The football thread!

[mangaman74]

I'll be supporting Germany mainly, then Spain. I really don't want England to win; they won once in 1966, and people still go on about it. If they win again, it'll be years before we hear the end of it.

That was the World Cup which England won in 1966. The current football tournament being played is the UEFA European Football Championship (or Euro 2012 as it is being called). England have not won the Euros (even Greece have won it more times than we have) so while it may be a weak team compared to previous ones, I will still be cheering them on.

The World Cup and European Championship alternate every 2 years so in 2 years time it will be the finals of the next World Cup and in 4 years time it will be the next European Championship.

 

[fabio de lunatico]

There are too many loathsome characters in the current England squad for me to wholeheartedly support them (not to mention that they play turgid football), so I'm invoking my dual citizenship and supporting Ireland instead.

 

[Ath]

England all the way, although my expectations are rock bottom. Any kind of progression past the group stages would be great. I've been enjoying the matches a lot so far, already more entertaining than the last World Cup. Euro 2008 was excellent and I'm hoping 2012 can keep up the same standards.

Yo, Chelsea. Surprised there were zero comments regarding the final!

I held back because all my posts at the time would have been nothing but a series of incoherent, Gary Neville-style goalgasms. OHHHHHHHHHHHH etc. Needless to say I'm well chuffed!

 

[Mutsumi]

I'll be supporting Germany mainly, then Spain. I really don't want England to win; they won once in 1966, and people still go on about it. If they win again, it'll be years before we hear the end of it.

That was the World Cup which England won in 1966. The current football tournament being played is the UEFA European Football Championship (or Euro 2012 as it is being called). England have not won the Euros (even Greece have won it more times than we have) so while it may be a weak team compared to previous ones, I will still be cheering them on.

The World Cup and European Championship alternate every 2 years so in 2 years time it will be the finals of the next World Cup and in 4 years time it will be the next European Championship.

Thanks for the lesson, but I already knew all of that. The logic behind my opposing them winning the Euros is the same as my logic behind opposing them winning the World Cup, plus both events are more or less the same, only one of them doesn't have Brazil in it. Any other differences are minor; it is still a big national tournament.

 

[mangaman74]

Thanks for the lesson, but I already knew all of that. The logic behind my opposing them winning the Euros is the same as my logic behind opposing them winning the World Cup, plus both events are more or less the same, only one of them doesn't have Brazil in it. Any other differences are minor; it is still a big national tournament.

I think there is a big difference - I would say it is like comparing the Premier League to the Champions League.

The World Cup sees all countries take part while the Euros sees only European countries take part. The European Championships is more like the equivelant of the Copa America or the African Cup of Nations.

 

[ayase]

I'd give it up if I were you mangaman. Mutsumi Logic™ seems to suggest he doesn't want England to win (anything, at all) because he doesn't want to hear people talk about their victory afterwards.

International tournaments usually make for a better watch than your average Boro match, so I'll probably tune into a few. Will be supporting England because to do otherwise would make me feel like a traitor, though I often wish we had a British football team (it would probably be better).

 

[Cathe]

Supporting Germany.

If Germany don't win, i'd like to see one of the...'lesser' teams win.

 

[Mutsumi]

Thanks for the lesson, but I already knew all of that. The logic behind my opposing them winning the Euros is the same as my logic behind opposing them winning the World Cup, plus both events are more or less the same, only one of them doesn't have Brazil in it. Any other differences are minor; it is still a big national tournament.

I think there is a big difference - I would say it is like comparing the Premier League to the Champions League.

The World Cup sees all countries take part while the Euros sees only European countries take part. The European Championships is more like the equivelant of the Copa America or the African Cup of Nations.

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

How would 11 Englishmen winning a game against 11 Spaniards be worth any less now than in two years time? The quality of the team is not determined by the presence or lack thereof of other teams, so a victory over whoever should be worth just as much commendation.

I'd give it up if I were you mangaman. Mutsumi Logic™ seems to suggest he doesn't want England to win (anything, at all) because he doesn't want to hear people talk about their victory afterwards.

International tournaments usually make for a better watch than your average Boro match, so I'll probably tune into a few. Will be supporting England because to do otherwise would make me feel like a traitor, though I often wish we had a British football team (it would probably be better).

It is pretty much just football which I oppose England winning at. The common English football fan behaves in a manner I dislike, as do many of the players themselves. I'll support England in other sports, but more because I might find the particular sportsman to put on a good show and be a likeable character. Jensen Button, for instance. His performance in the wet is why I like wet races so much; he puts in such a good race, and he is a nice character too. I no longer support something just for being British. A nationality is just a label, it does not bestow and special quality on anyone or anything. We're just a bunch of humans doing things anyway, what does it matter if that person is English, British, Iranian, Polish or Japanese?

I would also prefer a British team rather than an English team. Why divided anyway? At the Olympics we have Team GB, why not for football?

Glad to see I'm not the only one choosing to support a different country for this tournament.

tl;dr: I can't think of a witty summary, so you'll just have to read the long version. Sorry.

Supporting Germany.

If Germany don't win, i'd like to see one of the...'lesser' teams win.

I also like to support the underdogs. I feel that if a weaker competitor wins, they must have really worked hard for it in order to overcome the odds.

 

[MaxonTreik]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

Was the last time you looked 8 years ago?

 

[Vashdaman]

Mutsumi is such a great forumite. He really makes this thread readable for me.

 

[VoxPhantom]

Everything Mutsumi said.

England and Ireland for me.

 

[Ian Wolf]

I would also prefer a British team rather than an English team. Why divided anyway? At the Olympics we have Team GB, why not for football?

We do have an Team GB football team (men and women) for the Olympics, whose first match is a friendly taking place in Middlesbrough in July, first against Brazil.

Of course, this whole Team GB thing does raise a problem, namely trying to get the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football fans to all try and get along, when secretly they rather play on their own. Most likely the only trouble with hooliganism would be amongst ourselves.

 

[Mutsumi]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

Was the last time you looked 8 years ago?

Obviously not, because 8 years ago was the Euro 2004 tournament.

 

[teonzo]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

A+ for trolling.



Teo

 

[Mutsumi]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

A+ for trolling.



Teo

And yet still no one attempts to disprove my statement by providing evidence to the contrary. Come on then, if I am wrong, prove it, and I shall concede that point. Show me a non-European team that frequently gets to at least the quarter finals and has won it before also.

 

[mangaman74]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World ... ntal_zones

The only teams that regularly get to the quarter finals of World Cups are Brazil (10 times), Italy (8 times) and Germany (12 times). After that there are several teams that have reached that stage 5 times (Uruguary and France) and 4 times (Argentina, Holland and Sweden).

So on that evidence the best countries come from South America and Europe.

In terms of World Cup winners, it has been won by a European country 10 times and a South American team 9 times.

As for a Great British team - in the long run it won't happen as each of the home nations have their own FA and league. It has only happened this time the Olympics is being held in Great Britain so their was a call for a GB team. when it is next held overseas there won't be a reason for it anymore.

 

[Mutsumi]

There we go, mangaman74 knows how to play this game. Good info there. It asserts that while my statement was in many ways correct, it was not flawlessly so. So I still say a Euro victory is worth almost as much as a World Cup one.

 

[Vashdaman]

It asserts that while my statement was in many ways correct, it was not flawlessly so.

It was so very nearly though. And in my eyes it will always be flawless.

 

[MaxonTreik]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

A+ for trolling.



Teo

And yet still no one attempts to disprove my statement by providing evidence to the contrary. Come on then, if I am wrong, prove it, and I shall concede that point. Show me a non-European team that frequently gets to at least the quarter finals and has won it before also.

You pretend to know anything about football, get told you're wrong by people more knowledgeable than you and make them provide evidence. Stop embarrassing yourself.

It asserts that while my statement was in many ways correct, it was not flawlessly so.

 

[Mutsumi]

In the world cup, most of the most successful teams are European. Does the absence of Brazil mean so much? Let time I looked, they were pretty much the only non-European team that regularly put up a good challenge for the world cup.

A+ for trolling.



Teo

And yet still no one attempts to disprove my statement by providing evidence to the contrary. Come on then, if I am wrong, prove it, and I shall concede that point. Show me a non-European team that frequently gets to at least the quarter finals and has won it before also.

You pretend to know anything about football, get told you're wrong by people more knowledgeable than you and make them provide evidence. Stop embarrassing yourself.

It asserts that while my statement was in many ways correct, it was not flawlessly so.

The evidence provided supported my statement. You are welcome to either prove me wrong, or go away and stop trolling.