EC Day #7: Bulgaria v Denmark / Italy v Sweden (GDT)

Day 7 today, the second matches in group three, one wich could become very interesting due to the results in the first matches.

Group C Standings (http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/football/europeanchampionship/standing/groupstage/groupc/full_standing.html)

Today's matches:

Bulgaria v Denmark

Group C
Venue: Braga Municipal, Braga
Date/time: Fri, 18 June, 1900 CET
Referee: Lucilio Batista (Portugal)
Team News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/3787515.stm


Italy v Sweden

Group C
Venue: Dragao Stadium, Porto
Date/time: Fri, 18 June, 2045 CET
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
Team News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/3787519.stm


*************** Predictions ***************


Portugal v Greece: 2-0 (Figo)
Spain v Russia: 2-1 (Raul Gonzalez Blanco)
Switzerland v Croatia: 2-1 (Frei)
France v England: 1-1 (Owen)
Denmark v Italy: 0-2 (Totti)
Sweden v Bulgaria: 1-1 (Berbatov)
Czech Republic v Latvia: 3-0 (Baros)
Germany v Holland: 1-2 (Ruud)
Greece v Spain: 0-2 (F Torres)
Russia v Portugal: 1-3 (Pauleta)
England v Switzerland 2-0 (Gerrard)
Croatia v France 1-3 (Trézéguet)

24 Points, I'm finally starting to gather some pace

Today:

Bulgaria v Denmark 0-1 (Sand)
Italy v Sweden 1-1 (Ibrahimovic)

Day 1

Portugal 2:1 Greece (Pauleta)
Spain 3:1 Russia (Raul)

Day 2

Swiss - Croatia 2-1 (Hakan Yakin)
France - England 3-1 (Henry)

Day 3:
Denmark v Italy: 0-2 (Totti)
Sweden v Bulgaria: 2-1 (Larsson)


Day 4
Czech Republic 3 : 1 Latvia (M. Baros)
Germany 3 : 1 Holland (M. Ballack)


Day 5
Greece 0 : 2 Spain (Raul)
Russia 0 : 2 Portugal (Pauleta)


Day 6
England 3 : 1 Switzerland (Owen)
Croatia 0 : 2 France (Henry)

27 points

-----------------------------------------------------

Today:

Bulgaria v Denmark 2-1 (Berbatov)
Italy v Sweden 1-2 (Larsson)

Portugal - Greece: 3-1 (Pauleta)
Spain - Russia: 2-1 (Morientes)
Switzerland - Croatia: 2-1 (Frei)
France - England: 2-0 (Henry)
Denmark - Italy: 1-2 (Totti)
Sweden - Bulgaria: 1-0 (Larsson)
Czech Republic - Latvia: 3-0 (Rosicky)
Germany - Netherlands: 1-2 (Ballack)
Greece - Spain: 0-2 (Raúl)
Russia - Portugal: 1-2 (Pauleta)
England - Switzerland: 1-1 (Frei)
Croatia-France: 0-2 (Henry)
Still 18 points :(

Today:
Bulgaria - Denmark: 1-1 (Berbatov)
Italy - Sweden: 2-1 (Cassano)

Day 1
Portugal 2 : 1 Greece (C. Ronaldo)
Spain 2 : 0 Russia (F. Morientes)
Day 2
France 2 : 1 England (T. Henry)
Switzerland 1 : 0 Croatia (A. Frei)
Day 3
Denmark 1 : 2 Italy (A. Del Piero)
Sweden 2 : 1 Bulgaria (H. Larsson)
Day 4
Czech Republic 2 : 1 Latvia (M. Baros)
Germany 2 : 2 Holland (R. van Nistelrooy)
Day 5
Greece 1 : 2 Spain (F. Morientes)
Russia 1 : 2 Portugal (Pauleta)
Day 6
England 2 : 1 Switzerland (Owen)
Croatia 0 : 2 France (Henry)

Horrible Day 6 for me. Only 3 points.
42 points so far.

Day 7
Bulgaria 2 : 1 Denmark (D. Berbatov)
Italy 2 : 2 Sweden (H. Larsson)

bulgaria 1 - 2 denmark (tomasson)
Italy 1 - 1 Sweden (Ibrahimovic)

36 points for me..

bulgaria 1 - 2 denmark (tomasson)
Italy 1 - 2 Sweden (Ibrahimovic)

The Italian starting squad for the upcoming game is a BIG rebus.
I guess the ghost will play (ehm..will be there..) once again anyway.. :dunno:

Today:
Bulgaria v Denmark 0-1 (Sand)
Italy v Sweden 1-1 (Ibrahimovic)

If the first game ends that way, then a 1-1 draw for Italy-Sweden is a very credible result...........

A hungry Italy vs Overconfident Sweden. I know how this will end. :help:

Bulgaria 2 Denmark 2 (Berbatov)
Sweden 1 Italy 0 (Larsson)

i'm confident with sweden so i'll go for a surprising prediction:

italy 1-3 sweden (wilhelmsson)

i'm confident with sweden so i'll go for a surprising prediction:

italy 1-3 sweden (wilhelmsson)

Exactly my guess too. But I think the goals will be scored by Jakobsson, Ljungberg and Allbäck. Zambrotta with Italys goal..

I got a sensational 0 points yesterday (kind of reminiscent of our Eurovision rankings lately :p: ), to keep my total at 27.

I'll make my predictions here for the rest of the weekend, since I won't get anywhere close to an internet connection until Sunday evening.

Sweden-Italy 2-1 (Larsson)
Denmark- Bulgaria 3-1 (Tomasson)

Netherlands-Czech Republic 2-1 (Ruud)
Germany-Latvia 1-1 (Kuranyi)

Spain-Portugal 2-1 (Morientes)
Greece-Russia 2-1 (Charisteas)

19 points for me so far. Poor!

Denmark-Bulgaria: 2-1 (tommason)
Sweden-Italy: 1-3 (Del Piero... Not that I really believe he will score or play well!!! :D )

I hope Sweden! Our Nation stands still tonight. This is huge in Sweden.

=====================================
Spain 2 - 0 Russia (Raul) - 3
Portugal 3 - 1 Greece (Nuno Gomes) - 0
=====================================
France 1 - 1 England (Scholes) - 0
Switzerland 0 - 1 Croatia (Pršo) - 0
=====================================
Denmark 1 - 2 Italy (Jon-Dahl) - 0
Sweden 1 - 1 Bulgaria (Larsson) - 3
=====================================
Czech Republic 2 - 0 Latvia (Nedved) - 3
Germany 1 - 2 Netherlands (Van Nistelrooy) - 3
=====================================
Greece 0 - 1 Spain (Raul) - 0
Russia 1 - 1 Portugal (Pauleta) - 0
=====================================
England 1 - 0 Switzerland (Owen) - 3
Croatia 2 - 1 France (Henry) - 0
=====================================
Sweden-Italy 1-1 (Cassano)
Denmark- Bulgaria 2-1 (Tomasson)

Sweden-Italy 1-1 (Ibrahimovic)
Denmark- Bulgaria 2-0 (Tomasson)

21 points...

Bulgaria 1 - 2 Denmark (Tomasson)
Italy 1 - 1 Sweden (Larsson)

As pretty much everybody I failed yesterday. 3 points for a total of 39 points.

My predicitions for today :
Denmark 2-0 Bulgaria (Tomasson)
Sweden 2-1 Italy (Larsson)

Nordic day today!

what a boring game so far. and tomasson just missed the empty net. oh well, it hurts to watch this game.

Tomasson scores.. 1-0.. Again, a guarenteed 3 points for me so far.. :banana:

Too bad only one team bothered to show up for the first 40 minutes. I didn't think it was a bad game though, Denmark really tried.

Gravesen is playing a great match, Gronkjaer is pretty decent too

Tomasson scores.. 1-0.. Again, a guarenteed 3 points for me so far.. :banana:
I second that!
3 points assured!;)

missed the predictions yesterday so I resign from the guessing game :)
Go Denmark .. and Go Sweden!

Too bad only one team bothered to show up for the first 40 minutes. I didn't think it was a bad game though, Denmark really tried.


they tried, but if that's all they can, they're not as good as some thought. they should play better.


Gravesen is playing a great match, Gronkjaer is pretty decent too

gravesen is also a candidate for leaving the game early and not in a substitution. ;)

Wow...Bulgaria is losing control late in the match.

A fine from UEFA on its way perhaps?

Go Sweden & Denmark!!! :handclap:

Italy cannot be officially eliminated today, but if they lose to Sweden, they will be as close as they can get to booking their flight home.

All Denmark would need in that case, is a draw with Sweden next Tuesday to eliminate the Azzuri.

Italy cannot be officially eliminated today, but if they lose to Sweden, they will be as close as they can get to booking their flight home.

All Denmark would need in that case, is a draw with Sweden next Tuesday to eliminate the Azzuri.
... Which would be great. :handclap:

I didn't mind Italy until the Totti incident with the Danes.

IMO This tournament really needs a big game with excellent football because so far, most of the 'big' teams have underperformed and the underdogs-apart from Bulgaria- are keeping defense as tight as possible to snatch points which result in failry poor spectacle overall.
I hope this Italy-Sweden will be a great game, all the components are there.
Can't wait.

Denmark 2-0 Bulgaria (Tomasson)
Bag in another perfect 9 points.
48 points before tonight's game!
Go Sweden GO!

DAY 1: 3 points
DAY 2: 6 points
DAY 3: 3 points
DAY 4: 6 points
DAY 5: 6 points
DAY 6: 6 points
---------------------
TOTAL: 30 points

Damn! I forgot to guess the scores for the first match!

Italy 1 - 1 Sweden (Larsson)

Bag in another perfect 9 points.
48 points before tonight's game!
Go Sweden GO!

Nice job.. I kinda expected Berbatov to score one to make it 2-1.. but still, 6 points for me today and 42 in general.. We have the same result for the next match, only I have Zlatan scoring, you the more obvious pick in Larsson, we'll see..

Cassano scores 1-0.. Seemed like off-side to me..

Cassano scores 1-0.. Seemed like off-side to me..

I didn't think so...but it was close.

Is it just me, or is this English commentator on the World Feed really biased against Italy? (for other Canadians watching)

I didn't think so...but it was close.

Is it just me, or is this English commentator on the World Feed really biased against Italy? (for other Canadians watching)

Can't say I've noticed it. He seems to be fairly complimentary of their play so far, and rightfully so. :dunno: You could tell the guy yesterday was a bit bitter towards France though, he kept referring to how "lucky" they were. :lol

Edit: also, I don't follow much European football, can someone tell me what the deal with Ibrahimovich is? That sounds Croatian, not Swedish..

Italy wasted so many chances...
with Gilardino in place for Vieri this game would be already over. The bison can't score anymore even with the head, :banghead: he SUCKED big time in this first half while Zambrotta and Panucci did great crosses. The first one dominated his opponent for the entire first period.

Edit: also, I don't follow much European football, can someone tell me what the deal with Ibrahimovich is? That sounds Croatian, not Swedish..

I believe he has a Serbian mother and a Bosnian father, but he was born and raised in Sweden.

This game is really opening up now.

What a goal by Zlatan.. 3 points for me again!

1-1 Game over.. Drat, I wish I kept my prediction at 1-1 instead of changing it to 2-1. Oh well, 45 points for me so far, I am on your heels Evilo.. ;)

18 points for me today. :eek:

great game. That was Italian football at its best IMO. Pirlo, Cassano etc were really good. Or howabout Buffon's save there?

Sweden was lucky to get away with one point IMO, but I still think they played a very good game. Zlatan has IMO been one of the most shining stars in the tournament so far. That goal was quite spectacular!

Go Gravesen, Go Zlatan

A really great game. Ibrahimovic with a piece of magic- pure magic.

Trappatoni will not be in Italian fans' good books today.

..And will somebody teach Vieri how to head a ball?

The day Trapattoni will die (definitely too late) Italy will be a better country.

Why isn't Zlatan playing like this for Ajax, man he's freaking me out..

HEJA SVERIGE!!!

zladdi is so amazing!

and i've never seen a swedish team that has so much offensive power with ljungberg, ibrahimovic, larsson, allbäck and jonsson in the end. that was awesome.

now a tie in the battle of scandinavia and just a one-goal win by italy and i'd be happy. :)

Why isn't Zlatan playing like this for Ajax, man he's freaking me out..

expect him to be better than ever after this tournament. it's his breakout and he will help ajax next season a lot, believe me.

Overall Italy was the better team today but Zlatan's goal was a real beauty, and I'm happy with one point for Sweden, considering all the scoring chances by especially Del Piero but also the Italian team in general. Pretty good game. :)

A draw between Denmark and Sweden won't necessarily push both teams through. If Italy beats Bulgaria (as we all should expect), it is possible that Denmark, Sweden and Italy are all at the top with 5 points.

If this happens, the calculators come out.

Sweden looks good with a goal differential of +5....but Denmark might not be totally safe at +2 with Italy playing Bulgaria. Depending on what kind of pills Trappatoni takes in the morning (stupid or smart), Italy should be looking to score as many goals as possible.

God I hate Italy. I wish Sweden won it.

expect him to be better than ever after this tournament. it's his breakout and he will help ajax next season a lot, believe me.

We've been saying that ever since his arrival.. He teases us with his skillset every now and then, but in general, he hasn't been nearly as good as he's played for Sweden the past 2 games. Besides, I don't think Zlatan will play for Ajax anymore, he has a lot of interest Europe wide. Ajax should get a nice amount for him (think 20/25 million Euro's)..

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A BEAUTY!!!!!!
GO SWE GO! AHahaha, i wonder what excuse the Italian team is gonna come up with next? The're was too much Fog! lol lol
Beautiful play by the coaches to put Allback in, they always seem to score when's he's on. :dunno:

Once again, beauty by Zlatan!

Trappatoni will not be in Italian fans' good books today.

..And will somebody teach Vieri how to head a ball?

:lol

It's funny because it's so true. He gets tons of opportunities in the box heading crosses WIDE or OVER, and then when it truly counts and he has to head one AWAY from the goal to save the game for Italy he can't.

Darn, another bad day for me. Only 3 points for predicting the tie. 45 points so far.

Did anyone see that stadium in the game between Denmark and Bulgaria, especially behind the goal. What a freakin joke, EC unworthy.

Italy wasted so many chances...
with Gilardino in place for Vieri this game would be already over. The bison can't score anymore even with the head, :banghead:

Del Piero didn't play like a phantom this time. :dunce:

That was awsome even though I missed the first half. So who did the Italians spit on this game? Eachother?

Go Sweden, Holland, and Germany!

I'm happy as long as Italy, Portugal, and all the eastern european teams loose.

A draw between Denmark and Sweden won't necessarily push both teams through. If Italy beats Bulgaria (as we all should expect), it is possible that Denmark, Sweden and Italy are all at the top with 5 points.

If this happens, the calculators come out.

Sweden looks good with a goal differential of +5....but Denmark might not be totally safe at +2 with Italy playing Bulgaria. Depending on what kind of pills Trappatoni takes in the morning (stupid or smart), Italy should be looking to score as many goals as possible.

In first instance, goal difference doesn't count. When Sweden and Denmark make a deal and play 2-2, then it's over for Italy, even if they destroy Bulgaria with 6-1.

Did anyone see that stadium in the game between Denmark and Bulgaria, especially behind the goal. What a freakin joke, EC unworthy.


I´ve seen this too... absolutly disgusting :shakehead

What about the crowds in the arenas ?
I´ve heard, that 10.000 seats were free in the game between Italy and Sweden...
Big fan groups but no portuguese people watching these games or what ?

gravesen is also a candidate for leaving the game early and not in a substitution. ;)

He´s a candidate for that matter in every game....but i like him, cause he´s for real.
Great guy !

If the first game ends that way, then a 1-1 draw for Italy-Sweden is a very credible result...........
Well, the credible result became the final true result, but that's just a case: it looks like we were all missing one key rule here; i've just realized that if Sweden, Denmark and Italy will finish with the same points the difference maker will be goals diffential only for head to head matches. That means Sweden and Denmark will be automatically qualified with 2-2, 3-3, 4-4... so Italy is already virtually out of this tourney.
Once again, thanks Trap ( and Delpiero, and Vieri ), OUTSTANDING JOB! :lol: :lol:

In first instance, goal difference doesn't count. When Sweden and Denmark make a deal and play 2-2, then it's over for Italy, even if they destroy Bulgaria with 6-1.
I guess i waited too much before sending my last post.. :innocent:

What was that coaching about? The Trap blew it once again. :banghead:
Credit to Sweden for sneaking a crucial point with a great goal.
One thing: Sweden' right back is a serial weakness to his team. Zambrotta had a good and easy night going forward.

Fun game to watch but the swedes made a tactical error in having Anders Svensson as their offensive central midfielder instead of the stronger and more physical Källström. They left the mid wide open for the italians the first half because of that. I almost **** my pants when I saw that Lagerbäck/Söderberg went for three forwards + Jonsson and Ljungberg almost playing forward too the last minutes. There are some pretty good offensive talents in this team, for once the coaches dared to use them all at the same time.

Oh and pretty nice goal by Zlatan, eh? :)

Del Piero didn't play like a phantom this time. :dunce:
The fact this time he wasn't a phantom for the first 55 minutes doesn't mean he played decently..overall he sucked ( brutally missing a great chance in the first) this time too and in his last 20 minutes he was a phantom once again, but obviously the IDIOT had to take out Cassano instead of him :banghead:

I almost **** my pants when I saw that Lagerbäck/Söderberg went for three forwards + Jonsson and Ljungberg almost playing forward too the last minutes.

Italy had withdrawn all the attacking players for defensive non-speedy ones and the risk to go for three forward was not a huge gamble but a well calculated decision.

The fact this time he wasn't a phantom for the first 55 minutes doesn't mean he played decently..overall he sucked ( brutally missing a great chance in the first) this time too and in his last 20 minutes he was a phantom once again, but obviously the IDIOT had to take out Cassano instead of him :banghead:

I thought Del Piero had a decent game but as you say, he is always guilty of non finishing off teams with the clear cut chances he always has.
But I wouldn't accuse him for tonight, Italy had no problem when he was on the field.

Italy had withdrawn all the attacking players for defensive non-speedy ones and the risk to go for three forward was not a huge gamble but a well calculated decision.

Maybe so. But considering it was Lagerbäck/Söderberg who did the move I'm still chocked. I hope they continue this way, I'm a big fan of 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 systems :) Good to see that so far in this tournament, you can't sit back with 1-0 and hope for a victory. You WILL get burned.

Good to see that so far in this tournament, you can't sit back with 1-0 and hope for a victory. You WILL get burned.

Especially against dangerous and skillful teams like Sweden... Stupid italian coaching. When Del Piero is withdrawn, the swedish coach read the situation very well and bring on Allback straight away.

Italy had withdrawn all the attacking players for defensive non-speedy ones and the risk to go for three forward was not a huge gamble but a well calculated decision.
a very well calculated decision because the Swedish coaches soon realized that after Cassano was substituted there was anyone left to check! ( the two zombies weren't worth caring..) :joker:

Did anyone see that stadium in the game between Denmark and Bulgaria, especially behind the goal. What a freakin joke, EC unworthy.

I like the stadium in Braga. It's very unique, has a great view, and it holds enough people for the EC.

I can't wait for the Netherlands-Latvia match in Braga.

I thought Del Piero had a decent game but as you say, he is always guilty of non finishing off teams with the clear cut chances he always has.
But I wouldn't accuse him for tonight, Italy had no problem when he was on the field.

Agreed, Del Piero was better in this game than Totti in the first match.

When Del Piero is withdrawn, the swedish coach read the situation very well and bring on Allback straight away.
NO my friend!! The swedish coach read the situation so well that he brought on Allback after Cassano was withdrawn and with Delpiero still there (theorically) on the field! :lol:

Agreed, Del Piero was better in this game than Totti in the first match.
First of all you should compare them in the same match, the first one was played with some more degrees...
Second, the only way you could say that is considering Totti disciplinar behaviour and ignoring the chances Delpiero brutally missed tonight along with his phantomatic last 25 minutes.
That said, Totti didn't play great in the first game even aside for spitting and fouls, of course.

When Sweden and Denmark make a deal and play 2-2

Can't they get in major crap for doing something like that?

Can't they get in major crap for doing something like that?

not really, unless they planned it. but do they have to talk about it? it should be clear to do so. :D

i think it'll be a fighting game with lots of defense on both sides. but denmark needs a goal. a 0-0 wouldn't be enough. so they will start playing offensive sooner or later.

Can't they get in major crap for doing something like that?

There won't be a deal. A flukey bounce and you are out of the tournament. But if its 1-1 or 2-2 at the 80th minute, I suspect neither team will desperately chase a goal. That is the full extent of it. There will be no shady deal made in some corridor or such.

And you can't play going for a draw from the start. Especially when a 0-0 might hurt Denmarks chances, depending on how many goals Italy score against Bulgaria.

Also scandinavian teams also have a lutheran way of doing things. Always try their best no matter what. Add to that an intense rivalry between Denmark and Sweden. Would Canada and US make a deal to play for a draw in hockey, if it meant Russia would get knocked out? No way, they love beating each other way too much for that.:)

I thought Del Piero had a decent game but as you say, he is always guilty of non finishing off teams with the clear cut chances he always has.
But I wouldn't accuse him for tonight, Italy had no problem when he was on the field.
Delpiero had a decent game ASIDE from the chances he brutally missed and ONLY for the first hour. During his last 25 minutes he was back to his phantom status.
Italy started having problems around 15' into the second half, 10' before Cassano substitution. They went back too much, they started throwing away the ball with long high passes to Vieri despite he was not able to keep them, suddenly they stopped playing ball possession ( there were also at leats three obscene turnovers provided by Perrotta, Pirlo and Fiore that helped a lot..) when it would have been even more deadly than in the first half for Sweden with all their forwards on the field.. then the MORON withdraws Cassano, the best and the less tired of the three forwards, while Delpiero had already disappeared by 15 minutes and he waits until 82' before taking out the ghost. And who brought on? One of the worst players in the world as for safe ball possession (Camoranesi)! Absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!
So Italy very probably goes home despite proving for an hour to be able to outplay Sweden without its best player (Totti).

Can anyone truly spell out the tiebreaker? I am seeing all sorts of different things for it, between goal differencial being the tiebreaker, to the goals for in head-to-head matches. What exactly is it?

Can anyone truly spell out the tiebreaker? I am seeing all sorts of different things for it, between goal differencial being the tiebreaker, to the goals for in head-to-head matches. What exactly is it?
From the official site:

Tie breakers
"If teams finish level on points, then the winner of the match between the sides in question will finish highest, or should they have drawn, goal difference, followed by goals scored, qualifying record for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004™, a fair play ranking and finally either a penalty shoot-out or drawing of lots."

http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/standings/index.html

Can anyone truly spell out the tiebreaker? I am seeing all sorts of different things for it, between goal differencial being the tiebreaker, to the goals for in head-to-head matches. What exactly is it?

if all three teams have 5 points, the tiebreaker is the head-to-head results.

we have denmark - italy 0-0, italy - sweden 1-1.

so if sweden - denmark ends 0-0, sweden and italy advances, because italy and sweden made a goal in the head-to-head games while denmark has none.

if sweden - denmark ends 2-2 (or a higher tie), sweden and denmark advances because italy has just 1 goal while denmark has 2 (or more) and sweden has 3 (or more.

if sweden - denmark ends 1-1, i don't know what will happen. sweden advances because they have 2 goals, denmark and italy just 1. but i don't know what the tiebreaker between italy and denmark will be. maybe the goals in general, but i'm not sure.

if sweden - denmark ends 1-1, i don't know what will happen. sweden advances because they have 2 goals, denmark and italy just 1. but i don't know what the tiebreaker between italy and denmark will be. maybe the goals in general, but i'm not sure.
mmmh..i GUESS the overall goals differential me too.

mmmh..i GUESS the overall goals differential me too.

if i understand the post of kronblom right, then it is the over goals differential. and then italy needs at least a 2-0, if the scandinavian game is tied at 1. better would be 3 goals.

It is actually quite simple (except for one situation). If there is a 3-way tie between Italy, Sweden and Denmark, the same tiebreak system is followed...but only using results in matches between the three teams. Results involving Bulgaria are all thrown out the window.

In such a case, Italy's results are already final. They have 2 draws, 1 goal for and 1 goal against.

Here are the possible scenarios for the DEN-SWE match...

Denmark wins
Denmark... 2-0-1 ...7 Pts
Sweden... 1-1-1 ...4 Pts

Italy can advance with Denmark with a win over Bulgaria.


Sweden wins
Sweden... 2-0-1 ...7 Pts
Denmark... 1-1-1 ...4 Pts

Italy can advance with Sweden with a win over Bulgaria.


Now for the draw scenarios...assuming Italy beats Bulgaria and gets to 5 points...Standings do not include matches with Bulgaria...(GD = Goal Differential)

DEN 0-0 SWE
1. Sweden... 0-0-2 .. 1GF ..1GA ..0GD
1. Italy... 0-0-2 .. 1GF ..1GA ..0GD
3. Denmark... 0-0-2 ..0GF ..0GA ..0GD

Sweden and Italy advance based on goals scored. The tie between Italy and Sweden for first place would need to be broken by qualifying results from WC2002 and EURO 2004, but it matters little as they both advance to the quarter finals.


DEN 1-1 SWE
1. Sweden... 0-0-2 ..2GF ..2GA ..0GD
2. Italy... 0-0-2 ..1GF ..1GA ..0GD
3. Denmark... 0-0-2 ..1GF ..1GA ..0GD

Sweden advances based on goals for.
This makes the tie between Denmark and Italy a 2-team tie, starting the procedure over again. They are equal through the first 3 steps. Next step to break this tie is the qualifying record for WC2002 and EURO 2004.

I tabulated the total 2002 and 2004 qualifying results for both teams, and it comes out to this...

DEN: 10-7-1 ..37GF ..15GA ..+22GD ..37 Pts
ITA: 11-4-1 ..33GF ..7GA ..+26GD ..37 Pts

Looking at this, I would assume Italy wins this tie due to Goal Differential. However, I'm not sure if UEFA will consider the fact that Italy has played 2 less matches than Denmark, and what implications that might bring to the table.


DEN 2-2 SWE
1. Sweden... 0-0-2 ..3GF ..3GA ..0GD
2. Denmark... 0-0-2 ..2GF ..2GA ..0GD
3. Italy... 0-0-2 ..1GF ..1GA ..0GD

Sweden and Denmark advance based on goals scored.

This also works for any draw of 3-3 or higher.


Disclaimer: These are my own assumptions based on my understanding of the rules. This is not official information.

Denmark advances if the game against sweden ends with 1-1. BUT if Italy wins with two goals difference against Bulgaria then Italy will Advance.
This is from swedish newspaper Aftonbladet:


Sverige går till kvartsfinal om:
Man inte förlorar mot Danmark.
Man förlorar mot Danmark och Italien tappar poäng mot Bulgarien.
Danmark går till kvartsfinal om:
Italien inte slår Bulgarien.
Danmark slår Sverige.
Danmark spelar 1–1 mot Sverige och Italien bara slår Bulgarien med ett mål.
Danmark och Sverige spelar oavgjort med minst 2–2.
Italien går till kvartsfinal om:
Man slår Bulgarien och det blir en vinnare mellan Danmark och Sverige.
Om Italien slår Bulgarien och det blir 0–0 mellan Sverige och Danmark.
Om Italien slår Bulgarien med mer än ett mål och det blir 1–1 mellan Sverige och Danmark.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,494049,00.html

Denmark advances if the game against sweden ends with 1-1. BUT if Italy wins with two goals difference against Bulgaria then Italy will Advance.


That doesn't make sense since if it is a 3-way tie between the top teams, the results involving Bulgaria don't count.

That doesn't make sense since if it is a 3-way tie between the top teams, the results involving Bulgaria don't count.
If Sweden and Denmark play 1-1, then the result against Bulgaria counts as the 3-way tie would be even. In case of a 2-2, it doesn't.

Once again, thanks Trap ( and Delpiero, and Vieri ), OUTSTANDING JOB! :lol: :lol:

Your bias against Del Piero is rather childish. Last night he played a very good game, created scoring chances and made smart decisions with the ball. Comparing him to Vieri, who had a rather poor game, is unfair IMO. Gattuso, Zambo and Del Piero were Italy`s best players against Sverige, no matter what you try telling people...

If Sweden and Denmark play 1-1, then the result against Bulgaria counts as the 3-way tie would be even. In case of a 2-2, it doesn't.

Based on the rules, this is what should happen...

DEN 1-1 SWE
1. Sweden... 0-0-2 ..2GF ..2GA ..0GD
2. Italy... 0-0-2 ..1GF ..1GA ..0GD
3. Denmark... 0-0-2 ..1GF ..1GA ..0GD

Sweden advances based on goals for.
This leaves Italy and Denmark, starting the procedure over again. They are equal through the first 3 steps. Next step to break this tie is the qualifying record for WC2002 and EURO 2004.

I tabulated the total 2002 and 2004 qualifying results for both teams, and it comes out to this...

DEN: 10-7-1 ..37GF ..15GA ..+22GD ..37 Pts
ITA: 11-4-1 ..33GF ..7GA ..+26GD ..37 Pts

Looking at this, I would assume Italy wins this tie due to Goal Differential. However, I'm not sure if UEFA will consider the fact that Italy has played 2 less matches than Denmark, and what implications that might bring to the table

I think what you're missing is that if the goal differential between the tied teams is even, the goal differentials of all group games count before the qualifying records.

Your bias against Del Piero is rather childish.
:(


Gattuso, Zambo and Del Piero were Italy`s best players against Sverige, no matter what you try telling people...
:lol
One thing is sure: your bias PRO DelPiero is bigger then my supposed bias against him!
To even compare his game with Zambrotta's one and to say he played better than Panucci and Cassano is absolutely ridiculous.
Italy's worst player yesterday has been Vieri. That said, considering THE WAY Alex missed the two very good chances he was provided by the team and his disappearing along the 15'-37' span in the second half, if i have to do a name for second worst player of the game for Italy, Delpiero is the one, sorry!



Last night he played a very good game, created scoring chances...
Created? you should have used another verb: wasted! What has he created?? he managed to take a good left shot (which became dangerous thanks to a deflection, nice save by Isaksson there) out of a good situation in the first half. That's all important he created.

Italy's worst player yesterday has been Vieri. That said, considering THE WAY Alex missed the two very good chances he was provided by the team and his disappearing along the 15'-37' span in the second half, if i have to do a name for second worst player of the game for Italy, Delpiero is the one, sorry!


Yes..I like Del Piero. Against Sweden we saw some of the good old Alessandro that we`ve all grown to love in the black and white. He was quick, made clever decisions with the ball and was a treath to score. To say he was the 2nd worst player on the pitch is just silly. He was easily at least top 5 on Italy.

I think what you're missing is that if the goal differential between the tied teams is even, the goal differentials of all group games count before the qualifying records.

It doesn't say that on any official website pages I have read.

Yes..I like Del Piero. Against Sweden we saw some of the good old Alessandro that we`ve all grown to love in the black and white. He was quick, made clever decisions with the ball and was a treath to score.
yeah, a threat to score that always finds new ways to NOT score! :banghead:


To say he was the 2nd worst player on the pitch is just silly. He was easily at least top 5 on Italy.
I'm wondering who are in your opinion the other five players that played easily worse than DelPiero against Sweden! :jump:

I'm wondering who are in your opinion the other five players that played easily worse than DelPiero against Sweden! :jump:

Buffon (had a good save, but he missplayed Zlatans goal), Perrotta (Ok game, good tackles, but didn`t do much offensively), Pirlo (Also did a good job, but I`ve seen him much better), Nesta (never thought I`d say this, but Nesta actually dissapointed me vs Sweden), Vieri (Tried, but couldn`t get his game right).

SWE-DEN draw, ITALY wins.
Sweden - 5
Denmark - 5
Italy - 5
Bulgaria - 0

It's simple. A SWE-DEN draw of 2-2 or higher, and Italy is eliminated, regardless of their result against Bulgaria. A SWE-DEN draw of 1-1 or 0-0 will see Italy advance with Sweden.
No. If SWE-DEN ends 1-1 Italy advances ONLY IF beats Bulgaria with at least a two goals margin. Otherwise Denmark would advance thanks to overall goals differential.

Perrotta (Ok game, good tackles, but didn`t do much offensively), Pirlo (Also did a good job, but I`ve seen him much better), Nesta (never thought I`d say this, but Nesta actually dissapointed me vs Sweden), Vieri (Tried, but couldn`t get his game right).
Perrotta did pretty well his job. On this team he is not supposed to contribute offensively more than what he has done.
Nesta clearly was far from his best but still was easily more effective than DelPiero.
Pirlo lost badly a couple of important balls, as you said he can do better but overall the team benefited a lot by his precence on the field.
Vieri SUCKED.

Anyway you made only 5 names (and on four i disagree,of course) when you should have mentioned six players to say Delpiero was easily top 5 against Sweden! :p:

Anyway you made only 5 names (and on four i disagree,of course) when you should have mentioned six players to say Delpiero was easily top 5 against Sweden! :p:

I`ve got no problems mentioning 1 more player, but since you asked for 5..I gave you 5. In addition to those I already mentioned I could also make a case for Cassano (appart from the goal he wasn`t all that impressive) being worse than Del Piero, but somehow I doubt you agree... ;)

I`ve got no problems mentioning 1 more player, but since you asked for 5..I gave you 5.
I asked for the OTHER FIVE players because one was obvious and already recognized by both, Vieri!


In addition to those I already mentioned I could also make a case for Cassano (appart from the goal he wasn`t all that impressive) being worse than Del Piero, but somehow I doubt you agree... ;)
:joker:
Rangers, you're definitely a funny guy :joker: