Chitchat The Official TCSS Thread

[jw5]

By James Horncastle

from espnfc.com

Euro 2016's six best group games: Belgium vs. Italy, England vs. Wales

There are 36 group stage matches at Euro 2016, but there are some great ones to watch. Here are six of the best. Full match schedule here.

France vs. Romania - June 10 | Group A | Saint-Denis (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

"I've been waiting for June 10 for two years," France boss Didier Deschamps revealed this week. Haven't we all, Didier? The summer officially starts now. Let the opening ceremony get you in the mood and watch to see what the mood is like in Paris. On the one hand, there will be great anticipation as France get the tournament underway hoping to finish it as champions just as they did when they hosted the Euros in 1984 and the World Cup in 1998. On the other, there will be an understandable edginess after the terrorist attacks in November.

From a football perspective, France will want to get off on the right foot and make a statement of intent with a big win. The early favourites have been hit by injuries to Raphael Varane and Lassana Diarra, while the exclusion of Karim Benzema means some are no longer so sure about them.

Romania are a limited team but have made frustrating teams something of an art-form. They had the best defence in qualifying and have held Spain and Italy to draws in friendly matches. But can they really stop France getting the Euro party started? All too easily divided at recent major tournaments, a big win for Les Bleus from the start is a must to generate excitement and momentum.

Belgium vs. Italy - June 13 | Group E | Lyon (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The marquee game in Group E "will tell us everything and nothing," according to Italy coach Antonio Conte. Are Belgium for real and about to fulfil their potential? And is it right to be so down about Italy's chances? The "nothing" Conte alludes to is that it's still very early and the new expanded format makes it harder to get eliminated than to qualify for the knockout stages.

If we get a repeat of when they last met in the winter, we're in for a treat. Belgium won 3-1 but the scoreline flattered the victors. Italy, without Marco Verratti, got in front early on through Antonio Candreva who had chance after chance to make it 2-0 before Jan Vertonghen equalised. Undeterred, Italy continued to play on the front foot. Stephan El Shaarawy curled a shot narrowly wide. Eder hit the bar. Then they got sucker punched as Kevin De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi struck late.

The takeaway from that game was that Italy got their tactics spot on. They have undeniably got the better manager in this match up. Conte can out-coach Marc Wilmots. Ultimately, last time around, it was Belgium's greater individual quality that told. Which will it be on Monday?

Austria vs. Hungary - June 14 | Group F | Bordeaux (6 p.m. CET/12 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Once an empire, the Austrians and Hungarians are unlikely to strike a historic compromise like the one they made in 1867 as they prepare to get their respective campaigns underway on Tuesday. It's been a decade since they last met. Austria lost on that occasion and a number of the Hungary players involved in that win are still part of the current set-up, from veteran goalkeeper and tracksuit-bottom wearing Gabor Kiraly to that day's goal scorer, Zoltan Gera.

The expectation is that it will be different this time. Austria are one of the dark horses of the competition because of the emphatic manner in which they qualified, winning nine of their 10 games in a group that included Sweden and Russia. Much of the focus will be on them and David Alaba. But Hungary, back in a major tournament for the first time in 30 years, will be keen to stop them before they can get going.

England vs. Wales - June 16 | Group B | Lens (3 p.m. CET/9 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Before the draw, Wales manager Chris Coleman expressed his wish to avoid England but a win against Roy Hodgson's men would make their first major tournament since 1958 a success.

Gareth Bale wasn't alive when the Dragons last prevailed against the Three Lions; that was 32 years ago. Wales have nothing to fear, though, as the pressure will be on England and they will fancy their chances. Wales briefly overtook England in the FIFA world rankings last year and can be a match for anyone on their day. They went undefeated against Belgium in qualifying and beat them in Cardiff.

Bale, now a double Champions League winner, is a transformative player who can win games on his own and also, crucially, make his teammates believe that nothing is impossible. Joe Hart will have to be on the alert whenever Bale stands over a free-kick and the unconvincing defence in front of him mustn't put a foot wrong. Given the nature of "The Battle of Britain," a circus should descend on Lens and it should make for one of the best atmospheres at the tournament.

Germany vs. Poland - June 16 | Group C | Saint-Denis (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Make no mistake, the World Cup winners will be wary of facing the Poles at the Stade de France. Poland beat Germany for the first time ever when they met in Warsaw in October 2014 and, along with Croatia and Austria, deserve consideration as dark horses in this competition.

Poland were top scorers in qualifying with 33 goals, and Robert Lewandowski was also the leading marksmen with 13 of them. The Bayern Munich striker needs no introduction to his German opponents as he found the net in their last encounter in Frankfurt.

But it's not all about him as coach Joachim Low is aware. Arkadiusz Milik, who scored 24 goals for Ajax this season, struck six times in qualifying, including in the win against Germany; Kamil Grosicki, the winger, has quietly made a name for himself in Ligue 1 with nine goals for Rennes; Jakub Blaszczykowski brings intensity on the other side; Piotr Zielinski is much coveted after shining at Empoli this season. Grzegorz Krychowiak is the lynchpin of a Sevilla midfield that has won the Europa League three-years in a row; Kamil Glik is a nuisance from set-pieces and one of the best centre-backs in Serie A.

Germany remain favourites but this is arguably the best team Poland have sent to a major tournament since 1982.

Croatia vs. Spain - June 21 | Group D | Bordeaux (9 p.m. CET/3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

This promises to be the game of the group stages. Make no mistake, Croatia can mix it with Spain. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic play for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively; Mario Mandzukic, the former Atletico striker, will do battle with Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique while his young Juventus teammate Alvaro Morata could be the striker for Spain to take the game to the Croatia defence.

This encounter should be high on quality and will be a great indicator of how far these teams can go as the outcome will likely decide who wins the group. Whoever emerges on top will have a relatively straightforward route to the semifinals on the "softer" side of the draw. The runner up, by contrast, will have to do it the hard way and, acting under the assumption that everything plays out as expected -- which is a big if given how the third place draw will work -- will probably have to then go through Belgium, Germany and France in order to get to the final. I know which path I'd prefer.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

The England vs Wales match will be a huge anti climax. Wales have had a poor run up into the competition getting slapped 3-0 by Sweden last week.

As for England - your Espn article summed it up nicely. (England) "still retain that special combination of banana-skin filled groups and pulsating potential uselessness". Overpaid and over-rated millionaire wanabees.

Russia for the win tonight!

 

[Rasputin]

The England vs Wales match will be a huge anti climax. Wales have had a poor run up into the competition getting slapped 3-0 by Sweden last week.

As for England - your Espn article summed it up nicely. (England) "still retain that special combination of banana-skin filled groups and pulsating potential uselessness". Overpaid and over-rated millionaire wanabees.

Russia for the win tonight!

Yes the truth hurts Engkok fans

 

[jw5]

The England vs Wales match will be a huge anti climax. Wales have had a poor run up into the competition getting slapped 3-0 by Sweden last week.

As for England - your Espn article summed it up nicely. (England) "still retain that special combination of banana-skin filled groups and pulsating potential uselessness". Overpaid and over-rated millionaire wanabees.

Russia for the win tonight!

Wales will be fired up against England, don't worry about the friendly against Sweden, Gareth Bale only came on as a substitute after one hour. But maybe worry about them vs Slovakia coming up next.

 

[Sideswipe]

Wales will be fired up against England, don't worry about the friendly against Sweden, Gareth Bale only came on as a substitute after one hour. But maybe worry about them vs Slovakia coming up next.

Wales cannot make it lah. they have superstar Bale and who else ?

 

[FALCA0]

Wales cannot make it lah. they have superstar Bale and who else ?

Slovakia has jw5 favorite player

 

[Hamsik]

Still early into the game..

 

[jw5]

Wales cannot make it lah. they have superstar Bale and who else ?

Slovakia has jw5 favorite player

Wales have Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey. Slovakia have Marek Hamsik..

 

[Hamsik]

Wales have Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey. Slovakia have Marek Hamsik..

Can u imagine what it will be like if my team or myself score in the dying minutes of the game?

 

[jw5]

Can u imagine what it will be like if my team or myself score in the dying minutes of the game?

Unfortunately your team mate's header hit the post and the final score is Wales 2 Slovakia 1.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

2-1 Wales wins. Russia vs England now that is the one worth watching especially after their infamous fan clashes in Marseille

 

[DavidMoyes]

Unfortunately your team mate's header hit the post and the final score is Wales 2 Slovakia 1.

It's ok as he told me that his comments were not meant in real game play time but assuming it remains 1-1 ala France vs Romania.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

2-1 Wales wins. Russia vs England now that is the one worth watching especially after their infamous fan clashes in Marseille

I'm more interested in the battle off the pitch than on it! Looking for a high casualty list on both sides.

Both countries have a bad reputation for hooliganism.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

Wales cannot make it lah. they have superstar Bale and who else ?

Decent win for the Welsh...but they were lucky.

 

[Baimi]

Look how many France's plyers from BPL.
Can field a team all ply their trade from BPL.
Previous lineup from France vs Romania on Friday 10th June 2016.
Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris
Steve Mandanda
Benoit Costil
Defender
Christophe Jallet
Patrice Evra
Adil Rami
Eliaquim Mangala
Bacary Sagna
Lucas Digne
Laurent Koscielny
Samuel Umtiti
Midfielder
Yohan Cabaye
Dimitri Payet
N'Golo Kante
Blaise Matuidi
Moussa Sissoko
Paul Pogba
Kingsley Coman
Morgan Schneiderlin
Attacking Midfielder
Antoine Griezmann
Striker
Olivier Giroud
Andre-Pierre Gignac
Anthony Martial

 

[Jurgen]

Look how many France's plyers from BPL.
Can field a team all ply their trade from BPL.
Previous lineup from France vs Romania on Friday 10th June 2016.
l

Put it simply.... The English Premier League is full of foreign players.

 

[Baimi]

5 players from Spur in action against Russia
Eng 1 Rus 0
from a free kick score by a Spur player.

 

[jw5]

Look how many France's plyers from BPL.
Can field a team all ply their trade from BPL.
Previous lineup from France vs Romania on Friday 10th June 2016.

6 of France starting lineup against Romania are from EPL - Lloris, Sagna, Koscielny, Kante, Payet and Giroud. 1 from French Ligue 1 - Matuidi (PSG). 2 from Juventus Serie A - Evra and Pogba. 2 from La Liga in Spain - Grizemann (A Madrid) and Rami (Sevilla).

 

[jw5]

By Gabriele Marcotti

from espnfc.com

England forced to settle for a point after costly error vs. struggling Russia

MARSEILLE, France -- When you sit way up in the top tier of Marseille's new Stade Velodrome, you're immediately struck by the contrast: the futuristic, white waves of the ground's superstructure set against a barren, dusty hill. It was a fitting backdrop to what was ultimately a game of contrasts.

The first and most obvious one was the fact that a football match was being played hours after running violent battles just a few miles away. You couldn't help yourself; you scanned the crowd and wondered how many of these fans thronging the stands with their flags and full-throated cheers had been clashing with one another and police an hour or two earlier.

You had no way of knowing how many people were involved but regardless, here they were behaving like perfectly normal supporters. At least for most of the duration of the match. But more on this later. As the teams came out, the air was heavy and uncomfortable like a sandy, water-logged beach towel. You were especially aware of it as the Russian anthem was largely drowned out by the visceral boos of the majority-English crowd.

But then kickoff came and as it sometimes does, the football took over. In a jarring departure from the pre-match ambiance, we saw an England side that flew out of the gate light and fleet of foot. For a team that so often looks ponderous and fearful, this seemed an entirely different side and in many ways, it was entirely unexpected. We had seen England play well on occasion in recent months but not in this way, not with the coordinated, high energy, assault inflicted on the Russian defence.

The fact that they were doing it with both Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney as part of a three-man midfield made it all the more remarkable. Rooney may see himself as a midfielder now and he may have played there a number of times this season with Manchester United but doing so alongside a guy like Alli, who is used to playing in the hole, was not something we had seen in a competitive England game. Not when there was only one other midfielder, Eric Dier, to shield the back four.

And yet, in the first half, against this Russian side, it worked better than anyone could have hoped. Alli (twice) and Lallana had clear chances in the first 15 minutes. Raheem Sterling sliced across the pitch and was halted only by a superbly timed tackle from Igor Smolnikov. Rooney's volley, set up by the hyperactive Alli, forced a solid save from Igor Akinfeev. On the counter, Harry Kane hesitated and lost the momentum of what would have been a clear run on Akinfeev's goal.

What struck you was how effortlessly it all unfolded. It may well have been the best 45 minutes of Roy Hodgson's tenure.

As for Russia, they didn't just look as if they were playing at a different speed but at times, like they were playing a different game. When they did recover the ball, their passes went to feet slowly and predictably far too often. English passes went into space, most of the time into the path of a teammate at full sprint. That and the fact that Russia struggled to get out of their half against the English press summed up the contrast between the two sides.

Still, England failed to score (the finishing not quite as good as the build-up) and when half-time came, Russian boss Leonid Slutsky no doubt felt he had been given a respite. He tweaked the system, tucking Oleg Shatov inside and adding an extra body in midfield while at the same time pushing his back four further up, even if it meant gambling and leaving space behind the two center-backs, Sergi Ignashevich and Vasily Berezutski, two guys who will be a combined 71 years old by the end of next month.

Suddenly, Rooney and Alli found themselves in traffic. England's pace dropped off. This was always going to happen, as the intensity of the first half was simply not viable for 90 minutes, but the fact that it coincided with a drop in the ability to retain the ball was a classic double whammy.

He was soon vindicated. England kicked it up a notch, not quite where they were in the first half but not far off either. Rooney forced a great save from Akinfeev and shortly thereafter, they were awarded a free kick from a central position. Harry Kane and Dier stood over the ball and most would have bet their mortgage the latter was a decoy. But it was Kane who made the dummy run and Dier who lofted the ball over the wall and past Akinfeev.

Not what you expected, but Dier would later reveal he'd spent a lot of time practicing this and, as a kid, used to watch another England midfielder, one David Beckham, doing it too. We hadn't seen much of his set-piece prowess at Tottenham simply because, as he put it, with the likes of Cristian Eriksen in the team "it's not easy to get on [free kick duty]."

England deserved the lead, their early second-half wobble notwithstanding. The trick was keeping it. Rooney, who clearly had left everything on the pitch, was replaced by Jack Wilshere, and the steady James Milner came on too, for Sterling. Slutsky looked more dejected than usual on the Russian bench. Lady Luck had toyed with him, giving him the illusion of something (a point from a game in which his men had been dominated) and then cruelly taking it away.

The Russian fans behind Hart's goal murmured. Fireworks were set off. A flare sailed across the pitch. It was the behavior of supporters who felt there was nothing left to lose. Except nobody told Berezutski. The old warrior dragged himself up the pitch and, when Georgi Schennikov's cross came his way, he sent a looping long-range header towards the bottom of the far post. Both Hart and substitute Denis Glushakov lunged for it but it trickled across the line, untouched.

Now it was the Russian end that roared into life. More flares. Jubilation and dejection side by side on the pitch.

Hodgson has plenty of positives to take away. The Alli-Rooney partnership worked for large chunks of the game. Whether it can hold its own against stiffer, more progressive opposition remains to be seen but for a team that feeds off confidence perhaps more than any other so-called "big" nation, a performance like that is a huge boost.

As for Slutsky, the point Russia get may have been generous, but it was borne out of the self-belief that his crew showed late in the game and that's not to be sniffed at either. They need to play better, sure, but they have the luxury of doing so with a point under their belts.

As the players filed out, you hoped the share of the spoils would temper the excesses of the previous 48 hours. It did no such thing in the Russian end. Fans wrestled with stewards over a piece of tarpaulin. That section of the ground, shared by Russians on one side and "neutrals" on the other, saw the neutral half empty uncomfortably quickly as a small group of Russian fans appeared to chase them out on to the concourse. An England flag was ripped down, a surge of orange-jacketed stewards intervened.

It took a good 15 minutes for the Russian sector to be cleared and both sets of supporters to head into the night, with the hope that the worst of it had come and gone.

 

[Joachim]

When will Three Lions ever learn? Leading games by one goal margin and defending it puts any teams in a precarious position of conceding an equalizer in the dying minutes.