(Probably a bit premature) Best Tournament EVER?

[littlebabyjesus]

Yep. Untill some team goes out on penelties then it can't be considered a great tournement. The fact that it could still happen is irelevent.

dave

The higher the number of penalty shoot-outs, the higher the proportion of disappointing games. Most - of course by no means all - games that end in penalties do so as a result of a turgid game which neither team was good enough to win.

 

[kained&able]

Just as likely to see a shit 1-0 victory as a shit 0-0 draw + pens.


dave

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Just as likely to see a shit 1-0 victory as a shit 0-0 draw + pens.


dave

I'd like to see an analysis, but I'm pretty sure I'm right - draws are more likely to be a disappointing spectacle than victories to one or other side.

The more goals, the less likely (if the sides are evenly matched) a draw becomes.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Got to disagree with Dave. I reckon that it's precisely that if there aren't any penalty shootouts in this, it will prove to be a great tournament.

Thing is, it's the knockout games which really define a tournament, and it's there where recent tournaments have disappointed. Can anyone remember in a recent tournament a knockout game where one team has come back from say 2-0 down to win 3-2?

 

[imposs1904]

Great tournament so far, but it's still too early to say if it's one of the best yet.

Surprised no one has mentioned Spain'82 as a cracking tournament. Definitely one of best . . . the French midfield . . . Schumacher's GBH in the semi final . . . Tardelli's goal celebration . . . the Kuwati pitch invasion . . . Narey's toe poke . . . Boniek's hat trick . . . Brazil in the early rounds . . . Gentile mugging Maradona . . . that Keegan header . . . Gerry Armstrong's goal . . . fucking great World Cup.

Maybe you were all too young?

 

[g force]

Yes Spain 82 for me is the tournament...we were in Barcelona and it's the first football I can clearly remember seeing on the TV. Tigana was awesome

 

[phildwyer]

Well the Turkey--Czech Rep game was the best I've seen in a major tournament for many years. I do wish England had qualified though, I always relish their inevitable humiliation.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Spain 82

I was seventeen. I remember starting to cry when the French went out.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Well the Turkey--Czech Rep game was the best I've seen in a major tournament for many years.

It was the furthest away I've ever been from a telly showing a game while actually being in the same room....

 

[phildwyer]

I was seventeen. I remember starting to cry when the French went out.

Ditto, and indeed double ditto.

 

[Sadken]

Tears of joy, or....? What was the story there? First WC I really remember was 90, which still seems like the best tournament of my lifetime to me.

 

[phildwyer]

Tears of joy, or....? What was the story there?

An incredible semi-final between skillful French and thuggish Germans which climxed in the German goalie literally crippiling Battiston in order to prevent a certain winning goal.

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

This is without a doubt the best national team tournament that I have ever watched. I reckon we should start a best ever poll with Euro08 as one of the options and then on this thread we can thrash out the other eleven nominations.

It is a very a good tournament with plenty of exciting games.

I still reckon the '82 and '86 World Cups were the best I've ever seen.

 

[Flashman]

'82 for me as well. Zico is still my favourite player of all time.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I was supporting Italy in that match...

 

[Flashman]

I was 11 and in love with Socrates, Eder, Falcao, Zico, Junior et al.

Rossi was ace as well though

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

I was 11 and in love with Socrates, Eder, Falcao, Zico, Junior et al.

Don't forget Toninho Cerezo, the Roma midfielder, whose off-the-ball run dragged two Italian defenders away to allow Falcao to score a great goal in the Brazil-Italy classic.

Not great quality, but here it is:



That Brazil side were the best in my memory not to have won a World Cup.

 

[Flashman]

Cool.

Yeah they are the best I've seen too. The Dutch sides in '74 and '78 would have a shout about best sides not to have won it but I was too young for those, although I remember the ticker-tape.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

That Brazil side were the best in my memory not to have won a World Cup.

No goalkeeper, no defence.

 

[Flashman]

Good point. Great to watch though.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Great tournament so far. What has been particualrly encouring is that its the attacking flair teams that are prospering and the lack of any clear favourite. Teams like Croatia and Russia look just as capable of winning it as the usual suspects. Some great football on display. Now we need the germans to get stuffed by portugal.

Previous trounamnets - The 86 world cup was a cracker.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Has anybody mentioned 1984 yet? Possibly it's because they only showed (I think) two live matches in the UK due to none of the home nations qualifying, but by common consent it was a fantastic tournament.