Gadewch i ni fynd Cymru!
Euro 2016 Quarter-Finals Belgium v Wales Open ThreadPost + Comments (46)
Randinho wrote at Balloon Juice from 2010-16.
"Hi, everyone, my name is Randy Paul. I normally blog at my own blog, Beautiful Horizons. John has graciously accepted my offer to blog about the upcoming soccer World Cup..."
Twitter: @randinho
by Randinho| 46 Comments
This post is in: Sports
Gadewch i ni fynd Cymru!
Euro 2016 Quarter-Finals Belgium v Wales Open ThreadPost + Comments (46)
by Randinho| 48 Comments
This post is in: Sports
Will Cristiano Ronaldo be a Portuguese hero? Will Robert Lewandowski finally wake up?
Euro 2016 Quarter-Finals Poland v Portugal Open ThreadPost + Comments (48)
by Randinho| 19 Comments
This post is in: Sports
So, one competition is over (Cope America) and another (Euro 2016) is starting the quarter-finals . Here are a few thoughts.
1.) Leo Messi is getting heat because he wants to quit the international game. I really believe that the anger is misdirected. To begin with, Messi has one title that no Brazilian footballer has: an Olympic gold medal. Bear in mind that Argentina’s trophy drought for titles in competitions without age restrictions goes back to 1993, when Messi was six. Also, there appears to be more to it than that.
2.) Brazil, while Tite has a good record, why not, FFS, consider someone outside of Brazil? I had this discussion with my brother-in-law, who said, “No, we made football great.” I pointed out to him that they keep recycling the same coaches in and out. I also pointed out to him some of the requirements that UEFA has of its coaches to get a license and that CONMEBOL is just starting to implement requirements. He was astonished. Swallow your pride, Brazil. it’s taken a pretty big beating recently anyway.
3.) Speaking of Brazil, how did the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) let Eder slip through their fingers to Italy? He’s been a revelation for the Azurri.
4.) Speaking of the Azurri, Antonio Conte’s tactical wizardry is impressive. I write this and Arsenal fan, but it appears that Chelsea made a good choice.
5.) From 2008 to 2012, what made Spain’s midfield dominant was iniesta AND Xavi, not Iniesta AND Fabregas.
6.) Jürgen Klinsmann is getting heat for Argentina’s whipping of the USA in the Copa America, but did anyone seriously believe that the USA would win? In any case, I believe that Klinsmann deserves credit for this. They will never be great if they don’t have the best teams challenge them.
On a housekeeping note, I will be working during the start of the three games today, tomorrow and Saturday. I will schedule open thread posts, but sometimes they don’t post. I’ll correct it as soon as I can if it happens.
Some Football Notes Before the Euro 2016 Quarter-FinalsPost + Comments (19)
by Randinho| 92 Comments
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I love Cinderella stories and I hope Iceland’s continues.
Euro 2016 Round of 16 England v Iceland Open ThreadPost + Comments (92)
by Randinho| 27 Comments
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A repeat of the 2012 Championship. Who comes out a winner this time?
Euro 2016 Round of 16 Italy v Spain Open ThreadPost + Comments (27)
by Randinho| 60 Comments
This post is in: Sports
Chile is the defending champion and Argentina has not won this competition since 1993. Who claims the title tonight?
Copa America 2016 Championship Game Argentina v Chile Open ThreadPost + Comments (60)
by Randinho| 28 Comments
This post is in: Sports
A favorite versus an upstart. Who comes out ahead?
Euro 2016 Round of 16 Belgium v Hungary Open ThreadPost + Comments (28)