A'ight my team is out so I guess I should start paying attention to the phalla part of this phalla.
Firstly, if there's a village network could an expendable spokesperson please contact me if they want info on who I am.
Secondly, I have no money now. Thanks Void/Slym, you bastards. Can someone spot me for a ticket? I'll chant for the team of your choosing! Fan for hire!
He's a shy overambitious dog-catcher on the wrong side of the law. She's an orphaned psychic mercenary with the power to bend men's minds. They fight crime!
El SkidThe frozen white northRegistered Userregular
Well, the way forward seems clear for me now:
Buy tickets to Greece game, a Greece jersey, a Greece/Italy programme,
Buy tickets to Ireland/Germany, a programme for same.
Buy 2 pie.
Whoever is rooting for Greece- I can buy you Irish tickets/jerseys if you like- just PM me and I'll sell em to you cheapest as I can. Let's work together and get our teams into the finals!
You are all hereby encouraged to join the Fatherland for the glorious crushing of all nations! Those who convert now will be spared the horrific footie wrath that will rain down upon the meek!
Kias is the vote for now, than.
I feel useless, with my team out and all my money lost.
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sportzboytjwsqueeeeeezzeeeesome more tax breaks outRegistered Userregular
It seems like the Mafia wins by... what, either amassing a certain cash total or fixing certain aspects of the tournament? Obviously Akimbo can't just say, but do we have any other ideas? If it's just cash, they should be hammered pretty hard by the deaths, which makes it seem likely that they need a specific result or final match-up or something.
Walkerdog on MTGO
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
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sportzboytjwsqueeeeeezzeeeesome more tax breaks outRegistered Userregular
If anyone feels like they would be a good person to watch a game of the worst sport with in the finals, let me know! I have a ticket to spare for some cash!
Walkerdog on MTGO
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
It seems like the Mafia wins by... what, either amassing a certain cash total or fixing certain aspects of the tournament? Obviously Akimbo can't just say, but do we have any other ideas? If it's just cash, they should be hammered pretty hard by the deaths, which makes it seem likely that they need a specific result or final match-up or something.
Well, I'm iffy on advancing Ireland any further based solely on the fact that Void bought Ireland tickets and swag, and Ireland has been pulling off some huge upsets that they shouldn't be. It should be noted that Germany v Poland was the only game he didn't buy tickets for, so I'd say it's a safe bet to support Germany. He also didn't buy a team shirt for Italy, so that would be the other team I'd support, if you can. Other than that, I'm guessing there's probably only one mafia left if they were to have ~20% of the initial players. As for who that is, I've got no ideas beyond what has been said in the thread.
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CayrusConsulFriends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!Registered Userregular
It seems like the Mafia wins by... what, either amassing a certain cash total or fixing certain aspects of the tournament? Obviously Akimbo can't just say, but do we have any other ideas? If it's just cash, they should be hammered pretty hard by the deaths, which makes it seem likely that they need a specific result or final match-up or something.
Well, I'm iffy on advancing Ireland any further based solely on the fact that Void bought Ireland tickets and swag, and Ireland has been pulling off some huge upsets that they shouldn't be. It should be noted that Germany v Poland was the only game he didn't buy tickets for, so I'd say it's a safe bet to support Germany. He also didn't buy a team shirt for Italy, so that would be the other team I'd support, if you can. Other than that, I'm guessing there's probably only one mafia left if they were to have ~20% of the initial players. As for who that is, I've got no ideas beyond what has been said in the thread.
(Speaking as an Irish supporter here, so being up-front about possible bias)
Going by what the mafia did once they were about to die seems a bit silly. If anything, the teams Void DIDNT seem to support once he knew he was going to die should be the ones we're leery of. Any team he bought the jersey off of would have had doubt cast upon them once he died, and given he knew about his death using that information to go off of seems silly.
Basically he was an about-to-be-outed-bad-guy, so don't listen to him.
I thought the way Akimbo worded it was that the mafia only had to survive past day 6 to win. Could be way off but I wouldnt think they were rooting for any specific team since they are a part of the UEFC.
But seriously folks, you are riding the wrong wagon. You can usually tell a wagon is off if it gets going too easily, because mafia just love to hide in a straight vote wagon that tells us nothing. I have mostly been busy the last few days, barely got in my vote before going out last night.
When do you start believing? Well, if you had asked most people, they would have said "Never" to the thought of Ireland and Greece being part of the semi-finals today. The odds on either of them being at this stage of the tournament were considerably long, but I don't think a bookie in the world had both being here. But that's the magic of football, because on their day, anyone can win. Greece showed us 8 years ago that it is possible, and at this point, they look as likely as anyone to be a part of the final matchup.
Greece versus Italy
Two defensive juggernaughts come face to face. Both have only conceded twice this tournament, and had good defensive records in qualifying. As a result, it wouldn't be a longshot to expect this to be a low scoring match, and perhaps a draw. When Greece last won this tournament they were more than familiar with extra time, and Italy have used the extra 30 minutes to win games many times before - such as their last game against England. As a result, many feel this came could come down to a test of nerves in a penalty shootout. It is probably Greece who would have the most to gain from prolonging the game as long as possible, as the extra-time Italy had to play to see off England will no doubt have fatigued their players, on top of the rest the Greek players got by resting several big names in their final group match against Russia. Normally Italy would be strong favourites, but the Greek's look in more convincing form, and their star-players have played far fewer minutes than the Italians, and will be able to go into the match much fresher, which could make all the difference as legs grow tired.
Germany versus Ireland
Despite all the hype surrounding the Irish performance against Sweden, the Germans will still go into this game, and the tournament, as favourites. They've been incredibly clinical, and saw off the Polish with consummate ease, despite the fierce atmosphere in Warsaw. The Irish scoreline may have been more convincing, but their inability to perform consistently is what is most likely to hurt them against the Germans, who have already had their defense tested by some of the best attacking sides in the world, and come out almost unscathed. Germany have infinitely more experience at this stage of tournaments than Ireland, and will be sure to put that to good use. But with all the shocking results we've had already this tournament, it would seem folly to write of the Irish too hastily, and that is precisely what German managed Joachim Low said to the BBC in an interview.
"The Irish have shown everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with this year. Whether or not they were 2 years ago, or 4 years ago, or however long ago is irrelevant, what is relevant is that they are here, now, and we need to be ready to give this game everything we can to ensure we progress to the final."
As predicted, both teams came to the game ready to defend in numbers, and break when their opponent committed too many men forward. In a typical game, counter-attacking football can be exciting, and creates a tense atmosphere, however, it relies on one team committing men forward in the first place. Unfortunately, both teams were more than content sitting back, and whenever a team attempted to counter-attack, they were met with a wave of opposition. As a result, the first half was a very mediocre affair. Neither team was prepared to actually put more than 2 or 3 players in the opposing half, and not a single shot was registered on target in the opening 45 minutes. Even the supporters looked unenthused, as the stadium, which had been a raucous cauldron just several nights prior, was silent. Fans would have been forgiven for not returning to their seats for the second half, but they turned out, hoping to have something to cheer about.
To their repeated dismay, the second half was no better. Again, neither team wanted to come out of their shell. Both knew it was their defensive performances that had won them points in previous games, and they weren't about to mess with a winning formula. But as the game wore on, the players did begin to wear down. Whether it was nerves, or fatigue, eventually there was a flashpoint. Alberto Aquilani received a pass in the center circle from Ranochhia, and slowly meandered forward, unchallenged, as the Greeks sank deeper into their own half. With all the time int he world, Aquilani saw a flash from Mario Balotelli, who had begun a diagonal run across Krygiakos, and lofted a ball over the top of the Greeks. All of a sudden, the game flashed into life. Balotelli had a yard on his defender, and was racing toward goal with a pace not seen from anyone in the past 70 minutes, and just as he entered the penalty area, Krygiakos' hand came across the shoulder of his shirt. Balotelli jerked backward, and fell flat. For a brief second, the stadium was absolutely silent, until refree Jonas Eriksson's whistle blew, and his hand raised, and pointed to the penalty spot. A cacophony erupted from the Italian fans, as the Greek defenders rushed to the referee to protest that Balotelli had dived. Replays would show minimal contact, but certainly enough to warrant a penalty. But that wasn't to be all the misery. Eriksson approached Krygiakos, and reached into his back pocked, unbuttoned it, and drew out a red card. Krygiakos hung his head, pleaded with the ref, who was having none of it, and ordered he recuse himself from the pitch. Balotelli himself stood up to take the penalty. With typical swagger, he approached the ball, stutter-stepped, and hit the ball calmly into the bottom corner, well out of Chalkias' reach. The Italians began celebrating, when all of a sudden, the referee's whistle echoed through the stadium again. The goal was disallowed. Baffled, it was now the Italian's turn to surround the referee. He declared the penalty must be retaken. Again, Balotelli stepped up, and stutter-stepped, and fired it low into the corner - but this time Chalkias was even to it, and palmed it away, where Papadopoulos was able to hook it to safety. Again the Italians swarmed the referee, who in the end booked 3 of them for dissent. The game was no snoozefest now. The Italians enraged, the Greeks enraged, and down to 10 men, tempers began flaring. Several players could easily have received bookings or sendings off, had the referee caught them, but we finally had a game on our hands. The Italians looked to press their man advantage, taking off Aquilani and Montolivo, and replacing them with Pepe and Rossi. And it was through the two substitutes, that Italy fashioned their first chance of open play. Clever footwork from Pepe opened up space 30 yards from goal, and he played a brilliant slide pass into Rossi, who ran through on the keeper. Chalkias came out to smother the ball, and did so well, but wasn't able to hold the ball as it cannoned off his chest out for a corner. De Rossi swung the corner in fiercely to the front post, where Balotelli met it and lifted it onto the backpost, where Pepe was waiting to head it back across the keeper - who managed to palm it back near to the penalty spot, and in a cruel twist of fate, the ball fell directly to Mario Balotelli, who lashed across the ball with his right foot, rocketing it into the top corner. Everyone paused, as they took a quick glance to see the referee's decision - it stood, and the stadium erupted once more. With their goal in hand, and less than 10 minutes to play, Italy made another defensive switch, and reverted to a similar formation as in the first half, and with only 10 men, it wasn't hard to see out the rest of the Greek attack until full-time.
The result from the first semi-final in - both teams new they would be facing Italy if they could reach the final. But for now, they had their own semi-final to weather. Germany, as expected, started the game much stronger. An attacking formation was obvious from their lineup, intent on breaking apart what has so far been a resilient Irish backline. Based on the opening 30 minutes, it was a miracle the game wasn't over already - but for heroics from Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, some astonishing defensive blocks, and a lot of luck, Germany could have been five up. A shot from Podolski from just outside the penalty area took a wicked deflection off John O'Shea, and seemed to be hurtling goalbound, when it just clipped the inside of the post, and rebounded across the line into Given's arms. Kroos went close next, playing a one-two around the Irish back four with Ozil, and finding himself in a one on one with Given, who made himself big, as Kroos attempted to scoop it over the Aston Villa keeper, but was denied by Given's face. The pressure continued to mount, as Germany had a succession of corners. Given got a punch to one, sending it out of the box, but it fell straight to Sami Khedira, who put his foot through it. Given recovered in time to parry, but the rebound fell to Klose, who attempted to side foot into an empty net, before Darron Gibson threw his body at the ball, blocking it on the line, before O'Shea managed to clear it out. It continued in this fashion until the 30th minute. Another great piece of buildup play from the Germans, involving Kroos, Muller, and Ozil put Kroos one on one with Given again, and this time, he slid the ball under the advancing goalkeeper, and watched the ball trickle into the net before any Irish defenders could block it. Kroos turned to celebrate, but to his dismay, the whistle of Stephane Lannoy had blown. He indicated that Kroos had been offside, despite the assisstant referee's flag staying down. The Germans protested, Kroos feeling he was innocent, and indeed replays seemed to show that the player was just in-line with the last defender. But the goal was disallowed. Luckily for the Irish, this seemed to take the sting out of the German attack, and the next 15 minutes were a much calmer affair, and they went into halftime all level.
Ireland made two changed for the second half, reverting to a much more defensive position, no doubt hoping they could see the rest of the attack out. Germany still seemed taken back by the goal, and were never quite able to get into the groove they had in the opening 30 minutes. They still dominated the ball, and created several good chances, but the Irish certainly never looked quite as tested as before. Eventually, the 90 minutes was up, and the game was headed for extra time. Unhappy with his team's performance, Joachim Low decided to change his team around, bringing on Cacau and Gotze. The German changes seemed to revitalize their attack, and again, the Germans piled shot after shot onto Shay Given's goal. In the 103rd minute, a shot from Gomez took a deflection off Gotze, and spiraled up, stricking the arm of Richard Dunne. Germany immediately clammoured for handball, and Lannoy pointed to the spot. Not wasting any time, Gomez placed the ball on the spot, and waved his teammates away. All of a sudden, a massive roar began to come from the Irish supporters behind the net. Gomez looked to them, then down to the ball. The whistle blew, and Gomez charged. Vuvuzelas rang out loudly, and even louder was the deafening boom of the Irish taunts "oooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" they yelled as Gomez came to strike the ball. Clearly distracted, he looked up right as he approached it, and blazed the ball over the bar, much to the delight of the Irish support. Again, Germany looked downtrodden. Ireland had little in the way of attacking threat, but Germany seemed unable to create another opportunity, and it wasn't long before penalties loomed.
Germany would step up to take the first, and it was none other than Mario Gomez.
Cool as ice, the Bayern striker pointed at the Irish fans, ran to the ball, and blasted it high into the roof off the net. 1-0 Germany.
Kevin Doyle was next. Saying a quick prayer, the small man jogged onto the ball, and calmly stroked it into the net, sending Neuer the wrong way. 1-1
Podolski was next. Taking a short stutter step, he waited for Given to commit himself, and sent the ball calmly the other direction. 2-1 Germany.
Seamus Coleman took the next with aplomb, sending the ball straight down the middle. 2-2.
Ozil followed, and put the ball at a saveable height for Given, who managed to get a palm to it, putting it onto the post, putting German hearts in mouths, but the ball came back across and struck Given's head, bouncing into the net. 3-2 Germany.
Robbie Keane came up for the next, and finished low and hard to his right. 3-3.
Muller was up next, and he carefully placed the ball, and took very deliberate steps backward. Given jumped around in the goal, as Muller took a deep breath and vaulted forward, hitting the ball in the same area as Ozil. This time Given was onto it faster, and palmed the ball back out, Muller had been saved! 3-3.
With the pressure rising, Darron Gibson went to take the next penalty. The former Manchester United player took a long run up, and connected with the ball with a thumb, rocketing it into the center of the goal. 3-4 Ireland.
Do or die. Schweinsteiger stepped up, knowing a miss would eliminate Germany. Unphased, he cannoned the ball into the top corner with a perfectly taken penalty. 4-4.
Knowing a goal here would win the match, Shay Given himself stepped up. Saying a quick prayer, the goalkeeper advanced on the ball, side-footing it... and sending Neuer the wrong way, as the ball rolled into the net.
Germany 0 - 0 Ireland A.E.T
Penalties 4 - 5
Referee: Stephane Lannoy
And with that, the semi-finals were over. Somehow, the Germans had lost on penalties, and the Irish found themselves in their first major tournament final, where they would face the 1968 winners, Italy in a rematch from the group stage.
After the festivities had died down, sportzboytjw was found being very suspicious and taken in my questioning by Interpol for his activities. But it seemed that there was nothing illicit about his strange sheep-blood rituals he performed on games.
Frustrated that Interpol wasn't getting them anywhere with the UEFA scandal, the mob turned violent and attacked Interpol Finance Agent, Kias, who is now in intensive care in Warsaw.
FULL TIME:
Greece 0 - 1 Italy
Germany 0 - 0 Ireland AET
4 - 5 Penalties
Andrei Pogrebnyalchenko, sportzboytjw arrested by Interpol
Posts
Firstly, if there's a village network could an expendable spokesperson please contact me if they want info on who I am.
Secondly, I have no money now. Thanks Void/Slym, you bastards. Can someone spot me for a ticket? I'll chant for the team of your choosing! Fan for hire!
Totally worth the grudges.
oOOooOOoooOOOooO
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
Buy tickets to Greece game, a Greece jersey, a Greece/Italy programme,
Buy tickets to Ireland/Germany, a programme for same.
Buy 2 pie.
Whoever is rooting for Greece- I can buy you Irish tickets/jerseys if you like- just PM me and I'll sell em to you cheapest as I can. Let's work together and get our teams into the finals!
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
Confusion will be my epitaph
I feel useless, with my team out and all my money lost.
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
(there are Kias is this picture)
Well, I'm iffy on advancing Ireland any further based solely on the fact that Void bought Ireland tickets and swag, and Ireland has been pulling off some huge upsets that they shouldn't be. It should be noted that Germany v Poland was the only game he didn't buy tickets for, so I'd say it's a safe bet to support Germany. He also didn't buy a team shirt for Italy, so that would be the other team I'd support, if you can. Other than that, I'm guessing there's probably only one mafia left if they were to have ~20% of the initial players. As for who that is, I've got no ideas beyond what has been said in the thread.
Henri Emmanuel Gratien St Pierre in Where No Man Has Gone Before
Lord Augustus Cumberbatch in Eclipse Phase
(Speaking as an Irish supporter here, so being up-front about possible bias)
Going by what the mafia did once they were about to die seems a bit silly. If anything, the teams Void DIDNT seem to support once he knew he was going to die should be the ones we're leery of. Any team he bought the jersey off of would have had doubt cast upon them once he died, and given he knew about his death using that information to go off of seems silly.
Basically he was an about-to-be-outed-bad-guy, so don't listen to him.
But seriously folks, you are riding the wrong wagon. You can usually tell a wagon is off if it gets going too easily, because mafia just love to hide in a straight vote wagon that tells us nothing. I have mostly been busy the last few days, barely got in my vote before going out last night.
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
When do you start believing? Well, if you had asked most people, they would have said "Never" to the thought of Ireland and Greece being part of the semi-finals today. The odds on either of them being at this stage of the tournament were considerably long, but I don't think a bookie in the world had both being here. But that's the magic of football, because on their day, anyone can win. Greece showed us 8 years ago that it is possible, and at this point, they look as likely as anyone to be a part of the final matchup.
Greece versus Italy
Two defensive juggernaughts come face to face. Both have only conceded twice this tournament, and had good defensive records in qualifying. As a result, it wouldn't be a longshot to expect this to be a low scoring match, and perhaps a draw. When Greece last won this tournament they were more than familiar with extra time, and Italy have used the extra 30 minutes to win games many times before - such as their last game against England. As a result, many feel this came could come down to a test of nerves in a penalty shootout. It is probably Greece who would have the most to gain from prolonging the game as long as possible, as the extra-time Italy had to play to see off England will no doubt have fatigued their players, on top of the rest the Greek players got by resting several big names in their final group match against Russia. Normally Italy would be strong favourites, but the Greek's look in more convincing form, and their star-players have played far fewer minutes than the Italians, and will be able to go into the match much fresher, which could make all the difference as legs grow tired.
Germany versus Ireland
Despite all the hype surrounding the Irish performance against Sweden, the Germans will still go into this game, and the tournament, as favourites. They've been incredibly clinical, and saw off the Polish with consummate ease, despite the fierce atmosphere in Warsaw. The Irish scoreline may have been more convincing, but their inability to perform consistently is what is most likely to hurt them against the Germans, who have already had their defense tested by some of the best attacking sides in the world, and come out almost unscathed. Germany have infinitely more experience at this stage of tournaments than Ireland, and will be sure to put that to good use. But with all the shocking results we've had already this tournament, it would seem folly to write of the Irish too hastily, and that is precisely what German managed Joachim Low said to the BBC in an interview.
"The Irish have shown everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with this year. Whether or not they were 2 years ago, or 4 years ago, or however long ago is irrelevant, what is relevant is that they are here, now, and we need to be ready to give this game everything we can to ensure we progress to the final."
Also, Ketbra.
Confusion will be my epitaph
TylerJ on League of Legends (it's free and fun!)
Then Penalties...
Greece vs Italy
As predicted, both teams came to the game ready to defend in numbers, and break when their opponent committed too many men forward. In a typical game, counter-attacking football can be exciting, and creates a tense atmosphere, however, it relies on one team committing men forward in the first place. Unfortunately, both teams were more than content sitting back, and whenever a team attempted to counter-attack, they were met with a wave of opposition. As a result, the first half was a very mediocre affair. Neither team was prepared to actually put more than 2 or 3 players in the opposing half, and not a single shot was registered on target in the opening 45 minutes. Even the supporters looked unenthused, as the stadium, which had been a raucous cauldron just several nights prior, was silent. Fans would have been forgiven for not returning to their seats for the second half, but they turned out, hoping to have something to cheer about.
To their repeated dismay, the second half was no better. Again, neither team wanted to come out of their shell. Both knew it was their defensive performances that had won them points in previous games, and they weren't about to mess with a winning formula. But as the game wore on, the players did begin to wear down. Whether it was nerves, or fatigue, eventually there was a flashpoint. Alberto Aquilani received a pass in the center circle from Ranochhia, and slowly meandered forward, unchallenged, as the Greeks sank deeper into their own half. With all the time int he world, Aquilani saw a flash from Mario Balotelli, who had begun a diagonal run across Krygiakos, and lofted a ball over the top of the Greeks. All of a sudden, the game flashed into life. Balotelli had a yard on his defender, and was racing toward goal with a pace not seen from anyone in the past 70 minutes, and just as he entered the penalty area, Krygiakos' hand came across the shoulder of his shirt. Balotelli jerked backward, and fell flat. For a brief second, the stadium was absolutely silent, until refree Jonas Eriksson's whistle blew, and his hand raised, and pointed to the penalty spot. A cacophony erupted from the Italian fans, as the Greek defenders rushed to the referee to protest that Balotelli had dived. Replays would show minimal contact, but certainly enough to warrant a penalty. But that wasn't to be all the misery. Eriksson approached Krygiakos, and reached into his back pocked, unbuttoned it, and drew out a red card. Krygiakos hung his head, pleaded with the ref, who was having none of it, and ordered he recuse himself from the pitch. Balotelli himself stood up to take the penalty. With typical swagger, he approached the ball, stutter-stepped, and hit the ball calmly into the bottom corner, well out of Chalkias' reach. The Italians began celebrating, when all of a sudden, the referee's whistle echoed through the stadium again. The goal was disallowed. Baffled, it was now the Italian's turn to surround the referee. He declared the penalty must be retaken. Again, Balotelli stepped up, and stutter-stepped, and fired it low into the corner - but this time Chalkias was even to it, and palmed it away, where Papadopoulos was able to hook it to safety. Again the Italians swarmed the referee, who in the end booked 3 of them for dissent. The game was no snoozefest now. The Italians enraged, the Greeks enraged, and down to 10 men, tempers began flaring. Several players could easily have received bookings or sendings off, had the referee caught them, but we finally had a game on our hands. The Italians looked to press their man advantage, taking off Aquilani and Montolivo, and replacing them with Pepe and Rossi. And it was through the two substitutes, that Italy fashioned their first chance of open play. Clever footwork from Pepe opened up space 30 yards from goal, and he played a brilliant slide pass into Rossi, who ran through on the keeper. Chalkias came out to smother the ball, and did so well, but wasn't able to hold the ball as it cannoned off his chest out for a corner. De Rossi swung the corner in fiercely to the front post, where Balotelli met it and lifted it onto the backpost, where Pepe was waiting to head it back across the keeper - who managed to palm it back near to the penalty spot, and in a cruel twist of fate, the ball fell directly to Mario Balotelli, who lashed across the ball with his right foot, rocketing it into the top corner. Everyone paused, as they took a quick glance to see the referee's decision - it stood, and the stadium erupted once more. With their goal in hand, and less than 10 minutes to play, Italy made another defensive switch, and reverted to a similar formation as in the first half, and with only 10 men, it wasn't hard to see out the rest of the Greek attack until full-time.
Greece 0 - 1 Italy
Krygiakos 72' (RED)
82' Balotelli
Referee: Jonas Eriksson
Germany vs Ireland
The result from the first semi-final in - both teams new they would be facing Italy if they could reach the final. But for now, they had their own semi-final to weather. Germany, as expected, started the game much stronger. An attacking formation was obvious from their lineup, intent on breaking apart what has so far been a resilient Irish backline. Based on the opening 30 minutes, it was a miracle the game wasn't over already - but for heroics from Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, some astonishing defensive blocks, and a lot of luck, Germany could have been five up. A shot from Podolski from just outside the penalty area took a wicked deflection off John O'Shea, and seemed to be hurtling goalbound, when it just clipped the inside of the post, and rebounded across the line into Given's arms. Kroos went close next, playing a one-two around the Irish back four with Ozil, and finding himself in a one on one with Given, who made himself big, as Kroos attempted to scoop it over the Aston Villa keeper, but was denied by Given's face. The pressure continued to mount, as Germany had a succession of corners. Given got a punch to one, sending it out of the box, but it fell straight to Sami Khedira, who put his foot through it. Given recovered in time to parry, but the rebound fell to Klose, who attempted to side foot into an empty net, before Darron Gibson threw his body at the ball, blocking it on the line, before O'Shea managed to clear it out. It continued in this fashion until the 30th minute. Another great piece of buildup play from the Germans, involving Kroos, Muller, and Ozil put Kroos one on one with Given again, and this time, he slid the ball under the advancing goalkeeper, and watched the ball trickle into the net before any Irish defenders could block it. Kroos turned to celebrate, but to his dismay, the whistle of Stephane Lannoy had blown. He indicated that Kroos had been offside, despite the assisstant referee's flag staying down. The Germans protested, Kroos feeling he was innocent, and indeed replays seemed to show that the player was just in-line with the last defender. But the goal was disallowed. Luckily for the Irish, this seemed to take the sting out of the German attack, and the next 15 minutes were a much calmer affair, and they went into halftime all level.
Ireland made two changed for the second half, reverting to a much more defensive position, no doubt hoping they could see the rest of the attack out. Germany still seemed taken back by the goal, and were never quite able to get into the groove they had in the opening 30 minutes. They still dominated the ball, and created several good chances, but the Irish certainly never looked quite as tested as before. Eventually, the 90 minutes was up, and the game was headed for extra time. Unhappy with his team's performance, Joachim Low decided to change his team around, bringing on Cacau and Gotze. The German changes seemed to revitalize their attack, and again, the Germans piled shot after shot onto Shay Given's goal. In the 103rd minute, a shot from Gomez took a deflection off Gotze, and spiraled up, stricking the arm of Richard Dunne. Germany immediately clammoured for handball, and Lannoy pointed to the spot. Not wasting any time, Gomez placed the ball on the spot, and waved his teammates away. All of a sudden, a massive roar began to come from the Irish supporters behind the net. Gomez looked to them, then down to the ball. The whistle blew, and Gomez charged. Vuvuzelas rang out loudly, and even louder was the deafening boom of the Irish taunts "oooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" they yelled as Gomez came to strike the ball. Clearly distracted, he looked up right as he approached it, and blazed the ball over the bar, much to the delight of the Irish support. Again, Germany looked downtrodden. Ireland had little in the way of attacking threat, but Germany seemed unable to create another opportunity, and it wasn't long before penalties loomed.
Germany would step up to take the first, and it was none other than Mario Gomez.
Cool as ice, the Bayern striker pointed at the Irish fans, ran to the ball, and blasted it high into the roof off the net. 1-0 Germany.
Kevin Doyle was next. Saying a quick prayer, the small man jogged onto the ball, and calmly stroked it into the net, sending Neuer the wrong way. 1-1
Podolski was next. Taking a short stutter step, he waited for Given to commit himself, and sent the ball calmly the other direction. 2-1 Germany.
Seamus Coleman took the next with aplomb, sending the ball straight down the middle. 2-2.
Ozil followed, and put the ball at a saveable height for Given, who managed to get a palm to it, putting it onto the post, putting German hearts in mouths, but the ball came back across and struck Given's head, bouncing into the net. 3-2 Germany.
Robbie Keane came up for the next, and finished low and hard to his right. 3-3.
Muller was up next, and he carefully placed the ball, and took very deliberate steps backward. Given jumped around in the goal, as Muller took a deep breath and vaulted forward, hitting the ball in the same area as Ozil. This time Given was onto it faster, and palmed the ball back out, Muller had been saved! 3-3.
With the pressure rising, Darron Gibson went to take the next penalty. The former Manchester United player took a long run up, and connected with the ball with a thumb, rocketing it into the center of the goal. 3-4 Ireland.
Do or die. Schweinsteiger stepped up, knowing a miss would eliminate Germany. Unphased, he cannoned the ball into the top corner with a perfectly taken penalty. 4-4.
Knowing a goal here would win the match, Shay Given himself stepped up. Saying a quick prayer, the goalkeeper advanced on the ball, side-footing it... and sending Neuer the wrong way, as the ball rolled into the net.
Germany 0 - 0 Ireland A.E.T
Penalties 4 - 5
Referee: Stephane Lannoy
And with that, the semi-finals were over. Somehow, the Germans had lost on penalties, and the Irish found themselves in their first major tournament final, where they would face the 1968 winners, Italy in a rematch from the group stage.
After the festivities had died down, sportzboytjw was found being very suspicious and taken in my questioning by Interpol for his activities. But it seemed that there was nothing illicit about his strange sheep-blood rituals he performed on games.
Frustrated that Interpol wasn't getting them anywhere with the UEFA scandal, the mob turned violent and attacked Interpol Finance Agent, Kias, who is now in intensive care in Warsaw.
FULL TIME:
Greece 0 - 1 Italy
Germany 0 - 0 Ireland AET
4 - 5 Penalties
Andrei Pogrebnyalchenko, sportzboytjw arrested by Interpol
Kias, Interpol Finance Agent attacked by the mob.
shit
Also, I really don't understand why you interpol people aren't contacting the confirmed interpol agent...
Cythraul.
Expect to be audited when I get better
OOooooOOooooOOoooooO
Match to end in Normal Time: Italy (3) - Ireland (7.5)
Match to end after Extra Time: Italy (4) - Ireland (4)
All PMs should be out, bets done, etc.
so many people on the chopping block.