Euro 2016 Final: Portugal v France, 10th July, 8pm

[Stevencc]

First major trophy in Portugal's history - I'm happy for them, they didn't play the best attacking football in the tournament but if you can defend properly then you don't need to. They haven't been alone in proving that throughout Euro 2016 what with Iceland, Wales etc.

What a goal to win it too!

 

[G.B]

So does this put Ronaldo Eder above Messi now?

yes. yes it does.

 

[JimJams]

Shit game, shit winners, shit tournament.

They were a much better team when they lost to Greece, yet here they are winning it with a frankly tripe fucking team. As far as winners go. As said, 3rd in a group with Iceland and Hungary.

 

[Jamie_SFC]

Delighted for Fonte. He's been solid.

 

[JimJams]

yes. yes it does.

I think Eder needs to come down a few levels to be compared to mere mortals like Messi.

 

[Laker]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR CHAMPIONS, THE PRIDE OF EUROPE... won 1 game in 90 minutes and finished 3rd in their group behind iceland and hungary.

crap tournament.

Unbeaten. Only side that can say that. And ultimately, that's the definition of a cup winner.

They were dead unlucky against Spain in the semi final 4 years ago and they've reached 3 semi finals out of the last 4 including 2 finals. Can't knock that they deserve it.

 

[mnb089mnb]

"Weak half of the draw"

Portugal are a very good team. If they weren't someone would have beaten them by now.

 

[G.B]

negativity aside, congratulations and well done xpto. if the evil brute payet hadn't attempted to kill ronaldo, eder wouldn't have been on the pitch to show his brilliance and make jimjams and storzy look daft. we're all winners tonight.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Well there we have it, Portugal are European Champions, and yes I'm still in disbelief. Great goal by Eder to win it, what a crazy footballing year it has been. France didn't turn up on the day, still had a few chances to win it but very one dimensional, and until Coman was introduced a distinct lack of pace. Portugal solid and Pepe was outstanding, stuck to what they have done well all tournament and it's rewarded them. This does however show how poor the tournament has been and the format needs addressing, but that's for another thread.

 

[JimJams]

Football is not the winner G.B. Football is not.

A bit like when we won the PL.

 

[Nath]

Deschamp got it wrong tonight.

 

[JimJams]

Deschamp got it wrong tonight.

Well he didn't bring on Kante did he the fucking idiot. Guaranteed goals right there. And they'd never concede.

 

[Nilsson]

Fucking Eder

Delighted for Ronaldo, what a legend.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

This tournament has been a massive missed opportunity for England.

 

[JimJams]

Has it? We're shit, we showed it on the big stage. Not sure what opportunity we've missed exactly, we could have gone a bit further but so could a lot of teams.

 

[AnimoEtFide]

Well done Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo. This should do wonders for the lad's confidence.

 

[xpto999]

Finally a major win. Everyone in Portugal knows this is not our best of teams and that we were not convincing. Either way, we never lost a game in the tournament. And worse teams have won the Euro honestly.

Our national coach spent some time coaching in Greece, so i guess he took something from there.
But in the end it doesn't matter.

 

[Master D]

France got what they finally deserved, got through beating a depleted Germany with 2 gift goals. Tonight they completely shit themselves in extra time.

 

[Skinner]

Was a lot of Portugal fans in my pub tonight, fair play to them, happy for 'em.

Their women are incredible too. How my missus didn't give me a black eye tonight I'll never know.

 

[smat]

France did a Brexit.

 

[mistermagic]

Ten years ago Greece were European Champions.

12 mate, you're thick.

Football lost . We did all the work but Eder scored the goal. No matter. Let Portugal have this one. It's long overdue. We'll win it in Russia. The players will be hungry for that one which wouldn't have happened had we won tonight.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

I'm actually really happy for Portugal. I visit the country a lot so consider them something of a second team. Admittedly I'd like them a hell of a lot more if Ronaldo and Pepe weren't playing for them, but hey, you can't have everything...

Trouble is they're an extremely average side and this whole tournament was, quite honestly, pretty awful. The new format, as I very much envisaged, was utter wank. It diluted the quality and, in the absence of an outstanding team, made it even more likely that a functional, well-organised side would emerge victorious. Can't imagine I'll remember anything whatsoever from this tournament aside from those comical Italy-Germany penalties.

 

[G-Dragon]

Great to see Portugal win this. You can say what you want about Ronaldo but he is a great LEADER unlike someone... Better manager than Woy for sure!

P.S. United paid over 100 million for POGBA LOL!

 

[Super_horns]

I actually thought Portugal were a little more attacking than in previous games but that isn't saying much!

France just didn't turn up but still had their chances.

Just proves what good organisation and team work can do though.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Unbeaten. Only side that can say that. And ultimately, that's the definition of a cup winner.

No it isn't?

 

[mnb089mnb]

12 mate, you're thick.

10 years ago was 2006. Greece were the reigning European Champions at the time.

 

[Pagnell]

Have that for a retort.

 

[mnb089mnb]

I'm actually really happy for Portugal. I visit the country a lot so consider them something of a second team. Admittedly I'd like them a hell of a lot more if Ronaldo and Pepe weren't playing for them, but hey, you can't have everything...

Trouble is they're an extremely average side and this whole tournament was, quite honestly, pretty awful. The new format, as I very much envisaged, was utter wank. It diluted the quality and, in the absence of an outstanding team, made it even more likely that a functional, well-organised side would emerge victorious. Can't imagine I'll remember anything whatsoever from this tournament aside from those comical Italy-Germany penalties.

International football is not as high quality as club football. It hasn't been for a good few years. Teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern etc. have the resources to build squads that are far better than any international side. Club sides also have the advantage of spending months and months together to build up systems and patterns of play. With international football the easiest way to approach it from a managerial point of view is to get your players together and teach them how to defend well as a unit. Teaching attacking play is too hard.

I'm not sure the format works (3rd placers going through), however I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that had it only been top 2 going through that Portugal may approached some of their matches differently and would have gone through anyway.

I absolutely love an international tournament, and I support Wales so my feelings on Euro 2016 are likely to be different to others.

 

[mnb089mnb]

This on Portugal was good, I thought:
https://t.co/P3gGyIXa7K

 

[Stagat]

This on Portugal was good, I thought:
https://t.co/P3gGyIXa7K

Good little piece. Wonder if some folk saying they don't deserve it are comparing them to teams who won stuff 2 or 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 (heh) years ago. This question though - "And yet, who deserved it more?" - is the key one innit.