Euro 2024

[Blackleaf]

Euro 2024 gets underway on Friday night between hosts Germany and Scotland.

The tournament to crown the European Champions sees France and England as the favourites to win it, with England losing against Italy in the Euro 2020 Final and France losing against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final.

Scotland fans enjoy the beer in Bavarian capital Munich as they arrive for the tournament's opening match against Germany on Friday night, but both teams will have to be at their best or more to stop either the French or the English winning the tournament.

With two of the country's "national" sides at the tournament, Britain is expecting 300,000 Brits to attend the tournament.

100 years ago it was Hitler who had the Munich beerhalls raving. Now, it's the Scotland fans.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Remember. . . "Soccer is a simple game. Two teams of eleven each play for 90 minutes and Germany wins."

One of these days, Blackleaf, I'll tell you about my (hysterical) experience with the Tartan Army in Bruxelles.

 

[bob the dog]

Tough group but Croatia has a strong team.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Tough group but Croatia has a strong team.

Modric's swan song. I hope they do well.

 

[bob the dog]

Modric's swan song. I hope they do well.

Livakovic was the hero in 2022 imo. Tough group with Italy and Spain but there is reason for optimism

 

[Blackleaf]

Remember. . . "Soccer is a simple game. Two teams of eleven each play for 90 minutes and Germany wins."

One of these days, Blackleaf, I'll tell you about my (hysterical) experience with the Tartan Army in Bruxelles.

Tell me.

 

[Blackleaf]

Munich Disaster for Scotland as hosts open tournament with easy win

Group A

Germany 5-1 Scotland

Allianz Arena, Munich

Tomorrow:

Group A

Hungary Vs Switzerland

Group B

Spain Vs Croatia
Italy Vs Albania

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Tell me.

Germany 5-1 Scotland. The sole Scots goal was an own-goal by Rutiger.

I was in Bruxelles and had my supper at a pub across from the Bourse that stood on a corner. Each exterior wall had five small Irish flags in a line above the windows. The food was decent and the beer good, so I went back the next evening, only to find that the Irish flags had all been swapped for St Andrew's crosses. The Tartan Army had invaded! Scotland was in town for a friendly with Belgium. The pub was jammed to overflowing, including all the exterior seats on the sidewalk under an awning. After I'd been there a while, some little Belgian dude in a jacket and tie with a briefcase left the Bourse, obviously on his way home. As he was passing the pub, he suddenly turned and started screaming in fury at the Scots in Belgian French (he'd clearly had a very bad day, and just snapped). All I caught was the equivalent of "Fuck off!" The TA, amused, started serenading him with their fight song and beckoning him to come have a drink. After a few seconds, he stomped off.

The next day I encountered a couple of hundred of the TA in the Grote Markt. which is entirely enclosed by five-storey buildings on all sides, including a palace that forms the wall on one of the long sides. They were again imbibing in the large outdoor seating areas. And it is a law of the universe that if you get that many Scots together in one place and apply alcohol, it's only a matter of time until the pipes come out. Half-drunk amateur piping in an echo chamber like that is an experience not to be missed!

 

[Blackleaf]

Germany 5-1 Scotland. The sole Scots goal was an own-goal by Rutiger.

I was in Bruxelles and had my supper at a pub across from the Bourse that stood on a corner. Each exterior wall had five small Irish flags in a line above the windows. The food was decent and the beer good, so I went back the next evening, only to find that the Irish flags had all been swapped for St Andrew's crosses. The Tartan Army had invaded! Scotland was in town for a friendly with Belgium. The pub was jammed to overflowing, including all the exterior seats on the sidewalk under an awning. After I'd been there a while, some little Belgian dude in a jacket and tie with a briefcase left the Bourse, obviously on his way home. As he was passing the pub, he suddenly turned and started screaming in fury at the Scots in Belgian French (he'd clearly had a very bad day, and just snapped). All I caught was the equivalent of "Fuck off!" The TA, amused, started serenading him with their fight song and beckoning him to come have a drink. After a few seconds, he stomped off.

The next day I encountered a couple of hundred of the TA in the Grote Markt. which is entirely enclosed by five-storey buildings on all sides, including a palace that forms the wall on one of the long sides. They were again imbibing in the large outdoor seating areas. And it is a law of the universe that if you get that many Scots together in one place and apply alcohol, it's only a matter of time until the pipes come out. Half-drunk amateur piping in an echo chamber like that is an experience not to be missed!

So it was probably very similar to this, as the Tartan Army took over Munich city centre ahead of the opening match.

It's not far they had to travel so 200,000 of them are in Germany.

This is Scotland's first overseas tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

They do know how to party. I hope they enjoy it, because they're going home early. Germany did well. Nagelsmann may be their guy for a while. They also finally have a quality German striker, Fullkrug of Borussia Dortmund. Not Prince Harry, but solid.

 

[Blackleaf]

They do know how to party. I hope they enjoy it, because they're going home early. Germany did well. Nagelsmann may be their guy for a while. They also finally have a quality German striker, Fullkrug of Borussia Dortmund. Not Prince Harry, but solid.

Yeah. Germany lacked a quality striker at Euro 2020. They had many chances to score goals in that tournament but didn't take lots of them. They scored just six goals at Euro 2020 before losing 2-0 to losing Finalists England in the Quarter Finals. In this Euros they've scored five after just one match.

 

[Blackleaf]

Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane fumes after Scotland were destroyed by Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024.

Germany may not be that good. It may just be that Scotland were dire.

 

[Blackleaf]

With 16 goals after 4 matches there have been more goals in this stage of a major tournament since Euro '76 in Yugoslavia.

Spain's victory over Croatia was impressive in itself, but 16-year-old Lamine Yamal made history by becoming the youngest man to play at a European Championship.

With an average age of only 26 years and 287 days, Italy named their youngest Euros starting line-up since Euro '88 in West Germany.

In Hungary's game, Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai became the youngest man to captain a team at the Euros at the age of 23 years and 234 days.

Group A

Hungary 1-3 Switzerland

Group B

Spain 3-0 Croatia

Italy 2-1 Albania

Holders Italy went behind after just 23 seconds against their neighbours Albania but recovered to win

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Spain/Croatia was very good. Otherwise, so far it's been utterly predictable. The only real cliffhanger was Italy/Albania. It'll get sharper as they weed out the no-hopers in the knockout rounds.

 

[Blackleaf]

Spain/Croatia was very good. Otherwise, so far it's been utterly predictable. The only real cliffhanger was Italy/Albania. It'll get sharper as they weed out the no-hopers in the knockout rounds.

Hopefully it stays predictable and England beat Serbia in the first ever meeting between the two tonight.

 

[Blackleaf]

Group B

Poland 1-2 Netherlands

Volksparkstadion, Hamburg

 

[Blackleaf]

Poland Vs Netherlands was Group D, not Group B.

 

[Blackleaf]

Plenty of good German beer and banter and good humour all around amid the usually fierce rival England and Scotland fans in the Alter Markt in Cologne ahead of tonight's clash between England and Serbia in Gelsenkirchen

 

[Blackleaf]

England are absolutely magnificent right now against Serbia. It's going to be a long night for the Serbians. England are playing almost perfect football.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Engerland barely pulled out a 1-0 victory over Serbia, despite heroic play by Serbian superstars Dizzibić, Sunuvabić, Uglibić, and the goalkeeper Balzić.