Special Event: Euros 2024: Group Stage

June 21, 2024 7:58 AM

So what if we're halfway through Matchday 2 already?

Background and schedule via Wikipedia

Defector: A Guide To The 2024 Euros With A Depth Of Analysis Surpassed Only By Its Timeliness | Turkey-Georgia Was Perfect

posted by thecaddy (21 comments total)

Hurray! Well done thecaddy!

England are still reliably tedious and all is well.
posted by biffa at 11:18 AM on June 21

I saw the last England game at a pub, outside, in the sun, at a distance. I could make very little out, which was annoying at the time – but seems like this was actually the best way to watch.
posted by sarble at 11:58 AM on June 21

I missed what sounded like a fun game, Austria-Poland, but watched all of France-Holland. It was two good teams canceling each other out, and it had some fascinating passages, but it was dull. Of course, those two teams might well go deep enough to meet again, which might be awful.

France are such an odd side under Deschamps. He prizes defensive solidity, but allows his players the freedom to do whatever, which makes them unpredictable and hard to play against, but when they’re not clicking it can feel strangely disjointed. So far there have been more disjoints than clicks.

Of the teams so far, Spain are most impressive, but they seem weirdly wasteful, as if they’re having slight problems in controlling the ball. The official ball of the tournament is reportedly “quick”, i.e. goes fast when struck fast, and I wonder if Spain’s quick passing game is making it harder for them to aim their shots, after receiving the ball at speed.
posted by Kattullus at 3:42 PM on June 21

I’m making the brutal choice of being all-in for Türkiye in this match, not just because I hate Ronaldo but because Türkiye played so damn well in their first match and I have to support any international team that plays fun attacking soccer. But nothing rips your heart out like rooting hard for the underdog in an international match.
posted by thecaddy at 9:04 AM on June 22 [1 favorite]

Jeez, that was faster and more brutal than usual.
posted by thecaddy at 9:14 AM on June 22 [1 favorite]

I’m English, Scottish, and French, and all three are playing worse than normal!
posted by ellieBOA at 10:07 AM on June 22 [1 favorite]

Belgium-Romania second half was most exciting footie I've seen so far. Belgium, as you'd expect were superior and with more chances, but Romania just not prepared to quit.
posted by biffa at 6:08 AM on June 23

Switzerland - Germany

The cheese is on the pitch. They think it's all over. It is fondue.
posted by biffa at 12:36 PM on June 23

Scotland’s loss was heartbreaking.
posted by Kattullus at 2:22 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]

I am just starting to watch a little football, I discovered Kilmarnock FC and someone from my work is a lifelong Killie so I've watched a couple of matches and started a little social group of Albertans for Kilmarnock

watched the Scotland-Hungary match with a few people, including the person from work and their spouse, both from Scotland, and yes: heartbreaking loss

but from my perspective, Hungary consistently looked more dangerous. Scotland had a lot of possession early on but most of the game they did not seem to know how to press offensively. so the loss seemed as likely as any outcome

well whatever the outcome of the match, the Scottish fans are clearly the winners at any of these tournaments
posted by elkevelvet at 8:04 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]

Fuck a doodle doo, as an Englishman I don't often offer fashion advice, but the Italian manager has discovered the worst football based fashion item ever made by man. A jacket that looks like a cardigan but with Italia written across the back of the shoulders in six inch black letters. As two wise women once said: U, G, L, Y, you ain't got no alibi, you ugly!
posted by biffa at 1:45 PM on June 24

Nothing quite like a last minute goal to make players on both sides crumple to the turf in floods of tears. For the Italians, they were of joy, for the Croatians, of despondence.

Weirdly, this was one of only two or three times the Azzurri attacked with any kind of urgency. I realize that saving your energy is important in a tournament, but that was taking things maybe a bit too far.
posted by Kattullus at 2:05 PM on June 24 [3 favorites]

Yeah, I feel like Italy games are frequently dull and low-scoring by design. But that was a frantic last 15 minutes, to the point where I was simultaneously cheering for an Italy goal and terribly disappointed for Croatia when they managed it.
posted by grandiloquiet at 2:44 PM on June 24 [2 favorites]

Well Portugal-Georgia has been an unexpected thrill fest.
posted by biffa at 1:53 PM on June 26 [4 favorites]

Well England still shit then.
posted by biffa at 10:34 AM on June 30

Well England still shit then.

?? I've just checked in - not a great football watcher - and they are winning and appear to be on their way to a Quarter-Final match against the Swiss?
posted by Wordshore at 11:14 AM on June 30

Well you have been lucky to miss 94 minutes of abject tedium and mediocrity.
posted by biffa at 11:23 AM on June 30

Maybe. I'm just baffled that anything except a trophy win is derided by the media and many England supporters. Their most recent four tournaments, under Mr Southgate, finished:

2018 World Cup: Semi-finals.
Euro 2020: Final.
2022 World Cup: Quarter-finals.
Euro 2024: Quarter-finals (and possibly further).

Isn't that ... pretty good? It's certainly better than very nearly every other international football team on the planet.
posted by Wordshore at 1:01 PM on June 30

Bellingham's bicycle kick was very exciting, though. I remember about 10-15 years ago young talent constantly attempted them in international tournaments, but the success rate was so dismal that I think the coaches forced them to stop. Maybe everyone will get tempted into trying them again!
posted by grandiloquiet at 1:33 PM on June 30

Well focussing on this tournament, which is what I was talking about. England won a 1 goal not-so-thriller and got two scrappy draws to qualify. Their group play has been marked by a lack of structure, with no suggestion that the manager could respond to any of the strategies of our opponents or had any ability to use what is a ridiculously talented set of players to anything like their best. They desperately needed something to change today but nothing did, if anything they were worse. Play frequently devolved to the back 3 or 4 passing the ball laterally amongst themselves in their own half, and struggling to get anywhere near the Slovakian goal. Their first shot on goal was the Bellingham last grasp 95th minute equaliser. Before that they presented virtually no threat. A minute into extra time they scraped another, with their final shot on goal. So while the result is a positive the manner in which they got that result does not suggest an effective team or management and bodes very badly for anything other than the relative minnows beaten so far.
posted by biffa at 1:51 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]

Hoping for a good game between Spain & Germany on Friday.
posted by kingless at 5:05 PM on June 30 [1 favorite]