Southpaw Gon' Look Euro 2016 - every game is a draw

[goblue96]

England. The answer is always England.

That implies England had a Golden Generation.

 

[silverwheels]

Who's Golden Generation has underperformed more: Portugal or Belgium?

Portugal just because their Golden Generation has been going for a little longer. But the overhype for Belgium has been almost at that level.

 

[Snorky's Shame]

Who's Golden Generation has underperformed more: Portugal or Belgium?

Portugal made the final of Euro 2004 and the semifinals of Euro 2000 and the 2006 World Cup. Belgium hasn't come close to that. Cristiano Ronaldo was about five years too late for that generation. Imagine Ronaldo and Figo both in their primes together.

The Owen/Beckham-era England might be a better comparison.

 

[kella]

Portugal's golden generation doesn't have a real striker, unless you count Ronaldo.

 

[Orlando]

Or anything else other than Ronaldo.

 

[Snorky's Shame]

Portugal's golden generation doesn't have a real striker, unless you count Ronaldo.

Pauleta was world class what are you talking about? /s

 

[goblue96]

Portugal made the final of Euro 2004.

And lost to Greece twice at home.

 

[NML]

Ciman is actually not that bad at all. I'm surprised.

He's a mobile CB, but isn't pacey or technical enough to play FB for Belgium. They asked him to push so high and basically played through him and KDB. Don't know enough about Belgium to say if they had a better option there, but I have to think they do.

Lukaku spent so much of the game far away from goal which is the stupidest fucking thing ever. Or at least second to Kane taking corners.

They wanted Hazard and KDB to make runs off of him which isn't an awful idea but Lukaku is a finisher, not a creator. I liked the set up with the double pivot but both the CMs were poor. Their gameplan played right into Italy's hands - fullbacks pushed high, wingers cut in, meaning there's acres of space wide on the counter.

 

[DeadMan]

And the 3-5-2 works really well against teams that won't try to go 2 v 1 on the wing. Belgium did that a little bit early in the game with Hazard and Ciman, but then pretty much stopped. Hazard seemed to be the only person providing width in the second half. Then you're talking about breaking through 6+ men in the middle to score, and that's not happening against Italy.

 

[NML]

Creating overloads wide only works well if you have a physical beast(s) in the middle so that would've been silly for Belgium to do.

 

[DanishDonut0]

Is baldness not stigmatized in Europe? Every team seems to have some 35 year old balding guy who doesn't shave his head.

Dunno, people don't come across as self conscious.

Spoiler

Jonny Williams takes the cake doe

Belgium the new England.

 

[DeadMan]

Creating overloads wide only works well if you have a physical beast(s) in the middle so that would've been silly for Belgium to do.

Lukaku doesn't count?

That definitely helps, but it's not necessary. Arsenal ripped apart Liverpool's 3-5-2 in 2013 by creating 2 vs. 1 against the wingbacks with their wingers and fullbacks, even though they weren't necessarily looking to cross the ball to a huge target man. It doesn't have to be about crosses - you could just be pulling a centerback wide to open space for a late running midfielder to exploit. The weakness of a 3-5-2 is on the wings.

 

[Yankee151]

I miss the good ol' ZonalMarking days

 

[NML]

Lukaku doesn't count?

Also Fellani

That definitely helps, but it's not necessary. Arsenal ripped apart Liverpool's 3-5-2 in 2013 by creating 2 vs. 1 against the wingbacks with their wingers and fullbacks, even though they weren't necessarily looking to cross the ball to a huge target man. It doesn't have to be about crosses - you could just be pulling a centerback wide to open space for a late running midfielder to exploit. The weakness of a 3-5-2 is on the wings.

Not if the wingbacks are disciplined. Truthfully, statistics suggest that the 3-5-2/5-3-2 are the "best" formations because you don't want overloads wide - you want overloads centrally (where you score/concede goals).

Width is essential to any attack, but a team with disciplined wide players could just allow the overload and challenge the cross while outnumbering in the box. That's a losing proposition for the attacking team.

Lazar Markovic and whoever Rodgers trotted out at LWB that day were/are not disciplined defenders.

 

[NML]

I should follow that up by saying that viewing formations in a vacuum - such as "the weakness of the 3-5-2 is on the wings" or labeling any formation the best - is stupid.

 

[DeadMan]

I mean the 3-5-2 fell out of favor at club level because full backs got better and better conditioned. Do you even read Inverting the Pyramid, bro?

I do take your point totally about the 3-5-2, though. Maybe the better way to say it is that it's easier to exploit the 3-5-2 on the wings, but that's hard to do and be productive.

 

[purple112]

How does Belgium have so much talent yet play like they met each other an hour before the game? Is their coach really that bad, or do the players just not care?

 

[silverwheels]

Wilmots: Italy did not play "real football"

"Italy specifically played on the counter-attack. They did not play real football and when faced with everyone sitting back, it becomes difficult," Wilmots told reporters.

u mad bro?

 

[DeadMan]

Italy sitting back and playing on the counter? Who would have thought?

 

[Karl Hungus]

Wilmots: Italy did not play "real football"



u mad bro?

He should be fired for that comment alone.

 

[bruin]

How does Belgium have so much talent yet play like they met each other an hour before the game? Is their coach really that bad, or do the players just not care?

Reminiscent of Man City. Great collection of talent but sometimes the stage is too big for them.

 

[Southpaw]

 

[chibob]

Reminiscent of Man City. Great collection of talent but sometimes the stage is too big for them.

That and a questionable selection by Willmotts.

Why wouldn't you start Mertens? He is so attack minded (they looked much better when he was on the pitch), and why would you play Feilleini over Dembele? Dembele can do the same job but actual do other essential things like shoot and pass.

Also I think De Bruyne is burnt out. He seemed to be losing it at the end of the season with City, Ed Sheeran needs a rest.

 

[Snorky's Shame]

No early game today? Damn.

 

[DeadMan]

It's okay, though, the Hapsburg Derby will make up for it.

 

[kella]

Fellaini was awesomely useless.

 

[silverwheels]

Wambach already drunk or nah?

 

[silverwheels]

Austria hits the post 36 seconds in. This game gonna be good.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Alaba is probably better in midfield than at fullback. Not many teams have a better duo than him and Baumgartlinger.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Holy shit, it's Zoltan Gera!!!

 

[JAR201166]

When does merica play

 

[DeadMan]

Both of these teams are shitty.

 

[silverwheels]

Both of these teams are shitty.

This group is shitty.

 

[silverwheels]

i love how hungary just went out on the streets of budapest and found a balding fat guy in sweatpants to put in goal

 

[Soonerfan09]

When does merica play

Thursday at 8:30 CT (date is correct and I believe that is the correct time).

 

[DeadMan]

i love how hungary just went out on the streets of budapest and found a balding fat guy in sweatpants to put in goal

That guy actually played a couple of games for Aston Villa. @worst2first

 

[DeadMan]

That was a pretty move by Austria, until the end.

 

[silverwheels]

michael bradley pulling double duty as austria's keeper

 

[Karl Hungus]

That was a pretty move by Austria, until the end.

That flick from Arnautovic, damn.

 

[DeadMan]

That flick from Arnautovic, damn.

Great contrast with the late runner somehow kicking the ball backwards into his knee.

 

[silverwheels]

Protests in Paris disrupting ESPN's broadcast in Paris.


Let's just host all events in Canada from now on. No one hates Canada.

 

[DeadMan]

 

[bruin]

Also I think De Bruyne is burnt out. He seemed to be losing it at the end of the season with City, Ed Sheeran needs a rest.

Ehh, he and Aguero were the only reason to really watch City down the stretch. I think Belgium is just overhyped.

 

[silverwheels]

what a strike by dzuasddazaek or whatever

 

[silverwheels]

gr8 1-2 stuff leading to that magyar goal

 

[Yankee151]

Guess we know which team is hungrier

 

[silverwheels]

weak second yellow on dragabitch

 

[DeadMan]

This game is actually entertaining now.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Yeah, that was never a yellow.

 

[chibob]

That was a lovely finish.

Keeper got it all wrong though.

You cant come that far of your line and then expect him to put it to the left or right of you.