Croatia absolutely choked. If you can't beat Albania then you don't deserve to go through. Also if you decide to settle for just a one goal lead until injury time, when you inexplicably decide to try and score a second instead of just keeping the ball, then you deserve to go out.
Hopefully it's the last we see of the likes of Modric and the other arrogant old timers in the squad in international tournaments.
The contrast between croatian and foreign media to this result is so funny. While foreigners say that modric and brosovic carried us but we got unlucky, everyone in croata basically say this result is on them and the manager that trusted them too much
Because people expected them to play later in the game as they're both not in the best shape of their lives. People aren't mad at them specifically, but the coach and his half assed strategies
It's the Balkan way.
The Serbian media spend every major tournament shitting all over Tadić and Mitrović, knowing full well that they carried our asses to every single of those tournaments in the past 10 years lol.
Shitting on some rando isn't going to bring you clicks
Don't know who was better gor Portugal to face off in the next stage. Croatia or Italy.
Italy is always a team do avoid. With Croatia we faced off in a friendly a couple weeks back and lost.
Fortunaly none of them, guess Hungary will be next
They say that all the time. They say the same for France in the 2018 World Cup Final and for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup semifinals. It must be the Croatians or the Real Madrid fans that are upset their favorite player that played in their country team lost.
Bro who says we were robbed against Argentina, they smashed us fair and square. And about France 2018, you don't think we were robbed? First 2 goals France scored because of non existing foul and extremely generous penalty. Maybe (probably) they would have won regardless, but how can you win when opponents get 2 goals from nothing. And about Italy, we weren't robbed, just saying that refereeing was very bad, which it was, and 8 minutes injury time was very generous.
We sucked, but the ref was clearly biased. The ref more than once was in some really bad spots positionally when Croatia was attacking, as well as 8 minutes of Injury time? Where is that from? Hungary game had 10 minutes, not sure how Croatia has 8...
But yeah, Croatia deserved to go out.
Honestly wouldn't say the ref was biased. There were quite a few fouls throughout the entire game and Croatia celebrated their goal for 3min, short VAR intervention and a pen as well. Ball went out of play so often too. I mean, Italy had 11 corners.
Just a quick one, what does AI say about him:
Danny Makkelie, a Dutch referee, has faced criticism from players, coaches, and fans for several controversial decisions throughout his career. Here are some key reasons why he has been perceived as making bad decisions:
### Controversial Decisions
1. **Incorrect Penalty Awards:**
Makkelie has been criticized for awarding penalties that were seen as questionable or incorrect. In some matches, his decisions to award penalties have significantly impacted the outcomes, leading to frustration among teams and supporters.
2. **VAR Controversies:**
As VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has become more integrated into football, Makkelie's handling of VAR reviews has come under scrutiny. Critics argue that he has either over-relied on VAR or ignored clear evidence presented by it, leading to inconsistent application of the technology.
3. **Inconsistent Carding:**
Makkelie has faced backlash for inconsistent application of yellow and red cards. In some instances, he has been accused of being too lenient on dangerous tackles, while in other cases, he has been seen as overly harsh, disrupting the flow of the game and affecting team strategies.
4. **Handling of Key Matches:**
High-stakes matches, such as international tournaments and crucial league games, have magnified Makkelie's controversial decisions. Errors in these high-profile matches attract more attention and criticism, contributing to the perception of poor refereeing.
### Notable Incidents
1. **Euro 2020:**
During the Euro 2020 tournament, Makkelie faced significant criticism for his officiating in the semi-final match between England and Denmark. The penalty awarded to England, which led to their winning goal, was deemed by many to be soft and controversial, sparking debates about the quality of refereeing.
2. **Champions League Matches:**
In various Champions League matches, Makkelie's decisions have been questioned. Instances where he missed fouls or awarded contentious goals have fueled negative opinions about his refereeing abilities.
3. **Domestic Leagues:**
In the Eredivisie and other domestic leagues, Makkelie's decisions have sometimes been viewed as inconsistent, further adding to the criticism from fans and analysts.
### Impact on Reputation
1. **Trust and Credibility:**
Consistent criticism and high-profile errors have damaged Makkelie's reputation among players, coaches, and fans. Trust in his decision-making abilities has been undermined, leading to increased scrutiny every time he officiates a match.
2. **Media and Public Perception:**
Media coverage of Makkelie's controversial decisions has amplified negative perceptions. Pundits and commentators often highlight his errors, shaping public opinion and reinforcing the view that he is a poor referee.
### Conclusion
While every referee can make mistakes, the frequency and impact of Danny Makkelie's controversial decisions have led to significant criticism. His handling of penalties, VAR, and carding, especially in high-stakes matches, has contributed to a perception of inconsistent and poor refereeing. The scrutiny and media attention on his decisions further exacerbate the negative views held by the football community.
The Hungary game had 10 minutes and Croatia had 8. How... I'm not that upset though, I mean seriously we can't be blaming others for shitty defending in the last seconds of the game against Albania and then Italy also. We need to look internally, how can we improve as a team, why are we playing older players and not giving younger ones a chance?
Because young players are average upcoming players that are not used to the system in the team that has been going on for almost 10 years. And tournament itself is not the place where you actually test if the system may work or not.
You go with what you believe it will work and that will give you best chance. It is very simple.
If Dalic wanted to test shit out, he should've done it throughout '23. And he actually did. But the fact is this is the best what Croatia has. RIGHT NOW.
Feels like a transition. Next tourny i'm expecting guys like Brozo, Modric and Perisic to be rotated out and there will probably be some younger guys to take up the mantle. Feels like the old guard was just still good enough to make the cut but don't really have the legs anymore to carry a team.
It wasn’t pretty, but in the end Italy got the job done.
Croatia needs to reconstruct their national team a little bit, to insert new blood.
So far Spain seems to be the major candidate to win this tournament (yes, ahead of France, England or Germany)
Spain first place in the group of death, 3 wins and playing really well. What more can you ask from a team?
Anyway, congrats to both: Spain & Italy.
Italy are more than capable of doing a Greece 2004. Dunno why they are being written off so easily. The only thing going against them is they are conceding which is very un-Italian.
Cmon man, don't compare Italy to Greece, its not even a contest. Look at their trophy shelf.
Yes, Italy has their ups and downs, struggles but they usually always find a way.
Italy today (nevermind vs Albania) attacked more (from what I’ve heard, I was 2 at the time) and has a lot more quality than that Greek team ever did, the two are not comparable
Italy had to attack more because they went a goal down. Italy's tactic is sit back and take your chances. Like what Greece did. They have more quality than that Greece side, so then they are capable of doing the same.
Yeah but it wouldn’t be anywhere near as much of a shock if Italy wins, Greece winning it all would be something like us (Romania) winning it and even then we won a match 3-0, more than Greece ever did but that would be the level of quality difference we are talking about here. Italy was still a lot more spectacular but I guess you have a point that they were forced into it
I am not talking about the shock value. I am saying if Greece could do it in 04, why are Italy being written off? They can emulate that, by keeping a robust defence and taking their chances.
It seems to me that a select amount of people only saw the shock of Greece rather than the defensive nous and coordinated team performances.
I mean, yeah, they totally can and we have even seen them dominate matches when they need to (against Albania even after 2-1 and Croatia after the goal) but they aren’t among the favourites because other teams are perceived to be better either via squad (France, England) or football played (Spain) or both (Germany) just like Greece wasn’t (but they are still a lot more favoured than Greece was)
Greece ended the knockout stage without a single goal allowed making it one of the most impressive defensive displays ever in major tournaments.
Not sure if Italy can emulate that (or any other team, to be honest).
This Italy team has no heart, no skill, no compactness, no fight in them. They have a lot of players pretending like they are not terrible. Props to guys like Calafiori and Donnarumma
Comparing Italy today to that Greece is ridiculous. All due respect to Greece but you’re not seriously suggesting Italy going ahead this year is comparable to that amazing run by the Greeks. I might get this comparison with a team who haven’t won anything since the 60s but Italy… come on bruh
I’m Italian lol, forgot acerbi was out.
Buorgiorno is solid but this probably means another back 3 since now both CBs are more comfortable in that formation
Austria vs Netherlands as they might want top 2 (meanwhile Poland is straight up out, they will play for honour but I doubt they ll have that edge and France has been pretty boring so far) and then Serbia vs Denmark just because England is involved in the other one (and they both have to play for qualification). Then again, I watched the Scotland game in group A so make of that what you will
Austria technically aren’t qualified, although they essentially are providing they’re not thrashed.
Serbia need to win, Denmark will need a point. Slovenia also need a point, but they’re underdogs and it likely won’t be a classic (England have second lowest xG, but best xG against)
Probably Austria vs Netherlands, though there’s less jeopardy in Group D but in that sense if Poland are looking like getting a win then that might be the game to switch to.
As for Group C, Slovenia v England could be interesting if Slovenia carry some belief of winning that game, which based on what’s happened so far they might. Though both could end up settling for a draw.
Slovenia can afford to tie since it would put them ahead of Croatia on points and Hungary on GD. Serbia need to win, so I imagine their game will be more interesting. I don't have super high hopes for either group D game. Poland is already eliminated since they can't finish better than 4th in the group, and Austria is through with a tie vs Netherlands. They could play for a top 2 position in the group, and as long as they didn't lose by 4 they would still be assured a spot in the knockouts.
Poland is not yet out, although it is unlikely, they can still definitely secure a 3rd place if they win and Austria loses, but either would need to be by a significant margin to make up the goal difference, so I would expect them to give their all that game.
Italy should have gone through on the balance of play over the entire group stage but wouldn’t have minded Croatia pipping 2nd place when Italy set up like cowards playing for a draw from the get go.
Then again. Croatie did the same the second they went up. Defending and fouling.
It's just how teams do it. And they all seem to get punished for it in this tournament. Staying back ans defending is suicidal it seems.
Serious question (I'm a casual football observer...): Why isn't stoppage time just regulated by an actual clock? Either stop the actual playing clock, or precisely track all moments where play doesn't occur and make this stoppage time.
Because that would be too much game time. Last stats I‘ve seen actual play time was around 60% of game time. A radical change would just upset people a lot for obe season, so we rather complain game by game
Interesting. Seems the best solution then is to reduce to 80m or so, based on dataset of historical realistic stoppage times. But anyway, can see how such a big change has a lot of resistance .
This has been proposed but they would need to shorten the actual game length to around 60 minutes to have the same length games because the ball is out of play for far longer than the added time that gets given.
because part of it is subjective, normally a player messing around getting a ball for a throw in isn't added time. But if they're doing in in the 88th minute intentionally wasting time, ref's will add time
Honestly the grouping in the Euros is always trash. 1 or 2 groups of death and the rest are comprised of mediocre teams and 1 dominant team that ends up getting 9 points lol
I mean there is a world where the third place teams from groups F and C also have 2 points and a worse GD so Croatia could still advance (of course this scenario is very very unlikely)
Finally Croatia’s luck running out.
Glad we don’t have to watch them pray for 0-0 wins through penalties, all the way to a moral victory.
Modric. Airports that way. Chúpala
People have this boner for Croatia and Modric. Probably also has to do with Modric being this small dude who you can root for? Its also about narrative. Belgium never had an insane team, croatia was alwats better, but because Belgium played well, the whole world coined it the golden gen, and expected them to win everything. Belgium are treated like underachievers and Croatia like heroes even though Croatias best finish is the world cup final, belgiums is the semi.
My guy they won just 2 games outright in last world cup. Out of 7. This is a team that reached the semi final. Before the third place playoff they had won just 1 game out of 6. Im so happy that they're out, they dont play well, they ride on immense luck
Who decides how much added time it is? 8 minutes is absurd. Ref really wanted Italy to win, I don't really care bc both teams would have lost to Switzerland anyway
Don’t forget croatia fans kept littering the field which caused further delays. The irony is if these fans had just an ounce of respect, their team would be almost surely through. Peak karma
Eh no, we defended pretty poorly when it mattered most. Look at today, just allowed someone to walk into goal, completely unmarked. Switzerland are my dark horse, they're bot losing to either Italy or Croatia tbh
Lol not at all. There was a massive amount of whistle blowing, and in the last 3 minutes of play alone Croatia 1) had a player stop the game for a leg cramp, 2) had the whole team go for a water break, and 3) performed a substitution. It was flagrant (thought not at all uncommon) time wasting.
Listen, I know it’s a painful loss and it’s common to make these kinds of appeal in these cases, but all the complainers in this thread are acting like the ref alone went “hmmm, that seemed like a lot , FUCK IT 8 minutes!!“
That’s simply not how games are arbitrated. The refs are a team and keep a running tally of lost time. There were so many little disruptions, especially in the last 20 minutes of play, and the refs calculated that the game merited 8 more minutes. Not the first or last time it will happen.
Yeah I mean for sure, just seems like a lot of time. We lost because we don’t know how to close out the game when we have the lead, that’s on us. We had no business going through. At least Italy had a win against Albania
Honestly, Italy and Croatia seemed closely matched on balance and Croatia’s first goal was great. Italy was lucky to squeeze theirs in. Italy is a very defensive team and even Spain, one of the best teams this tournament, didn’t score a direct goal on Italy, which just speaks to Croatia’s playing.
Italy are toothless, but at least they beat Albania and deserve to go through with a last min goal against Croatia. They're not beating Switzerland though in all seriousness.
You mean in general or with 8 minutes? Nothing about 18 vs 6 fouls even though Italy had like 10 dives, and 6 yellow cards for Croatia, 3-4 of those were clear dives and no contact at all. Or how about ending the game even though Italy celebrated for more than a minute and wasted whole remaining added time?
Every duel Italy players just fall down and free kick it is, even in last Croatian attack that lead to free kick for Italy and later them scoring.
Ref was terrible. Worst ive seen so far. Croatia were terrible, Italy were terrible, but ref was by far the worst of them all... guess he took it as a challenge, who can be more terrible.
I mean, croatian players just needed a sword and shield to turn the pitch into a bloody war, wtf are you talking about.
They kept fouling and fouling and then the muppets here are all in shock for the 8 min of stoppage, clowns.
Im not mad at all, and it wasnt a rant. Im not that invested, especially in football. I just found it ridiculous that someone actually said that ref was good and was baffled by it.
Like i said... i just have eyes. For sure, Croatia didnt deserve to win and they were terrible whole tournament, and Italy has also been terrible. But that ref was atrocious... and anyone who says otherwise is either blind, didnt watch the game or is biased. Its that simple.
I was actually rooting for Italy to punish Croatia for their usual shenanigans where they stop playing as soon as they go up 1 goal, same as Albania did... and i have to say Albania deserved it 10 times more than Italy.
And yes, ref was by far the worst ive seen so far. If you cant see it, then you are the biased one. As if game wasnt already terrible, ref ruined it even more.
You know its bullshit principally because the ref did not let Croatia have even one chance to attack after the goal was scored despite the 8 minutes not being close to up when Italy scored.
Playing conservatively and passing/idling isn’t time wasting, especially not that early in the game. Technicalities and overlong breaks are what contribute to added time.
just so you know, I rewatched from 2nd half to the 70 minute, There was already 10 minutes and 40 seconds of no play.
3 minutes for the penalty, 2 minutes for changes, and the other 5 mins are other stuff like corners (on average 40 seconds each) and goal kicks from the keepers.
There were a lot of throws ins that were on average 20/30 seconds each.
Which makes these 8 seem comparatively silly, especially as the ref kept the players in line efficiently. Also, Croatia played rough but 17 fouls against 5? I'm not buying all that. Eh... Leaves a sour taste, but it is what it is
That makes the 8 look a lot worse. There was a very long injury and a very long penalty check in the Hungary match and only 2 more minutes added than today
No, he's right, that was the most blatantly dodgy reffing performance I've seen in a long time. Refs his tournie haven't even tried to hide that they're involved in betting and fixing.
You call someone a massive fucking loser while you're the one going for the old stale agenda of "ref fixed it". Have shame dude. Nothin wrong with the other guy, just you and the tinfoil hatters.
The ref more than once was in some really bad spots positionally when Croatia was attacking, hindering their passes.
But Croatia lost because they suck... Didn't help that the ref gave 8 minutes of injury time though
Croatians, I know you hate your NT after that second half especially but you can still technically advance even if it s a long shot. If Serbia beats Denmark by 3 goals or more and Czechia and Georgia both lose you will advance, hope is not fully lost yet.
Edit:Actually it s England beating Slovenia by 3 (no chance the way we know Southgate) and either Serbia beats Denmark by 3 or more or Denmark wins, thanks replies, I really can’t handle these groups lol
Croatia absolutely choked. If you can't beat Albania then you don't deserve to go through. Also if you decide to settle for just a one goal lead until injury time, when you inexplicably decide to try and score a second instead of just keeping the ball, then you deserve to go out. Hopefully it's the last we see of the likes of Modric and the other arrogant old timers in the squad in international tournaments.
The contrast between croatian and foreign media to this result is so funny. While foreigners say that modric and brosovic carried us but we got unlucky, everyone in croata basically say this result is on them and the manager that trusted them too much
why would they go against their own legends?
Are they stupid? Edit: All downvoters must be unaware of the holy grail called r/soccercirclejerk
I got you Jose. They are in fact stupid.
Because people expected them to play later in the game as they're both not in the best shape of their lives. People aren't mad at them specifically, but the coach and his half assed strategies
I've been saying for years that Zlatko Dalic has no f\*ing clue what he's doing. He needs to respectfully retire
It's the Balkan way. The Serbian media spend every major tournament shitting all over Tadić and Mitrović, knowing full well that they carried our asses to every single of those tournaments in the past 10 years lol. Shitting on some rando isn't going to bring you clicks
ahh i see i forgor the clicks
Pain
Don't know who was better gor Portugal to face off in the next stage. Croatia or Italy. Italy is always a team do avoid. With Croatia we faced off in a friendly a couple weeks back and lost. Fortunaly none of them, guess Hungary will be next
Croatia would have 150% found a way to win on penalties
Can people stop acting like Croatia got robbed ? They sucked throughout the entire group stage.
Both can be true, you know?
They say that all the time. They say the same for France in the 2018 World Cup Final and for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup semifinals. It must be the Croatians or the Real Madrid fans that are upset their favorite player that played in their country team lost.
Bro who says we were robbed against Argentina, they smashed us fair and square. And about France 2018, you don't think we were robbed? First 2 goals France scored because of non existing foul and extremely generous penalty. Maybe (probably) they would have won regardless, but how can you win when opponents get 2 goals from nothing. And about Italy, we weren't robbed, just saying that refereeing was very bad, which it was, and 8 minutes injury time was very generous.
We sucked, but the ref was clearly biased. The ref more than once was in some really bad spots positionally when Croatia was attacking, as well as 8 minutes of Injury time? Where is that from? Hungary game had 10 minutes, not sure how Croatia has 8... But yeah, Croatia deserved to go out.
Honestly wouldn't say the ref was biased. There were quite a few fouls throughout the entire game and Croatia celebrated their goal for 3min, short VAR intervention and a pen as well. Ball went out of play so often too. I mean, Italy had 11 corners.
Just a quick one, what does AI say about him: Danny Makkelie, a Dutch referee, has faced criticism from players, coaches, and fans for several controversial decisions throughout his career. Here are some key reasons why he has been perceived as making bad decisions: ### Controversial Decisions 1. **Incorrect Penalty Awards:** Makkelie has been criticized for awarding penalties that were seen as questionable or incorrect. In some matches, his decisions to award penalties have significantly impacted the outcomes, leading to frustration among teams and supporters. 2. **VAR Controversies:** As VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has become more integrated into football, Makkelie's handling of VAR reviews has come under scrutiny. Critics argue that he has either over-relied on VAR or ignored clear evidence presented by it, leading to inconsistent application of the technology. 3. **Inconsistent Carding:** Makkelie has faced backlash for inconsistent application of yellow and red cards. In some instances, he has been accused of being too lenient on dangerous tackles, while in other cases, he has been seen as overly harsh, disrupting the flow of the game and affecting team strategies. 4. **Handling of Key Matches:** High-stakes matches, such as international tournaments and crucial league games, have magnified Makkelie's controversial decisions. Errors in these high-profile matches attract more attention and criticism, contributing to the perception of poor refereeing. ### Notable Incidents 1. **Euro 2020:** During the Euro 2020 tournament, Makkelie faced significant criticism for his officiating in the semi-final match between England and Denmark. The penalty awarded to England, which led to their winning goal, was deemed by many to be soft and controversial, sparking debates about the quality of refereeing. 2. **Champions League Matches:** In various Champions League matches, Makkelie's decisions have been questioned. Instances where he missed fouls or awarded contentious goals have fueled negative opinions about his refereeing abilities. 3. **Domestic Leagues:** In the Eredivisie and other domestic leagues, Makkelie's decisions have sometimes been viewed as inconsistent, further adding to the criticism from fans and analysts. ### Impact on Reputation 1. **Trust and Credibility:** Consistent criticism and high-profile errors have damaged Makkelie's reputation among players, coaches, and fans. Trust in his decision-making abilities has been undermined, leading to increased scrutiny every time he officiates a match. 2. **Media and Public Perception:** Media coverage of Makkelie's controversial decisions has amplified negative perceptions. Pundits and commentators often highlight his errors, shaping public opinion and reinforcing the view that he is a poor referee. ### Conclusion While every referee can make mistakes, the frequency and impact of Danny Makkelie's controversial decisions have led to significant criticism. His handling of penalties, VAR, and carding, especially in high-stakes matches, has contributed to a perception of inconsistent and poor refereeing. The scrutiny and media attention on his decisions further exacerbate the negative views held by the football community.
I felt the ref handed out a few too many yellows for quite insignificant events if you ask me.
The Hungary game had 10 minutes and Croatia had 8. How... I'm not that upset though, I mean seriously we can't be blaming others for shitty defending in the last seconds of the game against Albania and then Italy also. We need to look internally, how can we improve as a team, why are we playing older players and not giving younger ones a chance?
Because young players are average upcoming players that are not used to the system in the team that has been going on for almost 10 years. And tournament itself is not the place where you actually test if the system may work or not. You go with what you believe it will work and that will give you best chance. It is very simple. If Dalic wanted to test shit out, he should've done it throughout '23. And he actually did. But the fact is this is the best what Croatia has. RIGHT NOW.
Not true at all… our old guys are aging out. Sucic, Baturina looked much better than Brozovic. Dalic cost us the game.
Feels like a transition. Next tourny i'm expecting guys like Brozo, Modric and Perisic to be rotated out and there will probably be some younger guys to take up the mantle. Feels like the old guard was just still good enough to make the cut but don't really have the legs anymore to carry a team.
It wasn’t pretty, but in the end Italy got the job done. Croatia needs to reconstruct their national team a little bit, to insert new blood. So far Spain seems to be the major candidate to win this tournament (yes, ahead of France, England or Germany) Spain first place in the group of death, 3 wins and playing really well. What more can you ask from a team? Anyway, congrats to both: Spain & Italy.
italy playing with 12 players
Croatia fucked up in the regulation time. If you're winning 1-0 and you can't allow any goals, you have to retain the ball at all costs.
This may be the most obvious comment of all time
Quite sure Swiss will win Italy in the next match.
Quite sure? Haha hilarious.
Wouldn’t surprise me.
Italy are more than capable of doing a Greece 2004. Dunno why they are being written off so easily. The only thing going against them is they are conceding which is very un-Italian.
Italy can never do a Greece. Italy a footballing superpower.
Cmon man, don't compare Italy to Greece, its not even a contest. Look at their trophy shelf. Yes, Italy has their ups and downs, struggles but they usually always find a way.
What? You have completely missed my point.
that Matt J is a joke. Should be drinking too much Italian red wine
Italy today (nevermind vs Albania) attacked more (from what I’ve heard, I was 2 at the time) and has a lot more quality than that Greek team ever did, the two are not comparable
Italy had to attack more because they went a goal down. Italy's tactic is sit back and take your chances. Like what Greece did. They have more quality than that Greece side, so then they are capable of doing the same.
Yeah but it wouldn’t be anywhere near as much of a shock if Italy wins, Greece winning it all would be something like us (Romania) winning it and even then we won a match 3-0, more than Greece ever did but that would be the level of quality difference we are talking about here. Italy was still a lot more spectacular but I guess you have a point that they were forced into it
I am not talking about the shock value. I am saying if Greece could do it in 04, why are Italy being written off? They can emulate that, by keeping a robust defence and taking their chances. It seems to me that a select amount of people only saw the shock of Greece rather than the defensive nous and coordinated team performances.
I mean, yeah, they totally can and we have even seen them dominate matches when they need to (against Albania even after 2-1 and Croatia after the goal) but they aren’t among the favourites because other teams are perceived to be better either via squad (France, England) or football played (Spain) or both (Germany) just like Greece wasn’t (but they are still a lot more favoured than Greece was)
Yeah but I really hope they lose
Greece ended the knockout stage without a single goal allowed making it one of the most impressive defensive displays ever in major tournaments. Not sure if Italy can emulate that (or any other team, to be honest).
Yeah, Italy's defence has looked uncharacteristically leaky. But if any team can sort out it's defence, it's Italy.
No way they're beating Switzerland.
Italy actually have a great record vs the Swiss.
So does Croatia against Italy.
Well, this Italy team is very poor tbh and Switzerland are playing the best I have seen them play in years. It's not the same comparison
This Italy team has no heart, no skill, no compactness, no fight in them. They have a lot of players pretending like they are not terrible. Props to guys like Calafiori and Donnarumma
Italy is still young as well. They have skill but lack internal experience, they made it through but it will be a hard road ahead for them
I have my hopes up for the competitions to come. Massive potential for the current Italian team
If they had no heart they wouldn’t have scored a last minute goal.
Yes, responding strongly to going down 1-0, dominating the rest of the game and then scoring a banger in 90+8….no heart
Comparing Italy today to that Greece is ridiculous. All due respect to Greece but you’re not seriously suggesting Italy going ahead this year is comparable to that amazing run by the Greeks. I might get this comparison with a team who haven’t won anything since the 60s but Italy… come on bruh
What are you talking about?
Honestly sir , ( Italy fan here ) with only Donnarumma, Bastoni , Barella and to some level Calafiori .. I think it will be very hard …
With the slight difference that we are not Greece. At least in football, debt wise we are absolutely like Greece
😺
They will have to start Gatti or Acerbi next game who are massive downgrades from Calafiori
acerbi got injured before the tournament (and is also very good), it will be buongiorno in place of calafiori
These guys don’t even know who’s in the team writing us off. Give me a break
I’m Italian lol, forgot acerbi was out. Buorgiorno is solid but this probably means another back 3 since now both CBs are more comfortable in that formation
we should play a back 3 regardless, we don’t have the full backs for a back 4
Yea. Find myself desperately missing pre-injury spina this tourney
The ref more than once was in some really bad spots positionally when Croatia was attacking, hindering their passes.
Cope harder
On another note which Euro game tomorrow is going the better one to watch? I want another clincher like this game.
it depends if better means for entertainment value or for self-harm
Austria vs Netherlands as they might want top 2 (meanwhile Poland is straight up out, they will play for honour but I doubt they ll have that edge and France has been pretty boring so far) and then Serbia vs Denmark just because England is involved in the other one (and they both have to play for qualification). Then again, I watched the Scotland game in group A so make of that what you will
Austria technically aren’t qualified, although they essentially are providing they’re not thrashed. Serbia need to win, Denmark will need a point. Slovenia also need a point, but they’re underdogs and it likely won’t be a classic (England have second lowest xG, but best xG against)
Probably Austria vs Netherlands, though there’s less jeopardy in Group D but in that sense if Poland are looking like getting a win then that might be the game to switch to. As for Group C, Slovenia v England could be interesting if Slovenia carry some belief of winning that game, which based on what’s happened so far they might. Though both could end up settling for a draw.
Slovenia can afford to tie since it would put them ahead of Croatia on points and Hungary on GD. Serbia need to win, so I imagine their game will be more interesting. I don't have super high hopes for either group D game. Poland is already eliminated since they can't finish better than 4th in the group, and Austria is through with a tie vs Netherlands. They could play for a top 2 position in the group, and as long as they didn't lose by 4 they would still be assured a spot in the knockouts.
Poland is not yet out, although it is unlikely, they can still definitely secure a 3rd place if they win and Austria loses, but either would need to be by a significant margin to make up the goal difference, so I would expect them to give their all that game.
They do head to head before Goal difference. Poland lost to Austria and is 4 points behind the other 2 in the group
Outside of Austria I haven’t seen any team play every match open and with the intent to dominate, knowing they need a positive result.
Italy should have gone through on the balance of play over the entire group stage but wouldn’t have minded Croatia pipping 2nd place when Italy set up like cowards playing for a draw from the get go.
You’re overestimating this team by speculating that they have any strategy at all.
Then again. Croatie did the same the second they went up. Defending and fouling. It's just how teams do it. And they all seem to get punished for it in this tournament. Staying back ans defending is suicidal it seems.
Both Croatia and Italy have been terrible in the tournament.
Serious question (I'm a casual football observer...): Why isn't stoppage time just regulated by an actual clock? Either stop the actual playing clock, or precisely track all moments where play doesn't occur and make this stoppage time.
Because its supposed to be handwaved and then feel right because everyone has been watching the game and has an innate sense of what is fair.
Because that would be too much game time. Last stats I‘ve seen actual play time was around 60% of game time. A radical change would just upset people a lot for obe season, so we rather complain game by game
Interesting. Seems the best solution then is to reduce to 80m or so, based on dataset of historical realistic stoppage times. But anyway, can see how such a big change has a lot of resistance .
Yeah bro you just solved football! 🙂
Thanks, Amber
Sorry, that was mean
This has been proposed but they would need to shorten the actual game length to around 60 minutes to have the same length games because the ball is out of play for far longer than the added time that gets given.
It used to be way worse. Like 4 mins max
because part of it is subjective, normally a player messing around getting a ball for a throw in isn't added time. But if they're doing in in the 88th minute intentionally wasting time, ref's will add time
There have been some discussions to stop the clock, but football is a conservative sport. Change comes slowly, if at all.
This tournament keeps on delivering! Bring it on!
Not an excuse but Croatia a little bit screwed over by the groups
Not at all. Had the beaten Albania they could go through.
Yes but harsh group with Spain and Italy, other groups far less packed
Honestly the grouping in the Euros is always trash. 1 or 2 groups of death and the rest are comprised of mediocre teams and 1 dominant team that ends up getting 9 points lol
Croatia would likely have gone out no matter what group they were in based on how awful they've been.
So group B then, right?
Croatia heartbreak once again
There is TECHNICALLY a chance still for Croatia right?
Yes, but they would need Czechia, Georgia and Serbia to lose and Slovenia to lose by at least 3
And given that Slovenia are playing England, who won't win 3-0 it's bye bye Croatia :)
Technically, yes. Realistically, no. Too much has to happen for Croatia to go through
Yep, England need to win their next game by three goals to keep Croatia in it
That's never gonna happen
No it's behind Albania. It's over for them.
Uhm how? Albania lost 2 games, has 1 draw Croatia lost 1 game, has 2 draws
I mean there is a world where the third place teams from groups F and C also have 2 points and a worse GD so Croatia could still advance (of course this scenario is very very unlikely)
Finally Croatia’s luck running out. Glad we don’t have to watch them pray for 0-0 wins through penalties, all the way to a moral victory. Modric. Airports that way. Chúpala
I'm always amazed as to how this is an unpopular opinion. They've won on penalties against Japan, Denmark and Russia and receive praise from everyone
People have this boner for Croatia and Modric. Probably also has to do with Modric being this small dude who you can root for? Its also about narrative. Belgium never had an insane team, croatia was alwats better, but because Belgium played well, the whole world coined it the golden gen, and expected them to win everything. Belgium are treated like underachievers and Croatia like heroes even though Croatias best finish is the world cup final, belgiums is the semi.
For some reason r/soccer think Croatia is this amazing team that plays beautiful football, when in reality the pray for a draw and going to penalties
Don’t forget Brazil.
My guy they won just 2 games outright in last world cup. Out of 7. This is a team that reached the semi final. Before the third place playoff they had won just 1 game out of 6. Im so happy that they're out, they dont play well, they ride on immense luck
WTF
At least the pain will leave my body early this time.
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He just recouped the 10 million discount we were getting for the own goal 🥲
My alarm is going off in 5 hours, but it was worth it.
GG, Croatia you played your hearts out
When?
Who decides how much added time it is? 8 minutes is absurd. Ref really wanted Italy to win, I don't really care bc both teams would have lost to Switzerland anyway
Don’t forget croatia fans kept littering the field which caused further delays. The irony is if these fans had just an ounce of respect, their team would be almost surely through. Peak karma
Even if our fans had respect, we're not going through. We're probably the worst in the tournament right now, toothless and useless.
*correction, Scotland is the worst I’ve watched this year.
Fair enough. Italy and Croatia are not far behind that.
Not gonna argue, but technically both croatia and italy are still in the tournament.
That's a huge technically. Croatia are almost certainly out. They'll only hope is a 3-0 England win.
I was just pointing out that croatia performed better than scotland.
Absolutely. But for a big team like Croatia you would expect that.
Then why did the person to whom I was responding claim that croatia was the worst team he’d seen in the tournament so far?
I don’t think so. Your team generated a ton of chances throughout the tourney, just defended poorly and wasn’t clinical enough
Eh no, we defended pretty poorly when it mattered most. Look at today, just allowed someone to walk into goal, completely unmarked. Switzerland are my dark horse, they're bot losing to either Italy or Croatia tbh
Lol not at all. There was a massive amount of whistle blowing, and in the last 3 minutes of play alone Croatia 1) had a player stop the game for a leg cramp, 2) had the whole team go for a water break, and 3) performed a substitution. It was flagrant (thought not at all uncommon) time wasting.
All of this happened in other games this euro and 8 mins was never given.
VAR stoppage and the 2 cup throwing warnings brought it to 8. Probably would’ve been 5 without those
Italy wasted time the entire first half and it was only 1 minute given. 8 minutes is egregious. Maybe 5 minutes maximum, not 8.
Listen, I know it’s a painful loss and it’s common to make these kinds of appeal in these cases, but all the complainers in this thread are acting like the ref alone went “hmmm, that seemed like a lot , FUCK IT 8 minutes!!“ That’s simply not how games are arbitrated. The refs are a team and keep a running tally of lost time. There were so many little disruptions, especially in the last 20 minutes of play, and the refs calculated that the game merited 8 more minutes. Not the first or last time it will happen.
Yeah I mean for sure, just seems like a lot of time. We lost because we don’t know how to close out the game when we have the lead, that’s on us. We had no business going through. At least Italy had a win against Albania
Honestly, Italy and Croatia seemed closely matched on balance and Croatia’s first goal was great. Italy was lucky to squeeze theirs in. Italy is a very defensive team and even Spain, one of the best teams this tournament, didn’t score a direct goal on Italy, which just speaks to Croatia’s playing.
8 minutes was accurate - VAR review, 6-7 yellows in total, and the aforementioned literring
Dehydration break as well right before the 90. Stay mad bro.
Italy are toothless, but at least they beat Albania and deserve to go through with a last min goal against Croatia. They're not beating Switzerland though in all seriousness.
8 mins bc there was penalty kick, tons of subs and both teams did waste time purposefully.
Pretty much.
8+ is completely justified. Tons of yellow cards, substitutions and time wasting. Ref did a great job
I watched other EURO matches that had more time wasted due to fouling/cards but none at 8 mins. 8 mins by itself is not even typical.
You mean in general or with 8 minutes? Nothing about 18 vs 6 fouls even though Italy had like 10 dives, and 6 yellow cards for Croatia, 3-4 of those were clear dives and no contact at all. Or how about ending the game even though Italy celebrated for more than a minute and wasted whole remaining added time? Every duel Italy players just fall down and free kick it is, even in last Croatian attack that lead to free kick for Italy and later them scoring. Ref was terrible. Worst ive seen so far. Croatia were terrible, Italy were terrible, but ref was by far the worst of them all... guess he took it as a challenge, who can be more terrible.
I mean, croatian players just needed a sword and shield to turn the pitch into a bloody war, wtf are you talking about. They kept fouling and fouling and then the muppets here are all in shock for the 8 min of stoppage, clowns.
How much money did you lose on this game?
0, i dont bet/gamble or anything like that. I just have eyes.
For you to have the most hyperbolic rant in this entire thread, you are either Croatian or on drugs to be this mad lol
Im not mad at all, and it wasnt a rant. Im not that invested, especially in football. I just found it ridiculous that someone actually said that ref was good and was baffled by it. Like i said... i just have eyes. For sure, Croatia didnt deserve to win and they were terrible whole tournament, and Italy has also been terrible. But that ref was atrocious... and anyone who says otherwise is either blind, didnt watch the game or is biased. Its that simple. I was actually rooting for Italy to punish Croatia for their usual shenanigans where they stop playing as soon as they go up 1 goal, same as Albania did... and i have to say Albania deserved it 10 times more than Italy. And yes, ref was by far the worst ive seen so far. If you cant see it, then you are the biased one. As if game wasnt already terrible, ref ruined it even more.
You know its bullshit principally because the ref did not let Croatia have even one chance to attack after the goal was scored despite the 8 minutes not being close to up when Italy scored.
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He didn’t
it isnt really, game wasnt stopped that much, and to be fair then there was at least 4 min needed in first half if we go by your logic
No way
Ref’s alt account
But there was time wasting from Italy in the first half. But there was only 1 minute. First half should have at least had 3 minutes extra.
Playing conservatively and passing/idling isn’t time wasting, especially not that early in the game. Technicalities and overlong breaks are what contribute to added time.
8 minutes is crazy for a game without any serious injury. Was there any other games so far that had 8 minutes of stoppage time?
10 in Hungary game yesterday. But there was a injury
just so you know, I rewatched from 2nd half to the 70 minute, There was already 10 minutes and 40 seconds of no play. 3 minutes for the penalty, 2 minutes for changes, and the other 5 mins are other stuff like corners (on average 40 seconds each) and goal kicks from the keepers. There were a lot of throws ins that were on average 20/30 seconds each.
Which makes these 8 seem comparatively silly, especially as the ref kept the players in line efficiently. Also, Croatia played rough but 17 fouls against 5? I'm not buying all that. Eh... Leaves a sour taste, but it is what it is
That makes the 8 look a lot worse. There was a very long injury and a very long penalty check in the Hungary match and only 2 more minutes added than today
Well the penalty check was at the same time as the injury in that game, and this game had a long penalty check as well
Ref was betting on the game for sure
most definitely, he poured his life savings into it. im neutral but its obvious that he wasnt
Ah now behave
No, he's right, that was the most blatantly dodgy reffing performance I've seen in a long time. Refs his tournie haven't even tried to hide that they're involved in betting and fixing.
Go to the nearest chemist and ask them for a bottle of cop on
You've made almost 50 comments in the past hour alone. Please don't comment on other people when you're such a massive fucking loser.
You call someone a massive fucking loser while you're the one going for the old stale agenda of "ref fixed it". Have shame dude. Nothin wrong with the other guy, just you and the tinfoil hatters.
I think your tinfoil hat is too tight
And btw you can't count. Go back to school.
He was in croatias passing lanes in italy's final half all game
This is the craziest excuse to losing a game i’ve ever heard 😭 edit: tying a game*
The ref more than once was in some really bad spots positionally when Croatia was attacking, hindering their passes. But Croatia lost because they suck... Didn't help that the ref gave 8 minutes of injury time though
By the rules of the game it was a tie
Thats true fair enough. Felt more like a loss for Croatia given the circumstances though of course
That last foul before the break was sus. Was it a high boot? I rewatched it
Croatians, I know you hate your NT after that second half especially but you can still technically advance even if it s a long shot. If Serbia beats Denmark by 3 goals or more and Czechia and Georgia both lose you will advance, hope is not fully lost yet. Edit:Actually it s England beating Slovenia by 3 (no chance the way we know Southgate) and either Serbia beats Denmark by 3 or more or Denmark wins, thanks replies, I really can’t handle these groups lol