Eesh

Mediocrity finally cost a few teams their chance to win the Euros, though some (many?) continue on despite pedestrian performances.  Mediocrity would be a big step up for the USMNT and the Union.

Quality Dispensed With An Eye Dropper

The Round of 16 did not, in the main, bring out the best in most of the teams.  Three sides - France, England and Portugal - were less than impressive in advancing.  England putzed around against Slovakia until five minutes into stoppage time and only Bellingham's bicycle kick (this week's YouTubeableMoment) got them to extra time.  Another brief moment of quality early in extra time (Toney to Kane) was enough for England to advance.  Southgate appears reluctant to tinker too much with the line up but how long can they keep playing like this?

Thanks to our AirBnB hostess allowing for a late check-out time and the 1 pm flight out of Eugene for BFS Track and Field Correspondent Jack W, I did get to see Belgium - France.  I say that like it's a good thing but given the quality of the match, maybe not.  Neither side showed very much.  Verthonghen's own goal in the 85th minute is the reason France move on. Hard to feel sorry for Belgium as they showed nothing in this tournament.

Portugal?  They went 0-0 with Slovenia for 120 minutes and advanced on PKs.  Ronaldo could have won it extra time but Obiak saved his PK.

Not Natural Enough; Andersen called for handling

Even Germany's win wasn't all that impressive. Joachim Andersen scored for Denmark in the 50th minute but the goal was ruled out by VAR, correctly, for offside.  Minutes later Andersen got called for handling in the box, again with VAR's assistance, and Havertz dispatched the PK.  Initially I thought the call was harsh but upon further review, think that Michael Oliver got it right.  The key for me is which arm is extended.  If you are running and your right leg is leading, it's natural for your left arm to be outstretched.  On the other hand, if you are merely turning your body, then having the right arm up and extended is making yourself bigger. There's more on the call below.  Germany did add another so probably not fair to denigrate their win too much.

Was Switzerland's 2-0 win over Italy the result of Italian indifference or Swiss brilliance?  Sometimes it's both.

Advancing on Merit?

A few others did win decisively.  Netherlands finally found their game and pasted Romania 3-0.  Spain scored five goals in their 4-1 win over Georgia.  After surrendering an early own goal, they had little trouble dispatching the surprise entrant in the knockout phase.  And Austria-Turkiye was a treat as both sides put up better efforts than several of the other countries that are advancing.  Turkiye came away with a hard fought 2-1 win.

Smart Balls

Just make sure the batteries are charged

Michael Oliver had two decisions to make in the handling case discussed above.  One of them, whether Andersen actually touched the ball, was made easier by the new technology incorporated into Fussballliebe, the Official Match Ball for UEFA EURO 2024.  As detailed here, the technology detects every touch of the ball.  In the picture above, you can see the graph that tells Oliver that Andersen had touched the ball.

Ojee A Lock to Win the Golden Boot

With nine own goals so far, no player is going to match that tally.  He may also lead France in scoring too.  They have a lone goal from Mbappe to go with the Wober own goal from Austria and Vertonghen's misfortune from Belgium.

Another Bite At the Cherry for Another Bite At the Cherry

We have always been confused by the British version of this metaphor.  How do you not finish the cherry in one bite?  Why is there a need for a second bite?  BFS Statistical Advisor Brenna C offers a possible explanation.  What if you missed completely in your first attempt?  Okay, that makes a little more sense.  Except how did you miss the whole thing in the first place?  I guess you might have dropped it or tried to toss it in your mouth and missed.  

Does Berhalter Survive?

With a 1-0 loss to Uruguay, the USMNT uncermoniously bowed out of Copa America.  Actually, even a draw wouldn't have been enough as Jamaica beat Bolivia. I saw very little of the action so I can't comment on how they played.  But clearly, not advancing out of group that included Uruguary, Jamaica (um, you mean Panama but the point is still the same) and Bolivia has to be viewed as a failure.  Is it the quality of players, the mix of players, the tactics?  I don't know.  Unfortunately, for national teams, there are no transfer windows to bolster or revamp the roster; you work with the players you have.  

Did Klopp really say he was all ears about the USMNT position?

Naturally, this means the focus turns to the manager and there are calls for Greg Berhalter to be sacked. Incredibly, as explained here, Jurgen Klopp might actually be a candidate for the job. That seems so farfetched but earlier this year Klopp did say the USMNT position is one that he would consider.

As for the rest of the tournament, quarterfinals are this weekend. Argentina got past Ecuador but only on PKs.  Maybe check out Uruguay - Brazil Saturday at 9 pm on FS1.  Semis are 7/9-10 and the final is Sunday 7/14.  Haven't had the bandwidth to follow Copa America too much given the Euros and the Olympic Trials but maybe have a chance now.

Maybe Apple Has Done Me A Favor

MLS Season Pass has meant that I have not watched the recent Union debacles live and only have to skim through the lowlights.  Wednesday's performance set a new low, as they coughed up a 3-1 lead.  And by "cough up" I don't mean they got a draw.  Nope, they surrendered three goals in 10 minutes, inclouding the game loser at 90+1 minutes, and got nothing from the match.  This is the first time in franchise history they have lost five straight and they now sit 14th in the table.

I haven't seen enough of these matches to have a sense of what's wrong.  Injuries and national team call-ups haven't helped, especially with respect to the bench and in-game changes.  You would think hope that the Union will be active when the MLS Secondary Transfer Window opens on 7/18 and runs to 8/14.  

Tantalizing Matchups - On Paper Anyway

Here's the line up for the Euro quarterfinals:

Spain vs Germany - Friday at noon
Portugal vs France - Friday at 3 pm
England vs Switzerland - Saturday at noon
Netherlands vs Turkiye - Saturday at 3 pm

All are on Fox.  They all look like great contests and maybe we'll see more quality as we get closer to the final.

The Union host the Harrison Pink Cows on Saturday at 7:30.  No tickets and MLS Season Pass mean I won't be able to see this one live.  Maybe this is a good thing?