Predictions

So I remembered about the blog thing only when the tournament kicked off, so I didn't get chance to put down my predictions.

I am expecting strong performances from France (expect them to get 9 pts in the group and to look increasingly attacking in doing so); England (yes I said it), Germany (obvs), Spain and Italy.

Now, looking at the tournament structure, I get France and Italy (having beaten Germany in the QFs) as being in one semi final - which I think France will win.

The other semi, I reckon will be made up of England and Spain. Blind optimism tells me England will do it - only to fall to hosts France in the final.

There - I've contradicted my last post's prediction already - but I'd picked out Italy without first having checked what a nightmare route they might have to the final. Indeed more than one group, including England's arguably looks better to get out of in second place, assuming the big boys all win their groups...

Work

The grim realities of adulthood and parenthood hot home today. Normally speaking I would find a way to watch all 3 fixtures on a weekday - whether that be via careful radio silence and recording of games, taking annual leave or some other creative means. But today I was very much unable to watch the first game. 

The annoying 5pm kick off time of the second matches pretty much rules out UK workers from catching the start of games also, it really would have been better for the night games to be back to back at 6 and 8 UK time (7 and 9 French time).

As I gather, Spain were worthy winners and from what I saw of R.O. Ireland vs Sweden, it looked an even contest. Good to see Villa stamping their mark of calamity on the tournament with Clark's nicely taken own-goal. Both those teams are too workmanlike for my liking.

And so with the baby bathed and asleep and the missus relegated to the iPad, I settle down for Belgium against my predicted tournament winners Italy...both teams surely have a good chance.

> 1 goal

I was starting to tire of team only scoring 1 goal in matches, so well done Germany for getting that second goal at the death last night. They thoroughly deserved it, and like Spain today and both Croatia and Poland yesterday they did rather run the risk of being the better team but failing to come away with the points. Ukraine made a good game of it, and were unlucky not to perhaps grab that equaliser, with some later pressure.

My attentions were distracted by the Canadian grand prix, requiring some careful multitasking. A satisfying evening though and a decent first weekend with the results looking more cagey than the games actually were.

Line em up

Goal of the tournament?

Two games today that followed the same pattern as the England one - near-total dominance from one side, but a narrow 1-0 lead only to show for it. Croatia and Poland respectively held on where England did not - though hardly surprising considering the near zero threat that both Turkey and especially Northern Ireland posed.

Modric's goal was sumptuous and brightened an otherwise fairly dull afternoon of football (ruined primarily by Northern Ireland looking every bit like one of the 'additional' teams allowed into this year's tournament.

As a nod to German efficiency, I will be watching their game tonight in full multi-screen style, with the Grand Prix on the main telly and footy on an iPad. Needs must.

Oh England!

Some things will just never change.  England team and 'England' hooligans.

The hooligans at least offered no pretence that anything would be different - immediately springing into brainless action. Absolute bile the lot of them - I hate how our national sport and team is in any way associated with these people.

The team though was a much more complex beast. It is too easy to trot out the "same old England" line; despite the infuriating opening game draw that seems to afflict us at virtually all tournaments. But what we saw for 91.5 minutes was a classy England performance, a well balanced team, pace, ambition and a fair deal of spirit.

We've got two total banana skin encounters to follow now - but I know that with performances of the same intensity we will sail through both. The issue of course is that the players all have a significant mental issue to deal with. The body language at the end of the game, understandably, was as if they had just lost the final on penalties - abject disappointment. They'd every right to be gutted, but need to move on fast.

That closed out the first full day, and I'm now in the throes of Turkey vs Croatia (baby is asleep...well timed) - which is a bit chaotic, but not quite living up to the expectations I had.

Later is Northern Ireland against Poland and Ukraine against Germany. We all know Germany are going to shrug off their poor form and become an indestructible machine - as inevitable as poor England suffering an early disappointment.

The wall chart is now in place, everything seems right with the world.

Day 2 - Albania are involved

Ok, so I spent most of the day forgetting that Albania were not in fact Algeria. I had expected them to turn Switzerland over (if they were indeed Algeria).

Before anyone says it, I know Algeria is in Africa, and I know I did a Geography degree. But if Australia perform in the Eurovision, then anything is possible.

View from behind the jumparoo

Anyway - the lunchtime game was definitely one for the purists, not a huge draw for the casual fan I don't expect. But, that said, it was decent. Albania gifted the Swiss an early goal and held on despite valiant attempts by Albania to turn it around. The Swiss, I expect have given themselves an excellent chance of making it to the round of 16 (and thus ensuring that match is boring. I really do dislike their workmanlike and uncreative brand of football).

Then this afternoon the treat that was Wales vs Slovakia. What a game. Proper football, end-to-end, goals, controversy, woodwork hit, and a true superstar. Bale looks like he is bang up for being a hero in this tournament, which spells trouble for England, but could be fun. Slovakia were fair game too and unlucky to lose the game. They too will pose a threat to England. That said, if England perform well in the attacking third, then neither Slovakia or Wales have done anything to demonstrate they could cope.

The shift in my lifestyle was stark today - as I deposited the baby in the "jumparoo". This is the plastic monstrosity in the photo above. Also dubbed "the circle of neglect" - it is a truly amazing device that seems to occupy children for precisely 45 minutes at a time, happily bouncing away, and spinning plastic animals around whilst I watch the footy...

Opening game

So first I should say that I rather fluked the timings. I think (unless I have re-invented the course of events) that I had actually booked my holiday before realising the potential overlap with the tournament. That moment of utter horror as I clicked the "pay now" button and then realised I may have just made a bad mistake was then followed by a big scramble to find a fixture list.

I won.

The only match I would miss would be the opener - France vs Romania. Of all the games to be in rural France for, this was the one. My track record with French TV is not good. I normally spend the first 4 hours of any holiday in France cycling through the 400 odd satellite channels that all houses there seem to have, only to get reception to about 3 channels - none of which ever show sport.

This time around, I did my research - targeted the necessary channels - and then, (and only then), picked up the remote.

TF1 was the second channel I found, and in that short moment I got confirmation that an unlikely clean sweep of football watching was well and truly on!

Things I learned:

• TF1 shows and absolute f&*k tonne of adverts
• All of these adverts seem to be for cars
• Or electronic gates behind which you'd park one of these cars
• Or aftershave that you'd apply, before heading out in your new car
• The French should give opening ceremonies a miss (it was poor; though credit to them for keeping it brief).

Then in the game itself I learned that France have a shocking defence. I thought they'd win the tournament until I saw their laboured attempts to deal with opposition attacks. Good teams will surely expose both fullbacks as well as the poor Rami. I also learned that Giroud leads a charmed life - being selected for both Arsenal and his country when he is a 1 in 8 type striker, constantly missing good chances. How much better did they look once Martial and Coman were on the pitch.

Obviously it was Payet who stole the show, a masterly performance in midfield, pulling the strings and looking every bit the Man Utd/PSG player he will doubtless be in 6 weeks' time...

A promising start.

Euro 2016 kicks off

And so here we are - another summer football tournament and a full month of televisual pleasure. This time around the added challenge (and of course joy) of having a <1 year old baby makes the potential for total spherical saturation a bit less of a certainty. Nonetheless - I am nothing if not a tryer - so here we go for a few weeks of charting my struggles through the tournament.

Any followers of http://wcwonderland.blogspot.co.uk/ will know that I don't do this alone, my trusty USA-based Stevie normally joins in the ride. For the last World Cup he dipped back into the fold and I am hoping that the dual vices of both watching football and then writing blogs about it lures him back in.

This time around I spent the opening day of the tournament in the host country - France. Not in a fan-park or in a major city throwing chairs and getting tear-gassed - but rather in Bergerac calmly sipping wine and eating barbequed meat. But nonetheless it was a pleasure to watch the build up and opening match in the home tongue... more about what I learned ion the next post.