[Mark]

Euro 2008 - Factbox: Penalty shootouts

All you ever wanted to know about penalty shootouts at Euro 2008 with the tournament poised to become the first to feature them in the group stage.

eurosport.yahoo.com wrote:


* A new UEFA regulation states if two teams playing each other in the final round of group matches draw their game and are level overall -- with no other teams involved -- on points, goal difference and goals scored, then their finishing position will be decided by "kicks from the penalty mark".


* If a third team is involved, or two teams end up level but are playing in separate matches, then UEFA's usual criteria will apply. In that case the first determining factor is points gained in matches between the teams involved, followed by head-to-head goal difference and head-to-head goals scored. Only after that does goal difference in all group matches and goals scored come into play.

If they are still inseparable then the teams's previous competitive results will be taken into consideration and in the unlikely case they are identical, lots would be drawn to see who advances.


* The first shootout in a major international tournament took place when Czechoslovakia beat West Germany on penalties to win the Euro 1976 final.


* Eleven European Championship matches have been decided on penalties, peaking in 1996 when both semi-finals and two of the quarter-finals went that way, while the now-discarded golden goal system settled the 1996 and 2000 finals.


* The Czechs have the best record, having won all three of their shootouts (two as Czechoslovakia, one as Czech Republic) and not missing any of their 20 kicks, nine coming in their 9-8 third-fourth playoff decider against Italy in 1980.


* The World Cup has had 20 shootouts, including two finals. Italy featured in both, losing to Brazil in 1994 but beating France in 2006 and those two European rivals could have to go through it again as they meet in the final round of Group C games at Euro 2008.


* Netherlands lost four shootouts in a row until ending the streak by beating Sweden in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals.


* England, missing from Euro 2008, have also lost four out of five, their solitary win coming against Spain in Euro 96.


* After losing that first showdown with the Czechs, the Germans have won five out of five and have not missed a shootout penalty for 26 years.


eurosport.yahoo.com | Football | Euro'08 | Article Here!

[Mark]

Euro 2008 - Statbox: For real anoraks only

Get ready to impress your mates in the pub with these fascinating but useless facts and figures ahead of this month's European Championships.

eurosport.yahoo.com wrote:


Most title wins: 3 Germany/West Germany 1972/80/96; 2 France 1984/2000


Most appearances in finals tournament including 2008: 10 Germany/West Germany


Most defeats in final: 3 Soviet Union 1964/72/88


Most tournament hosts: 2 Belgium 1972/2000; 2 France 1960/84; 2 Italy 1968/80


Most goals in finals tournaments: 9 Michel Platini (France); 7 Alan Shearer (England); 6 Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands)


Most goals in a tournament: 9 Michel Platini (France) 1984


Lowest scoring final: Greece 1 Portugal 0 2004


Highest scoring final: Czechoslovakia 2 West Germany 2 1976 (Czechoslovakia won 5-3 on penalties)


Oldest player at Euro 2008: 38 Ivica Vastic (Austria)


Youngest player at Euro 2008: 19 Eren Derdiyok (Switzerland)


Clubs providing most players at Euro 2008: 10 Lyon (France): 10 Panathinaikos (Greece)


Most goals scored in qualifying for Euro 2008: 35 Germany


Leading scorers in Euro 2008 qualifying who are appearing in finals: 9 Ebi Smolarek (Poland); 8 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal); 8 Lukas Podolski (Germany)


Most fouls on a player in Euro 2008 qualifying who is appearing in finals: 48 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)


eurosport.yahoo.com | Football | Euro'08 | Article Here!

[Mark]

Euro 2008 - Milestone goals

Xavi's opening goal in the Euro 2008 semi-final between Spain and Russia was the 500th goal in the history of the competition.

eurosport.yahoo.com wrote:


But who scored number 100, 200, 300 and 400?


Here are those milestone goals:



1 Milan Galic - France v Yugoslavia (1960) 1-0 (final score 5-4)


100 Alain Giresse - France v Belgium (1984) 2-0 (5-0)


200 Kim Vilfort - Denmark v Germany (1992) 2-0 (2-0)


300 Zlatko Zahovic - Slovenia v Spain (2000) 1-1 (1-2)


400 Thierry Henry - Switzerland v France (2004) 1-3 (1-3)


500 Xavi - Spain v Russia (2008) 1-0 (3-0)


eurosport.yahoo.com | Football | Euro'08 | Article Here!