Euro 2004

[mikeweil]

Noone to comment on Zeus Otto the one and only?

[mikeweil]

[J.A.W.]

Greece had the best collective, but I didn't see them play much great football (and that's an understatement), and by "great" I mean some wonderful individual actions and attacking play. I'm a fan of attacking football as played by teams like, for instance, France, Argentina and the Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup, the great Brazilian and Dutch teams of the past and the like, and I don't like the kind of football the Greeks played, however effective.

[couw]

the thing is that it seems those teams that play the "great" football, forgot that it is not enough to do just that. One also needs to make the goals and prevent the other team from doing the same. The "great" football seemed to have become an objective in and of itself, and it got more and more sloppy, especially in the defense. In the end, it took a little boy from Greece to tell the emperors they weren't wearing any clothes anymore. I am all for football to look better than it did during this tournament and I hope the "big" teams have woken up and have learned not to take things for granted that much anymore and not to just invest in the pretty stuff, but also in some solid defense.

[J.A.W.]

the thing is that it seems those teams that play the "great" football, forgot that it is not enough to do just that. One also needs to make the goals and prevent the other team from doing the same. The "great" football seemed to have become an objective in and of itself, and it got more and more sloppy, especially in the defense. In the end, it took a little boy from Greece to tell the emperors they weren't wearing any clothes anymore. I am all for football to look better than it did during this tournament and I hope the "big" teams have woken up and have learned not to take things for granted that much anymore and not to just invest in the pretty stuff, but also in some solid defense.

I was merely talking about the "great" football of the fairly recent (1998 World Cup) and more distant past. I agree that the current "great" teams didn't play "great" football, on the contrary; the last two tournaments (2002 World Cup, Euro 2004) were a major disappointment in that respect, and I also hope the "majors" and their often arrogant and spoilt players () will have learnt their lesson - I'm not so sure about that, though...

As for the Greek team, they deserved to win, of course, if only for the lack of an effective response from their opponents, and I admired the way they played as a team, but I really hated their "German" style of defensive play and counter football. But hey, that's just me...

Edited July 5, 2004 by J.A.W.

[brownie]

As for the Greek team, they deserved to win, of course, if only for the lack of an effective response from their opponents, and I admired the way they played as a team, but I really hated their "German" style of defensive play and counter football. But hey, that's just me...

I'm with you, J.A.W.

That Greek team reminded me of the German teams from the Franz Beckenbauer era. Not really exciting to look at but effective.

Yes, the Greeks deserved to win. They had the stamina to endure those difficult games. But after all is considered, the Euro2004 is more than a bit worrisome about the current state of soccer in Europe.

No real individual great appeared among the younger elements. And the Old Guard grew older. They gave us plenty of joy several years ago, but no more.

Not sure the next generation of players will be more exciting now that money has taken over soccer.

[1ngram]

Well, thank heavens thats all over at last. As a scot I always get to support more teams than anyone else in a tournament in that I always support whoever is playing England (no change there then, doctor). But this has been such a boring tournament it has been hard to get up any excitement about any of them. Perhaps Sweden, Denmark and the Czechs. But there have been a helluvalotta grossly overpaid, underperforming seals out there on the park these past few weeks. oink! oink!

[J.A.W.]

But after all is considered, the Euro2004 is more than a bit worrisome about the current state of soccer in Europe.

No real individual great appeared among the younger elements. And the Old Guard grew older. They gave us plenty of joy several years ago, but no more.

Not sure the next generation of players will be more exciting now that money has taken over soccer.

I couldn't agree more.

Edited July 5, 2004 by J.A.W.

[couw]

As for the Greek team, they deserved to win, of course, if only for the lack of an effective response from their opponents, and I admired the way they played as a team, but I really hated their "German" style of defensive play and counter football. But hey, that's just me...

I'm with you, J.A.W.

That Greek team reminded me of the German teams from the Franz Beckenbauer era. Not really exciting to look at but effective.

Yes, the Greeks deserved to win. They had the stamina to endure those difficult games. But after all is considered, the Euro2004 is more than a bit worrisome about the current state of soccer in Europe.

No real individual great appeared among the younger elements. And the Old Guard grew older. They gave us plenty of joy several years ago, but no more.

Not sure the next generation of players will be more exciting now that money has taken over soccer.

yup, the type of football the Greeks played was cetainly not to my liking. Only on a higher level of observation where it obviously kicked the ass of all those big names. And with what? with a type of football the modern, fast game of the nineties supposedly had dealt with succesfully. The modern game had corroded itself, though, so back to the drawing board there and make sure it doesn't get rusty that fast again.

[J.A.W.]

As for the Greek team, they deserved to win, of course, if only for the lack of an effective response from their opponents, and I admired the way they played as a team, but I really hated their "German" style of defensive play and counter football. But hey, that's just me...

I'm with you, J.A.W.

That Greek team reminded me of the German teams from the Franz Beckenbauer era. Not really exciting to look at but effective.

Yes, the Greeks deserved to win. They had the stamina to endure those difficult games. But after all is considered, the Euro2004 is more than a bit worrisome about the current state of soccer in Europe.

No real individual great appeared among the younger elements. And the Old Guard grew older. They gave us plenty of joy several years ago, but no more.

Not sure the next generation of players will be more exciting now that money has taken over soccer.

yup, the type of football the Greeks played was cetainly not to my liking. Only on a higher level of observation where it obviously kicked the ass of all those big names. And with what? with a type of football the modern, fast game of the nineties supposedly had dealt with succesfully. The modern game had corroded itself, though, so back to the drawing board there and make sure it doesn't get rusty that fast again.

I agree with you there (sigh) ()

[scottb]

I think the Spanish are guilty of playing great soccer and not getting results. At times they looked very good in last few World Cups and on paper they have all the makings of a great team but it never seems to translate into results on a consistent basis.

[J.A.W.]

I think the Spanish are guilty of playing great soccer and not getting results. At times they looked very good in last few World Cups and on paper they have all the makings of a great team but it never seems to translate into results on a consistent basis.

Which (in my opinion) means they're not good enough.

[B. Goren.]

The Greek team is the champion, whether we like it or not. I don’t like it but who can argue with success? When I am going to see football games, I am doing it in order to see players like Ronaldo, Figo & Nedved and not because of teams like the Greek with a lot of tactic discipline. I will not pay even 1$ in order to see such a team

[JohnJ]

As a scot I always get to support more teams than anyone else in a tournament in that I always support whoever is playing England

Typical Scottish mentality. Still, given the state of Scottish football and rugby you do have my sympathy.

[EKE BBB]

I think the Spanish are guilty of playing great soccer and not getting results.  At times they looked very good in last few World Cups and on paper they have all the makings of a great team but it never seems to translate into results on a consistent basis.

Which (in my opinion) means they're not good enough.

The legions of non-Spanish players in Spanish teams (what, supposedly, raises our LIGA as one of the best national championships in the world) has a lot to do with this. Too many millions of euros involved.