| GREECE |  | 1 | : | 2 |  |
CZECH
REPUBLIC |
| Gekas 53' | Jiracek 3' Pilar 6' |
My match rating: ★★
No doubt: Greece is back as usual, but nobody's rejoicing. This is no different than 2004, when they won the Euro with a string of unnerving play-killing matches, including a shocking final against a widely superior Portugal. No doubt there was talent and strength of character, but the Greeks often rely on another weapon: patience.
But today all of that was not enough against the Czech, who dominated the first half and only came away with two goals in the first six minutes, while they could have had at least three or four. And it wasn't until Cech decided to unlearn the art of goalkeeping (an alarming new hobby of his, it does appear...) that Greece was let back in at all. In the last few minutes they even created a couple of dangerous chances to equalize. The Czech conceded far too much to a far inferior team. They should have crushed them and reduce their goal deficit, and instead they even allowed them the luxury of a final siege in stoppage time.
Be that as it may, the Czech Republic bagged a win that it had no excuse not to, thus catapulting themselves to the top half of the standings. Russia's half-demise later in the evening, then, would definitely help their cause...
My man of the match: Plasil (C)
UEFA report ---|||--- Player ratings ---|||--- Photos ---|||--- Highlights
UEFA report ---|||--- Player ratings ---|||--- Photos ---|||--- Highlights
But today all of that was not enough against the Czech, who dominated the first half and only came away with two goals in the first six minutes, while they could have had at least three or four. And it wasn't until Cech decided to unlearn the art of goalkeeping (an alarming new hobby of his, it does appear...) that Greece was let back in at all. In the last few minutes they even created a couple of dangerous chances to equalize. The Czech conceded far too much to a far inferior team. They should have crushed them and reduce their goal deficit, and instead they even allowed them the luxury of a final siege in stoppage time.
Be that as it may, the Czech Republic bagged a win that it had no excuse not to, thus catapulting themselves to the top half of the standings. Russia's half-demise later in the evening, then, would definitely help their cause...
| POLAND |  | 1 | : | 1 |  | RUSSIA |
| Blaszczykowski 57' | Dzagoev 37' |
My match rating: ★★
No match between two good teams is ever boring, and this was no exception. While it didn't give the thrills of the other match's first ten minutes, and surely not of last night's Kiev classic, it was still a hard-fought battle between two teams with a lot at stake.
Poland needed to erase a less-than-ideal start from last Saturday. Russia, with a win, could already clinch the pass and the group's top spot, which would guarantee it a weaker opponent in the quarterfinals. Neither succeeded, though surely not for lack of trying. Both teams squared off openly, created a lot, and wasted a lot, too.
Russia now stands at the top of the Group A table, so close and yet so far. Poland, instead, is overtaken by the Czechs and falls into third. Now the Poles must win, and they need to do so against a fired-up Czech team that is finally finding its footing.
On a folklore note, Russia and Poland have a history that goes a while back, at least to the Middle Ages, and more importantly in the post-war/cold war period. It was feared that fans would take it out on one another and so would players, but thankfully there were no accidents on or off the pitch, save for some minor skirmishes among midfielders halfway through the second half.
So far so good in a racially and politically charged Euro where the shit is going to hit the fan at some point......
GROUP D STANDINGS
My man of the match: Arshavin (R)
UEFA report ---|||--- Player ratings ---|||--- Photos ---|||--- Highlights
UEFA report ---|||--- Player ratings ---|||--- Photos ---|||--- Highlights
Poland needed to erase a less-than-ideal start from last Saturday. Russia, with a win, could already clinch the pass and the group's top spot, which would guarantee it a weaker opponent in the quarterfinals. Neither succeeded, though surely not for lack of trying. Both teams squared off openly, created a lot, and wasted a lot, too.
Russia now stands at the top of the Group A table, so close and yet so far. Poland, instead, is overtaken by the Czechs and falls into third. Now the Poles must win, and they need to do so against a fired-up Czech team that is finally finding its footing.
On a folklore note, Russia and Poland have a history that goes a while back, at least to the Middle Ages, and more importantly in the post-war/cold war period. It was feared that fans would take it out on one another and so would players, but thankfully there were no accidents on or off the pitch, save for some minor skirmishes among midfielders halfway through the second half.
So far so good in a racially and politically charged Euro where the shit is going to hit the fan at some point......
GROUP D STANDINGS
| team | points | wins | ties | losses | goals+ | goals- |
| RUSSIA |
4
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
| CZECH REP. |
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
| POLAND |
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
| GREECE |
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
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