Board 8 > Euro 2020 topic part deux

(+) Yeah! (+)

Germany!

Now fucking hold

---

Devastating, but I would have actually refused to even watch England/Portugal. I can handle losing to Germany.

---

Just give me anyone but France. If we're going out at least give us a slim chance.

---

FT in Germany.

---

And with Germany's draw we are in. That was a lot harder than it needed to be.

---

Okay just kick this around for three minutes. Everyone's through.

---

XIII_rocks posted...

Devastating, but I would have actually refused to even watch England/Portugal. I can handle losing to Germany.

Is all this angst about facing Portugal from 2006?

---

After all that, still a date with German cousins.

---

This was nearly great but at least the worst-case scenario was seemingly avoided

---

Not that I have any faith in Portugal to win even one more, but this top half of the bracket is stacked. Bottom half seems like a cakewalk in comparison.

---

ExThaNemesis posted...

Is all this angst about facing Portugal from 2006?

I guess that's part of it? There's a far deeper disgust though

---

ExThaNemesis posted...

Is all this angst about facing Portugal from 2006?

Yes. That match with that shootout Fucking ruined my 22nd.

---

Multiple fans on the field to try and hug Ronaldo lmao

---

I only have great memories of Portugal/England matches, not sure why anyone would think otherwise.

---

I remember Rio crying his eyes out on pitch in the aftermath.

---

I remember all the talk about how Rooney and Ronaldo couldn't play together anymore after that. Sure wish they'd stuck with those feelings.

---

ExThaNemesis posted...

I remember all the talk about how Rooney and Ronaldo couldn't play together anymore after that. Sure wish they'd stuck with those feelings.

Not a great period for you guys was it? Though in '09 you stood a good a chance as us and the Scousers.

---

07/08 we were running the fucking league and then everyone got hurt

---

Seems unlikely - though obviously not impossible - that they'll fluke their way to another one this time. Got to beat Belgium, probably Italy, probably France, all in a row, just to get to the final.

The bottom half is way more open, especially with England and Germany playing each other. Holland have a favourable path to the semi-final.

---

Germany beating us would of course still be hilarious because it'd piss off exactly the right people in the godforsaken country I shamefully still call home. The Megan Markle of football results

---

Upcoming England 2-0 final against Germany to match their World War score.

---

Switzerland next round, I'll take that.
Spain or Croatia QFs should there be no upset is trickier.
If England gets past Germany, then Sweden/Ukraine SHOULD be a gimme, but the semi could be really difficult (Though I'm also assuming it's going to be either Italy or Belgium)

---

I don't hold too big a grudge against the England football team, but nothing beats the collective national meltdown when they lose.

---

Belgium vs. Portugal
Italy vs. Austria
France vs. Switzerland
Croatia vs. Spain
-=-
Sweden vs. Ukraine
England vs. Germany
Holland vs. Czechia
Wales vs. Denmark

I don't like the idea of this not-that-great Germany team fumbling their way to the final and being a game away from winning it (like in 2002, though at least they lost that one), but hopefully Holland have something to say about that.

---

Belgium will probably batter Portugal all game and then Ronado will score a pen and put them through. Germany are probably gonna end up in the final.

---

Sheep007 posted...

I don't hold too big a grudge against the England football team, but nothing beats the collective national meltdown when they lose.

Anyone who has any expectations for the Germany game is a clown. We haven't beaten a team that has previously won a world cup in a knockout game for 55 years. But the country does have quite a few total clowns in it, so I guess they will be having a meltdown.

---

Don't worry, Southgate will start Saka and he'll score a hat trick to see you through. Believe.

---

Part of me is kinda glad we're not facing Hungary because we thought Iceland was a gimme and we all know how that turned out.

Out of the other 3, Germany is probably our best bet. If we can get past them, then Holland should be the only other team we have to worry about to reach the final.

---

How on Earth is it justifiable for France Belgium Italy Portugal and Spain to all be on the same side of the fuckin bracket lmao

---

spain will be embarrassing themselves to croatia so no need to list them with the rest

---

Oh wow this ends with DeBoer as a potential podium place finisher.

Martinez and Mancini I think will stay at least until the world cup.
But with a good run, I can see DeBoer getting offered another club football job.
Would laugh if Everton.

---

XIII_rocks posted...

Anyone who has any expectations for the Germany game is a clown. We haven't beaten a team that has previously won a world cup in a knockout game for 55 years. But the country does have quite a few total clowns in it, so I guess they will be having a meltdown.

We elected a fucking clown.

---

Really liking Denmark's chances of making a scare here, though I wish we ran into England/Germany before Netherlands, the latter have clearly looked better. England only looks scary on paper, so far they haven't looked great overall while other teams are starting to get it together.

---

UEFA have eliminated the away goals rule for all of their competitions...

what an absolutely disastrous organization they are lmfao

---

away goals rule wasn't the problem, it was only a problem when the matches went to extra time

and to be honest I was fine for it. If you're playing away when it goes to added time you deserve that little advantage if you score.

---

Hardcore_Adult posted...

We elected a fucking clown.

Still doing better than Hungary at least!
---

Away goal rules has been a problem during COVID-19 though.

---

Eliminating away goals rule is silly. Do they not remember what it was like prior to the rule? It made for horrendous viewing when teams made zero attempt to actually score on the road

Away goals rule was dumb as fuck but did make for a more exciting overall product, so I guess losing it is a shame in that sense

---

XIII_rocks posted...

Anyone who has any expectations for the Germany game is a clown. We haven't beaten a team that has previously won a world cup in a knockout game for 55 years.

The numbers on this, btw.

England's record since beating Germany in the final of the 1966 World Cup:

vs. West Germany (1970 World Cup QF): Lost
vs. Argentina (1986 World Cup QF): Lost
vs. West Germany (1990 World Cup SF): Lost
vs. Germany (1996 Euros SF): Lost
vs. Argentina (1998 World Cup R2): Lost
vs. Brazil (2002 World Cup QF): Lost
vs. Germany (2010 World Cup R2): Lost
vs. Italy (2012 Euros QF): Lost

This does not include the losses to Portugal in 2004 or 2006, as they have never won a World Cup (LOL). But I guess you could include them, since it goes with the basic "England lose in a knockout tie to the first good team they play, or Iceland" theme. England did beat Spain in the 1996 Euros quarter-finals on penalties, but they hadn't won a World Cup at that time. I'm not an expert on how good 1996 Spain (or 1990 Belgium/Cameroon) were, either, so not sure exactly how good that win was.

The long and short of this is: England are incredibly likely to lose, and Germany would be breaking a 55-year streak if they allowed it to happen.

---

Yeah not beating a good team for 55 years is a shocking record. Although that being said if we're gonna do it it has to be now. If we lose that game on Tuesday i think i'm done with England.

---

I mean the distinction is in a knockout game. England have beaten good teams outside of knockout games and even within world cups / Euros.

It's also worth noting that quite a few of their major defeats in knockout games in the last couple of decades were via penalty shootout too rather than losing in normal time.

ShatteredElysium posted...

I mean the distinction is in a knockout game. England have beaten good teams outside of knockout games and even within world cups / Euros.

It's also worth noting that quite a few of their major defeats in knockout games in the last couple of decades were via penalty shootout too rather than losing in normal time.

That's something that i find weird. We always seem to end up playing out draws when we're awful at penalties.

---

Most of us watch them thinking 'surely we'll win this one?' The overwhelming joy in the country when we beat Colombia was incredible.

---

shane15 posted...

Most of us watch them thinking 'surely we'll win this one?' The overwhelming joy in the country when we beat Colombia was incredible.

Mate, The 5-0 were called to Clapham Junction when we beat Sweden!

---

ShatteredElysium posted...

I mean the distinction is in a knockout game. England have beaten good teams outside of knockout games and even within world cups / Euros.

They don't matter though. Germany for instance routinely aren't fantastic in groups before making deep tournament runs and beating top intnl teams. Losing to Croatia and then making the final in 08 for instance. They don't really matter. Germany again in 2000; England beat them, then didn't even get out of the group after losing to Romania

---

Yeah the games that truly matter England always choke.

---

XIII_rocks posted...

They don't matter though. Germany for instance routinely aren't fantastic in groups before making deep tournament runs and beating top intnl teams. Losing to Croatia and then making the final in 08 for instance. They don't really matter. In 2000 England beat Germany, then didn't even get out of the group after losing to Romania

Ugh. I dunno what was more embarrassing for England in Group Stage choking Euro 2000 or Brazil 2014...

---