UEFA Europa 2012

[MarshCappa]

I have watched a few matches and have really enjoyed the games. Spain and England look tough. I'm pulling for Portugal though on Wednesday!!

[Sundowner]

watched Greece hang with Germany, then Germany blew it open quick. I like Germany to win it.

[numbskull]

Spain-France was a disappointment. France looked limp. I want to see someone stop fearing Spain and have a go at them. Press the hell out of them high and commit to attack. Force them to play a faster more open game. Sure they have the passing skills to cut you up, but they are not strong defensively in an open field and they don't have much speed in attack. Lengthen the distances they have to pass and track their midfield runs and they start to look beatable.

[Clogston29]

i agree on spain. they are too open. a good offensive team with a solid defence can beat with them. sitting back and hoping for a 1-0 win on a counter won't. if you let them attack all game, they'll break through. portugal could give them a game as they are good going forward in space. hopefully they will try.

if not, i think germany will take care of them in an entertaining final.

england just plain sucks right now, they were lucky to get an easy group. so boring. i know its out of necessity, but they just suck to watch. so in need of creative players in the middle of the field. all they seam to be able to develop are fast outside players who can run at defenders. look around the EPL, all the good creative players are from elsewhere.

[MarshCappa]

That Spain Portugal game was brutal to watch! That game is why I remember not liking soccer that much! All those fake injuries drove me crazy. I'm not throwing in the towel on it and maybe I'm more pissed that Portugal couldn't play with any style but man that was ugly.

[numbskull]

Mario is the bomb. Youth must be served......him against the world. Fun to watch it happen on the world stage.

[Clogston29]

italy was impressive. surprised me. i thought germany would take them apart.

[MarshCappa]

So guys, tell me how Beckham gets left off the olympic squad for ENG? I'm not educated on the international or even national info on who's who. Is he too old? Seems like a good bench player to have on any roster to come in for that specialty play or key pass.

[Clogston29]

He's old and slow, way past his prime. A big name but that's really it now. for the Olympics your only allowed 3 (I think) players over 23.
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[MarshCappa]

Gotcha, who does he play for now? That's kind of stupid about the age thing if you ask me. That doesn't apply to any other sport, why just soccer?

[numbskull]

The Olympics are small potatoes in the soccer world. The World Cup is far more meaningful.

There are a lot of soccer politics involved as well. FIFA does not want the olympics (and the revenues that goes to someone other than FIFA) diluting the World Cup. The major clubs that pay the best players huge salaries do not want their best players being worn out during the off season (this is already a huge problem with World Cup qualifying and international friendlies).

FIFA gets it's way because they control professional soccer. If they want, they could prohibit all professional players (at least those who want to continue playing in the professional leagues FIFA controls....which is all of them) from playing in the Olympics. The Olympic committee knows this, so the agreed to a compromise that uses youth and overage players.

As for Beckham, he is still a very good player (he helped the MLS LA Galaxy win the MLS cup last year) and one whose passing/distribution England missed dearly against Italy. The problem is that he no longer can cover ground like he did when younger (he was once considered the best conditioned player at Man U), which limits him to deep midfield position from which he is still one of the best playmakers in the world, but a below average defender....and poor defenders at deep midfield positions is not something you can get away with at the highest international levels. He would help England offensively but hurt them too much defensively.

[Sundowner]

Well done Spain, quite possibly the best team ever

[numbskull]

Best part of the whole thing was when Abeloa took his young daughter in his arms to celebrate the victory........ and she was wearing an Alba shirt.

[Sundowner]

she was cute, looked like she was more interested in the patch on his chest than what was going on around her

[blondterror]

that second goal by Spain was so beautiful... they are really fun to watch and their defense is solid

[Clogston29]

the whole unified great britain team thing is interesting, with players being selected from scotland, ireland and whales along with england. team doesn't look all that strong (as numbskull said, clubs must have stepped in to keep guys like bale out). looking at the roster, leaving beckham off is a bit more puzzling that i originally thought. looks like giggs got the nod over him. giggs is better at this point, but both is best outside, where gb has more young talent than inside. beckham probably could have helped more that him.

[mosholu]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

the whole unified great britain team thing is interesting, with players being selected from scotland, ireland and whales along with england. team doesn't look all that strong (as numbskull said, clubs must have stepped in to keep guys like bale out). looking at the roster, leaving beckham off is a bit more puzzling that i originally thought. looks like giggs got the nod over him. giggs is better at this point, but both is best outside, where gb has more young talent than inside. beckham probably could have helped more that him.

If you have a team with both Beckham and Giggs in mid-field you are giving up a lot of pace. That being said I think it was rude of the coaching staff to put him on the short list for inclusion if they never intended to name him to the final squad.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Clogston29]

i agree, i was advocating, or at least questioning, beckham over giggs based on position.