Euro Soccerball Thread

My "local" team just beat Man United 4-0

In the past few weeks, I found some new weird outlying free sports channel, which aside from the requisite line-up of Aussie Rules that goes with any sports channel desperately trying to fill-up a schedule, also has the Bundesliga and Liverpool's games (delayed), which is good from a neutral's perspective, as even without the magic racist cannibal0, they're probably the most entertaining side to watch, one way or another, along with a game of the week from the EPL on one of the main channels.

What I've seen so far:

The Bundesliga is fast! You can see a very clear link between how the game is played in this league (some teams, like Dortmund, more than others) and the current style of the German national team - as someone else pointed out to me, the EPL tends to feature a lot more individual play from the star players, whereas (with the understanding that Bayern Munich's big names aren't all back yet, and there aren't really any other clubs that big in Germany) the Bundesliga is more about fast, accurate teamwork, or at least the attempt to achieve that.

Dortmund were off the pace in their first game, and back for most of the 2nd game (but had a close finish after dropping off the last ten or so minutes), showing how on they have to be for that fast, high-pressing game to work.

If their big players coming back allows Bayern Munich to convert their control into goals, they could be very difficult for anyone to beat. Xabi Alonso looked great playing for them, and in the 2nd half of the draw against Schalke, Neuer gave his defence a fright after sprinting halfway up the pitch to sweep up the ball, only to clear it right to a Schalke player. Also notable for having some of the worst commentary I have ever heard on a game, with the commentator seeming to barely notice the build-up to the great reat Lewandowski goal, so caught up was he in his rambling comments that were about Bayern Munich and football, but not to the point where they were particularly related to what was actually happening in the match.

In EPL, the first game I saw was Tottenham vs West Ham, in which neither side looked particularly good, in spite of Spurs getting the win. They actually looked better in the seeing to they got from Liverpool.

Liverpool looked game but ultimately overmatched against Man City, who themselves looked like they were right back into their swarm of angry tanks form (with David Silva of course on horseback darting among the tanks, directing his immaculate and intricately designed sabre at the oppositions's artillery). And then against Stoke, you saw what happens when those tanks get stuck in the mud outside Moscow. Also Stoke - actually watchable now!

Arsenal looked fragile against Everton before finally getting themselves together for a spell, as they are wont to do, and Everton looked fun if not exactly stable - under Martinez, they're a a bit like rivals Liverpool under Rogers, in that they can be fun to watch, although not always in ways that would please their supporters. The commentators were coming down really hard on Lukaku, without noting that it was probably not having to deal with him that allowed Arsenal to come back in the last ten minutes. The influence Lukaku can have reminds me somewhat (although not to the same extent yet) of what Drogba could do on his day - I remember seeing years back in a Champions League group game when Chelsea were having their not looking so together AVB times, but in this game Drogba just destroyed the other team from the front, pushing the backs around enough that their ability to maintain their shape and build-up from or retreat to the back in pressure was just obliterated. Even when he's not showing the highlight clip moments of skill, I think Lukaku can also have that impact on another team's shape, although I guess that is the kind of thing commentators tend to miss or ignore.

Liverpool looked really good against a not that terrible considering the result Spurs. They were just faster, and Balotelli looked like he could fit in quite well with their fast and always on the verge of falling apart into utter chaos style. Sterling was really impressive, and I definitely think Sturridge benefited enormously from playing that season with Suarez (and getting games, the positive effect of which I suppose Welbeck is also going after with Arsenal). That new wingback Moreno looks like he could be fun too.

Also watched the friendly between England and Norway, despite knowing that it wasn't going to be much of anything, although Sterling and Sturridge were good to watch, even if that didn't really translate to the team as a whole looking similarly good, or really anything, good or bad, as a team.

I wasn't going to watch the game but things happened and I found myself on the sofa with my open eyed face pointing towards a TV that had inexplicably turned to the channel that was showing said game.

England weren't great but also not terrible which is an improvement on the last 6 months. I was pleased to see a central midfield trio of Henderson, Wilshere and Delph not sucking and not constantly being caught out of position in a Steven Gerrard style. Welbeck, Sterling and Rooney all linked up reasonably well too and looked relatively dangerous in attack. Switzerland created some good chances too but they're not a shit team so that's to be expected and at least Hart was having one of those days where he's actually switched on.

That's the last interesting game of EURO 2016 qualifying for England over and done with, at least. Time to focus on Scotland's march to the 3rd place play-off in their group.

I'd get a nosebleed if I was that far out of my area.

So: Leicester C v Man U. What a surprising game that was. Admittedly Leicester were a bit fortunate to get that penalty but even so Man U should have closed it out. And Jamie Vardy: three years ago he was playing for Fleetwood Town of the Conference, now he's man of the match in the Premier League.

Not only did Werder Bremen not have a shot on target, they registered no shots what so ever, the first team a team has done this in the Bundesliga since records began.

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I just saw the delayed LFC TV replay of the match vs QPR. 2 own goals from QPR, 3 goals in injury time, one of those own goals to win the match for Liverpool. I'm still not quite sure what the devil was going on there.

EDIT: And in the chaos, it seems everyone forgot someone got kicked in the nuts in the second half. I would just like to be on the record that I did not forget such an event.

Sunderland really ought to drop Mannone now. Obviously I have to stick up for a fellow keeper, but that was a terrible blunder for Sanchez's second, especially after making an almost identical blunder in the 8-0 (not his only one, of course).

As for Spurs, they can perform like that in Europe, but then lose to Newcastle (Newcastle!!) at home.

As my footballing loyalties are torn between Middlesbrough and Newcastle I hope Sunderland never drop Mannone.

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Own goal from the same guy who got knocked out for the Germans in the World Cup Final. It is a work of art.

I just watched the roundup of the last round's games. Hahaha, pretty sneaky, Mr Howard!

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