Now, let's talk some SOCCER!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIIIEEEEEEND!


http://img62.photobucket.com/albums/v189/kiriakos_hel/xa.jpg


Congrats to the Portuguese too,not only for their team ,but for the hospitality and the sports spirit too.I saw their fans celebrating with our fans in Lisbon.

 

http://assets.in.gr/dGenesis/assets/Content5/Photo/549282_b.jpg

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40346000/jpg/_40346483_greececelebrate203.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38272000/jpg/_38272080_greeceflag.jpg

 

Greece stuns Portugal in Euro 2004 Final

7/4/2004

LISBON (AP) - Greece achieved one of the greatest upsets in soccer history Sunday, winning the European Championship 1-0 over host Portugal on Angelos Charisteas' 57th-minute header off a corner.



Greece played in the 1980 Euros and the 1994 World Cup, failing to win a single game. This time Greece wound up beating the Portuguese twice, ousting defending champion France 1-0 in the quarter-final and beating the favoured Czechs 1-0 in the semis.



Some 15,000 Greek fans in the Stadium of Light erupted when German referee Markus Merk blew the final whistle. Some of the Greek players collapsed on the turf while others hugged their German coach Otto Rehhagel as he ran onto the pitch.



``What happened here is that the Greek team wrote soccer history,'' Rehhagel said. ``I hope this reverberates in Greece. I hope when we get into Athens on Monday, there will be incredible scenes.''

http://www.tsn.ca/tsn/news_story.asp?id=90041

 

Hi all, Well, I can hear the "Fat Lady" warbling in the background. Greece makes history playing the only way they could. Well done! Does this mean that in the next Tournament they will be the favorites. UH OH!!!

Play On!

big ed

 

Hi Ed,

I hope you enjoyed your travel and the match. Amazing the Greeks won, sure a big surprise and very well done ofcourse.
The next tournement is in 2006 in Germany, that will be the Worldcup. So a long way to go for every country. They have to play a lot of matches before they can even join. Starting from september this year. If I am correct there will be more countries, maybe up to 24 something.
One thing for sure is that the Germans will play because it is in their country but they are far from favourite. (soccerwise spoken ofcourse)
Cheers,

Gerard

 

Dick A. will resign tomorrow.

 

On June 12th (before opening match!) I wrote what seemed to become prophetic words...wow:

 

Hi all, As that famous Prophet, Yogi Berra, once uttered " it ain't over til it's over, but when it's over it's over". If Euro '04 is any indication of what lies ahead for International Football the former reigning powers have been put on notice. My prediction for the winner of WC '06 may as well be the Faroe Isl. Anyone dare to give me odds?

Play on!

big ed

 

Latest (oranje) update!

Finally, after many times of rejecting the offer (of any real responsibility) and many years of standing on the sideline as a television-analist only;

the hand of the master will at last be seen on "Oranje":

Johan Cruijff is pushing forward his disciple Marco van Basten to become head-coach of the Dutch National Team!!!

And although Van Basten sofar only has experience with training/coaching the 2nd team of Ajax Amsterdam, I am thrilled, excited and jubilant!

Great news, promising non-coward soccer again (-the relief!)

Hurray!

(Offer still needs to be taken officially, but seems this is only matter of time)

 

Hey Slammer,

If Marco is 1/10 as good on the bench as he was on the pitch Holland's worries are over!

big ed

 

Soccer Champions World Series going on in US for next couple of weeks. Liverpool vs Celtic @ E. Hartford Ct. on July 26. See you there!

big ed

 

For anyone interested,

Copa Cup Final, tomorrow sunday 4PM EST.

Brazil vs Argentina.

Should be an outstanding match.


snowbound

 

Oh oh, Brasil may have to muster up their 16yr and under team if they expect to beat Argentina.

big ed

 

Well... they did!

After coming back twice in regular time (2-2) they beat Argentina 4-2 in the penalty-series.

regards,
slam

(To me -with my orange heart- it's the choice between two evils. Unlike many others I am not amused by south-american soccer... )

 

I hear you. While I enjoy watching Brasil when they are playing their game I cringe when I see something like what Rivaldo did against Turkey in WC 02. I have disliked Argentina since at least WC 90 when they played strictly for penalty kicks. The "Beautiful" game can get pretty ugly at times.

big ed

 

Yep. It's part of the game to master some theater -when called upon- now and then, but... if you in general posess so much technical skills -like Brasil and Argentina mostly have- in my opinion it's a bloody shame to depend on the drama to influence the outcome of a game.
Outrageous, disrespectful to the opponent, the audience and not to forget to themselves. Yuk!

@ Gerardwil (and all other interested Dutchies): Coach van het Jaar 2004-2005 is open for entry here.
Subscription deadline: 13 August 2004, 23.59 hrs.

I'll be inviting you for -yet another- subleague, shortly!

Regards and have fun,
slammer

 

UPDATE 1-Van Basten named Netherlands coach
Thu 29 July, 2004 12:25
(Adds background, detail, byline)

By Theo Ruizenaar

AMSTERDAM, July 29 (Reuters) - Marco van Basten has agreed to become the new Netherlands coach, the Dutch football association (KNVB) announced on Thursday.

The 39-year-old former international striker will replace Dick Advocaat, who resigned days after the Netherlands lost 2-1 in the Euro 2004 semi-final to hosts Portugal.

The KNVB said on Thursday they had finalised a deal with Van Basten and his assistant John van 't Schip and the pair would be presented officially at a news conference on Monday.

The statement included no details of the contract but media reports suggest Van Basten would be given a four-year contract.

After Advocaat's resignation KNVB director Henk Kesler approached Johan Cruyff for advice and the Dutch soccer great recommended he recruit Van Basten and Van 't Schip.

Cruyff, who has never been in charge of the Dutch national side, has promised his support to the new coach in a backroom role.

Two more former Ajax and Dutch internationals, Rob Witschge and Stanley Menzo, have been approached to complete the technical staff.

If they accept the offer, the new Dutch coaching team will be made up entirely of players who won the 1987 European Cup Winners Cup in an Ajax side coached by Cruyff.

It will be Van Basten's first head coaching role since persistent injury put an end to his playing career in 1995.

After seven years out of football, he joined the technical staff at Ajax in 2002, assisting Van 't Schip in coaching the the reserve team.

MEMORABLE VOLLEY

Van 't Schip, also a former Dutch international, had one year as a head coach with Twente Enschede in 2002 before resigning to return to Ajax.

Van Basten, who also played club football for AC Milan, was a member of the Dutch team that won the 1988 European Championship, scoring with a memorable volley in the final against the Soviet Union.

He will be the second Dutch national coach from that team after Frank Rijkaard, who was in charge of the squad between 1998 and 2000.

The most feared goalscorer of his generation, Van Basten was named European player of the year three times (1988, 1989 and 1992) and FIFA world player of the year in 1992.

Van 't Schip played for Ajax, Italian club Genoa and the national side as a winger.

 

Subleague: "Dappere Strijders" , woonplaats: "GRONINGEN"
See you there!

 

As a dyed in the wool Italian I thought I would sneak over to the Sub-league site for a look see. It was all "Greek" to me.

I was wondering how the Dutch supporters regard Dennis Bergcamp. He is one of my all time favorites.

Regards, big ed

 

Ok, I signed in there already, will look for Dappere Strijders
Will be a heck of a job to build a team I saw.
Greetz,

Gerard
(means: strong with the spear, )

 

Dennis Bergkamp is a brilliant player, but getting a bild old
Will have a look through an Italian specs at (our)your Greek site, and will give some translation these days.
hehe, its the Olympics coming in a week or so and uuhhhh awfull hot there at the moment as it is here right now also.
Greetz,

Gerard

 

Mine too
Hey, if you wanna see him in action, you might have a chance tonight!

Announcement:

Tonight, Sunday August 1st
The 2nd day (final) matches are being played in the

AMSTERDAM TOURNAMENT, ArenA Amsterdam

18:30 hr(GMT+1)

Panathinaikos (GRE) vs. River Plate (ARG)


and then the "piece de resistance"; DENNIS BERGKAMP(?) against his old club, where he (like SO many others ) learned all the skills:

20:45 hr(GMT+1)

AFC AJAX AMSTERDAM vs. Arsenal (ENG)


Enjoy. (I will! )

regards,
slammer

 

Hey Slammer,
Wasn't able to get the Ajax vs Arsenal match w/my rabbit eared TV. I see that it was a 0-0 final. Reports were that Arsenal had the better chances but only the final score counts! I have a 6 or 7 yr old tape of Arsenal vs Leeds (I think) where Bergkamp set up Anelka for two awesome goals, Omars for one, and got one for himself that was World Class. He put at least three more great shots on goal that the keeper was fortunate to stop. To me he is one of the few players ever who can make an impact on a match whenever he steps onto the pitch.

Regards, big ed

 

Yep, he still has such grace on the pitch. And I can name a few others:
Johan Cruijff ; Marco van Basten and new kids on the block can be Rafael van der Vaart and (mark this name: ) Daniël de Ridder (only 19 now).

Game was a little disappointing; Ajax had better first half, Arsenal indeed a better 2nd half. "Tournament" is a big word for these midsummernight-friendlies, but nevertheless:

The first price of the new season is already in the pocket!

regards,
slammer