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Have to admit that england italy was a super game. Was not expecting it. Also enjoyed italy's gesture to classic soccer. Very nice to see a midfield general running things (with ample back up from a sweeper general). (It reminded me of brady and rix at arsenal decades ago) and both those players would enjoy themselves in today's football. Spain have an amazing total football system for play but the italians have a far prettier way of doing it. I think germany have the most lethal team left. Then Italy, Spain and Portugal. People admired the Ronaldo header against the Cheks but even if the defender had jogged towards the ball coming in, he could not have got near it. Most awful defending ever! At this stage, I hope Italy win and if not then Spain. I really admire the german method for playing soccer but I just do not find the style that wonderful to watch. If portugal win, then it will be an ego trip for ronaldo. It is a team game and i prefer a great team to beat off individualism play.
I rather think that C. Ronaldo will look like the Duke of York vs. the French at Agincourt (Branagh's bloody version). Even if the Portuguese win, Ronaldo will be beaten to a pulp by the Spanish who will swarm him like angry red and yellow bumblebees. The majority of the Spanish team are also either teammates of his at his Spanish Club or players that he's seen a great deal of in the Spanish elite league.
Short of miracles, I expect a Spanish-German final. Two balls will be provided. The Spanish will never give up their ball, as the Germans with theirs, and the game will finish as a 10-10 draw. Kicks will solve nothing, and the two sides will be forced into a obscure finish in which the captains determine the result with pistols on the center circle.
By the way, I'm glad the Italians have an Afro-Italian player in Balotelli (and Ogbonna). It's more difficult for the racists among the Italian fans to throw bananas on the field when one of their own is of African ancestry.
It's all very predictable with some small exceptions. Someone had to lose in the group of death (Netherlands), and someone had to choke (Russians vs. the Greeks) in the face of adversity, but it's a far cry from the way the NHL playoffs were this year, e.g.. Given the format, with one game playoffs and even an off-day leading to elimination, it's a little surprising this is so. There is a clear pecking order among the European teams, I think.
*Dusts off four-for-four badge -- doesn't mention that he also predicted England - Italy would be the closest match*
Point of information: Spain do not play total football. Total football has interchangeable positions which isn't really what Spain do -- although all modern football styles have a degree of TF nowadays. Spain play what's sometimes endearingly, sometines disdainfully referred to as tiki taka, which is onomatopoeic: a possession-based strategy based on short, quick passes, long, patient build-up and wearing your opponent down (most goals come late).
I don't think that Portugal - Spain is as obvious as some are saying. For one, Cristiano Ronaldo is having the tournament of his life right now, and he plays against the club version of Spain, the tiki-taka-ing Barcelona FC. And Spain is not as good as Barcelona, since they don't have Lionel Messi. Ronaldo has the talent and will to punish Spain so long as Portugal's defence can hold up -- and there have been enough examples of that in tournament play (Chelsea in the champions league and Croatia in Euro 2012, even though they lost) that suggest Paulo Bento's brain can formulate a strategy to do so. And Ronaldo will be dangerous any time he has the ball.
Germany and Italy will be quite close as well. Germany is starting to feel the pressure, and Italy has a lot of talent in Balloteli, De Rossi and especially Pirlo. I credit Pirlo with Italy's penalty win Sunday. Frat boy Joe Hart was getting all braggardly in his gamesmanship after Italy missed their second kick. And Pirlo not only didn't let it faze him, he cheekily chipped it over an already diving Hart, crushing his confidence and lifting the wavering Italians, who didn't miss again. A captain's penalty. Italians know how to defend, and they have the skill to hurt Germany. This will be a match to savour.
I'm picking Portugal to surprise Spain and Germany to carry a close but thrilling match.
Well! I am sure glad I missed most of that game! Saw a few minutes of cagey rubbish just after half time, walked away and came back close to the end of extra time where if Spain had a decent calm forward, they could have had 4 in the last 10 minutes. People said that portugal were the better team in the 90 minutes. From what I saw, both teams should have been sent home after 90 and just let Germany italy be the bluddy final.
The Toronto FC game last night was more entertaining.
A goal would have helped yesterday's match a lot. It was absorbing for much of the time, I thought, but then again, I like Spain's approach. Ronaldo had several chances to end the match but didn't, including a horrible miss almost at the death. Ronaldo with the ball at his feet, unmarked, in the 18-yard box. You'd back him 19 times out of 20 in a Real Madrid shirt. Instead, he blazed it horribly over the bar and wide.
No goals at the Euros for over four hours. Let's change that today, please.
re Balotelli: he gives you your price of admission in thrilling moments, fer sure
but you also shake your head just as often -- like that slow ambling advance to the goal vs Spain after getting past S. Ramos....
and Pirlo quite the playmaker
Came home today because I forgot some tools. Perfect timing. 5 minutes later the first Balotelli goal. Magical beautiful pass and superb anticipation to get his head to it. And then a while later, another moment of superb pass, sweet positioning and anticipation of the pass and an unstoppable shot. I hope for italy beating spain 4-3 in the final. Both teams play a great version of football, italy just a bit more direct and prettier to watch. Who knows, Spain could pass them off the pitch if things go well for them. (Their passes are way quicker and the luck they didn't get in the last 20 minutes against portugal might come their way in the final.)
I'm picking Italy to upset Spain.
Even though I was punished for my vanity with an o-fer in the semis, I'm inclined to agree with Caissa -- but only if pressed, because the final seems to close to call. As it is, I have to find a way to sneak out of an in-law family renunion at 2:45pm local time tomorrow. There's only one pub in this town, and I pray to Zizou they are showing the match.
I don't like sports jinxes, and Spain apparently has NEVER beat Italy in a major tournament; true?
go Spain
in other news, Michel Platini of UEFA may look at "de-nationalizing" the Euro for 2020, with games played all over the Continent ...
http://sports.orange.fr/infos/football/201226/platini-pour-un-euro-eclate_467987.html
Spain beat Italy on penalties in 2008 in the quarterfinals. They hadn't beaten Italy before that though. Germany had never beaten Italy in a competitive match -- a record tht still stands!
Platini is an idiot. Changing the number of teams from 16 to 24 next tourney will ruin it.
yeah, of course, 2008; for some reason, that tourney always draws a blank, except for the surprise of Russia and Arshavin
that was the start of Spain's recent rise to the top...
anyway, no real underdog here tonight, both have won big things recently and in the case of Italy, historically
Well, if they hadnt beaten them before, they have now. What a performance by Spain.
Things went Spains way. Despite the scoreline, it could have just as easily been 2 nill the other way in the first half. The spain goalie came up with a couple of great saves. But definitely the best team won the tournament. It's a pretty amazing style of play. To complete that number of passes in a competitive game with the other team trying to take the ball was unheard of before spain started doing it. By the end of the games, even the great star strikers were mentally exausted and unable to hit the target. Perhaps the key to spain is they do not really have a star player. Maybe, without a superstar, the team is more solid. Pirlo just stands out for Italy, he seems on the ball all the time but 3 ! spanish midfielders make more passes than him in any given game.
Criss Waddle (who was a fine skillful English player) launched a really big verbal attack on the English FA for not even trying to keep up with the new styles and tactics. Any one of the spanish midfielders completes more passes than the whole English team in a game and Waddle is pretty unhappy! Now I cannot play his rant, no longer allowed in this area. It was worth a listen!
"Perhaps the key to spain is they do not really have a star player."
............................
well, Iniesta, despite his lack of scoring this tourney, is pretty close to a superstar, always on the ball, as is Fabregas;
Iniesta player of the tournament:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/news/newsid=1838291.html#iniesta+named+best+player+tournament
in Europe he is now considered as nearly the best playing anywhere:
http://www.francesoir.fr/sport/football/andres-iniesta-ballon-d-or-2012-240533.html