You need to be logged in to your Sky Poker account above to post discussions and comments.
You might need to refresh your page afterwards.
You need to be logged in to your Sky Poker account above to post discussions and comments.
You might need to refresh your page afterwards.
Comments
i don't write the reports until after all of the day's play and after I bust my nightly MTTs. Yesterday's should have been up earlier but I had to tape the Irish game as the GF decided the last ever episode of Desperate Housewives was more important.
#whipped
I'll try to get them up as soon as I can, they normally take about 15-20 minutes to write, edit and post. But if I somehow manage to get a deep run in the MTTs they will be late. However after my performance yesterday I wouldn't be too worried about that.
Day 4. The place? The Ukraine. The reason? To chase some leather around a field with other sweaty men. And so we turn to the final group in the European Championships. Group D.
First up it was England versus France. England came in with an unprecedented lack of expectation, I doubt it'll last. France themselves are on the comeback from a change of generation, the old generation famous for implosion, the new generation looking fresh, exciting but undoubtedly expected to implode at some point.
With the camera firmly fixed upon a man who cannot line up for two games, the match began. France started the stronger, Nasri the controlling force for the men in blue. They probed, they prodded without real bite in the early going. The one scare came when Hart let a catch slip through his fingers. The English nation held it's breathe, really not wanting another in the recent string of fatal keeper errors. The England took the game by the throat. Well, maybe not by the throat, but at the very least they tugged at the lapell. The new blood of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Young started to show some invention, Wellbeck seemed to slowly grow in stature as the caretaker Rooney and England forced the first real chance of the game. A zippy move played in Milner who rounded the Keeper and the goal was as unprotected as a buffet at a SPT. Sadly he could not gorge. But England were boosted and they went on to make the breakthrough. A poor challenge by Evra led to a Gerrard free kick from out wide. Now Stevie G as the nearly unintelligible Jamie Carragher calls him, is Captain for a reason. He knows that with the scores tight and the first decent freekick of the game, you should always aim for the biggest target you can. May I introduce the forehead of Joleon Lescott. The Liverpool man delivered perfectly for the former Everton defender to out-muscle Diara with ridiculous ease, leap like a salmon at the back post and put England ahead.
Sadly for England it was not to last. Not even to last long. Within ten minutes France were level. Ribery, a figure who drifted in and out of the entire game, was the lynchpin in a move that forced two thirds of the England team practically into the six yard box. The ball found it's way back to Nasri whose laser-like effort slipped past the England backline and into a disappointed Hart's near post side.
They second half was a much more cagey affair with France arguably the better side, but not by a long way. Gerrard and Parker cleaned up most of the midfield, yet in the sweltering heat both teams looked sapped of strength on the seventy minute mark. Much has been made of the refereeing with accusations of bias in favour of France. Not to dwell on these things but one thing that can be said was that Mr Rizzoli viewed an ill-timed challenge which caught man while honestly going for the ball as a bookable offence. He viewed a clip to end a move in the middle of the park but not risk any injury as just a foul. Not everyone's philosophy of how the game should be played or what is a worse challenge, but that was his outlook.
The game drifted into a stalemate that honestly I think both teams would have taken before the match started. They should have just done a deal at the coin flip and put Back To The Future on the screen for players and fans to enjoy instead.
And we finish the debut games with Co-Hosts Ukraine taking on Sweden. Both teams featured a talisman frontman captain. Both teams felt this was a game they had to win to qualify. Which doesn't explain why the first half was a messy affair. Neither team taking the bull by the horns, Ukraine looking nervous as one of the hosts. The best chance for either team fell to their talismans, or is that talismen? Doesn't matter, both Ibrahimovic and Shevchenko fluffed their lines and a more or less uneventful first half drew to a close. I can only assume in the break that both skippers retired to a room together and watched that Back To The Future DvD which should have been at the earlier game. Because both men found their touch in the second half.
First it was Ibrahimovic, displaying clever movement in the box to peel away from his marker and tap in from close range. Sweden were ahead, the crowd dismayed, the riot police on stand by, the Ukrainian escorts as interviewed by The Sun in the most ridiculous piece of sensationalism begun to ring the paper exclaiming their dismay at a potential loss of earnings that night. However their own legend was still on the pitch and despite feeling every ache and pain of a long career, he still had goals in them there boots. First it was a deft headed goal to level the score. The crowd erupted, the riot police let out a sigh of relief, the escorts got off the phone. Then a corner was swung in and the Swedish defender at the far post inexplicably decided to move away from said post, allowing enough of a gap for 'The Shevster' as Chelsea fans never called him to power another headed goal into the net and the Ukrainian fans into delirium.
The scorer of that brace left the field to a standing ovation, he will forever be their legend and deserved that moment. Ukraine held on to take te early lead in that group. Sweden hit a speedbump which may be too bumpy to climb over.
So that's every team seen and a tournament exceed expectations to this point. It might well be a good football summer after all.
England 1 - France 1
Lescott Nasri
Ukraine 2 - Sweden 1
Shevchenko(2) Ibrahimvic
For those of you who don't know I am a Moderator on the Sky Poker forum.
As a Mod I do not receive any extra Cash4Points, nor do I know of any other Mods who do.
Also I have not received a hoody for being a Mod. I did get a Sky Poker Hoody around the same time as I became a Mod but this was for winning the UKOPS Christmas main Event, I got a Hoody and a lovely bracelet for the win.
Also I have not received a special Mod Cap. Seriously, a cap? Do people honestly think us Mods put on a special cap before we delete a drunken Friday night thread?
I have not received any goodies, either financial or merchandise, for being a Mod. I Mod for free because I am trying to help the forum run smooth and be fun and informative for everyone Whether or not people think I am any good is up to you guys, but that's what I am trying to do.
When I agreed to become a Mod I always said I would be totally transparent when it comes to stuff like this. I didn't ask the Reg who started this rumour as I didn't want to put him in a awkward spot, but I would like to let the rumour starter know they can freely PM me, post here or ask me at a SPT. I don't bite. Unless you ask nicely.
Oh and everyone knows I knew where the boom switch was long before I became a Mod
May well be the case Giant, in which cit's a case of nh,wp. Just wanted to clear it up in case any other railers were watching and got the wrong end of the stick.
It's the second round of group matches as we return to Group A and stadiums in Poland. First up is surely a future rapper, Czech Rep, taking on Greece. Czech Rep were our first team facing elimination if they failed to gather any points on their second attempt. So they should be the nervous ones right? Nope, they came out of the traps all guns blazing. The Greek player's minds were still in the dressing room as they looked like a bunch of strangers in the early going. Shoddy in midfield, invisible in attack and Chuckle Brothers in defence, they were deservedly put to the Czech sword in the first ten minutes. Goal one saw Jiracek come in from the wing and not let the defensive pressure of ten square yards of freedom put him off from finishing coolly into the net. Goal two saw the rampaging full back Gebre Selassie (no, not that one) burst into the box and pull a ball back for Pilar to bundle in. Things got worse for the Greeks as they lost their goal keeper to injury. Either that or he was sent back to the dressing room to find the minds that the Greek team seemed to have lost.
They did calm things down and slowly get back into the game. First they had a goal harshly disallowed for offside. Next they got their lifeline. Cech came for a regulation catch and then decided to try to showboat with a quick Jazz Hands, the ball slipped through his clutches falling to Gekas who had the easiest of chances to get Greece on the board. However despite an energetic grandstand finish Greece could not get back on terms. The Czech Republic not only evaded elimination, they put themselves in a great position to advance. Greece while not out of it would now have to depend on the kindness of strangers to advance as well as beating arguably the strongest team in the group.
No jokes (funny or otherwise) for the second match. It's Poland v Russia, held on Russia's national day. This could not end well. Most European countries have been at war with most other European Countries at some point. History sees us as a warring continent. However not many countries have the deep ingrained history of violence and control as Russia and Poland. It starts in the Middle Ages, it didn't really end until 1991. For those with interest please have a gander at this.
Why am I being serious here? Well as you are probably aware there was an authorised march for Russia's National Day in Poland. This led to conflicts and running battles involving the holigan elements from each country and riot police. These are not fans, not even patriots. They are mainly thugs, but even a thug deserves life. I'm being somber because I'm quite sure when I wake tomorrow I will see a report involving a death. It's just the way the world is now, that is our shame.
The game itself was electric in atmosphere. The passion born of hate and pride was evident to every viewer. This game had the weight of history on it's shoulders. Hot potato stuff in the early going, it took a while to settle. And Russia settled first. They began to control the game and pressured the fine Polish team effort. A piece of quality caused the first mark on the scorecard. An unplayable freekick was swung in by Arshavin, helped on by Alan Dzagoev, and into the net. Poland, who were rattled in the first game when Greece pulled them back, showed much more maturity. Unphased, they simply stepped up their effort. They hit gold in the second half, and it was another moment of supreme quality. Blaszczykowski spun in from the right, shook off his marker and caught the sweetest of sweet spots on the ball with his left foot, a thunderous spherical missile flew into the net and a city erupted in fiery joy.
The final half hour moved from end to end at break neck speed, both teams getting chances, neither team taking them. So the game ended in a point a piece, let's hope that calms the crowds.
No team is out of it in Group A yet, and no team has qualified. It sets up an intriguing final couple of games in this group.
Czech Republic 2 - Greece 1
Jiracek Gekas
Pilar
Poland 1 - Russia 1
Blaszczykowski Dzagoev
Pretty much as I thought, just some people finding Twitter or blog traction. Both Levy and Redknapp are much more astute than to conduct matters in the way being suggested. I'm pretty confident Harry isn't going anywhere.
The agent thing? I don't know anything about the agent but I'm willing to take your word for that one. More and more everyone is out for money mate.
icnoships029£41.85 + 32 League Pointsoldgolf030£41.85 + 32 League PointsDaved3403124 League PointsWotAlias03224 League Points
You told me you bubbled? How can that be a bubble when you got 24 lovely league points?
I realise I'm shooting myself in the foot here as you'll be texting me to explain how the league points work next.........
I managed to wrap up my 10k points now which I'm very happy about bearing in mind I'll be offline for most of the rest of the month. Gotta keep that extra percentage running. Later this week I will be returning to the Stoneage for a while. Gutted it'll be a fair amount of time. Sky Broadband are blaming BT, BT are blaming Virgin, Virgin are just happy to have someone to talk to. At least it gives me some time to get back into my reading and sort the new gaff out.
As a result, tomorrow night's footy reports will be the last regular ones I can promise. Thank you all for reading them and the great feedback I've received. I'm going to try to get some up by other means but I can't promise to be able to, certainly not regularly.
If I don't speak to you lovely people tomorrow at the tables I will see some of you at Blackpool. I'm planning to ride the Big One with Greg on Sunday morning. After that we're going on the rollercoaster if anyone is interested in joining us.
Anyway, I'm still hopeful for Harry to stay.