Euro 2012 - Team of the Tournament

After a fantastic Euro 2012 tournament, in which so many players impressed individually, we have picked our team of the tournament...

Starting XI - Casillas, J.Pereira, Hummels, Ramos, J.Alba, Iniesta, Moutinho, Pirlo, Xavi, Ronaldo, Balotelli

Subs - Patricio, Pique, Coentrao, Ozil, Gerrard, Fabregas, Gomez

Iker Casillas - The most consistent keeper at the championships. He conceded only 1 goal throughout the whole Tournament, with help from the Spanish defence and expelled class and organisation from the back of the Spanish tournament winning side. Capping the tournament with his 100th International win shows the sheer class of this man.

Joao Pereira - Closely run by Federico Balzaretti, We have chosen the Portugal star on his way to Valencia in the new season. Pereira has a fantastic tournament. He was a constant threat up the Portuguese right flant, suplementing Nani is his attacks. Added to this was his competence in defence and good positional awareness making him our obvious selection.

Mats Hummels - A number of players could have been given this spot, however, despite an under par final game, we give the slot to Hummels. He had a strong tournament, being a calm presence in a sometimes hectic German defence. Often not helped by the positional flaws of Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng, Hummels had to hold the defence together with Philipp Lahm and did so well.

Sergio Ramos - Ramos had a sumptuous tournament. From his defensive prowess and power, to his attacking flair and penalty taking class. It had it all. He even threw in a few powerful attempts on goal from long range free kicks, that didnt go too far past the target. You got the impression he would feel at home virtually anywhere on the pitch.

Jordi Alba - Possibly the find of the tournament. He came in as a small time player in the Spanish squad of Galacticos and blossomed into a big name, thanks in no part to his timely transfer to Barcelona. Solid in defence (conceding 1 goal) and dazzling in attack, he had an all round game. This was summarised by his goal to make it 2-0 in the final.

Andres Iniesta - The layer of the tournment, beating Pirlo overall. Spain's midfield maestro continues to rule Europe. His passing accuracy, flair and creativity was rivalled maybe only by his team mate Xavi and the Italian's Pirlo. Repeatedly picking out eye of a needle passes that changed games. Another great set of games for the 28 year old. He will feature at the World Cup of 2014.

Joao Moutinho - Another lesser recognised player with a good tournament. Moutinho often ran the Portuguese midfield with a passing style similar to that of his Spanish neighbours. He created a couple of goals and had a hand in more.

Andrea Pirlo - Close to the player of the Tournament. Until the final, not one team could get near him, he had the freeom of the pitch and used it to great success. Teams often failed to close his space, meaning he passed and dplayed teams to death. A quiet final against Spain wasn't enough to put his place in jeopardy. His tournament was summarised by his goal from a free kick during the Croatia game.

Xavi - The partner in crime to Andres Iniesta joins his Amigo in our team. He is still one of the greatest midfielders in the world and showed this throughout the championships. His two assists in the Final itself were possibly enough to secure his place, such was the quality, however, he was good in each game, rarely making mistakes and often passing sides until they became too tired to resist. His appearance at World Cup 2014 will depend largely on his fitness over the next 2 years.

Cristiano Ronaldo - After a quiet start by his standards, his championships came to life and he ended at the joint top scorer with 3 goals. He clearly showed his ability to win a game by himself, at times looking like Portugal's only goal scoring threat just as others such as Hugo Almeida floundered. Even his lack of a penalty in the Semi Final is not enough to lose him his place in the side.

Mario Balotelli - This is by far the most controversial choice. However, we believe it is justified, as not only did Mario score the goals, he also played with passion and commitment, often something not associated with the Manchester City star. His work rate in most of Italy's games improved tenfold from his Premier League performances and he lit up the Semi Final against Germany with two world class finishes. His commitment to the team was plain to see, and for these reasons, he makes our team

Subs -
Patricio - made some fantastic saves, only beaten by Casillas' near perfect record.
Pique - pipped to the post by Hummels but had a very good tournament.
Coentrao - good in defence and pacy in attack only beaten by the brilliance of Alba
Ozil - good tournament in the main however went missing on some vital ocasions (Semi Final)
Gerrard - England's best player and made numerous assists, didn't progess far enough
Fabregas - beaten to the starting team by his own compatriots
Gomez - scored goals, but contributed little else in terms of a defensive effort or teamwork.

Special Mentions (for consideration) - Neuer, Piszczek, Pepe, Arbeloa, Balzaretti, Lahm, Lescott, Modric, Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Montolivo, Marchisio, De Rossi, Blaszczykowski, Dzagoev, Ibrahimovic, Lewandowski

Euro 2012 - Spain vs Italy - Final Preview

After 30 matches, 72 goals and over 46 hours of Football, Euro 2012 comes to a climax tonight as Spain clash with Italy. The Italians have been called so many things at this tournament; Brave, Passionate, Driven, Focused, but, as a rarity has it been noted that they have infact played some of the best football, on occasion, better than the likes of Spain and Germany. Therefore, it should be no surprise that they habe made the final of this prestigious tournament.

The build up to the match will be fanatic. Pundits will rave about the sheer magic that has been Andrea Pirlo's tournament, and will talk at length about whether Spain are correct to not play a recognised striker. For English viewers, expect Gary Lineker or Adrian Chiles to quip about Del Bosque's selections or try and lighten the mood with a joke.
The game itself will be a close one, Italy have not conceded first in any of their games so far, whereas the Spanish defence has been mean, conceding only 1 goal thus far in their progression to the Final. That goal came in their first game, against Italy. However, nerves may be a factor after their horrendous World Cup campaign. Spain meanwhile, have no reason to be so nervous, they are on the cusp of a major championship treble and are no longer 'the under-achievers'
The opening group game between the two sides was also a close affair, finishing 1-1 after two goals in a frenetic 5 minute period. Since that game, both sides have improved as they have settled into the tournament. Therefore the team selections in what is expected to be such a tight game will be vital.

Here is how we expect the two sides to line up:

For Italy, the team will remain the same, afterall, no changes are needed. Their performance in the Semi Final was one of a complete nature, any changes would be foolish. We think Abate is unlikely to start after missing the last game. Balzaretti was in good form.
We expect Spain to continue with their controversial plan of playing without a recognised striker, it is likely that David Silva or possibly Cesc Fabregas will play as the 'False 9' for Del Bosque's side. This position focuses on the appearance of starting as a striker, but then dropping back to pick up the ball around the midfield. Silva and Fabregas will be likely to alternate in this position.
There wil be a monumental battle in midfield. Both midfields have been world class so far this tournament. The guile of Italy's Pirlo and co. against the passing calibre of Xavi and his mates. The Italians won't be able to rely on the ball straight up the middle of the defence. They exploited this against Germany, but the Spanish defence are compact, structured and organised, they will be a lot harder to break down.
The Italy defence showed their calibre against Germany, making good decisions at vital times. The Spanish formation and style will test them, however, it has been said that Spain don't quite create enough chances for the amount of posession they have. In terms of attack, Spain will be supplemented in their attacking moves by Jordi Alba and Alvaro Arbeloa making runs up either flank. Alba has had a dream tournament and Arbeloa has also been impressive, they might create issues for Balzaretti and Chiellini when combined with the Spanish midfield.
Both keepers have been in top form so far, the age old experience of Buffon continues to dazzle as he pulls of good saves regularly and at important times. Casillas appears to have been playing for decades, yet he still has a good few years left in him. Should penalties be needed to decide this match, it will be tough to beat these two.
Italy's two strikers have been very sharp as of late, Cassano the provider, Balotelli the finisher, they have been in top form. Balotelli has been making good runs off the last man and in behind the opposition defence, while still tracking back fairly often with a new-found hunger that Manchester City faithful will be hoping makes the flight to Manchester with him after the tournament. He and Cassano may cause some issues for the Spanish Centre-Back partnership if the likes of Pirlo and Montolivo can find the right passes. However, Spain have only conceded 12 shots on target in ALL of their games at Euro 2012 so far, therefore, they will have to be at their best.
Spain will need to watch Pirlo closely, he has been given too much time on the ball so far and it has been paying off for him. Busquets and Alonso will be there to do this job and could have an effect of the fluidity of Pirlo's game.
Late in the game, substitituons may prove to be a key factor in who wins this game. The Spanish have Pedro, the enthusiastic Barcelona wide man, he will add a zip to the play and cause infinite problems with his pace. Added to this is the forgotten man, Fernando Torres. Will he be involved? Could he come on to make a vital contribution ashe most unlikely of heroes?
With regard to Italy, Diamanti and Di Natale are both attacking options. Diamanti has looked sharp in his appearances off the bench and Di Natale could be useful if they are chasing the game. In midfield, Antonio Nocerino could replace one of the midfield four should they become tired or ineffective. He has a good passing game and is often a lively character.

The Result? It will be a very tense affair, close in the first half as nerves take their time to dissipate. Towards the end of the first half, the game may open up a bit more. Spain have kept 9 straight clean sheets in knocout Football, however we fancy Italy to nick a goal. The second half will mean an opening up of the game and more chances will be created. However, it may take Extra Time to separate thw two sides.

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Italy (AET)

Euro 2012 - Germany 1-2 Italy - Review

Well, I don't think any one of us here were expecting that to happen.

The German machine that so often impressed us all with ruthless efficiency, standard for anything made in Germany, looked like it had lost a cog somewhere last night. The team selection was a bit strange, Kroos is not an attacking midfielder, Schweinsteiger was tending to an ankle injury and many wanted Andre Schurrle to come in. These all came into view last night. The Italians fielded a side that demolished England with one change in Giorgio Chiellini's return. No one expected what the Germans would produce. Mark Lawrenson provided a very sombre, miserable and useless commentary throughout.

The Germans started well however, passing it around as they do, feeding Mario Gomez and Mesut Ozil consistently and most important, they kept Andrea Pirlo quiet for the first 15 minutes. The Italians would always rely on either Pirlo's passing or an over-the-top through ball to a striker to overcome the Germans, they had hardly anything for a while. The Teutons showed signs early on that something was wrong, Gomez was missing passes, Podolski looked blunt and ineffective and Schweinsteiger wasn't controlling the game at all. Italy weathered this weak storm and Buffon looked shaky to begin with, instilling little confidence in the defence around him. However with no end result so consistently produced by Germany, Italy started to sense weakness. They began to impose themselves on the Game and began stringing a fair few passes together and looked a lot more dangerous in Germany's half than their opponents in their own. With this impetus swinging Italy's way and the Azzurri looking more likely to score, Antonio Cassano rounded the weakest link in Germany's defence- Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels tried to save his colleague but to no avail, Cassano swung in a well weighted ball behind Holger Badstuber and Super Mario Balotelli headed home on 20 minutes.

The Germans looked shocked, how could this Italy team that struggled past England on Penalties, score a goal against the might of Deutschland? Their arrogance was plain to see. The Germans began again, passing the ball around and creating chances but Arsenal's new boy Lukas Poloski just wasn't at the races and continuously misjudged through balls knocked on by Mario Gomez. Finally a save was drawn from Gianluigi Buffon and this time here were no nerves from the Italian Keeper, diving high to his right to keep out a Sami Khedira volley that was heading in.

The second shock came from a very unlikely place. A corner pawed out by Gianluigi found its way to Montolivo who did what we all expected and flighted a beauty over the top of the German back line for Mario Balotelli to run onto. Where was Boateng closing Montolivo down? Where was Badstuber lying back to help? No the only player back was the Captain Phillip Lahm, even he couldnt find an answer to Balotelli's control and pace. Brought forward with pace, flair and smacked beyond Manuel Neuer who stood helpless watching it fly by. As the South Americans say, GOLASO.

The remainder of the first half was Germany trying to pull out some passes, looking shell-shocked but the Italian trio of Pirlo, Montolivo and Marchisio just martialled the game with dominance. Joachim Lowe had to pull out all the stops and give the Boys a great team talk at half time.

The second half began with 2 changes from Germany- Klose on for Gomez and our own 'player watch' man Marco Reus on for Podolski. Reus' first action was to bring it down the line looking dangerous before just effectively passing it to Buffon. Reus continued causing problems for Italy, and made Germany look so much more lethal and dangerous. Reus and Kroos combinde before letting Lahm loose with a chance he had to finish, but he put it over the bar!
The tempo in Germany's attack had already increased tenfold. 56 minutes in and Cassano was replaced by "West-Ham-Reject" Diamanti. Balotelli is always dangerous and fashions a chance for himself before putting it wide of the net.

The Germans kept forcing players forward and Italy began to rely on the counter attack a lot more. 63 minutes in and Marchisio swapped roles with Diamanti to try to provide more attacking flair and Motta was brought on for Montolivo to instill some solidity in Italian ranks.
Bad news came though for the Italians as Balotelli pulled up with cramp and Di Natale came on for Italy on 68 minutes. A few minutes later Muller came on for Boateng and the Germans started to head into panic mode, throwing 'die Küchenspüle' at Italy.
The tension, at this stage, was easily visible as Neuer almost caused a goal for Italy as well as Badstuber's slip. Shortly after, Di Natale found himself in space, he had lightyears to put it anywhere and with his experience he should have finished, but put it wide.
Italy were slowly forcing their way to the Final, emphasized a few minutes later by Balzaretti slotting home, but the offside flag was up as Germany looked to be playing with 8 men in the Italian half. In the 80th minute Germany piled everybody forward including Neuer who was effectively martialling the half-way line.
The pressing finally paid off on 92 minutes when Balzaretti handled it in the area and gave away a spot-kick.
Ozil calmly stepped up....GOAL! It was therefore a race to score for the German team, Was it too late?
Seconds later, Germany earnt a free kick and Neuer stormed down the field in a last ditch attempt to score. Schweinsteiger, in a bizarre moment, passed it short, and that was the last action of the game!
German fans cried and Italians sung in jubilation.

2-1!

Italy showed how effective their defensive capabilities are, exploiting the Germans lack of pace at the back costing them dearly in the end.  A poor first half cost the German team, with the Italian midfield exploiting the lack of service to Mesut Ozil and the defensive fralties shown by Badstuber, Hummels and Boateng. Pirlo again ran midfield with a world class performance from Montolivo. Balotelli does what he does best, grabbing headlines for fun, and deciding that even for him, some thing are worth celebrating...

I'm afraid the German machine still isn't a finished machine yet and Joachim Lowe needs to instill a sense of Proffesionalism in this young team before the world cup in Brazil. There lies the problem with Germany, they often become too arrogant, causing them to be complacent and lack cutting edge.
We also are likely to say goodbye to Miroslav Klose- The German talisman probably won't feature in another tournament and not the best way to go out in this Klose encounter. Nonetheless, what a player and what a servant to his country.
But for all the German fans, emotions...must be at an all time Lowe.

Player Ratings- 

Germany- Neuer (6), Boateng (4), Badstuber (5), Hummels (5), Lahm (6), Khedira (7), Schweinsteiger (5), Kroos (6), Ozil (7), Podolski (5), Gomez (5)

Italy- Buffon (7), Balzaretti (7), Barzagli (6), Bonucci (6), Chiellini (6), Marchisio (7), Pirlo (8.5), De Rossi (6), Montolivo (8.5), Cassano (7), Balotelli (8)

Subs- Reus (7), Muller (NA), Klose (5)

Subs- Diamanti (5), Motta (5), Di Natale (6)

Euro 2012 - Germany vs Italy - SF Preview

Germany, a strong, young team unafraid of anything and solid as a rock. Italy, a team renowned for flair with a solid core. Two footballing giants collide in a semi final showdown to determine who is worthy of playing Del Bosque's fearsome tiki taka champions, Spain in the Final of Euro 2012.

The German football revolution is in full swing and Joachim Lowe has assembled the most ruthless German team in some time. Focused on youth, flair and strength this German side will be around for years to come, especially with the production line still rolling out youngsters. Ever since World Cup 2010 everyone saw what a newly formed team could do, they have had two years since that to mould into a brutal side. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation the Germans bossed the group of death, winning all 3 games relatively comfortably. The strength in depth the Germans have was showcased in the quarter final against Greece when they played a younger side and still beat them 4-2.

I don't foresee Mr Lowe changing a winning formula any time soon so my Team selection will be no surprise to many of you. At Goalkeeper, who else but the Giant Neuer? The Munich shot stopper is fast becoming one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world and at such a young age, he will be around for a while yet. At right back, the only potential weak link in the Teutonic armour, Jerome Boateng. Naturally a centre back the German shows this fact and looked out of sorts against Ronaldo. Nonetheless a good defender and is still young enough to advance his ability. The Two centre-backs, Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber. Both have had sterling seasons for their respective clubs and have brought that form with them, instilling a sense of calm, simple and ruthless defensive state of mind, these two are hard to break.
At left back, the German legend- Phillip Lahm. Incredible experience has made Lahm an incredible defender no matter where he plays. The two holding midfielders- Schweinsteiger and Khedira (assuming they are both fit). These two lynch pins hold the line in front of the defence and Khedira sits further back to allow Schweinsteiger space to run the game for Germany, picking passes with ease and opening up defences. At attacking midfield and centre forward we have Podolski, Ozil and Müller. Podolski the new Arsenal man brings pace and a cannon for a left foot. Ozil is a the pass master and one tricky customer for any defence, chipping and crossing everywhere and at the age of 22 he still has a lot to learn...scary. Müller is only 21 and is already shaping up to be one heck of a centre forward, quick and with a very good finishing ability this man is a nightmare for any defence. Finally, leading the line, assuming he is fit, Mario Gomez. The Spanish-born front-man is lethal in front of goal, clinical one-touch finishes and brilliant in the air.

Italy, once a team focussed on being hard to break down. Now have a number of lethal weapons at their disposal. The flair and clinical ability, if not arrogance, of Mr Balotelli. The venerable grand-master passer, Andrea Pirlo and the ever-present goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy qualified for the Euros at the top of their group with 8 wins and 2 draws, they then proceeded to qualify from the group stage with Spain, knocking Croatia out. They therefore have been solid and during the group stage employed a bizaare 3-5-2 formation that allowed Pirlo room to move and run the game. The Italians proceeded to beat England in the quarters on penalties 4-2 with the grandmaster Pirlo running the game from start to finish and finishing with a cheeky chip only he would dare to pull off.

Cesar Prandelli has other options up front and all over the park, but with Chiellini maybe not back to full fitness and a whole host of opportunities to finish England in normal time wasted, he may be tempted to change. Therefore my lineup will contain a few changes. At goalkeeper, there is of course Gianluigi Buffon, who else? The goalkeeper has been tried and tested and never lets Italy down in big games, after having an unbeaten season with Juve as well, the keeper will be confident. At left back Balzaretti, packing good pace and a solid wing-back he gets forward regularly to help out the team attack. At the two centre positions Barzagli and Bonucci, both again enjoying unbeaten runs at Juve and are a relatively solid pairing but looked a little weak against Andy Carroll and with Germany's aerial strength they may struggle. At right-back we have Ignazio Abate, AC Milan's wing-back has been decent this season and packs a bundle of pace. He will undoubtedly attack down the flanks, this could possibly leave spaces for the likes of Ozil and Podolski to exploit.
The middle 3, I propose will be Montolivo, Pirlo and Marchisio. All three are world-class passers of the ball and can cut open any defence, especially the mighty Pirlo. In an attacking role, right behind 2 strikers, I put Nocerino, he looked dangerous when he arrived against England and I believe he has a lot to offer the Italians. Up front we have the two headline acts, literally. Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli. Both are hot-headed but nonetheless incredibly talented strikers with a tendency to acheive the impossible. With Pirlo feeding the ball these two strikers are Italy's lethal weapons.

On this game, I have to favour the mighty Germans on this. Their fantastic ability to rip any team apart will rip Italy apart. The attacing quartet for Germany supplemented by Schweinstegier will be simply too strong for Italy and the solid German defence will put the dampeners on Italy's attacking play. I predict a 3-1 scoreline as Italy do have enough quality to grab at least a goal. But I feel that Italy will bear the brunt... of an all time Lowe.

Thanks for reading.

Euro 2012 - Spain (4)0-0(2) Portugal - Extra-Time Review

The first half of extra time began and it was evident for everyone watching that Portugal were beginning to tire. Spain pressed through the usual suspects in midfield with Iniesta a particular threat. No chances came for a while however with just a couple of minutes left to play, the speedy left back Jordi Alba went on a mazy run to the by-line and managed to drag back a cross for Iniesta, whose shot was heading in before it was saved superbly by Rui Patricio in the Portugal goal. This was the first real text for either keeper.
The half came to an end with Sergio Ramos firing just over from a free-kick that he struck powerfully.

After the obligatory drinks during the half time break, the players gathered again for the second half of the extra time period. The drinks however appeared to have done nothing for Portugal as they continued to tire against the renewed pace of the Spanish game. So, at this stage, it appeared as if Portugal would try and survive for a penalty shootout.
Around halfway through the half, Portugal made their final change with Silvestre Varela on for the drained figure of Raul Meireles, the Portugal midfield had been punished for the final 40 minutes of the game and Meireles probably suffered the most.
After 22 minutes of the extra period, it appeared as if penalties beckoned, however Fabregas got hold of the ball and put Pedro through, alone, with seemingly only the keeper ahead of him, however a good defensive effort from Coentrao prevented him from getting a shot away.
The extra time finished with Spain pressing but not creating the chances they needed to score. Therefore, for the second consecutive match at the Championships, it was Penalties that would decide the fate of the two teams.

The Penalties began, and the first two passed in much the same way as normal time did, without a goal, as both keepers saved. The next couple of penalties were scored by each side before a bizarre moment arrived, Bruno Alves stepped up to take a penalty, only for Nani to jog forward and send him back, Nani scored and Sergio Ramos replicated Andrea Pirlo and chipped his down the middle of the goal. It was then the chance for Alves to finally take his chance, and he fired it directly into the bar. Therefore, Cesc Fabregas had the chance to send Spain through to their third consecutive major tournament final, and he did it, hitting the post and going into the net behind in a euphoric moment for the Spanish.

Overall, as very few chances were created by either team, the result is a fair one. They couldnt be separated over 120 minutes of Football, and in the end, the bizarre swapping of Nani and Bruno Alves in the order of penalties meant Alves never looked confident and could have been the deciding factor. Spain faced pressing from the Portuguese in the first half, but after that, they were comfortable, the second half had little action but they totally dominated the extra time period and looked the better side. Fabregas wins it for Spain, by a post.

Penalties:

Spain - Alonso (Saved), Iniesta (Scored), Pique (Scored), Ramos (Scored), Fabregas (Scored)
Portugal - Moutinho (Saved), Pepe (Scored), Nani (Scored), Alves (Missed)

Player Ratings -

Spain - Casillas (7), Arbeloa (6), Ramos (8), Pique (7), Alba (8), Busquets (6), Alonso (6), Xavi (6), Iniesta (7), Silva (5), Negredo (5), Subs - Fabregas (6), Navas (6), Pedro (6)
Portugal - Patricio (8), Pereira (7), Pepe (7), Alves (6), Coentrao (8), Veloso (6), Meireles (6), Moutinho (8), Nani (7), Ronaldo (6), Almeida (6), Subs - Oliveira (5), Custodio (5), Varela (on late)

Man of the Match - Fabio Coentrao

Euro 2012 - Spain vs Portugal - SF Preview

In a clash of the Iberian nations, all grudges will be put aside in an attempt to qualify for the Final of the European Championships. Both Spain and Portugal have the quality to win the tournament should they perform to their potential, therefore Wednesday's game is a pivotal one for each nation.

The expected team lineups are as follows:

Tomorrow's match will be one full of attacking prowess. Both teams are very attacking and posess players that can change a game in seconds. Spain will not differ from their usual game of passing the ball and the opposition to death. The probable selection of David Silva over Fernando Torres only enforces this point, although he is likely to play a more attacking role. The three Barcelona midfield maestros in Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas are going to provide servicd not only for Silva but also for each other, as all are capable of making attacking runs that could trouble the Portugal defence.
Two defensive midfielders for Spain provide the solidarity seen in their passing game, and are yet again accomplished passers of the ball. Xabi Alonso will be a constant threat from set pieces aswell as a solid defensive aid. In addition, Busquets will quietly go about his business, and is often not noticed as much (apart from for the time he spends on the floor) but is a gifted player with an excellent eye for a pass.
Combatting this, the attacking formation of Portugal will undoubtedly lead to what we predict to be an open game. The front three has seen a change for this match, with the Benfica front-man Nelson Oliveira the probable replacement for the injured Helder Postiga, who's tournament has come to an early end. Oliveira is primarily known as a super sub, as his role for Benfica suggests, however he is a good finisher, and chances will be created by his peers, with Ronaldo and Nani providing crosses and piercing runs from either side. Therefore, Spain will need to slightly change their formation to combat the threat.
The talent of Ronaldo and Nani needs no explaining, while the latter may occasionally be hit and miss, he still has outstanding ability and can easily change a game, whereas Ronaldo can finish a move from virtually anywhere in the attacking quarter. These two will probably provide the best chance for Portugal of scoring against a solid opposition.
Portugal's midfield three has so far been excellent at the 2012 tournament, Veloso attracted the attention of many clubs recently and his performances so far have shown why. Raul Meireles continues to be consistent for his country and Joao Moutinho is the more creative of the three, he will play incisive passes towards the front three in between the Spanish defensive lines.
However, despite the attacking armada on show, the defences of the two teams could potentially be the deciding factor. The Spanish defence has been impressive, conceding just one goal so far this tournament. If the experience and guile of Iker Casillas is added to this, Spain's defence is just as valuable to them as their attack and due to their width, will most likely cope fairly well with the width offered by Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The defence of the Portuguese however, is slightly less solid. As individual player, they are very technically gifted and are all able to contribute in attacking play aswell, but as a unit, they seem to lack cohesion, therefore contributing to their conceding of 4 goals so far in their 4 matches, 2 of these coming against Denmark.
We believe these occasional defensive frailties will mean that the focused passing game of the Spanish team and the way in which they play will cause problems over sustained periods for the Portuguese eventually leading to a mistake being made in defence. Therefore, Spain will edge this one and progress to the final.

Prediction: Spain 2-1 Portugal

Actual Teams:

Spain - Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique, Alba, Busquets, Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Negredo
Portugal - Patricio, Pereira, Pepe, Alves, Coentrao, Veloso, Meireles, Moutinho, Nani, Ronaldo, Almeida

Euro 2012 - England (3)0-0(4) Italy - Review

After 2 hours of Football and still no result, it was penalties that again decided the fate of an English team at a major tournament. Ashley Young and his namesake Cole both missing penalties compared to Italy's only miss from Ricardo Montolivo proved to be the deciding factor in a game dominated by the Italians.

Player Ratings -

England - Hart (6), Johnson (7), Terry (6), Lescott(6), A.Cole(5), Milner (5), Parker (4), Gerrard (6), Young (3), Rooney (6), Welbeck (7) Subs - Carroll (5), Walcott(6), Henderson (5)

Italy - Buffon (7), Abate (7), Bonucci (6), Barzagli (6), Balzaretti (6), De Rossi (7), Pirlo (9), Montolivo (6), Marchisio (7), Cassano (6), Balotelli (7) Subs - Diamanti (7), Nocerino (6), Maggio (6)

Man of the Match - Andrea Pirlo

The game began promisingly for England and although Daniele De Rossi hit the post with a fantastic effort early on, England created chances in the opening 20 minutes, most notably through a good run from Glen Johnson and a lofted shot that required a good save from Buffon in the Italian goal. However, it quickly became an exercise in passing from the Italian midfield with Pirlo and Marchisio increasingly impising themselves on the English midfield.
The latter stages of the first half were dominated by Italy, with Mario Balotelli repeatedly beating the offside flag to get clear of the England defence, only to not convert the chances. Therefore, going in at half time, the scoreline stood at 0-0 with the Italians beginning to find themselves increasingly on top.
The second half began much in the manner that the first ended, Italy dominating posession through their impressive midfield and continually creating chances through Balotelli, Cassano and Montolivo. The half carried on in this manner, with Italy showing their dominance is the passing statistics; doubling England's successful passes total after 65 minutes. Steven Gerrard was being increasingly left to fight a one man battle in midfield as the efforts of James Milner and Young were severely below par, and Scott Parker repeatedly found himself chasing after the ball, rather akin to a stray dog.
As much as they tried, and as hard as they pushed, Italy just could not make the breakthrough, spurning a number of golden chances and the game was becoming an exercise in 'Parking the Bus' from England as Extra-Time loomed on the horizon.
Replacements were made with Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott brought on for England, Diamanti and Antonio Nocerino for the Italians. The impact of these changs however, was little, Carroll was largely ineffective while Walcott didn't see as much ball as he would have wished for. Nocerino slotted in to the midfield slot vacated by De Rossi and had a measured impact, providing a few incisive passes. Diamanti also looked dangerous. Italy had a late goal chalked off for an Offside flag and the predicted Extra-Time arrived.
The Extra-Time period provided as little in terms of attacking threat from England as the second half did. Italy were on top, and creating the better chances. Diamanti continued to threaten, almost curling a surprise shot past Joe Hart. However, no breakthrough was made and as seems custom for England in the Championships, it was taken to Penalties.
Two penalties were taken largely without event, and it was then the turn of Italy, against English penalty tradition to miss the first one, with Ricardo Montolivo putting his effort wide. Rooney then nervously put England ahead, however it was brief, and after Italy had put away their next effort with Andrea Pirlo summarising his evening with an outrageous chip down the middle of Hart's goal, Ashley Young summed up his abject tournament by firing his shot straight into the cross-bar. Italy scored their next effort and this was too much for Ashley Cole, whose effort was saved by the Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who had possibly taken his inspiration for the save from video tapes of Cole's penalty in the Champions League Final. Therefore it was left to Diamanti to take the final penalty, and he calmly sent Hart the wrong way to put Italy through to the Semi Finals and condemn England to their eighth defeat on Penalties.
Therefore, it was all over once again for the English team and fans, two years since the World Cup and it would appear there has been a little improvement, but not enough, and the amount of ball given away throughout their games this time around was very poor. England now have a return ticket home whereas Italy progress to face a tough task against Germany in the Semi Final.

Euro 2012 - England vs Italy - QF Preview

Roy Hodgson's men come into this game with what is still a low level of expectation, whereas the Italian press believe that the loss of Chiellini at Centre-Back will cause problems for the Italian team against the upfront two of Rooney and Welbeck.
Taking into account the injuries in the Italy team here are our proposed lineups:

Both teams are largely dependant on a solid midfield partnership, the double act of Parker and Gerrard could provide a key component for England in trying to combat the Italian trio of De Rossi, Pirlo and Marchisio, each of whom are having good tournaments thus far. The wildcard replacement for Thiago Motta in the Italian team would appear to be in the form of AC Milan star Antonio Nocerino. After a fantastic season for the San Siro club, he was called up to the Italian squad and has had little game time at the Championships so far however, tonight could be his time to shine.
Should England stand a good chance of triumphing in this game, we believe the performance of not only the Central Midfield but also the fast paced Ashley Young and James Milner will be key. Both of these players have been less than impressive thus far during the tournament, each turning out average performances in the previous three games. Young easily has the ability, but has struggled to perform against physically stong opponents and Milner has looked tired. They could easily fire and provide creative spark for the English forwards but if not, expect to see Theo Walcott and the young Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain introduced in the second-half.
Outside of the Midfield, Joe Hart has been a calm head both on and off the pitch so far, giving solid peformances all round. The undoubted class of the old head Buffon for Italy will provide an interesting backdrop to the outfield battle.
England's defence will most likely play the typical deep line employed by many Roy Hodgson teams, however, if it works, there is no problem with this at all. Should the Italy attack fail to cause opportunities for their front two and England go ahead, we may see Hodgson push the defensive line slightly higher up the pitch. For Italy, there is one change in the defence with Bonucci in for Giorgio Chiellini who is out injured, he has had game time at the Euros so far and so shouldn't be out of practice.
Finally, the front two for each side should technically ooze class with the talisman Rooney and young apprentice Welbeck providing good finishing options for England. Their success could depend on how sharp Rooney is after missing the first two games through his ban. He will likely play just behind Welbeck, picking up the ball just infront of the Midfield.
The Italian front two are often hot and cold with the maverick Balotelli expected to play, this could result in disaster or brilliant success. Cassano, the Lionheart, just backk in Football after Heart Surgery in the 2011/12 season has already showed his threat thus far in the Tournament, he could provide issues for the English defence.

Prediction: England 2-1 Italy

Euro 2012 - The German Revolution

Germany, once a team renowned for their precision and no nonsense attitude towards the game, have endured success over many decades in the past. However, their new breed of players have changed the playing style to a more vibrant, fast-paced game, and the success they see as a result could be unrivalled among the World's best.
As shown by the current European Championships, the average age for the Squad selected is 23.5, an astounding statistic for a team that is probably the most technically gifted and talented team in the Competition. This means that it is very possible that the entire squad (besides Klose, Podolski, Wiese, Schweinsteiger, Lahm) could potentially be together until the World Cup of 2018 at the earliest! If you add this to the potential seen in the up and coming players...they are, in my opinion, going to be a near unstoppable team in a few years time.
Their strength in depth is staggering; Götze, Schurrle, Reus and Klose cant even make the regular starting team! To show the depth they have, here is a list of players not included in the squad for Euro 2012 or are upcoming in their U21 side (including Club and Age):

M.Ter Stegen - Gladbach - GK - 20
B.Leno - Leverkusen - GK - 20
D.Aogo - Hamburg - DEF - 25
S.Tasci - Stuttgart - DEF - 25
M.Hornschuh - Ingolstadt - 21
J.Draxler - Schalke - MID - 18
L.Holtby - Schalke - MID - 21
S.Bender - Dortmund - MID - 23
C.Trasch - Wolfsburg - MID - 24
M.Leitner - Dortmund - MID - 19
J.Schieber - Dortmund - FWD - 23

This already seen quality with supplementing future players, I believe, will provide the team needed to dominate certainly European and possibly World Football over coming years. With a stable coaching team, a quality manager in Jogi Low and a factory production line for talent in the homeland, Germany are marching to the top of the ladder and are there to stay.