The Anticlimax

Germany 0 : 1 Spain (Torres 33)

The Euro 08 has found its winner as Spain. After many fantastic matches especially in the 1/8 and 1/4 finals, the final was an anticlimax. Shadowed by 39 fouls, both teams rarely looked like settling in despite both teams seeing a fair amount of the ball. But the fouls broke up the play leaving only little scraps of good play once in the odd while. It was Spain that always looked the most potent, willing to test out the previously and consistently weak German Defense.

Early Stages
The early stages was all German, the Germans controlled the middle of the park picking up the half chances that Spain was trying. Spain kept on trying to hit Torres with the long ball but the Liverpool striker's first touch seemed to have deserted him when brilliant chances were there to be taken. Without Villa, Spain looked uncertain and rarely got their midfielders into the game, with only Iniesta and Xavi taking the odd touch. Germany saw this weakness and tried to hammer forward but the Spanish defense held as the gaps were closed with relative ease by Marchena and Sergio Ramos.

Taking up Opportunities
After 20 minutes of play, Spain quickly found out that their long ball tactic was far from lethal and reverted back to their close ground passing. This looked to have cause the German defense some significant trouble as they were slow to counter the passes. Ballack however decided to have none of that and stood up as an example to show how to defend against those close group plays - kick them in the ankle. Fouls were committed constantly as said before meaning Spain's play was consistently broken up before anything substantial could be created. Spain also looked for the long ground ball whenever Torres was marked by Lahm or Mertesacker, Lahm who would not be called big even by elves has looked slightly vulnerable coming up against the big strikers in the tournament. Tall players are not usually the best on the ground, Mr 2m tall Mertesacker has epitomised that fact the whole tournament; but manager, Low, has limited options on his bench. Xavi and Fabregas tried out a couple of half-chanced passes to Torres, Torres failed to control most of them until the 33rd minute when Xavi's quick pass slide perfectly into the path of Torres. However Lehmann and Lahm stood in his way, Germany's lack of cohesiveness popped up leaving Lahm thinking Lehmann had covered Xavi's pass but Lehmann looked every year of his 38 years of age reacting slow and coming out slow from the the sticks. Torres lifted it over the oncoming Lehmann to bag his second goal of the Tournament. Before this point, Torres looked to have caused trouble like he did against Russia by hitting the bar before but otherwise looked far from scoring. However luck fell his way and the German defense gifted him a goal.

The Second Half
This half was a typical cup final half. Full of nerves and uncreative. Lahm was substituted during the break, for Jansen, a player who looks more likely to score and own goal than to do anything productive was a huge gamble by Low. The tide had fully swung Spain's way after Torres' goal, and it looked on multiple occasions that Sergio Ramos was going to seal a second. Sergio Ramos looked at times to be playing in Villas role, but showed why he is a fullback with his shooting ability. Chances kept on falling Spain's way but they never capitalised with Xavi wasting chance after chance with non-committed shots but Germany had little reply. Schweinsteiger, Podolski and Klose never got a touch of the ball or gave it instantly away when they did. With a host of missed chances from Spain and Germany never getting the ball into the final Spanish third, the final wound down like the legs of the Germans. The 5 previous matches took its toll and Torres' solitary did the job.

Player Rating
The following is the player ratings for the game. With 1 being totally useless and 10 being the class of Maradona against England in 1986. The bracketed number is the rating from voters on BBC.

Germany:
Lehmann: 7.00 - Good performance (6.16)
Jens made a couple of fantastic saves, but his (and Lahm's) error did cost them the cup. But considering the shape of his defense and Spain's chances, it must have been his aura that kept the score at 1.

Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm and Hitzlsperger: All 3.00 - Woeful (4.36-4.85)
Lucky to only concede one, every single one of them really needs to reconsider their international status, Lahm needs to take a lead and balance his attacking skills with his defensive skills.

Frings: 7.00 - Good (5.34)
BBC doesn't do him justice, he might have been playing on a woeful team, but he was the reason why Spain failed to get into a real rhythm. Shows why he still played with a broken rib.

Ballack: 5.00 - Off Colour (5.71)
Did little but cause trouble, he spent most of his time defending and never tested Casillas (well, no German did)

Podolski, Schweinsteiger and Klose: 5.00 - Off Colour (5.20- 5.85)
Rarely touched the ball, and gave it away cheaply when they did. Schweinsteiger was consistently off target on set pieces wasting many good opportunities.

Jansen: 3.00 - Woeful (4.92)
No where near international quality, showed how incompetent a manager Low is with him coming on.

Gomez, Kuranyi: 4:00 - Poor (4.13, 4.29)
Did nothing bad or good. Just used up the substitution quota like they have been the rest of the tournament.

Spain
Casillas: 6.00 - Average (7.22)
He might be on the winner team but 7.22 is overrated. He got himself into the book for dissent needlessly but did his job when required. Was never tested by the Germans.

Sergio Ramos: 8.00 - Very good (7.12)
Covered a lot of ground and threatened the German goal on a handful of occasions. He also dealt with Podolski and Schweinsteiger well save his backpass to Klose. He is definietly the best fullback of the tournament when he gets going.

Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila: 6.00 - Average (6.68, 6.69, 6.66)
Did their job when called upon but had an easy game.

Senna: 8.00 - Very Good (7.71)
Showed why he starts infront of Xabi Alsono, kept Schweinsteiger and Ballack quite. Also suffered a host of Ballack attacks but held strong covering his defense. Tactically brilliant.

Iniesta, Xavi: 7.00 - Good (7.53, 7.49)
Controlled the midfield and created chances for Torres. Both guilt of missing or wasting opportunities, but a dependable pair throughout the game and tournament.

Fabregas: 5.00 - Off Colour (7.19)
Incredibly overrated by BBC. He might be the proud son of Spanish football but his performance has showed why he doesn't start. Touched the ball less than 5 times and never worked the Germans. Totally overshadowed by his midfield peers. Incorrectly credited for the assist of Torres' goal might explain his high rating.

Silva: 5.00 - Off Colour (6.79)
Worked with the ball, but never worked the ball. Meaning he carried the ball and caused the German fullbacks trouble but screwed up when trying to shoot or dispatched the ball. Little influence on his teammates.

Torres: 8.00 - Very good (8.46)
Got the winner (hence the high rating) and caused the German defense a nightmare. However never got to his full potential and showed that he missed Villa.

Carzola, Alonso, Guiza: 6 - Good (6.53, 6.71, 6.66)
Came on and held ground out the match, good performance but the three never looked like they wanted to give those they replaced a fight for the starting spot.

Manager Rating:

Joachim Low: 3.00 - Woeful
Got his tactics right but underestimated the Spanish. Error to rush Ballack and Frings back, both tired quickly after the hour. Panic substitution with Lahm, with Jansen who has looked totally been outclassed the whole Tournament. Low's incompetence is shadowed by Klinsmann's bold but firm decision making skills which made the stunning team of 06. Substitutions at the wrong time and wrong person. Low has undone the good work of Klinsmann when the pressure mounted. Needs to go if Germany want to be a dominant force again at top level international football.

Luis Aragones: 6.00 - Good
Had a plan B. He knew Germany was not just going to kneel over unless his players gave them a good go. Quickily switched away from the long balls when it didn't work and was rewarded with the goal. However doubts into why Fabregas was started even though his style clashes with the superior teammate Xavi. Fabregas should have been used as a sub to kill off the opponent in after the hour mark. Substitutions was sound but conservative. Looked to have settled with the Torres goal after Low cracked.

The Grand Finale

The Euro draws to a close tomorrow with the battle between two of the touted favourites before the tournament, the Germans and the Spanish.

Past Success
The Germans have one of the most fruitful history out of all the European teams, they are the winners of the World Cup on three occasions and are gunning to add their fourth Euro title tomorrow. The last time they were in a Cup Final was in the 2002 World Cup, in which they lost 2-0 to Brazil. Germany's strong footballing culture will be tested against a team that has been supposedly be stuck by a curse.

Spain's history compared to Germany's is borderline pathetic, with a best of a 4th place finish in the World Cup and only 1 European Championship to boast. Their last Cup Final was in 1984, 24 years a long time between drinks.

Score: Germany 1 - 0 Spain

Qualification for Euro 08
The build up (ie qualification) to the Euro is usually a reasonable way to see who are potential champions or who deserve to be. Germany was pitted into a reasonably mid-tier group with the likes of Czech, Ireland and Wales. However as the games rolled on, Czech and Germany pulled ahead, Germany however choked on a couple of occasions like losing 0-3 to Czech at home and drawing with the home nations, that cost them the placing as first seed in their group. However their performances were often quite strong and was rightly reflected by Podolski's 8 goal tally in qualifying.

Spain were pitted into a low-tier group with their main competition as Sweden and Denmark. However Northern Ireland was a complete surprise package when Healy took home the Ball after bagging a hattrick at Windsor Park. With a further lose to Sweden away, Spain looked shaky but found their form for their remaining games by securing 25 points from a possible 27. David Villa was Spain's highest scorer in qualifying with a total of 7 goals. However this achievement was greatly shadowed by Healy's amazing 13 goals. But winning was what mattered at the end of the day, and their awesome form in their last 9 matches meant they secured the honours of being the top seed.

Score: German 1 - 1 Spain

Players
Both teams have an array of talent in all positions of the field.

GK: Germany's GK, Jens "The Lemon" Lehmann according to most is like a maverick. Still first choice at 38, Jens has been made the number 1 jersey his own for many a year. Although Jens is never congratulated for winning games, he has pulled off many stunning saves at crucial moments to keep both Arsenal and Germany in the game. However, being a Maverick, he has his odd decision making skills which has embarrassed him and his defense on multiple occasions (take the Champions League final against Barcelona and the mistake against Croatia). Sometimes the pressure does get to him.
Spain's captain and number 1 Casillas has been regarded as being one of the best in the world, however has failed to really 'take it to the next level'. This season has been of better luck and a solid performance against Italy has shown that he does have something in his hat that he can pull out. At a reasonable 'young' age of 27 (young compared to most other international GKs) his 9 years of being Real Madrid's first choice gives him fantastic experience and transposes his calmness of mind when the pressure builds.

Defense
Not much needed to be said here, its really a Humpty Dumpty vs Gravity. And Humpty being Germany. Besides Lahm, Germany's defense has been a real disaster with major lapses in concentration and lack of team understanding. Spain's has been a total opposite, calm and solid throughout, Sergio Ramos has really shown the world his class after totally shutting out the Russian whiz 'Arshavin in their last match. Germany will likely again focus on scoring at least 3 goals to compensate for their defensive inability. However against Torres, and lucky for them not Villa as well, they may just not fall off the wall not as hard. However it is most likely they will still splat and cause a real trouble for the German team.

Midfield
Both midfields are pinnacle to their teams success. Most teams in the Euro have proven this way, save Russia, Turkey and Italy (these three relied more on their attackers which ultimately failed). With Ballack doubtful, Germany does have a hole to fill, Borowski is a possible replacement but a slight step down, however it has been Sweinsteiger that has been the core force in the German side his sending off was questionable (it was assault no question, but arose due to the Ref's inability to control the player's tempers) but the one match ban was justified. Sweinsteiger came back stronger and has proven to be that creative spark that Germany need to get the goals.
Spains midfield combination has surprised many with the hugely talented Fabregas being forced to play second fiddle to Senna. However it has worked out in a positive manner, Fabregas coming on in the later stages has shown his ability to exploit tiring defenses who leaves gaps for his striker to pounce on. When Fab does start he would be played out of position like against Greece and really restricting his influence. With the likes of Iniesta, Xavi and Silva the combination is magnificent and will work wonders for Aragones.

Attackers
Germany and Spain promotes the two most lethal striking partnerships in the world. Not many other teams can tout such talents in their front and have them work so well together. Klose and Podolski has been extremely efficient and their understanding is impeccable. Time and time again they have proven to be the most feared partnership even at the highest of standards. Spain boast Villa and Torres, two that have made their own report in their own rights. With both bagging 20+ goals last season, they are the hottest properties around Europe with many clubs chasing the signature of Villa. However, Villa 'pulled a hammy' against Russia and will not take part. His replace, Guiza, is a hugely potent strike force as well, his exquisite lob against Akinfeev has shown his ability sight for goal justifies his top-scorer title in the La Liga after chalking up 27 goals. His play however is significantly different to that of Villas and no doubt Aragones needs to form a tactical approach to make Torres and Guiza work together. However Torres has been off target so far but continues to threaten. Nevertheless the understanding between the two still remains a gap meaning they are unlikely to feed off each other.
Germany in my opinion has the better attacking combination even if Villa had started, however skill to skill wise Spain wins by a significant distance.

Spain wins in the GK, Defense area, draw in the Midfield area and lost out to Germany up front.
Meaning they win this category 2:1

Score: Germany 1 : 2 Spain

Mentality
Most finals usually go to extra time and penalties. And everyone knows, Germans don't miss. This is because of their strong mentality and their desire to be the best. Many teams have played past the 90 minute mark and in such heat, the players tire quickly and tactics usually no longer work. Desire kicks in and its all about how much each player wants to win and how much they are willing to sacrifice to get there. Spain might want the cup badly as they have been starved of glory for 44 years but if it ends up as a will of desire, few will bet against Germany.

Score Germany 2 : 2 Spain

The fallen four

4 are left, 4 were shown the door. Typical of what you would expect from a quarter-final but the results were far from what you would expected.


Portugal vs The Bastian
Portugal were the first victims of the elimination rounds falling to the hands of the Bastian. Never have I ever seen someone that looks like ghost ripe past another team like a ghost. All the pre-cup hype surrounding Ronaldo was proven to be more hype than reality with Ronaldo yet again under performing on the big stage. However his cause wasn't helped by the fact that his team's defense looked more like a spoon with holes in it, lets everything through and useless.

Although Portugal's defense is often never the talking point, but one could have expected them to do better considering they do have the first choice centre halves of Chelsea and Real Madrid and a keeper that sent England packing on two occasions. Huge defensive errors cost them and the quick-fire goals of the Bastian and Klose really sealed the match for the Germans. However on saying that, it was more of a game on damage-limitation from both sides. The German defense that used to be so strong has looked nothing but this time around but they managed to win after parking a bus in front of goal for the last 20 minutes. While Low was too nervous to watch, the Germans tensed it out on the field by having the 10 men behind the ball. It really was the Berlin wall. However like the Berlin wall, a gap soon appeared Nani well delivered but slightly tame cross was tucked away with a few minutes to spare closing the goal difference to just one. Low by then had enough and need to 'have a fag' to calm himself down. It was really interesting to see Low act like that, as it is most un-German like and it might signify that there is some hidden troubles amongst the team. Because usually the last one to feel afraid or nervous is the coach and Low was hardly a model.

Croatia vs "Never say die" Turkey
Some teams are made to be king of comebacks but to go down in the 119th minute and then to score in the 122nd minute is something special. Officially the latest goal ever scored in a Euro match it was one that the Croatians never saw coming. When Klasnic scored they thought they had won the match and rightly so but like against the Czechs the Turkey pulled off an amazing comeback. When a game is into those final stages of the game, tactics no longer matter because players will be too tired to care and its always the team with the desire to win and the composure that wins the game. When Turkey got that goal, there was no chase that Croatia would have won the penalty kick, just imagine what was going on in their heads. One moment ago they were winning with just a minute to go and after playing for 119 minutes, it is nothing but relief and pure confidence, but as that feeling starts to warm up the Turks did the unthinkable. The bigger they are the harder they fall. Every single bit of positive mentality would have been sucked right out of the Croatians and the tide has swung to Turkey's way. Modric who was so calm and cool in the previous matches summed it all up with a terrible penalty. However the winner on the day is Germany, Turkey battled hard but casualty numbers are high, Tuncay Sanli and Arda Turan, the two pivotal men are suspended along with a couple of others, 6 are injured and the coach has one heck of a job to do now to face Germany.

Dutch vs the Dutch Curse
Form can go as fast as it can come if you don't cherish it, something that all managers know and fear about. Form is a double edged blade, something that will kill off opponents when you have it or something that can fully destroy you if you depend solely on it. The Dutch were out of colour during their qualifiers and it was a real shock when they demolished the French and Italians with so much ease (ask Ruud). It had seemed that they had suddenly found their form. On the other hand Russia started their Euro campaign by getting themselves slaughtered by Spain but since the arrival of Arshavin their fortune has totally turned around. With his trusty partner in attack, Roman Pavlyuchenko they stole the show and juiced the Oranje. The first half was all about Netherlands vs Arshavin. Besides Arshavin and Roman, the Russian team looked fully out of place, man to man, the Russian team were outskilled by a ratio of 5:1 in every position. Russia created a number of chances, nearly all from Arshavin, but were guilty to wanting to walk the ball into the net, the Dutch on the other hand shot if they got within 30 yards. The contrasting style was very interesting and the team that looked to scored first was going to take it. However the Dutch coming from 3 convincing wins began to look sloppy and agutated with passes in the final third not sticking. Same went for Russia, Russia's skill were still a chocker and with not much progress Arshavin decided that he would have to do all the work himself, opting to dribble the last third rather than to waste time trying to string passes. His efforts paid off, Roman got a goal and the Dutch looked further and further off colour. What was surprising to see was when the Dutch conceded the goal all the Dutch fans went quiet. Its not uncommon but they remained that way. The fans on a another day would be trying to cheer on their team but maybe they sensed the inevitable. Ruud really only delayed the outcome and the string of lucky last ditch clearances or dependence on van der Sar to do a spectacular save gave way when Arshavin kept on storming the Dutch and was rewarded with an assist and goal.

Spain vs Italy
It was an interesting match, probably because the Spanish team has so many players with flair and knack to try things. Their opponents other hand remained as they were in the previous three matches, summarised too truly by the BBC columnist Robbo Robson

a tight-fisted, mean-spirited, uninspiring, desperate and downright miserable way to approach a game of football.

Italy is at the point where, like France, needs to get their priorities straight, a team that is a shadow of the 06, without any imagination or desire it was surprising that it took penalties to kill them off. For most of the match it was really Buffon's skill that kept the Spanish at bay albeit the little scare. Some people thought they would have imploded by the negative way they approach the game nowdays. Donadoni like McClaren fielded players that carry a name and not substance. Never would Toni or Zambrotta start a match for a supposed World Champion team in the form they are now especially with players like Di Natale on the bench if Donadoni stopped listening the the shadow of Lippi. However credit must be given to the Spanish for their desire to reach a Semi-final since God-knows-when, their victory is more like against the evils of football, its a shame Buffon, such a talented star, has to play with a bunch of uninspiring 'losers'.

Netherlands and the great Brazilians

The Dutch
After putting a total of 7 goals past the Italians and the French defense, the odds for them winning the tournament would definitely have dropped by some considerable amount. The way that the Dutch controlled both matches is astonishing considering that the Italian stronghold was dubbed the strongest in the world (Imagine having to go pass Gattuso, Cannavaro and Buffon to get a goal). But a week before the tournament Cannavaro did a shocker and got injured in training, the little maestro of defense so pinnacle to Italian's success was gone, and how did the Dutch reply? By smacking in 3 goals and making the Italian defense look like inexperienced part-timers. The goals weren't spectacular, they were a result from avoiding the marker and being first to the ball, simple stuff. However, the Dutch have other teams in awe because throughout their matches, they have looked to comfortable in possession. When you looked at the French side, they honestly looked like the ball was going to explode in their faces if they had it for more than 2 passes. The Dutch comfortable on the ball was able to stroke it around with easy and then launch the ball when the opportunity came like the build up to Kuyt's goal. Netherlands controlled the game and made their oppositions sit in their own half, some people have even gone as far as saying that this team plays like the 1970 Brazilian team. A strong statement but their win against France really shows us why this comparison has been made.

1970 Brazilian team
With the like of Pele, Tostao, Carlos Alberto, Rivelino, Gerson, Jairzinho and many others, attack was unlimited. If you score 5 goals against them they will get 6, you get 7 they will get 8. Their attacking prowess was so great that they nearly had a shot at goal ever other minute in the World Cup final in which they won 4-1 against Italy. The ability to play such attacking football has never been seen since and that is why they aer regarded as the best team of all time.

The Netherlands showed that kind of quality during their three matches and looked like they have to ability to score at ease when they want and how many they want. The quality goals that they got really showed how potent the team is and how even the Italian defense can't contain the now favourites for the tournment.

International Experience

It is important to realise that international football is a totally different ordeal to club football like league and Champions League football. In international football the pace seems slower and more methodical, traditional styles have often proven the victory formula in many a game. However the pace is actually much quicker but played with the mind, options for the players decrease as the opponents they now play are the best out of a country. Concentration is one of the most important points in international football and often not stressed enough by certain arrogant sides.

I commented that the likes of Evra who although is a seasoned veteran at club level for both Monaco and Man Utd, he had often been overlooked by Domenech prior to his consistent yet fantastic performances for Utd in the last two seasons. To some, his selection above Abidal or Sagnol is a shock because he is so much more dynamic to the usual calculated pace of France. Because of this I mentioned him as inexperienced and slight jitters showed against Netherlands. He currently has 12 caps at international level compared to Sagnol's 57 and Abidal's 36.

The Group of Death

The group rounds will be finished in 2 days time and so far it has been the Euro Tournament to remember with empathic wins and pulsating finishes.

What's in a name?
The group of death is usually the name given to the group where most of the strong teams are pitted into. Group C (Euro 08's Group of death) comprises of the current world champions, Italy, World Cup runners up France, van Basten's Netherlands and the dark horses Romania.
Many wrote off Romania when they saw the group, but they aren't dubbed the dark horses for no reason and also remember the current cup Euro cup holders are Greece (out of all teams).
Past experiences have shown that the two teams that usually progress include the
-most supported one
-the one that can grind results
Them two added together usually make out England, where watching their games used to cause death (England vs Paraguay) giving a new twist to the group nickname, however they did not manage to qualify.

The most supported team in Group C is Italy, a BBC poll showed that most people in the Homenations said they would support them and not surprisingly since they are the current World Champions.
The ability to grind results out is none other than Romania, with talent in their team that won't even make the C team in most other teams, they had to result to other means to win. With Mutu up front, their best player by a couple of leagues, they certainly have the ability to get a goal and then sit on it for all eternity. I said even before then tournament rule them out at your peril, they aren't 12th in the world for nothing.

Italy
Current world champions and has an average age above 31 years old. It comes to signify one thing, there are obviously not enough young talents in Italian football. How wrong that statement is, young Italian talent floods the door of nearly all of the European clubs but the way that they play, the conservative style of tactical and structured football is designed for the tactically developed. However the problem arises, tactical prowess either comes as
-raw talent
-experience
although the last sentence suggested that there is indeed Italian talent everywhere, the world has yet to be amazed by any recent Italian players that has shown exceptional talent. By exceptional talent it means the likes of Fabregas, Bojan, Benzema or Rooney. The last such Italian talent was Totti and we all know how long ago it was when he first broke into the world scene and he even retired after 2006. With this lack in exceptional talent, Donadoni has to rely on the experienced. The problem is this, why would want to drive a Daihatsu after getting a Ferrari? After winning the World Cup, no matter how much players deny that they have lost motivation, it is simply untrue, the commitment to the national team is a drain and after winning the ultimate prize the Euro seems nothing more than another metalware. That inner desire would have drained and no longer will the player go past that pain threshold to pursue a win. Many have argued against this point but many teams fail to win cups or leagues after winning it for a prolonged time (ie Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Lyon, AC Milan, Urawa Reds, Liverpool, the list goes on) After United won the treble or when Nottingham Forest won the Champions league twice in a row, their teams performance instantly dropped and the players had to be sold because the desire to win had gone. They now play to save their reputation rather than to win.
France won the 1998 World Cup and then the Euro afterwards in 2000 but one has to realise that they had a new influx of talent like Henry and that their age average was far from 31.
I am not convinced about Italy because simply the team they are fielding now is the same one they did in Germany two years ago, let that be the cause of a lack of talent or another reason, Donadoni has got one heck of a job to do to make his team want to win the Euro after their 06 success.

France
France is currently suffering from the generation gap where players are fossil age (ie Thuram, Makalele) or totally inexperienced (ie Evra, Benzema, Gomis). Their talisman Zidane definitely left a gapping hole (look for it on Materazzi's chest) in the French team. The French has got Makelele and Toulalan to plug the centre gap, both together they have amassed 73 caps but a big 0 in the goal count. They are hardly the type to break down the opposition's defense like Zidane used to do in his sleep. This job has now resides with Ribery who to his best of efforts is the reason why France is even in the tournament however with Henry's form hitting a near career low and walking-bank-Anelka who looks more likely to score an own than for France, the attacking options are far from perfect. The highly rated Benzema was criticised repeatedly for wasting opportunities in their opening match, however at least he took the opportunities unlike some other 'walking anomalies'. France right now seem like they have hit a sticky-patch and the more Raymond Domenech tries to put his foot down the further the teams seem to get stuck. This is to mean the team is underperforming so he uses the veterans and the promising players of Benzema and Nasri remain on the bench who are in serious need of international experience. What France needs to do is cut their loses and start afresh with their new talents, Benzema is not rated at 30 million pounds and Nasri dubbed the new Zidane for no reason, Domenech needs to set sight for things to come and if done correctly their team should be in perfect form for South Africa in two year's time. However international football has always been about the present and victories now, and the safer Domenech plays, the riskier their future is.

Netherlands and Romania to come

Austria Vs Croatia

Austria 0 : 1 Croatia
Many were hoping that one of the hosts would do well and qualify for the knock out stages how Croatia did not beat England by chance. A penalty in the early moments of the game was enough to decide the winner with Tottenham's new signing Modric converting from the spot. After that, Croatia ground out the match to ensure that all three points were taken.

Analysis:
It was slightly disappointing to see Croatia go into the defensive after being awarded the penalty how with 3 vital points up for grabs it was wise of them to do so. Austria threatened at times but like most of the underdogs were blunt in attack and failed to convert their chances. Croatia has definitely come a long way since 'the split' and is probably the best team out of the former USSR. With only 4 million people they have definitely done well for themselves and even without the influential striker Eduardo they are proving to be a fans favourite due to their outside chance at cup glory. However I do not think that the team has quite the depth to give the favourites (Holland, German, Spain and Portugal) a run for their money, but their low expectations might work in their favour like it did in qualifying. Nevertheless the defensive stance in which they took symbolise they are after more and people shouldn't underestimate what these 'outsiders' can achieve.

Poles sink Poland

Germany 2 : 0 Poland
Striker Podolski was by far the best player on the field scoring a tap in after 20 minutes and then volleyed home the second 20 minutes from time after an ungamely assist from Klose. The irony of the match is that Podolski and Klose, the provider for both goals, were both born in Poland. So not only did Poland lose the match, they will be kicking themselves for losing these talented strikers to their neighbours.

Analysis:
The German Stronghold
Although the scoreline was one-sided, the game was really in the balance until Podoski got his second. Poland threatened the German goal constantly and at certain points looked likely to equalise. However the Germans were more ruthless in execution and did what mattered.
However, Low, the German manager has a lot to worry about regarding their defense which looked at times vulnerable and uncertain; with the exception of Lahm who yet again proved why he is one of the most coveted full backs in Europe. The other 3 seemed unco-ordinated and indecisive at times and could fall victim to more potent attackers come the knockout rounds.

The German Front
The German team overall has not changed much since their 'successful' outing at the last World Cup with pretty much the same people occupying the positions. The make shift wide players are still found wanting and the German attacks still rely too heavily on central attacks (i.e. both goals). Schweinsteiger is the only player that can really cause some damage out wide but he is tend to be playing more central than not.

Centre Lane
The main concern with playing down the middle is that it is often hard for a team to break down stubborn defenses. Not many teams can play down the center as it requires players to be exceptional in positioning and technical-wise as they are constantly man marked by opposition. However Germans are renowned for producing players of great tactical awareness, this means that the central option is available and the best considering the players Low has access to. Last WC they played exceptionally well until they faced Italy when they were up against a stubborn but skilled defense line up this was because their central route had been totally cut and were forced wide by the Italians. This nearly worked for the Argentinians but they were undone by a Klose trademark header that surprisingly was a result of wide German play (from a throw in).

Bets are that Germany will still maintain the flow down the middle as they strength is there and with a bit of luck like they had with the second goal they might progress further and for the neutrals to the final for a real spectacle.

Portugal 2 : 0 Turkey
The Portuguese manager, also a Chelsea target (who isn't) Scolari has a lot to be happy about to see his team muster a solid performance against the Turkish side. The Portuguese attackers constantly threatened the Turkish goal with C.Ronaldo hitting the woodwork from an audacious free kick. However it was a defender who broke the deadlock after an hour played. Pepe scored his second goal of the match and rightly so after his first was disallowed. Building in confidence the Portuguese side went forward to seek the killer goal was was rewarded after Meireles tapped in a fine but lucky Portuguese move.

Analysis
The game was truly for Portugal to lose, the quality in this Portuguese side has been in the making for some four years with the likes of C.Ronaldo, Quaresma, Petit, Simao et al. entering the prime times in their careers. Although they longer have Pauleta their Captain Nuno Gomes proved to hot for Turkey to handle, where Pauleta would used to make cheeky runs and tap ins Gomes provided a much more mobile attacking option which was greatly lacking in the 06 WC campaign where most goals were a result of wide wind play. Gomes was unlucky not to have bagged a couple after some fine attempts. However I am still unconvinced that this central option of Gomes is really what Portugal is about. We can definitely expect Gomes to be employed as the weapon to
-push back the opposition's center halves therefore creating 'the hole'. Which we has seen to devastating effects.

"The Portuguese Hole"
The hole is known as the space between the Central midfielders of the attacking team and the opposition's Center Halves. This is where nearly all the creative work of a team is done.
Portugal has a great ability to create the hole as they have
-great wingers
-attacking minded forward
When teams are defending against pacy wingers, the defense line tends to be much deeper, closer to their own goal, as it will prevent the wingers crossing the ball between the keeper and the striker (this is how tap ins are scored). The deep defense will will force the wingers to cross into the defense or back out towards the edge of the box which allows the defenders more time to anticipate the attack and allow tackles to be down. However the down side is that the gap between them and their midfield increases and therefore a large gap occurs.
This is how Portugal got most of their goals (Deco's wonder strike and Maniche's belter against Netherlands) and it will be the same this year around with a slight twist.

The Twist
Many managers will be award of Portugal's ability to exploit the hole and therefore will employ the services of a Holding midfielder to plug the gap. The twist however is that Ronaldo and Nani, both coming from Man Utd, also have been using their ability to strike the ball from the edge of the box after a cut-in. This is done when a winger burst down the side and suddenly cuts back towards the center of the field just before reaching the edge of the box (so they run parallel with the goal line). If employed successfully the defense would have been running back into their own box thinking that the winger was going to hit the by-line for a cross, however, when they are conn'd would attempt to rush back. This causes the defense to be disorganised especially when a defender tries to run out to block the shot, thus creating gaps in the defense. Ronaldo and Nani have bagged a couple this season employing this tactic and is likely to work against the aging defenses most other teams employ.

Portugal has yet to get into 3rd gear, although they did show glimpses when they got their second. The fluidity is not quite there, but the tournament is still young and getting into gear too quick is sometimes damaging. However there are plenty of positives to take from the game.
Scolari will be a happy chap.

Ronaldo and Friends

As for Ronaldo who was linked to his 'female' friends down in Brazil. It has been proven untrue, but guesses are that they got what they were 'after'. Ronaldo earns around 110,000 GBP a week. You can decide what Ronaldo gave them to quash the rumours. Something he won't be getting much is lower body movement after he did his knee in for the third time in his career. Doctors say he should ready for action again before the turn of the year.

Euro 08, Cows and Whats to come

The Euro 08 started with an amusing opening ceremony that included parading cows and what nots[1]. Sepp Blatter and Platini didn't see too amused, neither was I [2]. I know the opening ceremony creates job opportunities and a spectacle but its a football tournament and it should be just that.

I will provide my own opinion on each of the matches, save a possible delay, but your opinions are welcome too. If you have any requests or queries voice them as well.

Opening Day

Switzerland 0 : 1 Czech [1]
Although the result was hardly surprising, most of the match was a Swiss ordeal, who lost their captain and talisman Frei, after he did his knee in, but managed to control the game. However without their main striker, Switzerland was left toothless in attack and lacked the stinging edge. They paid the ultimate price when Czech sub-Sverkos[2] guided the ball into the Swiss net after a looping header caught out the host's defense.

Analysis:

Why the Swiss conceded that goal:

"Control the ball and control the game" is a well known philosophy and the backbone of international football. International football is not about flamboyant moves but more of a set piece exploitation. Just ask England and France. Although the goal was not from a set piece, the meaning was just the same
- better positioning
- lapse in concentration
the Switzerland defense obviously didn't expect the ball to be looped back in, fair enough, but the lack of concentration and co-ordination meant that Sverkos was kept onside and allowed the opportunity to get goal side of the defense. A real typical Senderos moment when they failed to realised that they
- kept Sverkos onside
- failed to realise that they had lost poccession of the ball

Defending that Goal:

No defender likes to defend while running back towards his own goal. If the defense was deeper (ie goal side of Sverkos) they could have been attacking the ball (ie running out from their goal to meet the ball) and prevented the 1v1. Of course easier said than done, the position of the back four (or simply center halves in this case) is the easiest way to defend but the hardest to get right. The easy way in defending this goal is simply man marking, Swiss employed a zonal marking and missed Sverkos' run. If Sverkos was man marked the defender would have had a better chance against him.

How man-marking works:

Stand next to the attacker at all times. No really. Because it is most likely Sverkos would have been faster, cause
-he is a striker
-came on as a sub
the defender's best option is to
-foul him
-pull him back
simply slowing him down enough for the ball to reach the keeper or another defender first. Fouling him might seem unsporting and a red card offense but a subtle kick of heels would have slowed him down enough to have killed the attack.

However once Sverkos got to the end of the looped ball, there was nothing that the Swiss could do except hope the Czech would miss. The defenders were just too far behind Sverkos to do anything but watch the ball go in.

Curbing the thirst and addiction

The way to curb an addiction is to replace it with something meaningful. I hope to curb my addiction of laziness and PES 2008 by starting something that I have intended for over a year. A blog.

This blog shall be the place where I will commit all my footballing knowledge into. I will begin posting once I figure out why the display column is on a freaking diet bring only half the size of the screen.