Euro 2004

10 Days to go

[limbo]

...An attacking minded, well rounded, youthful England team with plenty of talent and imaginiation went onto the pitch last night to face a inexperienced Japanese side away from home, and showed us nothing new, at all!....

Bar a few moments of genuine skill it was worrying to watch. Is that how they will march out against the French next Sunday?

There is 10 days to go till the first ball is kicked and as an avid football fan I am looking forward to some excellent matches - and with the tables set like they are there will hopefully be no shortage of excitement. But England look tired :(

The French side are awesome, but remember the world cup? The Dutch and the Spanish are beautiful footballers but are they beatable? and the likes of Germany and Italy can never be ruled out even if they are not the forces as they once were. There are also outsiders in the form of the Czech Republic and Croatia, and the stalwart Sweden and Denmark. Not to mention the hosts!

Not one match looks like a no brainer, every one a challenge. I would love to see the English football team win something in my lifetime, but am I being that overly common thing; an blindly optimistic England fan? I hope not.

So who do you think has the best chance this time?
Anyone lucky enough to be visiting Portugal in June?
Anyone taking part in Fantasy Football? (I am yet to pick a team)

Ta, (a very hopeful) Limbo

[dillonstars]

I will be watching Deco play for the first time. Am looking forward to seeing him in a Chelsea shirt next season

Don't count on that.. Real Madrid are after him too...

I think he's played very well but not scored..yet.

I agree, he has played better and better each game and has had a hand in at least 2 of the goals... No complaints about Owen's performance here... I agree that he does need to start scoring though, we will need his goals.

I'm glad Sweden & Denmark both went through. As a Villa fan I have an interest in both of them...

I hear Larsson may be going to Barcelona too... that will be interesting.

[creative craig]

..Tomorrow the Germans or the Dutch will be following...

Germans are out next :)

[dillonstars]

I tend to agree with you, but so far in this tournament the only thing you can be sure of, is that you can be sure of nothing!

[troels nybo nielsen]

Amazing Czechs. Their substitutes send the Germans home.

[dillonstars]

Well done to the Czechs! Another great performance from them! I'd love to meet them in the final :)

[dillonstars]

OK So the big match is today and I think we've got a real tough game on our hands.

I think the test will be the set pieces for England. Figo is no slouch when it comes to taking free kicks, and we need to stop giving them away.

Having said that, I think Ashley Cole and Gary Neville will do a good job at keeping Figo and Ronaldo at bay, and I think our midfield is more than a match for anything Deco can throw at us.

We are going to be difficult to defend against too, with so many of our forwards in scoring form. I can see goals from both sides so it will be an exciting game.

Bring 'em on!

[dirty_marra]

Don't know about you but I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Why?

To see the tabloids attempt to make more puns with the name "Rooney".....I mean ....."Over the Rooney"? - come on guys

[limbo]

I am wearing the same shirt, pants, and t-shirt. Face paint applied in the same places and meeting in the same venue with the same people. It's completely riduculous to even think this is going to have any impact on the result but I guess I am a superstitious creature.

...my clothes have been laundered!

[trillianjedi]

Yup, couple of set pieces and we're out.

Still, no-one really thought we'd progress past the 1/4 finals, and given our international football track record, frankly we've done brilliantly even if we get knocked out of the tournament tonight.

I suspect Portugal will be falling over left right and centre in our half trying to get those free-kicks.

Rooney must play the full 90 minutes tonight unless we go about 5:0 up. Take him off the pitch early and it's all over unless we have that massive lead.

TJ

[dillonstars]

To see the tabloids attempt to make more puns with the name "Rooney".....I mean ....."Over the Rooney"? - come on guys

"We're Throo!"

"Roon at the Top"

"Thank Roo 'N Good Night"

"Roo Else?"

"Wayne 'N Shine"

"Let's Go all the Wayne!"

Indeed.

[sem4u]

Nice work dillonstars :)

I think England will win 1-0 :)

[HelenDev]

To see the tabloids attempt to make more puns with the name "Rooney"

[news.bbc.co.uk ]

[limbo]

"Thank Roo 'N Good Night"

LOL!

Just picked the second team for my office fantasy football transfers.

I am not really worried about this so have gone for the all guns blazing, ridiculously patriotic team. If England do well I will do well, if they don't I'm scuppered. Still it'll make it all the more watchable tonight.

Team:

Sorensen DEN
King ENG
Senikov RUS
Ferreria POR
Jankutovski CZE
Zidane FRA
Costinha POR
Beckham ENG
Lampard ENG
Owen ENG
Rooney ENG

The front four looks fun ;) (couldn't afford to ditch Sennikov or Ferreria).

[trillianjedi]

All these Rooney "headlines" must have given everybody stacks of ideas for the title of tomorrow's Word Game?!

"Foo-ro 2004 - Foo-tball Frenzy From Foo-ney!"

TJ

[atadams]

Is it football season already?

Go Texans!

[HelenDev]

All these Rooney "headlines" must have given everybody stacks of ideas for the title of tomorrow's Word Game?!

I guess that depends on how it goes tonight ;)

[troels nybo nielsen]

> Rooney headlines

How about "Portugal rooins English hopes"?

[edited by: troels_nybo_nielsen at 2:58 pm (utc) on June 24, 2004]

[defanjos]

How about "Portugal rooins English hopes"?

My favorite ;)

[dillonstars]

How about "Portugal rooins English hopes"?

You will Roo the day you wrote that...

Sorry...

[trillianjedi]

I'm off - enjoy the game everyone.

COME ON ENGLAND!

TJ

If we win, let's go foo-tball mad in tomorrows Word Game

[sem4u]

Not long to go now :)

[defanjos]

Not a good start for Portugal :(
At half-time: Portugal 0 - England 1

[Chndru]

Portugal 2-1 on second extra-time...
2-2 now
6-5 Portugal...

[Marra]

bugger bugger bugger.

damn it.....not again!

[defanjos]

My heart still racing - those penalty kicks are definetely nail biters.

Very good game. If Portugal keeps playing like that they have a chance of reaching the finals.

[Shak]

great game

Shak

[webdev]

fVckin sVcked

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Rooney must play the full 90 minutes tonight unless we go about 5:0 up. Take him off the pitch early and it's all over unless we have that massive lead.

Well observed and bad luck from a Jockanese ;o)

What did you do without the 18 year old?

[ronin]

Awesome match.
Full credit to Lampard for bringing England back when all seemed lost.
Best of luck to Portugal.

[dillonstars]

what a game... england didnt deserve to win it, but I definately thought we had a chance late on. We will be compaining about a disallowed goal that should have won it for us for a while, but good on the boys for pushing it all the way. I fancy the Czech Reupublic to win now, and there are still a few great games ahead to look forward to. Good luck everone!