Lightning (6/29)

Lightning Delay

ALA WAI BOAT HARBOR, HONOLULU, HI - 2A-Switzerland put defending 2B-Italy out of its misery 2-0 to advance to the Quarterfinals. ITA didn't have a shot on goal until the 73' and didn't have one the rest of the match.  SUI scored quickly after halftime to make it 2-0 and deflate the Italians and have now knocked out France and ITA in back-to-back R16 Euro matches.  

A 30-minute delay due lightning at 34:48 in Dortmund didn't stop 1A-Germany from cruising to a 2-0 win over 2C-Denmark.  A DEN goal overturned via VAR for a toe outside in the 48' was quickly followed by a VAR that needed a sensor in the ball to determine a handball on DEN.  GER converted the PK and added another goal later as they peppered DEN with 14 shots and 9 of them on goal.

Green Diamond Head

48 had GER making the Quarters and 5 had SUI.  Three (Rainman, BluesIsTheColour I, and Disabling Below Jobs) got both SUI and GER into the QFs.  Eight went 0-2.  Toast is still in first with 64 pts with Disabling Below Jobs now second (63) with El Buenísimo and Rainman moved into a tie for 4th (62) with Germany Minus One.  Cool Guy and Lukakus Lost Brother are tied for last with 44 pts.

Nice walk this morning near Ala Wai Boat Harbor with a great view of Diamond Head, which was green (usually it's dry and brown).  Apparently, there has been a very rainy season thus far.  I wore my authentic Germany 2014 home jersey (#7 Schweinsteiger) that has the World Cup 2014 final match info on the jersey.  I did mention earlier no more 6 am matches, but now that I'm on Hawaiian Standard Time, 6 am again.

Can't Hold a Lead (6/24)

97:19 - CRO let it slip away again

CYPRESS, CA - Less than 45 seconds from securing a win, B2-Croatia once again let in a last minute game-tying goal, this time 7:19 into 8 minutes of stoppage time as the 1-1 draw sent B3-Italy into the Round of 16.  They allowed a game-tying goal to B4-Albania 4:23 into 5 minutes of stoppage time last time.  ITA still has not lost back-to-back Euro matches and stumbles into playing 2A-Switzerland in the Round of 16.  B1-Spain's B-team (10 changes) took care of B4-Albania, 1-0, eliminating them.  

Interestingly, the two ties do not eliminate CRO yet - they would need C1-Slovenia to lose 3-0, 4-1 (and SVN needs to pick up 3 yellow cards (1 pt each) or 1 red card (worth 3 pts)), or 5-1 or worse AND F2-Georgia and F4-Czechia to both lose (by any score).  So the six yellows picked up by CRO today (they trail SVN 7-4) could bite them in the butt if they lose the disciplinary points tiebreaker to SVN (if this is tied, CRO wins the overall European qualifier rankings tiebreaker being #14 to SVN's #15).  Will this be the last we'll see of CRO's Luka Modrić who missed a PK (CRO's second miss of the tourney - the only team to miss) but then scored 33 seconds later to become the oldest player to score in a Euro?

A good day for entries as all 58 picked up at least 6 of the 8 possible points today.  55 picked ESP and 18 picked the CROvITA draw.  17 went 2-0 while FC Spermicidals and Cool Guy went 0-2.  All 58 got both ESP and ITA into the Round of 16.  That meant 17 got the max 8 points and two got 6 of 8 pts.  There is a 5-way tie for first (30 pts) with El Buenísimo and Germany Minus One joining 21goals, Disabling Below Jobs, and Toast at the top. Cool Guy is still last with 19 pts.

Shopping around Costco as my son had his weekly scout meeting and saw the USA crest on Michelob Ultra beer cases.  It's sort of sad all these beer companies are combined as this is an Anheuser-Busch  product.  Even Kona Big Wave, which I like, is part of their brand products.  Oh well, I wore my authentic 2022 home ITA jersey with Euro 2020 winners and Nations League patches and oddly, Puma's authentic is very thin, made of Ultraweave technology.  I'd go a size up on these.

As a bonus from last night, saw the SpaceX launch from home and at 8:47, you could clearly see the rocket and even the first separation as it streaked very brightly in the evening sky.  I'm sure we could see it here every couple months or so but this is the first time I timed it correctly.  Pretty cool watching it from our second story window before going outside.  Yes, I was still wearing my USA jersey!

Issue # 1.0.1 "Will Germany Continue Host Woes?" (6/6)

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Thursday, June 6, 2024 

FAMILIAR CAST OF CHARACTERS ARE FAVORITES
Our 4th Euro pool kicks off with a deadline June 14th

LOS ALAMITOS, CA (smt)- Amidst a busy summer of American soccer with the USMNT (finally!) playing in the Olympics (July 24-Aug 10), the USWMT also trying get the bad taste of Women's World Cup 2023 out their mouths in their Olympics, the USMNT participating in Copa America again on U.S. soil (June 20-July 14), and Major League Soccer participating in the Leagues Cup (July 26-Aug 25), our attention right now turns to the great players of Europe as the European Championship kicks off June 14.  Euro 2024 will feature the typical favorites D4-France, E1-Belgium, C4-England, F3-Portugal, D2-Netherlands, and B1-Spain, all in the top 8 FIFA overall rankings.  Throw in defending champion B3-Italy (#9) and host A1-Germany (ranked a low #16), who else could win the title? 

Of the 8 aforementioned teams, only BEL has not won any major title and six have already won the Euros (not ENG & BEL).  And no host nation has won the Euros since 1988 (FRA) and last year's heartbreak of ENG scoring early and losing at Wembley Stadium in the Euro 2020 (well, played in 2021) final while fans broke through barriers outside (a great documentary about the chaos of that day, The Final: Attack on Wembley, is now on Netflix) was a reminder that being the home team was not all that it's cracked up to be.  ITA, who can't even qualify for the World Cup (missed 2018 and 2022), will try to repeat as Euro Champions like ESP did in 2012, our first Euro Pool.

Unlike the World Cup,

Issue # 10.2.6 "Volare!" (7/12)

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Monday, July 12, 2021 - Issue # 10.2.6 "Volare!" - [Daily: July 11]

The 2021 Euro 2020 Champion
1934 WC Champs 1938 WC Champs 1968 Euro Champs 1982 WC Champs 2006 WC Champs 2020 Euro Champs
ITA - Italian Rep (Italy) - Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC)	#7 | 1A | Winner | 5-0-2 2nd Title ('68) A1: Beat Turkey 3-0 A4: Beat Switzerland 3-0 A6: Beat Wales 1-0 R16: Beat 2C-Austria 2-1 (ET) QF: Beat 1B-Belgium 2-1 SF: Beat 2E-Spain 1-1 (PSO 4:2) F: Beat England 1-1 (PSO 3-2)

NOT COMING HOME, GOING TO ROME
Gli Azzurri takes the 3rd Euro Pool, FrankfromSeattle joins winners

ESCONDIDO, CA (smt) - Another heartbreak for 1D-England, though with this being their first major final in 55 years, the fans may just keep celebrating the success.  A great start 116 seconds in put ENG up 1-0 but who would know that by the end of 120 minutes of play, that would be their only shot on goal.  A mad scramble off a corner kick put ITA level in the 67' in a match that ITA controlled (62% possession).  ENG came out stronger in the Extra Time as they seemed to not want to go to penalties based on their history.  Yet ITA still outshot ENG 5-2 in the extra 30 minutes (20-6 for the match).

In the PSO, ITA won the coin flip and went first.  ITA's second was saved and it seemed like ENG's luck was turning.  It was 2-2 with ENG's third kick to give them the lead, but a stutter step of an attempt did fake out the GK but the low shot to the opposite side hit the left post.  ITA applied the pressure getting the 3rd but ENG's was saved.  ITA had a chance to win it but

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 ;-)).

Issue # 9.2.5 "It's Coming Home" (7/10)

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Saturday, July 10, 2021 
Issue # 9.2.5 "It's Coming Home" - History of our Pool

The European Championship Final   -
1934 WC Champs 1938 WC Champs 1968 Euro Champs 1982 WC Champs 2006 WC Champs	vs	1966 World Cup Champs
ITA - Italian Rep (Italy) Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC)		ENG - England The Football Assoc (The FA)
#7 | 1A | Winner | 5-0-1 4th Final ('68, '00, '12) A1: Beat Turkey 3-0 A4: Beat Switzerland 3-0 A6: Beat Wales 1-0 R16: Beat 2C-Austria 2-1 (ET) QF: Beat 1B-Belgium 2-1 SF: Beat 2E-Spain 1-1 (PSO 4:2)		#4 | 1D | Winner | 5-0-1 1st Final D1: Beat Croatia 1-0 D4: Tied Scotland 0-0 D6: Beat Czech Rep 1-0 R16: Beat 2F-Germany 2-0 QF: Beat 3C-Ukraine 4-0 SF: Beat 2B-Denmark, 2-1 (ET)

ITALY GOING FOR 2ND EURO TITLE; ENGLAND ITS FIRST
Final is Noon PDT Sunday

ROSEMEAD, CA (smt) - After watching Lionel Messi get his (hard-to-believe) first international trophy (Copa America) in Argentina's foul-filled, what happened to VAR, 1-0 win over Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) (in front of some fans for once), you wonder if 1D-England will suffer the same fate as BRA at home to 1A-Italy.  ENG is 4-0-1 in London's Wembley Stadium this tourney but ITA does have an extra day of rest.  ITA is making its fourth Euro Final but haven't won it since '68 while ENG is just making its 2nd final, Euro/World Cup combined, but did win the WC Final in '66. 

For years, people have asked about the Euro pool, usually right after each World Cup.  Having not watched the Euros (I don't think it was regularly on live TV until the '08 one), I didn't know what to expect.  Considering each World Cup has "token" teams from Africa and CONCACAF (e.g., blowouts), the '12 Euros only had 16 teams and all were quality.  So even though the setup was different from the World Cups (32 teams), I managed to get it to work.  Granted it was a little easier because it was just the top 2 teams (no 3rd place to worry about like in '16 and '20).  But folks like Eric F convinced me people would be interested and they were, with 39 entries in our first year.

Just our 3rd Euro pool,

Issue # 8.2.4 "If at First You Don't Succeed..." (7/8)

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Thursday, July 8, 2021 - Issue # 8.2.4 "If at First You Don't Succeed..." - [Dailies: July 6-7]

THIRD TIME NOT THE CHARM FOR SPAIN; ENGLAND REBOUNDS FOR WIN
Footballsack in the lead and wins with ENG; otherwise, Gli Azzurri wins pool

CLEANING THE YARD AT HOME, CA (smt) - Major soccer teams will once again grace the final although one has had much more success than the other with 1A-Italy's five major titles (4 WC, 1 Euro) to 1D-England's lone '66 WC title.  ITA is making its 10th major Final (6 WC, 4 Euros) while this is just ENG's second major final ('66).  But soccer's origins are associated with ENG and having the best domestic league, but yet no titles to show for it.  Will the trophy be "coming home" or will English fans once again drown their sorrows in beer again.

Once again 2E-Spain had 62%+ possession (6th straight), once again the match went to Extra Time (3rd straight), and once again the match with to the penalty shootout (2nd straight).  ESP had survived them all but not today.  ITA failed on their first attempt (ESP opponents had missed 4 straight PSO kicks, 3 saved) but if at first you don't succeed, the next four went in, including a very cheeky fake out of the GK who moved to Jorginho's left and Jorginho calmly slid a slow ball to the right corner for the victory.  The 1:1 (4:2 PSO) victory was technically