I'll take Spain over Croatia. Though I won't even attempt to guess a score after so many consecutive unlikely wins in this tournament.

I'll actually go for a surprise here with Ireland over Italy, or at least a draw.

marius2: I'll take Spain over Croatia. Though I won't even attempt to guess a score after so many consecutive unlikely wins in this tournament.

I'll actually go for a surprise here with Ireland over Italy, or at least a draw.

Ireland has looked really, really bad.

But they've got some talent on the team. They've got nothing to lose now, maybe it will waken them up a bit.

marius2: I'll take Spain over Croatia. Though I won't even attempt to guess a score after so many consecutive unlikely wins in this tournament.

I'll actually go for a surprise here with Ireland over Italy, or at least a draw.

not sure if serious

Italy 3-0
Spain 2-1

Also for your viewing pleasure, the EPL 2012-13 Fixture list is out

Also reading that Nicklas Bendtner has been banned 1 competitive UEFA match for flashing his undies. Paging tku to the thread...

I should say I'm hoping for a surprise with Ireland. My reasonable estimate of what would happen is Italy 2 Ireland 1. It would just be nice to see them come through for a win.


@Bendtner's undies: that's a silly ban, card him for it and move on.

For chrissake, Ireland, don't give up a goal in the first five minutes.

Q: What's the capital of Ireland?

A: About 8 quid if you hurry.

Spain win group with (a) win; (b) draw and ITA loss/draw; (c) draw, scoring 2+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by no more than 3; (e) 1-1 draw and ITA win 4-0
Croatia win group with win
Italy win group with (a) win and ESP 0-0 draw; (b) win by 5+ and ESP 1-1 draw; (c) win by 4, scoring 5+, and ESP 1-1 draw.

Spain is runner-up with (a) loss and ITA loss/draw; (b) 0-0 draw and ITA win; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 5+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 4, scoring 5+
Croatia is runner-up with (a) loss/draw and ITA loss/draw; (b) draw, scoring 2+; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 1; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win 2-0.
Italy is runner-up with (a) win and ESP win; (b) win and CRO win; (c) win by 2, scoring 3+, and ESP 1-1 draw; (d) win by 3 and ESP 1-1 draw; (e) win 4-0 and ESP 1-1 draw

Spain advance with (a) win/draw; (b) ITA loss/draw
Croatia advance with (a) win; (b) draw, scoring 2+; (c) ITA loss/draw; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 1; (e) 1-1 draw and ITA win 2-0.
Italy advance with (a) win and ESP win; (b) win and CRO win; (c) win and CRO 0-0 draw; (d) win by 3+ and CRO 1-1 draw; (e) win by 2, scoring 3+, and CRO 1-1 draw

Spain eliminated with loss and ITA win
Croatia eliminated with (a) loss and ITA win; (b) 0-0 draw and ITA win; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 3+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 2, scoring 3+
Italy eliminated with (a) loss/draw; (b) CRO draw, scoring 2+; (c) win by 1, and CRO 1-1 draw; (d) win 2-0 and CRO 1-1 draw

If we could have a 2-2- draw in SPA-CRO, that would be most amusing.

Nat taking part in the thread much tonight - playing Call of Cthulhu instead...

9beers: Correction, Italy would need to win by at least 4 goals ....

That option is not off the table today.

I'll be likely be recording both, but for sheer entertainment value, which is the game to watch live? I'm thinking ESP/CRO but maybe not?

desertgeek: Also reading that Nicklas Bendtner has been banned 1 competitive UEFA match for flashing his undies. Paging tku to the thread...

When I'm in charge, players will be banned for not revealing undergarments or skin. Keep your shirt on after scoring a goal? - yellow card.

Spain and Italy will go through, both with 2-0 wins.

Checking lineups... looks like Balotelli is out with a bruised ego.

CognaciousThunk: Checking lineups... looks like Balotelli is out with a bruised ego.

They said he hurt his knee in training on Saturday. Though maybe he's sick of the racist chants.

9beers: Spain and Croatia should just strike a deal to end in a 5-5 draw. Problem Italy?

This is soccer. I wouldn't be surprised if that went down.

Seeing as both of my ancestral countries are playing each other (Ireland-Italy), and I've already seen one Italy World Cup win in my lifetime, I'm going to go swallow a gun.

/I'm half-Italian but otherwise hate the Italian national team
//divers
///so is (mostly) everyone else

CognaciousThunk: Checking lineups... looks like Balotelli is out with a bruised ego.

He took a minor knock Saturday, he did some light work yesterday, could possibly be used as a sub but doubtful

Forza Azzurri

Doran: 9beers: Spain and Croatia should just strike a deal to end in a 5-5 draw. Problem Italy?

This is soccer. I wouldn't be surprised if that went down.

Seeing as both of my ancestral countries are playing each other (Ireland-Italy), and I've already seen one Italy Italian World Cup win in my lifetime, I'm going to go swallow a gun.

/I'm half-Italian but otherwise hate the Italian national team
//divers
///so is (mostly) everyone else

FTFM.

Italy def. Ireland 2-0
Spain draw Croatia 1-1 (just for the lulz)

desertgeek: CognaciousThunk: Checking lineups... looks like Balotelli is out with a bruised ego.

They said he hurt his knee in training on Saturday. Though maybe he's sick of the racist chants.

He should get a pair of those new Adidas kicks.

JC

9beers: Correction, Italy would need to win by at least 4 goals if the other game was a 1-1 draw.

Naw. If it's a 1-1 draw then whoever did worst against Ireland is eliminated. Croatia only beat Ireland 3-1, so anything at least that good (3+ goal victory or 2+ goal victory while scoring at least 3 goals) is enough for Italy.

midpoint: If we could have a 2-2- draw in SPA-CRO, that would be most amusing

Wouldn't everyone just love the amusement of the Italians of all people complaining about match fixing?

9beers: Spain and Croatia should just strike a deal to end in a 5-5 draw. Problem Italy?

You could build a bridge with the amount of irony of Italy being knocked out thanks to a fixed match

GQueue: midpoint: If we could have a 2-2- draw in SPA-CRO, that would be most amusing

Wouldn't everyone just love the amusement of the Italians of all people complaining about match fixing?

My secret dream: Late in the game Italy's up 1-0 and Spain is up 2-1 with Croatia pressing. The Italians are all glued to the Spain-Croatia game, ready to start screaming about match-fixing if Croatia scores a goal. Meanwhile, Ireland scores a goal in stoppage time to eliminate them.

On a random note: This is the fifth Euro matchday thread to get a "Final Fantasy" tag, for no reason I can see.

What have the Italians ever done for us?...

RminusQ: Spain win group with (a) win; (b) draw and ITA loss/draw; (c) draw, scoring 2+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by no more than 3; (e) 1-1 draw and ITA win 4-0
Croatia win group with win
Italy win group with (a) win and ESP 0-0 draw; (b) win by 5+ and ESP 1-1 draw; (c) win by 4, scoring 5+, and ESP 1-1 draw.

Spain is runner-up with (a) loss and ITA loss/draw; (b) 0-0 draw and ITA win; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 5+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 4, scoring 5+
Croatia is runner-up with (a) loss/draw and ITA loss/draw; (b) draw, scoring 2+; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 1; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win 2-0.
Italy is runner-up with (a) win and ESP win; (b) win and CRO win; (c) win by 2, scoring 3+, and ESP 1-1 draw; (d) win by 3 and ESP 1-1 draw; (e) win 4-0 and ESP 1-1 draw

Spain advance with (a) win/draw; (b) ITA loss/draw
Croatia advance with (a) win; (b) draw, scoring 2+; (c) ITA loss/draw; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 1; (e) 1-1 draw and ITA win 2-0.
Italy advance with (a) win and ESP win; (b) win and CRO win; (c) win and CRO 0-0 draw; (d) win by 3+ and CRO 1-1 draw; (e) win by 2, scoring 3+, and CRO 1-1 draw

Spain eliminated with loss and ITA win
Croatia eliminated with (a) loss and ITA win; (b) 0-0 draw and ITA win; (c) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 3+; (d) 1-1 draw and ITA win by 2, scoring 3+
Italy eliminated with (a) loss/draw; (b) CRO draw, scoring 2+; (c) win by 1, and CRO 1-1 draw; (d) win 2-0 and CRO 1-1 draw

Ireland wins group with a couple of bus accidents and a Croatia loss to an empty field.

kevinatilusa: On a random note: This is the fifth Euro matchday thread to get a "Final Fantasy" tag, for no reason I can see.

I can see why final and fantasy would be associated as separate words. It's a final tournament, there are fantasy games involved with it, so I guess the computer just saw the two words together and said "cool"

Just more lady-fans who'll need consoling.

robertus: Ireland wins group with a couple of bus accidents and a Croatia loss to an empty field.

Pretty sure empty field already beat Ireland like 3-0, so that would put them through with a win over Croatia.

And here we go. Appears that the bus crash scenario will not play out. Sorry, Ireland.

/bad week for teams with orange in the flag

I would have thought the Spanish National anthem would have included more Spanish guitars and Flamenco music.

Why can't they have Thierry Henry pay for it? He should have a hand in it.

CRO got robbed there that was penalty

Crap

...well, at least we're only down 1-0.

Group C: Win and go on to the quarter finals in debt, lose and go home in debt. Ireland's already out but that won't stop them from running up the credit card at the post-match celebrations. Fun starts at 2:45 EST

EDT. We're on Daylight time until November.

Diamanti or Nocerino need to take over at trequartista, Motta should drop back, Cassano doing his job for him is silly

Damn, Croatia's played too well overall this tourney to get bounced out before the knockout stages. Since they have to go for it in the second half, there may be some fireworks.

On the pitch, that is, not from their fans. Oh wait, their flares make it onto the pitch. Um, I expect things to happen between the players on the field. There. That works.

Come on Croatia and (ugh) Italy. Love to see Spain bounced. (Cowardly German fan).

Jordi Alba had mote shots on net than Torres

that was close

The hell?

Casilas is the best!

expobill: Casilas is the best!

He is, but that ball needed to headed DOWN. Wow.

rbaron71: Group C: Win and go on to the quarter finals in debt, lose and go home in debt. Ireland's already out but that won't stop them from running up the credit card at the post-match celebrations. Fun starts at 2:45 EST

EDT. We're on Daylight time until November.



check out the big brains on rbaron71

Heh... I hope it's a stick-on, but that calf tattoo warning of dirty tackles was awesome.

For some reason Ireland seems to be the team of those four that's most eager to score.

The Voice of Doom: For some reason Ireland seems to be the team of those four that's most eager to score.

they're drunk? drunk guys are always eager to score...no matter the quality.