France 2016 Eurocup

[waauw]

*sigh* Belgian defence already decimated before the game against Wales even starts. Vermaelen suspended and Vertonghen injured for 2 months. Alderweireld is now our only defensive regular left.

[mrswdk]

I predict a Wales - Iceland final, Iceland win in injury time topping Greece's triumph in 2004.

[waauw]

I predict a Wales - Iceland final, Iceland win in injury time topping Greece's triumph in 2004.

Wales in the final, that I can see happening, but Iceland no. I have a lot of sympathy for Iceland coming from such an underdog position, but thus far they've faced a very poor form group F and an England whose been underperforming all tournament as well. France and Germany will be as though as they can get, they'll have to up their game to be able to beat these two.

[betiko]

OMG!!! Wtf belgium ?

Portugal-wales worse semi final ever!

Who wins tomorrow wins the cup

[waauw]

OMG!!! Wtf belgium ?

Portugal-wales worse semi final ever!

Who wins tomorrow wins the cup

As I said before, we have no defense anymore: Kompany(injured), Lombaerts(injured), Vertonghen(injured), Vermaelen(suspended).
Our only top defender left was Alderweireld. Wales took well advantage of our absences. Almost all their attacks on our left flank where we had nothing but rookies left. Meunier, Jordan Lukaku and Denayer each had less than 10 caps, and most of 'm if not all friendlies. For Jordan Lukaku this was his first official game. He doesn't even play for a top club in Belgium; I think that says enough about what options we had left.

[jonesthecurl]

Feeling unusually Welsh now.

[Serbia]

I just hope Wales can keep this up.

If Wales were to some how win this thing, how quickly will England organize a referendum on kicking Wales out of the UK?

[iAmCaffeine]

Wales can f*ck off.

[jonesthecurl]

Wales can f*ck off.

Racist.

[iAmCaffeine]

Nah, but as I already explained, they celebrated when England were knocked out so I'm pretty keen for them to get knocked out too.

[betiko]

I just hope Wales can keep this up.

If Wales were to some how win this thing, how quickly will England organize a referendum on kicking Wales out of the UK?

wales and portugal are highly inferior to france and germany.
the semi final between france and germany should end up with the 3rd and first place.
Portugal is here by accident, wales did a good job but did face teams that were way bellow expectations.

the most horrible outcome here would be to see portugal win beating both wales and the finalist on penaltys.

the portugal/wales should've been spain/italy... spain italy on one side and france germany on the other... that would've been more interesting.

[Symmetry]

I just hope Wales can keep this up.

If Wales were to some how win this thing, how quickly will England organize a referendum on kicking Wales out of the UK?

wales and portugal are highly inferior to france and germany.
the semi final between france and germany should end up with the 3rd and first place.
Portugal is here by accident, wales did a good job but did face teams that were way bellow expectations.

the most horrible outcome here would be to see portugal win beating both wales and the finalist on penaltys.

the portugal/wales should've been spain/italy... spain italy on one side and france germany on the other... that would've been more interesting.

Portugal and Wales both have star players. For me, the difference has been the attitude. Wales have played as a team, and Bale has downplayed his importance. Portugal haven't done anything similar, and, let's face it, Ronaldo has been an ass.

Wales very much earned their place, Portugal muddled through. It's kind of nice to see teams like Wales and Iceland do well against the prima donnas. It's playing football at it's best- teamwork.

[betiko]

you can't compare Portugal's players with Wales's; most portuguese players play for top teams while Wales has 3 very good ones (Bale, Allen and Ramsey), the rest are average players from second division clubs or secondary players from british premier league.
But yes, Santos is a horrible coach and basically thinks "there is no such thing as playing in your position" and hasn't been able to make his team master a strategic system, while the welsh have been pretty much been playing with the same system for years and a straigh forward starting 11.

As much as I don't like ronaldo, I've seen him do some great captain work, mostly for overtimes and penalty sessions cheering up his teammates. Bale as been great with the media all eurocup.

but yeah, I will definitely go with Wales against Portugal.


Meanwhile.... we are playing against our nemesis. Italy was Germany's nemesis and they got rid of them for the first time; I hope we'll do the same. The germans already kicked us out in quarter finals last world cup.

[Symmetry]

you can't compare Portugal's players with Wales's; most portuguese players play for top teams while Wales has 3 very good ones (Bale, Allen and Ramsey), the rest are average players from second division clubs or secondary players from british premier league.
But yes, Santos is a horrible coach and basically thinks "there is no such thing as playing in your position" and hasn't been able to make his team master a strategic system, while the welsh have been pretty much been playing with the same system for years and a straigh forward starting 11.

As much as I don't like ronaldo, I've seen him do some great captain work, mostly for overtimes and penalty sessions cheering up his teammates. Bale as been great with the media all eurocup.

but yeah, I will definitely go with Wales against Portugal.


Meanwhile.... we are playing against our nemesis. Italy was Germany's nemesis and they got rid of them for the first time; I hope we'll do the same. The germans already kicked us out in quarter finals last world cup.

I do compare them. As an England fan, I get the idea that good players don't necessarily make a good team. Simply put, Wales have put together a good team, regardless of stars.

Portugal have star players, but no team.

That, for me, is the difference.

[WingCmdr Ginkapo]

Ramsey is suspended. Portugal wont need penalties for this one.

[betiko]

you can't compare Portugal's players with Wales's; most portuguese players play for top teams while Wales has 3 very good ones (Bale, Allen and Ramsey), the rest are average players from second division clubs or secondary players from british premier league.
But yes, Santos is a horrible coach and basically thinks "there is no such thing as playing in your position" and hasn't been able to make his team master a strategic system, while the welsh have been pretty much been playing with the same system for years and a straigh forward starting 11.

As much as I don't like ronaldo, I've seen him do some great captain work, mostly for overtimes and penalty sessions cheering up his teammates. Bale as been great with the media all eurocup.

but yeah, I will definitely go with Wales against Portugal.


Meanwhile.... we are playing against our nemesis. Italy was Germany's nemesis and they got rid of them for the first time; I hope we'll do the same. The germans already kicked us out in quarter finals last world cup.

I do compare them. As an England fan, I get the idea that good players don't necessarily make a good team. Simply put, Wales have put together a good team, regardless of stars.

Portugal have star players, but no team.

That, for me, is the difference.

Well you re just not listening to what i m saying then. My point being that if you look at the players, portugal has good ones on every position + some bench, wales has hardly 11 to start with at a very good level. But that wales have been using a system for 4 years now and they all know what to do... As wingcommander is saying.. Go figure what will happen when they lose ramsey now. But Portugal won t have Pepe who se been saving portugal during the entire competition.


Germany has khedira and schweisteiger probably out, hummels suspended, gomez out for sure. Good stuff!

[Falkomagno]

just for the record...I think that Portugal wins today....

and no, is not fair, and is ridiculous that a team that has not won a single game is in semis, but at this stage, "underdog" teams usually chicken out, as they already did quite good and motivation to go through is less strong, while bigger teams has the extra motivation to not lose against the underdog, as France vs Iceland.

[mrswdk]

I'd barely even call Wales an underdog against Portugal tbh. Portugal have been weak as shit.

I'm rooting for Wales, called it for them to beat Portugal 2-1 in our office pool.

[betiko]

I'd barely even call Wales an underdog against Portugal tbh. Portugal have been weak as shit.

I'm rooting for Wales, called it for them to beat Portugal 2-1 in our office pool.

Portugal should win this in 90 minutes for once. Wales without Ramsey is not the same, and I think Portugal will finaly wake up. They have way better players and can only do better... Wales played their best game possible against belgium and where totally shit against northern ireland, probably the worse game of the entire competition.

[betiko]

just for the record...I think that Portugal wins today....

and no, is not fair, and is ridiculous that a team that has not won a single game is in semis, but at this stage, "underdog" teams usually chicken out, as they already did quite good and motivation to go through is less strong, while bigger teams has the extra motivation to not lose against the underdog, as France vs Iceland.

I don't agree. The motivation obviously gets higher when you re the underdog and you go the extra mile. But the further you go, the less you can surprise your opponents and the more they take you seriously.

[mrswdk]

I'd barely even call Wales an underdog against Portugal tbh. Portugal have been weak as shit.

I'm rooting for Wales, called it for them to beat Portugal 2-1 in our office pool.

Portugal should win this in 90 minutes for once. Wales without Ramsey is not the same, and I think Portugal will finaly wake up. They have way better players and can only do better... Wales played their best game possible against belgium and where totally shit against northern ireland, probably the worse game of the entire competition.

Yeah, and they beat Belgium 3-1. By contrast, every single one of Portugal's matches so far has been against easy opponents yet even in the knock out rounds they've been underwhelming and failed to perform. Ronaldo's been crappy compared to Bale. I reckon it's going to be close either way.

[betiko]

I'd barely even call Wales an underdog against Portugal tbh. Portugal have been weak as shit.

I'm rooting for Wales, called it for them to beat Portugal 2-1 in our office pool.

Portugal should win this in 90 minutes for once. Wales without Ramsey is not the same, and I think Portugal will finaly wake up. They have way better players and can only do better... Wales played their best game possible against belgium and where totally shit against northern ireland, probably the worse game of the entire competition.

Yeah, and they beat Belgium 3-1. By contrast, every single one of Portugal's matches so far has been against easy opponents yet even in the knock out rounds they've been underwhelming and failed to perform. Ronaldo's been crappy compared to Bale. I reckon it's going to be close either way.

yeah right... croatia and poland were easy opponents? both far better than wales. Ramsey, allen and Bale hold the team, with just one out they're doomed.

[riskllama]

why are you guys even listening to mrs opinions on this subject, anyways? a female Chinese football analyst???...

[mrswdk]

I'd barely even call Wales an underdog against Portugal tbh. Portugal have been weak as shit.

I'm rooting for Wales, called it for them to beat Portugal 2-1 in our office pool.

Portugal should win this in 90 minutes for once. Wales without Ramsey is not the same, and I think Portugal will finaly wake up. They have way better players and can only do better... Wales played their best game possible against belgium and where totally shit against northern ireland, probably the worse game of the entire competition.

Yeah, and they beat Belgium 3-1. By contrast, every single one of Portugal's matches so far has been against easy opponents yet even in the knock out rounds they've been underwhelming and failed to perform. Ronaldo's been crappy compared to Bale. I reckon it's going to be close either way.

yeah right... croatia and poland were easy opponents? both far better than wales. Ramsey, allen and Bale hold the team, with just one out they're doomed.

Okay, maybe not every single game but Portugal are the team who couldn't beat Iceland or Hungary, and against Poland crawled their way to penalties rather than winning a couple of goals ahead within regular time. This Portugal squad sucks, fallen so far from the glory days of Figo and Gomez. I STAND BY MY PREDICTION - Wales will win.

[Keefie]

I rate MRS's analysis over Mary Sue's any day. Go Wales.