the olympics. and i seriously doubt russia will get anything else besides last place ...

so, what is a pole doing after winning the european championship?






turning the playstation off...

yah our first euro... wonder how far we'll go.

 

[kalif]

poland is definatley the dark horse of the ec in my opinion. i have seen a montage of yesterdays match against the czechs and that was as impressive as their qualification. the team is getting better and better and they will be stronger than at the last wc. so lets see, what is in it for you, if you manage to pass the group stage...

 

[Hitti-Litti]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Litmanen is a system player. He's a good player, but he only excels in the old Ajax system.

But still he has been among the best players in the Finnish team, with Muurinen who played very attacking football, and Hodgson, who uses defensive tactics. Injuries and bad transfers(Barcelona, Van Gaal got fired, the new coach used Rivaldo and Luis Enrique on Litmanen's place)(Liverpool, Houllier didn't let Litmanen play, he was good when on pitch but most of the time he didn't fit to Houllier's tactics) have ruined Litmanen's career. Without them he could have been much better.

 

[dutchfire]

Croatia - The Netherlands 0-3

3-0, what an easy win, probably one of the easiest in the last couple of years (and yes, I'm counting matches against Luxembourg and Belarus too). Those Croatians weren't impressive at all, how did they qualify for the EC at all? Probably in some crappy group. Any decent team would have qualified in a group with Croatia as winner, wouldn't they?

/end pissing of English fans

 

[Hitti-Litti]

Finland lost to Greece, though I'm surprised that Finland played as well as it did. The result was 1-2, but I was impressed how for example Markus Halsti played. He'll be the leader of our defense after Hyypiä and Tihinen end their careers in international football.

 

[Joe Harker]

Any decent team would have qualified in a group with Croatia as winner, wouldn't they?

I suppose i will have to get use to this!

It's a shame we didn't get the netherlands, we always seem to draw against you lot!

 

[kalif]

now before the dutch start to make fun of england, i have to tell another one:

ballack, drogba and robben are sitting in the maternity room. the doctor comes and says "gratulations, you all became fathers of healthy boys. but i am sorry, we mixed up your kids." ballack jumps out of his seat and grabs the black baby. drogba asks ballack "dont you think that this will rather be my kid?" ballack: "i dont care, as long as it isnt the dutch one"

 

[TheLastOne36]

now before the dutch start to make fun of england, i have to tell another one:

ballack, drogba and robben are sitting in the maternity room. the doctor comes and says "gratulations, you all became fathers of healthy boys. but i am sorry, we mixed up your kids." ballack jumps out of his seat and grabs the black baby. drogba asks ballack "dont you think that this will rather be my kid?" ballack: "i dont care, as long as it isnt the dutch one"

good one.

Croatia - The Netherlands 0-3

3-0, what an easy win, probably one of the easiest in the last couple of years (and yes, I'm counting matches against Luxembourg and Belarus too). Those Croatians weren't impressive at all, how did they qualify for the EC at all? Probably in some crappy group. Any decent team would have qualified in a group with Croatia as winner, wouldn't they?

/end pissing of English fans

That's good for us, Beenhacker is teaching the Polish team dutch techniques, and if the dutch tactic works against Croatia then that is good for us since croatia is in our group. (and i think we'll tie/beat germany so a tie/beat against croatia would be good as well. win vs austria of coursE)

 

[Dell19]

Don't worry about us, we are saving ourselves for the inevitable disappointment of the Olympics instead!

Not being able to qualify because of Scotland?

Interesting that Egypt won 4-1 against Ivory Coast in their semi final. I wonder how they would have performed at the last world cup if they had qualified.

 

[Joe Harker]

Not being able to qualify because of Scotland?

No, we just simply won't win anything!

Interesting that Egypt won 4-1 against Ivory Coast in their semi final. I wonder how they would have performed at the last world cup if they had qualified.

When was the last time they got to the world cup, they always get to the africa cup and do well.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

I watched both semifinals of ACN, and I think that Egypt shall win again. IMO they played greatly against Ivory Coast, their attack was lethal. Drogba had the chances to get a win for Ivory Coast, but the Egyptian goalie(El-Haddari?) was fabulous. It was also a better match to watch compared to Ghana-Cameroon.

Keita's goal against Egypt was true art, amazing shot. Also Cameroon's goal against Ghana was fine, marvellous passing by them.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

I assume you guys have heard what happened to Eduardo da Silva. Your opinions on that? I've heard some say that it was partly da Silva's fault, he was the one who moved his leg forward on the way of Taylor's murder tackle. What are your opinions? Also, how long punishment does Taylor deserve?