Tag: Euro 2008

Euro 2012 Crystal Football…

One of the most exciting football tournaments in the world is upon us and we’ve only had to wait four years.

Euro 2012 is about to kick-off and co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, together with the rest of Europe, carry the dreams of millions of fans in their kit bag!

Who will be victorious? Is there a team primed for a Denmark or Greece type Cinderella story? Can one of the host nations win? Can Spain create European history and win another title? Who will shine the brightest on the biggest stage?

The wait is over. It’s time for us to channel our inner Nostradamus. It’s time for us to look deep into our crystal football. How right or how wrong will we be?

Let’s hope it’s a thrilling tournament without any trouble and that for a few weeks, the beautiful game can make a tough old world feel a little good about itself right now.

Group A
Winner = Poland
Runner-up = Russia

Group B
Winner = Holland
Runner-up = Germany

Group C
Winner = Spain
Runner-up = Italy

Group D
Winner = France
Runner-up = Sweden

The quarter-finals could be a time for justice or vengeance! 

Quarter Final #1
Poland v Germany

These teams drew 2-2 last September in a friendly. Germany coach Joachim Loew said that result was a “wake-up call” for his country. It was the first time Poland got close to beating the Germans in 17 previous attempts. Poland have been unable to defeat Germany in 78 years. What better way to break the cycle than a sweet victory in front of your own people! Football always serves up story lines that take us beyond the game and it’s almost written in the stars these two teams will meet. You can almost feel it in the air.

Quarter Final #2
Holland v Russia

This is a match-up that would excite any football fan. Russia were the surprise team of Euro 2008 and very few thought they could beat Holland in the quarter-finals. The Dutch were piping hot favourites in that game and as we’ve seen in tournament’s past, they tend to break under the pressure. The Russians on the other hand played fearless football and solidified their place as one of the tournament’s most exciting teams. They could meet again at Euro 2012 and this would be a wonderful opportunity for Holland to turn the tables and exert revenge on the Russian’s who trampled all over their Euro 2008 dream.

Quarter Final #3
Spain v Sweden

In the past, we’ve seen some of the supposed European giants of football get an easy path in the knockout stages. Some would say Germany were lucky to face Turkey in the semi-final of Euro 2008. No matter who you get in the knockout phase, it’s never an easy game, but the luck of the draw could mean it’s just easier than other match-ups. This year, Spain could find themselves a little lucky when they face Sweden in the quarter-final. Sweden may have done well getting out of their group, but they are reminded of who the real Royal family of European football is in this match!

Quarter Final #4
France v Italy

Who wouldn’t want to see these two European powers battle it out in a quarter-final? There is so much recent history between France and Italy, it would almost be wrong for them not to meet again. Italian hearts were smashed into tiny pieces at Euro 2000 after Trezeguet’s golden goal sealed glory for France. And at the 2006 World Cup, the football boot was firmly on the other foot as Zinedine Zidane’s moment of headbutt madness cost the French another world title. Old scores must be settled and this match would truly be a treat for fans everywhere.

Semi Final #1
Poland v Spain

Semi Final #2
Holland v France

European Championship Final
Spain v France

Champions
France

Storylines…
1. Debuchy comes of age.
2. Ben Arfa grows to superstar status.
3. Benzema solidifies spot as European scoring machine.
4. Laurent Blanc the heroic winning player turns winning coach.
5. Laurent Blanc restores pride to French flag and French international football.
6. Hugo Lloris finally recognized as one of world’s best goalkeepers.
7. Arsenal have to pay double for M’Vila.
8. Spain’s rule ends and questions are asked about Xavi and Iniesta.
9. Less questions about Torres as he has a great tournament
10. Del Bosque retires. Pep Guardiola pressured to take over the national team. Luis Enrique joins as his assistant

Spain: The Golden Age…

For so long we’ve been told the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Cole are the “Golden Age” of British football and the best we’ve seen since the World Cup winning squad of 1966. But yet again England exited a tournament as losers and their fans dream of world success has turned into another nightmare. And in a European country just around the corner, a team of patriotic men were lauded similarly to this generation of English players. From the media to fans, everyone agreed Spain was something special. And like England, so much pressure was put on the Spanish. Even prior to Euro 2008, the expectations were high. But they didn’t cave. They won it. And the expectations for England and Spain were vast again in World Cup 2010. England were as miserable as their winter weather and Espana went on to win the whole damn thing.

In the case of Spain, their team of individual superstars actually have world-class talent and this time around they didn’t cave to pressure. Their team of individual superstars came together and played for each other. They proved that despite the hype and expectations, they could win. They deserved to win the World Cup. The right team won the World Cup. And with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Ramos, Villa, Torres and Fabregas, they could go on to win for many years to come.

In the past, Spain too have been guilty of failing themselves and their country. Whether it was the European Championships or the World Cup, they would always choke. Even in the days of the great Raul, the Spanish could never deliver the big prize. But somewhere along the way they bought some belief, a little swagger and a side of balls. They became a team of destiny. They became World Champions.

England should examine how Spain have achieved their success over the last four years. They should look to their European counterparts as an example of how you can go from being a total loser to a total winner. And perhaps they should consider having an Englishman manage their way back to the glory days. You can’t help but think the spirit of the Spanish side and the influence of their coach Vicente del Bosque just instilled more patriotic pride to their cause.

There’s nothing much else to say about the World Cup other than I feel the same way about it as I did a few weeks ago. We saw some great goals here and there with Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s of Holland being the best for me. There were a  few nail-biting moments and in my opinion the most exciting of all was the late goal by the USA against Slovenia . The biggest stars in the world including Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka and Rooney didn’t shine at all, which was a huge disappointment. Unfortunately the tournament was dampened by awful refereeing decisions and the final didn’t live up to its billing. Plus it felt way too cold for a World Cup. Overall the sizzle was certainly missing!

A few things are for sure after this tournament…here we go…Spain are truly the best footballing team in the universe. They will be considered one of the best-ever having won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. Everyone around the world will now know who Xavi and Iniesta are and who will deny these two sublime players their place as the world’s best midfield duo? Not me. David Villa has absolutely nailed the label of world’s best striker and how happy are Barcelona they bought him before the tournament? Manchester United must be feeling sick having let Pique go back to Barcelona. Referees from Mali suck. Rooney is a baby. Forlan has still got it. Muller is the next big thing. Sneijder is magic. Goal-line technology is a must. And coach Bosque will forever be worshipped for delivering the goods to his fellow countrymen.

This certainly is the “Golden Age” of Spanish football and you truly deserve the label Spain. Hope you are taking notes England…

The Kop has a new hero…

SOCCER Liverpool 5Liverpool have a legend in the making and his name is Fernando Jose Torres. Absent for most of the game against Sunderland today, his power strike in the 83rd minute from a good 25 yards crushed the hearts of the home team. That is what makes Torres a great player. He created something out of absolutely nothing and saved the scousers from an embarrassing start to the season.

On today’s display, you would say Liverpool don’t stand a chance of winning the league. They were slow, unimaginative, uninspiring and gutless. Even Torres was poor by his own standards. But he was determined to re-write the back pages of the Liverpool Echo and every other regional and national rag in the country. Just as every reporter was ready to rip Benitez for his team selection and the poor performance overall, the Euro 2008 champion took matters into his own hands and delivered the killer blow.

What happens if Torres gets a serious injury? Where do Liverpool go from here? I hear you, I hear you…it’s only the first game of the season. We need to give them time to gel and for Keane to feel comfortable in the legendary Liverpool shirt. Agreed. I guess we’ll re-visit the Liverpool situation as the season progresses. That’s when we’ll find out if they are true title contenders.

For now, we’ll just salivate over the new Kop hero. Once upon a time, there was a Liverpool legend who owned the number 9 shirt. His name was Robbie Fowler, aka God. There’s a new number 9 in town now. Finally, the second coming has arrived.