2012 UEFA European Championship

[Sérgio Marques]

Well, we seem to have curse with the post/bar in these games, one against Germany, two with Holland and Czech Rep.

Today in the penalties, we hit the bar and the ball goes out, Spain hit the post and it goes in.

I agree it wasn´t a good game, very tactical from both sides, but we still seem to lack that like bit in our game to be decisive in these ocasions.

For me the key point was that chance of Ronaldo at min 88, after that I really feel that we
lost it.

Fortunally the referee did a good job, congrats to Spain and good luck for the final.

 

[Chronus]

Taking the high road is one fine thing, Sérgio. lol

Well...just occurred to me, Spain is not playing as it used to when they won the World Champ'ship, and that, imo, is tightly related to how Barça has been playing the last 12 months (poor Mou thinks otherwise). Now with Pep gone and Tito taking the wheel, I fear the long desert walk is coming - unless Tito proves to be as good as Pep (unlikely).

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Yeah...poor Portugal, defending, defending, defending, Ronaldo didn't either have a chance, Nani wasn't stopped 2 times with the ref's consent, Spain had like 75% ball possession...

Did I say that?

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Taking the high road is one fine thing, Sérgio. lol

Well...just occurred to me, Spain is not playing as it used to when they won the World Champ'ship, and that, imo, is tightly related to how Barça has been playing the last 12 months (poor Mou thinks otherwise). Now with Pep gone and Tito taking the wheel, I fear the long desert walk is coming - unless Tito proves to be as good as Pep (unlikely).

I relate it more to players being really tired, so they have less.mobility which is needed to play that game and create spaces.

Guardiola never trained Spanish national team, are the players the ones that created the style similar to Barça.

 

[Chronus]

I relate it more to players being really tired, so they have less.mobility which is needed to play that game and create spaces.

Guardiola never trained Spanish national team, are the players the ones that created the style similar to Barça.

I have had that same discussion with friends (Catalans or otherwise).

In my opinion, Pep configured a certain type of gameplay based on tactics he developed while playing under Cruyff and Robson. Many credit Cruyff for that, I think the gameplay by Pep goes much deeper than that. And Barça's best play under Pep was fully dependent on Xavi, Iniesta, Piquet and to some extent on Messi. But the multi-pass, high-accuracy gameplay was never dependent on Messi but mainly on the experience, intelligence of 3 people: Pep, Xavi and Iniesta.

The core got his ideas rooted deep. This translated into the national squad core being also based on the 2 main players, with the added contribution of Silva and Fabregas (La Masía product).

Aragonés, old fox, took full advantage of it. Then del Bosque did too. Euro and World champs on account of the same gameplay of Barça but without Messi: multipass, high-accuracy exchanges, 3-player pressure upon any adversary with the ball, fantastic ball control and dribbling by Iniesta, Xavi, Silva and Fabregas, 1 or 2 wingies running deep when it matters, backed up by Piquet.

Obviously, this is just an opinion.

Just to add an extra thought: Casillas is very much a key man in all this. Superb, superb, superb goal-keeper. Valdez is very good, but Casillas is from another Galaxy.

 

[Jordi Casademunt]

This match was disappointing. 90 minutes waiting around, then 30 minutes trying to do what should have been done the first 45. The penalties were exciting, but they always are.

And to be honest, Spain has played very badly since the World Cup. or since Del Bosque started training Spain. He just has no idea what he's doing, and we won the World Cup despite him, not thanks to him. Aragonés at least knew how he wanted Spain to play, and basically created the current team.

 

[Peter Duivelaar]

Ah, but following Peter Duivelaar(who seemed serious)...

But anyway, may the best team (on the pitch) win. There's enough controversy already surrounding UEFA, FIFA and football.

I was not serious about it
Xose pointed out that Spain as number 1 in the poule had 2 days lest rest, so I just pointed out that Germany as number 1 in the poule had 2 days more rest, so ofcourse there is no conspiracy theory

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Hyper boring match last night. 120 minutes of chess

The penalties were awesome. Especially the semi-pirlo by Ramos. I know at least one person that thought he would shoot the ball out of the stadium and then he comes up with that, brilliant

 

[Chronus]

I was not serious about it
Xose pointed out that Spain as number 1 in the poule had 2 days lest rest, so I just pointed out that Germany as number 1 in the poule had 2 days more rest, so ofcourse there is no conspiracy theory

Yeah, no conspiracy for sure. Nobody knew who would become quarter-finalist and semi-finalist.

On the other hand, Peter, you didn't actually say what you said above:

The Germans were first too and they have 2 days less rest than the Italians who were 2nd.

That post was the cause of my "are you serious?", because it's completely the other way around.

But hey, semis are over, the match yesterday was not brilliant but was good, intense, have to agree with all those commentators: nobody knew how it would end.

 

[Peter Duivelaar]

Yeah, no conspiracy for sure. Nobody knew who would become quarter-finalist and semi-finalist.

On the other hand, Peter, you didn't actually say what you said above:


That post was the cause of my "are you serious?", because it's completely the other way around.

But hey, semis are over, the match yesterday was not brilliant but was good, intense, have to agree with all those commentators: nobody knew how it would end.

Made an error in that first post, its the other way around, thats what I also meant

 

[Marco Sbordoni]

and tonight FORZA ITALIA again

 

[Knut Omdal Tveito]

and tonight FORZA ITALIA again

Indeed

 

[Chronus]

This German squad is superb, guys, I see only 3 teams capable of stopping them or at least dismantling their mechanisms: the latin teams, all of them in the semis. I gather Italy has a chance, no doubt...but the german super-accurate killing machine is scary.

May the best team win, with ZERO interference from the ref.

 

[Chris Preston]

Has anyone taught the Germans to defend? F**k me... Germany's offence with England's defense would be the best team known to mankind. I live in an "Italian" town in Canada so please... PLEASE... Germany pull one out of your ass.

 

[Chronus]

Oh, man, it is a stunning surprise - but only for those that didn't watch the match, the Italians fully outplayed the Germans. Today, the best team won no doubt.

Now...La Roja wins.

(Visca el Barça)

 

[Marco Sbordoni]

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!
..y ahora ganamos Espana!!!!!!!!

 

[Sérgio Marques]

Bravo Italia, very well played!

 

[Bruno Sousa Ferreira]

Had a funny feeling that the Italians would pull out some magic today.

 

[Chronus]

The magic did happen: Balotelli scored twice. From then on, the Italians dismantled the Germans (it could have ended 5-2 or 6-2, wow).

Now, if Balotteli scored again, he would've taken his shirt off again and ended red-carded.

Great win for the Italians, great Pirlo as usual.

 

[stefano.schivari]

very nice match,respect to germany btw,they have still a young squad and they will win..in the future