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

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

Issue # 7.2.3 "There Were Six Singularities" (7/5)

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Monday, July 5, 2021 -  Issue # 7.2.3 "There Were Six Singularities"

First Semifinal -Wembley Stadium-
ITA - Italian Rep(Italy) Gli Azzurri (The Blues) Federazione ItalianaGiuoco Calcio (FIGC)	ESP - Kingdom of Spain La Roja (The Red One) Real FederaciónEspañola de Fútbol (RFEF)
#7 | 1A | Winner | 5-0-0 6th Semifinal ('68, '80, '88, '00, '12) A1: Beat Turkey 3-0 A4: Beat Switzerland 3-0 A6: Beat Wales 1-0 R16: Beat Austria 2-1 (ET) QF: Beat Belgium 2-1	#6 | 2E | Runner-Up | 2-0-3 5th Semifinal ('64, '84, '08, '12) E1: Tied Sweden 0-0 E4: Tied Poland 1-1 E5: Beat Slovakia 5-0 R16: Beat Croatia 5-3 (ET) QF: Beat Switzerland 1:1 (PSO 3:1)

			Second Semifinal -Wembley Stadium-
			ENG - England Three Lions The Football Assoc (The FA)	DEN - Kingdom of Denmark De Rod-Hvide (The Red-White) Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU)
			#4 | 1D | Winner | 4-0-1 3rd Semifinal ('68, '96) D1: Beat Croatia 1-0 D4: Tied Scotland 0-0 D6: Beat Czech Rep 1-0 R16: Beat Germany 2-0 QF: Beat Ukraine 4-0	#10 | 2B | Runner-Up | 3-2-0 4th Semifinal ('64, '84, '92) B1: Lost to Finland 1-0 B4: Lost to Belgium 2-1 B6: Beat Russia 4-1 R16: Beat Wales 4-0 QF: Beat Czech Rep 2-1

THE ONE-YEAR LATER TORUNEY HAS BEEN A GEM
Semifinals begin Tuesday; a Marvel Infinity Stone look at the tourney

HOME, CA (smt) - As Marvel's Avengers begin Phase 4 of their saga a year late (with seemingly TV's WandaVision, Falcon & Winter Soldier, and thus far, Loki (2 eps left) not progressing any grand story (but nonetheless entertaining as a standalone series) and pretending Phase 3 never really happened), I wondered how the one-year wait for the Euro 2020 (not 2021) tournament was going to be.  Would there be fans?  Would teams have to withdraw due to COVID-19 positive tests?  Would the tournament be consolidated into one location bubble?  Luckily, everything has been pretty normal with only the near death of a player on the pitch shocking the world.  Well, normal if you consider France, Portugal, Netherlands, and Belgium bowing out way too early.  And normal if you think teams will only have to wait 16 months (rather than 24 due to a winter World Cup) to get another shot at redemption on the grand stage. 

Euro 2020 seemed to have harnessed the power of the Infinity Stones, six immensely powerful gem-like objects tied to different aspects of the universe, to pull off a well-run tournament (so far!).  The first Euros with VAR, there have only