Germany defeated for the eighth time by Italy in World or Europe Cup.Italy never defeated by Germany in official matches.We Italians are weaker than Germans in a lot of matters(i don’t know if this last piece of sentence is correct): economy, army(i believe),international importance.But a thing is sure: we are stronger in the football.Don’t you believe?
Again, I don’t disagree with your overall take. I mean, who wouldn’t want an in-form Torres on their side? That said, Spain is an excellent 8 & 1 in the goals for/against column, while Italy is 6 & 3. So the stats don’t seem to back you there. After all, Ballotelli could have had a one of match vs Germany just as Torres did vs Ireland – though I’ll certainly concede the quality of the opponents.
Guess my point is, we’re doing the best we can with what we have & that has us in the Final with at the very least a 50/50 change to take the whole thing yet again. Sure, I’d rather we went with a true forward and I said as much prior to the Portugal match – that didn’t go very well. Still, if need be, Torres, Llorente & Negredo are all match fit and there for the asking. BUT if our “boring” tiki-taka is enough to control the match and give us a lead…well, I guess that’s that. After all, it is the same style that hasn’t lost us a single official match since the first WC game vs the Swiss. Hard to argue against success.
Criticism we can take…for as long as wins and titles come with it. And they have. In bunches. I mean, if I don’t have faith in this team after all they’ve done, I’ll never have faith in any team.
BTW, you know who hasn’t played a complete match yet? Xavi, that’s who – the '08 MVP. Should he wake-up vs Italy…
PS-You’re right about Villa. I too think it’ll be hard for him to come back to his old self. Besides, I don’t think he did himself any favors by moving to Barça to become second (third really, Messi prefers Alexis by his side. And what Messi says…) fiddle to Leo. But I was simply saying that if there’s one player we’re missing, it has to be him – Puyol’s absence, surprisingly, has been very well covered by the Pique/Ramos pairing, likely the best defensive duo at the Euros.
I heard a stat on ESPN that Spain has not allowed a single goal in the knockout phase of any “important” tournament in over 6 years. I’m guessing that just means the last World Cup and prior and current Euro Championships. I think that means 9 games, if my math is right. Pretty impressive.
Is it time for predictions yet? Here’s mine. Spain will maintain their opponent scoreless streak, but still lose in penalties as Buffon outguesses Iker:
Spain 0 (2) - Italy 0 (3)
No worries RedFury, and I don’t think Spain are boring.
My point about Italy being clinical was more about about the game last night than in general but if they repeat that performance you will have your hands full. Heck, it’ll be a close game anyway as both teams are well organised. I don’t know which way to call it.
The one real positive of Italy getting through is that we get to see Pirlo strutting the stage again. He must be high on the list for “player of the tournament”
Yes, just re-read your post and only now realised he was missing! That will be interesting, potentially the best defensive pair against potentially the most destructive striker. I suspect they will not give him as much room as the Germans did.
He has to have some place to hide the boogers.
The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am with Loew. Not enough to want him canned, but definitely irritated. He changed the structure and plan too much to react and contain the Italians rather than playing Germany’s own game which got them there. They got obsessed with monitoring Pirlo to the detriment of other facets of their game and he shouldn’t have monkeyed with the lineup so much in a semifinal.
The DFB’s party line today seems to be “everybody played well, we are just young and inexperienced and made some mistakes yesterday.” I know Germany were on average the youngest team in the tournament, but the really inexperienced guys (Goetze, Reus, Schurrle, etc.) barely played or didn’t play at all. The whole starting lineup yesterday was there for WC 2010 with the exception of Mats Hummels, and Klose, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Podolski have been around the block a number of times even though Klose is the only one of them over 30. Inexperienced? Compared to guys like Steven Gerrard and John Terry, yes, but I don’t think that was the issue.
Starting squads for today’s Eurocup Final:
**Spain: Casillas; Arbeloa, Piqué, Ramos, Jordi Alba; Xabi Alonso, Busquets; Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Cesc Fábregas
Italy: Buffon; Abate, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Pirlo, Marchisio, De Rossi, Montolivo; Cassano and Balotelli**
Spain 1- Italy 0
Header by Silva 14th minute.
Spain scores! Silva drives the ball home with a nice header.
My feed just froze. Sounds like its happening to everybody.
Edit: back up. Missed about 3 minutes.
Great goal. Game over.
2-0 for Spain! Beautiful goal by Jordi Alba.
And we’re still in the first half…!
Spain2-Itali 0
Alba scores 41’
Likely in bad taste, but allow me to quote myself from yesterday (I think):
So there you have it – in nutshell, the keys to this match so far.
Or even simpler: we are the better team.
Vamos!
Spain are looking mighty here. Italy aren’t bad by any stretch but Spain are being clinical in the way that Germany weren’t.
This isn’t over though. Italy are certainly good enough to nick one. From a neutral point of view it’d be good to see but in any case it is a privilege to see Spain on this type of form.
Good thing that wasn’t a textbook PK on Ramos header, because it would have been game over.
And who wants that, right? :rolleyes:
Spain beats Italy to win Euro-2012 by 3-0.
Good night!
3-0. Torres scores! Nice to see him get a goal in his trademark style!
E.T.A: 4-0!!! When was the last time a final in a soccer championship had such a result???
I wouldn’t bet against a fourth goal:D
But yeah a great win. That injury was a pity because Italy created some decent chances early in the second half but it was always going to be an uphill task.
I think Spain has officially joined the ranks of the all-time great teams in football history.
I sit corrected.
Spain wins 4-0.