I said it before but it deserves to be said again: Euro 2008 was the best international tournament I’ve ever seen. Lots of goals, lots of late goals, general fair play all around, fairly decent refereeing, and a worthy champion. Not often do you get that. This unparalleled success means, of course, that UEFA wants [...]
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Well, there you have it. The perfect ending to an almost impossibly perfect tournament. How is it that a major tournament rewards open, attacking play and the cheats, whiners, and negative teams get early tickets home? That just doesn’t happen. Except it did.
Spain utterly deserved every one of their victories. They finished with [...]
After two weeks of non-stop soccer-watching bliss, it’s all coming to an end on Sunday. I would suggest that this would lead to an upturn in productivity but I just got GTA 4 in the mail yesterday, having bought it on eBay for $35…
After a month-long hiatus, I listened to the second half of Owen [...]
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Well, another match between Spain and Russia and another three-goal margin of victory. Back in the group stages you might remember Spain going through a naïve Russian side like a buzz saw to the tune of 4-1. Tonight’s 3-0 was perhaps a little less spectacular but no less definitive.
The rain dampened the affair [...]
My word.
Everybody on the planet expected a cakewalk for Germany over the Turks, who have been defying the odds more or less since their first match at Euro 2008. I for one thought that the Germans, who looked pretty damn good against Portugal, would run right through the Turkish team weakened by injuries, suspensions, and [...]
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My word, the always-excellent Phil Ball and I have certainly have a lot in common when it comes to our taste in football, especially the Spanish kind. Phil wrote his article Curse Busters about Spain’s victory over Italy on June 23, and I posted my commentary “Justice for All” a day before, and [...]
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Mark your calendars: it’s time to disagree with reigning clown Jamie Trecker once again.
Look, I won’t quibble with his opinion that Italy vs. Spain was a flop when it could have sizzled, but I think it’s highly unfair to claim that Spain was equally guilty for playing dour, gloomy football. Quotes like “both [...]
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Sheesh. This was a weekend of non-stop footie action, not all of it riveting all of the time, but exciting stuff nonetheless.
Once again, the Netherlands disappoints. I couldn’t be too upset about their loss because Russia simply blew their doors off. It would have been cruel and unfair to them for the Dutch [...]
It is always an honor, a pleasure, and a crowning achievement to contribute to Mediawatch on Football365. Although in fairness it was ESPN2 “analyst” (and I use that word in the broadest sense imaginable) Tommy Smyth doing much of the work…
For those who don’t follow the beautiful game, the joke here (besides the horrific incessant [...]
…and good lord, is this tournament delivering it or what? I wasn’t sure who I wanted to see win going in to the quarterfinal between Portugal and Germany, and I cheered every goal. The standard for this tournament has been open, attacking footie and I would have bet the house that things would be sure [...]