italy, france, danish emergency medical technicians https://t.co/0a06yHZ2iP
— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) June 17, 2021
Things seem to be hotting up in Week 2, or maybe that’s just my Anglocentric perspective?
Tonight, the oldest rivalry in international football will be rekindled on the biggest stage as we take on England at Wembley.
Get ready with our full match preview.#EURO2020 | #SCO https://t.co/Pv72JP6P2O
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 18, 2021
COVID restrictions overlap:
UEFA has contingency plan for London-scheduled Euro 2020 final https://t.co/p1hjwl9eEQ pic.twitter.com/7MvffodxO0
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 18, 2021
Alarming Covid surge cools Russia’s football fever https://t.co/0B3QhBztQG
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 18, 2021
Patriotic chants of "Putin's a dickhead!" in the stands at the Ukraine-North Macedonia game.
— X Soviet (@XSovietNews) June 17, 2021
Three years after she ran onto the pitch during the 2018 FIFA World Cup final in Moscow,
the Pussy Riot member has been arrested on suspicion she was planning a repeat performance during Euro 2020https://t.co/ugUbiY4Yhy— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) June 18, 2021
C.R.E.A.M.
Uefa warns teams could be fined if they move drinks at Euro 2020 news conferences https://t.co/zUKSU7YgIQ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 18, 2021
Yarmolenko and Lukaku have a message for Coca-Cola ??#Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/hAvWx3gSDu
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) June 18, 2021
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On the other hand, Brazil seems to be the only story at Copa America…
Brazil is making it look easy at @CopaAmerica ??
Relive the reigning champs' latest win with our 90' in 90" pic.twitter.com/nNWJGVLEUB
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2021
Neymar was on target again for Brazil in their 4-0 win over Peru.
That's 2 goals in 2 #CopaAmerica games for the PSG star player.
He is just 9 goals away from matching Pele's all-time record of 77 goals for Brazil.
Can he match and break the record at this tournament? pic.twitter.com/30ODhsqE7o
— Lovefootball.ng (@lovefootballng) June 18, 2021
This is (forgive me) the first time I’ve really paid attention to football footwork, and I’m not surprised players have so many orthopedic issues. As with ballet slippers, those ‘boots’ are more like Pratchett’s ‘gloves for the feet’. Yes, I assume they’re prioritizing (quite reasonably) sensitivity over protection, but it’s still scary to watch, for those of us with bad feet.
JML
definitely getting to the point where you start getting pressure games in Euro 2020.
Man, Italy looks good so far. I’m confused by all the goals they’re scoring; I’m so used to Italy only ever playing a 1-0 match…
Looking forward to England v Scotland today; England has a lot more quality, but this is such an old rivalry that you know Scotland will bring a ton of attitude and drive. Hope Grealish is allowed off the bench, but I think Southgate is going to bury him.
burnspbesq
Tartan Army invades Wembley. Trippier is likely to have a busy night, as Scotland features two of the three best left backs in the Premier League.
This is the best Scotland side in a while, but unless they raise the level of their game it won’t be competitive.
Victor Matheson
Two comments: First, Scotland isn’t lying when they say their rivalry with England is the oldest in the world. The very first national teams match in soccer took place in 1872 with Scotland vs. England. And alas, in an unfortunate omen for soccer, it ended 0-0.
Also Anne isn’t lying about the footwear. Pretty much every soccer referee in their 20s and 30s wears standard player shoes (either studs or turf shoes), but if they want to make it as a referee into their 40s and 50s they eventually switch to some style of running show for pretty much every game except those on the sloppiest field conditions.
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@JML: i am still riding with belgium.
& contra my buffalonian england-rooting friend, even if it’s not belgium in the end, it won’t be football coming home, either.
VeniceRiley
GO LIONS! Or, as I think of them this season, Man City ‘n Friends.
JML
@VeniceRiley:
If Grealish & Mings both get the start, then this is the Aston Villa game. Up the Villa!
Mart
Feet were never a problem for me, aside from rolling ankles. Knees in the other hand…
Tony Jay
Here’s hoping for a Czech win here, then we can draw with Scotland, improving their chances of getting into the next round, and draw with the Czechs. Qualify comfortably in second, avoid the likes of Germany, Portugal or France in the next round, then see what’s what after that.
burnspbesq
ESPN is reporting that Eriksen has been discharged from the hospital.
burnspbesq
Poor Dejan Lovren. That’s a terrible call. But Croatia is looking very much like a team that is past its sell-by date.
LongHairedWeirdo
I heard of a soccer camp where the kids are woken up early, with dew on the grass, and the day as cool as it will be, and they have to play or practice soccer barefoot – it teaches them to be *very* careful with ball handling, because cold extremities hurt a heck of a lot worse if they take impact.
On a sports field, knowing there are no rocks, pieces of broken glass, etc., soft “glove” shoes are probably as much protection as needed. If you’ve never used your feet before, they’re amazing – they are one end of an amazing telegraph line (damn Schoolhouse Rock for forcing that term to come to mind) that interconnects with everything – hips, shoulder, back, head/neck.
If you want to learn a bit about that, try learning to “cat step” – instead of landing on your heel, put the ball of your foot down, and then lower your foot. Try to be able to do that for at least 15-30 minutes, effortlessly, and you’ll probably start to understand what I mean.
Bonus: cat stepping is a *very* good way to avoid Legos in the carpet. If you start lowering your foot onto a Lego (or anything else), you’ll stop – if you’ve dropped your heel, and are about to put weight on that foot, you likely won’t be able to stop.
Tony Jay
I’d like to see how high any of those officials can jump without moving their arms. Either that’s just an accident and no foul or violent conduct and a red card.
Ridiculous.
billcinsd
soft “glove” shoes are probably as much protection as needed
until somebody kicks or steps on your feet
burnspbesq
@Tony Jay:
Even worse, the initial call on the field was no foul. If that’s a clear and obvious error, which is supposed to be the standard for a VAR overrule, then I’m a Great Pyrenees.
VeniceRiley
@burnspbesq: Right? VAR is redic. This needs fixing, along with their dutch angle offsides line calls. Also, why is one’s hand being over a line an offside if you cannot touch the ball with it?
burnspbesq
Welcome to the deep end, young Billy Gilmour.
cope
Good first half. Scotland look pretty composed. England got behind the Scot’s defense pretty consistently but couldn’t capitalize. My heart is with Robertson’s team, my head with Foden’s.
JML
Finally, Grealish enters the pitch!
Tony Jay
England 2018 all over again. Kane anonymous. Sterling useless. Finally brings on a gifted attacking midfielder in place of… the most attacking midfielder. Brings on a striker who excels at using pace to run behind defences against a defence with no space behind it. Dull. No invention on the pitch. No tactics.
Scotland came to defend and work for chances to pinch a goal. They carried out that plan excellently and could well have nicked it.
We’ll almost certainly go through, but if Southgate keeps sticking to a no-drama strategy we won’t get past the first first rate team.
LeftCoastYankee
I was surprised by how Scotland was able to boss the midfield. It seemed like the English attacking players kept dropping deeper to get the ball and got too frustrated about what to do with it when they had it.
So many pointless attempts to dribble through multiple defenders.
I was excited to see Grealish come on, and then near the end he’s doing the pointless dribbling across the field. He got fouled, but….
Scotland did seem a bit more fiery than their first game. Hopefully they carry that over, and England shakes off this one.
burnspbesq
Tonight was a good explanation of why despite all the hype, Robertson is not the best left back in the Premier League.
Given that many crossing opportunities, Digne would have put one right on somebody’s head.
JML
weather is a hell of an equalizer, of course, but Scotland was heady and disciplined. No creativity from England, which was disappointing. Grealish sent a jolt of energy in, I thought but didn’t really have enough time to truly impact the game.