tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post7523949807080124206..comments2023-11-05T11:08:39.920+00:00Comments on Twohundredpercent: France 0-0 Romania200percenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14645801159434664430noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post-17470568768918029302008-06-10T18:20:00.000+01:002008-06-10T18:20:00.000+01:00Thanks for the information.Now, if only ESPN would...Thanks for the information.<BR/><BR/>Now, if only ESPN would show these matches in the U.S. Yesterday's Italy/Netherlands match was supposed to be shown, but they had NASCAR on instead....Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622431092147519639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post-86335525918443480002008-06-09T22:07:00.000+01:002008-06-09T22:07:00.000+01:00So many questions... International representative ...So many questions... <BR/><BR/>International representative matches pre-date serious club football. The first recognised international match was played between England in 1872, whereas club football (and in particular professional football) didn't really take off until the 1880s. The FA Cup started in 1871, but the Football League didn't start until 1888. <BR/><BR/>The clubs pay the wages currently, although international squads currently pay money to the clubs and pay for the treatment if the players get injured whilst on international duty. It's likely that Football Associations will have to pay more and more for the right to request international players in the future. <BR/><BR/>No association can <I>force</I> a player to play, but players will do if for no other reason that it is very, very lucrative to do so. For an English footballer, regular England appearances would probably double the amount of money that they would get from their next contract deal. <BR/><BR/>Most tournaments in Europe run from August until May, except for northern European countries such as Russia and Sweden, where the winter is too harsh for football. Their leagues are usually suspended for the duration of the tournament, plus a couple of weeks either side of it.<BR/><BR/>Germany are the re-tournament favourites, and Poland's qualification for is was something of a mystery (to me, at least). Their performance was very impressive, though nowhere near as the Dutch were tonight against Italy. More on that to follow.200percenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14645801159434664430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post-55919949349825174552008-06-09T21:55:00.000+01:002008-06-09T21:55:00.000+01:00Hi....I found your blog from a link at http://half...Hi....I found your blog from a link at http://halfhearteddude.blogspot.com/.<BR/><BR/>I've got a serious question for you.<BR/><BR/>I'm a ignorant American who just started watching football this weekend when I came across the Germany/Poland match.<BR/><BR/>I'm puzzled by the fact that all the players belong to one club or another but come together to play for the country team for tournaments like this.<BR/><BR/>Is it that none of the regular leagues play while the tournament goes on? And, does the country pay the players' salaries? Or does their club pay their salary and it's expected that they play for their country in these tournaments?<BR/><BR/>It's all quite confusing to me right now.<BR/><BR/>Also, to my untrained eye, Germany looked much much better than Poland on Sunday. Are they one of the better teams in the tournament?Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622431092147519639noreply@blogger.com