Euro 2012 - Group Stages

[Simon's Church]

I'd guess it comes down to goals scored, so Portugal will go through.

[LUX]

if Denmark and Portugal win tonight they can both go through and elimin8 Germany (depends on head to head of course).

At gr8er risk is Spain, who have a tricky game v Croatia. Lose and they are definitely out (assuming Italy beat Ireland).

Both eventualities are longish shots, of course. I'll put a fiver on each with Paddy Power.

[Royal With Cheese]

This head to head rules stuff is messed up. If Poland had equalised, Russia would have finished ahead of Greece on the 'head to head' rule. Yet because of another result they finish behind on head to head. Thats a contradiction of the the rule "head to head". I understand how it all works in the end , but the rules are just plain wrong.

Head to head is fine in a 20 team league but when there's only 4 teams it's absolutely farcical.

[Man Friday]

This head to head rules stuff is messed up. If Poland had equalised, Russia would have finished ahead of Greece on the 'head to head' rule.

No they wouldn't. They would all have finished on 4 points and Greece would have finished up Russia on head to head.
But it is fukked up and ridiculous for a 4-team league I agree.

[Kitsondinho]

Possible group tables explained here.....our group seems the most complicated!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18454917

As for head to head....it is how it works in the CL, which UEFA MUST base every other competition they run on.......Surprised they haven't tried 2 group stages at the Euros yet...

[Man Friday]

I stand corrected.

I think.

[Man Friday]

...so head to head wouldn't have applied in that grpup as goal difference, then goals scored, are applied first. These would have resolved it thereby not not needing to use H2H.

[soggy biscuit]

England score a goal, camera cuts to Rooney. Final whistle goes, camera cuts to Rooney. Post match chat, all about the return of Rooney.

Can't help but feel it is all set up for him to go off injured or get a red card in comeback game

[TBM]

This head to head rules stuff is messed up. If Poland had equalised, Russia would have finished ahead of Greece on the 'head to head' rule.

No they wouldn't. They would all have finished on 4 points and Greece would have finished up Russia on head to head.
But it is fukked up and ridiculous for a 4-team league I agree.

No, as when it was 0-0 it was Russia 1st and Greece 2nd as Russia had the better GD of the 3 teams on 4pts

[SLAMMED]

I still don't understand why Russia finished below Greece despite having a better GD...

[TBM]

I still don't understand why Russia finished below Greece despite having a better GD...

cos the head to head between them two was 1-0 Greece

[Ian Royal]

Czechs beat Poland...Top group. Greece beat Russia 2nd in group.

Germany are going to absolutely arserape Greece, unless something crazy happens and they don't top their group.

Unless the Germans don't turn up, in the style of red-hot favourites Russia.

Russia weren't actually that good though. They were mediocre against the Poles with a lot of talent upfront but a Dutchesque ability to actually create and finish a decent chance. They may have absolutely torn the Czech's apart, but they went out because they weren't very good against two really mediocre nations.

And the chance of the German's not turning up is non-existent.

[Ian Royal]

It's really simple.

Points.
H2H - this only really works if two teams are on the same points, or possibly for more if one of the matches involved was a draw - I haven't bothered to think it through that far.
GD

Take group A. If Russia, Greece and Czech's all finish on the same points then on H2H:
Russia should be above the Czechs because they beat them and the Czechs should be above Greece because they beat them, but Greece in turn should be above Russia because they beat them. round and round in circles Ad infinitum.

As the Czechs had more points that left only Greece and Russia on the same points, so H2H gets you a result.

I'm not sure how much I like it, but it is fairly effective at stopping a team going through just because it slaughtered the group's whipping boys in the last game. I think it would be far more appropriate in the WC where there are really shit teams present. The Euros doesn't really need it because the standard is consitently fairly good.

[SLAMMED]

So head to head goes before goal difference. What a load of shit that is.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

This head to head rules stuff is messed up. If Poland had equalised, Russia would have finished ahead of Greece on the 'head to head' rule.

No they wouldn't. They would all have finished on 4 points and Greece would have finished up Russia on head to head.
But it is fukked up and ridiculous for a 4-team league I agree.

No, as when it was 0-0 it was Russia 1st and Greece 2nd as Russia had the better GD of the 3 teams on 4pts

not exactly. They would have the better record in a 3 team mini league between the 3 teams all on 4 points. not GD over all the games. Thats why a 2-2 draw between Spain Croatia would send them both through, even if Italy win 10-0.

[Ian Royal]

So head to head goes before goal difference. What a load of shit that is.

Yeah, I can't believe that hasn't been mentioned somewhere else on the last 4 or 5 pages.

[SLAMMED]

So head to head goes before goal difference. What a load of shit that is.

Yeah, I can't believe that hasn't been mentioned somewhere else on the last 4 or 5 pages.

I didn't fancy reading back that far. Sorry.

[Schards#2]

I can't fathom the negativity about England here. With a shedload of injuries, and a shambolic build up, they've managed to produce two performances that I felt happy about at the end of the game. A draw against a side that was far superior on paper, and a win against a side we never beat in competition football. There wasn't a single game in 2006 and 2010 where I felt happy about how we played so you have to go back 8 years and three managers to 2004.

Presumably, the moaners are living under the illusion that England have a team of world beaters capable of, not only winning against anyone, but winning in style. The fact is, we don't and, like Reading, have to play to the style that is most likely to get the result as we don't have the pure talent to just go and play. So far they have done well at it, got two good results and, even if they lose to Ukraine and go out, will have at least achieved something in this tournament.

Oh, and LOL @ Ian Royal and Avon Royal bleating like small children throughout the 15 minutes that we have performed badly so far. Are they like this on the match threads from Reading games when were losing?

[Franchise FC]

I can't fathom the negativity about England here. With a shedload of injuries, and a shambolic build up, they've managed to produce two performances that I felt happy about at the end of the game. A draw against a side that was far superior on paper, and a win against a side we never beat in competition football. There wasn't a single game in 2006 and 2010 where I felt happy about how we played so you have to go back 8 years and three managers to 2004.

Presumably, the moaners are living under the illusion that England have a team of world beaters capable of, not only winning against anyone, but winning in style. The fact is, we don't and, like Reading, have to play to the style that is most likely to get the result as we don't have the pure talent to just go and play. So far they have done well at it, got two good results and, even if they lose to Ukraine and go out, will have at least achieved something in this tournament.

Oh, and LOL @ Ian Royal and Avon Royal bleating like small children throughout the 15 minutes that we have performed badly so far. Are they like this on the match threads from Reading games when were losing?

I seem to have entered the Twilight Zone - I actually agree with Schards

[Ian Royal]

I can't fathom the negativity about England here. With a shedload of injuries, and a shambolic build up, they've managed to produce two performances that I felt happy about at the end of the game. A draw against a side that was far superior on paper, and a win against a side we never beat in competition football. There wasn't a single game in 2006 and 2010 where I felt happy about how we played so you have to go back 8 years and three managers to 2004.

Presumably, the moaners are living under the illusion that England have a team of world beaters capable of, not only winning against anyone, but winning in style. The fact is, we don't and, like Reading, have to play to the style that is most likely to get the result as we don't have the pure talent to just go and play. So far they have done well at it, got two good results and, even if they lose to Ukraine and go out, will have at least achieved something in this tournament.

Oh, and LOL @ Ian Royal and Avon Royal bleating like small children throughout the 15 minutes that we have performed badly so far. Are they like this on the match threads from Reading games when were losing?

I'm very happy with the results. I'm also happy with how we played in large parts of both games. I can't understand how you can be happy with two performances that included absolutely shambolic moments of completely self-inflicted suicidal play.

I appreciate the irony of you finding me bleating about a small period of poor performance in a game hilarious when you've bleated endlessly for no reason when Reading were doing fine.