Spain worthy winners – 2008

I wan’t exactly supporting Spain at Euro 2008 but must admit to being won over by their play in the final.

The only team who really played nice flowing football in the game thoroughly deserved the crown as champions after the 90 mins and to finally get a trophy after 44 years is a great achievement.

Torres’ goal was a superb dink over the keeper, and the German defence was abysmal to say best.

Much has been made about the Germans weakness at the back throughout the tournament but I can’t help but feel their weakness up front was even more worrying.

The only German player who came out of the game with any credit was the outstanding Schweinstiger who for me was one of the payers of the tournament.

So congrats to Spain, who also had midfielder Xavi named as player of the tournament. I can’t help that they must now also be favourites for the World Cup!

Germany through, who will join them? Spain or Russia

Well after the twist and turns of last nights match between Germany and Turkey what can we expect from tonights match?

Obviously a lot of people will be looking at the job Spain did on russia in the group stages, beating them 4-1 and think they’ll do them over again.

Personally I think and hope Russia can do the job and make it to the final, but having watched the opening 5 minutes of the game, Spain are looking dominant and full of life early on. Torres has just pulled a good save out of the Russian keeper and I feel he could be in for a busy night.

Interesting to see that both of these teams tonight have only one player each plying their trade outside of their respective countries.

It’s hard to stuff this Turkey!

There’s 11 minute left in the semi-final between Turkey and Germany and Germany have just scored.

Putting them 2-1 up.

I was looking forward to watching the Germans after their superb win and performance in the last round I thought they would be super confident and break down a Turkish team who only have 13 fit players with comfortable ease. Turkey where bound to turn up and just kill the game weren’t they? Surely!

However I must say for most of the game Turkey have been the exciting, forward thinking team. Germany have found it hard to string together more than 2 passes at a time and apart from Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has been excellent in my opinion the whoile German teamn have looked less than average.

whoa whoa whoa…… Turkey have done it again, they’ve equalised!! 4 minutes left and it’s 2-2.

You have to say they deserve it and the Germans must have been idiots to feel they had this game won.
Turkey have done this 4 games on the trot now and you have to say that this time they thoroughly desrve to take something from this game!

It’s hard to stuff this Turkey!

There’s 11 minute left in the semi-final between Turkey and Germany and Germany have just scored.

Putting them 2-1 up.

I was looking forward to watching the Germans after their superb win and performance in the last round I thought they would be super confident and break down a Turkish team who only have 13 fit players with comfortable ease. Turkey where bound to turn up and just kill the game weren’t they? Surely!

However I must say for most of the game Turkey have been the exciting, forward thinking team. Germany have found it hard to string together more than 2 passes at a time and apart from Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has been excellent in my opinion the whoile German teamn have looked less than average.

whoa whoa whoa…… Turkey have done it again, they’ve equalised!! 4 minutes left and it’s 2-2.

You have to say they deserve it and the Germans must have been idiots to feel they had this game won.
Turkey have done this 4 games on the trot now and you have to say that this time they thoroughly desrve to take something from this game!

Roberto Donadoni parts company with Italy

News just coming through suggests the Roberto Donadoni has been sacked as Italy coach.

The announcement comes as no surprise following a dismal string of performances in this years Euro 2008 competition.

The reigning world champions looked anything but champion material as they stumbled through the group stages.

Many said they would struggle when Cannavaro pulled out of the squad with an injury before the start of the tournament, but the truth was the Italians made enough chances in each and every game to get something from them. Toni up front alone though scuppered chance after chance and for a big man dived to the gorund whenever he was in the proximity of an opposing player.

Del Piero must have felt frustrated watching games from the sidelines even though the Italians seemed to be a better unti when he came on.

Unfortunately for Donadoni, reputation as a player was not enough to make you a natural national manager and his tactics where wrong game in game out.

So who now for the Italians?
Well I guess Mr Hiddink might prove to be an exciting proposition!

Russia stun Holland – And me!

Russia inspired by the ever lively Arshavin, stunned not just Holland last night but most of Europe.

I thought their best chance of anything from the game would have been to use spoil tactics and stop the Dutch from playing their flowing game, but the truth was it was the other way around. Holland could not live with the Russians for much of the game and although they managed to grab an 86th minute equaliser that took the game into extra time, that period of extra time was dominated by the Russians and they scored a further 2 goals.

Hiddinks men where superb throughout and many are saying that they can now go on and win the whole thing, but in my opinion (which changes daily in this outstanding tournament) it is now wide open.

Italy I’m sure will be glad to see the Dutch head home after their mauling in the group stages, and should they now beat spain in their next game my master plan that says they will be champions this year could well come true.

Croatia vs Turkey – 0-0 after 90 mins

The game has been a  complete bore so far.

Croatia have tried to win the game but Turkey have closed the doors and seem to be happy to try their luck at penalties. An understandable  ploy with the knowledge that their keeper is indeed a good shot stopper.

In fairness though you would have to feel for Croatia if they go out, as they are the only team trying to play some football.

I feel both of these teams would really struggle against a temam with any height in it though, but having said that, Croatia have already beaten Germany once and Turkey beat the Czech’s. Both of them boasting some tall players.

Roll on tomorrow when hopefully the Holland vs Russia game will be much better.

Croatia vs Turkey – could be the game of the round

Last nights game between Portugal and Germany was enough to wet the appetite of any one looking forward to the coming season of football.

Ballack was outstanding for the Germans and they thoroughly deserved the victory despite the Portuguese crying out for fouls and any other help they could get.

Tonight see’s Croatia take on an improving Turkey side. this game has not had any of the big billing that other games in the round may have had, probably due to the fact that neither team has what we would deem to be a superstar player.

What they do both have though are hard grafting team players, which Germany proved last night, can lay the brightest teams to the sword.

This is one of the reasons I am thinking this could actually turn into one of the games of the tournament.

Bilic has done what can only be described as an amazing job with the Croatia team. He always seemed to give 100% as a player and it is clear his players now look at him with huge respect. I guess he was one of the first players to emerge from Croatia into the big European leagues and the youngsters of Croatia who are now in his national team remember him as a man that helped put them on the map.

Let’s not pretend though that these guys can’t play football, their win over Germany was no fluke they where the better team fair and square. Whether they would have beat the Germany team last night is nether here nor there, as I don’t believe the croatia team would have allowed Germany to boss the game early on as the portuguese did.

Let’s not pretend that this is a walk in the park for croatia either.

Turkey have come good, and it wasn’t long ago they where world cup semi-finalists.
Their come back against the Czech republic was awe inspiring.
(I admit to turning the game off after Turkey went 2-0 down and switched it back on not too long after to see them win 3-2.)

I feel both teams want to raise their profile once again and I hope that the result will be an absolute cracker!

Never write the Germans off

This afternoon in the office I was talking about how only a fool would write off the Germans.

They always get better as a tournament proceeds.

I have to admit there was a part of me that said Ronaldo, Deco and the other Portuguese stars had too much pace for the Germans to handle at the back, but sitting here now watching Germany lead 3-1 after 66 minutes  it’s hard to see  how Portugal can pull this one back.

Germany have looked a much improved team tonight. They started the game looking hungry and the first goal cam about from some beautiful football down the left of the field.

Portugal on the other hand seem to want that one pass too many in the opposing half , despite their undeniable talent they just don’t seem willing to try their luck once in a while. Maybe they got of f to such a good start that they became complacent, thinking they would waltz past the Germans as they have some other teams.

What is slightly concerning, seeing as though he is due to arrive to manage Chelsea in a few week is that Big Phil seems to be out of ideas as to how to pull it back.

I wonder what the Chelsea chairman is thinking now?

Actually he is probably still celebrating Russias excellent win last night!

Arshavin livens up the Russians – Euro 2008

It’s half time in the Russia vs Sweden match on Euro 2008.
A game I wasn’t expecting much from to be honest, but that was before I knew that Arshavin was returning to the line up for Russia.

Having served his two game suspension for a sending off in the qualification phase, his return has transformed an ever improving Russian team and had they faced Spain for their last game rather than the first, I think Spain would have had a much more difficult game on their hands.

Sweden have come stronger since they went a goal behind in the 25th minute. A good move finished by Pavluchenko gave the russians a thoroughly deserved lead.

Left back, Zhirkov, has impressed me tonight. He has made some great runs down the left and tracks back quickly whenever any moves break down.

I feel the second half could be even better as the Swedes now know they have to score to stay in it.

Russia will not feel they are strong enough at the back to just sit and soak up the pressure, they still look dangerous on the attack and must surely push on for a second early on in the second half.

If Russia do go through that will set the russian coach Guus Hiddink up to play against his home nation Holland in the quarter finals.

As a footnote I think it’s only fair to mention another Dutch man having a good game, referee Frank De Bleeckere has hardly been noticable suggesting he is letting the game roll as much as he can.