Speakers’ Corner – first of the new season

If you have any questions you would like to ask go ahead and post and I will try my best to answer them later in the week.


Best performances…..

Montreal Impact continued their fantastic run in the CONCACAF Champions league with a 4-1 away win to ####mp;T’s Joe Public. With three wins and a draw in four games the USL side is within a whisker of qualifying for the knock stage.

Serbia bounced back from a loss to France in the last round of play to beat Lithuania 3-0 in Belgrade. Lithuania started the game top of group 7 and with wins in their first two games. The win sent Serbia top with a trip to Vienna to play Austria on Wednesday.

Costa Rica was the first CONCACAF country to make it to the final round of six. Only a couple of hours later they were joined by the USA.

Congratulations to the Vancouver Whitecaps who beat the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 to win a second United Soccer League championship in three seasons.


Best forgotten…..

Two early goals put Peru behind the eight ball and they eventually lost 3-0 in La Paz to Bolivia. The loss leaves Peru at the bottom of the COMNEBOL standings and with little chance of qualifying for South Africa 2010. With half the games already played Peru have only one win and look set to extend to seven their run of unsuccessful qualifying campaigns.

Another Canadian World Cup qualifying failure and there is more than enough blame to go around. Most of it is following on the shoulders of Coach Dale Mitchell.  The merits … or not … of Mitchell are being debated by Canadian supporters and in the last few days some high profile players have shown little hesitation to stick the boot in. Coaches are paid to bring success and for that reason alone Mitchell will be fired although it is difficult to see who in their right mind would now take on the job.

Underlying another qualifying failure is the Canadian Soccer Association – an organization that has been inadequately led at the board and staff level for as long as most Canadian fans can remember. The dysfunctional leadership has shown itself to be totally incapable of making the changes that are needed to bring the governance of the association into line with the needs of the last century let alone this one.

A volunteer board of directors that in most countries would not be allowed to control a Sunday morning pub team appoints senior staff including the national team coach. A governance and performance study done a few years  back by external consultants has been largely ignored which only goes to prove the old adage that the people that get you into problems are never the ones equipped to get you out.

You can blame the players, you can blame the coach but if you do the real villains in blazers are going to get away scot-free once again. In this case this is something that should not be forgotten.


Best goals….

It was Costly goal in more ways than one. Carlos Costly’s perfect strike from 30+ yards gave Honduras a 2-1 lead against Canada that they did not surrender. It cost Canada the game and any remaining hope they might have had of a place the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

A cracking effort from way outside of the penalty by Robinho put Brazil two up against Venezuela. The Manchester City striker cut in from the left and unloaded a terrific shot.

Eddie Gaven drilled home a great first time effort from the edge of the penalty box for the Columbus Crew against Chicago Fire.

Two notable efforts came in UEFA World Cup qualifying. A Carles Puyol header was Spain’s final goal in an easy 3-0 win over Estonia and Jakub Blaszczykowski scored what was to eventually be Poland’s winner against the Czech Republic. After a lengthy run the Borussia Dortmund coolly chipped the on-rushing Petr Cech. “Kuba” who missed the European Championship Finals through injury also helped to set up the first Polish goal.

It was not a breathtaking effort but Toronto FC’s Marvell Wynne deserves mention for his work over the last two weeks. Wynne, assists and goals and rarely been mentioned in the same breathe during his MLS career but over the last three matches he has been the offensive catalyst that has kept Toronto’s thin play-off hopes alive.

He scored the equalizer against Houston Dynamo and then followed it with a galloping 60 yard run that set up a goal for Chad Barrett against the New York Red Bulls. With two minutes to go on Saturday against FC Dallas Wynne struck again with only a couple of minutes left and he looked to have notched what was to be an unlikely winner. However, a late, late penalty squared things and left Toronto still in with a slight chance of a play off place.  


Best Players….

Yoann Gourcuff helped set up Franck Ribery’s goal and scored the equalizer that pulled France back from an early two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Romania. Gourcuff is currently on loan at Bordeaux from Milan and is benefitting from seeing more playing time.     

Jimmy Conrad played the consummate captain’s role on Saturday. He was a big part of holding the New England Revolution off the scoreboard and popped up to score his sixth MLS goal of the season to seal the win and snag three big points.

Another goal double for Kenny Cooper(FC Dallas) including a last minute retaken penalty. Cooper showed tremendous composure to score again after his first effort was called back for encroachment.


Goal feast……

The USA became the second CONCAF country to make it to the final round of six by dispatching Cuba 6-1. DaMarcus Beasley send the Americans on the way with two first half goals. Shortly after Cuba pulled to within a goal but before half time they were down to ten men after Colome was sent off. Four second half goals from Donovan, Ching, Altidore and Onyewu ran the score up.


Biggest Howlers……

By rights he should have been flagged offside but he wasn’t and so Chris Iwelumo’s open goal miss from four yards will go down in Scottish football folklore as one of the worst – and perhaps most crucial – misses of all time. Iwelumo had come on as a substitute for James McFadden only nine minutes before Gary Naysmith found the big Wolves striker and presented him with the entire Norway net to choose from.

Heard on GolTV – in Gareth Bale, Wales may have the best player in the group. That would be the Gareth Bale who the likes of Ballack, Arshavin, Klose and Zhirkov aspire to? – right you are.

From the same source – David Weir, a player who would never refuse a call from the Scottish national team. That couldn’t be the same David Weir that quit Scotland in 2002 after being criticized by then manager Berti Vogts and did not return for two years?  

Left-backs Philipp Lahm (Germany) and Ashley Cole (England) should be hanging their heads after concentration lapses allowed Russia and Kazakhstan to score.


Stat facts…..

Marcello Lippi is now one game short of matching the record of legendary national team coach Vittorio Pozzo. Between late 1935 and the summer of 1939 Pozzo went unbeaten in 30 games (24 wins).

Ashley Cole’s error helped Kazakhstan to their first goal in eight away games.

This one courtesy of FIFA.com. “7 - The number of years Israel have now gone unbeaten away from home in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The last time the Israelis lost on their travels was back in March 2001, when they went down 2-1 to Austria.”

France shared four goals with Romania and are now winless in their last 11 trips to Eastern Europe. It was their fourth draw in the sequence.


What was said….

The Times on the effect of the financial unraveling on sports.

An investigation into why some many former players are dying at a relative young age in Italy.

Vincent Hogen looks at what happened to one former Ireland international after the cheers stopped.

One of the best blog pieces I have read for a long time.

Hugh McIlvanney looks back on a week of pronouncements from the FA Chairman, the Premier League’s CEO and Cesc Fabregas.

Rory Smith runs down the financial state of Premiership clubs.

The CEO of the Norwegian Football Association is a woman.


Coming up this week…..

More World Cup qualifying action with the following being the pick of the action.

Portugal vs. Albania – Portugal with one draw in their opening two games need to get their ship pointed in the right direction.

Belgium vs. Spain –These two countries sit second and first in group 5 and along with Turkey they are unbeaten- so far.

Slovakia vs. Poland – Poland leads group 3 with a couple of wins and a draw and faces a tricky trip to Bratislava to play third place Slovakia.

Norway vs. Netherlands – When the draw was made the Netherlands stood head and shoulders above the other countries drawn in group 9. With two wins in two starts there has been nothing to indicate that the assessment the Dutch was wrong. Norway is also unbeaten after two games but have dropped four points on account of two draws.

Chile vs. Argentina – Argentina broke out of their run of four consecutive draws in World Cup qualifying with a 2-1 home win over Uruguay. Chile let a big chance go by when they lost 1-0 to Ecuador. The result pulls Ecuador back into contention are they are now only a single point behind fourth place Chile. Chile are three points behind Argentina who lie third but will be missing Ismael Fuentes and Gonzalo Jara who were both sent off against Ecuador.

Brazil vs. Colombia – After going unbeaten in their first six games in South American qualifying the roof has caved in on Colombia. Three consecutive losses – two at home – has seen them crumble like the Dow and now they face Brazil in Rio. Brazil thrashed Venezuela 4-0 in Caracas and sits second ahead of Argentina on goal difference.

Match Report
Spain 1-0 Germany
It is very rare for a country to make it through a complete tournament final (6 games in the European championships or 7 at the World Cup) playing almost flawless and entertaining football and in the end still lift the trophy.  This Spain has done just that and there can be little doubt that they were the best team at Euro 2008.

Spain may have sputtered sporadically in some of the six games but at no time did the overall quality of their play slip below the opposition’s for 90 minutes or anything close to it.

Germany settled into the final match more quickly and for the first 10 minutes looked to be the most dangerous side. An early slip from Ramos allowed Klose half a chance but his control let him down.

Germany targeted the right side of the Spanish defense trying to split right back Ramos and center back Puyol with passes played into the space between them. A similar tactic would eventually bear fruit although it would be Spain that would prosper rather than Germany.

After some early nerves Spain settled in to their familiar pattern of short quick passes and constant movement in midfield. Halfway through the first 45 minutes a Fabregas to Ramos move finished with Fernando Torres leaping high above the German defense only to see his downward header rebound off the base of the post. With no one to take advantage of the rebound the danger was cleared.

As the first half progressed it became obvious that Germany was carrying a number of players who were just not up to the occasion and could not match Spain’s play. Just after the half hour mark Spain scored what would ultimately be the only goal of the game.

A Xavi Hernandez pass split Metzelder and Lahm. Lahm was guilty of worrying too much about Fernando Torres and not making a great enough effort to get to the ball first. Torres brushed the full back aside and clipped the ball over an advancing Jens Lehmann.

The half time introduction of Marcell Jansen after half time was the catalyst for Germany’s best spell of the game. Even then there was little threat that Iker Casillas would be beaten. 

The introduction of Alonso for Fabregas swung any territorial advantage back Spain’s way and although Germany threw more players forward Spain was the team most likely to score.

With expectations raised for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa it will be very interesting to see how Spain reacts.


Ratings

Spain
Casillas 7 – Lifting the trophy caused him more problems than the German attack.

Ramos 7 – Improved as the game progressed but mental errors are never far away.

Puyol 8 – Strong in the air and along with Marchena (8) presented a formidable barrier.

Capdevilla 7 – Had little to do but what he did do was accomplished with great effectiveness and efficiency.

Senna 9 – Another outstanding display of defensive midfield play but also exhibited great mobility and could have even scored in the last few minutes as he appeared in Germany’s six yard box.

Iniesta 9 – Enjoyed his best performance of the competition. If he put a foot wrong then I missed it. He was at the centre of most of Spain’s moves constantly prompting, passing and supporting.

Xavi Hernandez 8 - Just a smidgen off a 9. Played the through ball that Torres latched onto and scored from.

Cesc Fabregas 7 - Struggled to stamp any authority on the match.

Silva 7 – One of his quietest games of the tournament and was not as influential as we’ve come to expect.

Torres 8 – His pace and power a constant threat to the German defense.  But even scoring the winning goal wasn’t enough to stop Aragones from substituting him.

Substitutes
Alonso 7 – Helped Spain through the vital last half an hour.

Cazorla 7 – Brought on to replace Silva after he went head-to-head with Podolski. Did what he was supposed without being flashy.

Guiza 7 – With 12 minutes to go he had little time to establish himself but still delivered 100% effort in that time.


Germany

Lehmann 8 – Some may criticize him for the goal that was conceded but I wouldn’t. He never looked comfortable but he still pulled off three very good saves.

Friedrich 7 – Spain rarely attacked down Germany’s right and and for large spells of the game he was hardly noticeable.

Mertesacker 8 – Battled bravely and without him the the destination of the trophy would have been decided long before 90 minutes was up.

Metzelder 5 – The doubts about Metzelder’s readiness for this tournament were widely discussed in the lead up. Any problems he had in the previous games had not proven costly. It was not the case tonight. Nervous, indecisive and off the pace of the game.

Lahm 5 – At fault for the goal he only lasted 45 minutes.

Frings 7 – He fought the good fight and perhaps if he had better support in midfield the outcome might have been different.

Hitzlsperger 5 – Out of his depth. Lucky to last as long as he did.

Schweinsteiger 6 – A big disappointment. His set pieces were very poor and his hesitation to deliver early passes when the opportunity arose stifled a number of promising opportunities.

Ballack 7 – He was too occupied trying to contain the Spanish midfield and had little time to get forward and to support Klose.

Podolski 6 - Accomplished little and was never a threat.

Klose 6 – He never look comfortable, his touch was off and he strayed into off-site positions too often and too easily.

Substitutes
Jansen 7 – He showed some of the form that was on display in the first game against Poland. A willingness to get stuck in and win some tackles provided a platform for some early German attacks in the second half.

Kuranyi 5 - He was given over 30 minutes to make an impact and he didn’t.

Gomez 5 – He spent as much time on the field has Guiza and delivered about 80% less.

Semi-Final Preview
Spain vs. Russia
Asked to comment after Greece’s win at Euro 2004 coach Otto Rehhagel said, “First it was about attitude and discipline; then it was organization; then it was results; then it was about self belief; and then it was about the result, the result and the result.”

If Spain goes on to win this tournament Coach Luis Aragones might express similar sentiments. Long dismissed as bottlers and underachievers, Aragones has worked long and hard to reshape the mindset of the Spanish squad. The acid test came last Sunday against World Champions Italy.

We have become use to Spain starting tournaments at a rate of knots but returning home after the quarterfinals has also been a recurring theme. Toss in the fact that Italy has long been Spain’s bête noire together with the hex of losing penalty shootouts on June 22 you can see why Sunday’s win has brought about a renewed belief that the trophy has Spain’s name on it.

Spain also goes into the semifinal knowing that they have already beaten Russia in their opening game of the tournament. What is more Spain has reached the last four without firing on all cylinders. Casillas, Capdevilla, Senna, Silva and Villa of all played well but there have been other players whose play could be described as patchy at best.

Sergio Ramos underwent a particularly tough time against Russia, Iniesta has played poorly, and Torres has yet to hit top form. In the center of the defense Puyol (at times Albiol) and Marchena have accomplished the task without inspiring confidence.

However, Spain also realize that their semifinal opponent has bounced back after the 4-1 loss and has far exceeded the expectations going into the tournament. Before the Euro finals Guus Hiddink had talked down Russia’s chances preferring to to talk about how this tournament would help his team prepare for the World Cup in 2010.

Whether Hiddink was trying to scoot under the radar or the progress of his young team was more rapid than expected, we don’t really know. What we do to know is that Russia has become one of the great stories of this tournament. The transition from a team that stumbled to a qualifying place to a team that is only 180 minutes from winning the European Championship is amazing.

And Hiddink has engineered the change through evolution rather than revolution. Igor Akinfeev, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Andrei Arshavin, Aleksandr Anyukov, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Sergei Semak were all part of the Russian side that played against Slovakia just before Hiddink’s arrival less than three years ago.

But you don’t even have to to go back that far. On September 12, 2007 Russia played England at the new Wembley in a critical Euro qualifier. England won 3-0 and to say that Russia looked ordinary would be an exaggeration.

They looked awful. But eight of the players that were so badly beaten at the new Wembley nine short months ago will most certainly line up against Spain today. Of the other three, goalkeeper Akinfeev was injured and not available, Pavlyuchenko was on the bench while Semak was out of favor and only recently been recalled.

The contrast between that heavy legged team that was beaten by England and the team that out ran and out played the Netherlands last Saturday is nothing short of phenomenal. According to Opta Sportsdata Semak covered 9.3 miles while Zyryanov and Zhirkov were not far behind.

The man responsible for Russia’s fitness is Dutchman Raymond Verheijen. Raymond Verheijen also worked with Hiddink when the Netherlands reached the semifinal of the World Cup in 1998 and with South Korea when they reached the same stage four years later.

Verheijen’s background is academic as well as practical implementation. His book, “Conditioning for Soccer,” was published in 1998 and is still available. He has also contributed to research that studied referees errors (they found that errors were more likely the closer the referee was to the incident), and the positioning of assistant referees in relation to offside calls.

Verheijen is considered to be a critical element in Russia’s success. It was on his recommendation that the date of a pre tournament friendly game against Lithuania was changed to June 4 from June 3.



Keys to the Game
Denis Kolodin had torrid time against David Villa in the first team of the tournament but settled down to become a vital part of the Russian defense in the next four games. It would have been interesting to see if he could handle Villa after being burned so badly only a couple weeks ago but we won’t get the chance because he is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.

It looks as if one of the Berezutski twins – Vasily – will partner Sergei Ignashevich in defense. However, both of the Berezutskis are painfully slow and that is certainly something that Villa and Torres will test.

At the other end Spain will need to take care of Arshavin and the much lighter and more mobile Pavlyuchenko. The big striker lost close to 9 pounds in the lead up to the tournament and this has contributed to a marked improvement in his game.

Both he and Arshavin are willing to take up wider and deeper positions and that poses problems for defenders. Go with them and you run the risk of leaving space for other attackers to fill; let them go and they have the opportunity to turn and run at defenders with great pace.

Look for the Russian pair to pull into wide positions or perhaps even start there in order to stretch central defenders Puyol and Marchena and defensive midfielder Marcos Senna.


Comment of the Day
“"Marco van Basten used to ask me why we had to win and also be convincing," Arrigo Sacchi remembers."A few years ago France Football made their list of the 10 greatest teams in history. My Milan was right up there. World Soccer did the same: my Milan was fourth, but the first three were national teams - Hungary '54, Brazil '70 and Holland '74. And then us. So I took those magazines and told Marco, 'This is why you need to win and you need to be convincing.' I didn't do it because I wanted to write history. I did it because I wanted to give ninety minutes of joy to people. And I wanted that joy to come not from winning, but from being entertained, from witnessing something special. I did this out of passion."” - Jonathan Wilson writing in the Guardian.


Stat Fact
“This (Spain vs. Russia) is the ninth time that two countries have met in the group phase and the knock-out stages of a European Championship or World Cup. The only countries to win the knock-out encounter after first losing in the group phase are West Germany against Hungary at the 1954 World Cup and the Netherlands against the Soviet Union at Euro 1988.” – BBC.


Match Report
Spain 3-0 Russia
As a contest it never reached the heights that we had a right to expect.  However, it was a Spanish master class of passing and movement when they had the ball and of shutting down the opposition when they didn’t. 

From the start Spain showed much more ambition and initiative.  Spain refused to allow Russia to settle in to the pattern of play that had worked so well and had been so successful against the Netherlands.

It took until almost the last minute of play for Casillas to make his first save of the match so dominant was the Spanish back four. Puyol and Marchena had their best game of the tournament while Capdevila did not put a foot wrong.

In Sergio Ramos Spain had a full back who was almost flawless in defense and also found time to push forward and was a constant menace to Russia.

David Villa’s injury after less than 30 minutes threatened to disrupt Spanish plans but rather than opting for a like-for-like change Coach Luis Aragones chose to reinforce his midfield and change from a 4-1-3-2 formation to a 4-1-4-1. On came Fabregas and slowly but surely Spain suffocated the life out of Russia.

When Russia gained possession they were instantly closed down and hurried into rash and wayward passes. Even though the game was scoreless on half time it was obvious that Guus Hiddink needed to kick start his Russian team. But you can’t tackle what you can’t catch and that was definitely the case today.

The first Spanish goal was perhaps slightly fortunate given that Iniesta look to have shot rather than have passed. But a pass it turned out to be as Xavi timed his run and deflected the ball past a helpless Akinfeev.

 As Russia tried to push forward Spain enjoyed even more freedom and was much more likely to add to their lead. And so it was when a terrific flick from Fabregas found Guiza who beat the offside trap and then the goalkeeper.

Fabregas was the architect of the third and final goal when he delivered an inch perfect pass to the outstanding David Silva. Silva calmly picked his spot and completed a very impressive Spanish win. On the day Russia just could not match Spain in any department.

Based on his performance Spain will likely go into Sunday’s final as favorite.  But that has not necessarily been a good thing at this tournament. Great performances seem to be tantamount to painting a large target on your back at Euro 2008.

We will see.

Thank you to all the posters and readers who take the trouble to read the blog each day. A special thanks to some of the new posters who have come to the blog during the Euros. I hope you can stick around.

Quarter Final
Spain vs. Italy
Preview – Of all the quarter finals this one is the most beautifully and finely balanced. For each Italian ying, you can find a Spanish yang. Recent history in major tournaments suggests a win for Italy, but current form points towards Spain.

If Gianluigi Buffon is the best goalkeeper in the world then Iker Casillas can’t be far behind. I.D. Luca Toni as the definitive target man and scorer and Spanish fans can counter with the speed and strength of David Villa and Fernando Torres.

Cynics might even point out that the both sets of centre backs are on par – each pairing looks good when the ball is at the other end of the park. Spain is likely to be without Carles Puyol and a central defensive pairing of Valencia’s Raul Albiol and Carlos Marchena can only increase the level of confidence……if you are Italian.

There again, you also get the feeling that Christian Panucci and Giorgio Chiellini constitute a make shift solution to a defence that has lacked the composure normally provided by Fabio Cannavaro.

The full backs are another saw-off. At their best Zambrotta and Grosso (Italy) and Ramos and Capdevilla (Spain) can get forward and effectively support the attack from wide positions.

So where will this one be won and lost? Not surprisingly it will be probably come down to who can most effectively control the midfield. There is a difference in how both sides normally line up. Italy favour a 4-3-2-1, Spain 4-1-3-2. For Spain the first-choice defensive midfielder is Marcos Senna and he will prowl the area in front of the back four looking to control (probably) Cassano and Perrotta.

However, the most intriguing contest will be between Italy and Spain’s defensive and attacking midfield trios. Barring surprises Spain will start Xavi and David Silva with Iniesta (who hasn’t had a particularly good tournament so far) or Fabregas.

All three players are comfortable on the ball and are first rate passers – their problem is if it comes down to heavy lifting can they match Ambrossini and De Rossi? Ambrossini would appear to be the logical replacement for the suspended Gennaro Gattuso while Daniele De Rossi, who has enjoyed a great tournament since being left on the bench for the first game against Netherlands, will join him in the engine room.

The suspension of Andrea Pirlo means that Italy needs to find another playmaker to centre Ambrossini and De Rossi and only option is Roma’s Alberto Aquilani. The responsibility will be a test for Aquilani who at 24 next month is the youngest member of Italy’s squad.

His international experience for country and club is limited and we have become use to him being revered to as a future star. If Italy is to move on to the semi finals it may well be that being a star of the future just won't hack it anymore and the future must start today.

Referee: Herbert Fandel, assistants: Carsten Kadach, Volker Wezel (all Germany), fourth official: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)


Spain 0-0 Italy (Spain win 4-2 on penalty kicks)
It was a terse, tense and and a largely forgettable one-hundred and twenty minutes with the penalty kick decider providing the only moment of sustained excitement.

While the absence of Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo did not hurt Italy defensively, they certainly missed the playmaking of Pirlo. What he would normally accomplish in one pass was taking two of three today. And when the pass finally arrived at its intended target, Spain had anticipated the danger.

Spain enjoyed the vast majority of possession but with De Rossi and Ambrosini sitting deep their midfield found it difficult to spring Villa and Torres as Italy plugged the passing lanes. And so chances for both sides were extremely limited. Even the substitutions made by both coaches failed to break the predictable pattern.

And so it came down to penalties. De Rossi’s miss gave Spain the upper hand but Buffon’s save from Guiza opened the door for a turnaround. However, Casillas got the better of Di Natale and it was left for Fabregas to sink the fifth and winning penalty for Spain.

Best for Italy on the day were Chiellini and De Rossi while for Spain Silva and Senna worked tirelessly.  Spain goes on to play Russia in the semifinal, and for Italy it is Goodnight Vienna.


Comment of the Day
“I’ve been reading what foreign journalists say about Holland. There is one recurring story: the Dutch always destroy themselves through infighting, but this time they haven’t yet. This shoddy half-truth misses the point about Dutch football. Holland are good precisely because our players quarrel about football.” – Simon Kuper.



Prediction Update
Russia’s win yesterday was more bad news for many of you who posted predictions. Netherlands was a popular pick to make it to at least the semi final stage while those picking Russia to progress that far was limited to two or three. The updated standings will be posted tomorrow at the conclusion of the quarter finals.

Spain 2-1 Sweden

During the qualifying stage these two teams shared the spoils with a win each and it seemed that we were heading for a stalemate as the seconds ticked down. The difference, in the end, came down to a long clearance downfield from Capdevilla (?), tiring Swedish legs and the spirit of David Villa that inspired him to chase the ball down, compose himself and to side foot the winner past Isaksson.

Based on share of the play it was a deserved winner but Sweden provided much stiffer opposition than a Russian side that almost presented goals to Spain last Tuesday. Thoughts that another avalanche of Spanish goals might be in the offing received some encouragement when Torres showed his goal poacher instincts after only fifteen minutes. The Liverpool striker stretched for a ball played diagonally towards the six-yard box at midriff height. His studs made contact and Spain led.

As it often does, going a goal behind provides the impetuous to go forward and so it was for Sweden. The Spanish defence started to creak and the loss of Puyol only added to the problem. Ibrahimovic worked hard to create his shooting chance but the Spanish defenders and goalkeeper Iker Casillas were guilty of some very slack play.

The Swedish goalscorer did not come out for second half and with his absence Sweden was relegated to increasingly infrequent counter attacks. With no one to hold the ball up and to occupy the Spanish defenders almost every clearance was pinning its way back towards the Swedes penalty area in super quick time.

But just as it looked as if Sweden would leave with a point Villa’s fourth goal of the tournament gave Spain three points.   

Greece 0-1 Russia

The result was more important than the performances in this one. Greece loses and can go home early. Russia may also be catching an early flight but at least they will go into the final game against Sweden with a chance to progress. Sweden only needs a draw but Russia will look to the return of Andrei Arshavin after suspension as a major boost ahead of Wednesday’s decider.

Comment of the Day

“The Dutch have dared to identify and promote new talents, while the French, like the Italians, are paying a price for clinging to players of a certain vintage. Yes, Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry have been to the top of the world, but neither has been a regular starter with their club, Barcelona, and Henry's sinews are not the reliable carriers of his refined skills that we grew to admire.

By contrast, although the Netherlands' coach, Marco van Basten, has recalled Ruud van Nistelrooy to lead his attack, he has trusted in the engine power, the youth, and the ability of Sneijder and the creative touches of Rafael van der Vaart. The coach also, with a nudge from providence, has Dirk Kuyt on his right wing.” – Rob Hughes writing for the International Tribune.

Tip for the Day

Instantly distrust any article or commentator that describes the current Dutch team as playing Total Football ala Cruyff, Ajax and Netherlands in the seventies. They either did not see the Dutch play at their peak or they have a very poor grasp of the concept.

At this tournament Marco van Basten has the Dutch playing a system that makes the most of the talent and abilities that he has available – basically what all coaches are expected to do. So far the back four has held up well and the two deeper sitting midfield players (mostly Engelaar and De Jong) have covered space and offered effective defensive cover.

They defensive six have provided a platform from which the likes of Sneijder and van der Vaart can display their attacking talents. Up front operating as a lone striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy has shown that old horses can learn new tricks. The ability to break at speed has made the Dutch counter attacks spectacular and lethal but they owe little to the concept of total football.

So far van Basten has his team playing a very effective but relatively rigid 4-2-3-1 system that is markedly different from the free flowing changing-position-almost-at-will philosophy we saw from teams inspired by Rinus Michels. Michels required his players to be masters of technique and to be tactically aware. Everyone should be able to play anywhere was the basic idea but it needed almost perfect players to achieve it.

The 1974 Dutch team was pretty close. Suurbier, Ruud Krol, Rijsbergen and Haan were all accomplished players that could fit into almost any role asked of them. The midfield did not have relatively static defensive midfielders but had Jansen, Neeskens and the beautiful left foot of Wim Van Hanegem. Then we had Cruyff, Johnny Rep and Rob Rensenbrink in attack.

Even goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed – considered by many to be the weak link – made up for many of his short comings by playing at times as sweeper as the Dutch back four pushed forward. What is more is that there were superb players on the bench that could fit the Michels system without a step being missed.

The Dutch have been a revelation so far in this tournament but it is not because of any adherence to the philosophy of Total Football.

This was a very evenly contested 90 minutes but the difference was a couple of mistakes that led to the second French goal. Henry's pace forced Puyol into the obstruction that led to the free kick and then Vieira was left free at the back post.

The third was the icing on the cake. Is Domenech going to enjoy the last hearty laugh!!

For Spain another great start to a tournament and agin it ends in tears.