Well done Portugal.

Well done Portugal indeed. Done up like a kipper.

That is one of the most impressive hardworking defensive displays of footballing industry I have ever seen by the Greek team and it is a very deserved victory. They played Portugal twice and won both times, away from home!

Portugal can play attractive viewer friendly football but their tactics and spirit were sadly shown to be lacking, and they were lucky not too earn a few more yellow cards for 'simulation'. Lumping high balls into the box against that superb defense was idiotic and the Greeks on the break showed plenty of attacking threat.

Football is a game of two halves and a myriad of styles, the Greeks was the better throughout the tournament.

Congratulations to Greece, and I for one am very much looking forward to the Olympics returning to the cradle of sport.

 

agreed,but they were never gonna win trying to keep traditionalists happy.The coach played to their strengths,and played a wild card,fitness.................many of the other top players were knackered after playing 70ish games,he got his players super fit,and it worked

I agree with Lord,it was mightily impressive.A bit like a Boycott century,but still impressive

 

I can't see how anyone neutral can view a team stifling the game as impressive. They had all the worst aspects of German sides of the past. At least in the last world cup the team that actually played football (Brasil) beat the defensive bores. If only justice could have been served this time.

Unfortunately, the best side doesn't always win and that's one of those things about football. I'm off to watch the tape of the French GP, at least there's a sport where the best does (nearly) always win.

Michael.

 

Isnt there something quite appealing about the no hoper underdogs who play out of their skins and prove everyone else wrong? Its quite a fairy tale end for them really. All power to them.

 

An exiting game. Great fans; Football at its best!

Does anyone know what the Greek fans were chanting?!

 

I disagree that the Greeks stifled the game, it was a genuinely enjoyable match that pitted two opposing styles against each other.
The Greeks tackled like heroes, knew how to mark the opposition and their teamwork and team spirit showed the Portugese individual flair to be just not good enough.
I had hoped that the only genuine moment of Portugese brilliance (Figo's turn and shot) had succeeded if only to give me more of this good game to watch. I wasn't fussed as to which team won the game but I think that the result was a very fair one.
Oh, and I'm very glad that Jose Mourinho has moved to England and I hope that the success he achieved with his defensive Porto team follows him!

 

Phah! Defensive cheating cynical diving time wasting Porto team!!!

Well done Greece. Portugal played the more attacking game, but Greece weren't as ultra defensive in the final as they were in others. They played to their strengths.

Obviously it's better to see the MOre "attractive" football succeed and set the standards (The attacking Celtic beating the ultra defensive Inter in '67 final ), but it's good to see such a HUGE underdog win!

 

Come on then fellas - time to resurrect the old England vs Portugal thread again

Matt.

 

I think we'll do them this time! Come on boys!!

 

Jeez... that was scary.... I read the first posts on this thread and thought I must have lost 26 hours from my life.

 

lol

 

truly scary!!

here's a re-post, from another hifi forum that has a football thread (as opposed to a footballl forum that ....:

I would send out

Robinson
Beckham Terry Ferdinand A.Cole
Hargreaves (or Carrick)
Lennon Gerrard Downing
Rooney Walcott

I would only play Walcott if there has been good training ground relationship between them. Gerrard and Rooney can play together, and that's the key.

If Walcott bottles it, then we have Crouch, and maybe J.Cole. Playing Downing should sharpen J.Cole, and J.Cole and Lampard could be subs for Walcott and Downing.

Moving Beckham to right back gets him out the way - Sven is unlikely to drop him; I would then ask the referee to have all England's corners and free kicks awarded in the first 30 minutes of the game. If Beckham is having a hard time defending, or Lennon isnt doing the biz, then sub one of them with Carrick/Hargreaves (or the MancRB if he's fit - just remembered its Gary someone ) or Carragher.

 

The pain, the pain.

On reflection perhaps England were not good enough to go further, but I was close to tears I must confess. :cry:

Ah well, there's always 2010.

Of course, if England cheated (by dives and feigned injuries, and egging on the referee etc) as much as all the other teams (and I appreciate that England do it too but to a much lesser extent surely, and Portugal are not the worst offenders by any measure).....

Oh I don't know, I just wanted us to win, Goddammit!!!!!!!!!!:grrr:

Didn't we have the team to do it? I'm sure if we could have just played to our potential?!

I'm just so depressed......... It's not even as if Portugal were any good ffs. I'd have accepted going out to a really good team (or would I?). Agh.

 

Yep...gutted here too. We never did manage to give that big performance everyone thought we were capable of. Sven has wasted a golden generation.

 

Good enough, it seems... But I sympathize.

 

Yep, sorry, didn't mean to make particularly negative comments about Portugal, the two teams were evenly matched on the day I think. I was extremely disappointed after the game as I think England should have been able to beat Portugal, but in truth England failed to perform in any of their matches. Their penalties were awful though.

Anyway, I've come to terms with the defeat and am looking forward to watching the semi-finals, and although I'm slightly indifferent as to who eventually wins the cup I hope to see some decent footie .

 

Dear La Toilette:

OK, no offense taken.

 

I feel very much the same way, although I probably secretely hope France avenges England

 

not seen that particular headline in our newspapers ;-)

 

Right, sounds like sci-fi, doesn't it?