Euro 2012 Thread

fishfly said:
I've been avid Italian supporter since the WC 1990 :)
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Same...I just love the way they play the game. LOTS of character.

I miss guys like Maldini (the rock), Zola (the grinch), Baggio (the great one), Matterazzi (the giant), Gattuso (the pitbull), Del Piero (the legend) and co, and wasn't expecting the new generation of players to do so well so quickly, but they are showing the traits of all the great Italian teams:
1) They play at the level of the team that they are playing agains. I.e. bad against bad teams, good against good teams, great against great teams.
2) Their defence is solid. It's not quite rock-solid yet, but that will come with time.
3) They get better and better as tournaments progress.

You never expect the Italians to last (and sometimes they don't), but they regularly kick serious ass. You don't become the second most highly decorated team in the world in terms of World Cup titles without having some serious pedigree.

I feel sorry for the Germans...they keep going up against Italy in tournaments and getting beaten :P They'd probably win if they didn't keep running into the Italians.

FORZA AZZURRI!
 
RexxGrim said:
Since every team I decide to support goes out, I've decided I'll be supporting Spain in the final. :D
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I can never support a team that boring :sick: Italy aren't much better, but they are better so I'll go with them.
 
Greylor said:
Same...I just love the way they play the game. LOTS of character.

I miss guys like Maldini (the rock), Zola (the grinch), Baggio (the great one), Matterazzi (the giant), Gattuso (the pitbull), Del Piero (the legend) and co, and wasn't expecting the new generation of players to do so well so quickly, but they are showing the traits of all the great Italian teams:
1) They play at the level of the team that they are playing agains. I.e. bad against bad teams, good against good teams, great against great teams.
2) Their defence is solid. It's not quite rock-solid yet, but that will come with time.
3) They get better and better as tournaments progress.

You never expect the Italians to last (and sometimes they don't), but they regularly kick serious ass. You don't become the second most highly decorated team in the world in terms of World Cup titles without having some serious pedigree.

I feel sorry for the Germans...they keep going up against Italy in tournaments and getting beaten :P They'd probably win if they didn't keep running into the Italians.

FORZA AZZURRI!
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Last I saw of him he was lying on the floor...
 
thestaggy said:
Yeah, Villa missed it to injury.

It's almost impossible to compare the two, especially at international level.

Torres: 30 goals in 97 games (0.31 goals/game)
Villa: 51 goals in 82 games (0.62 goals/game)

Torres: 154 goals in 362 club games (0.43 goals/game)
Villa : 226 goals in 433 club games (0.52 goals/game)

No to mention that when they play together, Villa plays in support of Torres, providing him with service.
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uuummm... actually, Torres always played in support of Villa... thats what made them so lethal. then either one of them was injured, and in the case of Torres, was just plain rubbish for so long. however, together they generally are pretty damn lethal :)
 
Greylor said:
Same...I just love the way they play the game. LOTS of character.

I miss guys like Maldini (the rock), Zola (the grinch), Baggio (the great one), Matterazzi (the giant), Gattuso (the pitbull), Del Piero (the legend) and co, and wasn't expecting the new generation of players to do so well so quickly, but they are showing the traits of all the great Italian teams:
1) They play at the level of the team that they are playing agains. I.e. bad against bad teams, good against good teams, great against great teams.
2) Their defence is solid. It's not quite rock-solid yet, but that will come with time.
3) They get better and better as tournaments progress.

You never expect the Italians to last (and sometimes they don't), but they regularly kick serious ass. You don't become the second most highly decorated team in the world in terms of World Cup titles without having some serious pedigree.

I feel sorry for the Germans...they keep going up against Italy in tournaments and getting beaten :P They'd probably win if they didn't keep running into the Italians.

FORZA AZZURRI!
Click to expand...

After the 2010 world cup I was super excited to see Balotelli, Cassano, Rossi (Guissipi), Marchiosio, Giovinco, Chellini in the Italian squad... can't believe it took them 2 years to get to the football style they playing now

I've always maintained a good defence is what makes a great team! You don't have to score 10 goals in a match to win but to be able to defend and unlock the opposition's defence is what Italy does.




@Kaine The problem with Spain is they enjoy the pass pass pass (going nowhere) football a tad too much without that explosive David Villa they really struggled - look at the Spain vs Portugal game

Spain only had Xavi, Iniestia, Buscuit and Pedro to pass pass pass to... Torres, Jesus, Raul Abidol and Silva doesn't play that style hence why when Silva tries to attack and when they cross the ball there is no one there to pass the ball into the back of the net...
 
Kaine said:
uuummm... actually, Torres always played in support of Villa... thats what made them so lethal. then either one of them was injured, and in the case of Torres, was just plain rubbish for so long. however, together they generally are pretty damn lethal :)
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Torres lead the line when he was on the field in the World Cup. Villa sat behind him and to the left. I recall Villa frequently picking the ball up on the left side of the field and bursting into the box. Villa is very close to an attacking midfielder in size and play, much like Rooney. Torres on the other hand is basically your prototypical centre forward/target man.
 
I just looked over their team; that Italian squad is going to be ancient come 2014.

If last nights starting IX and subs made it to 2014;

Buffon - 36

Balzaretti - 32
Barzagli - 33
Bonucci - 27
Chiellini - 29

Pirlo - 35

Marchisio - 28
Montolivo - 29
De Rossi - 30

Balotelli - 23
Cassano - 31

Subs
Diamanti - 31
Motta - 31
Di Natale - 36

Not sure of their youth situations, but they look old.
 
thestaggy said:
Torres lead the line when he was on the field in the World Cup. Villa sat behind him and to the left. I recall Villa frequently picking the ball up on the left side of the field and bursting into the box. Villa is very close to an attacking midfielder in size and play, much like Rooney. Torres on the other hand is basically your prototypical centre forward/target man.
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Nah I find him to be more a space creator and poacher
 
thestaggy said:
Torres lead the line when he was on the field in the World Cup. Villa sat behind him and to the left. I recall Villa frequently picking the ball up on the left side of the field and bursting into the box. Villa is very close to an attacking midfielder in size and play, much like Rooney. Torres on the other hand is basically your prototypical centre forward/target man.
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Torres played more centrally than Villa, but that was to draw defence away from him. Torres was always support for Villa.
 
fishfly said:
Nah I find him to be more a space creator and poacher
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Randhir said:
Torres played more centrally than Villa, but that was to draw defence away from him. Torres was always support for Villa.
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In the two games he started in 2010 Spain ran a 4-3-3 (which is Del Bosque's preferred formation anyway), with Torres as the focal point of the attack, ergo your targetman. We can debate semantics that he draws attention away from others - hence the ''he supports'' concept - but everything is geared to move to him in a 4-3-3. It's just that he sucked so hard he could not do anything with the service those midfielders could provide. In the 4-3-3 Iniesta, Navas, Silva and Villa played in support on his flanks. It's only when Torres did not play did the formation switch to 4-2-3-1 with Villa now as the focal point.
 
lol this is the best comment I've ever seen:

The Italians invented the Catenaccio but the English and Chelsea made it so boring and ugly that the Italians abandoned it for possession football!!

bwahahahaha
 
samr1wp said:
@greylor

materrazzi ?

that useless guy who got zidane sent off

nesta and maldini and zambrotta was the good defence for me
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Zidane got Zidane sent off.

Matterazzi wasn't a great player (he was good...brilliant at the 2006 World Cup), but he was very entertaining to watch and did the job when it counted. He played a large part in a successful World Cup campaign and that counts for something.

dequadin said:
Cannavaro (the terrier)

/yes I'm a huge fan
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Cannavaro was indeed great. Must be terrifying taking on Gattuso and Cannavaro at the same time in their prime *shiver*
 
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thestaggy said:
In the two games he started in 2010 Spain ran a 4-3-3 (which is Del Bosque's preferred formation anyway), with Torres as the focal point of the attack, ergo your targetman. We can debate semantics that he draws attention away from others - hence the ''he supports'' concept - but everything is geared to move to him in a 4-3-3. It's just that he sucked so hard he could not do anything with the service those midfielders could provide. In the 4-3-3 Iniesta, Navas, Silva and Villa played in support on his flanks. It's only when Torres did not play did the formation switch to 4-2-3-1 with Villa now as the focal point.
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I was referring to Torres + Villa match up @ the world cup... Torres was left to fend for himself and to create the gaps for Villa to exploit whilst the rest of the team played a pass pass pass pass apss send it to Villa and he scores strategy...

This Euro does not have Villa
 
Italians are not taking their chances...

They have had far more possession than other teams playing against the Spanish ...
 
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