Euro: Round of 16 - France v. Belgium - Jul. 1
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Well a pretty fitting goal to a terrible game.
France was easily the best team but when you shoot 20 times you need to have more than 1 on target (nice one Tchou and nice save).
The plus side is that our D looks incredible. If not for the ridiculous double penalty given to Poland by a blind ref nobody would have scored on them.
The ugly side is that by putting our two most creative players in the bench, DD has just accepted we'll most likely not score.
France was easily the best team but when you shoot 20 times you need to have more than 1 on target (nice one Tchou and nice save).
The plus side is that our D looks incredible. If not for the ridiculous double penalty given to Poland by a blind ref nobody would have scored on them.
The ugly side is that by putting our two most creative players in the bench, DD has just accepted we'll most likely not score.
Brunkmeister
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bluesfan94
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ever since choosing Real Madrid, he's been pretty iffy. If he pulls a Hazard, it'll be hilarious.
PeteWorrell
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Brunkmeister
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I think he will be pretty good, but might drag everyone else down so Real won’t be any better overall with him.
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
This has been fun to nobody really. The quality of play is desastrous.
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
Spain & Germany have been a blast to watch. Austria & Switzerland have been good watches. I dunno, I thought the group stages were interesting in general. Despite what a dud some teams have been. International football is usually super negative but I feel like a bunch of teams have tried to play.
TheMoreYouKnow
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I don't enjoy watching France play, but I like the way they play if that makes any sense. I think of all teams they strike me as the most sensibly constructed one for a tournament. The keeper looks borderline unbeatable, the defenders are strong and skilled, Kante owns the midfield in a way most teams can't.
Offensively, Mbappe is capable of anything at any time and the other players are certainly plenty skilled. However, in the final analysis other teams probably have a more potent offense, so it makes sense for the team to be built around the defense. As Huub Stevens used to say: "The nil must stand".
You could argue that France is what England wishes it was, but England doesn't have the cleverness in the middle of the park or the resolute stoutness in the back.
Offensively, Mbappe is capable of anything at any time and the other players are certainly plenty skilled. However, in the final analysis other teams probably have a more potent offense, so it makes sense for the team to be built around the defense. As Huub Stevens used to say: "The nil must stand".
You could argue that France is what England wishes it was, but England doesn't have the cleverness in the middle of the park or the resolute stoutness in the back.
Duchene2MacKinnon
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TheMoreYouKnow
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I don't think it's a coincidence though. With defenders having increasingly been drilled to prioritize shot blocking, it's become a bit of a hockey type thing. You score on 0% of the shots not taken. With so many deflections happening, it's never a bad idea to just put a ball into the danger zone, which France have done plenty of.
Germany a blast to watch?
I guess we didn't see the same team against Denmark which is the first half decent team they've met.
I frankly think part of the awful quality is due to the format where teams have interest in defending 0-0 to get through as 3rd team.
But even in the KO, we've had 2 awful games and a Spain blowout against a minnow.
That’s great, but your whole post apart from only one line discusses this. You’ve largely just just credited them for having talented players. Selection is nothing to sneeze at either, but selection isn’t the same as tactics.
TheMoreYouKnow
Registered User
They won a World Cup, made another World Cup Final, made a Euro Final and may well win this Euro too. I mean since DD took over France, has there been any other European national team even as remotely as successful? It's easy to just say oh it's the players, but we've seen very talented France teams not even qualify for major tournaments or making embarrassing group stage exits. Even the greatest group of players still needs to be put into a structure to work. France play results-oriented football, and they're not the first team to do it and have success with it. In tournaments it's almost always the team with the best defense that wins, not the team with the best attack.
Duchene2MacKinnon
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Yes but...
This isn't the NBA. Details are important and margins are thin.
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Duchene2MacKinnon
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So is playing attractive footy. Which France doesn’t do in relation to their squad.
I'm sorry, you talked about and then playing attractive football. What does one have to do with the other?
FYI, we beat the number of goals scored in a KO stage in 2018. Sorry for ya.
Duchene2MacKinnon
In the hands of Genius
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Goals=attractive football? I talked about what?
i mean we have done this song and dance before. You are ok with winning one trophy with a stacked line up. No wonder why you like Lucho lol.
Yeah 3 finals in 4 tournaments is totally exceptional. Whether you like it or not.
Yes scoring goals is usually considered playing attractive football. Sorry to bring the news.
I mean you're a Pep fan and you think it's attractive football.
Duchene2MacKinnon
In the hands of Genius
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I watched my team lose 3 straight finals in 3 summers. Tell me how successful it was and how much i enjoyed it? No goals doesn't mean attractive footy.
Yes Im a fan of the best coach in history. Sorry to bring the news to you.
Best doesn't mean attractive. I find it hilarious you're saying scoring goals doesn't mean attractive when you're a fan of the coach who plays the most boring football while scoring goals in the history of the game.
And which 3 finals?
I don't even know if any NT EVER has reached 3 finals in 4 tournaments like Euro and WC. And the 2 losses came from a PK shootout and a once in a lifetime lucky strike.
So save the "weird that you like it". Everyone would.
If France had played more open, they probably wouldn't have reached all those finals.
