Euro 2008 in Austria/Switzerland

[Kowalczyk]

Time for a Euro 2008 thread, now that 75% of the tournament line-up is certain: twelve teams qualified, the remaining four 90% certain. The draw for the group stage is on Sunday 02 December in Luzern, Switzerland.

The four pots for the draw are as follows!

(The teams in italics still have to qualify. Also note that Wednesday's results might still change the contents of the pots. For example: if Holland lose to Belarus, while Germany beat Wales, Holland will drop to pot 2, which would actually be a very good thing...)

Pot 1: Austria (hosts), Switzerland (hosts), Greece (2004 champions), The Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, Czech Repyblic, Croatia
Pot 3: England, Portugal, Sweden, Romania
Pot 4: France, Poland, Spain, Turkey

K.

[Philippe]

does this mean that we could get in the same first round group :
Pot 1: The Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany
Pot 3: England,
Pot 4: France,

[Kowalczyk]

Yes. If things stay like this after Wednesday's games, that would be possible... Not bad, eh?

K.

[Ayman]

Actually it would make for an exciting prospect, I mean if that was the case, I can see Holland and Germany qualifying for the next round.

Hup Holland

[aveslacker]

For some reason, international soccer interests me less and less every year. It doesn't seem as exciting as club soccer, and I think the overall level of play is below that of the big european clubs.

But I will be rooting for Holland nonetheless.

[carcajou]

For some reason, international soccer interests me less and less every year. It doesn't seem as exciting as club soccer, and I think the overall level of play is below that of the big european clubs.

But I will be rooting for Holland nonetheless.

Quite the opposite here. International soccer is and has always been my favourite and IN PARTICULAR the European Championship, which I think is more entertaining than the World Cup.

[DanK]

For some reason, international soccer interests me less and less every year. It doesn't seem as exciting as club soccer, and I think the overall level of play is below that of the big european clubs.

But I will be rooting for Holland nonetheless.

Quite the opposite here. International soccer is and has always been my favourite and IN PARTICULAR the European Championship, which I think is more entertaining than the World Cup.

Have to agree with you here. Nothing like getting 100% behind your country along with the rest of the Nation, and the Euros are normally of fairly high quality too.

[Manneken Pis]

Quite the opposite here. International soccer is and has always been my favourite and IN PARTICULAR the European Championship, which I think is more entertaining than the World Cup.

I agree.
I think the balance of power has shifted in that 'top' club football is technically superior (I'm talking Champions League here) now but frankly less exciting. I'd say twenty years ago it was the opposite. I think the megabucks in CL has made it 'more important' than national pride, hence there's more to lose in the CL, hence it's more boring. Also the top sides play each other in CL more often than national sides ... therefore it feels 'fresher' and more 'novel' when national sides meet.

BTW on the pots, yes, coming second in the qualifying pool is better because two first seed pot places for the finals have been given to Austria and Switzerland, therby 'forcing' two top teams into pot two.

[kraz11]

Time for a Euro 2008 thread, now that 75% of the tournament line-up is certain: twelve teams qualified, the remaining four 90% certain. The draw for the group stage is on Sunday 02 December in Luzern, Switzerland.

The four pots for the draw are as follows!

(The teams in italics still have to qualify. Also note that Wednesday's results might still change the contents of the pots. For example: if Holland lose to Belarus, while Germany beat Wales, Holland will drop to pot 2, which would actually be a very good thing...)

Pot 1: Austria (hosts), Switzerland (hosts), Greece (2004 champions), The Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, Czech Repyblic, Croatia
Pot 3: England, Portugal, Sweden, Romania
Pot 4: France, Poland, Spain, Turkey

K.

This is strange...according to what was this pot ranking done?

[ZoefdeHaas]

Time for a Euro 2008 thread, now that 75% of the tournament line-up is certain: twelve teams qualified, the remaining four 90% certain. The draw for the group stage is on Sunday 02 December in Luzern, Switzerland.

The four pots for the draw are as follows!

(The teams in italics still have to qualify. Also note that Wednesday's results might still change the contents of the pots. For example: if Holland lose to Belarus, while Germany beat Wales, Holland will drop to pot 2, which would actually be a very good thing...)

Pot 1: Austria (hosts), Switzerland (hosts), Greece (2004 champions), The Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, Czech Repyblic, Croatia
Pot 3: England, Portugal, Sweden, Romania
Pot 4: France, Poland, Spain, Turkey

K.

This is strange...according to what was this pot ranking done?

Qualification stand i think.

I hope Holland play France as I want to settle the dispute with all my french homies. will it be like in 2004 where the "rivals" met? (england V france, holland V germany, spain V portugal, denmark V sweden )

[Manneken Pis]

Time for a Euro 2008 thread, now that 75% of the tournament line-up is certain: twelve teams qualified, the remaining four 90% certain. The draw for the group stage is on Sunday 02 December in Luzern, Switzerland.

The four pots for the draw are as follows!

(The teams in italics still have to qualify. Also note that Wednesday's results might still change the contents of the pots. For example: if Holland lose to Belarus, while Germany beat Wales, Holland will drop to pot 2, which would actually be a very good thing...)

Pot 1: Austria (hosts), Switzerland (hosts), Greece (2004 champions), The Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, Czech Repyblic, Croatia
Pot 3: England, Portugal, Sweden, Romania
Pot 4: France, Poland, Spain, Turkey

K.

This is strange...according to what was this pot ranking done?

Qualification stand i think.

I hope Holland play France as I want to settle the dispute with all my french homies. will it be like in 2004 where the "rivals" met? (england V france, holland V germany, spain V portugal, denmark V sweden )

According to Bild in Germany there are suspicions there Holland will lose on purpose to Belarussia so that if/when Germany beat Wales tonight their ranking goes higher than Oranje and they end up in the dreaded "Pot 1".

Another good bit of organising by UEFA I must say.....

[aveslacker]

For some reason, international soccer interests me less and less every year. It doesn't seem as exciting as club soccer, and I think the overall level of play is below that of the big european clubs.

But I will be rooting for Holland nonetheless.

Quite the opposite here. International soccer is and has always been my favourite and IN PARTICULAR the European Championship, which I think is more entertaining than the World Cup.

I find that, particularly once the knock-out stages start, the play get really tactical and cynical, almost catenaccio-ish.

I do admire the spirit and the atmosphere, and I do get excited when my team does well.

I just find the big international tournaments (more the WC than the EC, tbf) get boring.

Oh well. Vive la difference!

[SE6Ajacied]

Well I think you can swap Russia for England in pot 3! Is anyone else watching the clown's convention that is the England team against Croatia?

2-0 down in 14 minutes and with Carson's "goalkeeping" it could easily have been 3 or 4 to the Croat's.....

[Van basten]

Unbelievable.. England out, Russia in Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

[SE6Ajacied]

Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

Actually I think that was 100% Mclaren

[Jinne]

It must be the name then. Not the year of McLaren it is.

[jamcocteau]

Unbelievable.. England out, Russia in Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

There is a god, thank you

[Manneken Pis]

Unbelievable.. England out, Russia in Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

There is a god, thank you

"He who laughs last, laughs longest" eh, "jamcocteau"?

Don't know if folks noticed, but Bild weren't wrong; Holland DID lose in Belarussia. Unfortunately the Germans kicked off later and managed not to beat Wales (0-0), so Holland are still the strongest qualifiers and go in Pot 1.

I must say, it's very unfair that Germany kicked off later and fixed their result like that. How can people cheat fairly in these circumstances???

[Kowalczyk]

I understand Aveslacker's points, but I also understand the other people's posts...

I'm more of a 'club man' myself. The Dutch national team will never mean as much to me as Ajax and in general I really hate 'national team supporters'. In Holland, club culture seems to be more 'urban', whereas national team culture is more 'carnavalesque'.

Club supporters go to the local pub before their weekly fix of footie, for a few beers, a laugh with their footie mates and some ironic moaning about the club. I absolutely love that. On a square full of orange idiots walking the conga, on the other hand, I always feel like an alien.

So yeah, in general, I'm a 'club football' man.

On the other hand: there is something pleasantly old school about international football. At Euro 2008, the Dutch team will be 100% Dutch, the Swedish team will be 100% Swedish, etc. That's nice. The industry of club football has become very unfair. Clubs can almost literally buy glory these days, whereas others always lose their best players. There is something 'pure' and old school about international football. In international football Spain can't buy Wesley Sneijder...

Having said that: I'm only interested in the major summer tournaments (Euro and WC). The players very obviously don't give a crap about friendlies (those games are pains in the ass to them; everybody can see that) and all those qualifiers against tiny little Eastern European states that are younger than I am... I just can't be arsed.

As you can see, all that matters to me is the culture of football. The play itself, the actual football, only matters to me when I'm emotionally involved anyway. I will find a tepid, totally boring Ajax game more exciting than a very spectacular and high quality edition of Willem II vs Roda, no matter what.

K.

[Over Pasanens Head]

Unbelievable.. England out, Russia in Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

There is a god, thank you

I am surprised at you Jamcocteau as I would have thought that you would have been right behind England since your lot missed out again

[jamcocteau]

Unbelievable.. England out, Russia in Hiddink did it again :hupajax.gif:

There is a god, thank you

I am surprised at you Jamcocteau as I would have thought that you would have been right behind England since your lot missed out again

Mate, was totally heartbroken on Saturday evening at the game - ended up back at hotel 90 mins after match and back in bed. Bad enough losing game with a dodgy referee but to come out and see Israel hand Ingerland a lifeline was like somebody kicking you in the balls and then jumping on them on for a laugh.

But have to say thanks to your glorious nation my spirits soared around 10pm last evening - wasnt the face of the panel after the game a wonderful picture.

And here especially my dear mate is the news - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

[Over Pasanens Head]

There is a god, thank you

I am surprised at you Jamcocteau as I would have thought that you would have been right behind England since your lot missed out again

Mate, was totally heartbroken on Saturday evening at the game - ended up back at hotel 90 mins after match and back in bed. Bad enough losing game with a dodgy referee but to come out and see Israel hand Ingerland a lifeline was like somebody kicking you in the balls and then jumping on them on for a laugh.

But have to say thanks to your glorious nation my spirits soared around 10pm last evening - wasnt the face of the panel after the game a wonderful picture.

And here especially my dear mate is the news - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

Only saw the last 20 minutes as was watching chapters 10 & 11 of Heroes - which shows my commitment to the cause I do believe. Glad we made you happy as I must say that on Sunday evening when I heard your result I did have a big chuckle. As they say though - he who laughs last, laughs longest.

As to Holland - loads of people over here made an absolute mint on that result as everybody was thinking that they would do anything possible to not finish top.

[raymon]

What’s the difference between England and Lewis Hamilton?



.. Lewis Hamilton still has a McLaren.


Although this is one for the pathetic joke corner

[SPL]

Just to say I am not a fan of England's soccer team. apart from Ajax and my local non league team Worthing I do not care about any football team.

England 's players are overpaid overrated tossers and the press are the main culprits who tell the country we are great and how great they are.

So England are not going to Austria Switzerland.


Those 2 countries must be overjoyed today

No drunken English louts

No Wags as the press call them ie the bimbos who are married to the tossers.

The whole of June will not be 24 hours a day England's great team

And finally no more Beckham .Please let him go back to retirement in his Sunday pub team in LA (Mind you his crosses were our only possible hope of anything last night that is how bankrupt we were).

And of course come the finals my sons will not take the piss out of me for cheering the Netherlands on.

The biggest problem with our football is not the foreigners in our game but the fact that our youth are not coached properly. If a bunch of young English kids went to Ajax's great training ground they would not know what the young Dutch kids were playing !!

[Kowalczyk]

As to Holland - loads of people over here made an absolute mint on that result as everybody was thinking that they would do anything possible to not finish top.

The sad thing is: I watched the game for about 30 minutes and I don't even think that Holland were trying to lose... They were just plain garbage (again).

This qualification campaign has been bizarre. The figures are very convincing and we are the top seed of the entire Euro 2008 roster, but every single game in the qualification group was a fucking yawn-fest and I don't think we've seen more than a half hour of proper football in total. There were plenty of tiny football nations in our group, but we scored less than 1.3 goal per game on average. Sums it all up.

The country does not seem to believe in Marco van Basten. I think there are more doubts than ever.

Plenty of offensive quality and players who can score a goal (Van Nistelrooy, Kuyt, Van Persie, Van der Vaart, Robben, Sneijder), but for some reason they never deliver in an orange shirt. And that defence... very, very, very mediocre and we don't have any alternatives.

Quarter final. At best.

K.