Tomorrow the madness begins.
Rep your team, make your predictions, trash/bash other teams, post pics & vids relevant to the tournament. Do it all in here.
ON that note, wow! What an opening game Spain vs Italy.
Discuss.
Yohan
We already have a soccer thread :p
Stilez
quote:
Originally posted by Yohan
We already have a soccer thread :p
heh, ya I know, but this is specific to the tournament. :)
Dior Homme
quote:
Originally posted by Stilez
heh, ya I know, but this is specific to the tournament. :)
He's busting balls because he started the thread.
Special K
Should be a good tourney. I always prefer the Euros over the World Cup as it is less watered down and more competitive. There are less bull teams and for the most part it's pretty much quality from top to bottom. This however looks like it will be coming to a close as the next Euros in France will have 24 teams.
My pics for group winners are:
Russia + Poland
Germany + Holland
Spain + Croatia (blind homerism on the Croatia bit I know)
France + Sweden
Im obviously rooting for Croatia but I am realistic, and to further that we have had a seriously ty run of form over the course of the last hmmmmmmm 4 years or so. Actually since the last Euro, which I am still bitter about to this day. Although knocking Turkey out of the tournament by way of a smoking in Istanbul was nice bit of tidy revenge.
But yeah I am really not expecting much from them. The Croatian defense is horrible, midfield is QUALITY and the forwards are good & serviceable. So mehhh, I can easily see them going 3 and out, and just the same I can see them advancing out of this group and making some noise. They are just a typical unpredictable sketchy Balkan team. :p
It would be nice to see Poland & Ukraine do well but I only see Poland advancing and Lewandowski becoming a Polish legend as a result. It's always nice to see Ireland do well too, but yeah they are in tough.
Who do I think will win? Germany.
FunkyCrew
lol @ Anonymous bringing down Ukie Euro website
quote:
Anonymous Operations @Anon_Central
#OpUkraine - Tango Down: http://www.euro-2012.com -- #Anonymous #Ukraine | #Euro2012 because you have no right to kill innocent animals
it's back online now
Special K
ps. I'm jacked for Sunday :disbelief
One of my fav Suker goals of all time. Croatia v Ireland Euro qualifier from 99, Suker with a goal in the dying seconds of the game. Pure class.
Pulling for Germany, so close the last few tournements but always just a little short. I was feeling very confident 6 months ago, now, not so much. The quality is there, and the bench is deep, but I think it's all going to come down to who's peaking at the right time, as a handful of teams have the tools to go on a run. I'd like to see Germany v Spain, payback time. Excited for Portugal on Saturday.
spitty
super excited to be in AMSTERDAMfor this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Endlesswave
Don't think Greece will get far but I will support anyhow. ;)
Stilez
Fak! Hope this isn't true & certainly hope it's not going to be happening at every game.
Netherlands' black players were allegedly subjected to racist abuse during their open training session in the Polish city of Krakow.
Dutch captain Mark van Bommel branded the monkey chants as "a real disgrace".
Van Bommel said: "You need to open your ears. If you did hear it, and don't want to hear it, that is even worse."
Uefa officials said an incident had occurred but it was a protest about Krakow not being given any Euro 2012 matches, The Times reported.
The news comes on the opening day of the tournament, which is being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.
Analysis
quote:
Dan Roan
BBC sports news correspondent
"It's the last thing Uefa needs - just a few hours before the opening game. The issue of racism has stalked the preparations for this competition and once again it has reared its head."
A BBC documentary had recently raised fears that Euro 2012 could be dogged by the issue of racism.
The Dutch players were reportedly targeted by Polish fans as they began their practice session at the Stadion Miejski.
Van Bommel responded by leading the squad to the far side of the pitch.
The abuse comes just a day after they had visited the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, which is nearby.
Van Bommel said: "It is a real disgrace, especially after getting back from Auschwitz, that you are confronted with this.
"We will take it up with Uefa and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field."
Martin Lipton, from the Daily Mirror, is in Krakow and suggested there was a large number of Polish fans involved in the abuse.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "As they were doing a lap on the pitch around 500 of the local fans started doing monkey chants at the black players.
"It became worse on the second lap, at which point Van Bommel took the players to the other side of the stadium. It's the only story in the Dutch press today."
The controversy has overshadowed the start of the tournament which kicks off at 17:00 BST with hosts Poland playing Greece in the opening match.
Earlier this week Uefa president Michel Platini told BBC Sport that referees have been instructed to call a halt to matches at this summer's tournament if a player is racially taunted.
Yet the Frenchman also warned any player who left the field unilaterally in protest over abuse from the stands would be yellow carded.
Italy and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli had earlier said he intended to do exactly that if he found himself being racially abused.
Former England centre-back Sol Campbell, meanwhile, was compelled to advise fans to avoid the tournament after seeing the Panorama footage of supporters in Ukraine giving Nazi salutes and taunting black players with monkey noises.
Meanwhile, the families of black England players Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have declined to travel to watch the matches because of fears over racism.
