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Guilbert wrote:

>>

No, it's largely been luck with them for many years. Penalty shootouts are a complete lottery. Let's look back:

1982: Advanced only through blatant match-fixing (v Austria and the group stage) and in the quarters against France, Schumacher should have been sent off for that near-fatal foul on Battiston (he wasn't even booked). Went on to beat the Frogs on penalties and advance to the final.

1986: Beat Mexico on penalties in (I think) the quarters before losing to Argentina in the final.

1990: Beat England on penalties

Euro 1996: Beat England on penalties

2002: Couldn't have had an easier draw on paper if FIFA had allowed them to pick their own opposition. Laboured through to the final where they lost to Brazil.

2006: Beat Argentina on penalities before losing to Italy in the semis.

Euro 2008: Just one really decent performance (against Portugal) but STILL made the final.

2010: Watch this space. Probably another penalty shootout win v England in the last 16 (you read it here first!) before muddling through to the final with workmanlike 1-0s and/or more shootout wins.

- Eric

Flat Eric, may I remind you that at Euro 96 the German team were sponsored by Mercedes Benz, whereas England were sponsored by Green Flag. Luck had nothing to do with it... it was all won and lost months earlier thanks to the mindset of the respective national associations!!!! !wink!

Now we have seen all the teams, I would say the quality of the football has to be the worst ever and a total bore.

The only team that looked half decent were Germany.

Hopefully there is going to be some improvement in the remaining matches.

I agree, thus far I don't see anybody worth buying for Manchester City. Go for Jagielka maybe Roberto or go back to Chelsea and buy the real England left back this time ! Oh and Gerrard & Torres from the scousers !

Dave Wells wrote:

> I agree, thus far I don't see anybody worth buying for
> Manchester City. Go for Jagielka maybe Roberto or go back to
> Chelsea and buy the real England left back this time ! Oh and
> Gerrard & Torres from the scousers !
>


Do you seriously think that Gerrard or Torres would leave Liverpool for City???? If either leave Liverpool, it will be for a club in the Champions League. Same goes for Ashley Cole. Should he leave Chelsea this summer it'll be for Barca or Real, not Man City.

Unlike you, I thought there were some excellent potential buys for City... such as Christie of New Zealand. Let's face it, that's the best you can hope for now! !wink!

With a job like yours, horns are not so unusual.

Having now seen all the teams play and heard everyone discuss the problems with the ball, does anyone else find it borderline cheating that the Germans have been using the ball since last December in the German leagues? The results? Unsurprisingly the only team who played like they know how to control the thing....

IdolDroog wrote:

> Having now seen all the teams play and heard everyone discuss
> the problems with the ball, does anyone else find it borderline
> cheating that the Germans have been using the ball since last
> December in the German leagues? The results? Unsurprisingly the
> only team who played like they know how to control the
> thing....
>


Actually the Germans haven't "cheated". The ball was made available to ALL the 32 nations competing in the World Cup in December. The Germans used it, as did the Spanish, French, Argentinians and others in their domestic leagues. England didn't because of contractual obligations with Nike. England could have used it during all their training sessions prior to going to South Africa, but chose not to until the friendly with Japan in Graz.

A version of the ball was also used during the Confederations Cup last year as well as the African Cup of Nations.

Flat_Eric wrote:


> No, it's largely been luck with them for many years. Penalty
> shootouts are a complete lottery. Let's look back:

They are not. Penalties are the most pre-determined action in a football game. Sure, there remains a large element of luck. But you can make the odds in your favour by good preparation. Germany haven't missed a penalty in a penalty shootout since Stielicke did in 1982.

What does England do? They send someone like David Batty to take one, who has not scored a penalty in his life...

The Germans have had the most advantage to use the ball though. 51% of the players have had access to it before hand but not one of the england squad because of the English leagues. That seems a little harsh when considering the ball is clearly dramatically different to a traditional ball.