Worst international tournament ever?

All discussion relating to international tournaments including qualifying groups/matches. Since 2006.

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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Puff Daddy »

Sloffy wrote:Back in the old days, it was exciting to watch a rare live game, on a grainy picture with crackling commentary, seeing mysterious players you'd never heard of, or only heard of but never seen - as a kid I was mesmerised by Mexico 86. Even the score on the screen flashed up with the country names in a foreign language - we were Angleterre or Anglia !! Each national team was made up of players from the own leagues, and everybody - yes everybody - was proud of their own nation and wanted them to do well.

Now, its like a Champions League group game. Boring. The players are all mates who play for elite clubs, theres no mystique, no excitement, just another game. No pride from the players, its not worth their while to play for England. No pride from the fans either. Over the years, Liverpool fans slagging off Rooney, Man U fans slagging off Gerrard etc etc. And in charge of it all, the biggest, fattest most corrupt organisation out there.

Its overkill and gone pop. Football has created its own monster. Its still trendy at the moment but it will all burst, mark my words.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Puff Daddy »

...and most English players were either called, Jimmy, Tommy, Johnny or Bobby
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Het-Field »

World Cup 2010 was the worst tournament of all time and will never be topped.. The enlarged format has been good and bad, but the good includes the increase in interest across Europe. World Cup 2010, poor quality games, low scoring, lop sided knock outs, cynical plays, half full stadiums, those horn things, and an absolutely atrocious final.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Iron-on-transfer »

Although it's not been absolutely top quality all of the time by any stretch, I've still enjoyed it...but having said that, I generally enjoy watching all the World Cups and Euros and have done for many years now. Tournament football with teams playing every day (at the start of it at least) is something I just enjoy getting into (admittedly not so enthralling for the missus though).

To put it in perspective, for Wales and people like TOMOS especially :wink: , quite rightly it'll be considered a memorable tournament...(and absolutely why shouldn't it be?!)...but in truth, the tournament format as a whole has felt a bit 'clunky' to me and I'm not convinced the expanded format has added any real excitement or quality if I'm honest. Portugal have somehow got to the semis this time around although they wouldn't have even got through their group stage under the old format! Will be interesting to see if they stick with the same format going forward in future Euros.

At least this time around, the usual early England exit debacle (which us fans come to accept as a given now btw - pundits and journos need to chuck those old rose-tinted glasses away) has been tempered for me by watching a top class West Ham player take the tournament by storm. If nothing else, one Dimi Payet has made this tournament special for me!! 8¬)
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by pablo jaye »

I have thoroughly enjoyed this tournament, and in general I find Euros a lot more entertaining than World Cups as there appears to be fewer one sided games where a minnow from one of the smaller confederations puts 11 behind the ball and hacks their way through the opposition .... just an opinion and no doubt someone will come up with stats to disprove it!!!

I have enjoyed the 3rd place format as it has given some of the smaller sides a shot at a knock-out match, where there is more chance of an upset ...no 'smaller' third placed sides got through the last 16 but the fans of these countries created a great atmosphere in these games (both Irish sides for example).

I have enjoyed a lot of the matches - yes there have been some wars of attrition which haven't been end to end attackfests, but even these have somehow slowly gripped me. I have particularly enjoyed watching Iceland, both Irish Sides, Wales, Croatia, France, Germany and Italy. The sense of team spirit in these sides has been great to see.

I have enjoyed the Belgium away kit, including the huge numbers on the shorts, and both Croatia kits that are always classy.

I have enjoyed the atmosphere of most sets of fans, who really get behind their sides. As an Englishman, I have even been quite envious of the sheer enjoyment that other fans have - the English fans just appear to be going through the mill, anticipating the next calamity rather than enjoying what they have shelled out large sums for.

In fact England have been the least enjoyable thing of this tournament - from the awful kit, the hooliganism, picking players because of who they play for rather than on form (step forward Jack Wilshire), the total disunity of the side, the abject failure of some very highly paid footballers not to be able to come up with any ideas against Slovakia and Iceland, the hype created by the FAs meeja types. However, looking positively at the future for England, hopefully this tournament is the postulating boil that will be lanced.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by rare as rockinghorse shat »

Yep. England aside, this tournament has been largely enjoyable for me.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by ooh look who it is »

t feels like the longest tournament ever for some reason.

It's had its moments but it is not one I will look back at too fondly a bit like the one in Africa.

USA 94 was a decent one. It is always one that springs to mind first when these sort of discussions come up. Same with Italia 90 and the whole caboodle surrounding that. Probably an age and era thing with that one though.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Jumby »

Anyone who thinks this is the worst international tournament ever has never watched an African Cup of Nations, the only thing that makes them watchable at times is just how stupid and bad some of the players are.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Denbighammer »

Het-Field wrote:World Cup 2010 was the worst tournament of all time and will never be topped.. The enlarged format has been good and bad, but the good includes the increase in interest across Europe. World Cup 2010, poor quality games, low scoring, lop sided knock outs, cynical plays, half full stadiums, those horn things, and an absolutely atrocious final.
I'd absolutely agree with this. In fact, I can't properly comment because for all I know Euro 2012 and World cup 2014 might have been worse but 2010 was so bad I gave up on International football completely barring the odd England game.

I've watched virtually every match of this tournament for the first time since World Cup 98' and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I think having four British Isles sides (and not the Scots :lol: ) involved has helped. My biggest enjoyment has, bizarrely, come from the refereeing which has usually been fairly sensible. Seeing honest, fair, robust tackles being allowed again and (most) games flowing fairly freely has been good to see.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by szola »

Jumby wrote:Anyone who thinks this is the worst international tournament ever has never watched an African Cup of Nations, the only thing that makes them watchable at times is just how stupid and bad some of the players are.
Or an U19 / U21 tournament, or the Womens World Cup, or the Asian Cup, or the Interactive Cup...
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Dyl »

2010 was basically unwatchable. The football was dire and the ****ing moronic locals and their vuvuzelas removed any potential enjoyment.

This tournament has been disappointing, but not on the scale of South Africa.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by bobbymooresbracelet »

Was nice to see England there for the comedy factor.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by bubbles1966 »

Tournaments have gotten worse since:

a) They increased the number of teams;
b) Since every game in the world seems to be on TV so there are fewer 'surprise' players;
c) Since Scotland failed to qualify. They were always good for a laugh, more so than England.

Less is more.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Mattias »

Dyl wrote:2010 was basically unwatchable. The football was dire and the ****ing moronic locals and their vuvuzelas removed any potential enjoyment.

.
Fully agree. never hated it more to watch football. I think Argentina´s fans were the only ones who stood at least a little against those vuvuzelas.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Viking_Hammer »

I don´t know if this fits into this thread here but this is what Iceland's co-coach wrote to the Guardian about what it meant to the Icelandic team to be part of this tournament:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... -euro-2016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by vietnammer »

In response to that (dunno if it ought to be on the Eng v Iceland match thread) it's heartening to see teams who made it further than expectations. On the other hand, I shied away from the predictable negative hyperbole about England (disgrace...not fit to wear the shirt...overpaid posers etc) cos I think the progress of Iceland and Wales were refreshing. Disappointed that England were so poor against Iceland but it's a competition and that's how it goes. Can't help thinking that the title of this thread was born out of disappointment. The competition's been pretty good imo apart maybe from the 'third place' opportunities leading to some tactical detractions from open play, but this is also the story in most leagues year in year out.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

vietnammer wrote:In response to that (dunno if it ought to be on the Eng v Iceland match thread) it's heartening to see teams who made it further than expectations. On the other hand, I shied away from the predictable negative hyperbole about England (disgrace...not fit to wear the shirt...overpaid posers etc) cos I think the progress of Iceland and Wales were refreshing. Disappointed that England were so poor against Iceland but it's a competition and that's how it goes. Can't help thinking that the title of this thread was born out of disappointment. The competition's been pretty good imo apart maybe from the 'third place' opportunities leading to some tactical detractions from open play, but this is also the story in most leagues year in year out.
Vietnammer the voice of reason , bless you , mate . :thup:
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by chappo59 »

vietnammer wrote:In response to that (dunno if it ought to be on the Eng v Iceland match thread) it's heartening to see teams who made it further than expectations. On the other hand, I shied away from the predictable negative hyperbole about England (disgrace...not fit to wear the shirt...overpaid posers etc) cos I think the progress of Iceland and Wales were refreshing. Disappointed that England were so poor against Iceland but it's a competition and that's how it goes. Can't help thinking that the title of this thread was born out of disappointment. The competition's been pretty good imo apart maybe from the 'third place' opportunities leading to some tactical detractions from open play, but this is also the story in most leagues year in year out.
What a well thought out, well balanced, rational post......stop it now Vietnammer before it catches on!!
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by Robbie »

Tournament has been a bit bland. The final is typical of the standard seen by teams this time around.
Safety first. Not much in the way of teams taking the game by the throat.
I have enjoyed it in parts, but generally .....bland.
I'm not a a bitter Englishman either by the way. All that ***** is water off a ducks back to me.
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Re: Worst international tournament ever?

Post by smuts »

Been bloody awful in the main. Almost as bad as 2010 but without those ****ing Vuvzaelas.
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