After all the thrill, which happened today during the European football championship qualifiers, I am pretty convinced that the Dutch were just trying to get Germany above them in the UEFA rankings; Russians just needed some sensations in their lifes, and football was actually invented in Croatia...

For those who are still wondering what happened:

Belarus -- Netherlands 2:1
England -- Croatia 2:3

He Timo

Finally a nice topic on the alumni site.
I´m happy for you that our Dutch players where not motivated, so Belarus had a great evening, included you I think.

I saw on the internet that it is a possibility that The Netherlands play against Italy, French and Germany. Lets wait till next sunday and we know more?

Maarten

I am very happy that you are very happy that Holland lost. That is what I call positive thinking!
With that way of thinking and Dutch team performance at the moment, you will get lots of positive moments during the championship next year.

Personally, I don't support Belarusian football team, but it is nice to see them win against big teams from time to time (usually it happens against Holland).

But what a thriller it was with England and Russia changing places after every game. They have been entertaining each other and their fans for a couple of weeks.

As Guus Hiddink said after the match yesterday: "We were playing russian roulette, but not with just one bullet in the gun. We have put all, but one, and we have won..."

I have to admit, it was a little bit unexpected that Holland lost from Belarus. Except for Hleb, I think I dont know any player from that country.
On the other hand I would never have expected that Germany didnt win either! Now we are the grouphead, and that is not good!!!!

I like it that Russia won and England lost, for the first time in 23 years there is no team from Great Brittain present at the European Championship!

One thing I was wondering... The title of this discussion? Where was football invented?

It is a coincidence that i read an article on this, last week. I was surfing the internet and found out that the oldest soccer club in the world is celebrating its 150th birthday this year...! For dutch people :
www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=50242
For the other ones:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_F.C.

So this team didnt invented football, but was the first professional club to play it!

Belarus is not a country with football traditions. On the contrary, the most popular sport in Belarus is ice-hockey.

By the way, Sheffield F.C, which celebrates its 150th birthday, is not a professional club. It is an amateur club. You probably confused it with Sheffield United F.C.

Today was the draft of the next World cup Qualifiers to South Africa 2010. Spain has a very easy group. England face Croacia again. Holanda has at same group as Scotland and Noruega. And Rusia has the same group as German.
If you click this page,you can see2010 World Cup qualifying draw in full

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2942390.ece

Sweet, Ukraine has a funky group again:

England, Croatia and Belarus, which is on a killing spree at the moment... If I am correct, only 1st place goes through, 2 best 2d places, and there will be head-to-head games, too?

I think so Tima. As the world Champions and a lot of team we would to participate on the Final Cup. However I can't understand because europe design the groups in that way and America only has a group. It is more funny in America.......what do you think?

Exactly, it is more funny in the Americas. Europe is more serious about it =)

As last time for qualification for the european championship, Holland has an easy group again I think, should not be a problem to be present at the world championship of 2010...

By the way, Holland is trying to organise the WC in 2018 together with belgium!