Euro 2008 — Running Thread

Speaking of bending it ...

Was reading up on the good guys and found this tidbit about the Europass ball. Supposed to be designed to curve even more. Did anyone bring this up on the soccer thread?

http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=723896

 

"Swiss Miss" is onboard, suckers!

 

FC Hooterville ... reporting for duty!

 

Eventually, they're going to start using some kind of balloon, or a soccer-sized wiffle ball.

I don't think the ball doesn't need all of this tinkering. Make it aerodynamically sound, so players can trust their first touch. That'll produce better play, and better games.

 

I know the keepers are bitching about it. Especially Lehmann, who's probably the oldest player in the tournament.

 

Less than 24 hours away!

 

Apparently I may have some Dutch ancestry, so I'm going to have to root for the Oranje...I've always liked their play anyways.

 

That style of play is dead, I'm afraid. FourFourTwo has a solid article on it in this month's edition.

The likely Dutch scenario: The team will go about their ways of infighting when things go wrong and make a quiet group stage exit.

Anyway, I'm pulling for Croatia and Poland. I also want Austria to make it out of the group stage. That would be cool.

 

Yeah, they inevitably show flashes of brilliance (Robben against the Serbs in the 06 opener) and then fall apart at some stage. They're not going to have any time to screw around in this one, though, opening against Italy and France. They could be playing for scraps against Romania.

 

Re: Euro 2008 — Running Thread

Pastor's dream come true?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/05/euro2012.scotlandfootballteam?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

Scotland have told UEFA they'd be willing to stand in as hosts for Euro 2012 if, as looks increasingly likely, Poland and Ukraine can't manage. Granted, the Scots would need four more stadia to be able to do it, but they don't seem too worried about that.

 

Why is ESPN showing this?

ESPN-International & Star Sports (owned by ESPN) are going to be showing the international feed of the games anyway.

The only additional cost to ESPN is to have two announcers sit in front of a TV screen in Bristol.

Live programming, cheap, at a time slot when SC reruns and poker are the only thing usually running, with a hard-core, dedicated (albeit small) niche audience.

Why not?

 

Andy Gray's sitting in the studio with a) a women's player and b) a host who just called the world's best player Cristiano Ronalda. Welcome to American soccer, Andy!