Ukraine played much better than in the match vs. France and it’s unfortunate that the goal was disallowed (though I guess it was the right decision given the offside). If Ukraine had advanced, they would have been without Tymoshchuk for the ¼ final (he received his second yellow card in the tournament for fouling an England player to prevent a breakthrough in the aftermath of the situation involving Devic’s effort on goal and Terry’s goal line clearance). It’s the second consecutive time (the same happened in 2008 with Austria and Switzerland) that the two host nations have failed to advance from the group stage, but I think that Poland and Ukraine played well and in retrospect one could argue that they were placed in very tough groups. I have been deriving enjoyment from the tournament so far despite one or two disappointments…
Did anyone else notice how many times the commentators mentioned Ozil as “the physical embodiment of New-German football!” And why is he so enthusiastically-described as such? Because he’s yet another non-German (Turkish) who should be playing for his native land.
Apparently Ozil is now quite unpopular in Turkey and is regularly booed by the Turkish fans...
I don’t follow the German team that closely, but I got the impression that Michael Ballack was treated rather harshly by the German football authorities – he was injured prior to the 2010 World Cup and after he recovered, he was never really given the chance to reclaim his captaincy and his starting spot in the team…Ballack was quickly “retired” due to the emerging young talents in midfield. Once a player hits 35 he is usually considered to be “past it” (even if that’s not the case in terms of technical ability, fitness levels, etc.). Loew also doesn’t seem willing to experiment – he didn’t include any Hannover players in the team and did not call up Stefan Reinartz and Stefan Kiessling (Hummels and Andreas Beck were omitted from the squad before the 2010 World Cup).
It’s a shame; because I’d love to have seen this team of “nobodies” (aside from Bendtner, perhaps) hoist the trophy.
I like Lalas, as he always seems enthusiastic and well-spoken (though I have only listened to his commentaries on two or three occasions), but I can’t understand why he was reluctant to give credit to Denmark for their performance. Denmark were very close to advancing from the “group of death” and showed plenty of quality (especially in the final third of the pitch).
regarding bruno alves, he's of brazilian origin and has black in him but the amerindian genes are very strong so he doesn't look black
He seems triracial to me, but his appearance changes a lot depending on the lighting/picture angle
The one Black player on England who's actually any good is Ashley Cole.
He also appears to be passionate about the shirt and always sings the national anthem. I think that Cole should be paired up with Phil Jones for the next game.
I also find the sight of that assistant annoying. They always look like they are moving about too much as if they are trying to look busy. In reality they do nothing.
saw the same thing during the croatia-spain match this week
the croatians needed a goal to advance to the quarter finals and kick spain out of the tournament
they started using their height to win aerial balls and spain was in danger
this is what busquets did at one point to deny a goal
Another pet peeve of mine is when the referee awards a corner or a foul (in the 92nd minute of the game), a footballer is about to take it and the final whistle is blown before he has a chance to do it…or when a referee ends a match while the ball is still in the air.
A deserved victory for Portugal! The Czechs started well and didn’t look very nervous during the first 20 minutes of the match, but after that it was all Portugal. Amazing piece of skill by Cristiano Ronaldo just before the half time break (when he hit the post). The Czechs were tidy in defense, but they didn’t do much in the final third of the field and were not very adventurous, I guess Tomas Rosicky’s absence showed. Tomas Necid who is a tall and powerful striker should have come on at some point in the match, as Baros was not very effective (though the service he received from the midfielders left a lot to be desired).
Looking forward to the “debt derby”…the Greeks should be careful not to concede first and it’s not a good idea to surrender possession to the Germans, as bunker tactics rarely work against them (German strikers tend to be very clinical). I am hoping for an even game that will be decided after extra time.
