2021 Rematches (6/20)

It wasn't your fault

HOME, CA - We had a couple of Euro 2021 semifinal rematches as B3-Italy took on B1-Spain (ITA won 4-2 on PKs) and C4-England took on C2-Denmark (ENG won 2-1 in extra time).  ESP got revenge winning 1-0 though they could not get anything past the ITA GK and needed an own goal to win.  Gianluigi Donnarumma got his hand on everything making 8 saves on 8 ESP shots on goal, but it was one cross that he got a fingertip to that led to the own goal.  In fact, the ball deflected twice so you can hardly blame the defender on that one.  ESP becomes the second team to clinch a spot in the Round of 16.

ENG scored early again in the 16' and then couldn't generate anything (maybe: score in the 2nd half - in the past 3 Euro matches they scored in the 3' in the Euro Final and didn't have a shot on goal the rest of the match, scored in the 13' against C3-Serbia and had just 5 shots total) as DEN got a very long golazo strike (the 13th goal from outside the box this tourney) in the first half to salvage a 1-1 draw.  If you look at the highlights, almost every DEN opportunity started with ENG with the ball in the own half and giving it up.  DEN outshot ENG 16-11 and 7-4 on shots on goal.  The English fans and media are going crazy over the poor decisions by coach Gareth Southgate.  Yeah, well we have Gregg Berhalter (USA) so sushhh.  4 points has gotten every team in the Round of 16 since the Euros expanded to 24 teams in 2016 so ENG will be okay.

In the morning game, C1-Slovenia got a 90'+5 goal off a corner kick to tie SRB, 1-1.  The game-tying goal at 94:58 supplants yesterday's record late-goal equalizer by B4-Albania (94:23).  Both teams are still alive.

Growing bulb

8 got the SVN-SRB tie, 17 the DEN-ENG tie, and 35 the ESP win.  NastyNate was the only one to go 3-0 and moved from a tie for 47th to a tie for 12th (11 pts).  21goals and Disabling Below Jobs are tied for 1st with 13 pts.  Six went 0-3 and BlueIsTheColour 3 remains last with 7 pts.

Still recovering at home so checked out my front yard.  It still freaks me out seeing the bulb grow from the middle of the Sago Palm plant (not a tree or palm apparently).  Yuck.  I wore my authentic 2020 home Spain jersey which has a nice cross pattern on it.

Oh, and Copa America started today.  In the states.  With 6 non-CONMEBOL teams.  But, hey, Messi (Argentina won 2-0 over Canada in Atlanta with Messi getting one assist).

54-Yard Bullseye (6/14)

A pair of teams ranked in the 40s played each other with D4-Czech Rep (#40) getting the better of home side D3-Scotland (#44) thanks to two great goals from Patrik Schick, including his 54-yard bending strike just over the running GK's head for the final score of 2-0.  Why SCO's GK was near the midfield circle is puzzling, but his desperate run backwards and falling and getting tangled into the net will be meme'd everywhere.

Schick's goal reminded me of USWMT's Carli Lloyd's midfield bomb in the WWC15 final or Zlatan's first goal with the Galaxy.  But Carli's had plenty of margin bouncing into the goal while Schick's strike just barely fit between the GK's hands and crossbar.  And to think we had golazos just yesterday from C3-Austria and C2-Ukraine.

More drama as E4-Slovakia got an own goal off the GK's back and after going up a man, the game-winner in the 69' to beat E3-Poland, 2-1.  POL's Robert Lewandowski had 5 shots but none on goal.  Each team had more than 10 shots (POL 17, SVK 11) but momentum changed when POL picked up a red card on a second yellow (unfortunately, the first yellow was very soft but the second was deserved) in the 62'.  

Like WC18, E1-Spain again dominated possession but lacked finishing as E2-Sweden held on with just 25% possession in the scoreless draw.  In WC18, three times ESP had 63% or more possession and came out it with just a 1-0 win (over Iran, no less), a draw, and another draw that led to a loss in the penalty shootout.  SWE was without an official shot on goal but had one chance that was cleared off the line by a Spanish defender, off the right post, and into the waiting arms of the GK.

ESP's draw meant home teams are just 3-3-1 with F1-Hungary and F4-Germany playing at home tomorrow.

In our closest pick of the pool, 18 picked CZE (15 SCO, 16 ties), no one picked SVK (43 had POL), and just 8 picked the ESP-SWE tie.  The unexpected results scrambled up the standings with Club Med now alone in first with 7 points after 10 matches. 11 others have 6 points while Isayoldchap remains at 2 pts.  3 went 2-1 while 26 went 0-3.