It's coming Rome.

  On 08/07/2021 at 08:06, Better days ahead said:

England to lose on penalties. 

Twas written in the stars

Although I offer congrats to the Italian soccer followers I will never understand how a month long tournament of a team game could be decided by 2 goalkeepers and the goal scoring skills or lack thereof of a few players.

And on penalties too. Seems like plucky little England -- who united the nation! -- weren't able to defeat the evil conglomerate after all. And the whole exercise was going to justify Brexit.

The rest of Europe is now thankful the game was played at Wembley. The hooligans can rampage and destroy their own country now.

  On 01/07/2021 at 01:12, roy11 said:

Italy will beat England in the final.

Italy - Solid CBs, talented midfield, inconsistent forwards winning the cup. 

A good omen for us. 

I assume the English team can take some learnings from the result.

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57800431

The three players who missed penalties for England who happen to be of African heritage are now receiving a torrent of racist abuse on social media from English supporters. Not unexpected.

 

 

Edited July 12, 20213 yr by John Crow Batty

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:06, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I assume the English team can take some learnings from the result.

Is Southgate the right guy..... 

  On 11/07/2021 at 23:11, Mazer Rackham said:

And on penalties too. Seems like plucky little England -- who united the nation! -- weren't able to defeat the evil conglomerate after all. And the whole exercise was going to justify Brexit.

The rest of Europe is now thankful the game was played at Wembley. The hooligans can rampage and destroy their own country now.

Sounds like you have a few issues

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:03, roy11 said:

Italy - Solid CBs, talented midfield, inconsistent forwards winning the cup. 

A good omen for us. 

I don't follow soccer but can someone tell me why the Italian Captain wasn't sent off when he dragged the England player down as he was trying to break away?

Seems like an obvious send off to me?

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:29, jnrmac said:

I don't follow soccer but can someone tell me why the Italian Captain wasn't sent off when he dragged the England player down as he was trying to break away?

Seems like an obvious send off to me?

Players have their shirts pulled and are tugged back all over the pitch and that is generally a yellow card offence. 

For it to have been a send off it would have had to have been a Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity.

Given the location on the pitch (distance to goal) and proximity of other defenders it's not deemed a DOGSO, so in reality just a clever professional foul from a seasoned defender of the dark arts of football (aka ****housery) 

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:11, John Crow Batty said:

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57800431

The three players who missed penalties for England who happen to be of African heritage are now receiving a torrent of racist abuse on social media from English supporters. Not unexpected.

 

 

The visible tipping point for me with the emergence of the Gammon ascendancy was during the 2010 election when Gordon Brown was caught on a hot mike calling a woman spouting bigoted crap about Polish migrants *gasp* ‘a bigoted woman’. It seemed from that point onwards that it was more unforgivable to accuse someone of behaving in a racist manner than actually having racist beliefs in the UK. It’s been all downhill from there.

Marcus Rashford has been a rock in pushing for BLM and for raising money to make up for cutbacks in breakfast programs. The muttonheads who boo him wish they were half the bloke he is. 

Edited July 12, 20213 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:29, jnrmac said:

I don't follow soccer but can someone tell me why the Italian Captain wasn't sent off when he dragged the England player down as he was trying to break away?

Seems like an obvious send off to me?

Wasn't excessively violent and wasn't obstructing an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Quite smart play and definitely worth getting a yellow for!

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:39, Colin B. Flaubert said:

The visible tipping point for me with the emergence of the Gammon ascendancy was during the 2010 election when Gordon Brown was caught on a hot mike calling a woman spouting bigoted crap about Polish migrants *gasp* ‘a bigoted woman’. It seemed from that point onwards that it was more unforgivable to accuse someone of behaving in a racist manner than actually having racist beliefs in the UK. It’s been all downhill from there.

Marcus Rashford has been a rock in pushing for BLM and for raising money to make up for cutbacks in breakfast programs. The muttonheads who boo him wish they were half the bloke he is. 

The three missed penalty players were also the youngest and inexperienced in the team. Sako is only 19. What was the England manager thinking? Like they has already mentally conceded defeat and looking for scapegoats. The experienced players should have been given the responsibility of the majority of the first 5 penalty shots.

Edited July 12, 20213 yr by John Crow Batty

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:27, jnrmac said:

Sounds like you have a few issues

Very kind of you to suggest that. But no, when England go down, all is well.

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:53, John Crow Batty said:

The three missed penalty players were also the youngest and inexperienced in the team. Sako is only 19. What was the England manager thinking? Like they has already mentally conceded defeat and looking for scapegoats. The experienced players should have been given the responsibility of the majority of the first 5 penalty shots.

Don't disagree, but worth noting the Italian keeper is only 21 and handled it OK...?

 

  On 12/07/2021 at 01:03, dee-tox said:

Don't disagree, but worth noting the Italian keeper is only 21 and handled it OK...?

 

Saka had only played 2 competitive games for England prior to this tournament. 

Donnarumma is 22 now and a freak. 200+ club games at his age is outrageous.

I don't begrudge anyone missing a penalty in a shootout, takes a lot of courage to put your hand up.  At the end of the day England didn't really have many seasoned penalty takers on the pitch (see below), someone had to take them.

After the game John Aloisi was saying Grealish and Luke Shaw should have taken a penalty before Saka just because they're older? Luke Shaw has never taken a penalty in a game and has only taken 1 in a penalty shoot-out (a few months ago).

Sterling could have put his hand up but he's scored 2/5, so Saka was feeling more confident but unfortunately hit a relatively weak penalty - it happens. 

Meanwhile north of the border....

Penalty shoot out for major comp might might might have to go. I’d like to see a comp convert to make it golden goal wins.  
 Keep going until someone scores.  It could be hours but I’d rather see a genuine goal.  Extra time was pathetic.  Both sides today seemed to not want to attack but wait for the penalty shoot out.  Allow extra 2 subs after 120 minutes. 

  On 12/07/2021 at 03:14, spirit of norm smith said:

Penalty shoot out for major comp might might might have to go. I’d like to see a comp convert to make it golden goal wins.  
 Keep going until someone scores.  It could be hours but I’d rather see a genuine goal.  Extra time was pathetic.  Both sides today seemed to not want to attack but wait for the penalty shoot out.  Allow extra 2 subs after 120 minutes. 

Agree. Imagine if we played an entire grand final that ended in a draw - and then 5 players each took shots from the 50.

It’s like a different sport a penalty shoot out. It becomes darts and not a physical contest.

Golden Goal was removed because teams became defensive.

They now allow an additional substitution to occur in Extra-Time in an effort for fresh legs/more positivity.

But the fear of losing dictates how they teams play unfortunately. They'd rather lose on a lottery (shootout) than risk losing the game by being too attacking

  On 12/07/2021 at 04:48, roy11 said:

Golden Goal was removed because teams became defensive.

They now allow an additional substitution to occur in Extra-Time in an effort for fresh legs/more positivity.

But the fear of losing dictates how they teams play unfortunately. They'd rather lose on a lottery (shootout) than risk losing the game by being too attacking

then if it's a draw the team with most shots on goal is the winner

that'd encourage a bit more attacking!

won'y happen of course

  On 12/07/2021 at 00:11, John Crow Batty said:

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57800431

The three players who missed penalties for England who happen to be of African heritage are now receiving a torrent of racist abuse on social media from English supporters. Not unexpected.

 

 

And then people are incredulous when the players take a knee before the game

Hoping it’s NOT an omen for us as we are in a very similar position to them with history etc! First half England owned but I always knew that Italy would score so the Poms needed a second. Second half Italy flexed their muscles and I just felt if it went to a penalty shoot out Italy had the mental resolved (plus a beast of a keeper). I found it a bizarre choice to put so much pressure on a 19yo but those are moments where legends can be made, sadly it just wasn’t a good penalty. Really feel for the lad, it somehow always looks better when a team wins the shootout by scoring, losing it by missing/being saved is gut wrenching. 

I actually enjoyed watching Italy play in this tournament but last night they went right back to their dirty tactics style that make me thoroughly dislike them. The way Chiellini dragged and yanked back on Saka’s shirt to take him down epitomises their attitudes on “fair play”. 

Congrats to them though, they were across the board the best team of the tournament. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWZDzTTptdU. 

Edited July 12, 20213 yr by Rab D Nesbitt