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Biggest Fluke in Football: Portugal reaching the Euro 2016 semi finals



perth seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
5,455
Would Portugal reaching the semi finals of Euro 2016 be the biggest fluke in football history?

To make it so far after limping out of the weakest group in the tournament in third place, and failing to win a match at all within 90 minutes, with a W1 D4 L0 record is incredible.

England have tried for decades just break into the final four, but Portugal fluked it despite being so poor.

Is this the biggest fluke ever, or can you provide an example of an even more undeserving and poor performing team making it so far in a competition?
 


Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,711
GOSBTS
Would Portugal reaching the semi finals of Euro 2016 be the biggest fluke in football history?

To make it so far after limping out of the weakest group in the tournament in third place, and failing to win a match at all within 90 minutes, with a W1 D4 L0 record is incredible.

England have tried for decades just break into the final four, but Portugal fluked it despite being so poor.

Is this the biggest fluke ever, or can you provide an example of an even more undeserving and poor performing team making it so far in a competition?

Greece winning Euro 2004
 




Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Feb 23, 2012
21,496
Brighton
Would Portugal reaching the semi finals of Euro 2016 be the biggest fluke in football history?

To make it so far after limping out of the weakest group in the tournament in third place, and failing to win a match at all within 90 minutes, with a W1 D4 L0 record is incredible.

England have tried for decades just break into the final four, but Portugal fluked it despite being so poor.

Is this the biggest fluke ever, or can you provide an example of an even more undeserving and poor performing team making it so far in a competition?

Lots of people have over analysed the England performance. The likes of Portugal, Germany & Italy all go deep into tournaments - it doesn't seem to matter how strong their team or quality of players. It's about 'tournament' football. It's no fluke Portugal are where they are because they always do well. They are my favourites to meet Italy or Germany in the final and it's probable they'll win the semi-final on penalties. Yes they are dogshit but they seem to do well in most tournaments.

Until we understand how to play tournament football, we'll never go beyond group stages or the second round.
 


pasty

A different kind of pasty
Jul 5, 2003
30,178
West, West, West Sussex
Portugal have reached the last four without winning a game in normal time

No side has ever got this far in a European Championship without winning a match inside 90 minutes.

Have also only led a match for 22 minutes during the whole tournament
 




Guy Crouchback

New member
Jun 20, 2012
665
That's the new rules for you--they took 3rd place in their group and normally wouldn't qualify to the second round at all.
 




studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
29,555
On the Border
Its not a fluke, in the knock out stages extra time and penalties apply, therefore Portugal are just doing what is necessary to progress.

There are no replays, and with 3 points for a win drawing all 3 games in the group stage should not see you progress but thanks to a banned Frenchman we now have 3rd placed teams going through. On the old format they would have been out at the group stage.

I'm sure if the Albion progressed to the later stages of a cup competition on the back of extra time or penalty wins we would be saying different things like resolute, hard to beat, etc
 






Drebin

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2011
832
Norway
Mental strength and a decent enough defence (perhaps not against Hungary).

Ronaldo draws players away from the game, Nani has been scoring/assisting goals, that young midfielder Bayern have just bought (Sanchez?) has been running the game when he's on the pitch, and for all his bellendery Pepe is quite a defender.

If Ronaldo did actually find some form they'd be considered contenders. It hasn't been pretty but there's a reason they haven't lost a game yet.
 


Paul Reids Sock

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2004
4,458
Paul Reids boot
I don't think anyone really wins or gets far in it by Fluke.

You could say Denmark won then that was a fluke due to not qualifying and having to replace Yugoslavia
 






Dick Swiveller

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
9,142
My sweepstake team so I am conflicted. Not sure it is worth £30 to see Ronaldo's smug face.
 


ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,730
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
It's all about being a tournament team though. It's all about getting through to the next stage. Think about Argentina in 1990.
 




sydney

tinky ****in winky
Jul 11, 2003
17,736
town full of eejits
Would Portugal reaching the semi finals of Euro 2016 be the biggest fluke in football history?

To make it so far after limping out of the weakest group in the tournament in third place, and failing to win a match at all within 90 minutes, with a W1 D4 L0 record is incredible.

England have tried for decades just break into the final four, but Portugal fluked it despite being so poor.

Is this the biggest fluke ever, or can you provide an example of an even more undeserving and poor performing team making it so far in a competition?

hull getting promotion must come close.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Having lost to Iceland I'm not inclined to criticise any other European nation or suggest that they were lucky. At least they weren't complete shite with a pathetic mental attitude when it mattered, they were just not very good.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,674
Location Location
The whole format of this competition is flawed. Having 4 out of 6 best 3rd placed teams going through has made it a poor quality, low-scoring tournament. Teams set up primarily not to lose, as they know they’ll still have a very good chance of sneaking through without even winning. In which parallel universe should Bales vs Northern Ireland be a last 16 game in a major tournament ? And we all saw the “quality” of that game. Northern Ireland lost 2 out of 3 group games and still went through ! Abysmal. Now you’ve got a bang-average Portugal who have muddled their way all the way through to the SF’s.

The Euros used to be excellent. 16 teams, all of them decent, you either hit the ground running or you went home, none of this 3rd place nonsense. All about the money though innit. More games, more TV rights to sell. Cheers Michel, you corrupt big-nosed, garlic-munching BUFFOON.
 
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Nixonator

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2016
6,733
Shoreham Beach
Love the way people are calling Portugal poor.

I hope to live to see the day England stick in 5 penalties like that.

If they win their next two games nobody is going to care or remember about their run-up.

Spain were pretty poor throughout the 2010 WC and they ended up winning it. That's tournament football and we are woeful at it.
 




AIT76

The wisdom of a fool
Jul 29, 2004
444
The whole format of this competition is flawed. Having 4 out of 6 best 3rd placed teams going through has made it a poor quality, low-scoring tournament. Teams set up primarily not to lose, as they know they’ll still have a very good chance of sneaking through without even winning. In which parallel universe should Bales vs Northern Ireland be a last 16 game in a major tournament ? And we all saw the “quality” of that game. Northern Ireland lost 2 out of 3 group games and still went through ! Abysmal. Now you’ve got a bang-average Portugal who have muddled their way all the way through to the SF’s.

The Euros used to be excellent. 16 teams, all of them decent, you either hit the ground running or you went home, none of this 3rd place nonsense. All about the money though innit. More games, more TV rights to sell. Cheers Michel, you corrupt big-nosed, garlic-munching BUFFOON.


Exactly. It would have been possible to win the tournament without scoring a single goal.
 





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