Holland v Italy

[PEARCEY]

Cracking cracking game

[Southbank Old Boy]

Hell of a game from two teams willing to go at each other a lot more than I was expecting.

Some high quality football too, and some sloppy bits too just to spice things up.

Great entertainment.

[rfcjoe]

lolz at the dutch fans singing always look on the bright side of life.

[rg6royal]

lolz at the dutch fans singing always look on the bright side of life.

The Dutch fans have been brilliant throughout...And so has their team.

[rfcjoe]

True - they've got something to sing about !

[Memories Of India]

It's been quality, although my enjoyment has been hampered by receiving about a million MSN messages from my wife's Dutch relatives joining in with the fans songs about Cruyff and Michiel de Ruyter and informing me that this is what a proper football team looks like.

Engelaar's been excellent, looks to be a good capture for Schalke.

[Row Z Royal]

Gio MOTM.

[rg6royal]

Well what a game that was. Italy well beaten. Makes up for that poor French performance earlier. been very impressed with the Euro's so far have been very entertaining.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

lolz at the dutch fans singing always look on the bright side of life.

I can't work out why the crowd is so quiet though. Even when the goals went in you'd have thought there were about 200 dutch fans there

[Kitsondinho]

1-0 Holland

What a complete cock-up from the linesman!

11.11 DEFENDER LEGALLY OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY
A defender who leaves the field during the course of play and does not immediately return must still be considered in determining where the second to last defender is for the purpose of judging which attackers are in an offside position. Such a defender is considered to be on the touch line or goal line closest to his or her off-field position. A defender who leaves the field with the referee's permission (and who thus requires the referee's permission to return) is not included in determining offside position.

Told ya!!!

I hope all the commentators and pundits apologise for their ineptitude. They deserve the sack for there 'expert' opinion!

Hang on a mo was the Italian not injured, we've all seen plenty of players remain behind the goal in such instances for several minutes to receive treatment, so if this law is to be applied, how long does the defender have to remain there before he becomes inactive? Does a player need permission to be injured then? I thought the ref were supposed to get injured players off the pitch?

[winchester_royal]

That Allefay looks quality.

If only we weren't relegated....

[RG30]

Great match, and the Italians can feel hard done by as they haven't actually played badly, just been brutally punished by some excellent slick counter attacking movement. Sneijder was immense, so much technical ability about him and Van der Vaart. Kuyt gave a solid display and just an enjoyable game to watch. Even Van der Saar didn't flap at a free kick

[PEARCEY]

One thing that impresses me is the passing and retention of the ball. Why can none of the home nations manage to use the ball like this?

[Kitsondinho]

Mr G Poll has just said it was offside on 5 Live..... ..that has just confused me more!

[rfcjoe]

That just makes me think it was onside then because G Poll always gets it wrong !

[Kitsondinho]

That just makes me think it was onside then because G Poll always gets it wrong !

Exactly my thoughts!!

[soggy biscuit]

11.11 DEFENDER LEGALLY OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY
A defender who leaves the field during the course of play and does not immediately return must still be considered in determining where the second to last defender is for the purpose of judging which attackers are in an offside position. Such a defender is considered to be on the touch line or goal line closest to his or her off-field position. A defender who leaves the field with the referee's permission (and who thus requires the referee's permission to return) is not included in determining offside position.

Told ya!!!

I hope all the commentators and pundits apologise for their ineptitude. They deserve the sack for there 'expert' opinion!

Hang on a mo was the Italian not injured, we've all seen plenty of players remain behind the goal in such instances for several minutes to receive treatment, so if this law is to be applied, how long does the defender have to remain there before he becomes inactive? Does a player need permission to be injured then? I thought the ref were supposed to get injured players off the pitch?

I belive the ref has to ackowledge the injury which in the burst of play he would have had time to

[Kitsondinho]

So basically no one knows 100% if it WAS offside or not, because the whole active/inactive thing is being dragged up....for a bl**dy defender this time...sort it out FIFA!

[Whore Jackie]

Cracking game that. The Dutch were reminiscent of Manchester United at their best, lovely counter-attacking throughout. And the much-maligned Boulahrouz, who actually looked quite decent last season at the Mad Stad, was excellent. Let's hope they continue in the same vein, they've started brightly in tournaments before and lost their way. Fingers-crossed race won't upset their applecart this year.

[From Despair To Where?]

So basically no one knows 100% if it WAS offside or not, because the whole active/inactive thing is being dragged up....for a bl**dy defender this time...sort it out FIFA!

Got nothing to do with him being active or inactive. He's in advance of the attacker and behind the goal line is still considered to be part of the playing area for a defender. It was 100% onside as defined by the laws of the game. If a defender fannying about near the corner flag 50 yds from play is active in playing someone onside then so can a defender who has stepped behind the goal line in the natural course of the game.

Poll is a publicity seaking arse who would argue black is white if it got him noticed.