Save! Save! Save! (7/1)

For the win!

CYPRESS, CA - In the first big heavyweight fight of the knockout, #2 2D-France outlasted #3 2E-Belgium 1-0 on a late own goal in the 85', FRA's second win from an own goal this tournament.  This was predicted to be a quarterfinal matchup but happened in the Round of 16 because both teams fell to second in their groups.  BEL's generation is maybe officially extinguished as FRA outshot BEL 20-6 though FRA still hasn't scored from open play in 4 matches (2 own goals, 1 PK) and only made one sub in hopes of getting a cohesive starting 11 playing well.  

#6 1F-Portugal struggled against #57 3C-Slovenia with Ronaldo missing a penalty in the 105'.  The 0-0 match entered the penalty shootout and POR's GK Diogo Costa saved all three SVN attempts (a Euro record) in a 3-0 shootout win.  Ronaldo redeemed itself by making POR's first PSO attempt so he could stop crying.  SVN ended their Euros with four draws.

USA jersey with USA flag

50 picked POR to make the quarterfinals while 57 picked FRA.  49 went 2-0 while the other 9 went 1-1.  Disabling Below Jobs moves into 1st with 79 points while Germany Minus One and Rainman move up one spot to a tie for 2nd (78).  Previous leader Toast falls to 4th (76).  Overall, Disabling Below Jobs, Rainman, and BluesIsTheColour I (8th-Tied, 74) have gotten all 6 quarterfinal teams while three have gotten just 3 of 6.  Danglish moves into last with 57 pts.

With the FRAvBEL happening early, many had both BEL and FRA in the quarters (43 picked BEL) adn thus were guaranteed 3 points.

For the first time, I'm able to let folks know which entries can win the pool, finish in the top 4 money spots, or are eliminated.  Of the 58 entries, just 15 are eliminated leaving 43 entries with a chance to win money.  22 have a chance to win the pool.  Germany Minus One has the best chance to win the pool (15.2%) and win money (26.6%) with the GER champion pick.  Four others have 12.5-13.5% chance to win the pool and five entries have a 21.3-24.4% chance to win money so it's still way too early to feel confident.

21goals is tied for 5th but can't win the pool (has the same remaining picks as Germany Minus One) while BigRedMessi 2 (NED as champ) and JBueno (ESP over ENG in final and NED in semis) are tied for 50th but can still win the pool.  Soccer Guru and Soccerbix are tied for 23rd and are eliminated while BigRedMessi 2 (1st), I Say Old Chap (3rd), and JBueno (1st) are tied for 50th and can still win money.

I wore my Alexi Lalas USA home 1994 denim jersey and paired it with the Stars and Stripes flag at the Boys & Girls Club of America in Cypress while my son did his scout meeting.  Did not do any good as USA flamed out losing a must-win to Uruguay 1-0.  

While Gregg Berhalter supporters said the USMNT came out with energy and played well in the first half despite the horrible ref, in the end, the results showed USA had just one shot (a harmless header that the GK grabbed with two hands for a "save").  So what is the difference if they just bunkered down and had one shot?  You can have all the energy but it's not like they peppered the URU GK with 6-8 shots to keep him busy.  They generated nothing.  If Gregg is such a nice guy and allegedly has a united locker room, then hire him as the team psychologist... we need a good coach.  Sigh.

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 ;-)).

Hands up! Germans survive

Zaza in just for PK, misses badly

1C-Germany took a 1-0 lead in a match they dominated possession but a what-is-he-thinking arms up Jerome Boateng caught the ball off his arm giving 1E-Italy a PK they did not miss in the 78'.  In the only match between group winners, both teams played it safe the rest of the match.  Going into penalties, Germany had only missed 2 in their history of Euro and World Cups (26 of 28 in six PSOs, winning 5).  Then again, Germany had never beaten Italy in a Euro or World Cup (0-4-4).

After being the first team to score against GER in this Euro, ITA started off well and then had their PK specialist Simone Zaza, who came in the 120', next but he skied the ball high.  Uncharacteristically, GER did miss