Tag Archives: Euro 2012

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Euro 2012, Spain are through to Semi-Finals

23 Saturday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Spain 2 France 0

A nineteen minute goal and a penalty in the closing stages, both from Xabi Alonso ensured that the right team will meet Portugal in the semi final.

To their credit, France were not outplayed by this Spanish side, however, they did not test their opponents either.

Instead, this France side simply allowed the game to drift in the hope of getting an equaliser and then forcing penalties.

It was a tactic that did not work and was not worthy of a team that had been tipped by many as pre-tournament favourites.

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⚽️ Euro 2012, Portugal and Germany are through to the Semis 🥅 🏟

23 Saturday Jun 2012

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ANALYSIS

So far, two teams have qualified for the semi finals of the 2012 European Championships. One of which will go on to become European Champions.

Last night, the world saw that team.

Germany were incredible, the goals which were struck with astonishing precision numbered four. Although their opponents Greece, like England in the last World Cup, know it could have and should have been far more.

This German side plays as a team, they are a collection of high-powered, exremely creative players, each of whom are geared towards attacking their opponent into submission. There is a contrast here with Spain who glide around the park.

The Germans simply knock the stuffing out of their opponents and it is a true spectacle. It’s time to start using the word ‘massacre’ when describing a German football performance  – the best that could be said of Greece is that like England before them, they were just there.

As for Portugal, clearly this tournament is meant to be a vehicle for Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored in the last two games. In the semi-final game against the Czech Republic, he hit the post with a wonderful creative effort, and scored in the second half with a header.

Unfortunately for Portugal though, Ronaldo is not Maradona.

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Euro 2012, England top Group to meet Italy in Quarter Finals

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Donetsk, Group D: England v Ukraine

Kiev, Group D: Sweden v France

Ukraine, despite all their energy and enthusiasm were unable to make it count when it mattered. This was a professional performance from an England side that were few on thrills and were lucky to score at the beginning of the second half.  Wayne Rooney who was clearly not at his best after missing the first two games following suspension put his foot at the end of a Steven Gerrard cross and after that Ukraine showed lots of energy with little to show.

England will thank the Ukraine goal keeper for allowing Rooney the chance and the assistant referee who did not see the ball cross the line at their end.

And they will also thank Sweden for beating France 2-0 and thus ensuring they will not have to play Spain in the Quarter Finals.

Instead, the team who came top of Group D will face Italy.

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Group C, Spain and Italy through, Croatia and Republic out

18 Monday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Gdansk, Group C: Croatia v Spain, 0-1

Poznan, Group C: Italy v Republic of Ireland, 2-0

Croatia played lockdown in the hope of hitting Spain on the break. And until the last three minutes of the game, the strategy worked.  Spain had worked hard but the best chance had gone to Croatia.

A Navas goal ensured Spain would go on top with Italy second.

The Spanish were not fluent, and their opponents – that could include England – will take the same approach as Croatia.

Of course, that does not mean that Spain will lose.

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Euro 2012, Germany and Portugal go through, Holland and Denmark are out

17 Sunday Jun 2012

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Kharkiv, Group B: Portugal v Holland 2-1

Lviv, Group B: Denmark v Germany 1-2

Holland’s departure from this tournament was sadly expected, despite a Van der Vaart goal after eleven minutes and despite the the chances they had after to secure their place with that crucial goal that would have meant they and not their opponents would meet the Czech Republic in the Quarter Finals.

That is because, Holland did not look after themselves at the back.

And that left the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo who despite scoring twice here, still hasn’t proved himself at international level.

He was flattered, as was this Portuguese side, by this result.

Those who love the spectacle that is football will feel that this tournament has lost something when a team like Holland with all its exciting players at the front is stopped by a team that plays so negatively as Portugal

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Euro 2012, Russia and Poland are out

16 Saturday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Group A

Wroclaw, Czech Republic v Poland 1-0

Warsaw, Group A: Greece v Russia 1-0

Russia not getting through is the biggest upset of the tournament yet – Holland are still in with a chance, however they may want to learn from this painful Russian experience. Having missed a penalty that they were lucky to get, the Russians never really grabbed hold of the game and when Greece put one past late in the first half they should have come back strongly in the second.

It just didn’t happen.

As for Poland, they squandered a number of chances in the first half as the Czech Republic seemed happy to play for the draw – for they like everyone else assumed that Russia were going to defeat Greece.

The Czech’s changed their approach in the second half, and a goal from Petr Jiracek meant that Poland like Russia were on their way out.

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Euro 2012, Sweden 2 England 3

15 Friday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Kiev, Group D: Sweden v England

England underestimated their opponents, and that seemed to have backfired until the 64th minute when an inspired substitution from Roy Hodgson turned the game on its head.

England went ahead in the first half with an Andy Carroll goal, but they the time Theo Walcott was brought on as a substitute, this still highly experimental English side were two one behind.

Walcott’s second touch was a brilliant long-range effort to make things even.

And then his surge and cross was somehow put into the back of the net by Danny Welbeck.

England had won their first competitive game against Sweden, who are now out of contention for this tournament.

How far can England go from here…well they do have a manager who knows how to make use of the resources at hand.

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Euro 2012, Spain 4 Republic of Ireland 0

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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         BREAKING NEWS

Gdansk, Group C: Spain v Republic of Ireland

It only took four minutes for Spain to take control of this match. It came from Fernando Torres and from there onwards the Republic of Ireland faced wave after wave of Spanish excellence. Surge after surge followed, a pattern that was to be repeated in the second half when David Silva doubled the lead to put the game beyond doubt. It was now clear that this game was an exhibition, from a team that are still hungry to show the world that they are the best.

Fernando Torres put in a third after seventy minutes, and still the Spanish kept coming, when they were not attacking they were simply gliding the ball around the park in a way reminiscent of Brazil in 1970.

As the game seemed to go asleep, with ten minutes to go, Cesc Fabregas fired in a fourth and still the Spanish kept coming to the shouts of ‘Ole’ from their fans.

Spain played like this until the end.

What marks this Spanish team out is how they play as a unit, each helping the other, always trying to regain the ball once lost. They grind a team down through skilfully passing the ball to one another, in whatever position, finding holes in the opposition defence working well within their limits – whatever they may be.

Ireland had their moments, but they were simply outclassed by a Spanish team that was chasing the impossibility that is perfection.

Unfortunately, for the passionate and fiercely loyal Irish fans that also meant their team spent most of the game chasing shadows.

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⚽️ Euro 2012, Italy 1 Croatia 1 🥅 🇮🇹 – 🇭🇷

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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BREAKING NEWS

Poznan, Group C: Italy v Croatia

The first half of this exciting game belonged to the blue of Italy who despite all their creativity only managed to get one past Croatia.

And what a great goal it was too – a free kick from Andrea Pirlo after 39 minutes.

It could have been and should have much more.

Croatia are a good side, though you would not have guessed it, as italy continued to dominate in the second. However with only a one goal lead, their opponents always had a chance to get back into the game.

And so it came after the 72nd minute, when Mario Manzukic slid one in and it was game on.

Now, Croatia who felt they had a chance to seal the deal.

That did not mean that Italy were out of it either.

And you could never really predict which side would score in the closing ten minutes, which included five minutes of extra time.

Perhaps, the substitution of Mario Balotelli midway in the second half meant Italy lost their edge as Croatia looked the more threatening at the end.

But this a great game between two very fine teams.

Euro 2012, Holland 1 Germany 2

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

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Kharkiv, Group B: Holland v Germany

Germany won this the clash of the Titans, and were for most this game very comfortable against a Dutch team that just lacked the bite.

A Robin Van Persie goal put them back into the game with twenty minutes to go.

Until then, two Mario Gomez goals seemed to have meant certain defeat for the Dutch team in this the Group of Death.

The Dutch tried, but they came second and will need a win against Portugal, for Germany to defeat Denmark and then they will still need a greater goal difference to get through.

Who would have thought that the team tipped by many to be tournament favourites would have lost both their games by the second week of Euro 2012.