120 Minutes: Portugal v. Spain UEFA Euro 2012

DONETS'K, Ukraine-

First of all, apologies for not covering the quarter-finals, as I spent the weekend with my lovely fiancee. Of course, we played lots of soccer; Even though it wasn't the same quality as the Euros, it meant more to me.

Summary

The semi-finals of the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup began today with a match between current World and European Champions Spain, and their neighbor, nicknamed the best team never to win a championship.

The game was played in Ukraine's Donbass Arena, in the city of 

Portugal and Spain both started in the 4-3-3 formation.

Spain started the game with the first touch, but the Portuguese had the first real possession. Their first set-piece came in the form of a corner, tipped-over by Spanish keeper and captain Iker Casillas for a second, which he caught solidly.

In the 7th minute, the Spanish began the first of their characteristic long possessions, with a major attack coming along the left wing in the 9th. The attack ended with a shot from defender Alvero Arbeloa from near the edge of the eighteen yard box.

Christiano Ronaldo's first action came in the 13th minute with a strong cross off the counter-attack, intended for Nani, but snatched boldly out of the air by Casillas. He was fouled in the 16th minute just outside the box, and the resulting free-kick was blocked by the Spanish wall. Controversy flared in the 20th minute, when Spanish defender Sergio Ramos seemed to pull-down on Nani, but the jury is still out as far a criticizing the referee for not awarding a foul.

A Portuguese attack in the 26th minute ended with a cross being caught be Casillas, but they were looking good with it. Portuguese crosses continued to slip around the Spanish line. That all ended with a good shot from Andres Iniesta, as the Spanish forward almost scored at 29'.

Ronaldo answered with a near miss in the 31st minute, the ball just skimming wide right along the ground. On a personal note, I am not a fan of Ronaldo, but even his critics must admit that he is a very skilled footballer.

If this had not been the semi-finals of the Euro Cup, the game would have been extremely boring. Limited scoring between the two power-houses failed to provide the entertainment normally expected from either nation.

A Spanish attack in the 38th minute created a slight break in the monotony with a characteristically light shot from David Silva from within the Portuguese box.

Spanish defender Sergio Ramos earned a yellow-card in the 41st minute after fouling Ronaldo, giving a little bit of meat to an otherwise tasteless first-half. The first half ended with very few real shots on goal, and very few real chances-taken. It was more like watching a chess-match than a football game, with all of the attempts to find clever or precise passes.

The Portuguese opened the second-half, hoping to step-up their play for a brief moment and come out on top of the Spanish. There wasn't much to report, however, as neither side seemed to be able to force their way ahead. The air seemed crisp with the anticipation of a possible penalty shoot-out, which would follow a scoreless regular-time and a scoreless extra-time.

Shots and chances began to flow after the 55th minute, with plenty of long-balls from the Spanish and counter-attacks from the Portuguese. In addition, the yellow-cards began to pile-up, and the animosity between these two teams was anything but hiding. Xavi had a shot on in the 68th minute, but it was right at the Portuguese keeper.

A Ronaldo free-kick in the 73rd minute could have ended it all, but if anything has been learned in reading this article, it is that this game would go down to the wire.

Blocked-shots stopped a Portuguese attack at 76', which ended with an uneventful corner.

Arbeloa received a yellow-card in the 84th minute for encroachment on Ronaldo, who was taking a free kick. Ronaldo was awarded another, but missed just over the crossbar. After the pathetic Portuguese attack at 90', Christiano Ronaldo fullly proved the he was not on top of his game, and was at best a shadow of his superstar ego. The last real chance of the match came from a Spanish corner which found it's way all the way back to Iker Casillas.


Regular time ended scoreless, and the drama began to overtake the inaction as these two teams geared-up for a half-hour of play, followed by a possible penalty shoot-out. 


The Spanish opened extra-time, with the Portuguese fear being that one of their four already-booked defenders would be sent-off. Blocked-shots and fouls kept the game interesting as tension mounted. 


A Spanish free-kick from Xavi Alonso was headed away by the Portuguese, but the Spaniards maintained possession for a shot from Iniesta, and a moment where the Portuguese defense looked very shaky. Ronaldo made an excellent attack in the 98th, which resulted in the ball going out-of-bounds. The Portuguese quickly regained possession, and held it until Iniesta intercepted on the edge of the box, and the Spanish countered. The Spanish attack ended with an identical interception, as well as an injury to Pedro. 


Spain looked very-much on top at 102', when Cesc Fabrregas took a corner which ended in a blocked shot from Jesus Navas. Another corner started out slowly with a short pass, and ended with a Portuguese counter-attack. Navas had another shot from a tough angle at 104', but it went out wide across the pitch. Iniesta very nearly had a goal from a short distance, with the resulting corner ending up wasted. The Spanish were pulling-out the stops in extra-time, seemingly knowing that if ever the Portuguese could beat them, it would be in a penalty-shootout. 


Ramos very-nearly scored off the top-left corner with a well-struck free-kick at the end of the first half in extra-time.

The second-half of extra-time started with the Spanish settling-down and maintaining possession in their own half, while the Portuguese settled-back into a defensive mindset. They did counter strongly in the 107th, but the attack was stopped by a block  and a slowly-progressing Spanish possession.

The Portuguese surprised me when their defensive-stance moved forward with pressing forwards who moved-in dangerously close to Casillas.

Jesus Navas nearly ended it in the 111th, but a magnificent save from Rui Patricio kept Portugal just one goal away from a Euro Cup Final. A Spanish attack from Pedro at 114' almost ended it as well, but the Portuguese defenders got it away for a corner. The attacks continued in the 117th with a beautiful passing display that ended in an offsides, but was almost a goal-scoring opportunity. Had the Spanish played with such vigor during regular time, perhaps they might have put the game away in 90 minutes. They pressed-on into the dying moments of on-field play, but it was all for naught as the two teams entered into a penalty shootout, an event filled with drama on any stage, but especially in a competition of this magnitude.

The Shootout

Iker Casillas

Rui Patrico

1.) The first team to take a penalty was Spain, when Xabi Alonso fired away, but Rui Patrico made the save. It was a mid-height shot to the shooter's right. 

Juao Moutinho took the shot for Portugal, but it too was saved, by Iker Casillas for Spain.

2.) Andres Iniesta took the second shot for Spain, scoring in the same area aimed-at by Xabi Alonso, mid-height to his right side.

Pepe took the second shot for Portugal, firing low along the ground to his left, in the lower-left corner.

3.) The third shooter was Gerard Picque for Spain, scoring low-left, just above the ground. 

Portugal seemed to answer with Bruno Alves, but was switched out for Nani at the last minute. Nani scored high, just underneath the crossbar as the ball went up through the net.

4.) Sergio Ramos tried to put it away for Spain with kick number four, shooting the ball very lightly after Patrico dove out to the left and scoring.

Bruno Alves came back on for the fourth shot, but the ball came out off the bottom of the ball near the upper-right corner. 

Cesc Fabregas scored the game-winner in
the penalty shootout.

5.) All pressure was on Cesc Fabregas as he lined-up the shot that sent the Spanish to the Euro Cup final with a shot of the inside of the left-side bar, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo speechless and without taking a penalty. There was immediate speculation as to whether or not Ronaldo was scheduled last due to personal pride in his desire to take the final shot. 

The game ended with a dramatic Spanish win and nine total yellow cards, although no reds and no penalties outside of the shootout.

Hero-of-the-Match

There's no doubt about it, someone had to be the hero in this close match, and the award could only go to one man: Cesc Fabregas. Though I was unimpressed by this Spanish side during regular time, their attacks in extra time and their execution in the shootout provided high drama and excitement. Somebody had to be the game-winner, and Fabregas stepped-up and took his shot, giving Spain the chance for back-to-back-to-back wins in major tournaments. 

Special mentions to the referee, whose name escapes me at the moment. He did his best to call a fair game in a high-pressure situation, and walked-away without any lasting controversy. No penalties, no sending-offs, just a lot of yellow-cards and free-kicks. Good job, ref. 

As a writer, and as a fan, I can only hope that tomorrow's game between Germany and Italy shows more chances, as well as a more disciplined and exciting playing-style. Penalties are exciting, but not for writers who have to comment on the other two-hours of play. It was my first experience writing-up a shootout, and I would like to know what I could do better in future penalty-situations. Please feel-free to leave a comment down below if you as readers have any preference concerning the way I write-up shootouts. I hope that my disinterest and boredom during regular time did not ruin the reading experience, but let's all get excited about the prospect of a better game of football tomorrow.

Group D Finale: England vs. Ukraine

DONETS'K, Ukraine-

Summary

     The Ukrainian national anthem "Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished", was an entirely ironic start to their match against England on the final day of the Group Stage at the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup.

     The two teams met in Donbass Arena, for Ukraine's second match of the tournament played there. The Ukrainians fought the French, and lost, earlier this week.

Andriy Shevchenko, who scored two
goals against Sweden, came on as a
substitute at 70'.

     The English started in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with the Ukrainians going out in what appeared to be a 4-3-3 formation. Ukrainian star and hero of their game against Sweden Andriy Shevchenko, who is suffering from a knee injury, did not start. 

     The Ukrainians started with the ball, making a quick attack that was easily defended by the English. They continued attacking with a missed shot from Denis Garmash and a good run by Andriy Yarmolenko. This Ukrainain team looked very good early-on, while the Three Lions looked sloppy at best.

     English control began to show itself around the tenth minute, followed by an Ashley Cole shot in the eleventh. Ukraine answered at 13' with a good chance from Marko Devic, following a good cross along the ground. They had another strong counterattack after an English corner, but it ended with the ball rolling harmlessly out over the line. Another good cross at 16' very nearly ended with the ball in the back of the net.

     Despite the chances, there was a loud rendition of 'God Save the Queen' shaking the arena in the 17th minute. It was hushed after another Ukrainian shot, which was blocked by the English defense.

     Excellent Ukrainian passing kept up the attack as the game neared the half-hour mark. Oleg Gusev's shot in the 22nd minute was nearly a goal, but the luck of the English held out. Stephen Gerrard's free-kick at 24' provided England with their first real chance of the game. Wayne Rooney's triumphant return to action began in the 26th minute with a header that was struck just wide of the Ukrainian goal.

     Joe Hart made a nice save at 29' after a Yarmolenko shot from inside the box. The game was then largely uneventful until an English attack in the 41st minute which ended with a poorly-taken shot by Scott Parker.  Yarmolenko then advanced into the English box, stumbling through the English defense on the way to a Ukrainian corner. The half ended: 0-0.

     The English took the ball at the start of the second-half, with 'God Save the Queen' ringing out once again. After a short possession, the Ukrainians took over.

     The scoring opened with Wyane Rooney's 48th minute goal after a Stephen Gerrard cross was missed by Ukrainian keeper Andriy Pyatov. The headed goal was from right in front of the goal and couldn't be missed. Ukraine's potential answer to the goal was a pair of corners following soon after. A third corner at 53' was also turned away by the English. An English counter-attack following a fourth corner looked dangerous, but was broken up by the Ukrainian defense.

     A 61st minute chance for Ukraine could have tied the game, but the goal was not counted by the referee. It was indeed a goal, but the referee's call was final. Anatoliy Tymoschuk goal, kicked out of the net by John Terry.

     Two saves by Pyatov in the 68th minute kept the English from widening the gap. The first was stopping a cross intended for Rooney, the second was against a good shot from Cole.

     Ukraine star Shevchenko came on as a substitute in the 70th minute, hoping to save his team from elimination.  An amazing shot from long-distance by Yevhen Konoplyanka provided some excitement, with Joe Hart making the save by his palm. Pyatov made a save as well against another Wayne Rooney header in the 75th minute.

     Ashley Cole received a yellow-card for time-wasting in at 78'.

     The Ukrainians kept fighting until the last minute, when they could actually get their hands on the ball.They only break-ups of English play came from Ukrainian fouls, including a booking at 86 minutes by Shevchenko.

     Yarmolenko almost brought it all back for Ukraine in stoppage, which would have brought them level. The game ended after three minutes of stoppage, with both teams seemingly on cordial relations.

Wayne Rooney is today's Man of the Match.

Man-of-the-Match 

     Wayne Rooney. As much as I personally dislike Rooney, he is a very good footballer. He scored the only goal of the game in the 48th minute with a header from only a yard or two out. His return to this England squad could not have come at a better time. 

Notable Mentions

 Andriy Pyatov, Joe Hart, and Ashley Cole al

     A shout-out to my Swedes, who were eliminated from Group D after a loss to England this week. They fought hard against France today, much unlike the Republic of Ireland in Group C, who just rolled-over and died against the Italians in a 2-0 loss yesterday. The Swedes won their first game in the Euros, a 2-0 win over the French.

     There will be a lot of talk over that uncredited goal, but it's too late now, and England advance. 

     The French and English both advance to the knockouts, with England winning Group D. They play Italy next week, while France plays world-champion and Euro Cup holder Spain. 

And the Croats Are Gone... Euro 2012 Group C

GDANSK, Poland-

Summary

Spain and Croatia met in the final day of Group C matches at the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup, with the Spanish winning the match 1-0 and advancing to the knockout stage, winning the group. 

A win for either team could cause them would advance to the next round, whereas a draw would have allowed both teams to advance, providing that Group C opponents Italy lost or drew to the Republic of Ireland in the other match in the Group.

A Spanish free kick was the first action of the match after they received the first touch. , but was held-off by the Croatian defense. A Spanish attack in the fourth minute was stopped by a Croatian header for a corner, and a miss from a Spanish shot.

The Spanish struck again in the twelfth minute with a short shot from Andres Iniesta from within the Croatian penalty area. Spanish passing once again set the tempo of their play, as they held on to the ball in multi-minute possessions. Iniesta continued his presence in the game when he fouled Darijo Srna in the fifteenth minute. Subsequent fouls in the sixteenth minute continued to break-up an otherwise passing-dominated first half.

The fouls continued with a grimace-drawing tackle on David Silva, who was clearly in pain. A long shot from Sergio Ramos in the 23^rd minute provided a good chance, but Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa. A shot by Gerard Pique in the next minute went high and over the Croatian goal. Croatia counter-attacked, with a shot from Danijel Pranjic. Spanish keeper Iker Casillas made the save. 

An injury to Mario Mandzukic in the 27^th minute came from a clean tackle by Ramos within the Spanish penalty area. There was a card on the play, however, as Croat defender Vedran Corluka mouthed-off to the referee concerning the tackle, and received a yellow for his trouble.  Silva continued his dangerous play, with two more shots coming from close range at 30’, on two different attacks. A quick free-kick in the thirty-fourth minute gave Silva another opportunity to attack down the right flank.

Spain star Fernando Torres was not a major presence during the first-half. Torres had scored a brace against Ireland as a part of Spain’s 4-0 win last Thursday. Torres was brought-off in the 61^st minute, after failing to perform to his usual standard. Jesus Navas came on to replace him.

 Just before the half, the Croats attacked strongly, maintaining possession long enough to get a few chances on goal, and to see Iniesta intercept and lead a good attack against them. 

An attack led by Silva resulted in an uneventful Spanish corner by Xavi. 

Darijo Srna earned a yellow card in the 45^th minute after multiple unbooked fouls.

The first-half ended 0-0 after a grueling physical game, with two yellow cards and a multitude of other fouls from both sides. Croatia featured strong wing play and counter-attacks, while the Spanish continued their possession strategy, coupled with a few scrappy in-the-box attacks.

A Croat corner began the action in the second-half, with the Spanish using their short-passing scheme to continue with possession. It was apparent, however, that the Spanish were beginning to pull out the stops, attacking with real pressure. The clock was in the 52^nd minute when Iniesta provided a good ball for Torres on a breakaway, but it was calmly scooped-up by Pletikosa. The Croats capitalized on a good tackle in the 57^th minute with a drive downfield, ending in a foul. The free-kick was defended well by the Spanish, but the next Croat attack proved to be the nearly-fatal blow against the Spanish, with attack after attack. The Spanish defense finally began to look disorganized, and the Croats took advantage of it.

A Croat attack in the 70^th minute continued their wing-to-wing play, but fell apart with an uncontrolled header. David Silva was brought out for Cesc Fabregas at forward, after three attempts, two shots on-goal, and plenty of chances created.

Spanish play in the second half was at best uninspired. A chance for Fabregas in the 78^th minute was blocked for a corner.  On the other hand, the Croat attacks were creative and precise, but they couldn’t find the back of the net . Perisic made a good attempt in the 79^th minute.  Iniesta shot at 84’, but Pletikosa made the save for a corner. Navas made another shot at 85’; Pletikosa kept it out again.

Jesus Navas came on as
a substitute for Fernando
Torres, and scored the game-winner.

Navas scored off a 2-on-1 chip in a goal which was judged by the Croatian fans (and Pletikosa) to be offsides, putting-away both the game and Group C.

Overall, the second-half cleaned up in terms of fouls, and showed a superior game from both teams. Excellent ending for the game between these two teams, despite my personal disappointment that the Croats did not advance, even after a good showing against Italy and Ireland.

The Italians won their final group match against the Irish, advancing to the knockouts  after finishing second in Group C. Spain advances as well and wins the group after this win. They face the second-place team from Group D on Sunday.

Andres Iniesta's one-two pass to Jesus Navas
 resulted in Spain's win over Croatia.

Man-of-the-Match

Today's Man-of-the-Match award goes to Spain's Andres Iniesta. Iniesta played well off the ball all game, with excellent passing in possession, as well as his chance-creation and shooting. His crowning-moment, however, came from his one-two pass to Jesus Navas at 88', resulting in the only goal of the game, and the Spanish winning Group C. 

Navas came on as a substitute and did not contribute much overall, despite scoring the only goal. Iniesta played a far-better game from whistle to whistle.  

The Battle of the Jutland: Denmark-Germany at Euro 2012

LVIV, Ukraine

Summary

     In the final day for Group B games at the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup, 'Group of Death' opponents Germany and Denmark squared-off at the Arena Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine.

     Going into the match, the Germans had two wins and six points, while the Danes had one win, and one loss for three points. For the Danes, a win meant advancing to the knockout round, with a draw advancing them only if the Dutch beat the Portuguese. For the Germans to miss the knockout round, they would have had to lose to the Danes and see the Portuguese win against the Dutch.

     Both teams started the match in a 4-5-1 formation, with the Germans winning the coin toss and receiving the first touch. The Danes got off to a good start with a long ball that ended in an offsides, but the Germans answered by a near-goal by Thomas Muller from inside the Danish penalty-area. The German attack was relentless in the opening minutes. A Danish counter attack from a corner in the fifth minute ended with a good header, defended by the German keeper, Manuel Neuer.

     Another quick attack from the Germans ended in a shot from Muller, but was saved by Danish keeper Stephan Andersen. German play slowed-down and focused on possession, similar to the style of football displayed by Spain in their 4-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last week. Play then settled-down as the Germans worked the possession with excellent passing which turned into quick breaks on goal. Daniel Agger led his team well, and broke-up excellent German play in the Danish penalty area.

     The scoring opened in the nineteenth minute as Lukas Podolski drove in a shot from inside the box, the ball passing just between the hands of Andersen. Denmark answered in at 24' with a beautiful headed goal by Michael Khron-Dehli after a corner was redirected to him by Nicklas Bendter.  Germany then had two chances at set pieces, one from a free kick and another from a corner, although they were unable to capitalize on either.

     The second half began with a Dannish possession, followed by attack-after counterattack from both squads. The first real excitement of the second-half came when Jakob Poulson missed wide on a good chance from close range, hitting the left goal-post.

     It was possession football from then on, with the Germans slowing their game again, looking for an opportunity to score, and thus ensure their dominance of Group B. There was a good opportunity generated at 67', with a shot on by substitute Andre Schurrle that was saved by Andersen. A Danish possession in the 69th minute displayed a mixture of wing-play with good possession, and ended with a long shot which bounced away a yard wide after an easy save for Neuer, resulting in a corner.

     A 75th minute attack by Bendter ended with a near-foul in the German box, but was a very near goal for the Danes. In the last fifteen minutes of play, the Danes opened up with a pressing attack. Lars Bender caught the Danes on the counter-attack in the 79th minute with a breakaway goal from inside the Danish penalty area. Agger broke up a good German corner in the 83rd minute, stopping a good chance and what would have sealed Germany's win. An offside showed the hunger for Denmark to draw the game even at 2-2 in the 85th minute. Two German and one Danish offsides during stoppage slowed play, but the game ended with a German advance to a game against Greece in the Quarter-Finals.

   

Viva España!

GDANSK, Poland-

Summary

Spain and the Republic of Ireland squared-off in Group C.

Reigning World Champion Spain took on the Republic of Ireland today in Gdansk, Poland, in a Group C match of the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup, with Spain winning 4-0.

The Irish were counting on a win in order to stay alive in the tournament, but fell short when the Spanish utterly dominated in possession, passing, and shooting. 

Spain started in a 4-3-3 formation, choosing to play the controversy-shrouded Fernando Torres, while the Irish played a 4-4-2 formation. The keepers for Spain and Ireland were Iker Casillas and Shay Given, respectively, with Casillas captaining for the Spanish and striker Robbie Keane leading their opponents. 

The game started off with a bang as an early chance from David Silva was held off by the Irish defenders, who were unable to contain the loose ball and allowed a terrific goal from Torres in the fourth minute. ·         The Irish defenders’ main issue was their inability to defend multiple Spanish forwards inside the penalty area. This was the situation for Torres’ first goal: They held off Silva, but failed to contain the ball. It happened again in the sixth minute, but Shay Given held on for the save.

It was one of only a handful: Shay Given’s inability to hold onto the ball after making a save may have been due to the wet conditions of the pitch, but there was no way to tell if Iker Casillas suffered similarly, because he never seemed to have to make a save.

Spain got the ball at the start of the second half, and began by resuming their tactful passing display, with a pressing defense from the Irish. Ireland’s first touch in the second half came all the way in the forty-seventh minute, thanks to Spanish possession. Even after the single touch, the Spanish received the ball on a throw, and the passing display resumed.

    David Silva opened the second half scoring the 49^th minute after Given’s save of a good effort by Iniesta.

    An Irish chance in the 64^th minute ended with a successful defense by the Spanish backs, and doubtlessly disappointed their fans. The  Irish attacks finally started to flow late, but it was all for naught as a Torres breakaway in the 71^st minute put the game away for the Spanish. Cesc Fabergas came on as a substitute and rubbed salt in the wounds with a fourth and final goal in the 83rd minute.

***

     The Spanish won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and are currently the number one ranked team in the world.

The Irish beat Group C opponent Italy 2-0 in June of 2011, and are looking for a repeat win here at Euro 2012. Their most recent win was a 1-0 victory in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovnia on May 26^th, 2012. 

    Group C is still up for grabs, with the current standings shown below:

    Croatia-                                4pts

    Spain-                                  4pts

    Italy-                                     2pts

    Ireland-                                0pts

Fernando Torres

Heroes and Villains:

 The Hero Award for this match goes to Spain's Fernando Torres, who opened up the scoring and ended up with a brace in the back of the net by night's end. Despite questions as to whether or not he should start, Torres played well and more than made up for Sunday's game against Italy, in which he under-performed.

The Villain Award for this match goes to the referee, who for most of the match seemed content to let Spain do their thing on the way to an easy victory. However, a strange occurrence in the 36th minute left me scratching my head.

Andres Iniesta

 

That's right, the Portuguese referee deliberately pushed an Irish player to the ground during play. I hope a controversy arises after this...

Special mention for Andres Iniesta, who played hard, had plenty of good touches, and even tried his hand at a shot or two. I was impressed by his work-horse, unselfish mentality that showed the best in Spanish Football.

Oh, Defeat: Ukraine vs. Sweden

Fear and judgement surrounded Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic
 going into Monday's match against Ukraine.

     The blue and yellow sea that crowded Kiev Olympic Stadium was almost inseparable as Swedish and Ukrainian fans watched Ukraine win 2-1 in Group D of the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup.

     Prior to kickoff, a buzz surrounded Swedish Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with much speculation as to how he would perform in this game and the tournament as a whole. His chance came early, with Sweden starting with possession, and Ibrahimovic getting involved with an early touch. Sweden performed well on the attack in the opening minutes. The first half progressed with a tight midfield game early in the first half, lots of balls out and intercepted passes, in addition to a rough, foul-heavy game by the Swedes. There was a hunger for goals, with the Ukrainians caught off-sides at 22’, followed immediately by a good chance on goal by Shevchenko, in addition to a Swedish off-sides at 20’.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         There was a selfish advance from Ibrahimovic at 35’, he could have passed the ball away, and the resulting corner was easily intercepted by Ukrainian keeper Pyatov. His next attempt was a headed miss in the 38^th minute which got my blood pumping. But that’s soccer for you, the ball can bounce anywhere, and will either be remembered as a goal or missed opportunity. Eventually, Ibrahimovic and the Swedes broke through. His goal in the 51^st minute capitalized on Ukrainian errors by redirecting a good pass from Rosenberg. 

Andriy Shevchenko led Ukraine to their
 first-ever Euro Cup win over Sweden.

     Ukraine's two goals came first from an excellent counter-attack came just three minutes later as Shevchenko headed an excelled cross from the middle of a sea of blue defenders. Amazing commitment, amazing goal. He scored again shortly afterward, sealing the score line with a win for Ukraine.

     The Swedes fouled regularly, conceding two yellow cards.  Hallstrom’s yellow card came in the tenth minute as he went in for a sliding tackle and missed the ball, instead tripping-up the Ukrainian player. Good call for an unintentional but dangerous foul. Rasmus Elm’s foul in the 82^nd minute, however, was blatant and dirty, and there should be little sympathy for him, despite his nationality: Yellow card earned.

Olaf Mellberg, whose aggressive playing style, with 'whodunnit?' antics,
 as well as a wonderful beard, made this game incredibly entertaining.

          
This match had its share of heroes; Andriy Shevchenko had a beautiful performance in leading his team to victory, scoring a brace of goals for co-hosts Ukraine. Zlatan Ibrahimovic silenced doubters by scoring the first goal of the match, and by creating chances for his teammates. The Ukrainian fans were excellent, from national anthem to final whistle: By far the most loyal and polite fans of the Euros. The Sweden back-four performed well, despite allowing two goals. For this all blame rests on the Swedish keeper, Andreas Isaksson, who seemed at best out of place and at worst completely lost on the pitch. Special mention to Olaf Mellberg, whose aggressive playing style, with 'whodunnit?' antics, as well as a wonderful beard, made this game incredibly entertaining. Other than Isaksson, the only villain in this match was the dreaded 'dive-bomber'. Particularly during the first half, it seemed that a light wind would all but topple the Ukrainian starting eleven, in a dramatic piece which should be reserved for the Kiev Theater.

   

  The major international competition prior to this year’s Euro Cup was the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, in which the English and French were eliminated in the Round of Sixteen and the Group Stage, respectively. Sweden and Ukraine did not qualify. 

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Ukraine’s post-Soviet debut occurred in 1992, Sweden has been playing since 1908. This is the first Euro Cup in which Ukraine have qualified.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·       

  <!--[endif]-->In other Group D news, England drew France 1-1, each receiving a single point in the Group Table.

'Uninspired' Group B Analysis

The four teams of the 'Group of Death'
(clockwise from left: Denmark, Germany,
Portugal, and the Netherlands).



  

Denmark-Netherlands:

     The Denmark-Netherlands game was a Dutch nightmare. Ninety minutes of constant missed opportunities, compounded by Michael Krohn-Dehli's goal in the 24th minute. The goal itself was incredibly lucky, bouncing between the legs of Maarten Stekelenburg, and finding its way into the net. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the Danes, and beating the second-best nation in the world is a great accomplishment, but luck won't be enough in their games against the strong back lines of the Germans and Portuguese. It was an unexpected and horrific defeat for the Orange, and I am anxious to see how this will affect their game against Germany this coming Wednesday.

Nigel De Jong

     I would like to give a shout-out for Nigel De Jong, the Dutch midfielder who also happens to be the model of my own playing-style (when I actually get out there). Rough, controlling, and simplistic, De Jong dominates midfield as a get-and-give tackler and passer. Whether he's playing for City or the Netherlands, I always keep a special eye out for him, hoping he'll get a chance to do something creative and out-of-nature, unless he gets subbed-out per the usual.

  

Portugal-Germany: 

     I was extremely disappointed with the play of both the Portuguese and the Germans, as what should have been a battle of creative chances and fancy footwork turned into a defensive trench-war a the two sides battled it out.  When the first half ended 0-0, I was confident that the two teams would open up in the 46th minute, but I was to be greatly let down. Even the headed goal by Mario Gomez in the 73rd minute seemed too technical, too clean. He rose neatly to meet the ball coming in from Sami Kherdira, even though it was likely to go high or wide, and just scored a beautiful goal. Still nothing that got me overly excited (I'm sure Germany fans didn't mind it). The most excitement (for this viewer), came from the Portuguese counter attacks, particularly the last-ditch effort on the part of Portugal to draw the game 1-1. The Portuguese fought extremely hard in those closing minutes, but quick-thinking by the German defenders broke up chance after chance, and the Portuguese were left wanting, despite their constant efforts.

Jerome Boateng

     Special mentions to Jerome Boateng, despite his yellow card in the second half. Committed a standing foul right in front of the referee, a good call as a foul, but I’m unsure it warranted a yellow card. Nevertheless, Boateng did a fantastic job of shutting-down Christiano Ronaldo, made some good standing tackles, and sacrificed his body, even to the point of what appeared to be a genuine light injury. 

Conclusions/Predictions 

     My predictions for Group D are as follows: The Danes will lose narrowly to Germany and to Portugal, and the Netherlands win will be regarded as a fluke. The Portuguese will beat the Danes, but will lose to the Dutch by one or two goals. The team from the Netherlands will draw with the Germans after a physically grueling game, but will beat the Portuguese to advance just under Germany. Overall, a tight group that provides little excitement beyond today’s upset by Denmark.

'Don't Write off the Czechs' Euro 2012 Group A

Hello Blogosphere!

     I would first like to apologize that I did not comment on the Euro Cup Group A games between Greece & Poland, and Russia & Czech Republic. I sacrificed a day of soccer and took my fiancee out to dinner. Now to business.

Group A

(l-r, t-b) Poland, Greece, Russia, and the Czech Republic make up Group A.

     Yesterday marked the beginning of the moderately-publicized UEFA Euro Cup, an international soccer competition between pre-qualified European National Association Football (Soccer) Teams, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.


      The opening game played was between Greece and co-hosts Poland, with the latter opening the scoring in the first half. I honestly cannot remember most of what happened after that, between all my comings-and-goings of Friday. However, I did manage to catch the exciting moments of a Polish red card midway through the second half. The card was presented to Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny after his something of a collision with a Greek striker. No shame for Szczesny, as the replay showed; He was simply doing his job as a keeper in a one-on-one situation, and despite the red card, is no great villain. 


     The most drama in the opening match stemmed not from the sending-off, but rather from the ensuing penalty shot. The Polish back-up keeper, Tyton, had scarcely warmed-up when we was called on to try and stop a penalty from Greece's Giorgos Karagounis. The tense mood of the stadium erupted into cheers from the Poles and groans from the Greeks when Tyton made a routine diving save, and keeping the scores level at 1-1.


     The remainder of the game featured uninspiring play, and the remaining unspent excitement for either the Poles or Greeks must be awarded to the strong fight by both sides to keep the game level. Final score: 1-1.


     The Russia-Czech Republic game offered much more entertainment, so naturally I saw even less of it. I did manage to catch the only Czech goal, which at the time seemed a true revenge-goal, and I expected it to turn the game around. At that point, the score was 2-1 Russia, and I genuinely expected to see another draw for Group A. Alas, in my absence, the Russians hammered back to win it 4-1. No detailed analysis available from me. 


     As for the Group A table, it currently stands:

1. Russia             - 3 pts
2. Poland            - 1 pt
3. Greece           - 1 pt
4. Czech Rep.     -1 pt

     There are no easy games in the Euro Cup. Every team has earned a right to play in Polkraine, and any team can come out on top. With that being said, any group can turn out in any way, so my predictions are my no means accurate, and despite their attitude otherwise, neither can ESPN. However, I do think we missed the best of the Czechs in the opening match, and that they will deliver strong blows to both the Poles and the Greeks, winning against both teams. The Russians will continue strongly, and with a draw against Poland and a win against the Greeks, they will advance comfortably. The Greeks were impressive in their athleticism and speed, but lack the strength and finesse to deal with either the Czechs or the Russians. The Poles are riding on the home-team advantage, and I suspect that their fans will push them forward to become a contender, possibly even edging-out the Russians. That being said, look for a Czech comeback.


     Group B will follow later this evening, but I intend to finish-out the Netherlands-Denmark game and catch at least the first half of Portugal-Germany, so expect a more lively commentary.

Brace Yourself... Soccer Posts Are Coming

     Just as it was in the Summer of 2010, the United States seems to have developed a sudden taste for the World's Game, and just as happened that Fall, it will soon disappear.

     It's all about hype, and clever marketing by ESPN (a puppet of Disney). Based on the number of Vuvuzelas found in garbage dumps in the Fall of 2010, it is safe to say that the last World Cup did little more than create temporary Mr. Hydes out of the American sporting community. In those days, many of my not-so-dear acquaintances caught 'The Fever', only to be mysteriously cured in the weeks after Spain's triumph over the Netherlands. 



Manchester City 



Manchester United





     I'll be getting, doubly-angry this year, like a hipster whose favorite band has just 'sold-out'. This comes first from the International stage, as all of the sometime soccer fans come out of the woodwork, only to disappear when the lights come on. In addition, my favorite professional club, Manchester City, won the EPL a few weeks ago. While I am very excited that my team won it's first championship in my brief history of love for the game, I have the good sense to know what is coming... One-hundred-thousand young American fans wearing powder blue jerseys to school, the constant Facebook posts about how 'great' a team City is, and the Dick's Sporting Goods displays. For anyone who doesn't know what I mean, just remember how much Manchester United paraphernalia you've been seeing over the past few years, and just change the colors from red to blue.  

   My mantra in fandom is usually clear: Go Big or Go Home. So stems my arrogant attitude to fair-weather and bandwagon fans. But now onto something more interesting...

***

   Part two of this article is the good news: Sweden plays today! As I write, I am occupying myself by watching the Sweden v. Serbia friendly, their last before the Euros. As I'm not familiar with my newly-supported national team, I have no idea if they're playing above or below par. However, their capitalization on the slippery hands of the Serbian keeper Stojkovic impressed me, as did their creativity in passing. What I'm not liking about the Swedes' strategy is their press-style. Their playing scheme, in pressing, is just like my fan-style: When their forwards go forward, they go forward, and they stay there, even on the defense. Not my cup of tea. Honestly, as a preference, I would rather see a more defensive, ball-control style like Spain plays, with their typical (think South Africa 2010) one goal victories, constantly probing, controlling, and setting the tempo. But, I'm sure the Sweden Manager knows much more about the sport than I do, so I will leave my preferences buried somewhere under the expertise of the professional. 

     It is currently half-time of this affair between Sweden and Serbia, and I've been fairly impressed with both sides. Sweden's keeper (I'll eventually learn his name) has made some fantastic stops, despite letting one in at 27 minutes. I expect a second half in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic shows more on the attack, and Sweden will hopefully come away with a 3-1 confidence booster over the Serbs. If not, then all I can do as a fan is hang in their for Group D next week, and analyze my new team's playing style. 

(l-r) England, France, Sweden, and Ukraine square-off in Group D.

     Since I mentioned Group D, here is my *amateur analysis: England is overrated, they always have been. And with three potential starters gone with injury, in addition to the loss of Wayne Rooney for the first two games, England is lacking in the extreme. Let's face it, they will be lucky to clear the Group Stage. 

     Believe it or not, sports fans, I believe that France has mostly recovered from the debacle of South Africa, and look for them to advance out of a moderately challenging Group D. They are, in my opinion, going to lead the way out of their Group.

     The love I have for the Swedes may not earn them first place in the Group, but I think that with some hard work, perseverance, and a good showing against England, they will edge out second place, advancing to knockouts. 

     I know little to nothing about co-hosts Ukraine. I've never seen them play, and they are entirely foreign to me. They seem to be a balanced team, and have a chance at beating England, and will most likely draw or beat Sweden close. Group D order: France (advancing), Sweden (advancing), England, and Ukraine. England and Ukraine will tie in points, but Goal Difference will put the English ahead.

Norway v. Croatia, and Preparations for Euro 2012

Good day to you Blogosphere,

After another consecutive night of sleeping 3-to-noon, I was sweetly awakened by a phone call from my lovely fiancee, telling me to get the heck out of bed. My plan (still just a plan) is to fix this stupid sleep schedule, but I am having some trouble doing so. Whether I change my schedule or not, this afternoon has been a good one so far.

Rolling out of bed, the first electrons fired in my brain said: "Soccer?". So after a hasty search of ESPN3, I found the Norway-Croatia Friendly. I haven't watched an International game since the last World Cup, and things have not-at-all-changed. My initial impression was: "Man, these guys must be playing on ice-skates, because the slightest knock and they're down". Here in the 37th minute, things have gotten better, although I don't particularly favor either of these two teams. If I had to pick one, I guess I would prefer a Norwegian win, because of their proximity to Sweden.

So far, the game has been uninspiring. In reference to the upcoming Euro Cup, it is understandable that Norway will not be participating; They shouldn't really be a contender among European teams. Croatia, on the other hand, will be present in Poland/Ukraine later this month, contending in Group C alongside Ireland, Italy, and current World Champions Spain. If Croatia hopes to advance out of the group stage, they will need to play a much more precise and disciplined game to overcome the Italians and Spanish.
As a part of me getting psyched-up for Euro 2012, I have realized that this will be my first international sporting event after being called to Sweden. So for the first time (hopefully of many), I will find myself supporting Sweden wholeheartedly. I don't know how this will go for them, but I am excited to be cheering them on for the first time. They will be in a grueling Group D, alongside England, France, and co-Hosts Ukraine, and I cannot comment on how hard/easy it will be because I've never seen them play a game. Failing an online-stream of their games, I will be going to the local imitation-English Pub (thankfully run by a legitimate Brit), where I will no doubt be a spec of blue and yellow in the middle of a crowd of red and white, at least for the England game. Concluding statement of the blog, minus strange-vowels: Jag Alska min Sverige!

Oh, and in the half-time montage for Norway-Croatia, they are playing the theme from the Chronicles of Narnia... Remixed?