|
|
Post by maarts on May 23, 2004 7:11:53 GMT -5
It had to be done.
Since the 'moderator' of these boards seems to have such a healthy disdain for what billions of people on this globe to consider the World Game, I'll attempt to keep the blood flowing and post my thoughts in regards to the upcoming Euro 2004 and, hopefully, far beyond.
Soccer has been the sport which has been injected in my veins, growing up on the grasslands of Holland. My first conscious efforts to play the game like my great inspirers, Johan Cruijff, Johan Neeskens and later on, Van Basten, Rijkaard and Gullit in the glorydays of the Dutch national team of 1988 and AC Milan...season ticket holder between 1986 and 1995 for PSV Eindhoven and being able to see the great Ronaldo and Romario score for that club...visiting internationals and the Champions' League final between Real Madrid and Juventus in 1998, seeing Del Piero, Zidane and Peruzzi, also Seedorf versus Davids...too many brilliant moments that TV doesn't reproduce unless you've been there yourself.
Australia sadly lacks the glamour and talent of Europe's leagues and the standard of play is like third division English-premiership...also this year we won't have a comp because of restorational works on the foundation of the soccer league. But there will be soccer on Aussie TV and I'll ansorb every minute of it...hope I can find some people who won't make me babble like an incoherent drunk.
And Millwall, you did us bogans proud.
|
|
|
|
Post by maarts on May 25, 2004 8:47:16 GMT -5
Maarts' personal best moments in world soccer:
1. Marco Van Basten scores the winning goal four minutes from time for Holland vs. Germany, European Championship 1988...wonderful throughball from Jan Wouters! Lost my voice forever in that cheer!
2. Marco Van Basten scores an unbelievable goal vs Russia in the final of the European Championship 1988. Out on the right side flanks, just outside the box, he delivers a shot that slams into the far corner of the goal, leaving the Russian goalkeeper absolutely helpless.
3. Dennis Bergkamp scores a crucial goal for Holland vs Argentina, quarterfinal of the World Cup 1998. Sitting drunk to the eyeballs watching that match in the bar of a Melbourne racetrack and got evicted when celebrating that goal loadly on top of a table....
...more to follow tomorrow....
|
|
|
|
Post by RocDoc on May 25, 2004 17:49:35 GMT -5
There's going to be a match here in Chicago between Man U and(I could swear)Real Madrid sometime in July and I'm VERY tempted to get ahold of some tix, cause that caliber of, ahem, soccer....*runs around dodging hard checkered spheres....OW!OW!OW!*...hasn't been seen here since the US hosted the World Cup in what? 1994 was it?
...and I truly enjoyed sitting in the yard watching some of those matches...hell, I played footie for 3 summers when I was a teenager...it IS a great game.
And the newly renovated Soldier Field here is a GREAT stadium. Just opened this year and I made it to a Chicago Bears game in December and was blown away by how close-in nearly all the seating is...
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on May 28, 2004 10:14:36 GMT -5
Nice maarts, nice. Real sport.  I remember all of those memories too. I've always been a fan of the Dutch way of playting total football, and I - along with every other Englishman - was dancing when Van Basten slid that goal in against the dreaded Hun back in '88. Served 'em right just for Voller's phlegm-catching perm alone. Great goal in the final too - that Van Basten volley from... was it Muhren's diagonal from out on the left? One of the greatest goals to ever grace a major final. Yeah, and I cheered when Bergkamp sublimely collected that 60 yeard pass from F De Boer to knock out the Argies in '98, especially as they'd done for us on penalties in the previous round. Unhappy memories regarding the Dutch? Them beating us 2-0 in 94 to prevent us going to the USA, after Koeman wrongly stayed on the pitch after bringing down Platt when he was through on goal... then promptly scored the freekick at the other end  Also sad when the Dutch lost to the cheating Argies in the 78 final. I'd have been sad when they lost to the dreaded Hun in '74 too, but I was only a toddler, so no major psychological damage there. |
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on May 31, 2004 15:04:34 GMT -5
Bah, maarts has deserted his own board. Getting nearer to our humiliating mauling at the hands of glorious, against-the-odds victory over the French on June 13th in England's opening Euro 2004 fixture. They can keep their Zidanes and Henrys and Pires' and Vieiras. We've got Nicky Butt! Oh shit...  |
|
|
|
Post by phil on Jun 13, 2004 16:39:52 GMT -5
The rosbif/Yorkeshire pudding
must be hard to swallow
in English cottages tonight ...
Even the Guinness must have a bitter taste ...
WAIT !!
Guinness always have a bitter taste ...
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 14, 2004 3:24:51 GMT -5
Phil, you're wrong about the Guiness - I daresay the Guinness slipped down Irish throats even better than usual. Nah, we is well proud of the lads. They were heroic and undeserving of such a cruel defeat. For 90 minutes we led the best team in the world and restricted them to virtually no shots on goal. But then we made two daft errors in injury time and Zidane is a genius. C'est la vie. Hopefully we'll get sweet revenge in the final.  |
|
|
|
Post by phil on Jun 14, 2004 3:30:46 GMT -5
With the net so big and the ball so small ... HOW CAN YOU MISS A PENALTY KICK  |
|
|
|
Post by phil on Jun 14, 2004 3:35:28 GMT -5
This week I'm gonna call my French, Italian, spanish and Moroccan friends living in Québec City to know the place where they will watch the games ...
Watching those guys' reactions is WAY MUCH MORE FUN than watching the actual futball game ...Ü...
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 18, 2004 14:47:54 GMT -5
England's buzzing again as a nation after our uninspiring win over Switzerland. Just need a draw against the Croats on Monday to get to the quarter-finals. So the country will come to a standstill again and the roads will empty, and an entire nation can cry in their beer if we play as badly as against the Swiss.
Great game between Italy and Sweden tonight though.
|
|
|
|
Post by RocDoc on Jun 18, 2004 16:47:27 GMT -5
I had one of my Lithuanian patients in here Weds morning for Rx on his meniscus-damaged knee....and as it gets around 11 O'Clock AM, the guy's getting all restless n'shit as I'm taking the electrodes and ice from his knee and he jumps up like he's ready to go...but I've always done therapeutic ultrasound on the guy too, so I'm like 'Waitwaitwait, ultrasound still'....
...and the guy's telling me 'You know it's going to sound stupid but I really want to get home to catch the start of the games...'
Guy's got satellite AND he's got an enforced 'vacation' due to his injury....and hey, forget about the therapy to take care of this thing, but man, I've got an opportunity to watch football!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 19, 2004 1:53:00 GMT -5
Now that's dedication! I've only missed a couple of first halves so far. I even made it through the utter tedium of Bulgaria vs Denmark yesterday. Worst game I've ever seen. Where's Maarts? He started this board, and hasn't even commented on Holland's draw with Germany Come on maarts, how are you going to do against the Czechs today? Huge game, eh? |
|
|
|
Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 24, 2004 4:30:04 GMT -5
Holland vs Czech Republic was one of the best matches of all time Maarts. Great to see you squeak through to the knockout stages at Germany's expense last night. The Germans were shite.
The Dutch are starting to look dangerous... I fancy you for the final now.
|
|
|
|
Post by RocDoc on Jun 24, 2004 9:36:37 GMT -5
Shit, looks like I'm going to have to invite myself over to my patient's house, hmmmm.
...tho a sixer of the EXCELLENT Svyturys beer(just now being exported to Chicago) opens most Lithuanians' doors pretty easily around here, heh.
But those matches go pretty long...maybe I'd better bring a full box, eh?
Are these the semis or quarters yet?
|
|
|
|
Post by Meursault on Jun 25, 2004 6:59:48 GMT -5
Go Portugal!
|
|
