UEFA EURO 2016 - Final Tournament

[Deficient Mode]

Croatia with a record breaking 10:0 win over San Marino, like it accomplishes anything, the coach actually said before the match he was using the game to further ingrain the defensive unit together

Hattricks for Mandzukic and Kalinic, first goal for Pjaca too

I saw the score and wondered why a team that should be top 10 in UEFA was playing a minnow like San Marino so close to a major international tournament.

 

[Tryamkin]

We've basically had a new CB combo every game since the last Euros, it feels like. Defense overall has had few sure bets. Granqvist who was a regular in 2012 won his role back this past qualifier, but he's had many different partners. Right now Lindelöf is clearly the best player of the others and they started together in the last game against Slovenia. Johansson who played with Granqvist in the last playoff game will get a chance tomorrow against Wales though. It's between them, but Lindelöf should be favored to start considering his strong season.

Fair enough. My best guess was Granqvist - Johansson partnership and Lindelof with some minutes here and there, maybe a start.

 

[Tryamkin]

I saw the score and wondered why a team that should be top 10 in UEFA was playing a minnow like San Marino so close to a major international tournament.

Yeah, I don't know why they do that. Can they not find a better team to play?

 

[HajdukSplit]

I saw the score and wondered why a team that should be top 10 in UEFA was playing a minnow like San Marino so close to a major international tournament.

Confidence boost, but it was really a pointless game, especially when the one before this was Moldova B...Suker also claims not many teams want to play Croatia in friendlies because they are not attractive enough for the big teams but yet I see Germany play Slovakia/Hungary for example. They could have at least played a middle level Euro team like Slovakia/Switzerland/Austria ffs. Anyway we'll see if this "strategy" works out, they basically put all their effort into the trainings and used two friendly matches for confidence builders, but some of the statements from the manager are just comical, like we don't need hard games because they will be hard at Euro

 

[jekoh]

Teams that are absolutely unpredictable for me are Russia and Turkey.
AFAIK only a handful of players of team Russia are playing in the big Euro leagues and Turkey is Turkey. Good players, but always close to a meltdown due to their temper.

When exactly was Turkey "close to a meltdown" in the finals before?
If anything they have somewhat talentess squads that tend to overachieve in the finals due to being more composed when it matters than most other teams.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Fantastic free kick goal by Korea against the Czechs, into the top corner, harsh to say Cech should have done better but he nearly made the save so some will question him I guess

 

[Shrimper]

I keep changing my predictions but there is a possibility for England, in my predictions at least, to get Romania and Austria in the knock-outs.

 

[Ceremony]

Confidence boost, but it was really a pointless game, especially when the one before this was Moldova B...Suker also claims not many teams want to play Croatia in friendlies because they are not attractive enough for the big teams but yet I see Germany play Slovakia/Hungary for example. They could have at least played a middle level Euro team like Slovakia/Switzerland/Austria ffs. Anyway we'll see if this "strategy" works out, they basically put all their effort into the trainings and used two friendly matches for confidence builders, but some of the statements from the manager are just comical, like we don't need hard games because they will be hard at Euro

If scudding a bunch of no-marks the week before the tournament is good enough for the hosts it's good enough for Croatia.

 

[Bon Esprit]

When exactly was Turkey "close to a meltdown" in the finals before?
If anything they have somewhat talentess squads that tend to overachieve in the finals due to being more composed when it matters than most other teams.

Sorry, I used the wrong word. The turkish had issues with their discipline on and off the pitch. For ex. the Switzerland and the Töre/Toprak incidents.
I'm not here to bash the Turkish team.

 

[mmk786]

Turks havent really had anymore disciplinary issues than most others.

 

[joe89]

Sweden-Wales 3-0. Wales barely touched the ball before Bale came in and the match was basically over by then. And Ibra had left the pitch, too. Guidetti scored his first national team goal, Forsberg was the man of the match. Isaksson left the game with back pain..

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

A dominant win vs Wales!

 

[cgf]

Turks havent really had anymore disciplinary issues than most others.

That doesn't stop Tore from being crazier than the average bear.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Portugal could use the tuneup

Go Estonia!!!

I've been to Tallinn before. Beautiful city

 

[Shrimper]

I've got a round of 16 in my predictions of;

Switzerland v Poland
Spain v Portugal
England v Romania
Austria v Italy
Germany v Russia
Belgium v Czech Rep
France v Sweden
Wales v Iceland

Switzerland v Spain
England v Austria
Germany v Belgium
France v Wales

Spain v England
Germany v France

Spain v France

Call me optimistic..

 

[HajdukSplit]

Another costly injury for Russia as Igor Denisov suffered a hamstring injury in their 1:1 draw with Serbia. The official replacement has not yet been named but its likely going to be Zenit midfielder Artur Yusupov

 

[MrFunnyWobbl]

I've got a round of 16 in my predictions of;

Switzerland v Poland
Spain v Portugal
England v Romania
Austria v Italy
Germany v Russia
Belgium v Czech Rep
France v Sweden
Wales v Iceland

Switzerland v Spain
England v Austria
Germany v Belgium
France v Wales

Spain v England
Germany v France

Spain v France

Call me optimistic..

Hello there optimistic

 

[Tryamkin]

Another costly injury for Russia as Igor Denisov suffered a hamstring injury in their 1:1 draw with Serbia. The official replacement has not yet been named but its likely going to be Zenit midfielder Artur Yusupov

Dang, Russia's been hit hard with the injuries. Dzagoev was the worst but Denisov is a starter too is he not?

 

[HajdukSplit]

Dang, Russia's been hit hard with the injuries. Dzagoev was the worst but Denisov is a starter too is he not?

Yes their starting DMC and vice-captain, my guess Shirkov takes his spot in the lineup, or even Neustadter

 

[Tryamkin]

Yes their starting DMC and vice-captain, my guess Shirkov takes his spot in the lineup, or even Neustadter

Yeah, I would assume Shirikov

 

[cgf]

Given who's left on the team I'd try something like:

Smolov - Dzyuba - Kokorin
Shatov - Mamaev*
Shirokov*
Shennikov^ - Berezutski - Neustadter - Smolnikov

*Glushakov/Golovin/Ivanov
^Kombarov​

 

[maclean]

Fantastic free kick goal by Korea against the Czechs, into the top corner, harsh to say Cech should have done better but he nearly made the save so some will question him I guess

Koreans were definitely strong in the first half, their speed exposed one of the Czechs' main weaknesses in not really having that explosive burst at their disposal. Overall the Czechs created quite a lot of chances and were unlucky not to score more, even after going down to ten men on what seemed to me to be two weak yellow card calls, though being at the game I didn't have the benefit of replays and may not have caught exactly what happened.

All in all it's probably better for the team to be coming off a loss than to have cruised through all their friendlies, plus the team has never won at Eden Stadium so I didn't have too high expectations

 

[Elvis P]

Breaking News

Ukraine's SBU security agency has said that a Frenchman detained last month with a large cache of arms was planning mass attacks on Euro 2016.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36460569

 

[Pouchkine]

Really too bad for Russia, now let's hope they give some playing time to younger players to prepare for 2018. With the format as it is they still can make a nice run this year though.

 

[Eye of Ra]

People say 24 teams is too much.

But if nations like Bosnia, Serbia, Scotland, Netherlands, Grecce, Denmark was in instead of nations like Romania, Wales, North Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine the tournament would have 24 good teams. There is potential. Hopefully next tournament the best 24 teams make it.