Euro 2020/2021

[Jacob]

I wouldn't celebrate Mexico losing in the World Cup finals if the US went out in pool play. Because they have already have far outclassed us. Sure I would prefer they lose but the idea I would be doing some kind of victory dance would be pathetic. Yeah! We are trash but Mexico is only 2nd and not 1st in the world!

Of course you wouldn't

https://youtu.be/0n1cIaH6ao0

[crazy canuck]

Their team didn't do shit and they are celebrating their rival barely lost to Italy one of the greatest football powerhouses in the world in a Euro Final? Pretty pathetic, what a bunch of losers.

It is so obvious that you don't understand football

I wouldn't celebrate Mexico losing in the World Cup finals if the US went out in pool play. Because they have already have far outclassed us. Sure I would prefer they lose but the idea I would be doing some kind of victory dance would be pathetic. Yeah! We are trash but Mexico is only 2nd and not 1st in the world!

Your perceptions of Mexico - being a citizen of the world's only superpower over the last 30 yours or so, may be just a tad different from the average Scottish person's perception of England.

[Valmy]

Their team didn't do shit and they are celebrating their rival barely lost to Italy one of the greatest football powerhouses in the world in a Euro Final? Pretty pathetic, what a bunch of losers.

It is so obvious that you don't understand football

I wouldn't celebrate Mexico losing in the World Cup finals if the US went out in pool play. Because they have already have far outclassed us. Sure I would prefer they lose but the idea I would be doing some kind of victory dance would be pathetic. Yeah! We are trash but Mexico is only 2nd and not 1st in the world!

Your perceptions of Mexico - being a citizen of the world's only superpower over the last 30 yours or so, may be just a tad different from the average Scottish person's perception of England.

Ok first of all Scotland has been a part of a global power for centuries they are hardly some trod upon little country they have been doing the trodding, so what does that have to do with anything? That got them just as many football championships as it got us.

However, it is true no other political entity gets to field four national football teams, so their relation to each other will be unique in this particular arena. If Quebec had its own national hockey team I am sure that would be somewhat comparable. That would actually be kind of amazing.

So maybe this is more like a Texas-OU or Texas-Texas A&M American Football type deal because it is against people you probably know and have relatives on the other side and everybody irrationally hates each other for no clear reason besides familiarity...but I thought I should use a soccer comparison. Besides I am from Texas. I do know lots of Mexican fans.

In Soccer Mexico is the established power while we are kind of this buffoonish underachievers nobody really takes seriously. So I do think we kind of have an inferiority complex in this one area. Plus when Mexico comes over there to play they have so many people living here they annoyingly crowd our stadiums and cheer for Mexico. They are very infuriating. And I don't really want to talk about how obnoxious the last two WC qualifiers were.

[Syt]

FWIW, in Vienna you can hear loud cheers whenever a goal is scored against Germany, regardless of who they're playing, because Austrians, overwhelmingly, root against Germany (it's gotten a bit less during the years when they had a sympathetic team that played attractive football).

[celedhring]

Over here you can hear loud cheers whenever Spain scores or is scored against 

My block was very pro-Italy yesterday.

[Syt]

And even though I don't follow football much anymore, being a Germany supporter we've been spoiled. The first tournament I remember was the Euro 1984 in France. Since then, Germany was in the Euro final three times (1992, 1996, 2008) and won it once (1996), and was in World Cup finals four times (1986, 1990, 2002, 2014) and won twice (1990, 2014).

I agree that expanding the field makes surprises less likely, because more matches usually even out flukes. I'm doubtful we will see the likes of a Denmark win 1992 again, or even a Greece win like in 2004. I read yesterday that UEFA is looking into expanding the field to 32 for the 2028 Euro. I get that they want all "big" teams to be there to get that sweet, sweet TV money, but at some point they could just as well auto-qualify the top 8 or 12 teams in Europe and have the rest fight for spots through qualification.

[celedhring]

The 32 team Euro is ridiculous, there are 55 teams in UEFA, you'll have more countries qualifying that missing out. Once again greed trumping all other considerations when it comes to our esteemed football governing bodies.

[Syt]

Maybe Australia can join, like in Eurovision, and a couple others.

Just need 9 more teams for a field of 64

[Josquius]

The look on Saka's face when Chiellini pulled him back - and just seeing him at the end was really sad.

That was the point which really marred the game imo. Borderline sending off offence, so cheap and nasty. Inevitable in the situation but no less dishonorable.
My (Italian) gf even said she hates chiellini as he has past history of being a git and felt it reflected badly he was the one who got to hold the cup.

Sad but yeah, inevitable the racists are out after the missers.
Tbh it's sort of good it went the way it did with it not all just falling on one of them. Rashford in particular I'd imagine would anger the Boo boys.

Two notes:
- Southgate has been too timid. Once you're up one goal after 2 minutes, you have to do everything to close the game, even calling an early sub. The amount of talent that was sitting on the bench up until the last minutes was staggering, and then you put two of them on in the last three minutes, only for the PKs: big, big lack of confidence.

- I've noticed this happening more and more in recent years: 2nd place players receive the medal and immediately remove it from the neck. I hate it, because it's lacking every kind of respect both for the winners and for themselves: damn, you've come second, you should wear it with pride 

L.

It was quite funny to see right in front of the camera. Man (surely it should have been prince William? Who was that guy?) puts medal on the player - they immediately take it off.
Almost expected him to throw a "why do I even bother strop" :p

I get taking the medal off, it'll be annoying to wear, but doing it immediately in front of the camera was just ridiculous.

[garbon]

I have a lot of love in my heart for this woman

Becaus she's clearly blind?

Edit: Incidentally I had no idea that Bedford is 20% British-Italian, both Italians and people of Italian descent and and I have no idea why

Oh I read about this recently in Engel's England. Italians came over in the 50s to work in the brickworks when the employment boom meant UK citizens had more options, whereas Italy definitely did not.

[Tamas]

BTW can someone explain the intense man crush TV commentators seem to have for this Grealish fellow? I didn't even hear about him before the tournament and during every single England game I had to listen to just what a big fan favourite he is and what a massive difference he was goijg to make. If he is such an amazing talent why was he a permanent substitute?

[Josquius]

He's great, but not quite as good as Sterling.
Having a fresh almost-Sterling coming on as an impact sub is the stuff of dreams.

[celedhring]

Their team didn't do shit and they are celebrating their rival barely lost to Italy one of the greatest football powerhouses in the world in a Euro Final? Pretty pathetic, what a bunch of losers.

It is so obvious that you don't understand football

I wouldn't celebrate Mexico losing in the World Cup finals if the US went out in pool play. Because they have already have far outclassed us. Sure I would prefer they lose but the idea I would be doing some kind of victory dance would be pathetic. Yeah! We are trash but Mexico is only 2nd and not 1st in the world!

Come on, you're a big sports fan. Being insular and petty is part of the fun. 

[Tamas]

Two notes:
- Southgate has been too timid. Once you're up one goal after 2 minutes, you have to do everything to close the game, even calling an early sub. The amount of talent that was sitting on the bench up until the last minutes was staggering, and then you put two of them on in the last three minutes, only for the PKs: big, big lack of confidence.

I think they tried to close it they just couldn't.

I suspect looking at Southgate as timid might be influenced by equating the England team with the Premier League in terms of expectations. I think Southgate has been realistic. Previous England teams felt like they had to go out like they were the very best of the world and fell apart when that perception and the tactics it forced came into contact with reality. The way I see it, Southgate's "genius" is that he combines being a good leader with being able to ignore that baggage and build the team around realities.

Having said that, the penalty substitutes were his error and he has acknowledged as much.

[Josquius]

Southgate is a very good leader and man manager.
The final however isn't the first time he has shown his weakness with game management and making the right subs.