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.

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.

Group D continued

Spain has qualified from the qualifying group stage of every European Championship bar two – 1972 and 1992. Seven times they have failed to progress past the last eight. In 1964 they won the European Championship and the two decades later they lost in the final to France. Four years ago they failed to qualify along with Russia in a group in which Portugal, and Greece moved on.


How they qualified
Losses away to Sweden and Northern Ireland in the opening three games placed Spain firmly behind the eight-ball. However, they responded magnificently with eight wins and a draw away to Iceland the only blemish. Spain finished two points ahead of runners-up Sweden and eight ahead of Northern Ireland and Denmark. David Villa’s six goals for Spain all arrived in the first seven games of group play.


The Coach
Describing Luis Aragones as controversial is a bit like saying Celtic and Rangers fans don’t often see eye-to-eye. If he isn’t feuding with players and the media, he is spouting inflammatory comments. At 70 years-old Aragones will be the oldest manager at the competition and he will step down at the conclusion of the tournament.


Key Players
Last summer Fernando Torres’ move from Atletico Madrid to Liverpool was widely questioned given the money Liverpool paid and the fact that Torres had never scored twenty goals in a season.

Nearly twelve months later Torres has scored many more than twenty goals and is considered a bargain at $45m+. Valencia’s David Villa and Mallorca’s Daniel Guiza (top scorer in La Liga this past season) are also available and offer credible alternatives to Torres.

In goal Spain are very strong with Iker Casillas backed-up by Liverpool’s Pepe Reina and Sevilla’s Andres Palop. Sergio Ramos has developed into an outstanding defender for Real Madrid and this tournament might contribute to his growing reputation.


Great Euro Memory
Spain won the European Championship in 1964 beating the Soviet Union 2-1. In the qualifying rounds Spain had beaten Romania and both of the Irelands.

The final was laced with politics as four years earlier the Fascist Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco had ordered Spain not to play the Soviet Union at the quarter final stage.

The Soviet’s then received a bye into the semis and eventually won the competition. However, in 1964 Franco could not resist the chance to demonstrate Spain’s superiority on the football field.

Spain beat a very good Hungary side 2-1 after extra time in the semi final while the Soviet Union dispatched Denmark 3-0. In the final Pereda gave Spain an early lead only for Khusainov to equalize before ten minutes was gone.

The score remained deadlocked until Marcelino (Real Zaragoza) scored from a header with only six minutes left. (The current Spanish squad recently met the 1964 team).


Synopsis
Along with Russia, Spain is generally considered to be the consummate underachiever of world football. At so many major tournaments Spain has, on paper, a side capable of winning the whole enchilada.

But, games are not won on paper and we have become use to Spain starting a tournament like gangbusters only to fold like a cheap deckchair come the knock out rounds. They have the players – do they have the temperament and will they get a couple of fortunate breaks along the way?

Ironically Spain’s soft spot might be in midfield and that in turn may put the centre of defence under stress and strain. In midfield tidy passing types pervade but they may turn out to be lightweight over three weeks of competition. Ball possession may not be a problem but winning it and moving it quickly to the strikers could be.

Defensively in the middle of the park Marco Senna is the only specialty holding midfield player while the settlement of the feud between Valencia and gritty midfielder David Albelda came too late for his inclusion in the Spanish squad.


Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying
Group 5 also consists of Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Armenia and Estonia.



Sweden has only competed at three previous European Championship finals. The first time was as host in 1992 when they reached the last four. They missed out in 1996 but qualified for the first time for the 2000 competition and appeared again four years later.


How they qualified
Just under half of Sweden’s twenty-six points came from four consecutive wins to start Group F. With a six point gap with third place Northern Ireland it looks as if the Swede’s cruised through this group.

However, it needed a last round win against Latvia to secure the runners-up spot to Spain. A loss to Latvia and a win (all be it a shock one) by Northern Ireland in Spain would have meant the Irish traveling to Austria and Switzerland this summer. Old stand-by Marcus Allback scored six of Sweden’s twenty-three goals.


The Coach
This will be the third trip to the European Championship finals for Lars Lagerback. Lagerback was initially appointed as the assistant to Tommy Soderberg 1998 before being appointed co-coach two years later. After Euro 2004 Soderberg stepped aside and Lagerback assumed sole control of the team.


Key Players
Sweden will be heavily reliant on Inter’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic but the big striker has seen the edge go from his game since the turn of the year as he has battled a knee problem. Henrik Larsson has broken his international retirement again (more comebacks than Frank Sinatra) although his recall is more likely a sign of weakness in the squad than strength.

In attack John Elmander provides a big physical presence up front and he has scored at a respectable rate of one goal every three games for Sweden. He plays his club football for Toulouse has hit double figures in goals the last two seasons and is regularly mentioned in transfer talk. In midfield Kim Kallstrom has a prodigious work rate and an excellent left foot.


Great Euro Memory
When Sweden hosted in 1992 they were drawn in a group with France, Denmark and England. Sweden drew the opener with France 1-1 and then proceeded to beat the eventual winners Denmark 1-0 courtesy of Leeds “legend” and Howard Wilkinson’s mate Thomas Brolin.

That set up a last round match against an England who in theory could have have qualified with a high scoring draw if the Denmark-France match had finished tied. In reality England really needed to win and going in at half time leading through an early David Platt goals things looked good for them. However, Jan Eriksson equalized just after half time and then a goal by Brolin was the final nail in England’s coffin.

In the semi-final Germany knocked Sweden out 3-2 although the score-line made the game seem closer than it actually was.


Synopsis
Sweden regularly makes it to the World Cup finals but looks like a team that once it has hit the knock out stages is satisfied and ready to fly home. In Portugal four years ago Sweden played out a dreadful scoreless draw before losing to the Netherlands on penalties in a quarter final game. Competent but never a threat to win – that sums up Sweden.


Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying
Drawn in Group 1 along with Portugal, Denmark, Hungary, Albania and Malta.



Part One - History and Background


Part Two – Portugal and the Czech Republic.


Part Three - Switzerland and Turkey.


Part Four - Austria and Croatia.


Part Five - Germany and Poland.


Part Six - France and Italy


Part Seven - Netherlands and Romania.


Part 8 - Greece and Russia



Part 10 - Predictions, tomorrow June 6.

First, it was the election of Ramon Calderon and then came the appointment of Fabio Capello as the new manager. Now, Real Madrid has signed Emerson and Fabio Cannavaro. From the ruins of terrible season last season – and the year before and the year before that – there are signs that the rebuilding of Real Madrid may take considerably less time than many (including myself) thought in May.

Capello has been successful wherever he has coached and although the last two titles with Juventus are now tainted – revoked – it is doubtful that he would have signed for Madrid if he had not been guaranteed full control over the team. Something that his predecessors under the “reign” of Florentino Perez were never granted.

Capello has identified the Real Madrid team “spine” as the priority. Few people would take issue with Iker Casillas in the goal. Cannavaro will slot into the centre of the defense with Sergio Ramos or Ivan Helguera. Ramos can also slot in at right back.

Emerson is an interesting signing. Capello had him at Roma and he moved to Juve almost as soon as Capello has signed the contract. Now, he is off to Real.  But what about Emerson’s performances against Arsenal in the Champions League and during the World Cup with Brazil? It looked to me as if he had lost a step and could not handle the pace of the game. Obviously, Capello thinks quite differently.

Real continues to pursue Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United but perhaps the most interesting player to watch will be Antonio Cassano. He was unfit and overweight when he arrived during the transfer window last January and his appearances were limited.

Now he should have his weight under control and pre-season training under his reduced belt. The fact that Italy won the World Cup without him must also sting. Capello struggled with him at Roma but he did get some great performances from him.

In May, it looked like the resurrection of Real Madrid might be a five-year project – now they may be poised to be the comeback story of the 2007 European season.  

 

The Spanish defense is caught as the ball rebounds off a Tunisian player in midfield and Jaziri riggles and squirms in the penalty box until he finds Mnari. Casillas makes a great stop but he can't stop Mnari's second attempt.

This game looks as if it has a few goals in it though.