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Cym on Den!! The first game in the round of 16

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  • The Awesome Berbaslug!!!
    replied
    Denmark had that traumatic first match, and then completely emptied the tank against Belgium and Russia. Wales have played comfortably within themselves for the first three games. They've got to be fairly strong favourites

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  • Various Artist
    replied
    Indeed, that would seem the 'par' result pretty much, wouldn't it?

    A shame meanwhile I only just learned randomly via Sporting's post on the 1968 Euros that the Wales-Italy match the other day was for the Unofficial Football World Championship:
    https://twitter.com/UFWC_Football/status/1406538729972551684

    That was the first Welsh challenge for the UFWC since late 1988 – they lost the 'title' to the Netherlands via a Ruud Gullit goal in a WC qualifier, having only 'won' it in their previous (friendly) game v Italy before that year's Euros, which was itself amazingly the only time they'd been in the mix for it since 1937.

    Instead, Italy will have the chance to move into the Top 5 all time UWFC titlists (ranked by defences of the crown) if they can beat Austria.
    Last edited by Various Artist; 26-06-2021, 10:43.

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  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    I've had a discussion recently about what "success" at the Euros would be for Wales. We agreed "failure" would have been going home at the group stage. "Success" would be getting to the quarter finals and beyond. So a defeat today would be "met expectations".

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  • Various Artist
    replied
    That's the noblest-sounding excuse for wanting your team to win a football game I think I've ever heard! I can't disagree, though.

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  • Bizarre Löw Triangle
    replied
    Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
    All fair points BLT... albeit I'm not so sure about the second one, was that the limit of Welsh ambition and is the pressure really all on a Danish side who've already performed a minor miracle just to get out of their group?
    I dunno, the whole "win for Eriksen" stuff must give a whole load of additional emotional baggage that they don't necessarily want or need, for a team who pre-tournament were already considered Denmark's best hopes since the 1990s.

    Hope Wales can send them home so that they can take the time they need to heal and not have their trauma strip-mined for surplus narrative for the TV industry..
    Last edited by Bizarre Löw Triangle; 26-06-2021, 09:47.

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  • Duncan Gardner
    replied
    I'm backing Cymru to shade it (cue howls of anguish in Y Fenni but party time for bookmakers everywhere )

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  • Various Artist
    replied
    All fair points BLT... albeit I'm not so sure about the second one, was that the limit of Welsh ambition and is the pressure really all on a Danish side who've already performed a minor miracle just to get out of their group?

    I guess this state of affairs of Wales being 'quite good, actually' just feels so unnatural I keep expecting things to revert to the mean at any moment.

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  • Bizarre Löw Triangle
    replied
    I think I'm inclined to pessimism too so here's some reasons to be optimistic:

    - Denmark are not that much better than us but no-one is really giving us a hope
    - All the pressure is on them - we've achieved our tournament objectives (getting out the group)
    - Some of our players have actually won games at this stage of the competition - none of Denmark's team have played in a quarter or semi final.
    - We've conceded about six competitive goals since the start of 2020

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  • Bizarre Löw Triangle
    replied
    Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
    Well said PT, though you can perhaps count me in with Ray and Bored's pessimistic camp. Logic says it'll probably be a tight game shaded by one moment of brilliance or – more likely? – one terribly untimely lapse of judgement or simple ill-luck. Part of me though, perhaps coloured by the narrative unfolding around Denmark this tournament and also I suppose by the long-ingrained notion that Wales can't possibly be competing at this level, thinks that the Danes will suddenly cut loose in dramatic fashion and shred us 4-0 or similar.
    Be amazed if we lost heavily simply cos we haven't lost a competitive game heavily against anyone for years.

    Think Denmark will score and it's really how well they nullify us going forward which will count.

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  • Duncan Gardner
    replied
    I'll meet you halfway at "fairly dull"
    ​​​​

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  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    That Wales v Northern Ireland game was absolutely dreadful.

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  • Bored Of Education
    replied
    On the day, I meant. We weren't much better.

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  • Duncan Gardner
    replied
    Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
    we beat a pretty poor Northern Ireland fairly unconvincingly before beating Belgium thoroughly
    The pretty poor NI side that won our qualifying group, beat Ukraine impressively, and had conceded more than 1 goal only once in the 14 games of that campaign?

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  • Various Artist
    replied
    Well said PT, though you can perhaps count me in with Ray and Bored's pessimistic camp. Logic says it'll probably be a tight game shaded by one moment of brilliance or – more likely? – one terribly untimely lapse of judgement or simple ill-luck. Part of me though, perhaps coloured by the narrative unfolding around Denmark this tournament and also I suppose by the long-ingrained notion that Wales can't possibly be competing at this level, thinks that the Danes will suddenly cut loose in dramatic fashion and shred us 4-0 or similar.

    Leave a comment:


  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    I don't really believe in this second string theory. Firstly, the second best Italy players in most positions are really good players. Secondly it's a "Here's your chance to go out and stake a claim to be first choice" moment.

    I don't know if we have seen Denmark play a team like Wales yet. Finland would have been the closest in terms of quality but that game is never going to be anything like a normal game to compare against. In less.extreme circumstances are Denmark able to unpick a defensive well drilled side without leaving themselves open to counter attacks? Both the Belgium goals were from quick breaks and Wales have the players to do that.

    Having said all that I'm just hoping for a good sporting contest and if Cymru are second best on the day, well so be it.

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  • Bored Of Education
    replied
    I am very worried about Denmark. They are gaining momentum and really must be favourites (and are probably most people's second favourite team after the opening match). As Harry mentions, we haven't exactly sparkled yet. Having said that, we beat a pretty poor Northern Ireland fairly unconvincingly before beating Belgium thoroughly.

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  • Etienne
    replied
    I think Denmark are favourites, but Wales have a decent chance. Which is as much as you can hope for at this stage.

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    I know a handful who are already out there by various routes, think we'll have around 50-100 in attendance based on the 300 or so who made Baku and/or Rome.

    I'm getting more and more worried about the game itself. In my more pessimistic mood I reflect that we were the inferior side against Switzerland and the draw was a relief, had the least emphatic win over Turkey of all the sides in the group and failed to make any impact on Italy's second string (even before the red card).

    Playing Italy last when they were already qualified can be seen to have been very advantageous to our goal difference which ultimately sealed second place. Meanwhile, Denmark's group record is artificially skewed by the circumstances of their opening defeat and, as PT refers to, they thoroughly outplayed us in the 2018 Nations League ties.

    We're a better side than we were in that campaign though and I can make many positive arguments for us, of course. I'm probably just grumpy about not being there and rationalising too much.
    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 25-06-2021, 12:05.

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  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    1 Wales fan will be there
    https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...y-who-20889810

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  • Satchmo Distel
    replied
    Manfred to Mann marking?

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    That's the one, spotter's badge!

    IN the Welsh red corner stood Paul Jones. About 110 yards opposite in the Finnish blue (and white) corner he was faced by Antti Niemi.

    Friends, training partners, yet rivals.

    Last night was the first time Saints' two international goalkeepers had returned to Cardiff's magnificent Millennium Stadium since the FA Cup final as Wales and Finland went head-to-head in their crunch Euro 2004 qualifying match
    .

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  • Simon G
    replied
    Antti Niemi of Finland in 2003?

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    I'm sure I saw Paul Jones play against another Soton keeper in a Wales game, I just can't remember who.
    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 24-06-2021, 14:56.

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  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    That is a great trivia observation that delicatemoth mentions there. I have already passed this on to Mrs Thistle and she thinks it's very cool.

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  • Satchmo Distel
    replied
    On the positive side, the fact one of these sides will be in the QF is a win-win for the good guys.

    There's a viable route to the final for the winner of the tie, i.e. they can only meet sides who aren't called France, Italy or Belgium.
    Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 24-06-2021, 14:52.

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