[amphibian]

The entire right side of the English team cannot hold onto the ball or predict when to pass.

[Macros]

Loving this.

Laughing my ass off at the commentators, biased blinkered as fuck, even they've had to start admitting England are just shite at the minute and Iceland are superbly well organised and giving blood sweat and everything

[Coltaine -]

ICELAAAAAND :animier::animier:

[Coltaine -]

Oh, I love this. France, be prepaired. Their is another blue team on the way to get the title (no, not the italians)

This post has been edited by - Coltaine -: 27 June 2016 - 09:10 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Well, can't say I'm that surprised or even that upset. Iceland thoroughly deserved to win! Will be rooting for them for the rest of the tournament!

Woy resigns, also not a surprise. Bad week for England all round...

[Gorefest]

[Mentalist]

got a chance to watch some of my recorded games.

CZE-CRO was a fun game. Croatia gonna be a real challenge to UA in World Cup qualifiers. Unless they play Mandzukic, b/c he seemed totally useless in the 2 games I've now seen him play (the other being against Portugal). Rakitic and Perisic seem to have their good and REALLY BAD days. Srna is retiring, which is good for us, but I really felt bad for him when they lost.

Also, the first 20 min If the ENG-ISL game and... yeah. English D got schooled BAD. Both of those goals, Iceland is making English D look like grade school soccer. terrible, terrible play. Since Iceland is ALSO in UA's world Cup group, I'm not holding my breath. If we get real disciplined, we may pull off 2 draws.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 29 June 2016 - 04:07 AM

[amphibian]

The defense did ok, not great. The midfield is where things went awfully wrong for England. The moves to put Rooney as a DM, Sturridge as a RW, and Dier alongside Rooney was bad. Rashford was needed on the left, Rooney is either a forward or benched, and the passing in the middle really needs to cut way down on the turnovers. That last item combined with the very very fast Iceland counter is what did England in.

[Mentalist]

Fair enough, I'll need to take another look at who were the white shirts playing stupid on those goals. Overall impression from those early 20 min was that England werer eally hoping for the 3 strikers to shine individually--and every time they'd get the ball they'd be double-teamed by the disciplined Iceland. Like I said, though, I only glanced at it, didn't try to analyze it yet.

[amphibian]

Mentalist, on 29 June 2016 - 04:50 AM, said:

Fair enough, I'll need to take another look at who were the white shirts playing stupid on those goals. Overall impression from those early 20 min was that England werer eally hoping for the 3 strikers to shine individually--and every time they'd get the ball they'd be double-teamed by the disciplined Iceland. Like I said, though, I only glanced at it, didn't try to analyze it yet.

The throw-in goal was bad strategy on the coaching level. The dependence on Hart to absolutely own the box on a flick-on failed and the defenders shouldn't have tried to pull an off-sides call.

The other goal was kinda just great soccer by the Icicles.

I thought the vertical passing was horrendous from Rooney and Walker in particular. Both gave the ball away multiple times - but this was somewhat boosted by there not being much movement towards space (and great Icicle marking) by the other players. Rooney was extremely reluctant to take players on and beat them that way - which was needed in bursts.

I look to the Spanish team of a few years ago/Barcelona at the same time and the German team of now and the way they beat the bunkered up teams is by having the midfielders do both vertical passing and occasional dribbles past defenders, while the forwards pull defenders into the midfield and wingers run curving routes to pick up space or the floating defender. If you have all four things going, it's incredibly hard to defend over a full game and something will break. The ability of Iniesta/Xavi or Ozil to get by a defender most of the time is crucial because it means the defenders can't pressure that hard and when they can't pressure that hard, the vertical passes open up. Wilshire has this ability more than Rooney and Rashford was the one that was dribbling by people late.

Walker and Rose were getting up, but the center was lost because Rooney kept handing the ball over to Iceland, and the defenders didn't get pulled out of position by the striker movements. Just a bad team set-up by Hodgson and his resignation was essentially done over playing Rooney at DM. What a gamble. What a great game by the Icicles.

[Tiste Simeon]

Perhaps not the right place to post this, but the thread was quiet anyway: Giggs has left Man Utd after 29 years at the club.

For me, he is a hero and legend and I am sad to see him go but I hope he gets a great position somewhere and owns managing!

[Macros]

not to mention a fresh paddock of fillies for the old stud

[Traveller]

Heh, go Wales.

[Tiste Simeon]

I said it previously, but it's going to be an Iceland vs Wales final!

[Coltaine -]

And the first underdog is in the semifinals. Yes. Congrats to Wales. Portugal should be no problem for you. See you in the final.

(Or you will see Iceland. Would like that even more)

[Macros]

Iceland wales final is win win

[Coltaine -]

Okay. I'm pretty sure they tried to kill me. 19 penalities in one game? 18 in a row? Are you kidding me? Definitly the most thrilling game of the EURO.

And THE CURSE is broken

[Gorefest]

No it isn't, you still havent beaten Italy in a major tournament within the regular playing time

[Tiste Simeon]

This France-Iceland game is painful...

[Gorefest]

The comeback begins!