Russia was one of the more impressive teams from the first wave of matches at Euro 2012, posting four goals on the Czech Republic, including two by rising star Alan Dzagoev. The Russians' quest to take a giant step out of Group A and toward the knockout round gets a bit tricker on Tuesday.
Russia goes up against tournament co-host Poland (2:45 p.m., ESPN/ESPN3.com), which is in need of a victory after being held to a 1-1 draw by Greece in the opening match of the competition. The two do battle in Warsaw amid a heightened security presence following a Russian march to celebrate independence day in the face of Polish protestors.
Group A's second round of matches kicks off with Greece and the Czech Republic each looking to bounce back after disappointing openers (Noon, ESPN/ESPN3.com). With a loss, the Czechs would be eliminated from the competition before their third group match. Greece will be a bit shorthanded, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos suspended after his dubious red card in the opener and Avraam Papadopoulos out after tearing his ACL.
If you will be watching any of Tuesday's Euro 2012 action, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the games.
i dunno. ultra slo-mo replay looks like the ball slipped through Cech’s hands before contact with the defender. although Cech could have been distracted knowing contact was coming….
never hit his head or face. touched his shoulder on the way down. great acting job, though.
Austerity.
A Czech player shoves a Greek striker over in the box as he’s going up for a header and the Greek player gets called for a foul…
Officiating has been very suspect against Greece in this tournament.
I think all in all Czech Rep deserve to win this game. They were dominant in first half and got the job done in second. Greek maybe unfortunate here and there (and red card to starting CB in first game did them no favors) but based solely on what happened in THIS game, Czechs deserve the 3 points.
He really stuck out at me as awful in both matches. He has some skills with the feet, when he was on the left in the last match, but is a bit too clumsy to really put it together.
Offside by an arm.
How about Samaras? Is there a more frustrating offensive player. He is terrible. 7 goals in 55 international games. Watching him play it is easy to understand why. He missed an easy chance early on.
Greece was bad before that red card. They aren’t a good team.
Oh no I wasn’t suggesting that you were comparing the two clubs. I was rather vaguely referencing the inherent west London rivalry and then commenting on the lopsided nature of the derby (with Chelsea’s clear dominance in the rivalry itself and superior achievements domestically and internationally. Contrasted with fulhams lack of achievement in anything almost). I was saying how as a fulham fan it would be awesome to be able to compete in champions league and have tone chance to play for big time trophies like that. I don’t begrudge Cech and Chelsea for it I guess. Good for them and all. But still being a fulham fan has its own romanticism, always the underdog etc., and I still like to think Fulham and Chrlsea rivalry has some meaning lol.
A really wrong offside call kills a perfect opportunity in the box for Greece.
saw that offide mistake in real time. WTF? that was an obvious one too. Greece really could have tied it there.
I don’t know but it’s pretty clear that they were NOT a good set of subs to make. They look disjointed without Rosicky.
Oh, I wasn’t comparing the two squads and I certainly respect Fulham. I’m just engaging in some long-awaited gloating over the Champions League win. 🙂
Why would the Czech’s make all of these changes at the half?
Touché.
To be fair it’s really apples and oranges comparing Fulham and Chelsea isn’t it? I WISH fulham had more prestige and funds to compete with Chelsea for champions league spots and EPL titles. Since that ain’t happening any time soon I’ll be content with Deuce making Chelsea defenders look silly In league games.
number 7 for greece is a complaining little bitch. he just whined at his own player because he didnt fight for the ball or move when he was in the 18..
As a lifelong Chelsea fan, it makes me slightly amused because he didn’t do THAT during the Champions League. 😉
Yeah what was the defender doing? Just sprinting at your keeper as he’s trying to catch the ball?
It’s like he thought he was trying to score himself.
Official is starting to lose the game. He’s handing out yellow cards like Pez for innocuous tackles.
On further review, it’s the Czech defender that really does the damage. Not so much Cech’s fault. Still, glad Greece got the goal; hoping this game has more twists and turns.
Edit: Czech defender doesn’t actually touch the ball but runs directly at Cech as he’s trying to catch a ball with no attacking player around him.
Just a really terrible error from the CB primarily and also slightly by Cech.
(and as a lifelong Fulham supporter, it never makes me sad when the starting Chelsea keeper makes a gaffe like that).
Czech Republic center defender knocks the ball out of his own keeper’s hands right to a wide open Greek player for the goal.
Why are the commentators continuing to blame Cech for that?
Woot. Game just got interesting.
there we go!!
what a p@ssy czech player. he pushes him and acts like he got punched in the nads
In my opinion I think in this instance a yellow is justified. The cleat to the head was clearly illegal and a foul; but it wasn’t malicious and intended. Even though Rosicky saw the Greek player I don’t think he Intended to “cleat” him. Still a yellow makes Rosicky play with more caution, justifiably.
Today’s commentary crew infinitely better than Lalas/Ballack.
Definitely offside on replay. Too bad cuz I was really hoping to a Greece goal before halftime to really make this game interesting.
i didnt see replay to confirm. greece lookin a bit more dangerous towards the end of the half
close but it was offside, yeah?
wow greece gets screwed again
Yeah I’m confused how that didn’t earn him a red. He cleated another player in the head…
on the replay rosicky turns looks at the greece player and then cleats him.. proabably a red
Greece is shell-shocked by those early goals. If they don’t get a goal before half I think their chances of coming back diminish greatly.
zing
I understand that Rosicky was looking at the ball, but hitting someone in the head with your studs when they are standing up should always be a red card. Always.
little high by rosicky
Yeah. That just happened.
youre right, they looked decent enough game 1. my short term memory of this early beat down made me forget. crappy greece defending for sure
We will never know if they could have hung or not. They managed to do pretty well in their first match being a man down.
It’s no surprise that the Czech scored two goals on just terrible defending by one of the CBs.
+1
as a long time USMNT whos seen plenty of bad calls against us, its just excuses. greece cant hang
Um. Czechmate???
If I’m Greece I’m so pissed off I can’t see straight.
Your starting CB is suspended due to a ridiculous official and his replacement gives up 2 goals in 6 minutes starting the next match.
Suffice to say that the officiating killed Greece.
ooooh my! get em a body bag johnny
Well. Didn’t see that coming. Go Czech Rep !
that was quick
Even the Greek anthem is kinda boring. 😉