England vs Italy Live! (7/11)

1 am PDT:  Eleven hours to go until the Euro 2020 played in 2021 Final.  I'll try to do a live update (tormenting Tuan L or Giacomo G) although the total goals tiebreaker won't affect the top 4 (current total: 5) but will decide if my Futbol Fabone Twelf finishes 47th or 48th (no more than 3 goals!).  ENG is a slight favorite at approx 1.6:1, playing at home, with an over/under of 1.5 goals.

Noon PDT:  I love how all these matches start at the top of the hour.  Easy to predict where the matches are (e.g., 45 after the hour should be nearing halftime, all finish within 2 hours with no extra time).  Expecting 65K in the stadium.

2':  1:57 in, ENG scores on a great finish off by Luke Shaw a great cross.  Footballsack looks good now!  ITA is behind for the first time in 18 matches.

13':  Rain!  But cool at 67F.  Here in LA, 94F and rising.  ENG still attacking which is nice.  Can't find my Becks ENG jersey but maybe it doesn't matter (wore my ARG jersey and ARG won yesterday).  I do have a couple ITA jerseys but rooting for ENG today!  Although I love blue, I still prefer ITA's white... with the horizontal graphics of Puma logo and ITA crest with Italia underneath, it reminds me of a racing jersey (maybe I have Ford v Ferrari on the brain, great movie) for some reason, it looks classic and slick.  I don't care for ENG's home (white) jersey of the Nike and crest in the middle vertically.  Looks odd.  And their blue away is just an alternate mess (though maybe I might get one... cause blue ;-)).

30': Ah, English fans.  You can always count at some point fans breaking down a barrier (in this case outside the stadium) just as you can always count on fans of Mexico to continue to politically incorrect chant on the opposing GK (where the match was stopped twice yesterday for MEX-TRI Gold Cup match in Arlington, TX).  ENG now more opportunistic, praying on some sloppy ITA passing.  Of course, before last match vDEN, ENG has had very few shots each match... today: 1.

12:50 pm Half: 4 min stoppage seemed like a lot.  ENG holding to a 1-0 lead.  So it won't be a scoreless final.  It's Footballsack/Avenger #3/Slyelf/Fantasy in the money spots right now.  Gli Azzurri/FrankfromSeattle would be eliminated.  Total goals tiebreaker is now 6.

1:06 pm 2nd half kicks off!  "No subs" as we say working LA Galaxy matches to Opta.

50': Dangerous free kick for ITA is high.  ITA outshooting ENG 7-1 with 62% possession.

55': ITA's picked up a couple of yellow cards.  Just 6 red cards thus far, 5 straight red but 4 have occurred in the knockout stage.

67':  Scramble off the ITA CK and ITA puts it in.  A header off the left post rebounds to Leonardo Bonucci who buries it from close range.  1-1!  Gli Azzurri has hope again.  ENG GK made a great save just a few minutes before.  The difference between 1st and eliminated?  $240.  For Footballsack who could finish 1st or 2nd, the difference is $120.  Total goals tiebreaker is now 7.  Shots ITA 13-3 and ITA with 65% possession.  ITA's 33-match unbeaten streak still alive.

80':  Half is flying by.  ITA has used one sub window (2 subs) and ENG have used two.  If it goes to ET, there will be one more sub window for a 6th sub.  I hope FIFA keeps the 5 subs (3 sub windows) as the matches haven't really been slowed down by them.  Fresher legs make a better game as well.

82':  My Apple TV ESPN feed just went black for some reason.  Watching on my iPad, going from a 65" to a 10.5" screen.

90': Wow, 6 minutes stoppage.  ITA still controlling, will ENG play for Extra Time now?

1:57 pm End of regulation:  Very little attacking the last 15 min or so.  But first time both teams have scored in a Euro Final since '00 and in the knockout stage, just 5 of 30 teams failed to score.  More than half the knockout stage matches have gone to ET (8/15).  Gli Azzurri and Footballsack will have to wait to see who wins the pool.

2:02 pm ET begins!  ITA went to PSO vESP in the SF while ENG scored a PK in ET vDEN.  Interestingly, there were 2 silver balls (silver used for semis & final only) on the field but play continued and the penalty was drawn.  Heard a story in the LA Galaxy press box where MLS had the championship team use silver balls in their matches, but the team had to always bring them.  It was quickly phased out.

100': ITA has committed twice as many fouls (18-9) and have 4 yellow cards (ENG none).  ENG still has just the one shot on goal.

105': 1 min stoppage time.  ENG haven't beaten ITA in a major tourney (0-3-1) including losing in the PSO in the '12 Euro QF.

118': Late subs coming in for both teams as the PSO looms.  Every time I hear "Southgate" i think it's the name of the team.  How the coach and team have been interchangeable, or one and the same.  

120+1': 3 min stoppage.  Again, seems like a lot.  

2:19 pm: End of 1st period of ET.  ENG being outshot 18-5 and although doing better in ET, still only have 37% possession.

2:22 pm: Start of 2nd period.  Nearly a full house, maybe a case of London to beg for forgiveness later, not limiting to 65K.  Gli Azzurri or Footballsack???

111': ITA's defense holding strong as ENG is attacking now.

113': Ouch!  No card yet as ITA steps on the ball and slips onto the ankle.  No VAR intervention so no red card (just a yellow).

2:40 pm: We are going to the PSO.  Just the second Euro Final PSO ('76).  Though ENG had lost five straight major PSOs, they won their last one vCOL in '18 WC.  Gli Azzurri or Footballsack is still the question of the day.  Total goals tiebreaker is officially 7.  

2:46 pm: ITA will try to become the first team to win the Euros with 2 PSOs.  ITA wins coin flip and goes first.  The first coin flip was to choose direction and it would be the left goal (where ENG supporters are).

2:48 pm: First save!  ENG guesses right and saves.  Tied 1-1 with ENG taking their 2nd.  ENG converts taking a 2-1 lead, giving Footballsack a smile.

2:50 pm:  ENG hits the left post!  GK guesses wrong but ENG misses.  2-2 after 3 rounds.  GKs have done a great job moving, jumping, side-to-side stepping but always making sure to keep one foot on or behind the goal line.  

2:52 pm: Save!  ITA up 3-2 after 4 rounds.  ITA can win with a conversion.

2:53 pm: Jorginho had the cheeky goal vESP, hit it a little harder but GK guesses right and the save goes off the left post.  ENG alive!

2:54 pm: And ENG dies.  Another ITA save preserves the 3-2 PSO win.  So it's not Going Home but Going to Rome.  Gli Azzurri wins the 3rd HWCI Euro pool!  Congrats to Giacomo G as well as our 2nd-4th place finishers Tuan L, Tom J, and Frank C.

2:58 pm: Soccer is such a great packaged TV sport.  All matches end within 2 hours, and PSO ends within 3 hours.  ITA wins their 2nd Euro ('68) and like ARG, wins in their opponent's backyard.  ENG missed their last 3 PSO kicks.  So is the ENG PSO curse back on?  They've lost 7 of 9 in Euros/World Cups.  ITA still has not been beaten in 34 matches.  3 picked ITA but only Gli Azzurri had enough points to make the top 4.  All 3 ENG misses were by subs, including the last two just before the end of Extra Time.  

3:40 pm: Final standings are up!  Yes, the total goals of 7 means I finish 47th instead of 48th!  Final update tomorrow.  Tonight, if you care, you can watch the USA's B-team take on Haiti in the Gold Cup at 5:30 pm on FS1 and Univision.