Match 46: Belgium vs Italy - 8pm (BBC1) live from Football Arena Munich!

[Carambau]

2 minutes ago, B-Real said:

That's an odd thing to say. Are you saying Belgium is not a good team based on not getting gold?

Also, how is a third spot on a WC "nothing"?

If your aim is to become 3rd in a world cup, ok. Then it is something. But if you want to win its literally nothing.

[Astafjevs]

I think Martínez is a **** coach, but I'm not sure if a better one would have achieved more, or won the game tonight.

Belgium had some chances and openings. Lukaku had one, there was another from a deflected cross. But in a game with two good teams you've got to be clinical. Not much Martínez can do about that.

[GunmaN1905]

Just now, Pukey said:

Didn't even think of that  Italy are still a great team though, but yeah we'd obviously have a chance. 

I feel like they have advantage in goal, your CBs are probably better now because they're at their peak, but Italians have invaluable experience.
England has better FBs, by a lot, especially after Spinazzola's injury.
Midfield is definitely on Italy's side, wingers are about even and Kane is a lot better than Immobile, even in his current form.

[EnterUsernameHere]

1 minute ago, Bootador said:

Not sure how you can call Italy favourites against England comparing man for man. Italy obviously with the better manager though.

Man for man they're not. They look a better team though. Doesn't mean they'll win.

[B-Real]

1 minute ago, Vynal Seven said:

Oh come on, that’s pretty nothing.  

Nobody in Belgium shares that sentiment.

Why not just go home after first round then?

 

On-topic: good game from Italy. We had some good chances, but ultimately they won deservedly. Great team. Love their football.

 

[craigcwwe]

8 minutes ago, Carambau said:

Can´t see England having a chance against Italy (if they ever make it to the final)

 

[Vynal Seven]

4 minutes ago, B-Real said:

Nobody in Belgium shares that sentiment.

I bet KdB does. 

[Astafjevs]

I mean, we're not in the final yet. I know England have mid-range teams and can coast to the final. Our task is a little bit harder. It's not the Spain of old but they're a damn sight better than Czech Republic or Denmark.

[B-Real]

2 minutes ago, Carambau said:

If your aim is to become 3rd in a world cup, ok. Then it is something. But if you want to win its literally nothing.

Nothing in my reply or in that rhetoric even implies that.

And I assume every team starts a tournement with the aim to get the best result possible, and if you get beaten by a better team you can't blame yourself.

in 2018 2 teams ended up being better. No shame in that.

 

[Astafjevs]

That said, whoever England play, they will be favourites. They have the better players and they're at home in a stadium where overseas fans can't really enter.

[B-Real]

1 minute ago, Vynal Seven said:

I bet KdB does. 

If you say so.

[Vynal Seven]

Just now, B-Real said:

If you say so.

Well you came 8th-5th in this so congratulations.  

[georginho_juventusygr]

Yeah, Italy were low-energy in Wembley against Austria and again today in Allianz Arena. In Rome, it was much better in those three group games.

[skybluedave]

Euro16 was the biggest missed oppprtunity for this Belgium side by far

[Federico]

England is clearly the favourite to win the big thing.

[Sano]

Just now, Vynal Seven said:

Well you came 8th-5th in this so congratulations.  

No need to keep baiting.

Belgium has never reached the quarter final for 4 tournaments in a row, except with this generation. If you're saying we were never the biggest team in the world, ofcourse you're right, but that's not the discussion.

[The Amazing Dale Watkins]

Just now, georginho_juventusygr said:

Yeah, Italy were low-energy in Wembley against Austria and again today in Allianz Arena. In Rome, it was much better in those three group games.

low-energy? I thought they were great tonight, right up until the Spinazzola injury. After that they were destructive and the game kinda suffocated.

[DMaster2]

The amount of salt in this thread is marvelous, i'm still jerking off for this win. And screw belgium and the referee, there would've been no stress if they didn't got that bs penalty.

[ParanoidBuddha]

Surely someone already posted it a while ago.
It's beautiful to see how a player beside a really bad injury finds the energies to celebrate with his teammates
 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by ParanoidBuddha

[Sano]

3 minutes ago, skybluedave said:

Euro16 was the biggest missed oppprtunity for this Belgium side by far

This. That tournament is the closest we came to a balanced squad, with most top players at the top of their game.

This time around, there was no more Kompany, Hazard lost in the woods for the past 2 years, KDB with the CL final injury and playing with a tear in his ankle ligament today, Witsel only just coming back from a really bad achilles injury,... 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Sano

[Gorando]

KDB played with a tear in his ankle ligament. In Hindsight he shouldnt have played at all.

[georginho_juventusygr]

Just now, The Amazing Dale Watkins said:

low-energy? I thought they were great tonight, right up until the Spinazzola injury. After that they were destructive and the game kinda suffocated.

I saw a team who was less dominating than it was during the group stage.

Still good, but they were definitely capable of attacking in the final 20 minutes instead of sitting back.

[Gorando]

2 minutes ago, DMaster2 said:

The amount of salt in this thread is marvelous, i'm still jerking off for this win. And screw belgium and the referee, there would've been no stress if they didn't got that bs penalty.

LOL that was a clear cut penalty.  He uses his arm to push him in the back.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Gorando

[skybluedave]

9 minutes ago, DMaster2 said:

The amount of salt in this thread is marvelous, i'm still jerking off for this win. 

I thought I enjoyed England's win this week! Clearly I'm celebrating wrong.

[B-Real]

10 minutes ago, Vynal Seven said:

Well you came 8th-5th in this so congratulations.  

Not sure what's going on here, but sure dude.

we've been beaten fairly by a better team. So kuddos on Italy.

[Federico]

3 minuti fa, Gorando ha scritto:

LOL that was a clear cut penalty.  He uses his arm to push him in the back.

If you play chess, that's a clear penalty yeah 

To be honest the foul on Jorginho in the second half seemed miles worse than that one

[The Amazing Dale Watkins]

3 minutes ago, georginho_juventusygr said:

I saw a team who was less dominating than it was during the group stage.

Still good, but they were definitely capable of attacking in the final 20 minutes instead of sitting back.

Sure, but Belgium is no Switzerland, Turkey, or Wales. The first half was real quality.

[av3ry]

Italians were so bad/good at the time wasting I ended up shouting "ARE YOU WYCOMBE IN DISGUISE" multiple times at the TV.

[DMaster2]

4 minuti fa, Gorando ha scritto:

LOL that was a clear cut penalty.  He uses his arm to push him in the back.

Since when throwing yourself count as a penalty? If that's a penalty i'm Queen Elizabeth. And congratulations for the boos at a player that ended his tournament for an injury btw.

[Unknown Hacker]

2 minutes ago, DMaster2 said:

Since when throwing yourself count as a penalty? If that's a penalty i'm Queen Elizabeth. And congratulations for the boos at a player that ended his tournament for an injury btw.

I mean he could've just gone off the field to be treated instead of being judo thrown to the ground so he could have a cry. That was what the issue was.

[VamPook]

If he had left it as it is, it wouldn't have been a penalty

But he had to use his forearm to shove Doku again right at the end

[Weezer]

11 minutes ago, skybluedave said:

Euro16 was the biggest missed oppprtunity for this Belgium side by far

I mean tbf to win this they'd have had to get past Portugal, Italy, Spain and then England in the final. There's no shame in not going all the way here.

[VamPook]

1 minute ago, Unknown Hacker said:

I mean he could've just gone off the field to be treated instead of being judo thrown to the ground so he could have a cry. That was what the issue was.

Judo thrown?

The guy literally had to be stretchered off, you expect him to ownself hop 6 steps to the line so as to speed up the game?

Edited July 2, 2021 by VamPook

[DMaster2]

In questo momento, Unknown Hacker ha scritto:

I mean he could've just gone off the field to be treated instead of being judo thrown to the ground so he could have a cry. That was what the issue was.

The game wouldn't have restarted anyway, so it was pointless. Just awful sportmanship from Belgium. After that, the ridicolous penalty and the referee being obviously pro-belgium i don't blame our players one bit.

[Pukey]

You can disagree with a decision without immediately crying about the referee being pro Belgium ffs, cannot stand when fans go on and on about referees being "bias" because of a subjective decision going against their team, while completely ignoring anything that goes in their favour.

[Marc Albrighton]

Coming into the thread all guns blazing talking about people being salty and then being by far the saltiest person in here despite the win is an interesting approach.

[DMaster2]

1 minuto fa, Pukey ha scritto:

You can disagree with a decision without immediately crying about the referee being pro Belgium ffs, cannot stand when fans go on and on about referees being "bias" because of a subjective decision going against their team, while completely ignoring anything that goes in their favour.

Lol "in our favour". Yeah there was a lot...

[skybluedave]

8 minutes ago, Marc Albrighton said:

Coming into the thread all guns blazing talking about people being salty and then being by far the saltiest person in here despite the win is an interesting approach.

Cut him some slack. He's post-coital

[ArsenalFan7]

18 minutes ago, ParanoidBuddha said:

Surely someone already posted it a while ago.
It's beautiful to see how a player beside a really bad injury finds the energies to celebrate with his teammates
 

 

I love watching this Italy side aside from Immobile, he's **** and breaks down so many attacks.

[Pukey]

1 minute ago, DMaster2 said:

Lol "in our favour". Yeah there was a lot...

**** me, you've won a game and yet you're crying about a subjective decision, get a grip  If you can back up your claim about the ref being biased towards Belgium without "BUT DA PENALTY" then please do so. 

[Astafjevs]

A good striker in our team and we'd have such a great chance. Will always get chances with Verratti and Barella in the team.

[Federico]

In questo momento, ArsenalFan7 ha scritto:

I love watching this Italy side aside from Immobile, he's **** and breaks down so many attacks.

He faced strong defenders tonight, but he was pretty useless if not harmful to the team nonetheless

[Carambau]

24 minutes ago, B-Real said:

Nothing in my reply or in that rhetoric even implies that.

And I assume every team starts a tournement with the aim to get the best result possible, and if you get beaten by a better team you can't blame yourself.

in 2018 2 teams ended up being better. No shame in that.

 

The players are of course very good. But the team did not win any titles. Just think of Brazil 1982. Or Holland 1974. They were not able to crown themselves and their performances which is a pity you could say. Or Portugals so-called "Golden Generation" with Figo, Rui Costa etc. A wooden crown is not the same as a golden crown. The winners chart does not list those teams. Germany would have suffered the same fate if they did not crown their "Golden Generation" at last in 2014. 

[B-Real]

17 minutes ago, Carambau said:

The players are of course very good. But the team did not win any titles. Just think of Brazil 1982. Or Holland 1974. They were not able to crown themselves and their performances which is a pity you could say. Or Portugals so-called "Golden Generation" with Figo, Rui Costa etc. A wooden crown is not the same as a golden crown. The winners chart does not list those teams. Germany would have suffered the same fate if they did not crown their "Golden Generation" at last in 2014. 

I suppose it  might feel like that for some people. But the teams you are mentioning are traditonal big football countries. I imagine a third spot at a world cup  would be a big dissapointment for Brazil. For Belgium it's the best result in the history of our national team. When you look at similar results in history you'll always find big teams there. So we rate it with value.

Belgians might be dissapointed that we only reached the final 8 on 3 occasions. But then again if you are beaten by a better team...

Also as someone fairly pointed out, in this occasion we would have needed to be one of the best winners ever in the history of the EC by beating Portugal, Italy, Spain and England (?). So again no shame.

Just to reiterate that this team supposedly achieved "nothing, nothing" because they never got the gold is not true.

 

Edit: also this team falls and stands with Debruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, Eden Hazard. They still have 2 tournemants left in them even they're older (just look at Holland 2010). For other positions we still have enough bright talents in the fashion of Tielemans and Doku coming up.

Edited July 2, 2021 by B-Real

[Carambau]

13 minutes ago, B-Real said:

I suppose it  might feel like that for some people. But the teams you are mentioning are traditonal big football countries. I imagine a third spot at a world cup  would be a big dissapointment for Brazil. For Belgium it's the best result in the history of our national team. When you look at similar results in history you'll always find big teams there. So we rate it with value.

Belgians might be dissapointed that we only reached the final 8 on 3 occasions. But then again if you are beaten by a better team...

Also as someone fairly pointed out, in this occasion we would have needed to be one of the best winners ever in the history of the EC by beating Portugal, Italy, Spain and England (?). So again no shame.

Just to reiterate that this team supposedly achieved "nothing, nothing" because they never got the gold is not true.

I did not want to downplay what your country has achieved in football, sorry if that came across like that. I just dont like this term "Golden Generation" mentioned all the time because it implies winning titles for me. But maybe thats just me. (I remember the team of 1986 was quite good as well, Eric Gerets and Scifo...)

Edited July 2, 2021 by Carambau

[Unknown Hacker]

30 minutes ago, VamPook said:

Judo thrown?

The guy literally had to be stretchered off, you expect him to ownself hop 6 steps to the line so as to speed up the game?

I'm just always suspicious when someone only goes down after a teammate comes over and has a word with them. The judo stuff was hyperbole.

36 minutes ago, DMaster2 said:

The game wouldn't have restarted anyway, so it was pointless. Just awful sportmanship from Belgium. After that, the ridicolous penalty and the referee being obviously pro-belgium i don't blame our players one bit.

The referee wasn't pro-Belgium at all. I think other people have covered this.

[Carambau]

39 minutes ago, DMaster2 said:

The game wouldn't have restarted anyway, so it was pointless. Just awful sportmanship from Belgium. After that, the ridicolous penalty and the referee being obviously pro-belgium i don't blame our players one bit.

"Awful Sportsmanship from Belgium"???  "The referee being obviously Pro-Belgium?" 

Stop trolling.

[B-Real]

10 minutes ago, Carambau said:

I did not want to downplay what your country has achieved in football, sorry if that came across like that. I just dont like this term "Golden Generation" mentioned all the time because it implies winning titles for me. But maybe thats just me. (I remember the team of 1986 was quite good as well, Eric Gerets and Scifo...)

No worries, I can catch your drift. Fair enough.

[skybluedave]

I don't think you can be too critical of Belgium's golden generation's failure to win a title. It's an exceptionally talented team by Belgiums previous standards. But there's always been equal or better sides out there.

Sure they will have regrets and missed opportunitues, that's natural. But I don't think you can ever have said they should have won something. Could have won something sure. But you can say that about a lot of teams.

 

[Reggiana]

What an enjoyable game of football, sad to hear that Spinazzola's is an incredibly serious one.