Viva España!

A party, very similar to the one the Leafs will soon enjoy in Toronto, greets Spain on the team's triumphant return to Madrid.

Holy smokes!

It's over, and has been for several days in fact.

Spain trounced Italy in convincing fashion. It all started with two beautiful goals, the first a shot by Fabregas that deflected off Silva's forehead into the far left side of the net and the second a deft shot by Alba past Buffon... who appeared helpless on both.

Italy, overextended by Spain, was forced into using up all available substitutions. Another injury at the 61 minute mark left them down to 10 men and all hope was lost. It then ended with Spain romping to a 4-0 record-breaking victory, though this game was never really in doubt.

Spain has now not only entered the record books for the most lopsided win in EURO history, but has staked a debatable claim on the title of BEST TEAM... EVER for winning 3 tournaments in a row. They allowed a grand total of ONE goal scored against them during the entire tournament (by Italy, no less).

Many were predicting Italy to knock Spain off its perch - Spain only held on tighter. 

Now, without further ado... the final standings:

1. JeS 29
2. SaS 28
3. ShR 25
4. StS 25
5. ToM 24
6. PaS 24
7. DeF 23
8. BrW 22
9. AnS 22
10. TaC 13

Congratulations to JeS and SaS! You have won the respect and admiration of your peers!

JeS, you have also won $90 (60% of the total pot) for finishing in first place.

SaS, you have won the balance of the pot for leading at the end of the group stage, and staying close enough to finish in second place - a grand total of $60.

Thanks to all for taking part, and we'll get together in two more years for WORLD CUP 2014.

See you then!

Balotelli

Italian players celebrate their 2-1 win over Germany.

I can't recall anyone predicting what happened two days ago. Germany, a powerful machine built with precision and enviable depth in its ranks, building up steam in a march to the EURO final, was undone by the artful precision of two of the nicer goals of the tournament.

The first, a header by Mario Balotelli, was one the German 'keeper could only wave at as he went one way and the ball went the other. As nice a header as it was, it NEVER would have happened if not for the trickery of Antonio Cassano, who sidestepped a German defender and placed a gorgeous cross for the oncoming Balotelli. It was a magnificent setup followed by perfect execution.

Mario Balotelli is embraced by his mates after scoring Italy's first goal against Germany.

The second goal was a thunderous shot by Balotelli that would have probably carried the 'keeper into the net with the ball had he been able to get in front of it. It made Germans in the stands cry. Yes, Germans, crying. It wasn't pretty.
 
I'm not trying to over-compliment the Italians. But they were good, and better than many gave them credit for before the match began. I posited that Italy would at least make it interesting, and they did, owing to perhaps two, no, three, major factors.

The first was execution. Italy made the most of the limited opportunities they had. Second, their defence was sound... largely owed to national team veteran Gianluigi Buffon, Italy's 'keeper for the past 15 years and arguably one of the top goalkeepers in the world (along with Spain's Iker Casillas). Had Germany scored on some good early chances, the tone of the match changes completely. 

The German bench, feeling the futility.

Which brings me to the third item, and that is the GRRR! factor. Germany played a strong game (especially the first and last 15 minutes), and had numerous chances to get into it with a goal, but their growl was somewhat lacking. Bastian Schweinsteiger, a very reliable midfielder, was not himself. They had chances, but they lacked execution. The late penalty made it a respectable scoreline, but this truly was a 2-0 game.

So how about Spain's chances against the Italians? If you want odds, talk to Italy. Pooka don't play that.


My shameless pick: ESP 2, ITA 1. 
Italy's run comes to an end as Spain finally picks it up offensively for not only their best match, but THE BEST MATCH of the tournament. Italy will look good, but will ultimately fail to keep pace with the Spaniards as they wine-and-dine the ball across the pitch. Spain and Italy both absolutely LOVE the ball. Spain is just better at it.

Viva España!

Spain and Portugal clashed yesterday in the first SF match of EURO 2012. It was a fierce struggle, a contest of will, one that pitted me against a sleep debt slowly accumulated over a week of early morning shifts. It was a snoozefest-inducing snoozefest, if you will. And one I very nearly lost.

What? Are these not two of the greatest footballing nations on the planet, you say? Yes, they are. Should not the SF match pitting the world #1 against the world #10, at the very least, be a thrilling spectacle, one that keeps the viewer on pins and needles, ooh-ing and aw-ing at the edge-of-one's-seat entertainment on display as the two teams vie for supremacy in one of the planet's most-anticipated contests?

Andres Iniesta winces as he bids farewell to his ball.

Yes, it should. The problem, though, is Spain absolutely LOVES the ball. Their players refuse to relinquish it, even for a shot on net, it would seem. The best chance on net that I witnessed (when I wasn't busy smacking myself in the face to stay awake) was a quick shot by Ronaldo that went wide, though Casillas dove for it anyway. Because as we know, Iker Casillas loves the ball.

Spain showed a great deal of skill maintaining possession, making pinpoint passes, sending the ball this way and that, but not generating many chances because Portugal did what no other team has done for a long time: they held Spain scoreless by building a wall, stifling just about any attempt the Spaniards could generate. When the wall failed, Portugal's keeper was up to the task.

It got to the point that I was hoping for Portugal to score, thinking it would force Spain to open up a little. This desperate hope was dashed time and again, as Portugal's offense relies heavily on Ronaldo. It's not that he wasn't up to the task - he was - but it seemed each time the ball would come even close to him, there was Spain to either take it away or take him OUT. Spain's love for yellow cards appeared to rival Spain's intense amor for the ball. 

And when the dust had settled, this match was decided by penalties. Even though I was rooting for Spain, I join a great deal of people in saying Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot? at the decision to send Ronaldo to the spot as the 5th guy. Seriously, if you were on a team in that position, wouldn't you want your best guys to go first?

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that Spain won, but the manager's decision to send Ronaldo out last became his undoing when Spain went ahead by one and Portugal followed Spain's successful strike with one that rattled the crossbar and stayed out... it made Ronaldo, arguably the world's most talented player, irrelevant. He didn't even get to take a shot.

Cristiano Ronaldo ponders his irrelevancy.

There was, of course, much jubilation on Spain's half of the pitch. Hugs were offered all around, especially to the ball, as Spain and the rest of us await the outcome of today's match between Germany and Italy.

And here's to the Germans, who know how to win AND keep it entertaining... and to the Italians, who at least always make it interesting. It should be a treat.

And Then There Were Cuatro

So I was pounding the ouzo at Greekfest last Saturday, lamenting the termination of Greece's run at EURO 2012, when it hit me. The ouzo, that is - that stuff really packs a wallop.

Like ouzo, Greece valiantly attempted to sneak up Germany, allowing German players to run roughshod over everything and anyone. But the score early in the second half was tied at 1-1. My prediction appeared, for a short while, to have come straight from the oracle at Delphi. Oh no? Perhaps my other car is a Delorean.

Well, as history can attest, Germans make their own destiny. Greece showed a great deal of heart, but they were hopelessly outclassed. And the expected happened. It wasn't even close.

"Eine Million Euro!" - Miroslav Klose, with his best Dr Evil impersonation, sticks it to the Greeks. 

Oh wait, that was Klose. GER 4, GRE 2

The French, as predicted, were also hopelessly outclassed. The Spaniards dominated possession of the ball. Methinks it's because they all LOVE the ball as much as their 'keeper, Iker Casillas:

Psst! Hey Iker! Get a room!

Or maybe it's just because they operate in a different plane of existence than the other teams, phasing in and out of real-time as they please.

Andres Iniesta says: "Zoom-Zooooooooom!"

We could ask the French, but they're still trying to figure out how they advanced beyond the group stage. ESP 2, FRA 0

Portugal proved that the prettiest, prettiest, princess really DOES make all the difference. The Czechs were forced into a 10-0-0 formation just to keep pace, praying for the match to go to penalties, and it almost worked. And then the princess pounced. And by princess, I mean this guy:

He is a pretty boy, but he's also one heckuva football player. Numerous and varied were his attempts on goal until a sublime header finally gave the dominant Portuguese the only goal they would need.

The result was deserved, but the score could have easily been 6-0.  POR 1, CZE 0

Unlike the last match up for discussion. That grand-daddy of EURO matchups. Seriously, stop laughing. I mean it this time! England vs Italy...

Umm, yeah. I got nothing. It went exactly as I thought it would. Straight to penalties. The English media are like Leafs fans. They really are. Mind you, they are correct in their assertion that England really does suck at penalties. It doesn't help that England allowed the oldest player on the pitch, Andrea Pirlo, to completely dictate the pace of the game.

Pirlo deftly weaves between two English hooligans who foolishly attempted to take away his ball. Really, I actually believe it had his name on it.

Pirlo completed more passes than the entire English midfield. That this match actually made it to penalties actually flatters England.  It's as if they came to play water-polo not even knowing how to swim. Give full credit to Italy, and I fully expected the Italians to win, but not dominate on the level they did. If I was a big-time England fan, I'd be embarrassed. ITA 1, ENG 0 (4-2 on penalties)


NOW comes the difficult part. And that is attempting to predict the SF results.

ESP-POR
This appears to have the makings of a classic. But Spain will put Portugal to sleep by once again dominating possession as they did against France. This will frustrate the Portuguese, throwing them off their game so that even when they get their chances, they'll botch them - the equivalent of squeezing the stick too hard.  
My shameless pick: ESP 2, POR 1

GER-ITA
Germany, who may be missing Bastian Schweinsteiger for this one, has been the class of the tournament so far. But even when a team of German bench-warmers plays poorly, it's still good enough to beat most of the teams at this tournament. Italy is in tough, and if they couldn't score against England (despite a dominant display against a pitiful English side), they don't have a chance here. They'll make Germany work for it, but that's what Germany excels at.
My shameless pick: GER 2, ITA 0

Standings (as of 12/06/25):

1. SaS 24
2. JeS 23
3. ToM 22
4. StS 21
5. ShR 21
6. PaS 19
7. BrW 18
8. DeF 18
9. AnS 17
10. TaC 12

The QF Knockout: OPA!

The group stage is over. Farewell, Ireland. We barely knew ya. No, actually, that's not true. Most of us figured you'd be out by now, intimately aware of shortcomings in the departments of skill and talent but blissfully unaware of the GRIT that was expected by few but, regardless, failed to materialise at the back end.

Russia - now that's another story. You pounded the Czechs into the ground 4-1, but were undone by one lousy goal on a lazy play against those Houdinis of the EURO (in possibly more ways than one). Say it with me now comrades: OPA!

The Dutch must be the biggest disappointment though. Having taken Spain to the limit in the final of the World Cup, the Orange Masters of Disaster (not to be confused with OMD - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, a British synthpop group from the 1980s) found their old form and proceeded to disappoint their legions of Nether-Fans on a scale previously unimaginable. Individualism and a lazy effort from the forwards (who apparently can only run in one direction) sealed their fate. Sadly, the results for the Netherlands were well-earned. Maybe next time.

Now, without further adieu, the standings at the end of the group stage:

1. SaS 20
2. JeS 18
3. ShR 18
4. StS 17
5. ToM 17
6. PaS 16
7. AnS 14
8. BrW 14
9. DeF 11
10. TaC 10

Kudos to SaS for maintaining the lead since Russia beat the Czechs 4-1. That's worth half the price of admission. And it's still anybody's game.

For the record, my shameless predictions for the QFs:

CZE 1, POR 3
GER 1, GRE 2 (GASP! err, I mean, OPA!)
ESP 2, FRA 0
ENG 0, ITA 1

I also predict that the CZE-POR match will be much closer than the scoreline will indicate. The Czechs play well as a team, but Portugal has done a decent job restoring the faith of fans with results so far. Both sides are capable of the occasional defensive lapse, but in the end, it'll all come down to which team has the prettiest, prettiest princess. And that team is Portugal.

Germany can't really lose, can they? Well SURE THEY CAN! And if anyone can make it happen, it's those magicians of the Aegean, those skewerers of kabob, the Greeks. Despite the scoreline, this match will be a lopsided affair, with the Germans taking the play to Greece but coming up short via a Herculean defensive effort and the occasional thunderbolt from Zeus. Call me crazy (because really, this prediction is WAY OUT TO LUNCH with a side of lamb and tzatziki) but I just have a feeling about this one. OPA!

ESP-FRA: there's really not much to say about this one. Spain will dazzle with their skill, dominating possession against the French and receiving a just 2-0 result. France will occasionally challenge, but find themselves out of steam and outwitted against a superior opponent.

Lastly, there is the QF matchup that had pundits just DROOLING down their socks. Stop laughing. England vs Italy: the stuff legends are made of. Both teams are a little fatalistic, both teams have fans AGONISING over managerial decisions, and both teams enjoy more than their fair share of controversy.

Now, England has a history of bowing out in the QFs or SFs. This year, it'll be the QFs, and whether it's a skilled strike from Balotelli or a lucky 1-0 result from penalties, the English will be sent packing. I hate to say it, but Italy possesses more skill and pure athleticism and therefore has the edge in what should be a closely contested match. I give the nod to England for their netkeeper (thankfully, Green has been nailed to the bench) but Joe Hart won't be enough. And not all the hair-plugs in the world can help Wayne Rooney score another one to help his side through to the SFs. This day shall belong to the Italians.

Best of luck to all!  

Czech it Out!

Picks for the next threee days, shameless as always.

Saturday:

CZE 2, POL 0
GRE 1, RUS 0

OPA! I have to say it. The only way the Greeks have any hope is if they build a wall to prevent the Russian offense from having any say in the matter. Greece is capable of it... they won this tournament 8 years ago by doing it. Surely they can salvage some pride?

And it looks like Czechoslavakia is finally rounding into form. Poland will have their hands full with a confident Czech squad. A pity for the co-hosts, but their time is limited.

Sunday:
 
POR 1, NED 2
DEN 0, GER 2

Portugal will be feeling confident after their recent victory, but will be unprepared for Holland as the Dutch run them into the ground. Expect an early goal from Portugal to be answered with an ORANGE ONSLAUGHT!

There's just no stopping the Germans. Germany will play with machine-like precision and be just THAT much better than Denmark in every facet of the game. Expect the Danes to be playing a fruitless game of catch-up, and to lose in a game that will be closer than the final score will indicate.

Monday:

ESP 2, CRO 1
ITA 1, IRL 1

The Irish commented that for the bulk of their game against Spain they were chasing shadows. Expect Spain to do the same to Croatia, who may score one early while the Spaniards are still warming up. But that's as good as it'll get for Croatia.

This may be just wishful thinking - I mean, what else would you call it? I fully expect Ireland to salvage some pride by coming out with a stronger, mistake-free game against the Italians, who will underestimate their opponent based on earlier results. Italy could just as easily thwack the disheartened Irish into next week, but I have to think my favourite underdog squad is made of sterner stuff.

Standings to be updated this evening. SaS still has the lead...

More About Friday on Tuesday

I've been deliberating over what to do about the English. Are they up to the task of defeating the Swedes?

Well, after watching Ukraine have their way with Sweden on Monday, it seems to me the English (who I felt had a more difficult opponent in France) will be up to the task. They have decent talent and depth at every position and have been consistently good for too long. I mean, it HAS to come together for them at some point, right?

SWE 0, ENG 2


And how about those Ukrainians? Will they have enough left in the tank to take on Les Bleus? I'm not so sure, but it's hard to imagine France doing anything in spectacular fashion, so perhaps a low-scoring defensive battle with the French counter-attack making the difference is what's in store for us this Friday. It'd be nice to see one of the host nations keep it going, but this guy says it's not in the cards. The French are due.

UKR 0, FRA 1

I will have more shameless predictions, as well as updated standings, this Friday evening. As always best of luck to everyone, and congratulations to SaS for a perfect record so far.

OPA!