[Closed] Euro 2016 begins!

Fifeandy, sorry, that's bollocks.

If he had been behind his man the outcome would have been the same, except he'd not even have had the chance to win the ball. At least he had first bite even if he couldn't reach it because of the quality of the cross.

Once kicked get goal side? How? You'd need to move like Hermes to be able to get goalside in the time of flight. Those kinds of free kicks if done properly are nearly impossible to defend, your only chance is to get there first (ie by being ball side) and either flicking it on and over the attackers on the leeward side of you, or putting the ball over your own bar.

what exactly was the keepers plan there? 😆

You'd need to move like Hermes to be able to get goalside in the time of flight. Those kinds of free kicks if done properly are nearly impossible to defend,

Apparently, that sort of stuff is coached at U14 so I'd expect a millionaire pro footballer to manage a little better. 🙂

Binners - can we add Marouane Fellaini on to the panel please?

Binners - can we add Marouane Fellaini on to the panel please?

No need. He'll just elbow his way in.

I bet he's a bastard to play pass the parcel with.

They need a committee to set it in stone really, what constitutes a foul. This would ideally consist of Paul Scholes, Kevin Davies, Roy Keane, and Patrick Vierra

You could do away with refs too, those four seemed to know better than anyone qualified.

Serious point. Many professional players don't know the laws properly and don't ever take the effort to learn them. And as for TV pundits..... At least one channel (I think BT) has an ex ref on their expert panel, to explain why certain decisions are made. There was also an excellent program on a few months back with Collina, explaining to a Sky panel about the new system with 5 officials, how they all work together, and what their various roles and duties are.

One of the big discrepancies I see as an ex ref, is this issue of 'he was only 3 yards away, how did he miss that!!' Stand 3 yards away from a fast moving, fast developing action, and you can't see everything. eg: the elbow in the welsh players head last evening - if you're looking at feet to see if there's a trip or who gets the last touch for a goal kick or corner, you can't also be watching the head area - you don't have the field of vision. That wasn't the goal line official's mistake, if anything the ref should have made that call but he was blind side to it.

I used to reckon the optimal distance would be 10-15 yards away - and then if a nasty foul happened you'd leg it to closer so by the time anyone twigged to see where you were you were 5 yards away - close enough to observe but out of swinging range!!

Full on shoulder barges appear to be ok!

I just bottled it and cashed out. £27.50 rather than £29.99. Seemed worth it given what just happened.

Don't think I will do a treble on winners tomorrow. Games are too close to call.

Spain v Czech Republic (ITV)
Republic of Ireland v Sweden (BBC One)
Belgium v Italy (BBC One)

Replays make it look like Neuer got away with that a wee bit...

Ahem...

Özil loves an assist. What a pass.

RIP £2.50.

oh bloody typical!!! He's spectacularly failed to do that all bloody season!!!

Definitely the defence's fault.

brilliant.

Should have run it into the corner, but just so technically good, that finish was stunning

On a sixpence from Ozil.

Ze favourites are off to a solid start!

Some arsehole predicted this would be the first one with a 2 goal difference. 8)

That arsehole should have stuck a bet on it 😀

As an aside, I've not picked one correct goalscorer in 7 games yet.

so, imo, germany will scud poland and ni, ukraine to scud ni, and ukraine and poland to slug it out for 2nd spot in the last game, should be a good yin.

I had Ozil for an assist. Seemed a safe bet 🙂

Schweini ran further in his celebration than he did for Utd all season!

I'm not a gambler as I'm notoriously shit at predicting stuff.

Tell you what, stick a few quid on Shane Long to score in a 1-0 victory over Sweden for me. 😆

A little emotional split for me. My family is German, but they come from Ukraine.

In any case, a good game overall.

But Schweinsteigger.... awesome!

I feel sorry for Schweinstiger trying to stay sharp all season whilst surrounded by mediocrarty 😉 binners when was the last time Man U broke from defence at speed like that and then provided such a high quality final ball ? Just asking 🙂

Quality half volley finish

Tell you what, stick a few quid on Shane Long to score in a 1-0 victory over Sweden for me.

It's 30-1...might be worth a punt.

Fair point Jammers! LVG doesn't do pace.

2nd goal much better, the kind of goal i like to see.
Ukrainian defence were (rightly) over committed looking for an equaliser and combination of a good pass and a good run punished them for it.

It's 30-1...might be worth a punt.

Might as well be 300-1

As ROI are my sweepstake team, I have to believe. However foolish it might be....

It's the best possible opener for the green machine I reckon. Sweden didn't qualify with any great panache and scraped past Denmark to qualify for the tournament from the play-offs. It's certainly an easier start than Belgium or Italy - though I don't think Belgium will do much beyond qualifying from the group stages. They have an excellent squad but are far less than the sum of their parts. We'll struggle in this group but don't think we'll be as bad as in 2012. Italy will bore or bribe their way to the semis whereupon a last minute change of referee will see the massive bong they've paid go to waste.

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Some bit of defending that! 🙂

So i'm gonny go for some predictions today, lets see how this works out! 😆

spain 2 czechs 1

ireland 2 sweden 2

belgium 0 italy 1

Today's picks.

I may not be taking this seriously now...

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After the abuse Boateng suffered from that idiot AfD politician I hope he's celebrated as a national hero today. A goal saved is a goal scored.

Sad to hear of the NI fan whom fell to his death off the Nice seafront wall. Take care lads.

worth a go, bongo! 😆

Now I have a problem. Mondays and Tuesdays are currently my long ride days since I'm away from home. That means I'm going to miss... erm... Ireland v Sweden and probably Belgium v Italy.

Maybe I need to do some intervals instead...

Just go as fast as you can during half time 😀

Isn't that what the Tabata protocol was really invented for? 🙂

Its only the group stages @molgrips, miss the Belgium Italy game.

Sweden are based in a sailing town I know quite well, Zlatan is lapping up the "Legend" status even the mainstream tv call him that 🙂

Need to restock beers as I drunk the 12 I bought on Friday, have only eaten 600g of peanuts so still have 900g left ! Can't see me finishing the tournament lighter than I started it.

If the hooligan thread overtakes this one I'll be somewhat annoyed.

*quietly moves plastic chairs away from bongohooha* 😆

Recycling 😆
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quite good DD! 😆

martin o neill/roy keane bit on tele there was quiet funny! 🙂

This game's going as you'd expect, spain trying to pass the czechs into oblivion, czechs looking to soak it up and hit on the counter. I'd expect spain to eventually win out.

Part of me wants to see the Czechs thwart Spain.

Just not a draw tho, eh, fellas?

nah canny see it. dunno how spain haven't scored yet, czechs can hardly get out their half.

Hmm. The odds for 0-0 dropped from 8-1 to 9-4.

it's got that feel about it...

czech are a bit more adventurous this half though.

@molgrips see ^^^ don't miss a ride for a 0-0

Lol.. the 5 live commentary is amusing.. they are getting more and more desperate for a goal, any goal.. 🙂

Oooh. Harsh.

There ye go. 1-0 spain.

pretty shite game though, I'd have thought spain would have more of a cutting edge, but they just grind ye down and eventually get there.. be surprise if they win the tourney.

So if they close this out without conceding it will be 600 mins plus since they last let a goal in at the euro"s

Which match to watch tonight?

both. I'll need to watch the first half ireland game on my phone on the way home though.

btw, you could just mount your phone to yer bike? 😆 Just mind and look up every now and then!

jamba, who? spain?

Well, here comes my sweepstake team. I don't hold out much hope for their chances. Maybe get out the group, but that's about it.

Canny say I watch any team outwith the Euro champs/world cup(Hence, I'm just opinion forming with these first games!), but I know O'Neil, canny imagine his team will be a soft touch. Wouldn't write of their chances against Sweden. Tough group for them though.

@seaso yes Spain, BBC had a graphic

I am wondering if I can get to 10 games without predicting the correct scorer.

*goosebumps at Amhrann na bhFiann*

Great stuff 🙂

That had me wondering though - missed the start of NI's game, did they sing God Save the Queen or something else?

GSTQ for the Orangemen

Jag vill leva jag vill dö i Norden!!!! Kom igen Zlatan heja Sverige!!!!

I see Shay is on the substitutes bench . That's a Given

Great game so far

I was really hoping for a Zlatan-Cam.

Well played Ireland so far

Aye Ireland in the ascendency need to take 1 of these chances though, as altho they've kept Ibrahimavic quiet he's likely to pop up and be more dangerous in the 2nd. Finely balanced. Hope it continues as is with Ireland getting better as the game goes. Swedes don't look too confident so a goal could kill them off, but the obvious danger remains ..

Sweden really aren't very good, are they?

YEEEEES

Come on Ireland get a grip

🙂

😯

Great goal

EDIT> I have a lot of buffering on a slow connection so this goal may have been 5 minutes ago 😉

That goal just murdered so many bets...heh

Still keeping the sweepstake alive, tho!

I get the feeling this is going to be hard to watch 😐

EDIT need a beverage ....

Goal had the opposite of my predicated effect woke Sweden up and opened the game up!

Excellent performance by Ireland so far. Mustn't back off one inch though.

Bugger, it's been coming.

Ah shite.