Euro 2020/1 - The Quarterfinals Begin!
Following that is the big one - Belgium v. Italy. The Italians had been in great form through the group stage, but really struggled against Austria and could easily have suffered an early exit. Belgium similarly made heavy weather with Portugal in the last round, relying on one long-range effort from Thorgan Hazard to go through and losing their talisman Kevin de Bruyne in the effort.
Join me for all of the action.
posted by The Blue Devil @ 11:21 AM
459 Comments:
Good morning, Bob . Here to join you for the quarterfinal action
Hiya Lads, I'm puttering around with Sami Khadeera on in the background. He simply cannot be trusted to choose his stage attire, and neither can Cookie.
Morning Boys
First ticket to Wembley up for grabs.....COME ON YOU SWISS
Morning, guys - here are the teams making their way out at St. Petes now:
Switzerland: Sommer, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez, Widmer, Freuler, Zakaria, Zuber, Shaqiri, Embolo, Seferovic.
Subs: Mbabu, Vargas, Mvogo, Sow, Fassnacht, Benito, Gavranovic, Fernandes, Kobel, Schar, Comert, Lotomba.
Spain: Simon, Azpilicueta, Laporte, Pau Torres, Jordi Alba, Koke, Busquets, Gonzalez, Ferran Torres, Morata, Sarabia.
Subs: de Gea, Diego Llorente, Marcos Llorente, Gerard, Thiago, Garcia, Sanchez, Gaya, Rodri, Olmo, Traore, Oyarzabal.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
I am rooting for the Swiss and Italians today!
Good morning Dave and Steve.
You're right, Steve - it's definitely the B-team on hand for this morning's match. I wonder if they'll swap them out with a stronger team of, say, Del Piero and Macca this afternoon.
Is this the last time we're going to have to suffer through Derek Rae's insufferable pronunciations?
I will be here for most of the match
I am picking up Kathy near the end of the first and beginning of the second
I shall return
I sure hope so, Bob. Derek has outstayed his welcome
Xtra time and penalties to tire the winners of this one, please. Maybe a second booking that hurts the sides. I want neither of these sides to advance, but the one that does should only be on their last legs starting the semis.
Switzerland, Belgium, Ukraine and CR are considered the home teams
Wonder what Ukraine will wear? England's second kit is blue
In terms of the Predictions Game, only Red Devil picked Spain to get through to the semi-finals; no one was cavalier enough to pick Switzerland.
They're off from St. Pete
And we're away in this first Quarterfinal - let's have some goals, boys!
I would p[refer that the Swiss advance as I want Spain out ASAP
Sadly, we have some Swiss players playing in Germany....Derek Rae is going to have a ball
Nice tackle win in midfield by Shquiri then goes on a sol run then a deflected shot goes to Unai Simon
I'm in the same corner as David...move over and give me room!
Oh Derek woke up from a dream, switched on the bedside lamp, and wrote that one down-you win, or you go home. His wife sighed and turned over away from the light before he switched it off again and went back to sleep.
First Bundesliga side mentioned...took two minutes
Just to let everyone know I will be absent for the other quarters . As soon as the match ends Elizabeth and I are leaving for Fredricksburg. I would rather be here for the quarters but am not able to
I don't think that either of these sides will get past either Italy or Belgium in the semis so it's a moot issue for me.
Fredricksburg, where?
LOL, Steve. Nice that Derek know the basic fundamentals of a knockout tournament. Think he's flying solo otherwise
Texas, Steve. It's in the Hill Country about a five hour drive from Where we live
Agreed, Bob. I think the winner of the next match will be in the final
I just accepted an invitation to watch the England match tomorrow with John Menditto, so I won't be on the blog for that.
Did you see that there were more than 240,000 people sign a petition to replay the France Switzerland match!
Because they say Sommer's foot was off the line!!
They complained after the Euro Final last time out!
Can any of the the remember France vs Ireland.....TH14 handball
SORE LOSERS!!!
We've got a Fredricksburg VA, about an hour away so I got hopeful.
Wish were there too... say hello to John
Nice run by Zakaria on the Swiss break . Played a one two then overran the ball. Then Shaquiri flagged offside
I can't imagine Derek Rae with a wife and kids, really. I imagine in the off season as a lonely lighthouse keeper, surrounded by his atlases and thesauri.
So they were appealing to UEFA's sense of fair play? How naive.
Ferran Torres tackled by Ricky Rodrgiuez for a Spain corner
Have fund David
BLOODY HELL
Deflected shot...one nil Spain
Was it on target or is Owen Gola again
that will Alba's goal
GOAL !! JORDI ALBA GIVES SPAIN THE LEAD. HORRIBLY MISJUDGED BY JAN SOMMER SAUSGAGE. DID IT TAKE A NICK
GOAL! Oh - what was that? Jordi Alba with a hit and a hope and it flies in off a terrible deflection. Sommer didn't have a chance.
1-0 Spain!
Goal! It was deflected in by Zakaria. Who gets the credit?
So, Switzerland will have to find a way to come back from behind again.
I suppose if the Alba shot was on target, it will be credited to him. If it was going wide, it'll be Zakaria's o.g.
So ridiculous about the French!!
Agreed, Dave. They are such hypocrites.
The Swiss are definitely going to miss the steel of Granit Xhaka in midfield today.
England's yellows
Rice, Phillips, Maguire and Foden
Will SGate tweak his line up any?
They get erased after this round
After watching g the replay I saw that Jordi Alba's shot took a wicked deflection off of Zaccaria and wrong footed Sommer
England have only themselves to blame if they don't defeat the Ukes.
Thanks, Dave. I'll try to have fun, but in the back of my mind will be thinking that I'm missing most of the quarters in a major tournament and would rather be on the LOB
Top answer , Steve. I would love to go to Virginia and hope I can if our house sells any time soon.
It's Xhaka's stand-in Zakaria who clumped that one into his own net.
Spain win another corner. They scored off the last one. This one headed away
Morata fouled just outside the Swiss box
I remember taking a side trip to Fredericksburg back in 2014 during a trip with Kate to see her stepbrother get married in Austin. Had a lovely German meal and walk around the picturesque main street.
Koke fires the free kick well over the top.
OH! Nice free kick from Koke Cola. Inches over clipping the top of the net
I'd bring in Mings for Slabby but Rice's play in this tournament means he must be risked. Though Hendo might deputize for either Rice or Phillips.
I like that street, Bob , and Elizabeth and I ate at the same restaurant. The only problem is that it's crowded with far too many tourists
I think the two yellow card suspension is past its prime
Cards are given out to liberally these days
I think it should be at least 3 to get a ban
At least they have changed it that you can't be banned for the final with a second yellow(except if it in the same game)
Embolo tackled by Pau Torres for a corner off a sloppy clearance from Simple Simon
Hammy for Embolo?
That's a good description, Dave. I agree with the three cards
Agreed, Steve - I think that Gareth might well replace one or two of the players on yellows for the match tomorrow. Might well be Hendo in for either Rice or Phillips who are both on yellows.
The question I've got is whether he continues with the five across the back to combat the Ukrainian wingbacks as he did the German wingbacks or whether he reverts to back four, taking out, say, Kyle Walker.
Rae is even calling a player's wife's name whacko
Monica....how can you change that!!
I've thought the same thing. Two bookings and out is too harsh. 3 would be better.
Some of the se refs go through cards faster than we go through toilet paper. It's ridiculous. Will there be bookings for sneezing or coughing?
Really hard, Dave. I know in Spanish the one is emphasized, but otherwise no difference
Oh - Seferovic was nearly played in by Shaqiri.
Excluding own goals, Jordi Alba is the seventh different Spanish player to score at Euro 2020.
In European Championship history, only Germany in 2012 have had more different scorers at a single edition (eight).
ENGLAND....TWO
That's another blow to the Swiss. Vargas isn't nearly as dynamic as Embolo from what I've seen.
Bad news for the Swiss as that's it for Embolo. Off injured and replaced by Vargas
I'm hoping that this one doesn't go to extra time as I have to run to a meeting on campus at 2pm. Hoping to wrap it up in time to run home for the big one later on.
At least Derek won't be around the next match. He'd butcheries r the name Munich tons of times and Munich bios not even the name in German
Oh - free header for my boy Alvaro!
Free header .... straight at the keeper
I hope so too. We want to arrive in the fake Fred Town at a decent time
My Footmob app is saying OG for Zakaria.
Dave will be interested to note with Varags coming on yet another German name to foul up. First Augsburg player of the match
I reckon that he's done. There are only three matches left after this round. Although - is there a 3rd/4th game in this competition? I forget. He could do that one.
Bloody hell...it's been given to Owen Gola!!
No way!!
Just confirmed by Derek.
Derek must have been reading FOTMOB because he said the OG
That's a shame - Mr. Own Goal now on to 10 goals in this tournament.
I hope that Darke and Robson have both semis and Final because they are at Wembley
No 3rd/4th matches in the Euros
YIKES! I know Dave mentioned the amount of Swiss player playing in Germany, but didn't realize that four of them ALL play for Gladbach. Now three with Embolo going off injured
I feel like I've been watching that Spanish bloke with the drum all my life. How old must he be?
Owen Goala broke Platini's record of nine in a Euro
Now Derek with the fancy pronunciations of Aarau and Zurich. Will be glad to see the back of him
Is Freuler a fouler?
Stu Dallas signed a new three year contract at ER today
Happy about that Bob?
Derek is giving the life's history of Sylvain Widmer now.
"His grandad was the town's postman and Widmer spent his summers practicing his yodeling skills...."
Oh, do shut up!
Geez... got TT for the Belgian/Italy match..
LOL! Those stories are bloody useless. Derek needs to understand there's a Euro in progress
Bob...I second that emotion
Glad I won't have to listen to TT. I'm going to try to watch on Plus this evening. At least I will be listening to English commentators
Now the father who works as a golf instructor who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. GEEZ!
Bob should be pleased about the contract Dallas signed. Stu not Texas.
Efan should burn Derek's notes before every match.
Header from a corner over the bar....that's better
COME ON YODELS!
Akanji heads the corner from shaquiri well over
I'm delighted. I'm also curious about the 18 year-old winger that we just signed from Birmingham.
I am off to pick up Kath
I'll be back soon
Now the fancy pronunciation of Dortmund. He didn't pronounce not correctly, so they can get him on that
Cheers , Dave . Look forward to chatting with you later
There's that the drum that's an LOB favorite. I'm being sarcastic
Cheerio, Dave!
Oliver Twost being praised for his refereeing performance. What has he had to do that's difficult
Widmer wins a corer off of Jordi Alba
Corner from Shaquiri headed well wide by Widmer
Half chance there for Widmer but he had his eyes closed for the header.
The difference in the match his a a shot that took a lucky deflection. Otherwise not much between the sides
Offside flag raised as Zuber got behind the Spain defense, but was flagged offside
Bob, we always had our eyes wide open when we headed the ball
We did, indeed, although I do remember the impulse to close my eyes when I was going up for a headed challenge, so I don't really blame Widmer there. Besides, according Derek Rae, his mother made a mean cherry strudel. Yum!
Naughty by Azpi on Zuber
Into the last minute of stoppage time now.
A minute off stoppage time
Derek is a real mother, so he would know, LOL!
Spin one up at the half thanks to a lucky deflection. Otherwise little between the sides
Right. Ham and cheese sandwich time. Back for the 2nd half
Second half underway from St. Pete Danny the Elm on for Sarabia.
Sounds tasty , Steve
We're back on for the second half now. Spain a goal to the good from that unfortunate Zakaria deflected own goal.
Nice cross from Morata volleyed nay Danny the Elm, but easily saved by Sommer. He was flagged offside
Cross from Zuber heads dout by Jordi Alba for a corner
Corner chested back by Ferran Torres to Simple Simon
Derek butchers the name Leipzig I don't think he pronounced it correctly
Koke Cola with a stooping header high and wide from a cross from Danny the Elm
When I arrive in Fredriksburg I will ask the Swiss restaurant owner that I met if he watched the match
Biscuits heads out for a Spain corner
Shaqiri saw Unai Simon off his line a bit and tried a cheeky curler from the corner. Into the side netting.
Tiki Taka starting to take over the match
My boy Alvaro gets the hook at the 54th minute. Not his day, today.
Jerry Moreno on for Morata . A False nUmber nine for a true one. Sounds falsetto
Morata reminds of the characters win the Show " The Office" Bad days at the office
Yeah - I think that the Spanish are quite content with this 1-0 lead. I hope that the Swiss can make a match of it.
OH! Corner from Ricky Rodriguez headed inches by Zacaria. Almost tied it up
Agreed. If this is tied up , then the Spanish are forced to come out and play
I am back boys
Oh - Zakaria should have made amends with a header into the corner.
Welcome back, Dave - how was the drive? We've got thunderstorms and torrential downpours today.
Sefarovic fouls LaPorte from behind
Welcome back, Dave
Oh - Fernan Torres nearly in there - good block by Seferovic.
Ferran Tporres chests then volleys wide form the free kick. Came off of Sefarovic for a corner
Short corner comes to nothing
We have steady light rain today
Had storms yesterday
If I go to Hawaii I'll watch Spain from the Tiki Taka bar.
BOOM BOOM!
I think there's supposed to be Afternoon thunder storms in Fredricks burg tomorrow and Sunday afternoons
Not sure why Spain is second favorites to win the tournament and why everyone is making a big deal over them. I don't think they've been that great other than against weak opposition.
Not liking a German ref in charge of the England match tomorrow....will he get his country's revenge!!
The CL Final referee was not retained for the quarters
He was good in the Final
All three officials will be from Germany
Danny the Elm wins a corner off of Vargas
All the VAR officials are as well!
Come on, you Swiss!
WOW ! That's a really poor decision from UEFA. How is a German ref supposed to be neutral given the rivalry with England and that England knocked that?
oooh.....Swiss go close!
COME ON!!
Oh - Zuber was in there at the near post but Simon did well.
OH! Nice Swiss moves down the leftNice pass from Vargas, but the lob from Zuber pushed around at the near post by Simon. Corner cleared then a back pass to the keeper
Richard Widmer booked by Oliver Twist
Come on Swiss...get on a roll!!
My David impersonation
GOAL! Shaqiri levels it for the Swiss!
YES!!!!!
SHAQ ties it up!!
GOAL !!!! SAHQUIRI TIUES IT UP AS THE SPANISH DEFENSE FELL ASLEEP
Sadly, I've got to bugger off for my meeting now. I'll see you for the late one.
That was a great unselfish pass
Take care Bob
I wonder how the game would be if Keepers weren't allowed out of the box....like 5side
Horrible mix up between Pau Torres and LaPorte Off a lobbed pass and Freuler laid it on a plate for Shaquiri for an easy tap in
That little man from the Shire has equalized this one. 1-1.
Cheers, Bob. Great chatting . Enjoy the rest of the day
Cheerio, Bob.
LOL, Dave. Never have used the roll pun. I always talk about Swiss chocolate and defenses having as many holes as Swiss cheese. Once in a while I talk about cuckoo clocks
LOL, Steve. I guess gnomes can score
Swiss almost in again...finally cleared
That goal has really enlivened the Swiss.
That would be interesting. If keepers couldn't go out of their box there would be more goals for sure
The Spanish defense has looked shaky since the equalizer. How is this team second favorites?
Three group winners , three third place teams , and two group runners up qualified for the quarters . The two runners up defeated fellow runners upon. So much for group placings indicated how far a team will progress
Great ball from Moreno across the goal mouth. No takers, however
Jordi Alba with a pass blocked for a corner
Nice Spanish cross but Zuber chests it back to Jan Sommer
Struth....Michael Oliver wants some headlines....red card
I think he was low enough!!
WOW! Freuler a fouler. Nast one on Jerry Moreno and it will be tough for the Swiss
I think so too. VAR needs to check this
VAR not looking at it?
Harsh to me
Free kick from Biscuits headed wide by Jerry Moreno
I agree. Not sure how VAR didn't look at it. The crew thinks it was an obvious red? Hard to believe
I definitely agree with Efan...flash a yellow and maybe change it!
I thought that Freuler took Moreno's standing foot. I have no problem with that being a red.
LOL, Dave. Now we know why it's called the group of death.
A Sow on for a gnome as the Swiss make a defensive change
That little man's off for his second breakfast. Sow on. There goes Seferovic and on comes late goal hero Gavranovic.
Like for like as Gavranovic is on for Sefarovic . Gavaranovic did well off the bench on Monday, but it will be tougher for him today
Promising Spanish attack, but Ferran Torres called for a push.
Jerry Moreno straight to Jan Sommer Sausage
Weak effort from Moreno
La Porte with a shot off Elvedi straight to Simple Simon
What club does the Spanish keeper play for?
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