UEFA-EURO 2012
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We got very lucky in the qualies. Sadly there's just not any top players available to pick for us these days. Most of the team are lower tier Premier League players or from the division below that.
Still not an excuse to play so badly but we are just not good enough for this level of competition unfortunately. Hopefully those supporters that travelled had a great time.
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I do admire those fans, even when they were down by 3 they still sang loud and had hope.
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Pete,
RIch is right is what he says. The Irish team are really not up to this level. People should also understand that soccer is not our national sport. Up until recent years it was discouraged and little or no public funds were allocated to soccer facilities. This reason for this was because it was looked on as a 'foreign' sport! What was really meant, was that it was English. That has changed a little over the past few years in the Dublin area but not Countrywide.
I am not sure how many of the Irish team are actually Irish born, but I'd say its around 25% or less. Many of the players are UK born with Irish parents or grandparents. So the player bank to choose from is very small. Also some of the top players in the UK with Irish parents / grandparents that could play for Ireland choose not to do so, Wayne Rooney, for example. I don't blame him.
If soccer was supported anything like Gaelic Football or Hurling is here in Ireland I think it might be possible to field teams that might be able to hold their own with the likes of Spain but again, playing a team that is more or less made up of the best of Barcelona and Real Madrid is always going to be a tall order.
On the other hand Ireland is well able to hold its own in Rugby on the World Stage http://wrr.live555.com/ , 8th position! While this is also not a national sport it has always enjoyed 'private' support as it was supported by privileged class here Ireland.
It was good to watch Spain 'play the game'. It was like poetry in motion. They have a simple enough plan, hold on to the ball and keep moving forward if possible or sideways or even backwards if not until the other side loose concentration, then look for an opening and strike. It worked every time.
My wife watched the match for a little while and thought that Spain looked to be 'dancing' effortlessly with the ball while our lads were stumbling most of the time. She then suggested that our team should all learn how to salsa in order to learn better body control. Maybe she is right
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We were a disaster last nite, and Mike your wife was right, Spain danced around us, after the 3rd goal I switched on my laptop and powered up SU, but hearing our fans singing the fields of atenry close to the end shows us how proud we were to even take part and defeat never puts an Irish man down, well done the boys in green, hold your heads up and there's always next time
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Yeah, after I realised there was little hope of coming out with anything that would look respectable I started to enjoy watching the skill of Spain even if it was painful on another level.
Yes, the Irish fans are the best in the World! Every last one of them singing away doing their bit. There will be a lot of talks at HQ when the team comes home! One thing I would like to see happening is a combined Rep of Ireland and Northern Ireland team for future championships, like in Rugby!
This, I think, would be good for the Country and further gel the new relationships we have been all enjoying on our little island of 6.5M over the past number of years.
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One thing every nation can learn from the Irish is how to support their teams, through thick or thin the 'Blarney Army' is out in force, I saw them in South Africa coming in droves to support their rugby and cricket teams. And in Rugby y'all hold your own pretty damn well.
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What a great game, England beats Sweden 3:2 in an action packed game, I liked seeing England fighting and not sitting back, personally I expected England to have beaten Sweden easily, but the Swedes refused to concede, once again brilliant game to watch.
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@solo said:
What a great game, England beats Sweden 3:2 in an action packed game, I liked seeing England fighting and not sitting back, personally I expected England to have beaten Sweden easily, but the Swedes refused to concede, once again brilliant game to watch.
...still smiling. -
The two youngsters came on and showed the oldies that real football is about wanting to win and trying your damnedest, not the money.
So either it's the brilliant new manager or just dumb luck - but who cares? we won !
Walcot's equalizer was lucky, but... as my wife [!] says... if they don't kick the ball towards the opponents' net they'll never score a goal - so it's better to try ten times and score once, than to try zero times and never score at all...
It ain't rocket-science...Now all we have to do is draw with the Ukraine - who of course must win to stay in... and are a 'home-nation' - so no problems there then...
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Now it depends on how Sweden plays against France and y'all do against Ukraine, you need to do well and hope the worst for France or else you get to face Spain in quarter finals, that will be a huge hurdle.
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Well done Greece, you squeaked through to the 1/4 finals. However if Germany wins tomorrow you will play them next.
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Huff, sorry Rzeczpospolita, seems to me that Russians go home. Well done Greece!
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@unknownuser said:
However if Germany wins tomorrow you will play them next.
Funny, I thought we play with them today.
Oh may, this is the UEFA-euro thread. Apologies.
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@unknownuser said:
I thought we play with them today.
That's a whole other ball game, a more serious one, with no winners I'm afraid. Good luck today, I do not know enough to even offer an insight, I do know a vote for the left is one that could see y'all exit the Euro and a vote for the right means austerity....sounds like a rock and a hard place.
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Looks like Ronaldo is in form! When he is, he can rip good teams apart! I'd say Portugal's odds have gone up quite a bit!
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@pete
We lost the first one.
Maybe football is more forgiving.
I don't think so. -
Today was drama...
Spain scored an off side goal, played crap and committed a foul that should have been a penalty for Croatia. Italy beat Ireland (so surprise)
So Greece will play Germany on Friday, England play Ukraine tomorrow and France play Sweden, wonder what surprises are to come.
Would LOVE to see England progress to face Spain, I believe they may just be good enough to beat them.
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@solo said:
Today was drama...
Spain scored an off side goal, played crap and committed a foul that should have been a penalty for Croatia. Italy beat Ireland (so surprise)
So Greece will play Germany on Friday, England play Ukraine tomorrow and France play Sweden, wonder what surprises are to come.
Would LOVE to see England progress to face Spain, I believe they may just be good enough to beat them.
Ill be watching England after work, did well last match but lets see what happens!
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I see Rooney will be starting.
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@solo said:
I see Rooney will be starting.
yeah he has finished his suspension and Walcott is back too. Will be interesting at least. What time is it on for you in Texas when the game is on, early morning?
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