Netherlands v Germany is on Sky Sports Mix, which should allow some that subscribe to non-Sky UK platforms to watch it.
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Euro 2020 Qualifiers and associated friendlies
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Originally posted by DPDPDPDP View PostYes. Tremendous away win for Scotland against the mighty Dan Marino. I think we could go all the way now. Oh, here's the nurse with my tablets.
regarding Gibraltar etc, I honestly don't know why they are treated differently to the Channel Islands and IOM. Although please note that these are crown dependencies of the UK and not just of England.
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Originally posted by jameswba View PostSlovakia should have equalised in the second-half in Cardiff, but then Wales could have had a 2nd goal. Fair result if only for the first-half.
Not that we were bad, as you say we should have been out of sight by half time but instead it began to feel more and more like all the WC 2018 qualifiers under Coleman where we took an early lead, didn't add to it when we had the chance then conceded a late equaliser.
A bold selection by Giggs was pretty much borne out though, he clearly wants pace and passing technique all through the side and James, Brooks, Mepham, James Lawrence, Smith and Wilson all shone. The more experienced players like Williams and Gunter are there to lock things up late on if needed from the bench.
Bale was clearly unfit, out of sorts and struggling all game which made it all the more bewildering that he was played in the centre of the attack even when Tyler D'Whyte Roberts came on who would have been a better option through the middle allowing Gareth to go wide.
Had we got the luxury of a second goal then I think Motondo may have been a late sub for Bale (meaning he was locked in for Wales for the future) to give us more pace and mobility.
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- Mar 2008
- 20818
- Black Country Green Belt
- Crusaders FC, Norn Iron, not forgetting Serendib
- Blueberry vodka Jaffa cake on marzipan base
Pah. Fritz and Brinker are contesting one place behind the total voetbal of Ultonia. Ballyross had no answer to Heptathlete Magennis there. Its a big Do Svidanya to the second rate ex Soviets
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After booting out Hummels, Boateng and Müller, Jogi Löw really needed this result.
In the first half, Germany showed what is possible. They tore Holland apart (and where helped by the timing of Gnabry's exquisite goal just as they were about to lose the plot).
In the second half, Germany showed what shouldn't be. They were overrun, and until the last five minutes or so, there was a lot of desperate booting the ball away instead of catching Holland on the break. They had no plan against Holland's Klopp Football.
Gündogan's substitution for Goretzka brought a little more stability into the midfield, and came maybe a littler later than it might have. But bringing on the Reus for Gnabry with a couple of minutes to go also showed intent by Löw. He could have pulled Gnabry for another defensive player, shore up the 2-2, but just the presence of Reus seemed to rattle the Dutch a bit -- with good reason, since he went on to set up the winner (after receiving a splendid pass from Gündogan).
I wonder if Hummels might have been more useful last night than, say, Rüdiger. And I can't understand why Löw decided to rule out a return for that Bayern trio when he could have dropped them for reasons of poor form. I suppose he wanted to forestall the media calling for their return every time Rüdiger misses a header. And slaughtering three holy cows signifies a declaration of intent and confidence in the new generation. But had Germany lost 5-2 -- and that wouldn't have been impossible last night -- Löw would be looking quite stupid now.
As for Holland, they do play some exciting football. Depay looks like a world beater in orange. But they do what other exciting Dutch sides have done: they tried to humiliate the opposition with clever tricks when a direct pass will do. And Frenkie de Jong will probably turn out to be an insufferable asshole (on the pitch; he might be a very nice boy at home). How did he avoid a booking for his persistent fouling of Sané?
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I know we're only one or two games in, but if I understand the playoffs properly the League A playoffs would presently involve Netherlands, Croatia, Austria and Czechia, while Turkey would join Bosnia, Ukraine and Denmark in League B playoffs. Is that how it plays out?
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A Swiss player was out cold concussed and was brought back on to finish the match.
This has to stop. He should have been taken off, and UEFA/FIFA should allow free substitutions for concussions.
Reports even saying he had swallowed his tongue, but a Georgian player was close at hand to remove his tongue from his throat.
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Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
A bold selection by Giggs was pretty much borne out though, he clearly wants pace and passing technique all through the side and James, Brooks, Mepham, James Lawrence, Smith and Wilson all shone. The more experienced players like Williams and Gunter are there to lock things up late on if needed from the bench.
Lawrence was an astute pick. I'm more familiar with him than any other Wales player (Bale included) thanks to his time with AS Trencin. His first few years there, he filled in as and where required - centre-back, left-back, anywhere across midfield, before settling in as first-choice centre-back and ultimately becoming the leader of the defence. Their record since he left is 12 defeats in 15 league games, after a summer where they thrashed Feyernoord, amongst other fine results. They miss him terribly. He'll also have known all about three of the Slovak lads from playing regularly against them in the domestic league. First half, he and Allen were constantly playing simple passes into central midfield from where the ball was switched wide, and suddenly Wales were on the attack again. Second-half, Hamsik started pressing harder, and Slovakia were better all-round than in the first.
It's going to be a good group, this one.
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