Back in the olden days when Scotland had some decent players I spent 5 days in Stockholm and took in a Sweden Vs. Scotland game, which Scotland won 0-1 with a goal from Gordon Strachan. A great week it was too, thanks to the hopitality and friendliness of the Swedes, before and after the match. I really enjoyed seeing the Irish and Spanish fans mixing so well because this sort of thing is what international football should be about IMO. Brazilian fans in particular and south American fans in general are also fantastic, but German fans keep to themselves and disappear as soon as their team loses.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18445051 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18471301 Don't you just love a good loser?
Random thought looking at the rain going on in this game. They play both games at the same time to stop collusion etc, but what happens if one of the games has to be abandoned? Do they abandon both games?
Funny how the head to head deciding placement on tied points works. A goal in a game they weren't involved in took Russia from 1st to 3rd.
There is provision for an all-out media and telecommunications blackout across the host country for all sports news. The broadcasters instead pump out report after report of civil unrest in Bahrain, atrocities in Somalia, Syria and Yemen and a four-hour long report on violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If necessary, Sepp Blatter reveals that he has found Elvis Presley alive and well under his stairs Not sure I understand your point with the head-to-head record. Which goal?
Good to hear that they're prepared for such eventualities. And the goal the czech's scored. Before they scored that goal: Russia, Greece and czech's were all tied on points. Russia topped the group due to the pasting they gave the czechs. After czechs scored another goal, it put them clear on points and into first. It also removed them from the head to head equation, meaning the Russia 4-1 win counted for nothing, and only their result vs Greece mattered. Which as you know, they lost, putting them to third.
I see that the Poleish manager has gone, respect to the man for doing what he thought was the right thing. I also see that the Sweeds had a spy in the England hotel.... well England held the final team meeting in a room with a glass ceiling and a Sweedish reporter used some binoculars to see the Inglish game plan .... doh! The Inglish FA say they don't care because we won!
Hmmm yeah. I would've said that the Karagounis goal was the one that put them out. They knew they just had to avoid defeat to get to the quarter finals, regardless of the result in the other match. If they had stopped Karagounis from scoring, they would be preparing for the quarter final in Gdansk. As it was, they were hoping for a result in the other match, which makes it a bit like the end of the 2009-10 season for Charlton, when, I guess, two goals in matches we weren't involved in brought us from 2nd to 4th.
Yeah but you'd still want to play him. I'd like to see Ronaldo dropped. In fact I'd like to be there when the manager drops him, just to see how far he throws all his toys out the pram.
These head-to-head rules stink. Russia should still be in the tournament due to their superior goal difference. Who cares if Greece had the better head-to-head, Russia had performed better with regards to scoring goals. Now I am hearing that if Croatia and Spain draw 2-2, then Italy cannot qualify even if they beat Ireland 10-0. Where is the incentive in scoring goals? Where did they find this nonsense? I do understand that when three or more teams are tied on points then those teams' GDs count - in matches involving those teams only. But wouldn't it be better if Croatia and Spain had to go for the win to ensure they went through?
Then again PEA.....we now have.....Germanland v Grease how positively delicious For some reason the Germans are not very popular in Grease at the moment?
The Croatia/Spain/Italy thing would stink if it did end up a very comfortable 2-2. But, playing devil's advocate here, Italy will have an easier job against Ireland than Croatia did because Ireland have nothing left to play for. Russia/Greece makes sense in my mind. They finished level on points, and Greece proved better in their one-on-one match, so Greece deserved to go through. Don't think their performances against the Czechs should count for more than their performances against each other. At least with this rule, it's been in place for a while, so they all knew what to expect
I respect what you are saying, IA, but you could say that Russia deserved to go through because they thrashed the eventual winners of the group, whereas Greece lost to the Czechs. I think the group should be decided by - 1-Points 2-Goal Difference 3-Goals Scored 4-Red Cards 5-Yellow Cards This would promote the need to score goals and good sportsmanship. Although referees may not help the latter!
Thing with head to heads, as somewhat said is that it gives an advantage to a team playing the "worst team" in the group in the final game. chances are that team will have nothing to play for. With most competitive matches being decided by a goal or two, goal difference in a four team group effectively comes down to "who can beat the worst team by most goals". Obviously, it doesn't always end up this way in reality..it's just what I see as the reasoning behind the decision. Both normal GD and head to head each have their merits and drawbacks. I just feel that GD in a group decided over 3 matches puts too much emphasis on a single game. At least head to head requires you to beat one of the "better teams" rather than stuff a bad team by 5 goals. I know this is worded somewhat (Read: completely) horribly, but it's 5am...I ahve not slept and am rather drunk. Now goodnight sirs.
I don't understand!? Or do I?? Are you saying that if Croatia draw with Spain 2-2, this is looked at as a more favourable result than Italy's 1-1 draw with Spain. And then Italy winning 10-0 against Ireland being much more favourable than Croatia's 3-1 victory over Ireland is ignored?
