After a small enforced absence, the Euro 2012 blog is back with easily the pick of the quarter finals where, half an hour in, we’ve already seen the failure of the “holy shit, how the fuck do we stop Iniesta?!” formation for the third time in as many games. As I am watching this match in my house, it is only fitting that today’s blog should feature house music, a style France is renowned for and Spain isn’t, the same way Spain is renowened for beautiful, flowing football and France is renowned for beautiful, flowing handball.
Spain: John Talabot – ‘Missing You’
I interviewed Barcelona DJ John Talabot a couple of weeks ago (it’s a short one, not worth posting) and he stressed how he’s never actually listened to a full house album at home – except maybe for Daft Punk – so with his debut record Fin he set out to make the kind of house record non-dance music fans can listen. By and large, he succeeded. He also told me how he came to Ireland for a festival last summer and didn’t bother bringing a jacket. The mad Spanish fucker.
-v-
France: Stardust – ‘The Music Sounds Better With You’
Everybody knows Daft Punk, and anybody who doesn’t isn’t worth talking to, but fewer will be aware of Thomas Bangalter’s brief late 90s side-project, Stardust, who had a big hit in 1998 with the classic ‘Music Sounds Better With You.’ That’s more or less all they did – Bangalter fucked off and made one of the best electronic albums of all time and the other two just fucked off.
06.23.12
06.23.12
god what is your /issue/
Only a goal down at half time, we still have a decent chance but I think some changes are gonna have to be made at half time. Giroud should be brought on alongside Benzema, 1 striker isn't enough, and Nasri and Menez should come on (what the hell is Debuchy doing in the midfield?). Good to see Cabaye starting, he took that free kick excellently. France are still too conservative though and if a chance does come up (often by some pretty good passing by Ribery or Benzema), they hesitate and lose it before they can make anything of it and their passes have been sloppy. Some of the play has been encouraging but Spain are still dominating too much. We won't come back like this.
06.23.12
*specifically, the wing
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the entire tournament i've tried to make you bitter through my comments about ireland on these blogs and then you go and do it yourself :(
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*specifically, the wing
pahaha, i never even noticed that. haven't had the commentary turned on really so is it reveillere and debuchy on the right?
france need to ask some questions, and fast
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06.23.12
"pahaha, i never even noticed that. haven't had the commentary turned on really so is it reveillere and debuchy on the right? "
I think so.
Aghhh it's so frustrating watching them get the ball into the box and not making much of it. Spain are looking dangerous on the counterattack now.
Menez and Nasri coming on at last.
06.23.12
pretty sure it's a joke bub
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Have you been watching the last 25 minutes?
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I do know what you mean.
Maybe our plant Koscielny can broker a deal between him and Arsene ;)
aaaaaaaaaaaaaand Menez is suspended if France do go through.
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Yes, the French are just invisible.
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france have lacked any kind of conviction here m'afraid
06.23.12
"Yes, the French are just invisible."
they had a shitload of forward runs
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Hate watching them crash out like this after France have otherwise done so well since the world cup. Hopefully Blanc will stay on and bounce back for 2014 and 2016 when France hosts the Euros.
also, i hate english commentators so much. [2]
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"Now I hope Portugal wins the SF. GO PORTUGAL!!!!"
Don't think I'll be watching that at all ahaha
06.23.12
And there's been all the matches in the build up to the Euros, including the 2-1 away defeat of Germany.
"I wouldn't be so sure about France beating Italy..."
Italy aren't that great, even England have a chance. France are a better side since the world cup but when it's come to the matches that matter they've messed up.
/sour grapes
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Ukraine..
"idk man, Italy is always that team that you don't think they'll reach the qarterfinals, but somehow they always manage to do so, and go even furtther."
yeah but they're easier to beat than Spain
England all the way then
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Match was dulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
06.23.12
I don't know what I hate more, their tiki taka bullshit or the 'purists' who insist that everyone should play that way.
Andy Townsend is second only to Robbie Earl in the crap pundits ranks.
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06.23.12
sorry but lol
"it's all setting up for a rematch of the '08 final"
yeah, with Germany to win. Germany to batter through the PIGS, couldn't be more perfect.
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Why put a picture of my precious Oranje's defeat? :(((((
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Devias acreditar mais no teu pais...temos equipa para ganhar a qualquer seleccao do mundo.
06.23.12
David Villa seemed to inject some life into them, as Messi does for Barcelona. Now you can see the boring team that they are though
06.23.12
Oh, eu digo sempre isso, e no fim acabo por ver, Eu sou um pessimista por natureza, não ligues lol
06.23.12
Agreed though, game was tedious to watch.
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06.24.12
"Spains team is almost perfect, its one of those games where Ronaldo could make the difference."
I believe we should explore our left wing, Arbeloa is good, but he's probably their weakest link.
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I hope so. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ronaldo will do against real competition.
06.24.12
He'll probably take that comment as an instruction & head out on the town for the next few nights.
06.24.12
Also, love the 2nd song, reminds me of my teen years
06.24.12
Too true, they are such bellends. You will enjoy this: http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/blatter-demands-pundit-mouth-technology-2012062231575
06.24.12
He hates you too don't worry
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Pepe's a gigantic douche, being violent and mean is what constitutes him being a douche.
06.24.12
When they played Italy, they struggled a lot. I think without David Villa they're incomplete.
But Spain's style of play gets boring really quickly. It was kinda cool at first but now it's like watching them training, they don't do anything. Germany are brilliant to watch; they're scoring machines and their players have much more variety. I love watching Ozil play and Gomez is a trigger. I think I heard he had the ball for 8 seconds in the entire Netherlands game and he scored twice.
"If there's one person in the world that I'd like to kick in nuts until he throws up, it's Ronaldo."
yeah but for other reasons. he is a bit of a twat
fucking hell I hate english pundits/commentators so much. They always focus on one team much more but even then they don't go that in depth. The commentators never seem to really know that much about the players they're watching except for a few obscure stats they throw up from a list they've obviously been given and they're so dull to listen to. When Lahm scored against Greece I had to concentrate to check that the goal had actually been allowed cos their reactions were so toned down I thought it had been disallowed.
Really hate how the media's building up to the Italy game as well. As soon as England get through to the QFs, the hype train is blown up once more and it's all they ever talk about, even in other games. Have they not fucking learnt from any other tournament in the past 50 years? And Jesus Christ they won't shut the fuck up about Mario Balotelli. They act as if he's Italy's only player, let alone their best player. He might not even start for christ's sake
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And who the fuck are you to make such a statement? The Queen of everything that's modesty and football related? Ronaldo might be egotistical but who is he offending if he says he's the best in the world? You might not agree with him, but it's not Joey Barton saying it, Ronaldo at least has arguments to back his claim and he works hard as fuck everyday. Players have huge egos, almost all of them. And a lot of "egotistical" players have won lots of trophies before, in case you didn't get the memo.
Every time I see statements like yours I can't help but think of the lonely "nice guy" who in real life keeps wondering why he can't get that girl and frowns upon the jock who is also in a rock band who does get the girl. But goddamnit is the nice guy a modest guy.
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Its me and its my opinion, you dont have to get your panties in a fucking twist.
"Ronaldo at least has arguments to back his claim and he works hard as fuck everyday."
Is working hard as fuck everyday that big of an achievement? Lots of people do it, people who dont get millions of euros a year.
"Players have huge egos, almost all of them. And a lot of "egotistical" players have won lots of trophies before, in case you didn't get the memo."
They might have huge egos, but they do not go to the lengths of Ronaldo to show them. I mean changing haircuts during halftime, really? The last sentence does not really have anything to do with anything.
06.24.12
Spain didn't play well against Italy but I don't think they are ever boring. They struggle to create chances when they don't have a recognised striker up there, and they've looked instantly better each time Torres was introduced off the bench, and it says a lot that the only game they scored early in, the Irish game, was due to Torres creating a chance for himself from absolutely nothing.
06.24.12
not really, they weren't at their best but it was still one of the more interesting games of the tournament so far, sorry if you couldn't appreciate it
06.24.12
Dude, sory but this is just populist crap. You know perfectly well that once football players reach a certain age they're finished, and they don't have any sort of pension afterwards. It's up to the player to save (or invest) money in order to keep his lifestyle. Idk if Ronaldo is doing that, and for that matter I don't really care, which leads me to the 3rd part of your post.
"They might have huge egos, but they do not go to the lengths of Ronaldo to show them. I mean changing haircuts during halftime, really? The last sentence does not really have anything to do with anything. "
Srsly, why do you (and others) care so much for the person? Who cares if he's a douche, wears expensive clothes, changes his hairstyle in every five minutes or fucks kazakh women? All I care is if he scores goals and helps his team reaching their aims, and so for he's doing more than acomplishing them.
06.24.12
Wait so football players actually might actually have to get a job with normal people wages? Holy shit poor footballers lets start a charity fund! But no, most players are something called celebrities, they can just live off interviews, news stories, whatever. Just look at Pete Doherty, hasnt done fuck all in ten years yet he still somehow lives in a ten bedroom mansion in the most expensive district in London. Also, they can also get jobs within the game, coaching, chairmen, whatever.
"Srsly, why do you (and others) care so much for the person? Who cares if he's a douche, wears expensive clothes, changes his hairstyle in every five minutes or fucks kazakh women? All I care is if he scores goals and helps his team reaching their aims, and so for he's doing more than acomplishing them. "
I agree with this, its his life to do whatever he wants. But the hairstyle thing does show that he is an individualist, football is a team game. Surrounding yourself with private hairstylers instead of participating in a team talk with your players, listening/sharing criticism with each other, thats what your team should be doing when the score is 0-0, not getting your fucking hair done
06.24.12
And just like almost every celebrity, they sooner or later will fall. Sure you mentioned Doherty's case, just like I could pinpoint Figo, Cantona or Platini, but for each one of them you have like 10 who spent their life like lords, abusing of everthing, and now have nothing but their name to rely on. Not to mention that players who get those sort of wages are still a minority within the game. Idk how's the situation in England, but in Portugal for example, most players in our 1st league recieve normal wages, just like every middle class worker.
"Surrounding yourself with private hairstylers instead of participating in a team talk with your players, listening/sharing criticism with each other, thats what your team should be doing when the score is 0-0, not getting your fucking hair done"
Now this is something I can agree as well. But I'd say the coach and the club are also to blame too.
06.24.12
Sorry I don't understand a word of this
"they weren't at their best but it was still one of the more interesting games of the tournament so far"
yeah well the tournament's generally been dull so far
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Id guess this is true. In the EPL the average player earns like 30K pound a week (guess), which I believe is still about 12 times the average amount a middle class person gets. A lot of money though. Also, having your name to go with is quite a huge advantage though. But I also must say, that if they spent their money so, that its their own fault.
"Now this is something I can agree as well. But I'd say the coach and the club are also to blame too. "
Maybe, but then again, this shows just how great his ego is, that his coach and fellow players should let him do it at the risk of him throwing a bitch fit.
06.24.12
ohhh right. I actually thought Ukraine were pretty mediocre for the whole game. Shevchenko got one or two great chances but without much help from the rest of his squad and France could really easily have lead 2-0 at half time.
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06.25.12
Sure, no argue about that.
"Maybe, but then again, this shows just how great his ego is, that his coach and fellow players should let him do it at the risk of him throwing a bitch fit. "
Actually, yesterday I was told that he's being paid by some hairdresser firm to make these sudden changes during the game. Source is not 100% reliable ofc, but it makes sense.
06.25.12
um were we watching the same game?