Portugal v France

[planetgeli]

Not impressed. Spain will beat them easily.

 

[BristolEcho]

France were very negative through the game. Does their press give them grief for it?

Yeah. Deschamp isn't that popular apparently despite the success.

 

[Bingoman]

Notable how Ronnie isn't crying despite losing. Because he scored his pen, and it's all about him.

Pepe is through

 

[tommers]

Pepe`s crying.

He should retire, get his Tacchini tracksuit and Reebok Classics out and spend his time down the park smoking.

 

[Monte]

Not impressed. Spain will beat them easily.

Spain are missing several players through suspension.
Who knows...

 

[Wilf]

Impeccable pens from France. Late sub misses. Agree with Murphy on that. Don't do it.

Aye England did it in the last Euros final iirc.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Ah, yes, but Tim Krul...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Ah, yes, but Tim Krul...

Different for a keeper, though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Bit humiliating, mind you, to be subbed for penalties as a keeper.

 

[The39thStep]

Pepe`s crying.

He should retire, get his Tacchini tracksuit and Reebok Classics out and spend his time down the park smoking.

Yup. Gave his all and will always be a hero

 

[Lotte]

Bye, Ronaldo.

France are so lucky that Costa didn't turn into a wall and the goalpost helped them. They were rotten. But I prefer them to Portugal so I'm celebrating by listening to yé-yé.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Pepe was great. Had no business being that good at that age.

Ronaldo was shit. Portugal were the better team and with someone else up front, they may well have won. Martínez must have had it written into his contract that he couldn't take him off.

 

[two sheds]

France gone through without scoring a goal in normal play apparently.

 

[Maggot]

France gone through without scoring a goal in normal play apparently.

Just checked. 2 own goals and a penalty so far.

 

[Flavour]

France are shit and Portugal deserved to win and Ronaldo is the reason they didn't

 

[Spymaster]

France are shit and Portugal deserved to win and Ronaldo is the reason they didn't

Fair.

 

[Hollis]

I haven't really got into this tournament that much... other stuff going on.. but am I getting the vibe it's been abit crap compared to others..

 

[dessiato]

I haven't really got into this tournament that much... other stuff going on.. but am I getting the vibe it's been abit crap compared to others..

If you want interesting don't watch England. Although they're winning they're not playing interesting football. But as long as they keep winning does it matter?

 

[Steel Icarus]

France are shit and Portugal deserved to win and Ronaldo is the reason they didn't

More the fact none of the French lads seemed able to hit an elephant's arse with a snowshoe until the pens, they had some great chances to score.

 

[Hollis]

If you want interesting don't watch England. Although they're winning they're not playing interesting football. But as long as they keep winning does it matter?

I'm not talking about England - the tournament as a whole.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I'm not talking about England - the tournament as a whole.

There have been some great group matches but the knockouts have been a bit meh so far.

 

[Lotte]

I wonder if Martinez is worried about a backlash from Ronaldo's weirdo fanboys if he drops him. The kind who got angry at ten Hag for dropping him and not letting Ronaldo pick the team.

 

[MrCurry]

I'm not talking about England - the tournament as a whole.

Completely agree. Way too many low scoring, dull games. A shadow of the tournament football I remember from years gone by, although maybe that’s rose coloured spectacles at work.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

There have been some great group matches but the knockouts have been a bit meh so far.

Spain Georgia was a cracker. Spain Germany warmed up massively after half time, and unlike Portugal France, didn't peter out in extra time. Turkey Austria was a great match. Romania Netherlands was pretty good.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Completely agree. Way too many low scoring, dull games. A shadow of the tournament football I remember from years gone by, although maybe that’s rose coloured spectacles at work.

I think it is tbh. World Cup South Africa comes to mind as a very dull tournament.

And you're being harsh on yesterday's matches. One was very dull, but the other was very good.

 

[Spymaster]

If you want interesting don't watch England. Although they're winning they're not playing interesting football. But as long as they keep winning does it matter?

England haven't stood out as being particularly more boring than anyone else. France/Portugal last night had its moments but for most of the time was a snooze fest. Hardly a classic. All of France's games have been a bit dull. Spain are the only team that have really entertained.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Spain are the only team that have really entertained.

And Georgia.

Regarding Spain, ironically it's like they've taken on board the criticisms their great teams were given about boring sideways passing, while everyone else is now belatedly trying to copy it.

 

[The39thStep]

I wonder if Martinez is worried about a backlash from Ronaldo's weirdo fanboys if he drops him. The kind who got angry at ten Hag for dropping him and not letting Ronaldo pick the team.

The whole Ronaldo issue is very simply a case of be damned if you do , damned if you don't especially in the crucial stage of a ko competition. Portugal qualified with ease through the qualifiers, Ronaldo missed one game through injury and was the leading goalscorer with 10. Funnily enough there were no calls ( even from the weirdo English obsessives ) for him to be dropped, he was seen to be an inegral and vital part of the team.

When people say drop Ronaldo as though its some genius masterstroke who would you play? The squad lacks strikers, that's it's one real weakness. Ramos at PSG is hasn't fulfilled his early promise and was on the bench for PSG when they played Dortmund in the semis . Jota is a second striker and unfortunately, his normal position is too close to Leao's for balance. Leao himself doesn't score enough. Felix, who I have always wanted to succeed, is so inconsistent.

In my view Martinez should have subbed him however if he had and they still lost on penalties then it would have been why did he take off a proven penalty taker? Rock and a hard place.

 

[Steel Icarus]

And Georgia.

Regarding Spain, ironically it's like they've taken on board the criticisms their great teams were given about boring sideways passing, while everyone else is now belatedly trying to copy it.

I was NEVER bored watching Spain when they had Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Fabregas, Villa.

 

[xenon]

I haven't really got into this tournament that much... other stuff going on.. but am I getting the vibe it's been abit crap compared to others..

There've been a few great games, Portugual Slovenia, Netherlands Turkey, Spain Germany... Spain, Italy picked up. IIRC Mainly Spain involved. I've missed a lot of the group games though.