Euro 2004

[mccutcheon]

Fuck another duck.

Well Ryans my local footie and bevvy joint isn't showing the games. Nevada Smith is packed to capacity and everywhere else it is $20 to get in the door

SONOFABITCH! This is one pissed off McCutcheon.

[Tommy Martyn]

Apparently,it is all on pay-per-view. Mrs T (Tommy not Thatcher) works for a mainly British company so I am hoping to weasel my way into a footy house party. Outside of that, I"m fucked.

I read the pundits and their predictions. France and then Holland/Denmark seemed to be the order. I was shocked to see no mention of Germany. I never back against them in a tournament. Does Martino know anything about this? Is the German national side out of sorts at the moment?

[mccutcheon]

after the world cup, I know it was a long time ago, but everyone said Germany would win, then they sort of fell off the radar. I also heard that Portugal was goning far, but not on what they did today.

This might be the last hurah for greatest French team ever.

[mccutcheon]

LISBON, June 13 - After a rowdy night of drinking and singing, England fans took over a central Lisbon square ahead of Sunday's Euro 2004 showdown against champions France.

Rossio square was festooned with St George's flags from all over England - Halifax, Teesside, London's Hammersmith and the "Smog Monsters" from Middlesbrough.

The mass chanting of Saturday evening had given way to quiet contemplation of serious hangovers. One fan was arrested on Saturday night in the square after scuffles and will appear in court on Monday.

A special train laid on by Portuguese authorities pulled into the capital in mid-morning, bringing up to 500 fans from the southern tourist district of the Algarve.

"It was very quiet. The fans were as good as gold," said Alan Bloore, deputy chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation.

"They were probably still knackered from last night."

Three hundred fans in Albufeira failed to catch the train because of a lack of taxis and poor directions, others said.

"We're going into the zoological gardens, have a bite to eat, maybe a drink, then take a gentle stroll to the stadium," said 35-year-old Nick James, a train driver from Birmingham.

French fans were less conspicuous. "These flags add to the colour of the tournament. It's nice and the fans are very friendly at this point," said Vincent Frambourt, a 34-year-old accountant from Paris.

"But we'll still win 2-0."

England's match against their old rivals kicks off at 1845 GMT in the Luz stadium. Organisers have said the game carries a high risk of violence.

England fans rioted at the last championship in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2000 and European soccer's ruling body has warned England they will be expelled from this tournament if there is a repeat.

Up to 60,000 English supporters are expected to visit Portugal during the three-week tournament and Portugal's police, after discussions with British authorities, have adopted a welcoming but firm approach.

[mccutcheon]

I just have to say watching games with English cunts gets on my tits. I had these two poncy wankers from West London next to me the whole fucking match talking English-French as a joke and an insult, once England went up 1-0. I think it's called Englaez or some such shit. Well boys "Fuck ez Vous."

And it all came down to two players for Real Madrid. Beckham and Ze Ze. Both scored thye first goal for their clubs. Only one made the penelty.


Now for any team to lose at this level in the 93' fukez minute is a real shame, so I am sorry for TM.

"But Go On Blue, my son, Go On!!!!"

[Maverick]

Watching matches with the english cunts increases your vocabulary...poncy daft wee cunts gettin on your tits.

[martino]

germany is fucking useless this time, and hopeless to boot.

i will be watching the germany-netherlands game tomorrow with my hard-core drinking-musician friends tomorrow (tuesday) evening local time at an english pub, the fox & hound.

my take is 1:0 for the cheeseheads (not that i am betting any serious money as of yet).

[mccutcheon]

I support teams for people I love and so today I'm supporting Sweden for Linda and these two girls I used to know in Greece; who when they came down from the north shagged me senseless for two weeks straight in my tent. I met them on Swedish Day June 6th and we drank and fucked for two weeks until they each found a male friend of their own. And so here I am at the door at Nevada Smith's about to pay out my $20 when this girl comes up to me and pays and says it's for the luck of my prettiest blue Swedish eyes. And the match on was still Italy vs. Denmark. Well, so in I go.

They might have to make me the fucken mascot. I don't care because I'll be floating in a sea of pretty blue eyes and blonde hair, pubic even, natural if you knell what I mean.

Ya ya 5-0. They might have to change National Swedish Day to June 14th.

[mccutcheon]

Oh and there was a Shaun Ryder look alike there who was in a blackout and ya know he was drinking since yesterdays result. I didn't get too close, though I wanted to give him a hug. But he might have killed me.

[martino]

1:1 was better than could be expected but still a disappointment after frings' first goal. my team was in remarkably good form; i think the best since over a year, so i take back my previous remarks.

our tv&drinking venue was not so hot and i will be watching the next games at a hopefully more interesting location, and perhaps posting pix of how nice and sexy people who watch sports can be.

tell me, pax acidus: is it like this in the US too during major sports games? the atmosphere in town was exceptional once again. all the streets were empty save a few fast food restaurant owners who sit on the curbs with nothing to do. no traffic, very few pedestrians. just the odd sound of sportscasting through open windows. sudden loud shouts and screams at any goal opportunity. music and sounds of celebration out of many windows after the first goal. a general nervous bustle before the half time.... and a generally higher level of nervousness as the game goes on.

it is fascinating to me to see and hear how the collective spirit manifests itself during these games. this is quite rare in these times of fractionalisation and cantonisation.

[Brett]

We're watching Greece and Spain right now. I am now being reminded why I find this sport so annoying. Do they all have to fall down every time somebody gets bumped? These guys could very easily be the worlds biggest pussies. I think a new rule should be implemented; every time some guy gets brushed, falls to the ground and starts writhing around in faux agony the ref should be allowed to kick the fucking fake bastard in the face. That'll give solve two problems, it'll stop the guy from acting like an idiot and will make the players think twice before they start tumbling around the pitch like a bunch of fools with equilibrium problems.

[martino]

well you know, in the german bundesliga there is this thing they call the "schwalbe" ("swallow"), a deliberate dive to draw a penalty, and that causes an automatic red card.

if i am informed correctly, doing the swallow is penalized by at least a yellow card in international games.

referrees are hesitant to penalize a swallow in important games unless they see a pattern. it has been said they will start using the yellow cards if the spanish/greek behavior continues.

brett, you are correct that there is probably too much prancing and simulating but this is a contact sport played without armor, unlike baseball and cricket which are, i think, pretty harmless (but i wouldn't dream of calling them sissy sports just because of that). surely rugby is harder-hitting and you have a point if you are saying that soccer is softer than rugby.

i have seen some gruesome injuries in soccer such as open-flesh bone fractions and given the amount of fouls, there have to be strict rules. unfortunately, these are misused by some players, and you are right about the spanish and greeks, but why let it spoil the enjoyment of this beautiful game?

[mccutcheon]

Come on Brett that hurts. But I think you was being funny because I laughed. You know those Germans…no sense of humor. LOL ha ha ha. Anyway...contact.. Yeah you west coast cocksucking canyourballsinatwistnck, did you see the German striker with the unfortunate facial hair get kicked in the head after he made a brilliant attempt to put his head between the defender and the net minder? Ouchy ouchy like cracked coconut.

So trying to watch these games without paying the law enforced $20 has been like trying to get a drink during probation; you got to know someone- which in my case means the bearded potbellied super cool Dubliner who pours my pints and recently – like the day before his birthday- came out to me- like:

‘Matt you want another one?

No thanks; I'm going home to my boring life to watch the King of Queens, which isn't so bad really.

You know I'm the King of Queens.

Huh?

I'm the big Queen.

So that's why you support Everton.'

But…. In reality it really went down like this:

‘Hey Fred.

Yeah Fred?

You want another one?

No Fred, I'm off to watch King of Queens.

You know Fred; I'm the Fred of all Queens.

Oh really Fred, so that's why you support Everton?'

But all this Right Said Fred stuff won't make a Fred of difference unless you are like me and have been in the pub, drinking staight and solid for the last 5 months.

Did someone blow a whistler? Back to Footie.

So that is my in, Fred.

I watched the German vs. Holland match in an Israeli café. When it comes to Israelis and Germans its like the Irish and Scottish and the English, they like anyone to beat Germany.

Greece is doing well.

I haven't been to bed yet, because I was Djing and now it's soccer time. I'll be walking down the New York City streets with my France jersey and my Eiffel Tower lamp slung over my shoulder, cursing myself for not knowing how to use my cell phone. But that's another story, one only Mav knows. But really why can't I do a simple thing like enter a fucking number into my phone.

[Tommy Martyn]

Nice to know that all the English goals were scored by scousers but seeing as the "fans" have been smashing up peaceful Portugal half of me wants us to get kicked out.

Would love to have a talk about how people in the US "see" themselves as Irish German etc as this is something that I have to comment on all the time. Strangers are constantly tellling me about their ethnicity even though I never ever ever ever fucking ask.

Note to Seattleites: I miss The Stranger. For a freebie it is a great read.

[mccutcheon]

what free papers you got there. we have Village Voice (just okay- owned by Stranger people) and New York Press which is pretty good.