Greece - The Brighton & Hove Albion of International Football

[mona]

Greece were boring. How many goal attempts?

Not only that, their player's names are unpronouncable.

So that is why you have given yourself a Greek name on NSC! ....tusseur

 

[Yorkie]

I can see the likenesses. Win something against all the odds and we both play in blue and white.

Marvellous scenes (well somebody had to say it)

 

[perseus]

Whoops! I completely forget that Perseus was a Greek name!

Well spotted !

I think I will call that moussaka a Shepherds Pie.

 

[Easy 10]

Greece were boring. How many goal attempts ?

Bollocks.
They wern't boring - they just played to their strengths.
If they'd have played an open, attacking game, they'd have got cut to ribbons by the likes of France, Portugal, Spain and the Czechs. And since when did Opta Stats for goal attempts win anything ?

Greece defended superbly, broke effectively, and took their chances when they came along. I saw them in the opening game, in the quarter-final, semi-final and tonight, and not ONCE was I bored by any of those games. It was fascinating watching Greece as the underdogs cope so superbly with their more skilful opponents. There's other things to admire in football than fancy tricks, back-heels and stepovers. In my opinion, none of the games turned into scrappy, hoofing affairs. The Greeks could pass the ball around extremely well when they needed to, and they chose their moments when to do it at the right time. They defended with great composure and always looked a threat on the break.

A big to the Greeks. They have provided many of the best moments in the whole tournament, and they bloody deserved to win it.

 

[Thimble Keegan]

I'm going to ban you from my taverna.
You'll think that everyone from Hellas/Brighton is a poof won't you.

What are you on about?

Albion & Englad forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[mona]

and I'll call the retsina paint stripper
and souvlaki a kebab

 

[Yorkie]

Greece defended superbly, broke effectively, and took their chances when they came along. I saw them in the opening game, in the quarter-final, semi-final and tonight, and not ONCE was I bored by any of those games.
A big to the Greeks. They have provided many of the best moments in the whole tournament, and they bloody deserved to win it.

 

[Cian]

and I'll call the retsina paint stripper

It already is.....

 

[Gwylan]

Bollocks.
They wern't boring - they just played to their strengths.
If they'd have played an open, attacking game, they'd have got cut to ribbons by the likes of France, Portugal, Spain and the Czechs. And since when did Opta Stats for goal attempts win anything ?

Greece defended superbly, broke effectively, and took their chances when they came along. I saw them in the opening game, in the quarter-final, semi-final and tonight, and not ONCE was I bored by any of those games. It was fascinating watching Greece as the underdogs cope so superbly with their more skilful opponents. There's other things to admire in football than fancy tricks, back-heels and stepovers. In my opinion, none of the games turned into scrappy, hoofing affairs. The Greeks could pass the ball around extremely well when they needed to, and they chose their moments when to do it at the right time. They defended with great composure and always looked a threat on the break.

A big to the Greeks. They have provided many of the best moments in the whole tournament, and they bloody deserved to win it.

Absolutely. I like watching teams who defend well, it's part of football as well. And, as Easy says, they could pass it around when they wanted to.

Good on them. Glad they won (and that's not just my bank balance talking).

 

[perth seagull]

Yep agreed

Greece and Hove Albion.

Played to their strengths. Great fans!

Well Done Greece!

Or maybe Brighton & Hellas Albion?

 

[perseus]

I think Barcelona had the right idea, get in the penalty box.

I really disliked Greece's style right from the beginning. They reminded me of Swindon, just passed the ball around and waited for mistakes from their opponents, without creating anything. Their only real creative goal was their one against Russia.

They make their opponents extra cautious as well. This would explain Albion's stifled performance against Swindon.

The trouble is on order to create chances, you always stand the risk of giving the ball to your opponents, especially Charlie Oatway is guilty of this, and not creative on Charlie's part, just hoofing the ball into the channels.

Greece did not hoof the ball into the penalty box. They only went into the opposition box once. The game was only fascinating because of Maniche's distribution from the centre of midfield. When Figo did get into the box after the Barcelona incident, it started getting exciting.

Not as boring as watching tennis.

 

[Gully]

Fair play to the Greeks, I think they deserved to win, their tactics were superb as they played to their strengths and it worked. The other thing was that they managed to keep it up for the whole game, not just the 90 minutes ala England, their fitness levels and short passing were probably the best of any team in the tournament. If they lost the ball then they worked hard to get it back, there were no lost causes, whenever the Portuguese started building an attack there always seemed to be spare defenders waiting for them.

I noticed on a few occasions when either Figo or Ronaldo had the ball that there were three players around him, this was saying either try to pass the ball, pull off some amazing piece of skill to get past or move somewhere that you can do less damage.

As for the names being difficult to pronounce, at least they had them printed in Roman script on their shirts rather than Greek, that would have been a nightmare.

 

[Yorkie]

Quote from the BBC website

"The Greeks have made football history. It's a sensation."


Rehhagel and his team will return to Greece to a triumphant reception after delivering one of the biggest shocks in international history.

He said: "The differences between the big teams and the so-called smaller teams have become smaller.



"There are always surprises. Remember North Korea beat Italy in the 1966 World Cup in England. This time we are the surprise.

"Someone said we will be like gods in Greece after this. I know Greeks exaggerate both in joy and in sadness but we have no objections if the fans wish to welcome us back at the airport."

 

[perseus]

PS: If they beat Portugal twice, Greece deserved to win.

I would have thought if England had been playing them, we would have been able to at least get into their penalty area a few more times than Portugal managed.

 

[Dr Schnell]

Very disappointed that a team with as little talent and flair as Greece won Euro 2004. This is a victory for dull and negative football. A German manager turned the Greeks into a team that played exactly like the German sides of old - ruthlessly efficient but woefuly unexciting football. What a shame...

 

[Curious Orange]

I think people are being a little unfair about Greece's attacking abilities. Don't forget that at one point in the first half they put together a wonderful flowing move that but for the alertness of the keeper would have ended up being the goal of the tournament.

 

[Gully]

The one that featured a deft back flick into the box, yes that was a little bit special.

 

[lincs seagull]

Could this be the deaf of football will all the teams look at greece and say if we want to win we must play like this thus leaving little room for flair and invention which brings the game to the boil

Fair play greece but i hope they dont do it again for footballs sake

 

[Mick Beard BHA]

Bollocks.
They wern't boring - they just played to their strengths.
If they'd have played an open, attacking game, they'd have got cut to ribbons by the likes of France, Portugal, Spain and the Czechs. And since when did Opta Stats for goal attempts win anything ?

Greece defended superbly, broke effectively, and took their chances when they came along. I saw them in the opening game, in the quarter-final, semi-final and tonight, and not ONCE was I bored by any of those games. It was fascinating watching Greece as the underdogs cope so superbly with their more skilful opponents. There's other things to admire in football than fancy tricks, back-heels and stepovers. In my opinion, none of the games turned into scrappy, hoofing affairs. The Greeks could pass the ball around extremely well when they needed to, and they chose their moments when to do it at the right time. They defended with great composure and always looked a threat on the break.

A big to the Greeks. They have provided many of the best moments in the whole tournament, and they bloody deserved to win it.

Absolutely spot on Easy. Greece's success 'the death of football'?? Stop being so melodramatic you lot

 

[Storer68]

Greece were boring. How many goal attempts?

.

and who is polishing the silverware this morning??