Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

I was promised a recession.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Republicans don’t trust women.

You are here: Home / Sports / Euro 2020 Football (Soccer) / Euro 2020 Quarter-Finals Open Thread: Belgium v Italy

Euro 2020 Quarter-Finals Open Thread: Belgium v Italy

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This game in Munich, two strong teams, and unfortunatley the ‘winner’ may turn out to be Coronavirus…

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68Comments

  2. 2.

    krackenJack

    UEFA again? What kind of chardonnay-infused latte sipping Europhile blog is this? I never see any super-bog mud racing threads. Are we not (mostly) ‘Mericans?

    [The tournament has been gripping so far.]

  3. 3.

    Leto

    I love listening to Italy’s national anthem. I love it now, versus when we had to do joint parades/things with them and they wouldn’t play the short version, so you think you’re getting to the end, and NOPE! Here comes the second verse, same as the first! MOTHERF@&*ER!

  4. 4.

    Leto

    @Tony Jay: I don’t think Italy would worry about facing the Spanish team, at all. WRT Belgium, it depends on which Belgium shows up.

    And old man Chiellini is finally back in the line up. Guess his battery is finally recharged. :P

  7. 7.

    raven

    So I took Tony’s advice in the first game, hit the couch and promptly fell asleep. I woke up and realized I was 30 minutes late to my appointment at the VA. I hustled out there and had to reschedule.

  9. 9.

    VeniceRiley

    @raven: Ugh. Sorry! My fiance fell asleep like that during the last match for England! Trip to Brighton and maybe a bit too much cider.

    Go belgium. But I’ve a feeling Italy is going all the way to the win of this tourney.  But crazy things have happened. So, I’m leaving work to watch the 2nd half during lunch hour.

  11. 11.

    Leto

    Old man Chiellini mugging Lukaku on that right hand side. I would say he needs to keep his hands down, but that’s about the only way he’s going to stay even with him. Probably have to use his full 80 years worth of tricks with Lukaku.

  12. 12.

    Leto

    Italy looking dangerous these past few mins, but they’re pushing forward so much that they’re exposed to a quick counter.

  13. 13.

    raven

    @VeniceRiley: It didn’t really matter, I watch on YouTube TV and I had hit the pause button so I didn’t miss much (I do tend to fast forward and watch closely for celebration and backtrack to see the goal). One reason I don’t hang in these thread is because I inevitably get out of synch and I hate seeing what happened in print!

  14. 14.

    Leto

    Hahahaha, Italian guy down on the ground in the box, rolling around, play keeps on, Italy score, guy down pops up and goes to celebrate; stay classy footballers!

    Edit: really good goal though. Good strike, good placement.

  15. 15.

    VeniceRiley

    @raven: I watch with Mrs VR all the time. Broadcast TV is usually 15 seconds behind, but matches on Sling can have a delay around 1 minute or more. It’s kinda nice to not have to pay attention until she shouts or groans. (man. That sounds a bit dirty.

    At least Italy we have Bobby Manc to root for. He is legend for City fans.

  16. 16.

    Tony Jay

    Cracking finish. Italy 1-0 up, but I’m deeply concerned about the Italian player who was shot in the leg just before that ball hit the net, he seemed to be in agony and… oh, no, my mistake, he’s absolutely fine.

  18. 18.

    piratedan

    @Tony Jay: in a just world, perhaps after the goal is confirmed, a more pragmatic official would give that chap a yellow card and inform him that if he wishes to be a dramatist, he should change out his wardrobe.

  22. 22.

    trollhattan

    Welp, seems Italy are in control of this thang.

    Orrrr, let’s give them a PK because drama.

  23. 23.

    Leto

    Damn, what a strike. He had a chance to go down and grab everything on his body when he cut back right, but he stayed up and then popped a stunner; AND NOW A PK ON THE OTHER END! Here we go!

  24. 24.

    Tony Jay

    Glorious curling poke by Insigne. This is already slipping away from Belgium unless… oooh, penalty.

  26. 26.

    Tony Jay

    Spank. Net. Goal.

    2-1 at half time. That’s fair.
    Great game so far, but Italy looking helladangerous.

  27. 27.

    cope

    I’m sure Belgium are glad to be at 1-2 at the half. Just before the foul that led to the PK I’m thinking if Belgium claw one back before half, they’ll take this one.

  32. 32.

    Tony Jay

    @piratedan:

    In a few hours he’ll notice he’s become a meme and his life will become a series of embarrassing encounters with women mocking him and children openly taunting him in the streets.

    No, really. /s

  37. 37.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    To be honest I do that. Last night after Dinner I put on Assassins Creed 4, felt my eyes flutter and woke up to find my pirate ship was in the middle of a sea battle where I’d been sailing round and round in circles while I dozed.

    Didn’t drool though, so it wasn’t that bad.

  39. 39.

    raven

    @Tony Jay: Video games are way out of my lane. We have been watching the really cute Brit show “Trying” about a young couple, well, trying!

  40. 40.

    JML

    This has been a wonderful game. Wish so many Italian players weren’t tripping on invisible gophers out there; they’re good enough to not need any of that nonsense.

    Belgium looks really dangerous in the final third, but are having much more trouble linking up to get there than the Italians. I’m really impressed with Italy’s high press, it’s really bottled up Belgium well.

  42. 42.

    Mary G

    These threads are entertaining even though I mostly have no idea what you’re talking about, especially Tony Jay.

  44. 44.

    JML

    Shame to see an injury like that. Spinazzola was playing so well, really putting together a terrific tournament. Crushing to go out like that in the quarters

  45. 45.

    Tony Jay

    Look, if you’re so injured you can’t go on then why the dinky-ding-dong-do was he still on the pitch? What was that? Five minutes of delay?

    Then again, breathers for both teams, gather up your cojones for the final battle. Belgium have to score, Italy can’t help but attack. Makes for an exciting conclusion.

  46. 46.

    Tony Jay

    I’d say Belgium just need one great chance, but they’ve had two already and it just hadn’t rolled their way. They need just a whisper of luck or Italy are going to grind this out.

    ETA – Ooooh, this is just about perfect De Bruyne distance.

  48. 48.

    burnspbesq

    Chiellini runs into his own keeper and Witsel gets called for the foul.

    Just bloody awful.

  49. 49.

    Tony Jay

    What was the foul?

    This. This is why so many people who would otherwise love this Italian team get sick to the back teeth of the constant fakery and shithousery. They’ve basically wasted the last ten minutes of the game flopping about like opium-drenched Victorian fops. 

  53. 53.

    piratedan

    @Tony Jay: and the sad part about that, is that the Italians have shown its an effective strategy… refs always appear to be open to the fact that maybe this time, there really is a tragic injury that needs to be “accounted for”.

  54. 54.

    Tony Jay

    @piratedan:

    Thing is, the referee controls the clock. If they actually stopped the clock when play is stopped then we’d get 10 to 15 minutes injury time in a game like that.

    Which is why they won’t (TV schedules) and so shithouses will keep on doing it.

    Meh. Italy have been awesome, but it just leaves a bad taste when they act like that and get away with it.

  57. 57.

    Mary G

    O/T but still kinda cool. Dodgers player (not the rapey one) trades a uniform jersey with a mariachi player at Viva Los Dodgers event and wears it to the White House to meet with Biden. This is my America coming back.

    JOE KELLY IS WEARING THE MARIACHI JACKET TO THE WHITE HOUSE ???? pic.twitter.com/a2eZgwHt3M— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) July 2, 2021

  58. 58.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Tony Jay: I haven’t seen acting that bad since “The Love Boat” was cancelled!

    No offense to Barbi Benton, of course.

  62. 62.

    Mary G

    @laura: Thank you. The entirety of my life now is fixing things in the house. I spent the years I worked saving like Scrooge because I thought I’d end up in long term care and the agents I asked for insurance just laughed and laughed.

    Now that I turned 65, I decided to say to myself fuck that, spend money now while I can enjoy it. Also I love negotiating. The garage door guy who came today went from $1,900 plus temporary repairs to $1,500, repairs included, mostly bidding against himself.

  63. 63.

    toine

    @Leto:

    People who have never played football don’t realize how physical the game actually is… take some cleats to the shin/ankle/foot and see if you don’t feel like writhing around on the ground for a bit…

    :-)

  64. 64.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    A fitting tribute.

    Bravi to the Italian team who—almost to a man—played on through a series of crippling injuries.

    — Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) July 2, 2021

  67. 67.

    piratedan

    @toine: soccer doesn’t have to be that way, yet the supposed impartial arbiters of the game itself have allowed it to continue.

  68. 68.

    toine

    @piratedan: I thought you were implying that only the Italians behaved this way when in fact this is as old as the game… Trying to waste as much time as possible when you are leading in the final 5 minutes is fine. It’s like in boxing or MMA… don’t leave it up to the judges… You score less, you lose. If you are complaining about wasted time, you didn’t deserve to win..

    I love the Belgian side. I love the way they play. But their defense has always been suspect. So has their ability to win when in tough. Bottom line, Italy deserved the victory.

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