Euro: Group D: CZE vs. TUR & ESP vs. CRO, 6/21/2016

[Live in the Now]

Why are people saying the format sucks? The only reason these teams are going to be matched together is that nobody showed up to play in every game so far. There's not a single team sitting on 9 points yet.

Spain didn't show up today, Belgium didn't show up, England didn't show up. Italy has showed up but I don't see them as being a particularly strong team. At this point all but the third place teams and the Group F teams could win this IMO.

 

[Panteras]

Why are people saying the format sucks? The only reason these teams are going to be matched together is that nobody showed up to play in every game so far. There's not a single team sitting on 9 points yet.

Spain didn't show up today, Belgium didn't show up, England didn't show up. Italy has showed up but I don't see them as being a particularly strong team. At this point all but the third place teams and the Group F teams could win this IMO.

I think those complaining are doing so because they now see all the major teams are in 1 bracket, a "bracket of death" if you will. But indeed, it's just a product of how things have played out not about the format.

 

[ProPAIN]

Yeah, I'm not convinced by a single team so far this tournament. Germany is the closest but they have no number 9. The player they need is unfortunately Poland's number 9. That would be quite a team.

If it weren't for their own fans, Croatia could've gotten 9 points and seem to be one of the contenders just with the draw at this point.

 

[Live in the Now]

I am somewhat convinced by Poland. Given up no goals while having some good attackers, one of whom is world class and hasn't really had a stormer yet. Should have beaten Germany too.

Not a whole lot of quality in this tournament though which throws the winner entirely up in the air. Even though Spain wound up winning in 2010 I had similar feelings about that tournament.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Weird game.
Felt we played good enough to win but... in the end didn't score on our chances and they did.

I rather not speak about Sergio Ramos.

It's going to be tough to advance now against the "best" teams

 

[SenorDingDong]

Why are people saying the format sucks? The only reason these teams are going to be matched together is that nobody showed up to play in every game so far. There's not a single team sitting on 9 points yet.

Spain didn't show up today, Belgium didn't show up, England didn't show up. Italy has showed up but I don't see them as being a particularly strong team. At this point all but the third place teams and the Group F teams could win this IMO.

This is why.The left bracket will be interesting to see who emerges though. The right side of the bracket well...every matchup could be a final in it's own right. Whoever passes through will basically have played 3 finals.

 

[Live in the Now]

Yeah, that's not the format's fault. That's teams like England and Spain playing like ****.

There's only two good teams on the right hand side of that bracket anyway and two on the left side.

Hint: they all played today.

 

[Theokritos]

Why are people saying the format sucks?

It sucks that 16 out of 24 teams make the knockout stage.

 

[Live in the Now]

It sucks that 16 out of 24 teams make the knockout stage.

Well yeah, that part sucks. But the way teams are slotted once they advance is no problem at all.

 

[les Habs]

I'll have to watch the match later, but looking at the scoreline and such there seems to be a narrative about the Spain match.

 

[Ivan94]

This is why.The left bracket will be interesting to see who emerges though. The right side of the bracket well...every matchup could be a final in it's own right. Whoever passes through will basically have played 3 finals.

if Sweden beats Belgium, Italy doesn't lose to Ireland, Portugal beats Hungary and Iceland beats Austria, this could be the bracket:

 

[Theokritos]

Well yeah, that part sucks. But the way teams are slotted once they advance is no problem at all.

Your point about allocations to the brackets is valid, there is hardly anything that could or even should be done about it.

But the fact that 16 teams from 6 groups advance to the knockout stage does affect the format: some group winners (e.g. Italy) have to play teams who finished 2nd (e.g. Spain) while other group winners (e.g. Germany) get to play against 3rd place teams (e.g. Slovakia). The whole set-up is unbalanced by default.

 

[Chloraflora]

if Sweden beats Belgium, Italy doesn't lose to Ireland, Portugal beats Hungary and Iceland beats Austria, this would be the bracket:

This is wrong, because that would mean Portugal won the group and thus avoid playing England.

 

[Power Man]

Lol Modric told his GK where Ramos was going to shoot

 

[Moncherry]

Modric wasn't on the field

 

[Live in the Now]

Modric wasn't on the field

He told him from the bench.

 

[Ivan94]

This is wrong, because that would mean Portugal won the group and thus avoid playing England.

Iceland would win the group.

 

[ghostnights]

Who will Wales likely face ? Northern Ireland?

 

[Ivan94]

Who will Wales likely face ? Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland or Turkey. hard to say which is more likely. anything can happen tomorrow.

 

[Chloraflora]

Iceland would win the group.

Not necessarily, I forgot about goal difference. Portugal winning 2-0 and Iceland 1-0 would mean Portugal win the group right? I can't remember the tie breaker.

 

[HajdukSplit]

If that picture surfacing on the CRO sites is real, what the hell is Mamic and Suker doing celebrating with a Hajduk scarf, more provocations and more attention to themselves after a historic win

Btw, Subasic, Perisic, Kalinic, all Hajduk guys

 

[Ivan94]

Not necessarily, I forgot about goal difference. Portugal winning 2-0 and Iceland 1-0 would mean Portugal win the group right? I can't remember the tie breaker.

yes Portugal would need a higher win than Iceland to win the group. iceland and portugal have the same goal difference, but Iceland scored more goals till now.(the next tie breaker after goal difference)

I changed my 'would be the bracket' to 'could be the bracket'.

 

[Deficient Mode]

I'll have to watch the match later, but looking at the scoreline and such there seems to be a narrative about the Spain match.

Barca players don't play well in white jerseys?

My narrative from Spain's point of view:

Busquets too deep in buildup. Spain's first goal and some of their best passages of play vs. Turkey came when he popped up further up the field to make combinations. Tonight he was basically parked between Pique and Ramos the whole time.

Pique wasn't involved enough. Spain relied more heavily on the left side than in their past matches. When Pique got the ball with space in front of him to dribble there was no real way for him to take advantage of his passing ability to advance buildup. Pique-Silva combination wasn't nearly as strong as it was in the previous two matches. Spain were too heavily weighted to the left side, which made their attack more predictable. They still had good passages of play in buildup, but not as frequently.

Bad and individualistic pressing on the wings.

 

[Ivan94]

 

[gary69]

if Sweden beats Belgium, Italy doesn't lose to Ireland, Portugal beats Hungary and Iceland beats Austria, this could be the bracket:

Reminiscent of Euro 2004 matchups of Greece vs. Portugal both in the group stages and the final, it'll be Iceland vs. Portugal twice this time around