Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Euro 04 update 1
Before the start of Euro 04 I went down to the legalized gambling hole three stores down from my horrible hotel/apartment complex to get in the competitive spirit. I placed some futures bets on group winners and qualifiers, and took the Czech Republic to win it all at 10-1 odds. I also made some bets on the first day’s games: host Portugal against Greece and Spain versus the Russkies. I placed my tickets through the machine. The total came out 20 dollars higher than expected. Evidently I had placed a 30 dollar bet on Portugal rather than the 10 dollar one I thought I was making. No worries though. Portugal had to beat Greece right?
So I walk into the seedy Agincourt Hotel at 230 AM and join my fellow lowlifes to watch the game. I am delighted to see that Portugal is controlling possession, holding the ball entirely in Greece’s half. Then they flash the score Greece 1-0. There goes my final score bet (Portugal 2-0) out the window. Fantastic.
Soccer is like hockey, in that a team can play a defensive game, allowing the other team to control possession without creating good scoring chances, waiting to capitalize on mistakes for a quick goal. The Greeks are doing their best New Jersey Devils impression, defending, getting in the way, playing ugly but effective soccer. They are coached by a German, what’d you expect? At the beginning of the second half, Portugal’s coach Scolari decides his team might have a better chance if he puts his best players on the field. He brings in Deco, the midfield whiz for Champions League Porto to provide some creativity. Unfortunately he also brings in Cristiano Ronaldo, the 19 year-old Manchester United prodigy. CR’s first move is to commit a foul in the box against a Greek counter-attack. 2-0 Greece. He then spends the rest of the game beating the Greek midfield down the left side of the field with fancy dribbling, and then crossing the ball directly out-of-bounds. A meaningless goal in injury time means 2-1 Greece and good bye money. Spain does beat Russia in the late game to stem some losses. Earnings: -41 dollars.
Undaunted, I return to the TAB to place money on Switzerland-Croatia and England-France. I watch both games on replay. Switzerland-Croatia is a boring affair that ends in a 0-0 draw. Croatia misses a few point-blank headers that would have won me 20 bucks. Instead, its another loss. Going into England-France, I have won nothing, need something, and have picked a draw, with a 5 dollar side bet on Chelsea’s Frank Lampard to score the first goal at 17-1. Lampard finished the Premier League on fire. Can it carry over?
Yes it can. Lampard gives the Poms a 1-0 lead over the Frogs by putting a brilliant Becks cross in the back of the net. Overjoyed, I decide to give up the draw and just root for England. And they are playing well. Their d holds tight, shutting down Henry and Trezeguet. A counterattack by 18-year old Wayne Rooney draws a penalty kick. Becks steps up to take it, but balding bastard Barthez saves! Not a terrible kick by Beckam, on net at least, just a great save by the Frenchie. Still with 20 minutes to go England is looking good…until Emile Heskey gets substituted in for defensive purposes. I am sensing doom; this would be like putting Manny Ramirez at shortstop. I just know Heskey is going to blow it somehow. In injury time, fate strikes, as Heskey commits a foul 19 yards out, right in front of the goal. Zidane puts away the glorified Penalty Kick. 1-1.
Tough game for the Brits, but at least they got a point out of it. But wait, Fate is not done with them. Midfielder Steven Gerrard in a time-killing move attempts a backpass to the keeper. A lame play but safe play, except he forgets to kick the ball hard enough. The ball rolls limply to a stop at the 18 yard box where Henry runs onto it. British goalkeeper David James is forced to take him out in the box. Penalty. Zidane again. Game 2-1 France.
Just brutal for the Brits, one of the worst losses I have seen in my days as a sports fan. Becks is taking the lion’s share of the blame from the British press for the missed PK, which he doesn’t deserve since it was Gerrard’s bonehead play that cost them. Becks was also the best player on the field for England and responsible for their first goal, but if you’re the man like he is, you’re going to take the heat when the team falls. Still England can easily qualify if they can handle Croatia and Switzerland, two inferior sides. I see the French losing to the Croats to make it hard on the Brits though. Never trust the French. I will be rooting for England all the way: they are too similar to the Red Sox. They always blow it in big competitions, they have a rabid fanbase that obsesses over every mishap and creates enough bad karma to cause the team to lose. Just my kind of side.
Due to schoolwork and my own wussiness I missed the opening Group C and D games. Sweden crushed Bulgaria and Denmark and Italy drew. I had tabbed Sweden and Denmark, so came out even. Group D saw the Czechs beat Latvia 2-1 and Holland and Germany draw. I won a parlay on Germany and the Czechs, but lost on the Germans winning outright. Lampard’s goal makes me up for the tourney so far. All in all, an average opening set of games with one spectacular classic. Will be interesting to see if Portugal and England can rebound, I think England can, but Portugal could be in deep trouble. They have to beat Russia tonight, which they should. Another report coming after the second leg.
So I walk into the seedy Agincourt Hotel at 230 AM and join my fellow lowlifes to watch the game. I am delighted to see that Portugal is controlling possession, holding the ball entirely in Greece’s half. Then they flash the score Greece 1-0. There goes my final score bet (Portugal 2-0) out the window. Fantastic.
Soccer is like hockey, in that a team can play a defensive game, allowing the other team to control possession without creating good scoring chances, waiting to capitalize on mistakes for a quick goal. The Greeks are doing their best New Jersey Devils impression, defending, getting in the way, playing ugly but effective soccer. They are coached by a German, what’d you expect? At the beginning of the second half, Portugal’s coach Scolari decides his team might have a better chance if he puts his best players on the field. He brings in Deco, the midfield whiz for Champions League Porto to provide some creativity. Unfortunately he also brings in Cristiano Ronaldo, the 19 year-old Manchester United prodigy. CR’s first move is to commit a foul in the box against a Greek counter-attack. 2-0 Greece. He then spends the rest of the game beating the Greek midfield down the left side of the field with fancy dribbling, and then crossing the ball directly out-of-bounds. A meaningless goal in injury time means 2-1 Greece and good bye money. Spain does beat Russia in the late game to stem some losses. Earnings: -41 dollars.
Undaunted, I return to the TAB to place money on Switzerland-Croatia and England-France. I watch both games on replay. Switzerland-Croatia is a boring affair that ends in a 0-0 draw. Croatia misses a few point-blank headers that would have won me 20 bucks. Instead, its another loss. Going into England-France, I have won nothing, need something, and have picked a draw, with a 5 dollar side bet on Chelsea’s Frank Lampard to score the first goal at 17-1. Lampard finished the Premier League on fire. Can it carry over?
Yes it can. Lampard gives the Poms a 1-0 lead over the Frogs by putting a brilliant Becks cross in the back of the net. Overjoyed, I decide to give up the draw and just root for England. And they are playing well. Their d holds tight, shutting down Henry and Trezeguet. A counterattack by 18-year old Wayne Rooney draws a penalty kick. Becks steps up to take it, but balding bastard Barthez saves! Not a terrible kick by Beckam, on net at least, just a great save by the Frenchie. Still with 20 minutes to go England is looking good…until Emile Heskey gets substituted in for defensive purposes. I am sensing doom; this would be like putting Manny Ramirez at shortstop. I just know Heskey is going to blow it somehow. In injury time, fate strikes, as Heskey commits a foul 19 yards out, right in front of the goal. Zidane puts away the glorified Penalty Kick. 1-1.
Tough game for the Brits, but at least they got a point out of it. But wait, Fate is not done with them. Midfielder Steven Gerrard in a time-killing move attempts a backpass to the keeper. A lame play but safe play, except he forgets to kick the ball hard enough. The ball rolls limply to a stop at the 18 yard box where Henry runs onto it. British goalkeeper David James is forced to take him out in the box. Penalty. Zidane again. Game 2-1 France.
Just brutal for the Brits, one of the worst losses I have seen in my days as a sports fan. Becks is taking the lion’s share of the blame from the British press for the missed PK, which he doesn’t deserve since it was Gerrard’s bonehead play that cost them. Becks was also the best player on the field for England and responsible for their first goal, but if you’re the man like he is, you’re going to take the heat when the team falls. Still England can easily qualify if they can handle Croatia and Switzerland, two inferior sides. I see the French losing to the Croats to make it hard on the Brits though. Never trust the French. I will be rooting for England all the way: they are too similar to the Red Sox. They always blow it in big competitions, they have a rabid fanbase that obsesses over every mishap and creates enough bad karma to cause the team to lose. Just my kind of side.
Due to schoolwork and my own wussiness I missed the opening Group C and D games. Sweden crushed Bulgaria and Denmark and Italy drew. I had tabbed Sweden and Denmark, so came out even. Group D saw the Czechs beat Latvia 2-1 and Holland and Germany draw. I won a parlay on Germany and the Czechs, but lost on the Germans winning outright. Lampard’s goal makes me up for the tourney so far. All in all, an average opening set of games with one spectacular classic. Will be interesting to see if Portugal and England can rebound, I think England can, but Portugal could be in deep trouble. They have to beat Russia tonight, which they should. Another report coming after the second leg.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 9:42 PM 
