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Euro 2008: Matchday Six (Group B)

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Get ready for another classic match-up.

If yesterday’s exciting match-up between 1-0 teams Portugal and the Czech Republic is any indication then today’s Germany-Croatia match-up is going to be a can’t-miss encounter. Two of the tournament’s best midfields square off with the winner (if their is one) not only in good shape to win Group B, but also set up a potential quarterfinal match-up against Turkey or the Czech Republic rather than Portugal.

Germany and Croatia will meet in today’s first match (11:50 a.m., ESPN2), with Austria taking on Poland (2:30pm, ESPN2) for a chance to keep alive their chances of reaching the quarters.

I won’t be able to do a running commentary today but will be checking in periodically to offer up updates when I can. If you will be watching today’s Group B games, and will be online, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some running commentary in the comments section below.

Enjoy the matches.

Comments

  1. I love all the tools who talked about how great Germany were looking, and how Croatia had no chance. This was not surprising. The German defense is lacking to say the least, and the strikers are not that effective. All it takes is an off game from Ballack or Frings and the team is useless. As for Croatia, Luka Modric is hands down the most complete player in the tournament. Niko Kranjcar and Danijel Pranjic aren’t bad either. Not to mention that the Croats can play defense as opposed to the Dutch and the Spanish.

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  2. lol, HB!

    Terrible game, both goals off bad calls (or lack thereof)

    I will not be sorry to have both of these teams out of the tourney, even with the host factor going for Austria. Even if someone does survive, the most dramatic part will be the German implosion.

    That put Croatia thru, right?

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  3. I have to post again to state what a shocking call that was by Webb. Shocking, horrible call. Maybe he thought if he gave Austria a goal, he could get a couple years of free beer?

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  4. One comment I saw elsewhere about Webb noted that it was good to see the English having a dismal performance in the Euros despite their team not even qualifying – offside goal allowed, flaky penalty awarded at the end, retaken free kick, and inconsistent calls throughout.

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  5. Oh, yeah, Polish goal was offside, too. I missed the 1st half, so I just saw the replay. Well, he evened out the mistakes, then:)

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  6. Austria are still alive!

    If they beat Germany (BIG ‘if’) and Poles tie or lose, then Oestereich marches into the semis. It’ll be a nervy afternoon this weekend.

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  7. Wow, that was a horseshit of a call by Howard Webb on several fronts.

    First, he let Austria re-take the free kick after an Austrian player deliberately pushed a Polish defender. Second, he choses to call a shirt pull in the box even those things exactly like these were not called throughout the game. The first game involving Austria and Croatia routinely involved similar wrestling matches.

    The only consolation to Austria is that they were hit by a dodge penalty call in the game against Croatia. But still, come on.

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  8. Both co-hosts played remarkably good first games, and were it not for the woodwork, the Swiss might’ve scored 2-3 goals…

    The Austrians look over their heads, but have tried like hell to play well.

    Interestingly tho, Austria is NOT out of it. I think they might still have a chance depending on what happens with Poland/Croatia.

    Especially if they pull a tie out of their collective tookus here.

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  9. Wow…both cohosts dropping out after the first 2 games. Too bad…or good actually if you enjoy watching quality football.

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  10. 47th minute- Poland give away another silly foul. Free kick for austria near goal. It will be the last play of the half.

    A great delivery on the free kick, and Pogatetz comes very close to putting it into the back of an empty net, though it was just a bit too tall for him.

    At the half, it is 1-0 to Poland. Austria has had the lion’s share of the chances, but Poland has the goal. The Polish defense has looked better for the latter stages of the half, but it has conceded enough dangerous fouls, and is still giving enough space behind it where Austria will have chances in the 2nd half.

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  11. 44th minute- Austria earns a free kick, but it’s stopped by the 1st defender, but Poland gets a dubious decision go against them, giving Austria another free kick, almost a corner, on the right side.

    Austria played it on the ground, but a foul call against Austria takes the danger out of it.

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  12. 35th minute- A blunder from an Austrian defender leaves Austria with a chance to send a ball across the penalty area, but nothing comes to it. This Poland defense seems very slow, and if it keeps playing like this Austria will have several chances to equalize over the rest of the match.

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  13. 30th minute- Poland scores! Saganowski took a cross down on the right side of the Austrian box, sends a ball across the face of goal, where Guerreiro slots it home very simply.

    It was completely against the run of play, but Poland find themselves up 1-0.

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  14. 26th minute- Poland with a corner, though nothing came from it.

    Austria on the counterattack, though it was slowed down, and Poland knocked the ball out for a throw. Better from the Polish defense.

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  15. 22nd minute- Poland’s high defensive line and a slight misplay by the left back led to another great chance for Austria, only to be stopped by Boruc again. The Polish keeper has made several great saves already in this match.

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  16. espn just gave this tidbit: Austria hasn’t won a match at a major competition since the 1990 World Cup. The last team they beat? The United States.

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  17. 16th minute- Austria squanders another counterattack opportunity, 1 on 1 with the keeper. This time, it was Boruc with a good save rather than a bad shot.

    Poland looked like they could get a chance on a counter after that, but nothing really came of it.

    Austria has looked much better than I thought they would.

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  18. 10th minute- Austria nearly scores on the counter, Harnik with a 1 on 1 with the keeper but he pushes it wide right of goal.

    Boruc knocks away the following corner for another corner.

    14th minute- Harnik with another golden opportunity alone close to goal, but he squanders it.

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  19. 10th minute- Good free kick, and the keeper did much better than Lehman did all of the last match, safely smothering the ball.

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  20. 9th minute- a pretty even game so far. Foul against Poland, and I’m not sure why the referee did not look for an advantage before blowing the whistle.

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  21. Sorry, got the brackets wrong. It could be Germany v. Portugal and Spain v. Italy/France in the Quarters. Either way, those are some impressive early knockout stage match-ups.

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  22. What a delightful surprise Croatia was today! I was cheering like crazy for them to score and they were on fire! God I don’t know what happened to Germany –too frustrated, pissed off at the ref –but that was so intense. Croatia fought for it and I’m really proud of them today. Too bad on loosing his temper because Bastian Schweinsteiger brought the German team to life on the second half and they actually looked they were going to fight back. I laughed so hard at Ballack and I was waiting for him to start fighting with the ref.

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  23. Another one of the “big boys” bites the dust. Germany should beat Austria, but will now probably have to settle for second in Group. I think that would result in a Quarterfinal matchup with Spain. This, coupled with the fact that either ITaly or France may have to play Portugal in the quarters means that we could have a couple of surprise teams in the semis. Gotta love tournaments like this. Hup, Holland!!!!

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  24. Pleasantly surprised to come back from my meeting and see that Croatia won. Certainly the game was more exciting than discussing SQL Reporting Services for an hour.

    I really, really want to like the Fighting Tablecloths, but I have a hard time cheering for a team coached by the perpetrator of the biggest BS dive in soccer history (Bilic in the ’98 WC semis v France). Maybe I’ll come around. Maybe not.

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