EURO CUP 2008 Austria-Switzerland - SPAIN WINS SECOND TITLE!

UEFA EUROPEAN CUP 2008 FINALS
JUNE 29, 2008 - VIENNA, AUSTRIA
GERMANY 0 - SPAIN 1

FERNANDO TORRES 33′
CAUTIONS: BALLACK 43′ CASILLAS 43′
FERNANDO TORRES 74′ KURÁNYI 88′

This match definitely favours Spain above everything else as they made shots several times more than Germany and even more are on target with only one shot passing behind the 38 year old German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who is still a great player despite his age. That goal came in from Fernando Torres who was always running past the German defense when the ball is being passed forward. Torres had several chances to score before and after the 33rd minute. Marcos Senna definitely missed a great chance for a second goal at the 2nd period.

Unfortunately, this match overall could be explained in simple terms. Spain was attacking a lot more and Germany could not take control for the rest of the match despite having a great start in the first half.

But what mattered the most was that it was a goal that separated the two teams. In the end, Michael Ballack had to suffer another runner-up title and Iker Casillas became the first goalkeeper/captain to raise the silver trophy - the silverwork which the “La Roja” have been waiting for in 44 years (last one was in 1964).

The tournament definitely have brought a lot of great memories. Turkey was the most entertaining team to watch as they go through the Euro Cup like a fairy tale until their defeat in the semi-finals by Germany. The Netherlands definitely put a great show by defeating the World Cup finalists Italy and France in the group stages. The young Russians was also a surprise to end up in the semi-finals only being beaten convincingly by champions Spain. Croatia definitely can be applauded with the upset they made against Germany in the group stages.

With great memories, there are also sad ones such as the defending champions Greece making an early exit after losing all their three matches in the group stages. Portugal also could be favourites to be in the final yet it couldn’t happen as they were beaten by Germany. Italy without their defense man and World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro could not achieve what France did in 2000 which is winning the Euro Cup two years after winning the World Cup in 1998 as they end their campaign with a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss from Spain.

Well, this ends my reflections on the Euro Cup 2008. See you in the Confederations Cup 2009 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa!

SPAIN
UEFA EUROPEAN CUP 2008 CHAMPIONS

Euro Cup 2008 - Semi-final: Russia vs. Spain; EURO CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL MATCH!

Russia 0 - Spain 3
Euro Cup Semi Final Match
Vienna, Austria
June 26, 2008

Xavi Hernández 50′ Güiza 73′ Silva 82′
Cautions: Zhirkov 56′ Bilyaletdinov 60′

This was an amazing match despite the large margin at the end of the two halves. Russia and coach Guus Hiddink were able to get this far and for sure their fans do see something a lot more interesting with their performance in their future tournament campaigns, especially the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

But the great tactics of Luis Aragonés and the ‘La Roja’ proved themselves the second time that they are the better side. Spain beat Russia 4-1 in the group stages which created a hat trick and the top goal scorer David Villa who still is on the top with 4 goals after scoring one more goal against Sweden. The Spanish team were much better in defense and they were able to make tons and tons of chances to which three important shots were converted into goals by Xavi Hernández, Dani Güiza, and David Silva in the second half.

Nothing much to say, but at this time, I might consider getting a hold of some football kits from the sports store. The jersey I would definitely buy would be the Turkish one for how much I wish for them to get to the final and actually win the cup. Fatih Terim definitely made no excuse in the semi-final match which were their farewell in the Euro Cup 2008; he played 11 players in the pitch and he knew the spirit was always there whether they win or lose.

UEFA EUROPEAN CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Germany vs. Spain
June 29, 2008, Sunday
Vienna, Austria

Euro Cup 2008 - Semi Final: Germany vs. Turkey

Germany 3 - Turkey 2
Euro Cup Semi-Final
Basel, Switzerland
June 25, 2008

Boral 22′ Schweinsteiger 26′ Klose 79′ Semih 86′ Lahm 90′
Caution: Semih 53′

Well fought by the “never-say-die” team Turkey but the match was to be for the favourites after Lahm’s goal at the end of the match. Uğur Boral scored the first goal at the 22nd minute giving Turkey the advantage and the proof that they can face the powerhouse German team. Bastian Schweinsteiger cancels the lead as he scores 4 minutes later from a situation comparable to their first goal against Portugal in the quarterfinals where Lukas Podolski makes a cross from the left side ending up on Schweinsteiger’s foot which landed behind Turkey goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber.

The rest of the match couldn’t be seen on the television screens. Basel was hit by a power failure at the time when the two later goals was scored. It was Philipp Lahm in the end who made a smart move to break through the defense and score at the strike of 90 minutes.

This match may have been a disappointing one by Turkey who was playing their best football despite their player crisis with injuries and suspensions but it does show that they still deserve to be called the “Comeback Kings” throughout their tournament and they will even do much better as the World Cup Qualification in UEFA is looming in 3 months time.

Best of luck in the World Cup for Turkey! But for the meantime, Germany have done a great job to go all the way to the finals against the winner of the second semi-final match between Spain and Russia.

Euro Cup 2008 - Quarterfinal Matches; Semi-finalists

Quarterfinals

June 19, 2008 - Basel, Switzerland
Portugal 2 - Germany 3
Schweinsteiger 22′ Klose 26′ Nuno Gomes 40′ Ballack 61′ Postiga 87′
Cautions: Petit 26′ Friedrich 48′ Lahm 49′ Pepe 60′ Postiga 90′

This could be the most competitive match of the quarterfinals. The only difference would be the height of the Portuguese defense that was too weak to handle the two German goals that was made through set pieces that Bastian Schweinsteiger took advantage of. From the left side of the goal, Schweinsteiger was able to handle the free kick two times which in turn led to goals by Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack.

From a one game suspension after being given a straight red card in their match against Croatia, Schweinsteiger was heated up on this game against Portugal. He played well with the football, scored the first goal and made 2 assists enough to make his team move on to the semifinals and himself deserving of the man of the match.

Portugal has to be given some credit as well. Their attacks were able to end up with tons of chances of goals for Portugal. Unfortunately, only two goals was created on those chances and it was short of one goal to extend the match for another 30 minutes or two goals to win the whole game. Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Pepe, Nuno Gomes, etc.; all of them were able to play competitively. Hopefully they can do much better two years from now in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

June 20, 2008 - Vienna, Austria
Croatia 1 - Turkey 1 (a.e.t.)
Klasnić 119′ Semih 120+2′

Penalty Shootout:
Croatia - Modrić X Srna O Rakitić X Petrić X
Turkey - Arda O Semih O Hamit Altintop O
(Turkey wins on Penalties 3-1)

Cautions: Tuncay 27′ Arda 49′ Uğur 89′ Emre Aşık 107′
Notes: Tuncay, Arda and Emre Aşık will miss the Semi-finals

Another upset by Turkey as they were able to create another miracle against first-time favourites Croatia. Semih Senturk definitely was the hero of the match after scoring a late goal on 2nd half extended time which undid the goal by Ivan Klasnić a minute before the full 120 minutes.

Rüştü Reçber also became a hero after he stopped the penalty shot by Mladen Petrić on the penalty kicks.

Although it became a horrible experience for the Croatians, the Turks were facing a lot of problems on their side into the semi-finals. Turkey Coach Fatih Terim is going to prepare for the next match against Germany with a player crisis. Turkey is down to 14 players able to play in the semi finals due to suspensions on Tuncay Şanlı, Arda Turan, Emre Aşık (all accumulated 2 yellow cards after their match against Croatia) and Volkan Demirel (2 game ban after getting a straight red card in their match against Czech Republic and sitting on the bench after the booking); as well as 4 players injured in their campaign: Emre Güngör (calf) , Servet Çetin (hip and knee), Tümer Metin (groin), Emre Belözoğlu (hamstring) and recently Nihat Kahveci (scored 2 goals in the tournament who had a thigh injury in their match against Croatia in the quarterfinals).

Wishing the Turks all the best in the semis.

June 21, 2008 - Basel, Switzerland
Netherlands 1 - Russia 3 (a.e.t.)
Pavlyuchenko 56′ van Nistelrooy 86′ Torbinski 112′ Arshavin 116′
Cautions: Boulahrouz 50′ van Persie 55′ van der Vaart 60′
Kolodin 71′ Zhirkov 103′ Torbinski 111′

This match convincingly made the Russians as one of the favourites in the finals as they upset the Dutch team who have defeated both Italy and France - World Cup finalists - in the group stages. The presence of both Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin were a boost to the team and the tactics of Russia’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink was able to find a way to beat the Team Oranje and his fellow Dutch coach Marco van Basten. Hiddink could be named as the traitor of the team but he has to do his job I guess and he proved to the Russians that he is guiding Russia towards glory.

Although Ruud van Nistelrooy was able to find a goal from a header near the end of the normal 90 minutes, the Netherlands were not able to find a way towards a comeback against the Russians at extra time. To many of the neutrals, the Dutch team may have been labeled again as an underachiever in this tournament. Wesley Sneijder was able to find ways to drive in long shots to goal, but it could not find the back of the net and Russia’s Igor Akinfeev at that time was playing the best goalkeeping job ever in the tournament.

June 22, 2008 - Vienna, Austria
Spain 0 - Italy 0 (a.e.t.)

Penalty Shootout:
Spain - Villa O Cazorla O Senna O Güiza X Cesc Fàbregas O
Italy - Grosso O De Rossi X Camoranesi O Di Natale X
(Spain wins on Penalties 4-2)

Cautions: Iniesta 11′ Ambrosini 31′ David Villa 72′ Cazorla 113′

The Italians definitely were deadly with Luca Toni up front. But the Spanish attackers were much better on creating good chances. None of the two goalkeepers: Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon, who are captains of both teams, gave up anything in this match. The best chances I saw would be from Gianluca Zambrotta and Mauro Camoranesi for Italy; David Villa and Marcos Senna for Spain - I might have missed other good chances that were much better than the chances that the players I mentioned made. But what mattered was that the final score was even after 120 minutes and Spain have made a point that they won’t be labeled as underachievers just like the Dutch through making that big step to win the penalties.

The Italians had a great chance to win back-to-back a World Cup and a Euro Cup like France did in World Cup ‘98 and Euro Cup 2000 but failed by losing against Spain.

Legend: Goals Advances to Semi Finals
Penalty Shots - O Scored X Missed

SEMIFINALS

Germany vs. Turkey
June 25, 2008 - Basel, Switzerland

Russia vs. Spain
June 26, 2008 - Vienna, Austria

Euro Cup 2008 - Round 3: Group C & D; Quarterfinal Matches

Round 3

June 17 Matches:

(Bern) Netherlands 2 - Romania 0
Huntelaar 52′ van Persie 87′
Caution: Chivu 78′

Romania was hoping for a win against the Dutch who have clinched their place in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately that was not the case and they lost by two goals giving the Netherlands all 9 points of the group stages. Nice sneaking ball to Huntelaar which he laid on the net 1-0. van Persie also made a great goal at 87′. Very disciplined match for the Dutch but this match puts Romania out of the tournament.

(Zürich) France 0 - Italy 2
Pirlo 26′ (pen) De Rossi 62′
Cautions: Evra 18′ Pirlo 44′ Chiellini 45+4′ Gattuso 54′
Boumsong 72′ Henry 85′ Sent off: Abidal 24′

When Italy and France got their nightmares from the Netherlands losing 3-0 and 4-1 respectively, France had it worse as they lost their key player Franck Ribery who was injured at the 10th minute. Much worse was Éric Abidal’s foul on Luca Toni in the penalty box which was clearly an attempt to prevent a goal opportunity that can be scored - this led to Abidal picking up a red card before the midpoint of the 1st half. Italy became stronger after Andrea Pirlo’s penalty kick was scored against Grégory Coupet as they are at a one man advantage. De Rossi came up with the second goal when his free kick was deflected by Thierry Henry. Though France had numerous chances, the Italian defense was just too much to handle. Italy will face Spain in the Quarterfinals.

Group C Standings: (W-L-D) [+/-] pts

1. Netherlands (3-0-0) [+8] 9pts
2. Italy (1-1-1) [-1] 4pts
3. Romania (0-2-1) [-2] 2pts
4. France (0-1-2) [-5] 1pt

June 18 Matches:

(Innsbruck) Russia 2 - Sweden 0
Pavlyuchenko 24′ Arshavin 50′
Cautions: Isaksson 10′ Elmander 49′ Semak 57′ Arshavin 65′ Kolodin 76′

Sweden and Russia were both the favourites to win this match but a draw would bring Sweden in the quarterfinals. Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sweden’s key player, played all throughout the 90 minutes of the match contrary to his two other matches where he left at the 2nd half due to his bothering knee injury. Unfortunately, the Swedes were faced by a young, energetic and quick Russian side which led to two very important goals by Roman Pavlyuchenko who scored the only goal of their match against Greece and Andrei Arshavin who was playing for the very first time in the squad after serving a two-match ban which he picked up on the preliminary stages of this tournament. It’s a very nice match for the Russians to savour as they move on to the quarterfinals led by their coach Guus Hiddink who might have to support his team over his nation of origin (The Netherlands) whom the Russians are going to play in the Quarterfinals.

(Salzburg) Greece 1 - Spain 2
Charisteas 42′ de la Red 61′ Güiza 88′
Cautions: Karagounis 34′ Güiza 41′ Arbeola 45′ Basinas 72′ Vyntra 90+1′

Greece at least had a goal in the tournament with Angelos Charisteas. Unfortunately, 4 years after their Euro Cup triumph, the defending champions Greece ended up with a winless campaign in this year’s tournament facing losses against Sweden, Russia and now Spain, and registering only one goal.

Spain on the other hand has clinched their place in the quarterfinals and they have achieved scoring 8 goals second to the Netherlands’ 9 goals in the tournament so far (4-1 vs. Russia, 2-1 vs. Sweden, 2-1 vs. Greece). The “La Furia Rojas” will face Italy first in the knock out stages.

Group D Standings: (W-L-D) [+/-] pts

1. Spain (3-0-0) [+5] 9pts
2. Russia (2-1-0) [0] 6pts
3. Sweden (1-2-0) [-1] 3pts
4. Greece (0-3-0) [-4] 0pts

Legend: Goals Sent-off Advances to the Quarter Finals

Well, I’m gonna miss the 8 countries who have fought hard yet weren’t able to move on. Co-hosts Switzerland - with Alexander Frei who was injured ending his campaign was uplifted by Hakan Yakin who made 3 goals and a win for them later on - wasn’t enough for them to move on but enough to make the co-hosts leave the tournament with a smile. Petr Čech, one of the best goalkeepers, together with the Czech Republic sadly had to leave early after losing amazingly from Turkey. Co-hosts Austria was strong yet unable to find a win. Poland with Artur Boruc’s amazing goalkeeping skills weren’t good enough for chances that can make the Poles move through the quarterfinals in their campaign. Romania with Mutu and Chivu only had to win against the Dutch to move on and so were Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery and the stars of the French team. And today, the Swedish team had to face elimination from the energy-driven Russian team while Greece, the defending champions, had to go home without winning any match; But I sure hope that they can still prove to be a strong team in their campaign for the 2010 World Cup.

A couple of bad news for some teams coming in the quarterfinals. Turkey’s goalkeeper Volkan Demirel will be serving a 2-match ban for his red card and for sitting on the bench after receiving his booking. Turkey will also miss Mehmet Aurelio after he picked up two yellow cards before the team moved on from the group stages - well a lot of important Turkey players have a yellow card which meant that they must play disciplined football on their match against Croatia. Germany has a lot of injuries bothering them for their next match against Portugal. Joachim Löw is also suspended for one match after the incident between him, Austrian Coach Josef Hickersberger and an official on the sidelines made the referee send them off from the dugout and watch the rest of the match in the stands. Italy will miss Andrea Pirlo and Genaro Gattuso on their quarterfinal match against Spain who had a great performance in the group stages. There may be others that I don’t know about but these are the significant ones which might affect the next four matches.

QUARTER FINAL MATCHES:

The Netherlands vs. Russia
(Basel, Switzerland June 21, 2008)

Spain vs. Italy
(Vienna, Austria June 22, 2008)

Euro Cup 2008 - Round 3: Group A & B; Quarterfinal Matches

Round 3

June 15 Matches:

(Basel) Switzerland 2 - Portugal 0
Hakan Yakin 71′ 83′ (pen)
Cautions: Hakan Yakin 27′ Ferreira 30′ Vonlanthen 37′ Ribeiro 64′
Meira 78′ Barnetta 81′ MIguel 81′ Fernandes 90+2′

This match is more like a relaxing day for the Portuguese team after their two wins against Turkey and Czech Republic. For the Swiss, this match would hopefully make them a lot more optimistic in the future of Swiss football as this becomes their last match in the tournament after losing from the Czechs in their opening match and was surprised by Turkey in their second match who scored two goals coming back from a 1-0 deficit against the host nation.

Late in the 2nd half, up against a Portuguese team without their stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Nuno Gomes, Switzerland was able to take advantage by scoring two goals. One was cleverly scored by Hakan Yakin after receiving a pass in an onside position right in front of Portuguese keeper Ricardo. Later on, Yakin scored a penalty kick when Paulo Ferreira fouled Tranquillo Barnetta in the penalty area. It was a game that gave the Swiss smiles on their early exit, restored pride by their fans, and a memorable day for their coach Köbi Kuhn stepping down as the national team’s coach after their Euro Cup campaign and goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler who will retire from International Football.

As for Portugal, they are clinched at first after this match and will face the 2nd place finisher at group B.

(Geneva) Turkey 3 - Czech Republic 2
Koller 34′ Plašil 62′ Arda 75′ Nihat 87′ 89′
Cautions: Mehmet Topal 6′ Mehmet Aurélio 10′ Arda 64′ Emre Aşık 73′
Galásek80′ Ujfaluši 90+4′ Baroš 90+5′ Sent off: Volkan 90+2′

This was the most explosive match in the tournament. When the Czechs have almost booked their place in the Quarterfinal leading 2-0 over the Turks after 62 minutes, Arda scored at the 75th and the mistake by Petr Čech was taken advantage of by Nihat Kahveci to tie the game and potentially lead the match into a penalty shootout to attain 2nd place in the group. Unfortunately that was not the case when Nihat scored again 2 minutes later - an amazing comeback for Turkey bringing the Czechs into their nightmares. Of all goalkeepers in the world, Petr Čech - who plays for Chelsea FC and recently were runners up in the UEFA Champions League - was defeated in this very important competition representing his country.

This match had tons of bookings, including a booking against Czech player Milan Baroš who was not even playing in the field at that time.

These bookings put Turkey on the quarterfinals unfortunately without some key players: Mehmet Aurélio who was given a second yellow card (first card issued in their match against Switzerland) resulting to a one-match suspension. The 2nd important player Turkey won’t be able to use in their next match is their goalkeeper Volkan Demirel who will be suspended and penalised a bit heavily after being given a straight red card for pushing Koller to the ground two minutes after the regular 90 minutes at the 2nd half.

Volkan’s dismissal reminded me of the World Cup Under-20s here in Canada when Uruguayan goalkeeper Mauro Goicoichea was given a straight red card for preventing Emmanuel Mayuka of Zimbabwe from scoring a goal by hauling him down. Uruguay was down to 10 men and a player in the field had to be replaced by a new goal keeper.

The Turks in this case were out of luck because they’ve used up all their substitutions (limit is up to 3) as they lost Volkan through the red card near the end of the match. Rules say that if that is the case, then someone from the field playing will have to take his place. Next thing I knew, Volkan gave his gloves and shirt to Tuncay Şanlı - a striker from midfield. Tuncay wore Volkan’s shirt inversely so that the number won’t be seen and that the goalkeeper’s colours can be noticed by his teammates.

Great job for the Turks on this tournament! Arda Turan have brought the team to comeback against Switzerland, and Nihat Kahveci the captain brought back the Turks to book their place in the quarterfinals.

With the experience of comebacks two straight times in the rain, losing a keeper to be replaced by someone playing in the field, and lots of bookings before their match in the quarterfinal, I think that the campaign of Turkey was the most interesting and the most dramatic of this tournament. They had that really great team spirit and their coach Fatih Terim definitely have motivated their team to do so. With this I do hope that Turkey can go further to the semi-finals - it’d be a delight for them to face Portugal again.

Group A Standings: (W-L-D) [+/-] pts

1. Portugal (2-1-0) [+2] 6pts
2. Turkey (2-1-0) [0] 6pts
3. Czech Republic (1-2-0) [-2] 3pts
4. Switzerland (1-2-0) [0] 3pts

June 16 Matches:

(Klagenfurt) Poland 0 - Croatia 1
Klasnić 53′
Cautions: Lewandowski 38′ Vejić 45′ Zahorski 84′ Vukojević 85′

Only one goal for this match and this gave Croatia all 9 points in the group stages booking their place in the quarterfinals against Turkey. Poland was hoping to win and score a lot of goals in this match but they also relied on Austria’s win against Germany to ensure that they can move on to the quarterfinals which did not happen.

But there’s only one thing that Poland really have to be proud about and that is Artur Boruc. Through his involvement with his country’s campaign in the Euro Cup, he was able to save a lot of chances by his opponents. It was just unfortunate that his performance was not enough for his team. The Poles lost to Germany 2-0 and tie with Austria 1-1. Roger Guerreiro, their Brazilian-born naturalised Pole as well as Jacek Krzynówek and Ebi Smolarek for sure have given the Poles tons of shots but only one went in and that was from Guerreiro in their match against Austria which in the end was levelled after a penalty kick was awarded to Austrian Midfielder Ivica Vastić.

Leo Beenhakker, Poland’s coach definitely wanted his team to get good results. I think he is a good coach and Poland definitely have that team spirit. Unfortunately those weren’t converted into wins. But from the day I saw in the papers of his appointment to manage the Polish national team, he always reminded me of the World Cup 2006 when he became the coach for Trinidad & Tobago and I thought that he can lift up the spirits of the Poles to do well in their games, and I have to say that they did and that they definitely can improve it in the future.

(Vienna) Austria 0 - Germany 1
Ballack 49′
Cautions: Stranzl 13′ Hoffer 31′ Ivanschitz 48′
*Sent-off: Hickersberger 41′ Löw 41

Michael Ballack definitely showed why he is among the best players in Germany with his powerful free-kick that Austrian keeper Jürgen Macho couldn’t even chase down. The Austrians definitely showed a great effort including a clearance by György Garics that prevented an early goal by Mario Goméz who bounced the ball high after receiving a pass from Miroslav Klose. Austria performed well throughout but lost their steam in the end giving a lot of chances to Germany.

Bringing with them a disappointing loss from Croatia, the Germans definitely have to show better performances in their future games since they were the favourites in the beginning of the tournament.

* In the 41st minute, the two coaches of Germany and Austria were expelled from the dugout after having a few words with the 4th official and sent down to the stands. Joachim Löw sat down beside Bastian Schweinsteiger who was given a straight red card near the end of their match against Croatia and close to the German chancellor Angela Merkel who was watching the match at the time together with Austrian president Heinz Fischer.

I’ve seen another incident in the Italian Lega Calcio Serie A with a coach - couldn’t remember the name of the coach or the team where he was involved with - who was asked by the referee to leave the stadium for leaving his technical area several times from the dugout. Interestingly, he still does his job as the coach by calling someone who is actively managing the team in the dugout with his cellphone from the stands.

Group B Standings: (W-L-D) [+/-] pts

1. Croatia (3-0-0) [+3] 9pts
2. Germany (2-1-0) [+2] 6pts
3. Austria (0-2-1) [-2] 1pt
4. Poland (0-2-1) [-3] 1pt

There’s always something interesting to see in professional football. I think I’ve seen a lot of them here in the Euro Cup as well. From great goalkeepers failing to keep his team from losing to red cards which put a turn in matches, to a goalkeeper who was sent-off after picking up a red card and being replaced by someone in the field, to historic games of upsets and surprises, to amazing talents and spectacular goals, what else can I ask for?

So far, Switzerland (1-2-0 = 3pts), Greece (0-2-0 = 0pts), Czech Republic (1-2-0 = 3pts), Poland (0-2-1 = 1pt) and Austria (0-2-1 = 1pt) are out of the tournament.

Legend: Goals Sent-off/Red Card Advances to the Quarter Finals

~~~

QUARTER FINAL MATCHES

After the Group A & B Matches,
the following berths for the quarterfinals have been decided.
The winner of Group A will face the #2 of Group B.
The winner of Group B will face the #2 of Group A.

Portugal vs. Germany
(Basel, Switzerland June 19, 2008)

Croatia vs. Turkey
(Vienna, Austria June 20, 2008)

Euro Cup 2008 - Round 2

Round 2

June 11 Matches:

(Geneva) Czech Republic 1 - Portugal 3
Deco 8′ Sionko 17′ Cristiano Ronaldo 63′ Quaresma 90+1′
Cautions: Polak 22′ Bosingwa 31′

Although the Czechs were able to score an equalising goal before half-time, Portugal seemed to be the stronger as Cristiano Ronaldo at last put out a show with one goal and have been involved with the goals of Deco and Quaresma. Portugal moves on after winning this match.

(Basel) Switzerland 1 - Turkey 2
Hakan Yakin 32′ Semih 57′ Arda 90+2′
Cautions: Tuncay 31′ Mehmet Aurelio 41′ Hakan Balta 48′ Derdiyok 55′

It was a dramatic match in Basel as the match between Turkey (who was looking for a win after a loss from Portugal in Round 1) and hosts Switzerland took place on a rainy evening. As the turf was drenched and puddles were starting to appear most especially in front of the goal lines, the players were having a hard time in controlling the ball. The first goal came in from Hakan Yakin after receiving a pass which stopped on a puddle in face of the goal. At the 2nd half, the Turks were able to answer back with very textbook performances by Semih who converted a header into a goal and Arda who skillfully put the ball from the penalty line at the left side at injury time.

This was the very first heartbreaker as Switzerland becomes the first country to be eliminated in these European Championships. The Turks however was lifted by the win which made them a lot more optimistic in their match against the Czech Republic.

June 12 Matches:

(Klagenfurt) Croatia 2 - Germany 1
Srna 24′ Olić 62′ Podolski 79′
Cautions: Srna 27′ Šimunić 45+1′ Ballack 75′ Leko 90+2′
Lehmann 90+2′ Modrić 90+3′ Sent off: Schweinsteiger 90+2′

This was one of the most explosive matches of Round 2 as Croatia wins against Germany who was falling apart in this match and further took the blow after Schweinsteiger was given a red card late in the game for roughing a Croatian forward which was more likely a sign of frustration. Srna scored first when he answered a cross from behind. The second came in for Olić when another cross hit the post and with Lehmann - the German keeper - failing to hold the ball, Olić who had no defender after him put in a simple tap to the ball into the net and it was 2-0 Croatia. Podolski answered back at 79′ making it his 3rd goal of the tournament. Unfortunately, that was the last goal for the Germans ending on a historic win for the Croatians.

(Vienna) Austria 1 - Poland 1
Guerreiro 30′ Vastić 90+3′ (pen)
Cautions: Kormaz 56′ Wasilewski 58′ Krzynówek 61′ Prödl 72′ Bąk 90+3′

This was an upsetting game for Poland after their convincing loss from Germany in Round 1. Hosts Austria was obviously the stronger team yet the Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc was able to ruin their chances several time which is supposed to motivate the rest of the team in attacking fiercely. It was at last granted when Guerreiro scored at the 30th minute after tapping in a cross from the right side. To their shock, Austria was given a penalty kick and rather than becoming optimistic for their next match against Croatia, Poland in the end shared their points with Austria. It’s a situation that could bring the Poles into elimination most especially if Germany beats Austria in Round 3.

June 13 Matches:

(Zürich) Italy 1 - Romania 1
Mutu 55′ Panucci 56′
Cautions: Mutu 43′ Chivu 58′ Pirlo 61′ Goian 73′ De Rossi 90+2′

This match definitely have explained a bit Italy’s condition in this tournament. They placed in Alessandro del Piero in the starting lineups hoping to have someone influential up front but it didn’t work out. Romania on the other hand was fighting fiercely in the match with unfortunate shortcomings - Rădoi was injured after a collision with Raţ, Mutu and Chivu booked and Rădoi was injured and Gianluigi Buffon was able to stop a penalty shot from Mutu which kept the scores level in the second half. Interesting to see Italy answer quickly to Mutu’s goal for Romania. Panucci made the quick response keeping the Azurri alive in the competition.

(Bern) Netherlands 4 - France 1
Kuyt 9′ van Persie 59′ Henry 71′ Robben 72′ Sneijder 90+2′
Cautions: Makélélé 32′ Ooijer 51′ Toulalan 82′

By the looks of it, the Dutch seemed to be the favourites to win these Championships. All of the goals scored by the Dutch were amazing. Even the goal by Thierry Henry for the French was spectacular that the French might actually have the chance to get back on the game and tie it 22 after the 71st minute. Robben however - just like Panucci for Italy - answered back with a goal from a difficult angle and Sneijder stamped their place in the Quarter Final after scoring at 2nd half injury time.

This was among the best matches in the tournament and the Netherlands definitely have proved themselves of their strength through their campaign in this tournament - led by former Dutch star Marco van Basten - beating the World Cup finalists Italy (3-0) and this time France (4-1). Will they continue to perform well in the next couple of matches and eventually win the Euro Cup?

Group C have been called the “Group of Death” because of three strong teams along with Romania. But as the 2 rounds have finished, Italy and France are both on the brink of elimination if Romania wins against the Netherlands. We will follow the last matches of the knock-out stages for this group on June 17.

June 14 Matches:

(Innsbruck) Sweden 1 - Spain 2
Fernando Torres 15′ Ibrahimović 34′ David Villa 90+2′
Cautions: Marchena 53′ Svensson 55′

Believe it or not, Sweden and Spain might be contenders for the fair play award. None of the players from either teams were booked in their first matches (Spain vs. Russia, Sweden vs. Greece) and this match could be as close as their first matches with only one player picking up a yellow card from each team - Marchena for Spain & Svensson for Sweden.

Ibrahimović could be a key player for Sweden if only his injury didn’t bother him at all. He after all scored the equalising goal against Spain. But the man of the match and the player with the most goals of the tournament David Villa was able to score the winner at injury time taking the three points and booking themselves in the quarter finals. Sweden will face Russia in the next round.

(Salzburg) Greece 0 - Russia 1
Zyrianov 33′
Cautions: Karagounis 42′ Liberopoulos 58′ Saenko 77′ Torbinsky 84′

There was a goal for the Greeks that was not allowed by the referee due to offside. I’m pretty sure that could be debated in the days to come. However, the miscalculation of the goalkeeper Nikopolidis was converted by Zyrianov into a goal on an empty net for the Russians.

This was the second heartbreaker in the tournament. But for the defending champions Greece, they were the only team who haven’t registered a goal yet and much worse was that their reign has ended after that match. So I guess it’s all in the air who will win the Euro Cup. It actually reminded me of France who won the World Cup in 1998 as the host nation and were eliminated in the group stage on the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan which eventually was won by Brazil who convincingly beat Germany 2-0. Football is just an amazing thing y’know?

Euro Cup 2008 - Group C & D Matches

GROUP C

France, Romania, The Netherlands, Italy

GROUP D

Spain, Russia, Greece, Sweden

Round 1

June 9 Matches:

(1800CET - Zürich) France 0 - Romania 0
Cautions: Niculae 27′ Contra 40′ Goian 43′ Sagnol 51′

(2045CET - Bern) Netherlands 3 - Italy 0
van Nistelrooy 26′ Sneijder 31′ van Bronckhorst 79′,
Cautions: Toni 27′ Zambrotta 35′ Gatusso 51′ de Jong 58′

The French team definitely have changed drastically since Zidane left. They weren’t as strong as before. In this particular match, coach Raymond Domenech didn’t include Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry in the starting lineups, dunno what that meant. There were a few incidents where we can say became worth seeing from Anelka, Malouda and Benzema’s chances for France to the ones Mutu, Chivu and Niculae had for Romania. In the end, it was a goalless draw upsetting the French yet for the Romanians, it meant something big.

Italy on the other hand was not in the best shape for the tournament as they were when they lifted the World Cup two years ago in Germany. Their captain Fabio Cannavaro was injured yet came along the team as their moral boost; their keeper Gianluigi Buffon who was also in the Winning Squad of 2006 instead took the responsibility for these Euro Championships.

It was tough luck though for the Italians as they had tons of chances through Luca Toni, Alessandro del Piero, Andrea Pirlo and others that end up wide, wasted or blocked by Dutch keeper Edwin van der Saar who was successful in winning the UEFA Champions Cup with Manchester United and has become one of the best goalkeepers around. Sportscasters commented, “It’s just one of those nights (for Italy)” and I agree. The first goal came from Ruud van Nistelroy who seemed to be at an offside position on the first half. Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst scored the next two goals in the most convincing way possible to secure their three points in Holland’s first win against Italy in 30 years.

June 10 Matches: I wasn’t able to watch these games all throughout so I can only have little impressions on each game.

(1800CET - Innsbruck) Spain 4 - Russia 1
Villa 20′ 44′ 75′ Pavlyuchenko 86′ Cesc Fabregas 90′+1, no bookings

(2045CET - Salzburg) Greece 0 - Sweden 2
Ibrahimović 67′ Hansson 72′, Cautions: Charisteas 1′ Seitaridis 51′ Torosidis 61′

I thought that Spain really wanted the game and really began their campaign in a very optimistic way. David Villa was able to achieve the very first hat trick of the tournament with Cesc Fabregas finishing it with a 4th goal in response to Roman Pavlyuchenko’s goal for the Russians in 2nd half injury time.

I didn’t watch too much of the Greece - Sweden match but I have to say that the defending champions Greece seemed to be out of luck. Zlatan Ibrahimović scored out of nowhere to lead the team in the match. It was the goal that I wanted. The second goal for Sweden by Petter Hansson was also insane yet it was a mistake by the Greeks that led to it going behind the keeper. Greece needed to get back with a win next game. I only hope this is not the last we see of the defending champs.

~

The last 8 teams might be shaping up a bit for some people, but I will continue to follow the happenings in the tournament. In the next few days, I’m going to be busy and I won’t be able to watch every game at the next couple of matches before the quarter finals. That might affect my blogs as well. I hope no one would feel upset with my posts.

You can always check the happenings in detail at UEFA.com or FIFA.com.

Cheers!

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Legend: Goals Sent-off

Euro Cup 2008: Group A & B Matches

GROUP A

Switzerland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Turkey

GROUP B

Austria, Croatia, Germany, Poland

Round 1

June 7 Matches:

(1800CET - Basel) Switzerland 0 - Czech Republic 1
Svěrkoš 71′, Cautions: Magnin 59′ Barnetta 90′+3 Vonlanthen 76′

(2045CET - Geneva) Portugal 2 - Turkey 0
Pepe 61′ Raul Meireles 90′+3, Cautions: Kazim 4′ Zan 51′ Sarıoğlu 73′

I thought that none of these teams were in any way weak. For one thing, none of the 16 teams qualified for this tournament are minnows or underdogs. Switzerland was unfortunate to lose their match against the Czechs in their home at Basel. The goal was produced at the second half by then newly substituted player Václav Svěrkoš which became the very first goal of the tournament. The Swiss never gave up and they had tons of chances that were close. There were two controversial incidents in the game when handballs were committed by a Czech player in their penalty area which could have resulted to a penalty kick yet the referee denied it. Overall, I don’t think the Swiss need to worry since they did have good defense and they made a lot more chances than we’d ever think. Also, I do hope that their captain Alexander Frei, who was injured in the first half of the match will be okay on the next match yet it’s questionable of what recommendations will be given to him due to the injury - possibly it might cost him the tournament.

The Portugal-Turkey match was indeed intense. Portugal is one of the favourites to come back to the Euro Cup final but they were facing a speedy Turkish side. In the end, Portugal had a lot more chances. The two goals came in late in the second half with Pepe scoring the first one after running through the Turkish defense responding to a 1-2 pass with a kick straight to the goal. The other goal was scored by Raul Meireles on injury time after 90 minutes when three Portuguese players which included Cristiano Ronaldo (who was expected to perform well in these games) stormed the defenders before the final whistle.

June 8 Matches:

(1800CET - Vienna) Austria 0 - Croatia 1
Modrić 4′ (pen), Cautions: Pogatetz 3′ Säumel 21′ Kovač 51′ Prödl 68′

(2045CET - Klagenfurt) Germany 2 - Poland 0
Podolski 20′ 72′, Cautions: Smoralek 40′ Lewandowski 60′ Schweinsteiger 64′

Luka Modrić scored the first penalty shot of the tournament after Croatia’s Ivica Olić was fouled on the penalty area by Austrian René Aufhauser. Austria could have done a lot better in the first part of the match where they had poor passes but they went stronger later in the game who just like their co-hosts Switzerland were just looking for an equaliser but unlucky to do so after having some chances which almost led to something different for the team.

Germany proved to be the best in the tournament by breaking through comfortably the Polish defense and giving Poland keeper Artur Boruc a hard time in front of his goal. Lukas Podolski (Polish-born German national) scored both goals in the 20th and past the 70th minute mark. Poland faced a very good German team and the players and their coach Leo Beenhakker need to do something even better as they face Austria in their next match.

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Legend: Goals Sent-off

FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualifier - Asian Zone: (Match 4) Oman vs. Japan

Oman 1 vs. Japan 1 (FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualifier - Asian Zone)
June 7, 2008 Oman Home

Weather unbearable, match hard to watch, very good penalty save by Seigo Narazaki, red cards flew, ended up in a draw. I knew that the weather was a big factor towards the performance of the Blue Samurai team yet they did have plenty of chances. Oman on the other hand didn’t give up and played some aggressive football.

Ahmed Mubarak scored in the first half with a low shot sneaking the rest of the players and Narazaki. On the 2nd half, Keiji Tamada was fouled on the penalty area. Yasuhito Endo scored a brilliant penalty kick to draw the game. Later on the half, Oman had a chance to score their penalty shot yet Narazaki saw the ball and blocked it leaving the scores as it is. Then at the 70th minute, a breakaway by Japan went too strong which ended to an accident between Oman keeper Ali Abdullah and Japan striker Yoshito Okubo. Okubo ended up kicking Abdullah intentionally which was game misconduct. Khayifa Alil also roughed someone at that time as well. Both Okubo and Alil were given the red card. Okubo is an important player for Japan which the team will miss on their next match against Thailand.

After this game, Oman still has a chance to take the place of Japan in the 4th round - Bahrain’s challenge could be too much for Oman despite how easy it may be for them to beat Thailand; but for Japan, Thailand seems to be the easiest team to play against and if they can, they might be able to take back a game from Bahrain who, because of beating Japan in the 2nd match, is now in top of the group and is securely moving on to the 4th round.

Other matches - these are matches that I didn’t watch:

PR China 0 - Qatar 1… Disappointing loss at home yet the group of death is starting to shape up with China having to demand themselves to make sure that they win the next two matches… Australia and Iraq are on the same group and Iraq made a disappointing performance not winning any of their matches - it’s a big demise of the team who surprised Asia in becoming the Asian Cup Champions last year. Australia and Qatar are both 7 points on top of the group.

DPR Korea 1 - Turkmenistan 0… DPR Korea is now on top of the group, but South Korea is currently playing Jordan and they seem to have the upper hand as I write this blog. If South Korea wins this match, both Koreas will have 8 points on top of the group.