Come on Spain - work it out. Play the Eurovision rules!

[Lord Bracknell]

How long before Spain work out that, with Russia beating Greece, a Portuguese victory will allow both Spain and Portugal to progress?

A draw or a Spanish victory will put Portugal out.

Do the decent thing for the tournament and for Iberian solidarity!

 

[Beach Hut]

2 - 1 to Russia but if Greece equalise they move from 3rd to 1st in the group !

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It'll have to be a draw then - cos Portugal couldn't hit Butters arse with a banjo

 

[Yorkie]

No, I want Greece to go through.

I thought the Spanish and Portguese didn't like each other?

 

[perseus]

I think Portugal will leave it to the last minute to score. Spain will never hold out.

Then Greece will go through with a 1-2 defeat and Spain will go out.

 

[CAFC Matt]

2 - 1 to Russia but if Greece equalise they move from 3rd to 1st in the group !

Cool COME ON GREECE

 

[Yorkie]

Great stuff. I have just been chatting during half time to a friend in Athens on MSN.

He reckons Greece will do it.

According to the BBC site if things stay the same Greece will go through but if Russia score a third then they won't.

 

[CAFC Matt]

Marvelous scenes

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

greece deserve to go through

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The "Spain can throw it" scenario depends upon another Russian goal. As things stand at 2-1, it's not a good move.

Since Portugal have now gone ahead, maybe someone should tell the Spanish team what's going on?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

bollocks

 

[Beach Hut]

1 - 0 Gomez, Spain are currently up the creek without a paddle

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

raul missed another sitter

 

[Yorkie]

The "Spain can throw it" scenario depends upon another Russian goal. As things stand at 2-1, it's not a good move.

Since Portugal have now gone ahead, maybe someone should tell the Spanish team what's going on?

exactly what the BBC put

57 mins: Nuno Gomes puts Portugal ahead against Spain - which means that Greece would still go through if the scores remain the same.

 

[Beach Hut]

exactly what the BBC put

57 mins: Nuno Gomes puts Portugal ahead against Spain - which means that Greece would still go through if the scores remain the same.

However if Greece concede a goal they go out

 

[Yorkie]

Group A situation explained


If Greece avoid defeat against Russia, they will qualify for the quarter-finals.
If Spain avoid defeat against Portugal, they will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Portugal must beat Spain to reach the quarter-finals.
Russia have already been eliminated.
If Spain lose against Portugal, they can only reach the quarter-finals if Russia beat Greece by a greater margin than Spain lose to Portugal OR if the goal difference is equal (between Spain and Greece) and Spain have scored the same or greater number of goals in all three group matches as Greece.
If Greece lose to Russia, they will only be eliminated if Portugal beat Spain by a smaller margin than Greece lose to Russia OR if the goal difference is equal (between Spain and Greece) and Spain have scored the same or greater number of goals in all three group matches as Greece.

In the event of a tie, Uefa criteria will be used to separate the teams.

 

[Yorkie]

Tiebreakers explained

If two or more teams finish level on points at the end of the group phase, these are the criteria which will be used to determine the final group placings:
1 Greater number of points in the matches between the teams in question
2 Goal difference from matches between the teams in question
3 Greater number of goals scored in matches between the teams in question
4 Goal difference resulting from all three group games
5 Greater number of goals scored in all group games
6 Coefficient derived from UEFA EURO 2004 and FIFA 2002 World Cup qualifiers (points obtained divided by number of matches played)
7 Fair Play ranking
8 Drawing of lots by the Committee for the European Championship only applicable if more than two teams are level


If two teams meeting in one of the last group matches have the same number of points, the same goal difference and the same number of goals, and if this match stands at a draw at the end of normal time, the ranking of these two teams will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark rather than the above-mentioned criteria.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

why do you want Portugal to go through they will win the group and as it stands IF we go through we will play them in porto

 

[Beach Hut]

why do you want Portugal to go through they will win the group and as it stands IF we go through we will play them in porto

Because they are playing rubbish and we can beat them

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

spain are worse tho