Euro 2012.

rick_chasey

No thread for this.

A travesty.

Today's the big day.

Oranje vs Germany.

Unfortunately, as big as the rivalry is, especially for the Dutch, they don't have that bulldog spirit Brit fans take for granted.

There's a lot of Dutch pessimism about this match. I hope they put the fears to bed.

I'd be happy if they got properly stuck into the Germans too.

UndercoverElephant

Russia vs. Poland last night was superb. Really enjoyed it. Good luck, Netherlands.

iclestu

got a bet on Denmark at 100-1 to win it (seemed worth a punt for a quid - if Greece can do it ... ) before they won their first match so they are my adopted team. Will be watching them with interest later!

EKE_38BPM

Doesn't the Dutch national anthem say something along the lines of "...we are German people..."? So that would make this Germany vs Germany.
You can't lose!

rick_chasey

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Doesn't the Dutch national anthem say something along the lines of "...we are German people..."? So that would make this Germany vs Germany.
You can't lose!

I think someone's been pulling your p!sser :P.

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Doesn't the Dutch national anthem say something along the lines of "...we are German people..."? So that would make this Germany vs Germany.
You can't lose!

I think someone's been pulling your p!sser :P.

From Wikipedia (so it must be true)

"William of Nassau, scion
Of a German and ancient line,"
Maybe I mis-remembered the exact wording, but you are part German according to your anthem!

rick_chasey

That's contested...

"Duytsch"
The word "Duytschen" in the first stanza as a reference to William's roots, whose modern Dutch equivalent, "Duits", exclusively means "German", could refer to William's ancestral house (Nassau) as well as to the lands of the Holy Roman Empire at large, including the Netherlands; scholars have pointed out that a sharp distinction between Duits ("German") and Diets ("Dutch"), which are dialectical variants of the same word, is unlikely to have existed in 16th-century usage.[16]

EKE_38BPM

So what you're saying is that you don't regard this as the equivalent of England vs Isle of Wight?
Anyway, thats enough being silly (on my part).

Good luck to The Netherlands (or is it Holland?)!

rick_chasey

EKE_38BPM wrote:

So what you're saying is that you don't regard this as the equivalent of England vs Isle of Wight?

Ben6899

EKE_38BPM wrote:

So what you're saying is that you don't regard this as the equivalent of England vs Isle of Wight?
Anyway, thats enough being silly (on my part).

Good luck to The Netherlands (or is it Holland?)!

Netherlands. Holland is a province in the Netherlands.

Come on, Germany!

rick_chasey

Ben6899 wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

So what you're saying is that you don't regard this as the equivalent of England vs Isle of Wight?
Anyway, thats enough being silly (on my part).

Good luck to The Netherlands (or is it Holland?)!

Netherlands. Holland is a province in the Netherlands.

For football purposes, it's Hup Holland... :P

Ben6899 wrote:

Come on, Germany!

Err what?

Get out.

Ben6899

Rick Chasey wrote:

Err what?

Get out.

My girlfriend is German - they're my second claim.

And van Bommell is a prick.

rick_chasey

Ben6899 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Err what?

Get out.

My girlfriend is German - they're my second claim.

And van Bommell is a prick.

Shan't be speaking to you till tomorrow then. :P

Ben6899

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Err what?

Get out.

My girlfriend is German - they're my second claim.

And van Bommell is a prick.

Shan't be speaking to you till tomorrow then. :P

OK

DonDaddyD

For me, Germany were off the radar in 2010. Not being exposed to the league it seemed that the strength of their economy - if not the wages and transfer fees - was keeping the German League alive compared to the corruption filled Serie A and two team Spanish league.

Little did we know that the Germans were stockpiling, a generation of nearly men had passed and the clubs were building and developing talent that could once again destroy Europe. The Bundesliga is swimming with German talent and talent from adopted Germans or immigrants (who don't have to go through the painstaking ordeal Balotelli did, he was actually born in Italy).

What we have is probably a generation of the best German footballers ever.

Great individuals, great team and Thomas Müller is arguably my favourite player right now. I'm glad they beat England the way they did, classly, stylish good attack, strong defence industrious midfield. The World cup was too soon but hopefully this will be their tournament (plus Spain look like a spent force and need to recharge).

Normally I support Holland. But just this once I want to see Germany go all the way.

FoldingJoe

I don't want Germany to win, but totally fell out of love with Holland after the World Cup final v Spain.

Didn't impress in the first game either, so have a feeling you may be on your way out!!

lostboysaint

Ben6899 wrote:

And van Bommell is a prick.

That is enough reason alone to dislike the Dutch side. How does that fucker stay on the pitch? It's almost like he plays in a kit fashioned from Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Complete wanker who deserves to be injured out of the game permanently for the misery he's dealt out.

DonDaddyD

lostboysaint wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

And van Bommell is a prick.

That is enough reason alone to dislike the Dutch side. How does that ****** stay on the pitch? It's almost like he plays in a kit fashioned from Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Complete wanker who deserves to be injured out of the game permanently for the misery he's dealt out.

Yeah but we celebrate Chopper Harris, Roy Keane, Vieria, Batty, Ince, Parker, Vinnie Jones, Shawcross and pretty much any defensive midfielder in the UK between 1970 - 1998....

rick_chasey

Indeed. Seems most of the world reacted just as badly to the Dutch football identity crisis as the Dutch did.

Spain were playing more Dutch football than the Dutch were.

How else where Holland going to play? Jeez. If it's chelsea versus barcelona it's the brave boys.

If they're Dutch, it's a disgrace :P.

You're all just jealous a country of 16m got to another world cup final :P.

FoldingJoe

DonDaddyD wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

And van Bommell is a prick.

That is enough reason alone to dislike the Dutch side. How does that ****** stay on the pitch? It's almost like he plays in a kit fashioned from Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Complete wanker who deserves to be injured out of the game permanently for the misery he's dealt out.

Yeah but we celebrate Chopper Harris, Roy Keane, Vieria, Batty, Ince, Parker, Vinnie Jones, Shawcross and pretty much any defensive midfielder in the UK between 1970 - 1998....

I disagree. Some of the players you mentioned I would applaud when they played within the rules and played hard, but fair. What Keane did to Haaland had no place in football, as did the way some of the Dutch team degraded themselves in that final.

I just couldn't fathom it. They'd reached the final playing some of the best football of the tournament, and then all of a sudden because they thought they couldn't match Spain resorted to what we saw. Beyond explanation, IMHO.

rick_chasey

FoldingJoe wrote:

I just couldn't fathom it. They'd reached the final playing some of the best football of the tournament, and then all of a sudden because they thought they couldn't match Spain resorted to what we saw. Beyond explanation, IMHO.

Like I said, it was a footballing identity crisis.

DonDaddyD

Foldingjoe,

I agree. You expect tough tackling from De Jong - though kicking a man in the heart is beyond the call of duty - and Bommell, it is their job. This is why I don't get the Bommell bashing, he is their destroyer, it's his job.

But when I see sick-notes Robben and Persie throwing their fragile ankles in with wanton abandon then something is off. That said, one of the most memorable in recent memory but only because it was the opposite of the football that was on display before it.

I lost respect for the Dutch team and the current stock of players after that match. I don't think they're better now than they were then. I don't think Spain are anywhere close to having the energy levels needed to play their particular brand of football. France just aren't there yet and probably won't be with this stock of players. The only team to improve, strengthen and mature is Germany. Though I reckon England are on a journey of discovery.

lostboysaint

FoldingJoe wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

And van Bommell is a prick.

That is enough reason alone to dislike the Dutch side. How does that ****** stay on the pitch? It's almost like he plays in a kit fashioned from Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Complete wanker who deserves to be injured out of the game permanently for the misery he's dealt out.

Yeah but we celebrate Chopper Harris, Roy Keane, Vieria, Batty, Ince, Parker, Vinnie Jones, Shawcross and pretty much any defensive midfielder in the UK between 1970 - 1998....

I disagree. Some of the players you mentioned I would applaud when they played within the rules and played hard, but fair. What Keane did to Haaland had no place in football, as did the way some of the Dutch team degraded themselves in that final.

I just couldn't fathom it. They'd reached the final playing some of the best football of the tournament, and then all of a sudden because they thought they couldn't match Spain resorted to what we saw. Beyond explanation, IMHO.

Just about the perfect answer.

lostboysaint

DonDaddyD wrote:

This is why I don't get the Bommell bashing, he is their destroyer, it's his job.

Because he doesn't do it within the laws of the game and therefore shouldn't be on the pitch, end of story.

Let's liken it to a few of the GC contenders being ridden of the road by a domestique from another team "because it's his job" shall we?

rick_chasey

lostboysaint wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

This is why I don't get the Bommell bashing, he is their destroyer, it's his job.

Because he doesn't do it within the laws of the game and therefore shouldn't be on the pitch, end of story.

Let's liken it to a few of the GC contenders being ridden of the road by a domestique from another team "because it's his job" shall we?

It's not the same, is it?

Bommel knows the rules, and he bends them to get a competitive edge. It's not cheating if the ref blows or gives him a yellow.

rick_chasey

Anyway, he's hardly the only one.

Speaking of bending the rules: http://youtu.be/tB7Y33VteME

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

This is why I don't get the Bommell bashing, he is their destroyer, it's his job.

Because he doesn't do it within the laws of the game and therefore shouldn't be on the pitch, end of story.

Let's liken it to a few of the GC contenders being ridden of the road by a domestique from another team "because it's his job" shall we?

It's not the same, is it?

Bommel knows the rules, and he bends them to get a competitive edge. It's not cheating if the ref blows or gives him a yellow.

If the ref awards a foul, you've crossed the line.
If the ref also gives a yellow card, you've crossed into cheating.
If the ref gives a straight red, you've crossed another line into dangerous play. Usually.

FoldingJoe

You know what, I don't have the same level of angst against Van Bommel as lostboysaint, purely for the reason that some of my favourite Sunderland players were of that ilk (most of you won't know Kevin Ball, or John Kay) but they were good honest, HARD, professionals, and did know when an opposing player needed a kick, if truth be told.

Look, ALL football players are capable of it, to a lesser or greater extent. For me, it was just the way the Dutch team went about it, given their history of "total football", and the way they had played in the run up to that game.

I guess at the end of the day I felt let down buy the Dutch. I was expecting a GREAT game, and instead got a spectacle not befitting a Sunday league game, never mind a WC final.

rick_chasey

FoldingJoe wrote:

You know what, I don't have the same level of angst against Van Bommel as lostboysaint, purely for the reason that some of my favourite Sunderland players were of that ilk (most of you won't know Kevin Ball, or John Kay) but they were good honest, HARD, professionals, and did know when an opposing player needed a kick, if truth be told.

Look, ALL football players are capable of it, to a lesser or greater extent. For me, it was just the way the Dutch team went about it, given their history of "total football", and the way they had played in the run up to that game.

I guess at the end of the day I felt let down buy the Dutch. I was expecting a GREAT game, and instead got a spectacle not befitting a Sunday league game, never mind a WC final.

Yeah, but it takes two to tango and Spain were hardly scintillating. They were boring for most of the tournament. Spain are not Barcelona - we saw as much against Italy.

For sure, the Dutch saw a team more 'Dutch' than they were, and got a bit industrial about it all. Probably a lack of experience in doing that didn't help, but they were very, very, close to winning with some of their breaks.

Playing open football against that team would have been idiotic.

Ben6899

van Bommell has made a career out of bending the rules and leaving his foot in here and there. Utter wanker.

Then again, he wants fuck1ng with a wire brush for his shocking positioning which led to Denmark's goal.

rick_chasey

Need Portugal to win...