No sign of Greece leaving the Euro, the Czechs in the post!
17/06/12 01:12
Footcall 2012 Day 9...
Today was D-Day for Group A as Poland took on Czech Republic whilst at the same time (to prevent any match fixing) Greece played Group favourites Russia. The Poles were dancing with joy after squeezing a draw out of their last game but needed a result this evening to qualify for the Knockout Stages. That script could have been written for any of these four teams and that's what made it so exciting. Russia, you would have thought, were nailed on certainties for promotion especially from what we've seen of them in earlier games and they were playing the Greeks who weren't really given a hope on past performances. However the Republic weren't ready to Czech out just yet either. After a first half dominated by the Poles where they must have wished there were goals awarded for hitting the side netting it finished evenly poised for a tense second 45 minutes.
Quick! Over to the other match for an update... the remote worked overtime flicking from Beeb1 to Beeb3 (I always wondered whether there would ever anything other than Family Guy worth watching on that channel) the first half of the Greece Russia game was also drawing to a goalless closure. But in the second minute of extra time in the first half, seasoned veteran, Giorgos Karagounis, playing a record 120th game for his country slid the ball under the keeper as he came Russian out of his box! What a shock! Greece were in the lead and suddenly the qualification table turned on it's head.
Back to BBC1 for the start of the second half, and it was Petr Jiracek who has a passing resemblance to Kasabian's axe man, Serge, who managed to break the deadlock in the 72nd minute and put the Czechs one up against Poland. The home nation pushed for an equaliser but it was rapidly turning into a Polanski horror. Quick! back to BBC3... Karagounis side stepped the Russian defenders and broke into the box and was eventually brought down for a stonewall penalty! Surely this was Greece's chance to seal the deal? But no, referee Eriksson stunned as all as he booked the Greek for diving, which will mean him missing the next match... tragic! Mark Bright was apoplectic in the commentary box at the injustice he had to go for a walk round the car park to cool down.
Quick! The Czechs were holding their own, quick! Greece had a free kick. Russia built a wall (why? to make it even harder for the keeper to see the incoming ball), and Giorgos Tzavellas looped it over and slammed it against the upright, six inches left and it would have been two nil. Quick! the whistle blew in both games at similar times and the fortunes were cast as Czech Republic squeaked out qualification and the Greeks had done the unthinkable... queue over exuberant celebrations... surely they couldn't do it again? What is this... 2004?
And so to the Footcall league...
The Czechs winning one nil was popular with you lot. Keith Firmston knew it as did Oliver Whitfield, Barry (where has he come from?) Smith and the Pride of Wales, Mark Pedler and Adam Botting all picked up crucial points to improve their table position. Andy (please don't let me get another red square) Kirchell, David Blakeman, Tat Wah (has anyone seen Neil?) Liu and Iain (I'm gettin to like this game) Baker also collected threes. The mysterious Angus McPheep and Lucy (again) Ginger, Jill (I'm only doing this for Eleanor) Fuller, Dean Smith and the legend that is James Vallender all picked up reds. The Greece result was harder to come by but Jonny (the Yorkshire fortune teller) Hill guessed it and at one point when the other game was 0-0 Jon was up into 2nd. As it is he'll have to be content with 10th for the time being. Chris and Nick showed the faith and backed the Greeks to win and that sees them up into 13th, way to go guys! Maximum credit and a little red square goes to Sam (Hey, Russ I'm up here!) Ford, little Finley Cowland (how does he do it?) Tim Amos, and Mark Horner both scooped four points this evening.
But I'm gonna make players of the day, Jack and Emma Wakefield who have been living in the shadow of young Hannah's Footcall shadow for the past week and this is their moment to shine and for Emma this was her first three pointer of the competition. Her celebratory text at full time was simply... Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Group B decided tomorrow.
Dj