So Euro 2008 is over and what have we learnt from the tournament?

We have learnt that the beautiful game is alive and kicking. Euro 2008 was a terrific tournament flush with entertaining games. We opened up slowly but on the third night the games sparked into life, we got The Netherlands v Italy. I sat here and work with my colleague Harry watching it and to be blunt we were blown away by the quality of football on show. The Dutch won 3-0 and they impressed everyone no end.

A day later we saw the eventual winners Spain dismantle Russia and we knew we had a couple of good sides in this thing. Croatia then beat Germany for the first upset of the tournament following a very professional 2-1 victory. The Dutch then followed up their Italian display with arguable and even better performance against the French on a Friday night, beating them 4-1. These Dutch were special.

Turkey would then provide a little taste of the drama they would provide in Euro 2008. They had already beaten Switzerland in the game that shouldn't of been played as the pitch was unplayable. The Turks won it deep into injury time, something they would do again.

That Czech Republic v Turkey game will go down in history as one of the best finishes of an international match ever. Both teams needed to win to qualify, a draw would've taken us to a dramatic penalty shoot-out after just 90 minutes to decide who qualified. The Czech's were 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go and still had the lead going into the final three minutes. What happened next was just breathtaking.

Petr Cech made the howler of all howlers as he failed to claim a cross allowing Nihat to stab home into in the unguarded net. The Turks didn't celebrate though, they went and got the ball and ran back to the centre circle, they thought they could win it. Two minutes later and Nihat was in, having broken the offside trap and the Turkish striker with glory beckoning opened up his body and fired a curling effort in off the underside of the crossbar, Turkey had won it against odds.

That was a quite exhilarating game that was football at its most dramatic. It summed up the tournament for me, a team never giving up and just going for it. It was a major tournament that favoured the attacking teams and not the defensive ones. Teams opened up and played. Did the weather help? You bet it did.

With cool and often rainy conditions, players were less tired and could go for the full 90 minutes. The last major tournaments saw a World Cup in Germany, which was going through a major heatwave, a European Championships in Portugal, again another heatwave, and then in 2002 the sultry conditions of Japan and Korea.

In the knock-out stage we saw yet more outstanding play. Portugal went out to Germany is another barnstorming game. Croatia will still be unsure how they failed to make the semi's, scoring and taking the lead in the 119th minute is usually a pretty good time to score. With only about 45 seconds left of the game, your money would be on them to hold out but they were playing those Turks and an equaliser was coming. Turkey won the shoot-out.

The beautiful Dutch were up next against the Russians and boy did the Russians do a job on them. The Netherlands had gone from sixth favourites to firm favourites following their total destruction of the so called 'Group of Death'. They faced Russia as the firm people's favourites for their wonderful style of play, the problem was they just failed to perform on the night as Russia beat them at their own game. An upbeat attacking style that the Dutch failed to live with. The favourites were out.

Spain then beat Italy on penalties in a pretty lacklustre final quarter-final.

The semi's were really a tale of two games. Germany and Turkey played out a thoroughly exciting and entertaining game in which the German's were lucky to go through. An injury and suspension riddled Turkish side gave Germany a quite fantastic game and deserved far more than what they got. Spain crushed Russia in the other game after a pretty lacklustre display from the Russians who clearly saw the Dutch game as their final.

Then we got to the Final which is still pretty fresh in our minds. Germany were never in the game in reality and even though Spain only won by the solitary goal, they never looked in danger of losing the game. They were a good and deserved winner. It was a real shame that the Netherlands and Spain never got to match-up in the semi finals - as that would've been a special game.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable tournament. Some good teams, some cracking games, some quite frankly unbelievable finishes and some show. Without a doubt it has been the best major tournament of the decade and it coincides with England not being in it. I wonder if that has been a good thing?

JimmyJim1990 asked on the forum who did we prefer watching football on, BBC or ITV? I have to say it wasn't a difficult decision for me...

BBC hands down and that is despite Motty.

John Motson v Clive Tyldesley - Close win for ITV

Motty is just past it and despite Clive's love affair with Manchester United and that night in Barcelona - he's better.

Mark Lawrenson v David Pleat - Close win for BBC

I don't really like Lawro but David Pleat is well erm...David Pleat

Gary Lineker v Steve Rider - Tie

I like Steve's professionalism and steady pair of hands but I also quite like Gary's laid backness.

Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer, Martin O'Neill v Andy Townsend, Big Sam, Gary Neville et al - Huge victory for BBC

This is where the Beeb comes into her own. Hansen and O'Neill are both at the very peak of studio analysts. Shearer is also better than anyone ITV trots out.

Ads v No Ads - BBC big

I know ads have to be there but we get much less preview on ITV, much less time for Half Time chat and it's just a less pleasant watching experience.

So there we go - BBC is the place I prefer to watch football, like most of the rest of the nation.

So we have culled eight squads and the same amount are playing on - read our TalkFootball predictions here

We start off tonight with Portugal v Germany and the Germans have not impressed at all on their way to the Q/F's. The pre-tournament favourites wouldn't still be in this competition if it wasn't for Lukas Podolski. Gomez has been shocking up top and surely won't play tonight. I fully expect Podolski to start up front alongside Klose. Defensively they've looked solid but a lot depends on the fitness of Frings. If he fails to make it then they have a much worse chance to go through.

As for Portugal, things have been relatively plain sailing for them. No new injury concerns, most of their star players were rested for the game with Switzerland. I don't see a potent threat up top but with Ronaldo and Deco pulling the strings they'll be a match for anyone.

Prediction - Portugal 2-1 Germany - Live on ITV1

Next up sees the surprisingly Croatia entertain the exciting Turkey. Croatia won Group B after they took apart Germany and have impressed everyone so far in this tournament. They have two supreme players in Modric and Kranjcar pulling the strings just like Portugal. The latter is expected to start once more as a second striker. I look forward to watching Pranjic again as he really impressed me in the game with Germany.

Turkey got into this game after that quite dramatic and enthralling match with the Czech Republic on Sunday night. They are riding high on a crest of a wave and can surprise one or two. Nihat has been terrific up front but I'm not sure they can stop Croatia curving them open.

Prediction - Croatia 2-1 Turkey - Live on BBC One

The Dutch are up next as on Saturday night The Netherlands take on Russia. The Dutch have been the team of the tournament and there can be no argument with this. The way they play, with swashbuckling counter-attacking play has been a joy to watch. Ruud van Nistelrooy has been great as a lone target man and with the likes of Van Persie, Robben, Van Der Vaart and the quite irrepressible Sneijder, they have torn teams apart.

The Russians came through as the final qualifiers after beating Sweden on Wednesday night. They looked really good and with this kid Arshavin they have a real talent. Up front they have Pavlyuchenko who has looked dangerous all the way throughout the tournament. However they are up against the cream of the crop...

Prediction - The Netherlands 3-0 Russia - Live on ITV1

On Sunday we see arguably the best game. Spain take on Italy hoping to beat them for the first time in 88 years. The Spanish have long been tagged as a great team on paper but when it comes to the big tournaments they fall short and usually fall-out with one another. This time around there seems to be harmony in the camp though and in Torres & Villa they have the more potent strike duo in Euro 2008.

Over on the opposition we see an Italian team who have been this close to going out but are still here. They will be without Guttuso and Pirlo who are both suspended but they seem to have a hunger, which is something the French seriously did not have. Luca Toni has been a big brute up front but has yet to grab a goal in the tournament. This is my top for the upset.

Prediction - Spain 1-2 Italy - Live on BBC One

To see what others think then check out the thread on the TalkFootball forums. If you haven't joined yet then SignUp and join in and help us create a friendly football forum.

Many were tipping the current Spanish side to be the perennial underachievers to shrug off such an unwanted tag and make the biggest impact on this year's European Championships. Instead it's quickly becoming clear that it's the laid back Dutch side under the helm of Euro-great Marco Van Basten who are really brighten up the tournament - in more ways than one.

Their first match was billed as the first real test of what was deemed the group of death as they took on World Cup holders Italy but in a truly awesome encounter the Dutch managed to turn on the magic and for 90 minutes proved that the so-called 'total football' of the 70's and 80's was not lost on this group of players.

Although their opener controversial - yet legal - there was no doubting over the course of the game that Holland were the better team, showing swagger and strength not just up-front but also in defence. Yes it is true that the Italian's had there chances but the sheer pace of the Dutch break-aways which led to two of their goals just couldn't be stopped by the ageing legs of the Italian squad - the average age of which is the oldest in the history of the competition.

Van Nistelrooy, Sneijder and Van Bronckhorst took their goals well but it wasn't just the big names which performed on the night. Players such as Boulahrouz and Ooijer who have been criticised over their apparent quality - or lack of it - came through as heroes on the night and for once a Dutch side appeared to be playing in unison after so many tournaments when off the pitch antics have grabbed the headlines over the football.

The real test it seemed then was when the Dutch took on the French, another side with age firmly against them but so often a banana skin waiting to trip up an under-prepared side.

This wasn't the case with the Dutch who, after handing out Italy's biggest ever defeat in a major tournament final's produced an equally - if not more spectacular - impressive display as they ran out 4-1 winners thanks to strikes from Kuyt, Van Persie, Robben and the on form Sneijder but let's be honest, who isn't on form for the Netherlands at the moment?

It may seem that I am focusing on the positives a little too much here so okay here goes with the negatives:

Henry's goal.

That's it though, there really is nothing more so far that can be said against the Dutch and looking for negatives would be nigh-on impossible if not a little unfair after two performances like this and that is why so much money will be now bet on Holland to go all the way.

Even when they did concede against France it took them merely one minute to ease back into a two-goal lead with Robben racing down the other end and scoring one of the goals of the tournament from an incredibly acute angle with Henry still milking the French applause.

As already mentioned the Dutch performances so far this year have been truly incredible and even their own players find it a little bewildering. Van Nistelrooy told the BBC,

"We are still trying to get our heads round this.

"We couldn't expect this as we didn't have the best of form before the tournament started.

"Now it seems everything is falling into place, confidence is there and it lifts the team and makes a lot of difference I think" With Robben adding,

"They are great results but we have to stay down to earth. We have one more game in the group but then if we lose we are out and then this is all for nothing."

They are both right, there is just one more game left in the group and that is against a stubborn Romanian side who are not out of a shot of reaching the knock-out stages of the tournament and after the way the group of death has gone so far it would be a wise man who would be betting against them getting a result against the Dutch and sending both Italy and France home early.

Written by John Ford - A Freelance Football Journalist

So some people said that Euro 2008 would be boring without England...I think we can safely put that myth to bed now can't we?

With twenty minutes to go in last night's Czech Republic v Turkey encounter it was all over. The Czech's were going through and the Turks were going to blame the referee for not allowing them to bring on a substitute to replace the injured Emre Gungor. The stories had been written and everyone was ready to pack up and go on to tonight's Group B games when suddenly Turkey decided that it wasn't all over, not by a long shot.

Wardy grabbed a goal back and it was the proverbial game on scenario. The Turks went for it like their lives depended on it. They came forward in waves, six, seven, eight people at a time. It was all hands to the pump, a proper cup tie. They missed chances, great chances, time was ebbing away and then came the howler of all howlers.

A long high lofted cross came into the area which was Petr Cech's all day long. However the Chelsea keeper and the man widely regarded as the best in the world dropped the ball right at the feet of Turkish forward Nihat. He rolled it into the unguarded net and the Czech's had sensationally thrown away a two goal lead.

The Turks though didn't go over the top with the celebrations though, even with just three minutes left they thought they could win it and grabbed the ball and ran back to the centre circle. They would win it when Nihat was put through and fired a shot in off the underside of the bar. Cue pandemonium and a comeback for the ages.

The Turkish keeper still managed to get himself sent off in a frantic last few moments as the Czech's really should've levelled it up. It was football at its very best and as Jon Champion said on the broadcast, 'If a spaceship came direct from Mars and landed on the centre circle then it wouldn't surprise me' - sums it up perfectly.

So with the result earlier in the day going the why these two teams would not of wanted - three points and a victory became even more vital than it already was.

A game that saw Austria spurn three guilt edged opportunities early on, an offside goal, a controversial penalty at the death and much much more. Euro 2008 is starting to get rather tasty.

Poland once again decide to open up with a very high line and once more they got tore to shreds by it. The Polish keeper Boruc made some terrific saves but how Austria weren't out of sight within the first half an hour nobody knows. Martin Harnik wasted two golden opportunities when clear through but he wasn't the only one as Austria carved open the Polish defence but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.

You just knew that this would come back to haunt the Austrian's and just after the half hour mark they were behind. Brazilian born Roger Guerreiro stroked the ball home from close range despite being in an offside position. The Austrian's were gutted and they looked set on snatching a victory.

After they took the lead there wasn't really another chance until a quite dramatic injury time. Austria were heading out of the competition when a free kick was clipped into the area. Howard Webb had already warned the defender about shirt pulling and he once more tugged a bit of Sebastian Proedl's shirt and the referee pointed at the spot.

There is no doubt whatsoever that it was soft but also you can see why it was given. My argument is that if you give that penalty, then you have to give many more. Not that it's wrong, but it'll take a strong referee to clamp down on shirt pulling in the box.

Ivica Vastic stepped up and rammed the ball home. The Austrian's had made out like bandits with a last gasp goal that keeps them in the competition. Victory over Germany in their last game will more than likely see them through to the Quarter-Finals. It might be a tall order but it is possible, technically.

As for Poland, they are now extremely long shots to make the next round and the coach is not a happy man. He has had one or two words to say about the referee and they weren't particularity nice ones either.

They say that any major tournament doesn't really get going until we've seen an upset - well Euro 2008 is well and truly up and running after Croatia beat Germany yesterday afternoon.

The Germans had not just been pencilled in as the group winners, most had carved it into their stone spreadsheets. Going into the game most saw this as a strong tune-up for the German's but one they should come through. Instead what we got was a vintage performance by a Croatian team who showed they have a great leader in Slaven Bilic, who has great tactical knowledge that helped lead them to a famous victory.

Croatia started well and were playing with one striker again but this time they had Portsmouth's Niko Krancjar playing just off the front man. This tactic seemed to work well as they stifled the German's and they went on and scored with the first effort on target in the game.

A nice move down the left flank with some neat inter-play ended with a beautiful left-footed cross from Danijel Pranjic. The German left-back waited for the ball instead of going to meet it and Darijo Srna stole in to stab it home. It put the cat amongst the pigeons and it was Croatia who looked more likely to score the next goal.

Two chances fell to Krancjar, the first he fired over on the stretch and the second saw Lehmann make a decent save. It was pretty much all Croatia and they went into the break in the ascendency.

They would take the lead mid-way through the second half with a goal that owed a lot to lady luck. A Ivan Rakitic cross was deflected by Lukas Podolski and the ball was tipped on to the post by the keeper. It then rolled out into the six yard area and with a back line of four defenders all standing still, Ivica Olic pounced and suddenly Germany were staring down the barrel of defeat.

They would get one back through Podolski but they never looked like getting a second. German sub Schweinsteiger came on and saw red after a shove on Leko. I thought it was a harsh red card when all is said and done but if you raise your arms then you are on dodgy ground. Germany will surely still qualify as they only have to beat Austria, but this defeat means a much tougher route to Euro 2008 glory.

David Pleat is currently the lead co-commentator for ITV at Euro 2008 but he really should not be in a job.

I know the excellent Martin Samuel of The Times thinks that David Pleat is an excellent co-commentator and doesn't deserve all the stick that he gets. However I must disagree and after listening to him yesterday, he got me shouting at the TV telling him how stupid he is.

The game was Portugal v Czech Republic but David didn't recognise the latter. He called them either Czechoslovakia or the Republic of Czechoslovakia. Now neither of these countries exist, one has never existed. Yet he will continue to be employed by ITV and they'll probably just laugh it off as David Pleat being David Pleat.

This isn't like Murray Walker, he was beloved by all and his enthusiasm carried him through. So what that he made the odd mistake and got confused at times, that was Murray and we dealt with it. However simple facts like getting someone's name wrong is not something that he did, nor should it be acceptable.

David Pleat is a terrible co-commentator anyway and when you throw in things like this then it frustrates me immensely. ITV won't listen to me but I'm sure if they ran a poll or had a focus group on David Pleat the results would be pretty unanimous.

After a few weeks of speculation, Chelsea have announced their new manager and he is none other than Big Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The man who was once on the verge of becoming England manager instead of Steve McClaren but chose not to because of the FA's instance he signed before the World Cup and the media's intrusion. Despite the fact that he is still manager of Portugal and they are in the finals of a major tournament, the deal was announced by Chelsea last night, presumably because it was about to leak out.

The 59 year-old has never managed at club level in Europe and speaks n English, yet he is charged with taking Chelsea over the top in the Premiership & Champions League. I have to admit I find it a surprising appointment. There is little doubt as to his quite considerable credentials when it comes to international football, but there are legitimate questions when you look at whether he is the right man to take Chelsea forward.

His personality is strong and his players know what he expects, nay, demands of them. His players often speak very highly of him but he hasn't dealt with the day to day running of a football club for the best part of a decade. His lack of English some might say isn't a huge issue due to the lack of English players at Chelsea, but surely you need to converse in the native language of the country that you are working in?

So he takes over at Stamford Bridge on July 1 and will straight away walk into one of the best but most challenging jobs in world football. Chelsea is a great job, he has a chairman who will back him in the transfer market and can attract the best players on the planet with the lure of huge wages and playing for the biggest trophies in the most exciting league in the world.

It'll be interesting to see how he does...

The evening game yesterday saw the co-hosts Switzerland staring down the barrel of going out of their own tournament within the first five days.

The game started off in decent weather but soon a thunderstorm came and horrendous rain started hammering down on to the pitch. Very quickly the pitch was becoming poor and unfit for play but the game continued. Switzerland adapted to the conditions better than the Turkish side and took the lead mid-way through the half.

Hakan Yakin rolled the ball home after a low cross found him, what summed it up perfectly was the fact the ball stuck in the pitch right in front of the Swiss player who had a ball, stopped dead, two yards out from goal with the keeper out of action. It doesn't get too much easier than that.

The same player missed a glorious opportunity just a few minutes later as a cross found him in the centre of the goal six yards out, but he sliced the effort wide. The pitch at this time was clearly unfit for play and the game should've been either suspended or postponed. There can be no argument that the pitch was not dangerous but still we played on. It was becoming farcical and I was not enjoying it one jot.

Luckily for the referee and UEFA officials, the rain eased off towards the end of the first half and stopped completely during half time. The lengthy interval to allow the ground staff to do their job was called for and Turkey needed the time to sort out how they were going to come back. They decided to make two changes and one of them was to come good sooner rather than later.

Semih Senturk headed home the equaliser although the Swiss keeper should've done a lot better. It was game on and now that the pitch had dried out a little bit, the ball was rolling well and the game was becoming rather entertaining.

It was end to end stuff and both teams were creating chances to win it. However we got into injury time and we were still tied up. Then the Turks got the ball on the break, Arda got the ball down the left flank and charged forward, he came inside and hit a shot, the ball clipped off the foot of Behrami and the keeper could do nothing as the ball looped over him and settled in the back of the net.

Turkey have set up a winner takes all clash with the Czech Republic on Sunday and the co-hosts are done. Turkey looked like a decent side and the Czech's were a lot better in defeat against the Portuguese than they were in victory against the Swiss. That should be a good game.

Portugal went into the game with the Czech Republic knowing that they needed to put in a performance after the impressive displays of the Dutch and the Spaniards and most would say that they succeeded.

With the likes of Ronaldo and Deco in their side, you'd expect some quality from the side. They took the lead early after a scrambled effort. Giant keeper Petr Cech twice denied efforts on goal before Deco managed to force it home.

Most people thought they would then runaway with the game but within nine minutes the Czech's were level. A corner was sent in and Sionko met it with a diving header just beyond the near post and headed it into the roof of the net.

The Portuguese were stunned but as the game wore on it was the Czech's that looked the more dangerous. Milan Baros was up top on his own and run his little socks off, however as most Portsmouth fans will tell you, the final ball nor the knowledge of where his team mates were apparent as he ran with his head down a lot.

Portugal took the lead again mid-way through the second half through that man Ronaldo. Deco found the current Manchester United player on the edge of the area and he swept the ball home. It was a nice finish and it helped a lot of people's fantasy teams. Later in the game he'd pass when clean through after breaking the offside trap, which would annoy many a fantasy coach, he would get the assist but Quaresma would get the goal.

Between the two goals the Czech's flooded forward and had some real chances to grab an equaliser. Big Jan Koller came on and caused some real problems in the Portuguese defence. The Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo is about as flappy as you can be at crosses, which is something other managers will have noticed. The Czech's looked dangerous from set pieces all day long but they didn't manage to force through the second goal.

Portugal have now won the group due to their h2h records against both Turkey and the Czech Republic. They face the runner-up of Group B in the Quarter-Finals. Portugal have impressed most but I still think that are are suspect and when they come up against one of the premier sides in the tournament, they'll fall short.

Game eight of the tournament saw the reigning Champions enter the fray and once again make us wonder just how on Earth they won this thing four years ago.

An awful and negative display by the Greeks disappointed but didn't surprise us. Luckily the Swedes came out and tried to play football, which got all the neutrals on their side. It was summed up perfectly by the ever-improving Jim Beglin on ITV, who stated that even though they have to be neutral, the way the Greeks were playing led to him hoping the Swedes would score and win.

Greece won Euro 2004 in the same style and clearly decided to stick to what they know. A negative style, with lots of passing amongst the back four, very few fluent moves, trying to win free kicks and score from set pieces. Sweden just couldn't break them down for 67 minutes until a wonder goal from the erratic Zlatan Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock.

The Inter Milan striker played a neat one-two on the edge of the area with Henrik Larsson before firing a peach of a shot past the outstretched arm of Nikopolidis to give the Swedes the lead they fully deserved. It was an unerring strike from the front man, who wit that goal snapped a scoreless streak for his country that goes back all the way to 2005.

Sweden doubled their lead via a knee and backside just six minutes later. Freddie Ljungberg had been put through but failed to slot the ball past the keeper. From the rebound a ball went spiralling towards goal, the keeper, two defenders and Sweden player Peter Hansson went for the ball. After a bit of a scramble and a boot off Hannson's bum and knee, the ball found its way into the back of the net and it was game over.

Sweden look like a decent outfit and I'd be surprised if they didn't finish second in the group. If they do finish second though they'll most likely have to face the Dutch in the Quarter-Finals and I don't think anyone would be relishing that prospect at the moment. As for the Greeks, the sooner they are gone from this tournament, the better.

A lot of pundits were tipping Spain to do well in this tournament. After their performance earlier this evening you can see why.

A 4-1 scoreline doesn’t do the Spanish justice. They swarmed all over a pretty disappointing Russian team to announce their arrival in a very big way. The Netherlands had got Euro 2008 going on Monday night and the Spanish thought they needed to make an impact and they didn’t disappoint.

All the talk was about Fernando Torres but it was his strike partner who was to take home the match ball. David Villa has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal and if Arsene Wenger was watching then he is bound to of been impressed by what he saw.

His first was thanks to excellent work from Torres, the second was after a beautifully timed run and through ball. He wrapped up his hat trick after being sent through, shoulder barging the defender before checking inside and pulling the ball past the keeper. A truly wonderful performance that will of made scouts all over sit p and take notice.

Whilst going forward they were a treat, defensively they still looked a tad shaky. They did concede late from a corner and several times were exposed in the channels. Febregas came off the bench to nab a fourth despite being offside - and this time it definitely was offside folks!

So Spain have opened their campaign with a more than impressive performance. Was it more to do with Russia’s inadequacies or Spain’s splendour? That is a question that I don’t think we can answer until they play in the Quarter-Finals against someone from Group C. However they did well and considering I am one of those who never tips Spain and waits for them to fall apart, for them to impress me takes something.

So it looks as though the referee got it right last night and it was me (and most probably the majority of us) who got it wrong.

I am part of many forums and discussions on football. On one e-mail list (a Portsmouth Football Club one - no surprise there) a good friend of mine (and a referee) bemoaned the fact that the ITV commentary team didn't know the rules with regards to offside. So we had a discussion about it and I thought it would be a rather interesting one to read.

Tim's words are in italics whereas mine as in the standard font.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Holland Italy game last night, but became incredibly frustrated / angry by the standard ignorance of commentators regarding the first goal, which they insisted was a reffing error and clear offside.

Fact an Italian defender was behind the goal line but clearly still active in that he was attempting to regain his feet and return to the pitch. If he had left the pitch and become inactive (a) he should have been cautioned for leaving the Field of play without permission and (b) would have had to wait for the official to signal him back on.

He therefore equates to someone standing on the goal line, which means that the keeper as the then last but one man becomes the off side line, and the keeper was clearly between RVN and the other attacker and the goal line, therefore they are both on side and indeed would have been stood even further forward.

Whereas I disagree (and that is rare on a reffing front with you) The defender makes no attempt to regain his feet and stays down and in my view clearly plans to stay down until that phase of play was over. He had gone out of play not because he took himself out of it voluntarily but because he'd gone for a ball and then fallen over after jumping for the ball.

Had Panucci got up and made a move to get back on the pitch then I think you could argue he was active. He was very clearly inactive and because he was off the field of play should not of been involved in the play.

I don't know the exact rules regarding this but I really think the goal should not of counted. If this is the way things are, what is to stop strikers shoulder barging defenders behind the goal and therefore
being onside for an attack?

If they barged someone off the pitch that would be a foul... A defender does NOT need to be active to keep people on side. Any player who is temporarily off the pitch remains active, unless they deliberately attempt to stay off it, in which case they should be cautioned for leaving the field without permission, and not allowed back on until play has been stopped and restarted with an indirect free kick.

Equally had an attacker only been off the pitch he would be flagged off side (correctly) if close enough to the play to be regarded as active even if off the pitch, and cautioned if at any point he was suggesting that he would not return to the field as quickly as he could.

Having just watched the goal again I still say no goal. Robbie Keane stayed off the pitch deliberately for Spurs v us and wasn't booked - although the ref did say had to score he would've booked him. Panucci collided with his goalkeeper and was on the floor, off the pitch, injured. How can an injured player off the field be regarded as active?

If the rules state that it was a goal (which they clearly do having listened to you, Keith Hackett and the Austrian bloke) then the rule is wrong. That goal was given correctly but the rule needs to be changed as I don't see why Panucci and the Italians should be punished for having one of their players laying injured off the pitch - which is what happened in this case.

Still - it is a good one for discussion when all the Select Group meet up for their pre-season pow wows. Also I've noticed they've yet to clamp down on shirt pulling in the box, which they said that they would do.

Keane should probably have been booked, although the referee could say that even were he regarded as on the field he was not interfering or influencing play and therefore as an attacker not active. Panucci didn't appear to receive treatment even subsequent to the goal?

If you allow people, who may be injured to stay off the pitch to play an offside trap, I suspect we all know where we are headed, and we suddenly have attackers who one minute are miles on side becoming offside as defenders collapse prostrate behind the goal line. I accept that Panucci did not leave the pitch voluntarily, however had he been in the net - would he have tried to kick the ball to stop it entering the goal - answer = almost certainly yes?

How would you change the rule so that a player off the field who is injured cannot keep an attacker on side? Had Panucci been seriously injured near the corner flag but just on the pitch, would that make it any better?

I don't think there is a whole heap wrong with the law, and even if there were I am not sure any alternative would make things any better - but open to a suggestion.

My suggestion would simply be that the Italian defenders other than Panucci should have been as aware as RVN...

I am still considering if I can come up with anything that can sort out this rule. I really don't think that Italy should be penalised for having a player off the pitch, who clearly don't choose to go off. It is certainly an interesting one to ponder.

Once upon a time male football fans would quite openly mock their female counterparts for the perceived inability to understand the rules surrounding offside, today however both sexes could be forgiven for a failure to grasp its apparent complexity.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy's opening goal in Monday's clash between Holland and Italy has once again brought further doubt over the offside rule, a law which FIFA describe is 'as easy as 1-2-3' but you can bet that Italy.

As Wesley Sneijder's shot was poked in by Van Nistelrooy, the first reaction from players, fans and pundits alike was to claim that the goal should have been chalked off for offside. In the aftermath of Euro 2008's most thrilling match yet Austrian and English football chiefs have been amongst a number of officials quick to jump to the defence of referee Peter Frojdfeldt and his colleague's decision.

Italian defender Christian Panucci had rolled off the pitch injured at the time following a clash with his goalkeeper but it appears that according to the rules he was playing Van Nistelrooy onside.

English referee's chief Keith Hackett told the BBC,

"The fact is the assistant was correct; the defender who slid off the field is still regarded as active.

"Christian Panucci went off through contact with his own goalkeeper (Gianluigi) Buffon. He is still considered part of the game" This followed a statement from Austrian refereeing commissioner Gerhard Kapl who almost immediately after the final whistle insisted that the decision from the Swedish official's was absolutely correct.

FIFA's stance on the ruling seems to claim that the offside law is a clear as crystal and points to only two elements which affect whether a player is on or offside, namely position and whether they are involved in active play or not.

In truth though, the rule is not that simple as there are many different elements which in the heat of a match cannot possibly be remembered and acted upon by the players themselves, even FIFA themselves say that being in an offside position is not enough to be deemed as being offside!

The first element which referee's and their officials must take into consideration is whether a player is in an offside position, i.e. is he closer to the goal line than the ball and the second to last defender and is he in the opponents half? If both of these requirements are met then the player is in an offside position. This is all well and good but the complications come in when the second element is considered, whether he is active or not.

Now, after spending the good part of an hour trying to get my head round this I have finally understood the ruling, I think.

A player is classed as being active only if he either, interferes with play, an opponent or gains an advantage from being in that position.

To interfere with play he must touch the ball, this seems pretty straight forward but FIFA insist on including five slides to illustrate this point. In order to interfere with an opponent - cue childish giggles - a player must either block the line of sight of an opponent, restrict their movement or make gestures or movement which in the opinion of the referee either deceives or distracts the opponent. So, if a player is stood in front of the goalkeeper he is active but if he is stood to the side, motionless, then he is inactive. This really does baffle me, after all surely the goalkeeper would now be wondering whether a pass to the dormant team-mate will be made or a shot instead? Also, on the same point, a player merely being stood in that position could lead to a defender being dragged across to cover him when instead he could have been closing down the shot.

The final decision a referee has to make is whether the player gains an advantage from being in his position. This can be from receiving a ball after it has cannoned of the framework of the goal or another player - he must have been in an offside position when the initial ball was played. To further complicate matters a player can be in an offside position but not cause an infringement if he does not make contact with the initial ball and then receives a pass from another onside team-mate when he is in an onside position - i.e. behind the ball etc - simple right? Exactly... oh and yes, a player cannot be offside directly from a goal or corner kick or a throw-in.

This has all been argued before but it seems that after spending nigh on 20 years developing the offside rule, FIFA don't want to be seen as taking the rule backwards or, in other words owning up to their own mistakes.

After all this though, there is not one mention in the rules about a player being laid off injury stricken off the field of play, so although the above information is almost migraine inducing, it really isn't relevant to Monday's scenario!

UEFA's general secretary David Taylor told a news conference that,

"The player was not offside because in addition to the goalkeeper there was another Italian player in front of the goal scorer.

"Even though he had fallen off the pitch his position was still relevant for the purposes of the offside law" So it's pretty clear what the official line on the matter is, the goal was good. Remember that the next time you're down the park with your mates for a game of jumpers for goalposts and don't have a rulebook at hand.

What is certain is that this result for Holland has given them a clear advantage following France's dismal draw against Romania earlier in the day and will surely lead to the betting on Group C firmly swinging to the Dutch escaping the supposed 'group of death' but it's anyone's guess where Italy or France will finish, the two meet on Friday in what is now turning out to be a mouth-watering tie.

Written by John Ford - A Freelance Football Writer

This was the first game between the so called 'Big Three' in the 'Group of Death' and boy was it special.

After enduring the Romania v France bore draw, football fans yearned for this game to live up to its billing. What we got was even better than what was on the menu as the Netherlands and Italy served up a right old treat.

The question surrounding the Netherlands was whether they would be able to produce the free-flowing attacking football that had been made famous by Dutch teams of the past. This question was well and truly answered in the affirmative as they ran riot.

They started off the busier side and could've, nay should've had a penalty when Ruud van Nistelrooy was felled by Italian keeper Buffon. The former Manchester United man chose to stay on his feet instead of going to ground. It was honest but at the same time foolish.

He was to open the scoring not long afterwards though despite being well offside. Wesley Sneijder's effort was turned in and after two glances over towards the referee's assistant, who kept his flag down, van Nistelrooy celebrated with his team mates.

The Italians were incensed and they had every reason to be. Panucci was off the field behind the goal and the head of the Austrian refereeing committee Gerhard Kapl insisted that because of this, van Nistelrooy had been played onside. Well when a man of his idiocy makes it to the top of his profession then there is hope for us all. Panucci was off the field of play and making no attempt to get back on to the field. Until he steps on the white line he is out of the game, so the goal should never have stood.

Then though we were to witness one of the great goals, there is no over-egging it, the goal was that good. It came from an Italian corner that was cleared off the line by Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The ball then fell to Dirk Kuyt who controlled it and laid it off to Van Der Vaart. Kuyt pegged it upfield and Van Der Vaart travelled with the ball. He had three runners, left, right and straight ahead of him.

He fed in the runner to the left, it was none other than van Bronckhorst who had cleared the ball off the line. He swept a cross field ball to Kuyt who headed it back towards the near post where Wesley Sneijder volleyed home at the near post to finish one of the greatest goals that I have ever witnessed. 17 seconds from off the line at one end to a goal at the other. Quite breathtaking.

The Italians may of rightly felt aggrieved at the award of the first goal but the second was a thing of beauty. They cleared their heads and came out for the second half with renewed vigour. Luca Toni was sent clear through mid-way through the period and the flag stayed down. Toni's control was good and with Van Der Sar in his face, he needed a cool head just to lob it into the net but he fired it over the bar.

Andrea Pirlo then hit a rasping free-kick that was quite brilliantly saved by the veteran keeper. From the save the Dutch broke again, they weren't going to repeat what they'd done in the first half by scoring a classic goal on the break were they? You bet they were. Kuyt would be put through but would see his one-on-one effort saved by Buffon, however he picked up the ball and crossed it into the box and who was there but Giovanni van Bronckhorst who headed home to put the gloss on the scoreline.

3-0 was harsh on Italy who didn't play badly whatsoever. However Holland showed the watching world that they could be a special team. I was on a well known betting site during the game and saw their odds tumble in front of my eyes for the tournament. They ended up as joint second favourites alongside Spain and below Germany. They had leapfrogged France, Italy and the Portuguese in one swift jump.

Holland v France on Friday night - I am looking forward to that one already!

Romania 0-0 France FT

France: Gregory Coupet, Eric Abidal, William Gallas, Willy Sagnol, Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele, Franck Ribery, Jeremy Toulalan, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema.

Romania: Bogdan Lonut Lobont, Cosmin Marius Contra, Dorin Goian, Razvan Rat, Gabriel Tamas, Mirel Matei Radoi, Cristian Chivu, Razvan Cocis, Adrian Mutu, Daniel Niculae, Banel Nicolita.

18:52: Hurray! Full Time and this pile of dross is over.

18:50: Radoi off for Dica.

18:42: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

18:36: Mutu off for another Niculae.

18:34: Benzema off for Nasri.

18:29: Anelka off for Gomis.

18:28: I am still awake...not sure how but I am. I did just spend five minutes sorting out my laptop battery though.

18:21: Codrea comes on for Cocis.

18:15: Benzema has his first real chance. From a ball pulled back to the edge of the area, he drills it straight at Lonut.

18:13: It is all Romania from nowhere. This game though isn't helping be function after just four hours of sleep last night.

18:10: Mutu drills it straight at the wall.

18:09: Mutu runs at the French defence and wins a free kick just outside the box as Sagnol sees yellow for the challenge.

18:07: Malouda finally does something. Takes on Contra and beats him all ends up before firing high and wide.

18:03: The French team are pretty lethargic coming out for the second half but we are eventually under way.

17:48: Arguably the worst 45 minutes of 'action' so far in the tournament.

17:46: 0-0 HT

17:46: Romania actually tried to attack and the French looked all at sea at the back.

17:43: Goian joins his colleagues in the book for a rather blatant looking foul on Benzema.

17:39: Contra booked for kicking the ball away - really was very harsh.

17:36: Another chance for Anelka. The Chelsea front man does well down the right hand flank before drilling an effort into the side netting from an acute angle.

17:32: Anelka with the first real chance of the match heads over from a beautifully worked short corner. Should've done a lot better.

17:26: Niculae booked for handball - what an idiot. A ball into the box where Romania had a good chance but he chose to handle it. What can you say?

17:21: Makelele with a pretty horrible challenge that goes unpunished.

17:17: What a pass from Makelele - the Chelsea midfielder plays Malouda in with a 40+ yard ball that the keeper just gets to by hook or by crook. Wonderful pass though.

17:09: Benzema rattles one over from distance. Mark Bright drools over him, they seem to think that he is going to be the next big thing.

17:07: All Franc so far but they've yet to create a clear cut opening.

17:02: France are lively but as the commentator just said - Anelka has only played in two major tournaments - stunning.

17:00: Great Success! We are back and we are off.

16:57: Prediction - France 1-1 Romania

16:55: Drama here as our MacBook with EyeTV goes down - only minutes to go to kick-off...

16:51: Here we go folks. Live from TalkFootball HQ today. No Henry, No Vieira, No Diarra...this France team is full of surprises. Romania are as expected.

Alan Shearer is on the verge of a sensational return to football with Blackburn Rovers.

Just five months after being in the running to takeover at his home town club, big Al is being tipped to take the helms at another former club, Blackburn Rovers. After opening as the bookies third favourite behind Big Sam and Paul Ince, Shearer has been backed down to around 5/2 and is being widely linked with the job in the morning's newspapers.

Representatives of the club are set to fly-out to Austria, where Shearer is working as a pundit for the BBC at Euro 2008. They are in the hunt for a manager having lost Mark Hughes to Manchester City last week.

Shearer has long made it clear that he wants to go into management at some point. His dream is clearly to become Newcastle manager, however to take it as his first job would be a risk. He won the title with Blackburn under the leadership of Kenny Dalglish back in 1995.

With the BBC having lost the rights to any live top level football, Shearer only has Match of the Day to look forward to and he has been out of front line football for two years. He has one more year to run on his BBC contract but the corporation would be willing to let Shearer leave should he decide that this is the right job for him.

Do you think that Shearer would be a good appointment? Discuss it in our Forums.

The Germans kicked off their Euro 2008 campaign with a win over Poland thanks to a brace from Polish born Lukas Podolski.

The bookies favourites for the tournament showed why they are receiving backing with an impressive performance against the Poles. Problems off the field between rival sets of fans marred the occasion with arrests both before and after the game.

Poland decided to play with a rather ludicrous high line, which Germany fully exploited early on. Klose should've scored but tried to play in strike partner Gomez instead and that was just the start of it. After twenty minutes they finally broke the deadlock and it was all they deserved. Klose broke the offside trap again and was sent clear, he squared to the unmarked Podolski who coolly slotted home before showing real glass in not celebrating.

Germany had chances to wrap up the game before the interval but failed to do so and Poland would've been happy to get in at half time only one goal down. They came out in the second half and looked like a half decent side and peppered Jens Lehmann's goal from distance. We all know the German keeper is dodgy but not from long shots, you need to send in crosses, which he just can't deal with.

The Poles never looked like scoring despite some neat and enterprising build-up play and were indebted to keeper Boruc for a quite wondrous save from Michael Ballack. However the keeper could do nothing when after some schoolboy defending, Podolski fired in a superb volley from just inside the area to kill the game off.

The favourites most certainly impressed and with a relatively easy route to the final, they must be most people's tips to play for the trophy in Vienna in three weeks time. As for Poland, don't write them off just yet, but they'll need to find that playmaker who can open up a side.

Austria 0-1 Croatia (Modric Pen 4)

Austria: Macho, Standfest, Stranzl, Pogatetz, Aufhauser, Linz, Ivanschitz, Gercaliu, Proedl, Saeumel, Harnik.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Simunic, Kovac, Corluka, Kovac, Srna, Modric, Olic, Kranjcar, Petric, Pranjic.

18:26: Prodel gets a yellow for the most cynical foul of Euro 2008 so far.

18:19: This kid Modric that Spurs fans will see next year looks like a real talent.

18:16: Austria aren't as terrible as advertised.

18:08: Robert Kovac gets a yellow for a clattering foul on Linz.

18:07: And we are back - sorry about that - server issues. Still 1-0 to Croatia but Austria have been better. Pogatetz should've been sent off for a second yellow but the referee bottled it - plain and simple.

17:21: Another yellow for Austria - this time it's for Saeumel for a foul on Niko Kovac.

17:19: Proedl has a shot from fully 35 yards - he doesn't hit the target.

17:17: If Croatia want it, this could be embarrassing - Neil H

17:16: Wicked ball in from Srna from the corner. Possibly someone should've gambled at the near post as that was a tap-in.

17:14: If the referee is going to use the rule that you can't grab shirts in the box then I'm willing to bung all the money I have in the world on Pogatetz giving away a penalty today.

17:07: Saeumel has a dig from range that goes straight down the Croatia's keepers throat.

17:04: Goal: Modric (4) Soon to be playing in the Premiership, Luca Modric strokes the ball down the middle and the keeper flings himself to his right.

17:03: Croatia have started really brightly and they've won a penalty. Olic was mullered by Aufhaser. Pogatetz gets a yellow for complaining. Definite pen on first viewing.

17:00: And we are off - on time n all...

16:58: Prediction - Austria 1-3 Croatia

16:57: Did you know that Croatia are the shortest side in Euro 2008? There is some trivia that won't help you pull or at any pub quiz.

16:54: Gavin Peacock joins Guy Mowbray in the commentary box. I expect Lawro will be with Jonathan Pearce for tonight's game.

16:49: Gary Lineker with a very bad joke about Jake Humphrey - really Gary - stick to the presenting.

16:46: We are watching the excellent Adrian Chiles do a piece on Croatian fans travelling to Austria. Is there anything this man can't do well?

16:44: Austria are being talked up as the only team who can't win the tournament. I wonder if they'll be as bad as advertised.

16:42: Croatia have Luca Modric and Niko Kranjcar pulling the strings. If they are to go far then these are the two important players. Definitely the dark horse of the tournament.

16:38: So here we go - Austria - one of the worst teams ever to play in a major tournament finals open up against the skilful and classy Croatians. I turn over to BBC1 and see a trailer for The Apprentice - not sure how I'm going to work that as there is a game on at the same time as the final of the award winning reality TV show.

Portugal (Pepe 60, Raul Meireles 93) 2-0 Turkey - FT

Teams:

Portugal: Ricardo, Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Ferreira, Petit, Joao Moutinho, Ronaldo, Deco, Simao, Nuno Gomes. Subs: Rui Patricio, Bruno Alves, Fernando Meira, Raul Meireles, Hugo Almeida, Miguel, Jorge Ribeiro, Quaresma, Veloso, Nani, Postiga, Quim.

Turkey: Demirel, Altintop, Cetin, Zan, Balta, Kazim-Richards, Emre, Aurelio, Erding, Sanli, Nihat. Subs: Rustu, Zengin, Topal, Senturk, Karadeniz, Metin, Gungor, Turan, Asik, Boral, Akman, Sarioglu.

21:37: GOAL: Raul Meireles 93 - Lovely move as Ronaldo feeds in Moutinho who passes it past the goalkeeper and sub Raul Meireles strokes the ball home. 2-0 and game over.

21:35: And there was your chance. Ball fell to Tuncay in the box and he hit a fresh air shot.

21:32: Nani hit a bobbler from distance that Clive says is a good effort. Clutching at straws a but me thinks.

21:25: Turkey get a chance from a corner but they head wide.

21:18: Clear handball that was missed by the referee. Portugal look good but Turkey will create a chance.

21:09: Gomes now hits the bar - this Portuguese team is good - very good.

21:06: Goal: Pepe 60 - What a wonderful move, a one-two between Pepe and Nuno Gomes, and Pepe is in, the centre back dinks it over the outcoming goalkeeper and the ball ends up in the back of the net.

21:02: This game has opened up and it is end to end stuff.

20:54: And within seconds Portugal hit the post. Bad foul but terrific advantage and Gomes pokes the ball against the post.

20:54: Nihat goes down in the box but no penalty.

20:49: And we are underway yet again.

20:33: 0-0 HT

20:29: Portugal have just had a series of corners and nearly scored from every one. They are dominating the game but Turkey when they get a chance look lively as well.

20:24: They get another free kick in a much less favourable position but he drills a free kick that fires back off the inside of the upright. The replay shows that it was actually a world-class save - what a save!

20:16: Simao pulled rank and didn't hit the target.

20:14: Ronaldo has been quiet for a bit but he is standing over a free kick in a good location for him.

20:10: For the record, two of my female housemates have just gone out to the pub, with other females. When asked if I wanted to join them I declined because of the game. Priorities...

20:05: Pepe heads home and wheels away in celebration. However the linesman has his flag up and upon replay he was off. Good decision.

20:01: Tuncay goes box in the box in a very theatrical way. Referee was having none of it.

19:57: Portugal have started really well. They look like a strong outfit but Turkey are doing ok so far.

19:51: Early yellow for Kazim-Richards for a foul off the ball on Nuno Gomes.

19:50: New Chelsea signing Bosingwa has already got forward down the right hand flank twice. Looks like a very attacking full back.

19:48: And we are off!

19:46: Prediction - Portugal 1-1 Turkey

19:38: The most excellent Clive Tyldesley makes a terrific point about how often we've seen our home nation teams toil in the heat in major tournaments - and here we are in soggy cool Switzerland this year...

19:22: Andy Townsend goes for Germany, Gary Neville goes for France.

19:18: Gary Neville is with Andy Townsend in the studio - what a pathetic pundit line-up. Have ITV just punted this tournament because England aren't involved?

19:15: ITV kick off their coverage with Matt Smith leading the way. ITV aren't based over in Austria or Switzerland which is disappointing. I was impressed by their title sequence though.

Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic (Sverkos 70) - FT

Teams:

Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Muller, Senderos, Magnin, Behrami, Inler, Gelson, Barnetta, Frei, Streller. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Jakupovic, Djourou, Huggel, Cabanas, Yakin, Derdiyok, Grichting, Gygax, Spycher, Vonlanthen, Degen.

Czech Republic: Cech, Jankulovski, Rozehnal, Ujfalusi, Grygera, Plasil, Polak, Galasek, Jarolim, Sionko, Koller. Subs: Blazek, Zitka, Kovac, Fenin, Sverkos, Vlcek, Pospech, Kadlec, Baros, Matejovsky, Sivok, Skacel.

18:53: Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic FT

18:52: Another big handball shout in the Czech penalty area. Again it wasn't given.

18:48: Three added minutes.

18:46: Really don't see the Swiss getting one - they have not shown they have that extra bit of quality needed.

18:44: Jarolim off to be replaced by Kovac.

18:40: Subs: Sionko off for Vlcek on for the Czech's. Behrami off for Derdiyok for the Swiss.

18:38: The Swiss hit the bar and have a shot saved and they have a huge penalty appeal. A dramatic ten seconds bt it's still 1-0 to the Czech's.

18:33: Vonlanthen on for Lichtsteiner. I once signed Vonlanthen for Newport IoW in FM2005 and he was dire. He's already been booked before I've typed that he'd come on - good start for him...

18:28: GOAL: Sverkos 70 - The Sub scores for the Czech's after a half cleared corner. The ball was dinked back over the top and he broke the offside trap before stabbing home from the edge of the box.

18:25: The difference between a good team and a great team... - Neil H

18:24: Yakin has to score - end of - he doesn't.

18:18: From the free kick Sionko misses a guilt-edged opportunity. An absolute peach of a cross but the Czech striker seems to bottle the header. The cross was screaming to be nutted home but no-one obliged.

18:17: First yellow of Euro 2008 - Magnin the Swiss Left Back.

18:13: The Swiss have really started the second half positively. They've forced the Czech's into a substitution. Koller off and Sverkos is on.

18:09: Gelson is free but Yakin takes twenty minutes to feed him in and subsequently the midfielder is offside when the ball finally reaches him.

18:07: I know Cech doesn't like these new balls but really. Free kick to the Swiss in a good position. Yakin fires over.

18:03: Yakin on for Frei and we are underway.

17:48: 0-0 HT

17:47: Frei is done - the Swiss captain is probably out of the rest of the tournament. You gotta feel for him.

17:44: Frei looks injured, his knee is not in a pretty state.

17:41: First real chance for the Czech's - Sionko was played in, if he'd dummied the ball the runner was in with a free shot on goal from 12 yards - he was unable to do so though.

17:37: Yet again it is Switzerland who have the chance. A mistake by the Czech's and the Swiss were in. Frei again went head down and had a shot from 25 odd yards. Cech makes a good save but he has men free to his left. Should've done better.

17:34: Not much has happened recently but the game is still interesting enough.

17:22: The Swiss should be ahead. A punt downfield is allowed to bounce and Frei was in. Cech makes a good save but a player of Frei's ability should put the ball in the back of the net.

17:20: More good play by the Swiss, this time it was Inler, but his touch was heavy.

17:19: If Senderos can play for Switzerland so could I (well if I was Swiss obviously...)

17:17: Behrami has a dig. He looks like a player. The football is moving about like anything, Mark Bright says it looks one of those cheap footballs you buy at the petrol station - a fair assessment.

17:13: Free kick to the Czechs for a foot up. The referees have been told to be rather strict in this tournament, it'll be interesting to see how it shakes out.

17:11: Ten minutes gone and this game hasn't been too bad so far I must say. The Swiss look a lot better than advertised.

17:04: The first chance falls to the Swiss. Frei drags one wide when he had a man on the overlap. Was actually a better chance than it first seemed.

17:02: 2-0 Czechs - Neil H via the medium of Windows Live Messenger.

17:01: We are off.

17:01: Our referee is an Italian - just like in Euro 2004

16:59: Prediction: Switzerland 1-1 Czech Republic

16:58: We have national anthems!

16:54: 46 players on show played in the Premiership at some point last season. Not bad I say but one of them was Milan Baros...(should I just let my hatred go?)

16:47: The ad on the right hand side is for DatingDirect.com - are Google trying to tell me something? If anyone reading is single and want to meet up with a guy who'll watch every Euro 2008 game and doesn't have much of a life then please get in touch. I'm 24, based in Aldershot, love sport and am not enjoying the Opening Ceremony. You can use the 'contact us' section at the bottom of the page - I won't hold my breath though...

16:45: Motty is joined by Mark Bright for the opening game. Interesting. I wonder where Lawro is?

16:44: No-one.

16:41: The Opening Ceremony starts - who gives a damn