Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante have started 30 games together for France and still never lost ?#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/SnyMTv4PFk
— Goal (@goal) June 24, 2021
?? Zidane was unplayable as France beat Portugal to reach the final #OTD at EURO 2000! ?#EURO2020 | @equipedefrance pic.twitter.com/oxZkZ8M5WI
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 28, 2021
Yesterday:
The Czech Republic pulled off the shock of #Euro2020 so far when they knocked out the Netherlands! ??
They go through to the last eight ??
More ?? #bbceuro2020
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 28, 2021
Belgium held Cristiano Ronaldo scoreless and defeated defending champion Portugal 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship.@tazzoni has more >> https://t.co/62sOIFORGH#POR #BEL #EURO2020? pic.twitter.com/OpxSmsPK4N
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) June 27, 2021
eclare
Allez les bleus!
Omnes Omnibus
@eclare: Exactement!
Tony Jay
Swiss Roll the French!
Will that be called a foul? It shouldn’t.
Switzerland 1-0 France
Steeplejack
Beautiful header!
Nyrobbin
Oh TaMara, I’m so very sorry ? Just know that you gave him a great life. ??
Tony Jay
I’ll be honest, I mostly want France to take a beating here so I can start quoting “Doing the French Mistake”
Yes, I did catch the end of Blazing Saddles a couple of nights ago, why do you ask?
Another Scott
I hope the sportsball is good.
ObOpenThread: Wonkette:
Zooks!
There’s even more.
Someone should spread a rumor for these brainiacs that the US Dollar is a deep state conspiracy and the only way to break free of it is to give it back to the US Treasury.
Cheers,
Scott.
Montanareddog
@Tony Jay: Despite my natural instincts, I mostly like this French team and N’Golo is a treasure. But I can’t stand that poseur Griezeman. On top of a standard nclination to the underdogs, go Swiss
Haydnseek
@Tony Jay: Mr. Jay, maybe you can help me out here. I didn’t grow up with the game, but I’ve grown to love it. Nevertheless, I find some things perplexing, especially since I come from a tough playground brand of basketball. In my world, if you”re guarding someone and they go up for a shot you go up with them to challenge the shot while trying not to make contact with the shooter.
This was a very nice header to be sure, but it was made easier by the defender taking a knee in front of the offensive player while he was at the peak of his jump. What gives? Needless to say, I may be missing something. If so, I would like to know what. Thanks!
HumboldtBlue
I don’t think I have seen France play so poorly, so uninspired. Three at the back is not the answer, Didier.
Steeplejack
@Haydnseek:
Assuming you’re not trolling . . . I believe the defender slipped. Probably will see it again now that it’s halftime.
raven
@Haydnseek:
“trying not to make contact with the shooter.”
That ain’t the playground I played on.
Tony Jay
@Haydnseek:
The attacker gave the defender a little nudge just as the ball came in. Technically not a foul, though I have seen them given if the referee is so inclined. The thing in football is that it’s not supposed to be a non-contact sport. Players aren’t obliged to get out of an opponents way or vacate space for them, though of course deliberate obstruction (blocking with no intention of going for the ball) is a foul, which means that there will be bumping and nudging and general combative frottage all over the pitch as players try to inhabit the same strip of space where the ball is about to arrive. Basically it’s down to the referee to decide whether the players are doing so within the rules or are taking the piss.
Case in point, that incident then when the French player wiped out the Swiss player as they went to head the same ball. He stopped play because the Swiss might have been knocked out, but it wasn’t a foul, they were just going for the same ball and the Swiss didn’t see the French guy coming. OTOH a prima-donna of a referee could have claimed the impact was so concussive that it constituted dangerous play. He’d be wrong to do so, but I’ve seen it happen.
tl:dr – it depends on what the referee thinks.
Haydnseek
@Steeplejack: No, I’m not. He was hunkered down while watching the ball go into the back of the net. Maybe he did slip.
Leto
@Haydnseek: so I rewound it to the goal just to see what you were talking about, and there were no knees involved. Both players adjusted for position but the Swiss miss player got the advantage with the positioning/jump, and made the header. This is similar to the “under the basket” play where players are jostling for position. The French defender needed to react sooner to the incoming header, which in this case is measured in a few milliseconds. The defender basically stopped, tried to bump the Swiss guy, thought the ball was going over, and was turned around when the Swiss guy jumped to make the header. Just poor defending.
Haydnseek
@raven: Me neither, but at least we tried to make it look good. For a little while at least.
Steeplejack
@Haydnseek, @Steeplejack:
WTF. Just saw the replay. The defender got bumped off balance by the header guy before he went up, and the defender never went down on his knee. GTFO.
raven
@Haydnseek: Different game when you call your own isn’t it?
HumboldtBlue
There’s no en-too-siasm” Roy Keane.
Tony Jay
@HumboldtBlue:
The French haven’t really impressed me so far in this tournament. They’re capable of astonishing quality, but they’re not showing much of it. They look disinterested and flustered and out of sorts. The pundits in the studio are giving them brickbats for their awful performance. Patrick Viera is looking very concerned.
Leto
@Tony Jay:
This tournament, so far, the ref’ing has been pretty good. They’ve allowed them to play, they’ve called a few dives, they’ve told players to gtfup, and overall it’s been really nice. There’s still ticky-tacky shit going on, but on par it’s been pretty good.
HumboldtBlue
@Tony Jay:
All well-earned. They look terrible, and you’re correct, they’ve been underwhelming all tournament.
Tony Jay
@Leto:
It has, yes. The (very) few dodgy decisions have really stood out because of the high quality of refereeing on the pitch and in the VAR bunker.
Are you watching, Premier League? This. Is. How. It’s. Done.
Haydnseek
@Tony
@Tony Jay:Thanks you guys. My first impression was wrong. It looks like he took a forearm in the back and was off balance, so there really wasn’t much he could do. I appreciate your informative responses.
@Leto:
Tony Jay
@HumboldtBlue:
The great thing about this Tournament is that no one has been Absolutely Fabulous. Every team has issues, they’ve all got weaknesses, and it’s leading to some fabulous, unpredictable matches.
England could win this! (Ed – he’s joking, it’s not that unpredictable)
Haydnseek
@raven: especially when your calls are occasional at best. You learn the ropes. I miss those days. I’m almost 70 years old. An awful lot of those games were at Whittier High, and they were great. These days back hurts just looking at a basketball
raven
@Haydnseek: I’m 72 and had to quit when I was mid-50’s. I swim at the Y and it kills me when they are runnin!
Leto
@Tony Jay: I do try to catch the games as much as I can. Currently rooting for Chelsea because of Christian Pulsic. Little known fact: he played for my local team when we lived in the UK, Brackley Town Football Club in Northamptonshire. It was a few years before I arrived, but it’s a cool thing.
Tony Jay
Sssshhhhhut that door! I thought that was going to be 2-0 for certain.
Did the French defender get a touch? If so it was vital.
HumboldtBlue
What a wasted chance! Switzerland, for shame!
Tony Jay
@Leto:
Indeed. Your boys could well challenge for the title next season. They were great in the CL Final. Tuchel certainly has Pep’s number.
Ooooh, Swiss penalty!
Save! Yowser.
Leto
@Haydnseek: @raven: I basically had to stop playing football (soccer) after one too many matches against my fellow Armed Forces members. The Army and Marines kept treating it like a rugby match. After having an Army guy take out my left ankle, which had me limping off the field, and the next day was the size of a grapefruit, I got into coaching more as well just regular running. Last time I played was in Italy during an international match. Had a lot of fun but I knew it was time.
HumboldtBlue
LLoris!
Terrible attempt!
That awakened the French.
cope
@HumboldtBlue: And the quick response by the French.
Leto
What a save! Oh man!
@Tony Jay: yup, they’re looking really good. Damn MBappe, gotta finish those!
Edit: and old man Benzema does it again; he’s looked really good this tournament.
Tony Jay
1-1. Typical. I forgot Benzema was playing, but that’s why they pay them the big money.
HumboldtBlue
Benzema! What a turnaround!
2:19 between the big save and France goal.
What the fuck was Shaq doing?
Wow, what a turaround!
Leto
@Tony Jay: that behind the back first touch to bring it round… good lord…
Steeplejack
Damn, France equalizes. Missed PK looms even larger now.
ETA: Double damn, France scores again!
cope
Bloody hell…
Tony Jay
2-1 Benzema.
Bloody hell. Football, eh?
Leto
Sacre BLU!
HumboldtBlue
1:42 between goals.
Diceros bicornis
Allez les bleus! Picked a good time to finally tune in! (Really quiet all around here when I was out for my evening walk. Everyone inside watching, not much cheering before now…)
Leto
@Diceros bicornis: probably a silly question, but it sounds like you’re in France?
LeftCoastYankee
That was quick.
Tony Jay
This isn’t over yet, though. The Swiss are more than rugged enough to get back in this. They just have to re-frustrate the French until the cracks start to appear again. One Swiss goal and this is back on.
Are you listening Shaq?
Omnes Omnibus
The French woke up.
Leto
@Tony Jay: he was listening, too bad his teammates couldn’t finish it. Also doesn’t help when your teammate basically punches the dude in the face to break free.
HumboldtBlue
Sweet mother of speed, I love watching Kylian Mbappe play football.
Tony Jay
@Leto:
Everyone’s a critic. 8-)
One thing this tournament has proven beyond all shadow of a doubt is that Manchester United paid £80+ million for an extremely lifelike (but not quite) Cybernetic Bodyform that can be worn by tiny wee jockeys. Unfortunately for United Ed Woodward has insisted on piloting the Pogba-droid for the last few seasons, with predictable results. When he’s picked for France a 13 year old FIFA addict takes the controls and we see how the machine can really perform.
Will you look at that?
Tony Jay
We can all go to bed now. This canard is bien cuit.
Leto
Leave it to Pogba, the ageless wonder.
HumboldtBlue
Wow, just wow.
Diceros bicornis
@Leto: oui, southeast (not far from Italy!)
Not a ‘uge football fan but it’s definitely in the air. And these guys are almost as fun to watch as the US women :)
Leto
@HumboldtBlue: I remember the first game of the tournament where there was a ball played back behind the defender, the defender probably had a few yards on MBappe, but good lord did he find a second, third, and fourth gear to blow past the defender. Defender had to foul him because no way in hell would he have caught up.
HumboldtBlue
@Leto:
He’s only 28, but man is he a different player for France than he is for Manchester United and I’m just fine with that. Fuck ManU
I just wish Mbappe wasn’t in Ligue 1, he’s wasted in that farmer’s league.
Tony Jay
They’ve turned the oven off and plunged the canard in some ice! Not over yet.
Leto
@Tony Jay: and just like that, the hot chocolate factory puts in a great header; that was so good!
burnspbesq
Not so fast, mes amis. Mr. Seferovic would like a word with y’all.
HumboldtBlue
PLOT TWIST! The Swiss find some holes in the French batard!
What a header!
Tony Jay
@Diceros bicornis:
Provence? We used to live in Aix between 1999 and 2000. Beautiful, beautiful country down there.
Leto
@Diceros bicornis: very nice! My family and I were stationed just outside of Milan (about an hour out) when the 2012 Euro was going on. I was able to watch matches at my local soccer club, as well as in my neighbors home. It was such an exciting time!
Leto
@HumboldtBlue: it feels like he’s been around forever!
Tony Jay
Ooooooooooooh. So nearly an equaliser,
burnspbesq
What position is Rabiot playing, false left back?
I like his game. If Juve wants Moise Kean back, I would take Rabiot in a straight-up trade without a second’s hesitation.
Leto
From the VAR angle it looks like he was on… it really will come down to the wire.
Tony Jay
The Swiss may get one more chance but they HAVE to take it.
And they DO!!!!!
cope
Damn…
Steeplejack
Yee-haw, Switzerland!
burnspbesq
That was a delicious pass.
Leto
GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE; omg, heart attack city
HumboldtBlue
Wow. Just wow. Aren’t sports fun?
There have been holes in the France back line all game and the Swiss just found another way through.
burnspbesq
More bonus football on the horizon. Quite a day.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
Got ourselves a tie ballgame. The game today have been nuts, in a good way.
LeftCoastYankee
More more more!
Tony Jay
What do the French have in the locker? They had this won. They were already in the next round.
We know what the Swiss are going to do.
LeftCoastYankee
@HumboldtBlue:
So, the French backline was like Swiss Cheese?
Leto
I want to make a good blue cheese meltdown joke, but not sure how to do it.
HumboldtBlue
Switzerland have played France seven times and this is the first time they have ever had a lead.
Coman!
Leto
And each side had one final chance to finish it, but each were just off the mark a bit. Damn, what a game.
Diceros bicornis
@Tony Jay @Leto Grenoble, French Alps. I mostly follow the euro and World Cups. Women’s World Cup in France was awesome. They played one match in our home stadium…
ouch another bounce off the poteau. Ouch ANOTHER. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the viewing room
JML
This match has been a bloody delight. I wonder if France will come to regret subbing Greizmann off?
HumboldtBlue
Just read this on Twitter and it’s spot on:
Leto
And on comes Giroud; lets see if the Dapper Dan man can put it away for them.
HumboldtBlue
Good save
Leto
@Diceros bicornis: These two months have been great as it’s been the Euro’s, and now the Tour de France is starting up. Not sure if you follow that, but the last 10km of the today’s stage had some great drama.
HumboldtBlue
@Leto:
There was a minor controversy between Mbappe and Giroud following the blowout win in the group stage when Giroud said Mbappe refused to pass him the ball. Mbappe was not Mhappy.
JML
@Leto: awfully nice to have a guy like Giroud to bring on late in a game like this.
Both teams are playing lovely, interesting, exciting football. Love how both teams keep thinking forward.
Tony Jay
@Diceros bicornis:
If I ever do get to return to that part of France I’m definitely going to spend some time in the French Alps. Last time we were were very Rhone and coast based.
Though, being British, I’m aware that we’re about as welcome on the continent as Attila’s Huns or the music of, well, any British Eurovision entrant.
Quite right too. 8-)
HumboldtBlue
Interesting that Lloris wears a cock on his club and national team jerseys.
Leto
@HumboldtBlue:
GETOUT.gif
Tony Jay
After the earlier game went through much the same gobsmacking fightback to extra-time route as this one, I best the French are hoping they can mimic Spain and shotgun a commanding lead that the Swiss just can’t overcome.
The Swiss will be determined not to mimic Croatia and will keep their defensive concentration.
This could get tighter than a (insert graphic sheep/Welshman joke here) since neither team will want to give away a stupid goal.
Penalties? Incroyable.
HumboldtBlue
@Leto: Hahaha
Is Xaka man of the match?
Tony Jay
Mmmm’Bop injured? That’s at least £50 million off his transfer fee. Buy him FSG, you owe the fans this
ETA – No, he’s fine. Drat.
HumboldtBlue
Wasted chance France.
Amir Khalid
Whenever the ball hits the posts or the crossbar instead of going in, the commentators always, always say it’s “hit the woodwork”. At this level of football venue, and indeed pretty much at all levels, it’s been many decades since they switched to all-metal goal frames. Yet commentators keep going on about the bloody “woodwork”.
Leto
@Tony Jay: with his inability to finish this tournament, it’s probably a good bit off the xfer fee anyways.
Leto
@Amir Khalid: I would’ve thought you’d have an issue with nutmeg… :P
JML
“Xhaka, when the walls fell…”
*ducks
Diceros bicornis
Sudden death? I came from hockey country and now most of the football terms I know are French. “Tire au bout” I guess it’s the opposite, first to miss loses?
The French coverage of the Tour de France is gorgeous. Lots of aerial shots of lovely countryside and the color commentary is informative and banal at the same time. They’ll be coming through my village this year…maybe I’ll see aerial coverage of my house
Steeplejack
@Amir Khalid:
C’mon, man. They still talk about their “boots,” too. Tradition.
Steeplejack
@Diceros bicornis:
I love the Tour de France. Great video wallpaper for three weeks—beautiful scenery, good commentary and just the right amount of “action.”
LeftCoastYankee
@Amir Khalid:
My woodwork nit is even pickier. I do not understand how a shot which hits the goal (in play) is not counted as “on goal”.
Leto
@Diceros bicornis: not saying we expect a “Balloon Juice” sign, but just saying… ;)
Leto
@JML: you can join HumboltdBlue: GETOUT.gif
Amir Khalid
@Steeplejack:
I think players should go back to the 19th century and play in ankle boots again. With hobnails.
Amir Khalid
3-3 in the shootout.
cope
Fuck…what a finish.
Tony Jay
MMMMBop’s penalty saved!
France out!
I’m spent!
Steeplejack
Whut? What a finish.
JML
what a match. what a finish.
Congrats to the Swiss, they played brilliantly and deserve the win.
JCJ
France out?!?!?!?
HumboldtBlue
Shocking! Well done Switzerland, what a helluva match!
Leto
Man, his transfer fee tanked this match. Wow. What a game, what a finish.
Amir Khalid
Mbappe’s penalty is saved! Switzerland go through!
Steeplejack
@Amir Khalid:
Fair enough. Make them put up those wooden goals again, too. ?
Leto
Alright everyone, rest up; we got games tomorrow!
LeftCoastYankee
Wow, that was dramatic. Good job Swiss!
Jeez, every day it’s getting crazier. Can’t wait for England/Germany and the Battle of the Blondes tomorrow.
Steeplejack
@Leto:
I’m wrung out.
Tony Jay
@Leto:
We’ll offer PSG £10 million and Origi. Come to Liverpool, MmmmBop, we’ll make you feel better with a Premier League and Champions League double.
JCJ
My wife messaged me as soon as Mbappe’s penalty was saved.
HumboldtBlue
@Tony Jay:
For some reason I always thought you were a Spurs supporter.
Tony Jay
Hopefully tomorrow’s England v Germany match is a boring 1-0 with a scrambled header from a free kick and plenty of misplaced passes from both teams preventing any periods of intense pressure.
I can’t go through this again.
Morzer
Well, to quote Blackadder’s father in the original series:
“The Swiss are always cowards!”
What an amazing day of goals and wonderful madness. I suppose we are now due for the grimmest of battles of attrition between England and Germany tomorrow.
HumboldtBlue
And that wasn’t a fluke win by the Swiss. They earned all of that victory.
Tony Jay
@HumboldtBlue:
That’s because I spent most of the day after the 2019 CL Final on here drunkenly typing “Spursy Spursy Spursy Spurs” over and over again.
I’m a better person now.
HumboldtBlue
@Tony Jay:
Lol
Diceros bicornis
@Leto: “Crazy American with oversized sign too close to race on narrow mountain road takes down entire peloton. Message on sign very odd, something about juicy balloons?”
burnspbesq
For his penance, Mbappe will spend a season on loan at Burnley
Tony Jay
@Diceros bicornis:
‘Juicy Balloons’ is an entirely different kind of website catering to a (mostly) different clientele… or so I’m told. 8-)
HumboldtBlue
This short clip sums up what it was like to a Switzerland supporter today.
Tony Jay
@burnspbesq:
Oh that’s too harsh. No one deserves that.
billcinsd
@Diceros bicornis: Except for the American, and eta: I guess mountain road, part, they already did this one Saturday. Have they found the woman with the sign?
billcinsd
@Amir Khalid: Today the frames is likely some sort of polymer matrix composite
piratedan
@Tony Jay: you think Derby County is the right amount of pain?
billcinsd
@burnspbesq: I guess it depends on where Rabiot is ending up. If it is more often central, probably an inverted wingback in which the back often moves centrally to provide shielding to the center backs
Tony Jay
@piratedan:
Ouch! The kid only had a penalty saved, he didn’t do the sticky-salty with anyone’s Granny!
Let’s compromise. He can go to Roma on loan. Jose will have him concentrating on shutting down the opposition on the left flank and only passing sideways and backwards. A few months of that and he’ll need Jurgen’s toothy bonhomie to regain his sanity.
TomatoQueen
For true humility he could come to TOON.