Day 2 of the European World Cup and 10 things to look out for

Another decent day of football in my opinion, the Danes "shocked" the Dutch beating them 1-0. I say "shocked" because it wasn't that much of a shock. They're ranked 9th in the world (I think), qualified top of their group, which contained Portugal and held The Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in the last World Cup (although it wasn't a European World Cup, just a regular one), the same World Cup that the Dutch got to the final in. The second game was a lot closer than I thought it would be, I really don't rate Portugal, to the point that I think it's ludicrous that anyone would suggest Ronaldo will have a good tournament. I don't get why people can't see that although he is arguably the best player in the World (definitely in the European World) he needs a good team around him to do well, which he has in Real Madrid, but doesn't with Portugal. The Portuguese did hit the bar twice in the game, one of those being an off the bar and down onto the line incendent, which luckily was conclusive, else all we'd be hearing "bla bla bla goal line technology"; but on the face of it I think the Germans did enough to deserve the win, for a start they had more chances.

A Summary of Day 2

Close your legs!!

Hero
Michael Krohn-Dehli. Scored a very good goal against the Dutch and "nutzed" the keeper, I always keep my legs closed in those situations, Steklenburg needs to take tips from me (or Rob Green who I learnt the technique from), in fact I thought the three up top for Denmark were quality, they all looked really sharp, even Bendtner.

Not his best day...

Villain

Robin Van Persie (closely followed by Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben). The three up top for The Netherlands were the opposite of the Danish front line. Although they moved around well and got a lot of the ball, they often held on to it for too long and wasted a number of very good chances. Van Persie in particular was terrible, I'm not sure why they opted to start with him in the middle when they had Huntelaar on the bench. Huntelaar was the top scorer in qualifying, had a very good season with Schalke AND has a name that makes him sound like he'll be a predator in front of goal, Huntelaar, THE CLUE IS IN THE NAME (I'm aware he squandered a few chances too)!

How many different angles do you reckon I can find pictures of Gomez's goal from?

Bet of the day

Has to be Mario Gomez, first goalscorer, if only I'd placed it. I instead went for an accumulator with Sharapova to win the tennis, The Netherlands and Germany, despite the fact that I thought, correctly, that the Dutch one might be dodgy. I'm just not very good at this gambling lark.

In addition to my Day 2 summary, here's 10 things to look out for at Euro 2012.

The opening credits

I've seen BBC's this year and they're pretty naff, yet to see ITV's. The Opening Credits are normally where ITV actually shine, if only they invested as much time in their choice of commentators and pundits...

Here are some of my favourite Opening Credits (why not eh...)

ITV France 98

BBC Euro 2004 (I just like the song)

ITV South Africa 2010 (I have too much time on my hands don't I...)

Clarence Seedorf

Excellent choice by the BBC to get him in as a pundit. He'll provide some insight amongst all the dated clichés and stereotypes that Hansen and co will come up with.

Updates from the England camp

This really grinds my gears, when I watch Italy v Spain at half time I want detailed analysis of what I've just watched from the 1st half not a running report on the mundane goings on within the England camp in the last few days. The tournament isn't just about England, they're not even playing (see what I did there)!! I really couldn't care less as to what Walcott just had for dinner, he probably lost control of the fork and spilt it all down himself anyway.

Stereotypes

If you wanna play a Euro 2012 drinking game I suggest this, do a shot every time somebody on TV:-

Calls the Italians "defensive" or "negative"

Says "Tika-Taka" when Spain are playing

Slates Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Questions a decent players ability as he's never played in England

Mentions a penalty shoot out when Germany are playing

Backs Ronaldo to do well

Zlatan Ibrahimovic getting slated

I like Zlatan. I totally get that he's arrogant and that he comes across as lazy sometimes. But how can you argue that a player who didn't win the league with his club for the first time in 5 years or something like that this season, consistently scores goals (he's been top scorer in every country he's played in) and scored one of the goals of the tournament in the last two European World Cups, isn't all that? Zlatan could single handed win the tournament for Sweden scoring twice in every game and as he went to lift the trophy every pundit over here would be saying, "I just don't get what all the fuss is about?" I'm literally shaking my head as I write this.

Marcel Desailly

All I'm gonna say is "for sure". I love this guy, he's the only pundit worth watching on ITV. I can do a decent impression as well (in my opinion).

Russia

They have a decent side and may not have to play anyone too challenging until the Semi Finals, obviously to agree with that you'd have to disregard all of the positive things that I've said about Denmark above (it's very likely they could face them in the Quarter Finals), see even I'm contradicting myself, this punditry bug is catching.

France

They're my tip to win the whole thing, I've basically backed Germany for the last two and a bit to three years and upon the eve of the tournament my attentions have turned to France. Fickleity of the highest order! I've got money on them and Benzema to do well.

This blog

I'm going to try and update it every day throughout Euro 2012! I know it's going to be difficult, let's see what happens...

And finally, this picture...

Why does the Portuguese keeper have a big circle on his top? Is it in case he forgets where the badge is? [Kiss here]

I said I'd get as many as I could in from different angles.

Italy v Spain this evening, and the début of the Republic of Ireland (aka The Npower Championship All Star team)!

10 Things: Week 4 - 10 Memorable European Championship Moments

I've just polished off two plates of home made Carbonara and I can barely move, to me that seems an apt moment to write another blog post. Not sure if I've mentioned it but Euro 2012 is next week, I literally can't wait. Every lunch hour at work has been spent reading about the squads going, watching old videos and of course swatting stats obscure and sad enough to repulse many an individual of the opposite sex (even desperate girls). As a result of my European Championship excitedness (is that a word?) and the fact that I've seen a million old videos I thought I'd make this week's 10 Things 10 Memorable European Championship moments. Can I just add that the qualification criteria has to be that I've witnessed them, meaning that, as I was only 7 and not that interested in football at the time, Marco Van Basten's volley (which you will no doubt see on any European Championship related TV show at the moment) has not made the list. Here are the the 10 things that have...

Denmark knocking Holland out on penalties - 1992
Unfortunately I can't find an individual clip for this one so you'll have to watch the BBC's montage of the whole tournament. This stuck in my head for two reasons, the first being that Euro 92 was my first European Championships meaning that I remember it all quite vividly. I can remember being allowed to stay up late as the game had gone to penalties and wanting the Danes to win, I've never rooted for the favourites, even as a child. The second reason being that I found it quite funny the Danish defender wins the shootout for them and celebrates by going round, and round, and round in a circle in the penalty area (3:10), sometimes it's the little things... This was also an early sign to the footballing world that the Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was going to be something special, just ask Van Basten.

John Jensen's goal - 1992
Later on in Euro 92 Denmark pulled off another upset beating the then seemingly impregnable World Champions Germany 2-0 in the final. I think Kim Vilfort got the 2nd but I'm not sure, in fact I don't think anyone's sure. All we ever remember is John Jensen, of Arsenal infamy, scoring a belter in the first half and some poor German defender trying his damnedest, in vain, to stop the ball from going in. Apparently it was Steffan Effenburg according to Frank Skinner and David Baddiel. As per Skinner and Baddiel's video Jensen was actually a terrible shot (he couldn't hit water in a boat) and football fans had to wait quite a few more years before seeing his next goal. Maybe that's why it sticks out as a memory for me.

Thomas Brolin justifies the BBC's selection of Barry Davies for the England game

"Brolin! Dahlin! Brolin!!!" - 1992
I've said it before and I'll say it again (although I haven't actually said it before on this blog, so this will be news to most of you), when Barry Davies commentates on a sporting event, good things happen e.g. Maradona's wonder goal against England in 1986, Great Britain against West Germany in the Olympic Hockey in 1988 "Where were the Germans?"... Well in 1992 Davies did it again, in England's last game in the competition and Gary Lineker's last ever game for England; Thomas Brolin went on a run and played a short pass into his team mate Martin Dahlin, who instantly flicked it back to him with the outside of his foot, Brolin then curled a first time shot into the top corner of the English goal and we were out. Not our finest hour but definitely one of Davies and the European Championships'. That goal is also on the BBC Euro 92 video above.

Definitely the most exciting thing to happen in Birmingham in the 1990's

Karel Poborsky's ridiculous scoop shot - 1996
I've seen people lobbed millions of times, as a goalkeeper I have been lobbed on a number of occasions, as my friends will happily inform you, I have never seen any player literally scoop the ball straight up in the air and get it to come down under the bar. Quality goal from a quality 90's player.

Davor Suker lobbing Schmiecal - 1996
Suker's lob was more of your conventional lob, what made it memorable for me was that number one it was against Peter Schmeichel who had been one of the stars of the tournament four years before (and had become a household name at Manchester United) and in addition to this it was the first time I'd really seen Davor Suker in action. I remember there being a lot of fuss about him prior to the tournament and in this game he most certainly announced himself at Euro 96 as this goal was the 3rd in a brilliant hat-trick. Love the resigned slump to the ground that Schmeichel does, as if to say, "Oh great! You've lobbed me, we clearly cannot stop you today can we..."

Zinedine Zidane's free kick - 2000
Barring the head-butt in his last ever game, the 2006 World Cup Final, I think it can be said that Zinedine Zidane always popped up when France needed him. Against Spain in the Euro 2000 Quarter Final France most certainly needed him and he delivered as always. I remember watching him bending in a quality free kick, to put France ahead in a pretty tight game, while I was getting ready to go out with my mates on a Sunday evening, a far cry from being allowed to stay up late and watch the Denmark v Holland penalty shoot out.

Figo's goal against England - 2000
In my opinion this is one of the best goals that has been scored at the European Championships, if not the best (yep, better than Gazza and Van Basten). The context of the goal makes it special in itself, England had raced to a two goal lead against the famous Golden Generation Portuguese side. Figo's goal started what was to be a remarkable comeback and one of England's biggest capitulations, they threw the game away quicker than a housewife does the rubbish on Boxing Day morning (is that a good one??). David Seaman didn't even move and I don't blame him, the ball flew in so quickly I think he only relised Figo had scored once England were taking centre. Bravo Luis!

The Coup leaders

Greece - 2004
I still can't believe this even happened! I can remember missing the opening game of the tournament, much to my disgust, as I had to go to Thorpe Parks for a mate's birthday?!? Who goes to Thorpe Park for their 25th?!? Grow up and watch the football! I rushed home expecting to find Portugal 2 or 3 nil up against the Greeks only to find that they had actually just pulled one back to make it 2-1. I remember being out in a bar and seeing Greece were 1 nil up against France and thinking, "Ooooh! They're in trouble now! The French are gonna make them pay..." I also remember... you get the picture, each time I thought, "This is it, the Greeks are out now..." they'd pop up and somehow scrape through, and this was all without the aid of a penalty shoot-out. My fondest memory of the whole thing was going to Southgate, in Enfield, about 30 minutes after they'd lifted the trophy (in case you don't know, Southgate has more Greek inhabitants, well Greek Cypriot, than Greece itself) and being greeted by a scene reminiscent of when an oppressive government, that had been in power for years, is finally overthrown in a coup. I kid you not, there were guys riding on the backs of trucks chanting, I swear at one point somebody fired a Kalashnikov into the air... ok maybe that didn't happen, but there were definitely guys on the backs of trucks.

Petr Cech becoming me for 5 minutes - 2008
Petr Cech is a great goalkeeper, more importantly he's a professional goalkeeper. I am a decent goalkeeper but more importantly I am a decent Sunday League goalkeeper. There is an unwritten rule in football with regards to crossing the ball. Against a professional goalkeeper you DO NOT cross the ball to near to him as her will gobble it up without even breaking sweat and you will have wasted offensive possession of the ball. Against a Sunday League goalkeeper on the other hand, stick it right above him as he's probably still hungover, often carrying a bit of extra weight and therefore not very agile and his hands are probably about as safe as Afghanistan is as a holiday destination, and you never know what'll happen... Back in 2008 against Turkey Petr Cech got confused and assumed the role of a Sunday League goalkeeper (5.08) just to be on the safe side. Turkey, who were heading out, went through and the Czech Republic, who were heading through, went crashing out. And Cech is probably still giving it all of the usual goalkeeping excuses that we Sunday Leaguers use, "It was the wind...", "The ref should have given a foul...", "The sun was in my eyes..."

Holland tearing Italy and France a new one - 2008
I'm aware that both France and Italy had disastrous World Cups and were both back home before you could say "ageing flops" but when Holland were drawn against them at Euro 2008 they were both finalists from the previous World Cup. As a result I did not expect Holland to tear both teams to shreds especially seen as the Dutch, much like the Spanish, had up until recent times flattered to deceive at major international tournaments. Playing pretty football and scoring decent goals then folding faster than an origami artist as soon as they faced decent opposition. To be fair they did mess up in the Quarter Finals against Russia despite their dazzling displays in the group stage but I was very impressed.

So that's it. 10 magical European Championship moments, for anyone who can think of more notable instances that the competition has had in the past 20 years, tough! I am aware that I've not included Gazza's goal against Scotland, McAllister's penalty where the ball moved as he was going to take it, Ibrahimovic's back-heel against Italy in 2004 and his driven shot against Greece in 2008 (both events that ITV refuse to accept even happened), Maniche's goal from the short corner against Holland in 2004, Rooney powering through Croatia, England crumbling AGAIN against France in the last minute in 2004 and the Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo having the audacity to save Darius Vassel's penalty bare-handed then tuck the winner home seconds later. Fact of the matter is that there have been so many memorable moments in the last 20 years and tons more before then too, that is why I can't wait for next Friday. Bring it on!!