***OFFICIAL*** Euro Playoffs thread

[ronk]

YES

[lets all have a disco]

Well done on it being two nil but i still say the quality has been lacking.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

3-0 Job done

[zuricity]

Meanwhile Mario is attaining cult status in Italy with his performance tonight

[Moonchesteri]

Meanwhile Mario is attaining cult status in Italy with his performance tonight

please enlighten us?

[ronk]

Enjoying this

[carl_feedthegoat]

Meanwhile Mario is attaining cult status in Italy with his performance tonight

please enlighten us?

Italy are leading 1-0 at half-time in Poland thanks to a magnificent Mario Balotelli strike – his first for his country.

The Azzurri performed some experiments in this friendly against one of the Euro 2012 hosts in the Wroclaw stadium that will be used in next summer’s tournament.

Milan right-back Ignazio Abate was given his senior Italy debut and Giorgio Chiellini returned to the central defensive role, while Riccardo Montolivo was the trequartista behind Mario Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini.

This was the first game since learning usual starting strikers Antonio Cassano (heart surgery) and Giuseppe Rossi (knee ligaments) would be out for six months, so their participation in Euro 2012 could well be in doubt.

Balotelli and Pazzini exchanged position regularly to confuse the opposition defence and leave no specific centre-forward to mark. Slawomir Peszko wasted by firing wide on the bounce from nine yards. Pazzini sprung the offside trap from a smart Claudio Marchisio through ball, but tried to cut back inside Damien Perquis and was closed down for a corner.

Italy should’ve taken the lead when a cross went past Pazzini to find an unmarked Daniele De Rossi down the right side of the penalty area, but the Roma man tried to pass it back into the middle rather than shoot for goal.

Poland went very close when a Ludovic Obraniak corner found Robert Lewandowski at the back post for a header on to the side-netting, as Gigi Buffon had flapped at the cross.

Balotelli also nodded an Andrea Pirlo corner over the bar and Chiellini clattered – cleanly, albeit very violently – into Lukasz Piszczek.

Blaszczykowski tried to wriggle through the Azzurri defence and almost managed it, but was eventually closed down for a throw-in.

Balotelli had seemed to be doing very little, but he suddenly brought an amazing goal out of the hat. Marchisio won back possession and he was over 20 metres out and curled a stunning right-foot lob into the far top corner, spotting Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny off his line. As is his way, SuperMario celebrated his first senior goal for Italy without a smile, but by kissing the shirt.

Buffon did well to beat away a dangerous Lewandowski snapshot from a tight angle, though Montolivo should’ve passed to Pazzini rather than hit a meek attempt at Szczesny.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

keane makes it 4-0

[ronk]

Magic. Made up right now

[lets all have a disco]

Thats Ireland through to the finals,well done guys top stuff.

But ive never been more bored watching a 4-0 win in my whole life.

[Bear60]

Well done lads job done. Let the Guiness start flowing.

[one man army]

[youtube]fArKmq4FdKc[/youtube]

szczesny at fault, tho.

[phips]

[youtube]fArKmq4FdKc[/youtube]
szczesny at fault, tho.

what a typical play from an Arsenal keeper as of late.




Check out Altintop's disgraceful dive. He should be banned for the next leg. Awful stuff.
[youtube]0p3NeiD4Ay4[/youtube]

[1950]

It's hard to spot in that muddy video, but Olic stepped on his foot slightly. No pen, but no blatant dive either.

[Ted Hughes]

Just watched a recording of Bosnia v Portugal.

I'll never get that 94 minutes of my life back.

[stommy]

Just watched a recording of Bosnia v Portugal.

I'll never get that 94 minutes of my life back.

what a tragedy!!!:))

[halnone]

God, let's hope Portugal win, he might see a win as a reason to return.

Now that's just plain racist.

I'm sure it is, can I just put up the white flag now?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Sort of white....funny how the flag has colour aint it?

hello just visit to say slim to fuck off bye bye

hahahaha

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Watching the Wales v Norway game and Bale and Bellers have both scored cracking goals

[Buffalo Soldier]

Can't be arsed making a thread for it but just seen that inept twat has picked Phil Jones in midfield for England.

The same Phil Jones who has played once for the scum in that position and is now apparently England class in that position.

I was fucking fuming with the decision not to pick Micah in the squad and then he follows it up with this. Hope all the City lads get slight knocks in the first few minutes and we go on to get an absolute hiding so this twat gets the push before the Euros.

I don't even care if Jones has a stormer today, it's disrespectful to the midfielders in that squad who graft their arse off in that position every week and get usurped by Duncan Edwards with highlights.

[zuricity]

Carragher, warra lad eh ? All those teams in england, no conflict when playing for england.... No man city either .... Warra jerk