Euro 2012/US-France Open Thread

Big day in soccer today. Not so much for the United States and France who are just trying to find what works best for them.

Eight teams are in the playoffs for the 2012 European Championship, and those matches will be hotly contested and two feature what the media call rematches. Bosnia and Portugal meet in a playoff for the second time in two years. Portugal won 2-0 on aggregate and made it to World Cup 2010, two years ago this month. Croatia was knocked out of Euro 2008 by Turkey, and looks to "avenge" that loss.* Estonia, and the recalled Joel Lindpere, play Ireland, and the Irish just hopes it goes better than the last playoff they were in. Montenegro, the newest International squad, faces the Czech Republic, probably without Petr Cech, unless someone allows him to wear a helmet. He suffered a broken nose last week for Chelsea. Those matches start early so try to catch the first half if you aren't like everyone else in the United States and working at the moment.

*I say this tongue-in-cheek, because the Croatian players themselves said there is no revenge factor, because they were beat fair and square last time out.

I will be on the road and will probably miss this entire US game live, but I'll come back and watch it when I get back home for some analysis. Leave your thoughts, musings, suggestions, and rants here, and I will come through in my insomnia tonight and respond.