What sports teams do you support?

[Heid the Ba]

We are actually approaching 50% wins!

[Lianachan]

We are actually approaching 50% wins!

Not bad, considering you all have Ross Chuffing County weighing you down.

[Arneb]

Not so fast...

Germany 0-1 Italy

in the last Under21 European Championship group match. With that, both Italy and Germany progress to the semis. We play England. Are you with us or what?

Played 175, won 85, drawn 34, lost 56

Only if Germany win both the Confed and the U21 European Cup can we reach, exactly, our 50% quota. That seems a little far fetched, but we''ll hope.

[Arneb]

Confed Cup:
Germany 3 - 1 Cameroon
Chile 1 - 1 Australia

It's our boys against Mexico in the Thursday semifinal; the two strongest favourites to win this, Chile and Portugal, face off in the other semi on Wednesday.
Played 176, won 86, drawn 34, lost 56

As we seems to have a situation where the old season ends after the new one begins, I suggest Heid to start the new season on Thursaday at Played 0, Won 0, Drawn 0, Lost 0, as he planned, while I round off the old season count with the semis and, possibly, finals, of the following week.

Don't worry, our American friends, this is all totally normal and rational, we don't lose count, we know exactly what we're doing. It's called International Football.

[Arneb]

U21 European Championship:

Germany 4 - 3 England, (2:2, 2:2, 1:1)
Penalties, again!

Wooooooot. The boys advance to the European Final on Friday, where they will probably lose against Spain or Italy, as they are wont to.

Played 177, won 87, drawn 34, lost 56

[Arneb]

What, our young 'uns vanquish the English, and no word from our two Scottish members. Tsk, tsk.

Meanwhile, in the Confed Cup,

Chile 3 - 0 Portugal after penalties, 0 - 0 in regular and extra time.

That was great fun, seeing the three DDDs failing before Claudio Bravo when guts counted. And it's always such a jox to see CR7 losing.

[Arneb]

Germany 4 - 1 Mexico
That was nice! Double whammy early in the match, then a long phase of Mexican dominance. 3 - 0 after an hour, a hint of insecurity after a marvellous goal by a Mexiacan Bundesliga player. Coup de grace in extra time. Very, very interesting final against Chile on Sunday

Oh, and with two Finals participation, we are on track for a 50 % win percentage!

Played 178, won 88, drawn 34, lost 56

Rangers doing well against Luxemburgian opposition in the first game of the new season, 1 - 0 up at half time.

[Heid the Ba]

One up at half time and the better team. Our best player who was injured all last season I srunningthe game.

[Arneb]

Wow, there are about 64 Euro League qualifier matches on at the moment. Rangers are at home to a team from Luxemburg, and UEFA carry a live comment ticker - in German!

[Heid the Ba]

Rangers 1 - 0 Luxemburgers

2017 - 18 Season
Played 1, won 1, drawn 0, lost 0.

[Arneb]

Good way to begin. Your boys are going to win this.

[Heid the Ba]

It is odd that this season has started while last season hasn't finished yet.

I'm confident that we'll do well, if our good players stay healthy.

[Arneb]

U21 European Final: Germany 1 - 0 up at the half against Spain, of all teams.

It's a long time since I've seen that. They are really doing very well.

ETA: And the goal was headed in by a Hertha player

[Arneb]

Germany 1 - 0 Spain !!!

This is sensational. The Spaniards, with a team chock-block full of first rate Primera División players didn't manage to place more than two shots at the German goal in the second half, even though they exerted tremendous pressure. Our defense was just phenomenal, with an excellent goalie, as always.

Spain were not only the defending champions, they hadn't even lost a single match for 18 months. They breezed into the Final with three wins in the group (one with a substitutes-only team), effortlessly cutting through Italy (who had beaten us in the group) in their semi 3 - 1. They were the team to beat.

So our Hertha makes us win the U21 European Championship, can you believe the irony? What a pity I'm on call and can't drink...

Played 179, won 89, drawn 34, lost 56

[tubeswell]

I got out of town for tonight's AB/Lions test match. Place is crawling with Brits in campervans.

[Heid the Ba]

Well done Germany, which I think brings an end to season 17 - 18.

Wise move Tubes, Lions fans tend to be arseholes. 90% of them are English which is never a good start.

[Мастер]

Holy Feck. If the Lions don't stuff it up in the one minute remaining, they're going to beat the All Blacks.

[Arneb]

... which I think brings an end to season 17 - 18. ...

Season 16-17 ends tomorrow with two matches in the Confederations Cup: Portugal play Mexico for third (at 1 pm GMST), Germany play Chile for the trophy (at 7 p.m. GMST.

For 17/18, I think we have loads of fun and anguish and swearing and head banging ahead of us .

[Lianachan]

Germany 1 - 0 Spain !!!

This is sensational. The Spaniards, with a team chock-block full of first rate Primera División players didn't manage to place more than two shots at the German goal in the second half, even though they exerted tremendous pressure. Our defense was just phenomenal, with an excellent goalie, as always.

Spain were not only the defending champions, they hadn't even lost a single match for 18 months. They breezed into the Final with three wins in the group (one with a substitutes-only team), effortlessly cutting through Italy (who had beaten us in the group) in their semi 3 - 1. They were the team to beat.

So our Hertha makes us win the U21 European Championship, can you believe the irony? What a pity I'm on call and can't drink...

Played 179, won 89, drawn 34, lost 56

Excellent win, congrats!

[Heid the Ba]

Ah yes, I had forgotten your mob are in two finals. We need another German win to get to 50%.

[Arneb]

They'de be allowed to lose against Chile, which in my book is the favourite - were it not for our quota. We need your win, boys.

[Arneb]

Match beginning in a minute. Son giddy with excitement, hoping his little sister won't find him out watching. Go 'Schland!

[Heid the Ba]

'Schland!

[Arneb]

'Schlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand!

Chile 0 - 1 Germany

Germany win the Confederations Cup in a not very good, but absolutely riveting game.

Chile put us under pressure from the start, and we really looked bad. Then we scored, after a bad fluke by Chilean defender. Then it was back- and forth, with "optical" superiority for Chile but somewhat better chances for us. Very physical, very fast game, lots of fouls and little dirty specks. In the end, we had to survive a few hair raisers, but defended well and got lucky a few times.

Two titles in one weekend, never would have dreamt it.

And here is the final tally of the 2016/17 season:
Played 180, won 90, drawn 34, lost 56,
and doesn't she look pretty?

Needless to say, I'll be even more unbearable for quite some time now.

[Lianachan]

And here is the final tally of the 2016/17 season:
Played 180, won 90, drawn 34, lost 56,
and doesn't she look pretty?

Excellent stuff! I'm sorry about those 56 Ross County games.