Category Euro 2004
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Congratulations to Greece on winning Euro 2004. In previous World and European finals (when they've qualified, their record was played 6, lost 5 won 1. They are also the first team in World and European championship finals not to concede a goal in their final 3 games.

 

Again, congratulations Greece!

Posted by Roy Holder At 9:50 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Category Euro 2004
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I just watched the last 20 minutes or normal time and then the extra time in the football match between Greece and Czech Republic. Greece score after 15mins 5 secs of the extra-time period. There was no time for the Czechs to reply so the Greeks play hosts Portugal in the final on Sunday.

Congratulations to Greece!

Posted by Roy Holder At 9:59 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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After a nondescript first half, the final score of the last quarter final of Euro 2004 was Czech 3 - 0 Denmark.

 

I couldn't see any way the Danes were going to score but thanks to 3 well taken (if fortuitous) goals It think the right team won.

 

So, the semi-final line-up is:

 

Date	Teams	Venue
Wednesday 30 June	Portugal v Holland	José Alvalade, Lisbon
Thursday 1 July	Greece v Czech Rep	Dragão, Porto

Posted by Roy Holder At 9:56 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Well, as my "second" choice, Holland went through to the semi-finals of Euro 2004 on penalties 5 - 4 against Sweden. I was going to say that the wedes now know how badly the English felt on Thursday night but that wouldn't be accurate.

After 120 minutes of play, neither team had scored although both had come close a number of times. England at least had scored 3 times (one being dis-allowed) after 120 minutes.

Come on you Cloggies!  

Posted by Roy Holder At 10:33 AM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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...after the Greeks beat the "great" French team 1 - 0.

Four years ago, the French became World AND European football champions. Now, they are neither.  

Posted by Roy Holder At 9:35 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Now that England are out of Euro 2004 it's time to get back to reality. Normal service will be resumed without the gratuitous national pride stuff.

Come on you Cloggies!!!!  

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We were robbed.  

Posted by Roy Holder At 10:53 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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Well, in about three and a half hours the game between England and Portugal (the competion hosts) starts. The quarter-finals of Euro 2004.






Good luck England!  

Posted by Roy Holder At 4:13 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Czech Republic became only the fourth team in the European Championships to win ALL of their opening round matches. Well done to them and congratulations to the Dutch for qualifying too (and preventing the Germans from progressing).  

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
CZECH REPUBLIC	3	3	0	0	7	4	9
HOLLAND	3	1	1	1	6	4	4
Germany	3	0	2	1	2	3	2
Latvia	3	0	1	2	1	5	1

Posted by Roy Holder At 10:33 AM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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So, the next "big" team to go home after Spain are the Italians. My missus will miss them. I think she likes the centre forward!  

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
SWEDEN	3	1	2	0	8	3	5
DENMARK	3	1	2	0	4	2	5
Italy	3	1	2	0	3	2	5
Bulgaria	3	0	0	3	1	9	0

Posted by Roy Holder At 10:16 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
FRANCE	3	2	1	0	7	4	7
ENGLAND	3	2	0	1	8	4	6
Croatia	3	0	2	1	4	6	2
Swtzerland	3	0	1	2	1	6	1

Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland

Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland Ingerland
Ingerland Ingerland  

Posted by Roy Holder At 10:51 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Well, it was one hell of a game but a BAD result for Holland. It now looks very unlikely that they'll go through to the next round of the championships.

With Germany drawing against lowly Latvia (har har) they're on the best position to go through with the Czechs.

Germany still have to play the Czechs whilst Holland play Latvia. Waddaya think?  

Posted by Roy Holder At 11:20 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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Well, believe it or not, I almost found myself cheering for France during their 2-2 draw with Croatia. As the score was changing I was trying to work out what England needed to do against Croatia on Monday to go though to the next round of the competition.

It was all nice and simple if France drew with or beat Croatia. England only (har har) needed a draw. Any other result and well, who knows. So it was nice and easy to work it out in the end.

During other competition "round robin" stages (as with the first 2 games in each group in Euro 2004) the games are played at different times. For the final game in the part of the competition, the games are at the same time. It does make it impossible if you want to watch both games in a pool but it also means that no team would get an advantage of "knowing what they had to do" if they were to play second.

Crafty people these EUFA officials  

Posted by Roy Holder At 11:09 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Well, the result of England v Switzerland may have been a bit flattering to the way England played, but a result of 3-0 is nothing to be sniffed at. It means that if France beat Croatia (they're currently leading 1-0) then England on need a draw on Monday against Croatia to progress to the next round. Negative talk like that is probably not good as it makes you back-off and relax. The Croatians are no-ones fool. We need a victory of the same magnitude as tonight!

When Holland won the competition in 1988 (I think), they played the same team in the final as they lost their opening game to. Perhaps that's a good omen for England?  

Posted by Roy Holder At 8:26 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Whilst the English lost on Sunday, at least they played as a team and not 11 individuals like the Dutch last night in their 1-1 draw with Germany

Even if tomorrow is "only" against the Swiss it's no less important to England.

Here's to a better result than last time.  

Posted by Roy Holder At 7:37 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The game between Holland and German has just started. Should be a cracker after the Czechs beat Latvia. Whoever loses this one may struggle to qualify for the next round so there's a lot riding on the result.

"Come on you Dutch!".  

Posted by Roy Holder At 7:46 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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After 89 minutes, England are winning 0-1 against France. Then, in the space of 3 minutes we're loosing 2-1. How can that happen?

I bet the Scots are wetting themselves, the French are thinking they were let out of jail, and all the other teams in the competition are crying (with laughter) at the England team's incredible skill of snatching defeat from the wide open jaws of victory and their propensity to self-destruct.

What else can I say?  

Posted by Roy Holder At 1:15 PM Location My office at home | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)