04/18/24
June 09, 2012
Denmark Stuns Netherlands 1-0: In the first upset of Euro 2012, Denmark shocked the Netherlands 1-0 Saturday. Michael Krohn-Dehli scored for Denmark in the 24th minute, sneaking a shot through the legs of Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Robin van Persie, selected to start over Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, missed several good scoring chances. It was Denmark's first win since 1967 over the Dutch, who must win over Germany or Portugal in the tournament's "group of death" to have any chance to advance.
Van Persie really whiffed on those chances today. The Dutch coach should've brought Huntelaar in sooner or started him and Van Persie together.
posted by rcade at 07:15 PM on June 09, 2012
I don't understand why Huntelaar didn't start the game. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind not starting him?
posted by insomnyuk at 07:19 PM on June 09, 2012
It's an embarrassment of riches for the Dutch. They play a 4-3-3 which only has one spot for a striker and van Persie is coming off his best season for Arsenal. Playing both means moving van Persie out wide and that didn't go so well in the pre-tournament friendly against Bulgaria.
Van Persie had a bad day, but I'd expect him to start again against the Germans.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:27 PM on June 09, 2012
Van Persie scored like crazy this past season (topped the EPL) for Arsenal. The Dutch setup doesn't seem to accomodate both him and Huntelaar on the pitch at the same time.
posted by sbacharach at 08:28 PM on June 09, 2012
Thanks, that makes sense.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:08 PM on June 09, 2012
posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:08 AM on June 10, 2012
That's a brave/stupid man, right there.
posted by grum@work at 02:28 PM on June 10, 2012
Van Persie really whiffed on those chances today.
I've already outed myself in the Champion's League Final thread as a blind hater of Robben, but he looked like the goat for me. He had a chance to send RvP in but decided to dribble around and loose a shot above the goal. When RvP sent Robben in, he wasted the chance. They did look a lot better with Huntelaar though. Plus it gives one an excuse to say "Huntelaar", which is fun.
In all the soccer I've watched I have yet to hear a British announcer use that word to describe the play.
I don't know what to tell you. At least half of Inverting the Pyramid is about it. There are 693 occurrences of the word at Zonal Marking. But of course it's on mainstream US TV, so it must be wrong.
I'm hoping Ireland can stage a miracle escape from this game/ their group to face Germany down the road:
posted by yerfatma at 04:22 PM on June 10, 2012
Not that it is indicative of anything (as he was raised in the U.S., at least until the tender age of 12, and was with a U.S. studio duo (plus Michael Ballack)), but Giuseppe Rossi during half-time of the Spain-Italy game yesterday used the word "shape" to refer to the Italian formation.
posted by holden at 11:56 AM on June 11, 2012
And Steve McManamanamanamanamanamanamanaman just said it in the first half of the England-France game.
This is insomnyuk's Baader Meinhof moment.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 03:05 PM on June 11, 2012
David Pleat uses it all the time.
Which may or may not be important.
posted by owlhouse at 09:33 PM on June 11, 2012
American commentators really like to use the word "shape" to describe defensive formations. In all the soccer I've watched I have yet to hear a British announcer use that word to describe the play.