There Is No Off Season

With EPL and MLS overlap there never really was but it seems even crazier these last 18 months.  The Euros and Copa America ended this weekend but Gold Cup started up and runs to August 1.  EPL regular season starts Friday 8/13.  Oh yeah, there'll be Olympic soccer as well from 7/21 to 8/7.   Do not take that as a complaint though.

England Mimic Spurs

It was like watching a Jose Mourinho coached squad all over again.  Luke Shaw gave England a quick lead with a goal in the third minute (and there was much rejoicing).  They played reasonably well for another 15-20 minutes.  Then nothing.  We saw this movie all year with Tottenham. With the same result. 

The good thing about the early goal was it meant we would not see much catatonia catenaccio from Italy.  The Azzurri took a little while to recover from the quick score but slowly gained control of the match.  They were on the front foot from about 30 minutes on; credit to the England back line for keeping them out of the 18 for awhile.  Eventually Italy broke through on a scrum in front of the goal in the 67th minute - deserved if not pretty.  

Fitting for this tournament, we went to extra time (8th time in the 15 knockout games).  Nothing in the extra time.  Fitting for this tournament, we went to a shootout (4th time in the 15 knockout games).  Southgate went tactical and put in two subs in the 119th minute - Rashford and Sancho - who were theoretically solid PK takers.  Except both missed.  So did Saka and Italy took the title 3-2 in the shootout. 

Though I would have preferred to see England prevail, I am happy to see Roberto Mancini achieve success on the world stage.  Same with Chiellini.  And it's not like Italy weren't solid the whole tournament.  My early reads of the English press don't show Southgate getting raked over the coals though many point out some of the team's - and his - shortcomings.  Given this was the first appearance in a final in a long time, one would expect Southgate gets the chance to manage the team through next year's World Cup.

Overall, a fascinating tournament that was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.  

You Know 'Zactly Who I Mean

Not your typical assistant manager

Surprised I did not get to this sooner.  It was hard not to notice Alberico Evani (photo left) on the sidelines advising Roberto Mancini.  He has a very, um, distinctive appearance.  I thought he was straight out of a Peter Sellers movie.  We weren't the only ones who took notice.  Check out this article in Mr. Porter, a British on-line fashion store that apparently also publishes a journal.  So many great lines.  I'll go with this one:

He should be in a piazza in Rome drinking Campari and tutting, not doing anything as vulgar as setting up a training session or telling a defender where to stand on a patch of grass. 

Don't miss the link at the end of the article if you want one of those jackets for yourself.  Also, how many soccer blogs do you know with a quoting fashion journals?

Only If Europe For It

We certainly ran through a lot of puns during the tournament.  Some late entries:

As the Spanish midfielder could not get to a cross in the box:  Apparently things do not go better with Koke

As Denmark are threatening England with incisive attacks: The English are finding the Danish counter is more than a place to get pastries

Conversation That Could Have Taken Place and Did

as Jack Grealish enters the Euro Final

Steve:  Here comes the calvery

Dennis: A++++++++++

If I have to explain it, it's no good...

Message on a Bottle (apologies to The Police)

Read any good bottles lately?

Though the practice has been going on for some time, I was not aware that keepers will put notes on
their water bottles about shooters' tendencies on penalty kicks.  Pickford has done it several times.  Ian Darke referenced it before the Italy - England shootout.  Haven't seen anything that says it's illegal. That would seem to be valuable information to have in a shootout, though I wonder if it leads to overthinking.  Seems a bit like rock, scissors, paper, shoot...

That Was Messi

In golf, there's always a discussion about the best player never to have won a major (Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA Championship).  The soccer equivalent dogging Lionel Messi was that for all his accomplishments, he had never won a major title with Argentina.  Fortunately, their 1-0 win over Brazil in the Copa America (South American confederation championship) takes care of that.  Messi himself did not have a great game though he did have a good tournament.  Also kudos to Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez for his work in goal for Argentina.

I did not watch any of Copa America except the final.  Maybe it was a great tournament.  In any case, the final was brutally ugly.  Laura thought it was an NFL game.  There were 41 fouls and nine yellow cards.  At least the game winner from Angel Di Maria was a nice piece of work, calmly settled and deftly lifted over the keeper; we make it this week's YouTubeableMoment.

Tin Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup looks like a soccer step-child.  Though it is the confederation's championship, it doesn't have the same cachet as the Euros or Copa America.  Add to that, the real focus of these squads is World Cup qualifying which begins in September.  ESPN has a helpful write up here.  I like how Berhalter won't call this his B Team but look at the roster.  They were certainly less than impressive in a 1-0 win over Haiti on Sunday night.  Martinique on Thursday won't be much of a test.  The third group stage match with Canada on Sunday could be interesting.   Until the Olympics start though, this is pretty much all we have, save for some MLS contests.

Textbook Stuff

In the Union's 1-1 draw with the Red Bulls, we saw a textbook case of excessive force when Dru Yearwood absolutely clocked Monteiro.  Unfortunately, it was not called on the field and VAR did not deign to push the issue.  In the second half, with the score still 0-0, we saw a textbook hospital ball from Glesnes back to replacement keeper Freese.  That was followed by a textbook goalie error from Freese as he sought to play the ball rather than hoof it clear.  After failing to play the ball to safety, Freese committed a textbook DOGSO, one that left no doubt in anyone's mind.  The PK was converted and the Union played the rest of the way a man down.  There was a happier ending when Curtin made a textbook "throw caution to the wind" decision to substitute Santos for Flach, clearly reasoning that there's little difference in losing 0-1 or 0-2.  In fact, BFS obtained exclusive video (language!) of Curtin explaining his decision.  The equalizer from Santos can be seen here.

On balance this was a good result.  Somewhat surprised to see Freese taking more of the blame for the mess up; to me it was 50/50 between Glesnes' soft pass and Freese's decision not to clear it.  Yes, Freese could have saved the situation but he shouldn't have been under pressure in the first place.  Good overall play from Gazdag in a purely attacking role and hope that develops more.  A character building moment to come away with a point.  New England, Orlando and NYCFC all lost so the point was useful that way too.

He Seems Outgoing Enough

The Inquirer's Jonathan Tannenwald suggested a role for the Union's Daniel Gazdag as a "withdrawn" forward.  At least that is a real position, unlike the "introverted" winger that Taylor Twellman referenced earlier this season.  Dennis says he played both in high school.

A Breather?

Well, only if you have no intention of following the Gold Cup group stage play.  If you do, there's two matches pretty much every day until next Tuesday.  Even I'm balking at that, though I'll probably tune in selectively.  Certainly will watch US - Martinique (Thursday 9:30 pm) and US - Canada (Sunday at 5 pm).  Costa Rica - Jamaica (Tuesday 7/20 at 7 pm) looks interesting.  Hard pass on Suriname - Guadaloupe.  The knockout stages should bring some more enticing match ups.

I'll be at Subaru Park Saturday night for the Union vs DC United.  On paper, this is supposed to be W for Philly; 538 has it 57% chance.  They will be without Blake and Burke again.  Still,  I think the U have enough to see this one through.  Some other good Eastern Conference stuff too with Atlanta - New England (Saturday at 5 pm) and Columbus - NYCFC (Saturday at 7:30).  Haven't paid much attention to the West yet but I see that Seattle have eight wins, five draws and no losses.  KC and the LA Galaxy also doing well.  

Have you broken the habit of tuning in at 3 pm for the Euro match of the day?

Four Scores and Five Clean Sheets Ago...

...the English advanced to the semis of the Euro 2021 2020.  Overall continued great viewing with four interesting quarterfinals.  For the Union, the viewing - and the news  - was not as good.

End of the Road for the Boys of Sommer

One of Sommer's 10 saves versus Spain

No one's had a better tournament that Switzerland's keeper Yann Sommer.  He continued with another fine performance against Spain, recording 10 saves (tournament high) through regular time plus 30 minutes of extra time, getting the Swiss to a 1-1 draw.  Then he stopped another one in the shootout.  Unfortunately, it was not enough, and Spain advanced on the strength of the 3-1 shootout.  

Spain played a man up from 77 minutes on after Michael Oliver issued a dubious red card to Remo Freuler.  We are big Oliver fans but agree with Mark Clattenberg here; better he had issued a yellow and let the VAR chime in.  You can't say it was an egregious error; though Freuler had slid a long way before contact, Oliver judged it was excessive force and that was hard to overturn.  However, it would have worked the same way had he issued just a yellow; it would not have been overturned by the VAR.

Italy Exposes Belgium

Jeremy Doku - Coming to an EPL side near you?

During the Spain Switzerland match, Efan Ekoku suggested words to the effect that the Belgian back line was old and slow.  A few hours later, it was clear that 1) he was right and 2) it wasn't just the back line.  The exception would be Jeremy Doku, the 19 year-old left winger who was responsible for most of the Belgian attacks.  There were a few moments from De Bruyne that forced a couple of saves from Donna Summer Donnarumma.  Otherwise, Italy looked the far better side and arguably 2-1 doesn't reflect how much they were in control of the match.  The Belgium goal came on a poorly timed challenge in the box.  To be fair, some of Belgium's troubles may not be "old age," but the fact that Italy are a solid team.  A tense match and a fair outcome.  

Miracle Recovery of the Tournament

In the build-up to Italy's first goal after a failed bicycle kick and collision inside the Belgian six, Immobile went down writhing in agony.  His teammate Barella is obviously not concerned as he plays on and puts a beautiful shot past Courtois.  The most interesting part though - which you can see here - is how after the ball is in the net, Immobile immediately picks himself up with no apparent lasting effects of the contact; you might say he's no longer immobile.  Frankly, that's just embarrassing.  Stop it.  Feigning an injury should be specifically listed in the Laws as unsporting behavior and a cautionable offense.  

The Paler Dark Horse Advances

An early strike from Thomas Delaney and a late first half goal from Kasper Dolberg were enough for Denmark to take the measure of the Czech Republic 2-1.  Patrik Schick's fifth goal of the tournament (tied with Ronaldo) and spirited play second half play from the Czechs made this a close one.  With Schmeichel in goal and Christiansen, Kjaer, and Vestergaard in the back line, the Danes have yielded just five goals in five matches.  Maybe they weren't expected to make it quite this far; on the other hand, this is a pretty good team.

England  Bid "Harryvederci" to Ukraine in Rome

or

Ukraine Can Crimea River (hat tip to BFS Super League Correspondent Philip S.)

Our dismay in not seeing Jack Grealish in the starting 11 was short-lived as Harry Kane put The Three Lions up in the 4th minute.  A different Harry - Maguire - doubled the lead early in the second half. That was followed shortly by another tally from the first Harry.  The final was 4-0 and if it flatters England, it's not by much. This was easily the best the English have looked so far, especially in attacking.  Five matches in and they still have not conceded a goal.  Don't forget some love for Luke Shaw - he's been a critical part of the good run.  Arguably, they are the deepest team in the tournament.

I've Got the Nashville Blues (apologies to the Everly Brothers)

Speaking of early goals, the Union coughed one up early in Nashville to - wait, this can't be - CJ Sapong.  Fortunately, he missed several other chances.  Unfortunately, so did the Union and the 0-1 loss looks like a fair result.  Once again, Curtin's line-up was part of the story line.  He opened with Gazdag on the left wing with Monteiro at the top of the diamond. Though it doesn't really show up in the stats - everything, including expected goals, is very close - something didn't look right on the pitch.  Not sure if it was Gazdag being uncomfortable on the left side or having a bad day or still recovering from the knee injury.  Curtin pulled Gazdag for Martinez in the second half and things did go a little better.  Nashville might be a decent team too.  They play good defense and look for the counter attack, so this was always going to be a tough match up.  Also, they have four wins and four draws and no losses at home.  

More Midweek Football

Two great semi-finals on tap.  I can only hope that my projects don't require meetings on Tuesday or Wednesday.  As of publication - still clear.

Tuesday is Italy - Spain.  The Italians are in better form, coming off an impressive win over Belgium; the hardest they've been pressed was Austria taking them to extra time.  Spain have been all over the map in this competition.  Croatia scored twice late to force them extra time and frankly they were unimpressive against Switzerland.  

Wednesday is England - Denmark.  As we've noted, the English have not been scored on yet.  On the other hand, they can look stodgy in the attack.  The Danish have been tough on defense and they have been able to score.  Happy to see either side advance though I will admit to a preference to see England in the final.

The Union also play midweek, traveling to Harrison not NY to face the Red Bulls on Thursday.  We sense there may be some goals in this one.  

May be back before the Euro Final but possibly not until next week.  The USMNT will begin play in the Gold Cup Sunday night at 8:30 versus TBD.  That is not a country abbreviation so don't worry if you're not familiar with it.  The US opponent won't be known until the preliminary phase of the tournament is over.  Midweek football will continue for a few more weeks!

Are We Not Entertained?

An awesome set of Round of 16 matches.  Four that went to extra time.  A stoppage time game winner, a stoppage time equalizer.  A few upsets of varying degrees.  Really only one stinker (Wales - Denmark).   For the Union, a result but not what we wanted.

Two Great Finals

Family Resemblance? Thorgan (r),
not Eden, sank Portugal

Other than the fact they were Round of 16 matches, the Belgium-Portugal and England-Germany contests would have made for great finals.  The former was tense throughout with the "wrong" Hazard (Thorgan) getting the lone goal, a laser from the top of the box in the 42nd minute.    The bad news for Belgium is that both De Bruyne and the "right" Hazard (Eden) left with injuries.  As long-time supporters of this team, we were pleased with the result.

In truth, the first half of England-Germany was not a great display of football.  England looked slow and uncreative and Germany were more than happy to see that.  Jack Grealish entry into the match in the 69th minute shook things up and England broke through shortly thereafter.  Germany's Muller had a golden opportunity to level things but couldn't find the net in the 81st minute.  Five minutes later, Harry Kane got his first of the tournament to settle things for England.  As long-time supporters of England, we were pleased with the result.  A Belgium - England final is still a possibility. 

About Those Two Goal Leads

While we will contend that two goal leads are the second hardest to defend (after one goal leads), we will concede that two goal leads were a problem on Monday.  First Spain looked to have recovered from the goalie gaffe of all-time (here - wonder if it made Spanish fans long for David De Gea) and were cruising at 3-1 over Croatia.  Even Azpecuta Assplatica Dave had a goal. Then, in, ahem, dramatic fashion, the Croats scored in the 85th minute and again in stoppage time to send the match to extra time.  Spain however made short work of the extra time, scoring twice within minutes and pulling away comfortably for a 5-3 win.

A few hours later, Paul Pogba's rocket put France up 3-1 on Switzerland with 15 minutes to play.  The Swiss apparently knew the script and scored twice in the final 10 minutes.  On to extra time but no goals were forthcoming.  To PKs, where the Swiss were flawless through five, but Kevin Mbappe, who will probably not look back on this as his finest tournament, was stopped by Yann Sommer.  

Czech Republic Uses Prague-matic Game Plan to Defeat Netherlands

Sure it helped that Netherlands had a man sent off at 55 minutes but the Czechs were always in this match.  Goals at 68 and 80 minutes sent the Dutch packing.  The second one came from Patrik Schick, his third of the tournament.

Conversations That Could Have Taken Place But Didn't

Dennis:  Did you say the crowd in Budapest for Netherlands versus Czech Republic looked well-fed?

Steve: No, I said there were no Hungary fans in the stands.

Dennis: Did you say the Czechs identified a weakness in the Dutch defense?

Steve: No, I said Kalas found Holes inside the Dutch six.

 

 Conversation That Could Have Taken Place and Did

(after Man City transfer targets Jack Grealish and Harry Kane hooked up for England's clinching goal versus Germany)

Steve: Pep Guardiola just saw his future

Dennis: 

That's Not Necessarily What They Meant

So Group F, AKA the Group of Death, sent three sides (France, Germany and Portugal) into the knockout round.  None  survived.  Also, this is the first time in tournament history that the quarters will not have at least one of France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Memo to Gareth Southgate

England have 1 goal in 243 minutes without Grealish on the pitch and 3 goals in 117 minutes with him out there.  Just sayin'.

Trial By Fire

With a congested schedule, international obligations and injuries, you knew at some point Jim Curtin was going to have to break out a new line-up.  Though risky, the match with a reeling Chicago Fire was probably the best time to try it.  So we saw Alvas Powell, Stuart Findlay, and Quinn Sullivan get starts plus the return of Jack Elliot to the defensive mid-field role.  Decidedly mixed results.

An early Glesnes own goals was not helpful.  Fortunately, Sullivan got that one back with a spectacular bicycle kick for his first MLS goal; it's our choice for this week's YouTubeableMoment.   Cory Burke put Philly ahead with a goal in first half stoppage time.  Then, two Chicago goals on what looked like defensive mix-ups left the Union down 2-3.  A Chicago own goal leveled things in the 79th minute and 3-3 was the result.

As we noted last week, this was a match that the Union need to win if they want to be a top side in the MLS.  We can hope that the defensive mix-ups were in part due to an unfamiliar line up in the back.  Sullivan's goal was certainly encouraging.  So too was Daniel Gazgag's creative playmaking during his 30 minutes on the field.   They did manage to get a point.  Silver lining and all that.

Holiday Viewing

The Euro quarter-final line up couldn't be better.

Switzerland - Spain (Friday at noon) - The Swiss have arguably punched above their weight.  Spain have 10 goals in their last two matches.

Belgium - Italy (Friday at 3 pm) - Another match worthy of being the final.  Belgium will likely be missing Hazard (Eden) and De Bruyne.  Italy finally yielded a goal after 384 tournament minutes when Austria scored late in extra time.  

Czech Republic - Denmark (Saturday at noon)  This interesting quarterfinal ensures at least one dark horse gets to the semis.  Hard to root against either side here.

They say it's the hope that kills you but Ted Lasso begs to differ

Ukraine - England (Saturday at 3 pm) The Three Lions have yet to concede a goal in this tournament. Also, Ukraine is not Spain, who were England's expected opponent for this contest except Sweden topped Spain in the group before losing to Ukraine.  That said, it would be so like the English to lose this golden opportunity to get to the semis.  Ted Lasso (right) offers an alternate view to that kind of negative thinking.   

If you're still looking for football after those quarters, the Union take on Nashville at 8 pm Saturday.  A draw on the road would probably be a good result.  Even before that, you could look in on Columbus New England at 5 to see the Crew's new digs, Lower.com Field.  For the curious, Lower.com is a Columbus-based real estate company.

Housekeeping note: Blogger (the host of BFS) is ending the email notification service sometime soon.  Fortunately, BFS co-founder and Director of IT Dennis is really good with this kind of sh..tuff.  He found an alternative and has been testing it over the last few months.  We believe it is ready to go.  You'll still see "Booked For Simulation" as the sender, though if you look closely you'll notice the email address is different.  Otherwise, the switch should be transparent to our loyal readership.  For his work, Dennis was handsomely compensated with a variety of craft beers.

Sliding Doors

The final groups stage matches were like scenes from the film Sliding Doors, except in the movie they only alternated between two scenarios.  Here, it seemed the possibilities were almost infinite.

Also, 36 games to winnow the European Championship field from 24 to 16?  The NBA would be proud.  But it was good entertainment.  The group stage came to an exciting conclusion and we move on to the knockout phase Saturday.  

Also, the Union return to action.

The Undefeated

Three sides - Italy, Belgium, and Netherlands - made it through group stage unscathed.  Italy were just about perfect, scoring seven and allowing none in their three matches.  Belgium were pretty much the same, scoring seven while yielding just one.  If we are grading based on degree of difficulty, Italy's accomplishment easily outpaces the other two countries; they compiled their record in what was arguably the second toughest group while Belgium and Netherlands were blessed with the two easiest groups of the tournament.  Does this translate into further success in the competition?

Shifting Sands

The final day of Group F action was a roller coaster ride.  As scores changed, Germany, Portugal and Hungary took turns being the odd country out.  England's first knockout stage opponent kept changing too, switching among France to Germany to Portugal.  France and Portugal battled to a 2-2 draw with three of the goals coming on penalties; at least one might have really been a penalty.  A little harsh, since nothing was overturned by VAR but there were three calls (one a no-call) that wouldn't have been overturned by VAR had they been called differently on the field.  Germany had to work their keisters off to salvage a draw with Hungary, which was enough for them to grab third.

Speaking of shifting sands, this article from the NYT's Rory Smith highlights how a Finland own goal changed many fates.  Also, good stuff in general about the tournament.

Feel Good Story

Denmark entered the last day of group stage with no points yet somehow still had a chance.  They had a pair of hard luck losses to Finland (after watching their teammate collapse) and Belgium (late game heroics from De Bruyne).  So the scenario required them to beat Russia by at least two and for Finland to lose against Belgium.  At one point it looked good, except that Denmark surrendered a penalty while Belgium had a goal ruled out within minutes of each other, leaving Denmark up by one and Belgium level with Finland past the 70 minute mark.  Then, also practically concurrently, Belgium got their breakthrough goal and Denmark restored their two goal lead.  The goal that mattered can be seen here  (should open at around 4:04).  Pandemonium! If you watch a little further you'll see that both Denmark and Belgium added insurance goals.  Somehow it feels right that the Danes are advancing.

How Many Countries in This Country Made It To the Knockout Stage?

Two.  England was spectacularly mediocre in winning their group with just two goals.  Not yielding any probably helped.  Good to see Grealish in for the last match and setting up Sterling for the lone goal against the Czech Republic with a deft cross.

Wales advance too, largely on the strength of their 2-0 basting besting of Turkey.  They also held Italy to one goal despite being down a man for much of the second half.  Italy might have been on cruise control at that point but still a notable defensive effort.

Alas, Scotland will not be moving on after falling to Croatia 1-3.  That was a nice goal from Luka Modric for the game winner.  The lads play with heart but scoring goals would really help - they got just the one over the three matches.  

Disappointments?

North Macedonia got no points and had a -6 goal differential but we really can't call that a disappointment since they came in ranked 62nd.  Scotland finished 22nd out of 24 with just one point and one goal; to be fair, they came in ranked 44th so they were in for a tough ride.  No, I think we have two stronger (weaker?) candidates.  We offer Poland, ranked 21st, who ironically finish 21st here with just one point and a -2 goal differential.  Or maybe you prefer Turkey, who finish dead last, with no points and a -7 goal differential.   

Surprises?

The Czech Republic are a good candidate; a win over Scotland and draw with Croatia got them one of the third place advances.  Austria are having a decent run, though their reward is a round of 16 fixture with Italy.

Conversation That Could Have Taken Place But Did Not

Dennis:  Did you say Germany are looking exceptionally motivated?

Steve:  No, I said they are playing Hungary

Get It Out of Your System

Slovakia's keeper - Newcastle's own Martin Dubravka - had a good start to the tournament when his side beat Poland.  Things went downhill from there.  In the second match against Sweden, he committed a foul in the box, leading to the only goal of that match.  He was saving his worst for last.  Against Spain, Dubravka ceded the opening score via a horrendous own goal as seen here.  He would see four more go past him before the day was through.  All we can say is better you had that day here than, say, against Brentford in the EPL next fall.

Union Keep Dooping Along

First time for a full Subaru Park - photo from Jeff H

Philadelphia returned to action with a pair of testing matches - Atlanta in their horror show of an indoor arena with artificial turf and last year's MLS Cup Champion Columbus.  In Atlanta, I thought the Union were giving as good as they got (538 metrics back me up on this) but they were down 0-2 in the 82 minute.  Cory Burke got one back in the 84th minute.  In stoppage time, defender Jakob Glesnes got the equalizer on an incredible blast from distance.  We make it this week's  YouTubeableMoment; as the announcer notes, the shot came from a different area code.  You may recall, Glesnes has done this kind of thing before (last year vs LAFC).

Against Columbus, the Union benefited from an early goal courtesy Monteiro - their only shot on target.  Stats suggest a territorial advantage for Columbus but they didn't translate it into too many shots.  Blake had his usual clutch save late.  The 1-0 final flatters the U; that looked like a draw both live and on paper.  I checked the newspaper the next day and it still counts as three points.  

After 10 matches, Philadelphia sit third in the table.  Much work to do if they want to repeat as Supporters Shield winners but they have recovered well from the shaky start.  

Taking It Pretty Well

Dennis seems incredibly calm about reports that Jack Grealish is likely to leave Aston Villa for Man City this summer.  The $140 million transfer fee might have something to do with it.  Also, Villa have a recent history of good acquisitions so maybe his confidence is merited.  Still, it seems like a change fraught with danger; though I don't have the numbers at my fingertips, I recall a staggering difference in points per game with and without Grealish.

Similarly, Michael B (to the extent that he still follows the EPL) is relatively calm about the possible departure of Harry Kane, also to City.  

My silver lining to this?  Maybe Kane and Grealish mean less Sterling.  Some day I'll figure out why I don't like Sterling.

The Company You Keep

Or maybe the investors you attract?  Michael B sends us the picture (left) from his dinner with former Italian soccer star Guiseppe Rossi.  He is a long-time investor with Michael's company.  Michael reports that he was treated to an awesome authentic Southern Italian dinner complete with escargot appetizers, tiramisu for dessert and doppio espresso to close out.  Fortunately, it appears that no grappa was imbibed.

Knockout Stages

The round of 16 runs from Saturday through Tuesday, two each day, one at noon and one at 3 pm.  Arrange your schedules accordingly as there are a pile of intriguing fixtures.

Saturday at 12 -   Wales vs Denmark - I like both sides so will be happy whatever the result.  Denmark would normally be the favorite but without Erikson, not so clear.

Saturday at 3 - Italy vs Austria - This is an in-form Italian side but Austria have been playing well.  

Sunday at 12 - Netherlands vs Czech Republic - On paper this looks good for the Dutch

Sunday at 3 pm - Belgium vs Portugal - Yikes, that sounds like a semi or even a final match up.  Belgium have been steady but mostly untested.  Portugal have been tested but their grades are all over the place.  This is definitely one to watch.

Monday at 12 - Croatia vs Spain - Another interesting one.  Both sides have been growing into the tournament.

Monday at 3 pm - France vs Switzerland - Like the Netherlands, France look the better side on paper and really should take care of business here.

Tuesday at noon - England vs Germany - I would much prefer the Three Lions here.  Both sides have been hard to figure out so far.  England are undefeated but unimpressive.  Germany looked great thrashing Portugal but have been ordinary at other times.

Tuesday at 3 pm - Sweden vs Ukraine - The Swedes have a great opportunity to make it to the quarters with the match up.

The Union will also be in action versus the Chicago Fire on Saturday at 8 pm.  Chicago are really struggling and this is the kind of match Philadelphia needs to win if they want to stay top tier in the MLS.  

Good news at Clearview St - we have new set-top boxes and dvr is working again. It was like the dark ages here for a few weeks.

Match Day Three Recommendations

 Like any major competition with a group stage, the last matches in each group are played concurrently.  This makes it difficult to watch one without hearing the results of the other.  So choices must be made.  Below we will offer our recommendations for each group.

Match Day Three begins Sunday.  This was written before the Spain-Poland match.  Our recommendations draw on our own observations but also the analysis from ESPN provided here.

Group A

Italy are through and Wales with four are probably advancing as well.  Turkey is, ahem, on the chopping block but could mess up Switzerland's hopes.

Should watch: As we noted before the tournament started, you can't pass up Turkey and Swiss (Sunday at noon)

Will watch: Probably Turkey and Swiss but we are enamored of the Wales side (and still hoping for a glimpse of our Forest Green MVP Dylan Levitt).

Group B

Belgium are in. Despite two losses, Denmark still have a chance to finish second.  Russia are in good position but really do want a result against Denmark.

Should watch: Russia - Denmark (Monday at 3 pm)

Will watch: Russia - Denmark (Monday at 3 pm)

Group C

With Netherlands in and North Macedonia out, this is an easy one.

Should watch: Ukraine - Austria (Monday at noon)

Will watch: Ukraine - Austria (Monday at noon)

Group D

Since four points probably gets you in, England and Czech Republic are likely advancing.  Croatia and Scotland, with one point each, need to win.

Should watch: Croatia - Scotland (Tuesday 3 pm)

Will watch: Game time decision.  Would like to see if England get their act together against Czech Republic but Scotland have played with a lot of heart so would also like to see how they do against Croatia.

Group E

Nobody guaranteed anything yet (this is before Spain - Poland), though Sweden are looking pretty.  Would love to see Slovakia advance but they probably need at least a point against Spain.  Note, if Poland lose to Spain, they are out.  If that happens, the choice is clear.  But if Poland get a result, the Sweden - Poland match could be tense.

Should watch: Slovakia - Spain (Wednesday at noon) unless Poland beat Spain, then Sweden - Poland

Will watch: Slovakia - Spain (Wednesday at noon) unless Poland beat Spain, then Sweden - Poland

Group F

France are probably in but could finish as low as third.  With three points, Germany and Portugal have a good chance of advancing too.  Germany should be able to handle Hungary but so should have France.  Both France and Portugal should be properly motivated.

Should watch: Portugal - France (Wednesday 3 pm)

Will watch: Portugal - France (Wednesday 3 pm)

Hope you got to see Portugal vs Germany.  Most exciting match of the tournament so far, especially in the context of Germany falling behind 0-1 and looking at crashing out of the tournament.  Poor Kai Havertz scores the equalizer only to have it be changed to an own goal.  Symbolic of the year he had.  But, he got one that counted later.  At 4-1 Germany looked solid until they gave up a goofy one and Sanches rifled one off the post.  After looking punchless against France, now you have to wonder.

Two of the Countries in This Country

The Scotland - England 0-0 draw was probably a moral victory for the Scots but definitely a let down for the Three Lions.  Too slow in the attack with no creativity does not yield goals.  Grealish did come on around 60 minutes and sparked the team for a bit.  But, as ESPN noted, "the collective malaise soon engulfed him as well."  We will note that when he came on, 13.64% of the players on the pitched were from Aston Villa; no club had more.

Hope to be back Thursday to discuss knockout stage.

Match Day 1

Twelve matches in five days to complete Match Day 1 of the European Championship.  Certainly the biggest story was Christian Erikson's collapse and revival.  You can see he was getting CPR less than two minutes after he collapsed on the field.  I'm not an EMT or a physician (nor do I play one on TV) but that seems like an excellent response time.  Maybe Erikson was lucky.  Or maybe he was saved by technology and trained personnel who knew how to use it.  Following protocols set by medical professionals can save lives?  Imagine that (snark intended).

Hard to say there were any stunning upsets in the first tranche of games.  Maybe Slovakia's 2-1 win over short handed Poland counts.  Newcastle's Martin Dubravka was between the sticks for Slovakia and for him it had to be reminiscent of tending goal for the Magpies - you know, outpossessed, outshot, relying on a few counterattacks, needing an own goal (Syzygy Szczesny, the former Arsenal keeper) and an opponents red card to scrape out a win.  Makes that group (Sweden and Poland are the other two) very interesting.

Best match so far would be Netherlands 3-2 thriller over Ukraine.  The Dutch were cruising comfortably at 2-0 until Ukraine scored twice in quick succession (75th and 79th minutes).  Denzel Dumfries rescued all three points for Netherlands with his goal in the 85th minute.

How Many of the Countries in This Country Are in the Tournament?

Three.  Northern Ireland didn't make it.  England got off to a good start with a 1-0 win over 2018 World Cup Finalist Croatia.  Not that they played all that well.  Good enough to get the win obviously and probably won't have trouble getting to the knockout rounds.  But the Three Lions won't last long without stepping up their game.  Put in Grealish for cryin' out loud.

Wales look considerably worse than Switzerland on the stat sheet but still came away with an important point, drawing 1-1 on a late goal from Kieffer Moore.  I remember feeling like the Welsh deserved this result but couldn't tell you why now.  Wait, now I remember thinking that Jose Mourinho must have been managing the Swiss.  They fashioned a 1-0 with good pressure, then pulled back and Wales made them pay for going conservative.

And Scotland, well, not so good, as you'll read below.

If I Were the NY Post Headline Writer

Italians Gobble Up Turkey

Not traditional Italian fare but it was the only thing on the menu.  They went back for seconds and thirds.  This was the first time in Euro history that Italy scored three goals.  The 3-0 final might actually be an understatement.

Fifty-yard Goal Spells Czech Mate for Scotland

Not that Scotland looked like they were going to come back from 0-1 down to the Czech Republic but Patrik Schick sealed their fate with an incredible bomb from just inside the center line.  Check it out here as this week's YouTubeableMoment.  Not that the Scots weren't trying hard, they just didn't seem very good and with matches still to go against England and Croatia, well, 

Possession May Be 9/10 of the Law But It Doesn't Guarantee Goals

At one point against Spain, the Swedes were in single digit possession percentage.  They ended at a lopsided 15% possession, even worse than anything Newcastle ever did.  However, as many note, the point is to score and neither did.  Robin Olsen, who backs up Jordan Pickford in goal at Everton, was deserved Player of the Match for some fine saves but part of the issue was the Spaniards not making the most of their opportunities.  We have seen this before.

Portugal Nearly Left Budapest Hungry

Portugal struggled for 83 minutes and the Hungarians looked like they might slip away with a 0-0 draw.  Then the Portuguese poured in three between 84 and 91 minutes.  They did dominate but the scoreline is deceiving.

France Get Maginot Line Right This Time

For those not well-versed in history, the Maginot Line was not three forwards from the French national team in the 1920s but rather a series of fortifications designed to stop German invasion.  Yeah, how did that work out?  For the much anticipated opening round match-up with Germany, they did way better this time, winning 1-0, confirming their status as tournament favorites.  Germany did have 62% possession and 10 shots but only one was on target and obviously, none went in.  France weren't exactly an offensive dynamo, managing just four shots overall and one on target.  And that one on target, wasn't even the goal.  No, that came off the foot of German defender Mats Hummels.  But as with many own goals, the French put the ball in a dangerous position and if Hummels hadn't intervened, it probably would have been deposited in the back of the net by a Frenchman.  France also had one called back, correctly for offside.  The 1-0 final looks right to me.  Also, love him or hate him, Paul Pogba was a force in the match.

VAR Done Right

Kudos to the organizers and referees for judicious and efficient use of VAR.  A few calls have been correctly overturned but with a minimum of disruption.  They must be following BFS guidelines - if it takes more than 15 seconds to decide, it can't be a clear and obvious error.

Hope to be back Sunday with review of Matchday 2.

How Soccer Put Me in The Pour House

Viewing location for
 2021 Champions League Final

Michael B and I found ourselves in the Poconos on the Saturday of the Champions League Final attending the wedding of BFS Fitness Consultant Jeff H's daughter.  Jeff was kind enough to schedule the Saturday evening activities (a picnic!) for 6 pm, ensuring that we would be able to take in the final.  Ah, but where exactly would we do that in Canadensis, PA?  No TVs in our creekside cabins.  Fortunately, we found The Pour House (right), a local tavern that was willing to switch one TV from NBA, NFL, NASCAR and other sports to the final.  We were joined by two brothers from York, PA attending a family reunion who say they never miss the final regardless of where they are.  Also, by an Eastern European - a Man United fan - who came to root for Chelsea to make sure that hated Man City did not win; the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something like that.  The five of us had a grand old time.

Decent final.  Thought there might have been a bit more scoring but there was enough good attacking football to make it enjoyable.  The 1-0 Chelsea win seemed about right to us.  Was Guardiola outcoached by Tuchel?  Some seemed to think so.  

A Tale of Two Keepers

The final of the other European competition - the Europa League - was pretty cool.  Villarreal did a good job of mostly keeping Man United out of the goal and managed to keep things at 1-1 through extra time.  At the point, a most intriguing PK shootout began.  Five takes for each side and no misses.  Five more takes for each side and no misses.  Therefore, at 10-10, the keepers would face each other.  Geronimo Rulli of Villarreal dispatched his with a plumb aplomb; that's a take worthy of any field player.  David De Gea?  Not so much.  Easily the weakest take of the 22.  Never a big fan of PK shootouts for a championship but this was riveting.  Have to say Villareal earned it with their defense.

Union Beat Crush Portland

When Jeff K showed me the score during the wedding Sunday night (with appropriate warning so no yellow card for spoilers), I was shocked.  Up 3-0?  Only saw the highlights but there were some nice set piece goals in there.  The expected goals at 538 suggest the result was reasonably fair.  So after a weak start to the MLS campaign, the Union now find themselves in second.  Depth is still an issue but Gazdag (pronounced gusDOG), will be available after the Euros so that will help.  A few weeks off is probably helpful too after the hectic spring.  

The Euros!!

By the time you get this, the 2020 European Championships will be underway, with Italy taking on Turkey.  There are plenty of reviews and predictions out there.  The Supercomputer says France wins it all. Some fun observations from Guardian writers here.  With so much info out there, we will do our usual BFS thing and make random observations.

Group of Death

Group F (France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary) clearly deserves the designation but Group A Italy, Switzerland, Wales and Turkey should get some recognition too - the Group of Pain and Suffering?  Here's a ranking of each group based on the latest FIFA rankings - we simply added the ranking of each group member.

Group F - 56

Group A - 66

Group E - 81

Group D - 102

Group B - 103

Group C - 125

With the new format, the top two in each automatically advance but so do the best four third place finishers.  Kind of like the NBA - the group stage will only eliminate eight of 24.  That competition for 2nd and 3rd in some groups could be tough.  Aside from the two groups already mentioned, Group C could be tight between Netherlands, Austria and Ukraine, while Group E is no picnic with Sweden and Poland likely fighting it out behind Spain.

Magpies at the Euros

Emil Krafth - Sweden

Martin Dubravka - Slovakia

Ryan Fraser - Scotland

Fabian Schar - Switzerland

"Tastiest" Group Stage Match

Turkey and Swiss

Other Key Group Stage Matches

In some ways they are too numerous to mention but we'll throw out a few

Wales v Switzerland (Sat 9 am)

England v Croatia (Sun 9 am)

France v Germany (Tues 3pm)

Turkey v Wales (Wed noon)

Netherlands v Austria (Thur 3 pm)

England v Scotland (Fri 3 pm)

Portugal v Germany (next Sat noon)

Spain v Poland (next Sat 3 pm)

Speaking of Pitch Invasions...

Courtesy of BFS Keeper Consultant Graham R, we have this video of a parachutist landing at midfield.  The best part of course, is the calm reaction of the referee as he shows the yellow for delay of game.

What We Said...

Dennis sends this along - EPL will use thicker lines in determining offside during VAR checks, which essentially will make it harder to overturn the call on the field.  In theory it shouldn't favor the attackers or the defenders.  However, with the mandate to ARs to hold the flag on close ones to let the play develop, this probably means fewer overturned goals.  I believe if you review the BFS archives, we suggested something along these, ahem, lines as a solution to the false accuracy of the VAR process.

Gotta go.  When you get this, tune into to see Italy - Turkey if you're not already watching.