Euro 2012

[Plubby]

Just looking at your geopolitical figures...Are the United States going to stage a run-in and win the semi final fixture for England?

[Gazz]

Just looking at your geopolitical figures...Are the United States going to stage a run-in and win the semi final fixture for England?

I wonder if they'll also stop Japan annihilating Australia in the Asian Cup.

[Plubby]

Not if the Second World War has anything to say about it - illegal immigrants have more success getting into Australia today than Japan did in WW2

[Lineker]

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named the team which he expects to play in next Sunday's Euro 2012 opener against Croatia.

Trapattoni said the side will only change if a player is injured in Monday's friendly with Hungary.

Shay Given and John O'Shea are in the line-up after recovering from injury while Kevin Doyle starts in attack.

Trapattoni added that if the players remain fit, he is ready to name the same team for all three group games.

Goalkeeper Given had a knee injury while defender O'Shea is fit again after an ankle problem.

However, there is no place in the side for Sunderland winger James McClean.

Republic of Ireland: Given, O'Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward, Duff, Andrews, Whelan, McGeady, Keane, Doyle.

Bit of an odd move there from Trapattoni, no?

[METALMAN]

MPH Predicts Euro 2012 Based on Geopolitical Importance, Past 200 Years:

Group A

Russia

Poland

Greece

Czech Republic

Group B

Germany

Portugal

Netherlands

Denmark

Group C

Italy

Croatia

Ireland

Spain

Group D

England

France

Ukraine

Sweden

Russia over Portugal

France over Italy

Germany over Poland

England over Croatia

Russia over France

England over Germany

England over Russia

You are so wrong here.

[Guest mr. potato head]

I'll admit hockey is more within my field of expertise.

[METALMAN]

Hockey can go take a fuck to itself :/

[Colly]

That was brilliant, for some reason my phone went a bit slow and I'd read your whole comment before the :/ appeared, which is how I'd like it to always be in future.

[stokeriño]

How Kelly is going is beyond me. Micah and Rio should of been in the initial 23. This is the worst squad we have taken to a tournament that I can remember

Well I'm all for giving youth a chance but not so close to a major tournament. Not that my team have had to worry about that anyway as we havent been in one for 14 years. Why not just be honest and say we value terry more and we can't take Rio because Terry may have racially abused his brother. That's what it's about really.

I love the message it sends. I can't wait for the FA's new campaign: "Kick Racism Out of Football (Unless You Are Playing At A Certain Level, Then You Can Call Everyone A Fucking Black Cunt)". Might need a punchier name...

Yeah. Nowhere near as catchy as the "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" campaign.

[Colly]

Nominating both France goals tonight for Junes GOTM, we're gonna get fucking bossed next Monday.

[Monkey D. Lars]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rfql2Tglvw&feature=fvwrel

:wub:

[Blaze09]

So if anyone leaves the pitch due to racial abuse, Michel Platini has said they will receive a yellow card.

I don't even…

[Monkey D. Lars]

Mathijsen has a set back with his injury, maybe he will be replaced.

[Lineker]

Englishman Howard Webb has been chosen to referee Russia against the Czech Republic on the first day of Euro 2012.

The 40-year-old from Rotherham, who took charge of the 2010 World Cup final, will be aided by assistants Michael Mullarkey, Peter Kirkup, Martin Atkinson and Mark Clattenburg.

The Group A clash is the second match of the tournament following the opener between Poland and Greece.

Webb was also selected as England's referee representative at Euro 2008.

During that tournament, the Yorkshireman was criticised by the Poland manager at the time, Leo Beenhakker, after he awarded Austria a penalty in stoppage time which they scored to draw 1-1.

Twelve referees have been appointed to handle the 31 matches at Euro 2012.

They will work with 24 assistant referees and, for the first time, 24 additional assistant referees. Officials will work in teams of the same nationality.

Ukraine's manager says an act of "sabotage" might have caused the outbreak of food poisoning affecting 10 members of his Euro 2012 squad.

The players suffered the illness prior to the friendly against Turkey in Germany, which they lost 2-0.

"It happened in Germany, but it is impossible to establish the causes - all ate different food," Oleg Blokhin told Ukraine television.

"It may have been sabotage, I do not know. It cannot be accidental."

Striker Andriy Shevchenko and midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk are two of the players affected.

However, Ukraine were hopeful the players would be fully fit in time for their first group match on Monday.

"They were out running this morning, so we would expect that they will all be fine for the opening game against Sweden," said a team spokesman.

Dynamo Kiev midfielder Denys Garmash was the worst affected, but was keen to prove himself after being omitted from his country's previous two games.

"He was in the roughest condition," said team doctor Leonid Myronov. "He was vomiting violently and we had to try to clean his stomach using all available methods of detox. He was extremely eager to play and said before the game he felt OK."

The initial problem was reported by the team masseur but it was not long until several of the co-host nation's leading players complained of similar symptoms.

"He could barely finish his work with the team," added Myronov. "At 4am [on Tuesday] Denys Garmash came to me with the same trouble.

"A bit later Taras Mykhalyk, Andriy Voronin, Artem Milevsky, Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk all complained of feeling indisposed."

I feel the Ukrainian pain!

[Colly]

You've got the shits?

[Lineker]

No! Lasagne-gate!

[Colly]

Urban myth, apparently it wasn't lasagne!

Also, Seedorf and Klinsmann are on the beeb for the Euros. Obviously their coverage was going to be miles better anyway, but that just pushes it over the edge. Just don't let Lawro do much 'commentating'.

[Baddar]

http://www.live-footballontv.com/live-international-football-on-tv.html

Handy link for those in the UK for the kick-off times/tv coverage info.

It also led me to realising that finishing 2nd probably means Spain in the quarters for England. Ouch.

[Lineker]

Eh, if we went out to Spain in the quarters then that would be OK.

[IAceI]

Spain in the quarters? You mean out of the group stages? I'm having that!

Strewth; the Championships start tomorrow! I'm postively ecstatic! Although I am meant to go see Prometheus tomorrow evening I think, may record the second match and watch it when I get home in that case.

C'mon Tim, England.