Well Done England ! ⚽️

[Luis Hernandez 632]

As we say here, you Englishmen started with the right foot. 45 minutes to go. Keep it going!

[Greggy_D 938]

Italy is playing their worst game of the tourney. They’re all out of sorts. Sloppy play. 

[Greggy_D 938]

Tied up!

[W2DR 1,867]

It sure got quiet here all of a sudden 🙂 . è una grande notte per essere a Roma. Vorrei essere lì a festeggiare con te.

[SierraDelta 1,389]

Yup - it's gone home - to Rome 🙂

[Mike A 357]

The curse of ITV:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9764121/England-defeat-Curse-ITV-win-tonight.html

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

@martin-wSorry for your loss 😢

[martin-w 3,315]

I see Italy still have the attitude of old.

Tackle late and ram your studs into Grealish's knee. And grab a players shirt at the back of the neck and drag him to the floor.

Sorry, but that foul, no, not a foul an attack, on Grealish was potentially career threatening. He should have been sent off immediately and banned from the game.

Italy were lucky they have a goal keeper who has never lost a penalty shootout.

[psolk 3,257]

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

I see Italy still have the attitude of old.

Tackle late and ram your studs into Grealish's knee. And grab a players shirt at the back of the neck and drag him to the floor.

Sorry, but that foul, no, not a foul an attack, on Grealish was potentially career threatening. He should have been sent off immediately and banned from the game.

Italy were lucky they have a goal keeper who has never lost a penalty shootout.

The issue was the studs didn't go straight to his leg.  He caught the ball and then deflected off of it onto his knee.  It looked bad but it was his foot coming off the ball that caught him.  The shirt tug was a yellow, he wasn't last man back when he pulled him down but it "looked" bad enough to consider a Red regardless.  That was an NFL tackle.  The question will always loom around two cold players brought on for PK's both of whom missed.   

I will say Southgate's coaching model of bringing in experts from other fields is fascinating and brilliant to me.  I love the idea of surrounding yourself with people who have new, different and fresh ideas looking at things from a new/different perspective.  

[martin-w 3,315]

16 minutes ago, psolk said:

The issue was the studs didn't go straight to his leg.  He caught the ball and then deflected off of it onto his knee. 

 

Are we referring to the same incident? In slow motion on the BBC, he went in late to the tackle and literally drove his studs at his knee. 

 

Quote

I will say Southgate's coaching model of bringing in experts from other fields is fascinating and brilliant to me

 

Yeah, a common sense approach that was lacking in the past. Tell you what, they certainly need plenty of sports psychologists on tap, the extreme pressure, standing there in front of the entire nation, about to take a penalty, must be horrendous. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by martin-w

[psolk 3,257]

7 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

Are we referring to the same incident? In slow motion on the BBC, he went in late to the tackle and literally drove his studs at his knee. 

Yes, even Mark Clattenburg reviewed it during the commentary and showed the contact with the ball first and his foot coming off the ball and into Grealish.  Lee Dixon also said it was reckless but not a red.  

Edited July 12, 2021 by psolk

[martin-w 3,315]

10 minutes ago, psolk said:

Yes, even Mark Clattenburg reviewed it during the commentary and showed the contact with the ball first and his foot coming off the ball and into Grealish.  

 

Didn't look like that to me when I saw the slow motion. He may have contacted the ball, but there's no excuse for a toe turned up exposing the studs,  and not stopping. He didn't have to stamp! Unfortunately  I cant find a slow motion replay at the moment. 

 

Quote

Italy midfielder Jorginho should have been SENT OFF in extra-time for stamp on England sub Jack Grealish, insist Alan Shearer and Frank Lampard: 'It's careless and endangering the safety of an opponent'

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by martin-w

[psolk 3,257]

14 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

Didn't look like that to me when I saw the slow motion. He may have contacted the ball, but there's no excuse for a toe turned up exposing the studs,  and not stooping. Unfortunately  I cant find a slow motion replay at the moment. If stretching to reach a ball your toe is forward not turned up with studs foreword. 

http://www.soccer-blogger.com/2021/07/11/jorginho-vs-grealish-tackle-incident-2021-jorginho-stamps-grealish/

You can slow it down and watch it using the link above.  The contact with the leg came after contact with the ball after Grealish had already gone to ground.  Not a straight Red, even the EPL referee's didn't think it was a Red.  Also, a lunge for the ball means your foot will be in a multitude of positions.  You don't lunge with your toes pointed down like a ballerina, you lunge and there is a rotation to your ankle.  At some point your toes will be up before they come down.  It's very difficult to lunge and get anything behind a tackle with your toes pointing down the entire time.  Just go outside and try it...  The exception being when you can get your foot in front of the ball and the player with your foot planted.  But in a typical tackle your foot will go through a series of motions.  

 

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by psolk

[psolk 3,257]

25 minutes ago, martin-w said:

 

Didn't look like that to me when I saw the slow motion. He may have contacted the ball, but there's no excuse for a toe turned up exposing the studs,  and not stopping. He didn't have to stamp! Unfortunately  I cant find a slow motion replay at the moment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is AFTER his foot came OFF the ball Martin.   Neither Dixon nor Clattenburg thought it was a Red. 

 

 

Here is where his foot rolled off the ball, Grealish is already on the ground sliding towards his foot.  Hard to get a straight Red when you make clear contact with the ball first. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by psolk

[psolk 3,257]

I will add, the racist abuse the England players are facing from some England fans, the Rashford mural defaced after the match, fans taking to Social media to racially abuse their own players is nauseating.  English fans don't deserve the title as long as they abuse their own players.  I'm a Brit at heart too.  Mom was born in the Moors, Dad was born in London, I've had trials with Norwich, Ipswich and Chelsea was trained by Neville Southall for years but to see the behavior after the match is more disappointing than the match outcome itself 😞