Dullest Tournament

[Ludo*1]

I've mentioned it a couple of times in threads but this has been the most boring major tournament I can remember in a long time. Maybe the 2010 WC - but my overriding emotion was being annoyed with the vuvuzellas.

There's been 2-3 good games this tournament but the vast majority has been absolutely turgid pish.

There's not 1 team that's looked consistently good. 

Every team seems to be idolising the Greece team of 2004.

[Richey Edwards]

International football is shite and largely pointless IMO.

It's time to scrap it.

[Arch Stanton]

USA 1994 was much worse than this.

[Scotty Tunbridge]

More winter tournaments, Qatar WC was class with the players mid season as opposed to the normal end of season pace summer tourneys.

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

20 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said:

USA 1994 was much worse than this.

No chance. Not even close. Almost dished out a reddy for this blasphemy. 
 

1994 was awesome. Some of the best games in tournament history bookended by a couple of absolute duds. 

[McGlovin']

The best tournament is usually the one when you're aged 8-10 ish. The worst? Euro 96, despite the revisionism of our pals down south,  was almost all turgid fare, played in half empty stadiums.

[FK1Bairn]

Gary Lineker I think it was said something about players being tired at the end of a long hard season. 

I think he has a point but that can't be properly judged on one tournament. If the World Cup in 2026 is the same then fine. I have no idea how Copa America is going to compare them.

I'm done now with this tournament. I've seen 1 good game (Austria v Turkey), everything else has been turgid, boring and two teams just out not to lose. Seen better kids games! I reckon Turkey v Holland could be decent tomorrow but I'm not up for finding out. 

 

[DA Baracus]

Agree with the OP, 2010 was absolute gash.

[An Absolute Imposter]

Where has this style of play come from;

50 passes without actually going anywhere, can nobody cross a ball anymore, trying to walk the ball into the net, level of shooting has been abysmal, forwards incapable of working defenders, has forward passes been outlawed, why do virtually all players play the same way, are centre-forwards extinct.

The list is endless.

Not one player has stood out in this tournament, players I each team are clones of one another.

Absolutely dreadful.

Roll on 27th July, so I can get back to watching non-league again; much, much, much more enjoyable.

[ArabGaz]

World Cup 2010 was mainly a stinker ruined by that bloody jabulani ball but Germany - England  produced a couple of proper laugh out loud moments so it i’ll let it off for that one game alone.

Euro 2000 was the best tournament I can remember. Genuinely great international sides with players like Zidane & Figo at the peak of their powers and a few absolutely classic matches thrown in for good measure (Spain - Yugoslavia being the obvious choice).

Edited July 5 by ArabGaz

[BFTD]

We've probably been overdue a dud Euros/World Cup; they've been abnormally entertaining in recent years. In all honesty, this has been pretty standard - top teams that look tired (but can still grind out wins against the diddies), terrible shooting, and a cautious approach that becomes total risk aversity the longer each knockout game goes on. You do genuinely get the impression that many sides would be happy to go straight to penalties.

It might be the curse of the 24-team format, as this is how I remember those turning out in the Eighties/Nineties.

[Groundhopping Adventures]

World Cups and Euros and fueled by nostalgia. Italia 90 almost has hagiographical recollections in England when it reality it was negative and dreadfully dull. Euro 2021 was a shit show that England love because of the final. People talk fondly of 1970, yes Brazil were excellent, but mostly because it was the first World Cup in Colour. I know several people younger than me who think the 2010 World Cup was wonderful. It was rotten. 

Euro 2004 will always have a special place in my heart as it was the first tournament I could watch properly (wee bit young for 98 and 2000 and the 2002 World Cup was on during the night), was it that great, not really. Memorable moments aye but not especially wonderful. 

[Distant Doonhamer]

47 minutes ago, An Absolute Imposter said:

Where has this style of play come from;                                   50 passes without actually going anywhere, 

Guardiola and those who seek to imitate 

Edit to add both games today were a better watch than most Man City games. 

Edited July 5 by Distant Doonhamer

[BFTD]

I remember the South African World Cup being OK, but probably because I'd already seen far worse by then.

Not great; not terrible either.

[Lyle Lanley]

Wouldn't be surprised if the final next Sunday is 0-0. 

[Theroadlesstravelled]

France being semi-finalists without scoring a goal from open play sums it up.

England getting papped out will increase the enjoyment considerably. 

[velo army]

I think part of the reason I'm finding this one so dull (and also haven't been that excited for the last few) is the sheer saturation of football now. It's everywhere. All the time. No players are a mystery and there are no real surprises. 

Add in Guardiola's anxiety-ball tactics adopted by all but Turkey and Georgia and we have a recipe for torpor.

 

[throbber]

It has been shit - I still try to get excited for the games but usually within 10 minutes I’m out in the garden or on my phone talking about how shit it’s been. Also my betting has been absolutely atrocious, I always bet on things to happen in games to make it exciting but they’re all low scoring and few corners etc and I haven’t come close to winning anything.

I can’t think of many good goals or moments so far that we will remember the tournament by. Bellinghams overhead kick equaliser was in theory a good moment but it denied us from the post match tears and snotters which was absolutely sickening.

I think the players are fatigued and want their holidays, seasons are too long with too many games and football is just so ubiquitous that it doesn’t feel like a special occasion anymore. Or maybe we are all just getting old.

[PSJ.84]

6 hours ago, Groundhopping Adventures said:

Euro 2021 was a shit show

Gonna have to disagree with you there. 

[Ya Bezzer!]

The first week of the tournament was pretty good for the most part.

The third group games were garbage and the knock out stages have been patchy with most of the media attention going to the worst performing teams.

With the exception of Spain and Germany all the big guns have been very poor.  France, England, Portugal, Italy.

The dominate style of football at the elite level is lacking.  Teams are defensively coached to the nth degree but players cannot cross a ball, play an incisive pass, shot, etc, etc.  There's been a lot of goals from outside the box but I think that says a lot about the lack of penalty box strikers in the game right now, it's almost a lost art.

Something is badly wrong when two teams like France and Portugal basically go out in a quarter final to play for penalties.

Probably hasn't helped that Scotland were dismal and got papped out first and England have been dismal and somehow get through.

While players are over worked I feel like tactics and a lack of real talent is a bigger issue.  Most of the big names are in their 30's and on the downslope.

Also expanding the tournament just hasn't worked. 

Edited July 6 by Ya Bezzer!