well done Wales. there, you see how generous I can be, Hets?

I was listening to the radio on the way home and that well known welshman Robbie Savage was in his element.

Were you watching, Vladimir? Your lads took one hell of a beating.

Wow! Wales topping the group seems like a surprise, isn't it?

<<Were you watching, Vladimir? Your lads took one hell of a beating.>>

Let's give it the full treatment!

Peter the Great! Catherine the Great! Alexander Nevsky! Leo Tolstoy! Rasputin! Leon Trotsky! Vladimir Lenin! Joseph Stalin! Nikita Khrushchev! Leonid Brezhnev! Boris Yeltsin!--can you hear me Vladimir Putin? Your boys took one hell of a beating!! Your boys took one hell of a beating!!

for those completely lost at laverendrye's post, here is a link to the original Norwegian commentator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZTP8-8wIs

laverendrye - I dare you to go to Red Square and say that!

Ann, I would have been happy with England winning too, with Wales finishing second. I never expected Wales to get through the groups, never mind win theirs!

It is turning into a tournament for the underdogs somewhat isn't it? Where Leicester leads the little countries of Europe follow. Albania have done really well, as have Iceland either of whom could be Wales's next opponents.

We have been touring, with no TV and only occasionally internet, so missed most of the matches. We did see Portugal Iceland in a pub in Wales. A huge cheer went up when Iceland scored.
Back home to tomorrow so will be following the next round more closely.

It is always the same with the big tournaments.

In the first rounds, some of the socalled favourites play weak, often because of inner-team conflicts or lacking experience of playing together in the national team etc. (BTW, has Portugal ever achieved something, since CR7 is playing with them?)

On the other hand, there are always some surprise wins by the minor nations who usually will find their masters in the later course of the tournament (Greece was an exception, indeed).

But when the semi-finals come, you will find the usual suspects on the turf.

annhig--Red Square?? I wouldn't dare say that in the semi-privacy of a Moscow hotel room!

Ann, I would have been happy with England winning too, with Wales finishing second. I never expected Wales to get through the groups, never mind win theirs!>>

I feel the same Hets - the next round is such a lottery anyway it doesn't necessarily make any difference which team you draw in the next round.

Nice that Spain and Italy have to face each other though!!

Irish fans serenade English fans: Please don't start a riot' :)

http://www.independent.ie/videos/spo...-34801444.html

We were travelling home this afternoon, during the best matches of the competition so far. Every time I looked at my phone someone else had scored! Ronaldo finally took his hands off his hips and remembered why he was there.

Now hoping Ireland can score, because they are a welcome addition to it all, but also so Wales don't get Turkey ;).

Watching Ireland versus Italy game. The Ref is a ... pranker - there were two clear penalties for Ireland. In receipt of a very big cheque from the Italians I reckon :(

WE JUST SCORED!!!!!!

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE THROUGH.

Great win, even if against an understrength Italy, but thoroughly deserved.

So Who'd have thought it - Wales, England, Northern and the Republic of Ireland - all through, alongside the Giants such as Iceland!

Lille has never seen the likes of the party that will happen tonight :)

Congratulations, O'Reilly. You all certainly do soccer better on your side of the Atlantic. Looking forward to seeing how far some of the underdogs make it as well as some of the titans battling it out.

Aw thanks tripplanner :)

The Irish team is not great, but the fans are the very best.

I was at a party here in Dublin and the weekend and we discussed why the Irish fans are well behaved. My theory is that the last war the Irish won was against the Vikings in 1014, yet we have been battling ever since. Therefore, we turn up for battle, without any hope of winning, assume defeat, and just have a party.

Here are the Irish fans serenading a beautiful French girl. Their significant others will murder them when they get home:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/...-celebrations/

Tonight was fun at our house: My husband promised that he'd cook a whole meal if Ireland won. I told him that if Ireland lost I'd eat a meal he'd prepared.

Unexpected for sure. I do hope the husband is a good cook bvlenci.

Families all over Ireland are now very worried about their loved ones in France, as they were expected home tonight, and there is little chance of that.

Now, the chances of Ireland beating France is almost nil. However, every Mammy in Ireland will be down the local church tomorrow lighting candles, saying novenas and asking intervention from St. Jude of Hopeless Cases.

Stranger things have happened - Sparta trounced the Persians init?