Issue # 9.2.5 "Spain Reigns" (After Final) [Taylor Swift Theme]

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Monday, July 15, 2024

[ Dailies: Jul 11 ]

The 2024 European Champion
1968 Euro Champs   2008 Euro Champs   2010 WC Champs   2012 Euro Champs   2024 Euro Champs
ESP - Kingdom of Spain - Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)	#8 | 1B | Winner | 7-0-0 4th Title ('64,'08, '12) B1: Beat Croatia 3-0 B4: Beat Italy 1-0 B5: Beat Albania 1-0 R16: Beat 3F-Georgia 4-1 QF: Beat 1A-Germany 2-1 (aet) SF: Beat 2D-France 2-1 FIN: Beat 1C-England 2-1

SPAIN SCORES LATE TO WIN RECORD 4TH EUROS
JBueno Wins Title; 7 had Spain as their champion

CERRITOS, CA (smt) - 1C-England had their five minutes of brilliance and turned a goalkeeper outlet into a game-tying goal in the 73' by Cole Palmer.  But that was it as ENG bunkered down and 1B-Spain sub Mikel Oyarzabal scored on a great give-and-go in the 86' to give ESP a 2-1 victory and their fourth European championship. Co-golden boot awardee (there were six who shared this) Dani Olmo headed a ball off the line in the 90' to preserve the lead.  ESP becomes the first European team to win all 7 games in regulation or extra time (Brazil did it in the World Cup 2002) and the young team only has room to grow.  ENG has now lost back-to-back Euro finals.

Spain vs England LIVE! & Copa Final

Noon PDT is kickoff

Saturday:  7 entries are alive and two can win the pool.

If SPAIN beats ENGLAND in Final…
1st	Jbueno	122
2nd	Merman	118
3rd	BigRedMessi 3	116
4th-Tied	Kds911-3	115	Tie:	7.0	Tied 4th if 6-8
4th-Tied	Luis Enrique's Armada	115	Tie:	7.0	Tied 4th if 6-8
4th-Tied	Big Blue	115	Tie:	10.5	Wins 4th if >=9
If ENGLAND beats SPAIN in Final…
1st	Merman	130
2nd	BigRedMessi 3	128
3rd	Big Blue	127
4th	Rainman	120

Cute dessert art!

Copa 3rd Place:  Okay, yet another reason we should be happy Gregg is gone - Canada managed to score twice on Uruguay (where USA couldn't) and nearly won the 3rd place game except for a stoppage time goal by the ageless Luis Suarez.  URU won in PKs to take 3rd.  I did wear my 2016 home URU jersey which has a cool sun pattern and had a cute rabbit at Premier Dessert Art in Monterey Park for a nightcap.  URU winning snaps a 2-game jersey losing streak... unless the streak is just for Euro matches ;-)

Sunday: The total goals thus far is 6.  I plan to wear a ESP jersey today so take note!

The theme song is a pop song?

11:50 am PDT:  Just realized the opening concert from OneRepublic is actually the theme song for the tournament.  With words.  I'm wearing my Xavi 2010 ESP home jersey with 2010 World Cup champion patch.  Does that mean a ESP win today?

12:00: Kickoff.  Love that the kickoff times start exactly at the top of the hour though I was worried they wouldn't get all the people and pomp and circumstance off the field in less than 4 minutes, but they did.

Issue # 8.2.4 "Again, is it Coming Home?" (History of the Pool)

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Friday, July 12, 2024

The European Championship Final   -
1968 Euro Champs   2008 Euro Champs   2010 WC Champs   2012 Euro Champs	vs	1966 WC Champs
ESP - Kingdom of Spain Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)		ENG - England The Football Assoc (The FA)
#8 | 1B | Winner | 6-0-0 5th Final ('64, '84, '08, '12) B1: Beat Croatia 3-0 B4: Beat Italy 1-0 B5: Beat Albania 1-0 R16: Beat 3F-Georgia 4-1 QF: Beat 1A-Germany 2-1 (aet) SF: Beat 2D-France 2-1		#5 | 1C | Winner | 3-0-3 2nd Final ('21) C2: Beat Serbia 1-0 C4: Tied Denmark 1-1 C5: Tied Slovenia 0-0 R16: Beat Slovakia 2-1 (aet) QF: Beat 2A-Switzerland 1-1 (PSO 5-3) SF: Beat 3D-Netherlands 2-1

 

CAN ENGLAND FINALLY DO IT?
Final is Noon PDT Sunday

LA MIRADA, CA (smt) - The summer of soccer continues with the conclusion of the EURO 2024 Final and the Copa América Final (Argentina vs Colombia) Sunday and then the men's and women's Olympic soccer kicks off July 24 in Paris and the Major League Soccer and Liga MX Leagues Cup kicks off July 26 with all 45 teams competing.

Issue # 7.2.3 "Don't Score First" (After Semifinals)

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Thursday, July 11, 2024
[Dailies: Jul 9-10 ]

SPAIN AND ENGLAND RALLY TO MAKE FINAL
Merman in 1st but JBueno Can Take Title; 10 get both final teams correct

HOME, CA (smt) - Scoring first is unhealthy for your chances.  On the last day of the quarters, 2F-Türkiye scored first but lost to 3D-Netherlands and 2A-Swiss scored first but 1C-England scored five minutes later and won in the PSO.  This time in the two semifinal matches, 2D-France finally scored an open play goal to open scoring in the 9' but 1B-Spain struck twice soon thereafter to hold on to a 2-1 win.  NED scored in the 7' but ENG scored on a controversial PK and then scored at the very end of regulation (I thought the goal was in the 90' but UEFA had it in the 90'+1 for a few hours) to stun NED, 2-1. 

ESP's Lamine Yamal became the youngest scorer in Euro history (16 years old, will be 17 come Sunday) and ENG's Ollie Watkins replaced PK scorer Harry Kane in the 81' and drilled the game-winner.  ESP makes its fifth Euro Final and will try to win its 4th while ENG makes its second straight Euro final and will try to win its first.

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free (7/10)

Who kicked who?

HOME, CA - 1C-England scored late again for the 3rd straight match but this time it was the game-winner at the start of stoppage time to beat 3D-Netherlands, 2-1.  ENG sub's Ollie Watkins' strike through the legs of the defender in the 90'+1 completed the comeback but it was a controversial VAR in the 14' that NED will be complaining about as a ENG shot follow-through connected with a defender's for a foul in the box.  I'm not sure how a defender is supposed to defend other than sticking his leg out, but VAR gave the PK.  Harry Kane's 18' PK tied it after NED went up in the 9'.  

ENG's rally was the fourth straight match where the team that scored first lost (three in regulation, one in PSO).  NED had just six shots and only two on goal and lost Memphis Depay in the 35' due to an injury.

Getting the hang of cooking sushi rice

22 picked ENG and ten got both ENG and ESP including the top 4.  Merman leads with 118 pts with BigRedMessi 3 second (116), Big Blue third (115), and JBueno fourth (110).  The top two are guaranteed money with Big Blue either 3rd or a tie for 4th (would need total goals >8).  The total goals right now is 6 with one match to go.  Rainman would finish 4th with an ENG title and Kds911-3 and Luis Enrique's Armada would tie for 4th with a ESP title and total goals in final 2 or less.  So a total of 7 entries can win money and either Merman (ENG title) or JBueno (ESP title) will win the pool.

I'm under the weather with a cough so just made some nigiri (Japanese rice with a little vinegar and sliced salmon chunk sashimi - unfortunately, nearly impossible to get wild salmon sashimi from market) that I bought yesterday (no, I haven't tried the A5 Wagyu yet).  I wore my NED women's 2022 away shirt (thankful they sell men's sizes of the women's jerseys which sometimes have cooler designs) at home.  So that means FRA lost yesterday and NED lost today.  Do I wear my ENG or ESP jersey Sunday?

Oh, and bye-bye Berhalter!!!