Spain vs. Italy: Euro 2012 Final Preview and Prediction

Euro 2012 has reached its crescendo. Spain and Italy are the last teams standing, and on Sunday they will come together in a clash of footballing cultures that will have a global audience in the hundreds of millions hanging on their every pass.

Spain are the defending European champions and reigning World Cup winners. Vicente del Bosque's revered pass masters can make history by winning a third successive major title in Kiev, Ukraine, and will be favorites to make it happen.

But Cesare Prandelli's Italy have already done for England and Germany in the knockout stages of Euro 2012, and inspired by midfielder Andrea Pirlo—arguably the player of the tournament so far—deservedly earned a shot to knock Spain off their throne.

Routes to the Final

Spain and Italy both came through Group C. The two teams drew 1-1 in their opening game of Euro 2012, with Antonio Di Natale's opener for the Italians—set up by an inspired play from Pirlo—cancelled out by an equalizer from Cesc Fabregas.

The Spanish enjoyed a 4-0 win against a weak Republic of Ireland side in the second round of group games. Fernando Torres helped himself to a brace, with the other goals coming from David Silva and Fabregas. Meanwhile, Italy were held 1-1 by Croatia after going ahead through a curling free kick from Pirlo.

It was all to play for in the final round of group matches. Spain's nerve was tested by Croatia, but eventually they prevailed thanks to a late winner from substitute Jesus Navas and won the group. Italy came through in the second spot thanks to a 2-0 win against Ireland, with goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli.

Despite outplaying England and creating a host of chances, Italy failed to score and needed penalties to see them off in the quarterfinals. Spain were relatively untroubled in a 2-0 win against France—with Xabi Alonso scoring both goals, the second from the penalty spot.

In the semifinals, Spain triumphed in a penalty shootout against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal after a 0-0 draw. Italy beat much-fancied Germany 2-1, with an inspired Balotelli scoring both goals to send his team through to the final.

What to Expect

Spain's game is all about possession and fluid movement. With imperious Barcelona duo Andres Iniesta and Xavi at their hub, the Spanish have built a dynasty of success on their tiki-taka passing style. The approach calls on all 10 outfield players to keep the ball moving until spaces appear in the final third. When they do, Spain go for the kill.

Italy's game plan relies heavily on Pirlo, who operates as a deep-lying playmaker and performs a quarterback-style role the Italians call "regista." The Italians are hard to break down, with Daniele De Rossi tasked with shielding their back four, and very dangerous on the counterattack. We can expect Balotelli and Cassano to start up front in the final.

Possible Starting Lineups

SPAIN: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos, Alba, Busquets, Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Fabregas

ITALY: Buffon, Chiellini, Balzaretti, Barzagli, Bonucci, Marchisio, De Rossi, Pirlo, Montolivo, Balotelli, Cassano

Head-to-Head Record

Spain and Italy have played 26 competitive matches in total (as per FIFA), with eight wins for Italy, seven for Spain and 11 draws.

 Recent Major Tournament Meetings

- Spain 1-1 Italy, Euro 2012 Group C

- Spain 0-0 Italy (Spain won on pens), Euro 2008 quarterfinal

- Italy 2-1 Spain, World Cup 1994 quarterfinal

Prediction

Everything points to the final being extremely tight. Both sides are well organized defensively and unlikely to concede much space in midfield—where I expect the match to be decided.

In a game of small margins, I'm picking Italy to cause an upset. Spain haven't been at their best at Euro 2012, and based on Italy's performance against Germany I think they come into the game with the greater momentum.

Unsurprisingly, I think Pirlo will be key to their success. Spain are unlikely to assign a man to mark him, and that will leave the 33-year-old with time and space to plot their downfall. If Italy can catch Spain on the break, they have a strike pair in Balotelli and Cassano who can punish them.

I see Italy winning it 1-0.

source: read more at bleacherreport.com

DUA KAPTEN CURI TUMPUAN

Dua penjaga gol veteran, Iker Casillas dan Gianluigi Buffon bakal mencuri tumpuan pada final Euro 2012 di Stadium Olimpik awal pagi esok.

Selain mengawal pintu gol daripada dibolosi, Casillas dan Buffon turut mempunyai tugas penting selepas masing-masing dilantik menjadi kapten.

Casillas, 31, akan mengetuai skuad La Roja manakala Buffon, 34, memimpin skuad The Azzurri.

Meskipun sudah berada di penghujung karier, kedua-dua pemain ini masih lagi memegang status penjaga gol terbaik di dunia dan menjadi sumber inspirasi barisan generasi muda.

“Gigi (Buffon) adalah seorang pemain yang hebat.

“Dia adalah seorang idola buat kami semua. Dia memulakan karier bola sepak lebih awal. Dia tua tiga tahun daripada saya tetapi dia mencapai kejayaan dengan pantas. Dalam tempoh beberapa tahun, dia sudah menjadi penjaga gol terbaik di dunia.

“Sangat menakjubkan. Meskipun kedudukan penjaga gol terbaik lain sering berubah, dia tetap menjadi yang terbaik. Dia telah meraikan kejayaan yang besar, dia memenangi Piala Dunia 2006, liga Itali beberapa kali, Piala Itali dan Piala Super Itali bersama Juventus.

“Bagi peminat bola sepak di seluruh dunia, dia telah menjadi legenda dan sesuatu yang hebat apabila dia masih lagi bermain.

“Bagi saya, sesuatu yang baik untuk bermain dan menambah kemahiran bersama-sama seorang penjaga gol yang hebat,” kata Casillas.

Bagaimanapun, Casillas turut dianggap sebagai penjaga gol yang hebat dan berpengalaman terutamanya selepas membantu Sepanyol memenangi trofi Euro 2008 dan Piala Dunia 2010.

Kemenangan ke atas Itali awal pagi esok bakal menjadikannya sebagai pemain pertama yang mencapai kejayaan 100 peratus bersama pasukan kebangsaan negara itu.

Selain muncul pemain yang paling banyak membuat penampilan dan merangkul anugerah penjaga gol terbaik di dunia sebanyak empat kali dari 2008 hingga 2011, Casillas turut melakar kejayaan bersama Real Madrid termasuk memenangi liga trofi Liga Sepanyol dan dua gelaran Liga Juara-Juara.

Casillas memainkan peranan utama ketika Sepanyol menewaskan Itali pada aksi suku akhir Euro 2008.

Dia menyelamatkan sepakan penalti Antonio Di Natale dan Daniele De Rossi sebelum Cesc Fabregas meledakkan gol kemenangan, sekali gus menamatkan kemarau trofi utama selama 44 tahun.

source: 2dayblogger.com

Euro 2012: A final victory for Spain would be admired but not loved

Del Bosque’s team are not as thrilling as previous vintages, but they still set the example for the rest

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque appears to trust midfielders such as Andres Iniesta, more than his forwards 

Parreira, who led his country to the World Cup in 1994, made a prediction ten years ago that we’d eventually see the most successful teams play with no recognised ‘number nine’.

He saw the future of football. Spain, and to some extent Barcelona, are realising that vision. The game has developed to the degree whereby where once we had a traditional 4-4-2, then 4-5-1 became more familiar, and now the world champions happily play 4-6-0.

From a professional point of view, it’s fascinating to see the application of theory which would once have been considered unthinkable. You can’t argue with its effectiveness, nor underestimate the levels of technical ability required to set a team up this way.

Spain keep the ball better, quite possibly, than any international team in history.

They have conceded just one goal en route to the final of Euro 2012, their ability to dominate possession and wear down an opponent makes it incredibly difficult to create chances against them, and if they score just once, the odds are the game is over.

Even if you get a chance to attack, since you’ve been chasing the 70 per cent of possession Spain tend to have, you’re normally too tired to do any damage. In their last 15 competitive matches in the World Cup or European Championships, Spain has kept 12 clean sheets.

You won’t find a single footballer that does not admire and to some extent envy how the Spanish side are able to do this.

The question I, like many others, have been asking myself during the course of this tournament is whether Spain are actually overcomplicating the football theory and making it harder for themselves. Should they have to rely on penalties to beat Portugal, for example? I think they’re better than that.

I don’t believe they need to play 4-6-0 to win Euro 2012. They could play with one less midfielder and still pass the ball better than anyone else. Their left back, Jordi Alba, has been one of the players of the tournament and often looks like an extra midfielder.

No manager has more options than Vicente Del Bosque, so it’s a perfectly justified debate as to whether he should be packing his central midfield with players of a similar type.

It wouldn’t matter if Spain played 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 4-5-1, most countries still wouldn’t get near them because they have players flexible enough to make it work.

What they’ve decided to do in this competition — a difference to Euro 2008 and the last World Cup — is adopt a system which is worthy of professional respect and appreciation rather than one that generates excitement and edge of the seat football for those with no emotional connection to the Spanish team.

I understand why neutral supporters suggest the Spain games have not been that enjoyable to watch. I wouldn’t say I agree with it, but that’s possibly because when you’re a player you can get absorbed in the tactical play a bit more.

What I do accept when you’re watching a game is what stirs the emotions is seeing a winger beat a man, someone with pace sprinting past defenders, plenty of goalmouth incident and, obviously, lots of goals.

We haven’t seen that in the Spain matches. They’ve been more like strategy games where you can acknowledge the brilliance of what they’re doing, but not in a way that gets the heart pumping.

I’ve heard it suggested they’re mirroring the Barcelona system, but there are key differences. For a start, Barcelona have Lionel Messi’s genius and his 70 goals a season.

Also, Barca use the pace of Pedro and Alexis Sanchez down the wide areas, constantly running beyond the opposing defence giving the central midfielders passing options.

Barcelona create tons of chances in every match they play. You can’t suggest we’ve seen the same kinds of movement from this Spain team, because the midfielders have not gone beyond the opposition centre-halves enough.

They have changed, even since the last World Cup, suffering from the loss of David Villa who, even when playing in a wider role, had a natural instinct to run beyond defenders. Four years ago, Torres and Villa played in the same team.

While I wouldn’t suggest there is anything remotely negative about how Spain play, I do believe the 4-6-0 is reflective of Del Bosque sticking with the players he trusts most, who are evidently his central midfielders rather than strikers.

He may have felt he had to react since the last World Cup. In several friendlies after South Africa Spain suffered heavy defeats. Argentina beat them 4-1 and Portugal also enjoyed a 4-0 victory. Opting for a more solid midfield may have been a reaction to this.

In difficult moments, Del Bosque has basically reverted the system that ensures he has his best players on the pitch. He will argue, with some justification, that when he’s selected a number nine — Negredo or Torres — they’ve been the weakest links.

Parreira’s prediction about a team succeeding with 4-6-0 has proved correct. It is certainly a break from the past but I’m yet to be convinced it is necessarily a forward-thinking evolutionary step for Spanish football.

The greatest teams will always have the right balance between defensive soundness, technical expertise and attacking threat.

Italy will be heartened by what they witnessed against Portugal on Wednesday, but their manager Cesare Prandelli has a tactical problem of his own.

He nullified the Spanish in their group game, playing three at the back. He’ll also have noted how Portugal pressed high up the pitch to unsettle the Spanish possession.

Del Bosque will recall the impact Torres had as a substitute in Gdansk, creating numerous opportunities by running beyond Italy’s back three.

He’ll also remember it was a deep midfield runner, Cesc Febragas, who scored the equaliser. The tactical analysis of the game will make it enthralling for football students.

I expect Spain to win, probably narrowly, consolidating their position as the best nation in the world, with the most talented players.

When they won in Austria four years ago, the did so by quickening the pulse of football lovers who took pleasure from their exhilarating brand of football.

Victory this time would deserve the same level of respect and admiration, but perhaps not the standing ovation of 2008.

It’s certainly a different Spain team winning it in a different way. They haven’t thrilled in quite the same fashion yet, but they’re still way ahead of the rest of us and we can only dream of emulating them.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Euro 2012: Spain v Italy: a final to go down in history

Spain bid to complete a unique treble, Italy to restore their scandal-hit reputation. It is a climax this tournament deserves

Spain and Italy have the potential to provide a memorable climax to Euro 2012 in the final in Kiev.

Spain's resplendent champions stand accused of suffocating the game. In Italy, football struggles to extricate itself from its umpteenth scandal. And yet there is an excellent chance that on Sunday night in Kiev's Olympic Stadium the two teams representing these nations will provide a contest of skill and courage to burnish the game's reputation.

This is the tournament that defies you to look away. If 20 million people tuning in to watch the drama of England playing Italy in a quarter-final seems remarkable, the figure of 12m Britons switching on for Italy's semi-final with Germany on Thursday night is astounding, particularly with Rafael Nadal on the other channel. On Sunday night the two best teams in the competition promise to provide spectators, whether in the stadium or at home, with the climax that such an entrancing championship deserves.

Two sets of desires will collide in the Ukrainian capital when the team of Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Iker Casillas meets that of Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Gianluigi Buffon. There is the yearning of Spain to cap their victories in Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup by becoming the first side to win three major tournaments in a row since Uruguay took the Olympic title – the forerunner of the World Cup – in 1924 and 1928, then added the inaugural World Cup itself in 1930. And there is Italy's fierce ambition to overcome the match-fixing scandal undermining their domestic game in order to show that in its sheer quality, their football remains capable of reaching the ultimate peaks.

"The truth is, yes, it is something we think about," Sergio Ramos, Spain's dashing defender, said on Friday, when asked about the significance of winning a third consecutive major trophy. "That's what we're playing for on Sunday. It's something that will never be surpassed as no other national team has managed it before."

Uruguayans will dispute that, but never mind. "Now we have the chance to do it," Ramos continued. "Whatever happens, Spain has already made history, but we obviously want to win this championship again after all the work this team has done. It's cost us a lot to get where we are, and now we have to show our best level against a great team."

Three weeks ago these two sides gave Euro 2012 its first outstanding match with a 1-1 draw in Gdansk. Both managers showed their courage by opting for a brand new tactical plan, previously untested. But there was nothing academic about the encounter. You did not need to know Spain's 4-6-0 from Italy's 3-5-2 to recognise that this was football of compelling intellectual and physical merits.

Since that night, layers of intrigue have been added to Spain's campaign, and a new lustre to Italy's. Are the short-passing maestros of Vicente del Bosque's team now past their unbeatable best, or will we see one more great performance from Xavi and Iniesta as they attempt to defend their title? And has Cesare Prandelli given Italy a new freedom of expression, through putting his trust in such unpredictable virtuosi as Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli, to go with their always formidable technique and defensive discipline?

There is no end to the drama inherent in this contest between the world champions of 2006 and 2010, and to the history involved. It was against Italy that Spain began their extraordinary run of 19 wins in competitive matches four years ago when, under Luis Aragonés, they eliminated Marcello Lippi's side on penalties in the quarter-finals of the European Championship in Vienna. Spain are after their third title but a win for Italy tomorrow would complete a very different triple. Totonero, Calciopoli andCalcioscommese are the key names, but they are not those of Prandelli's reserve midfielders.

Totonero was the name given to the Serie A betting scandal from which Enzo Bearzot's Azzurri were still recovering when they went to the World Cup in 1982 and triumphed thanks to the goals of Paolo Rossi, who had just returned from a two-year ban received as punishment for his alleged part in the affair. Calciopoli was the 2006 inquiry which discovered that several top clubs, including Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina, had been covertly influencing the selection of referees, an imbroglio from which Lippi's Italy emerged to fight their way to a triumph in the World Cup in Germany.

Now we have Calcioscommesse, an investigation into another betting scam throughout Italy's top four divisions, leading to long bans for such prominent figures as Beppe Signori and Cristiano Doni, the former international strikers.

The echoes roll on, like thunder approaching and receding. Earlier this month Domenico Criscito, the Zenit St Petersburg left‑back, was withdrawn from Prandelli's party after being questioned by theCalcioscommesse investigators. "He would have been under pressure which no human being could bear," Prandelli said. Leonardo Bonucci, the Juventus defender, was also named, but remained with the squad.

After this, a victory tomorrow would be added to those of 1982 and 2006 as evidence for a study into the psychology of Italy's footballers, examining the causes of their apparent need for a dark backdrop against which to perform their greatest deeds.

Italy's 54-year-old head coach won admiration when he declared that if it was necessary to withdraw the entire team from the tournament, then so be it. What Prandelli shares with Del Bosque – his senior by six years, outrageously sacked by Real Madrid a decade ago for lacking charisma – is the ability to convey the feeling that while football may be a wonderful game, and certainly worth a lifetime's dedication, it is not everything in life.

We saw on Thursday what is possible when a great coach finds a way to rid his players of their inhibitions. All Italy's finest attributes were on show in an enthralling victory over Germany, along with a sense of liberation that may soon allow Prandelli's work to bear comparison with the work of his greatest predecessors: Vittorio Pozzo, Ferruccio Valcareggi, Enzo Bearzot, Arrigo Sacchi and Lippi.

As he attempts to repeat the victory achieved by Valcareggi in 1968, his personal blend of profound humility and enlightened self-belief is deeply beguiling. "Spain are still the favourites for the final but I think they know very well now who we are and what we can do," he said on Friday. "I have always said that they are a reference point, and they are, but we can be one, too."

The shadow across Spain's campaign is altogether less serious, since it concerns nothing more than a philosophical dispute over their style of play, which is aimed at denying their opponents the use of the ball. So effectively have Spain's forwards turned attack into the most efficient form of defence that Antonio Di Natale's strike in the 61st minute of their opening match remains the only goal scored against them so far in the tournament.

Thanks to the use of social media among the more engaged football fans, the argument is being prosecuted with the fervour of the inquisitions that took place in 15th‑century Spain. Today's believers and heretics are hurling their accusations on message boards and Twitter feeds, one side claiming that we are watching the most creatively exalted team in the history of football while the other accuses them of denying the game the oxygen of dynamism and balanced competition.

Maybe the heretics are just bored by Spain's long sequence of unbroken success. That would be no more than human nature at work, exaggerated by the shortened attention spans of life in the 21st century. But it is odd to see football fans anxious to hasten the end of an era of success that, once it is over, will come to be seen as a golden age.

Spain's ball-manipulators will go down in the history of international football alongside Austria's Wunderteam, Hungary's Magical Magyars, Pele's Brazil and Holland's Cruyff-led total footballers. So make the most of them while they are still with us. And if they lose on Sunday, then let it be to an Italy playing the way Prandelli has tried to inspire, with freshness and without fear, trusting in skill and instinct, concerned only to present the best of themselves to a final that, given the ingredients and the formula, and the mutual respect between the teams, promises to take its place among the very finest.

Previous meetings

Spain 2 Italy 0 1920 Olympics

The only time Spain have been able to break down Italy at a tournament without penalties. Spain went on to finish second, behind Belgium

Spain 1 Italy 7 1928 Olympics

This is still Spain's joint-heaviest defeat, the Italians running riot in a quarter-final replay with Virgilio Levratto scoring twice

Spain 0 Italy 1 Euro 1988

Gianluca Vialli scored the goal to virtually guarantee a place in the semi-finals of Euro 88 and a 19-year-old Paolo Maldini was superb in defence

Spain 1 Italy 2 1994 World Cup

Most remembered for Mauro Tassotti's elbow on Luis Enrique, which left the Spaniard with a bloodied face. Roberto Baggio got winner after 88 minutes

Spain 0 Italy 0 Euro 2008

Cesc Fábregas scored the decisive spot kick after a dour 120 minutes. Current Azzurri players Antonio Di Natale and Daniele De Rossi missed theirs

Spain 1 Italy 1 Euro 2012

Di Natale, on as a substitute, scored for Cesare Prandelli's team after an hour, but Fábregas equalised four minutes later in a pulsating encounter

source: guardian.co.uk

Spain vs Portugal: Euro 2012 Semifinal Predictions

Spain and Portugal are to face each other in the Euro 2012 Semifinals in the battle of the Iberian Peninsula. Both teams made great efforts in arriving at this stage of the tournament.

What will be expected for the two teams? The time has come to discuss the recent encounters between the two teams.

It will be followed by comments about the possibilities of Spain and Portugal in the semifinals in order to arrive at a prediction.

Previous Recent Encounters

According to Dominic Vieira of A Football Report (AFR), Spain and Portugal faced each other in Euro 2004. Both countries needed to advance to the quarterfinals but Portugal defeated Spain 1-0 secondary to a goal scored by Nunes Gomes.

Spain returned the favor by defeating Portugal 1-0 during the 2010 FIFA World Cup as reported by the BBC.

Spain

The victory of Spain over France during the weekend Euro 2012 quarterfinals is unforgettable. Iker Casillas was able to save the day deflecting attempts by France to score.

Xabi Alonso was able to score with a header within 19 minutes and again within the end of the match. Spain was in possession during most of the match and kept going without second guessing.

The Spanish Euro 2012 squad maintained possession for the majority of the match. They also allowed the clock to roll in order to stall for time and prevent the French from equalizing.

It was a formula that worked for aFrench team that did not recover from its humiliating defeat to Sweden during the Group D Tournament. Spain may be expected to maintain the same formula in its match against Portugal by reinforcing the midfield.

Iker Casillas will remain the goalkeeper secondary to the results in Euro 2012. Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres are expected to play a pivotal role in the semifinal battle of the Iberian Peninsula.

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo may be celebrating his contribution to Portugal arriving at the semifinals. Ronaldo may think that he is the greatest footballer in the world, but he will have to change his thinking style.

Ronaldo will not be able to stop the Spanish onslaught because of his poor performance in Portugal’s match against Denmark. Ronaldo lost two opportunities to score for Portugal and it was Silvestre Varela that helped Portugal win its quarterfinal match against Denmark.

Ronaldo will not expect any mercy as he attempts to score goals. Iker Casillas, who is Ronaldo’s teammate in Real Madrid and one of Spain’s principal goalkeepers, will prevent Ronaldo from getting near the goalpost.

Ronaldo (like Jose Mourinho once did) may find scapegoats for their loss to Spain. The end result is that they will be to blame in the eyes of the Portuguese and world media when Portugal loses.

Final Predictions

The predictions may or may not be right taking into account what will transpire in the match. What can be said is that the match between Spain and Portugal is expected to be filled with tension and excitement as both teams show their strength to the world.

The end result will be Spain 2-1 Portugal with Spain facing Germany in the final match of Euro 2012.

source: bleacherreport.com

Portugal tak gentar

KIRI: PENYERANG Sepanyol, Fernando Torres dan Kanan: BINTANG sensasi Portugal, Ronaldo.

DONETSK, Ukraine – Portugal tidak berasa tertekan untuk berdepan dengan Sepanyol pada aksi separuh akhir Euro 2012 di Donbass Arena, Donetsk awal pagi esok.

Kapten Cristiano Ronaldo menegaskan bahawa mereka tiada perasaan gentar menentang juara bertahan Euro itu.

Peledak berbisa berusia 27 tahun itu kini berada pada prestasi terbaik apabila meledak tiga gol setakat ini sekali gus membantu The Navigators muncul antara empat pasukan terbaik pada kempen Euro kali ini.

Pada aksi awal pagi esok, Ronaldo bakal berentap dengan sebahagian besar rakan sepasukannya di Real Madrid seperti Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos dan Iker Casillas selain seteru utamanya di Barcelona seperti Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta dan Cesc Fabregas.

Namun, Ronaldo tanpa berselindung mengakui tidak tertekan dengan pertembungan tersebut dan menganggap ia hanya perlawanan biasa seperti mana dalam saingan Liga Sepanyol.

“Tidak ada apa-apa yang istimewa mengenai perlawanan ini kerana bagi saya ia hanya satu perlawanan biasa.

“Apa yang akan saya lakukan hanyalah untuk meledak gol sekali gus membantu Portugal menyambar slot ke final,” kata Ronaldo.

Meskipun La Roja dilabel sebagai pasukan pilihan, Ronaldo tetap optimis mengenai kejutan yang bakal dilakar Portugal seperti mana edisi 2004.

“Jika berjaya melangkah ke final, sudah tentu ia sesuatu yang cukup istimewa.

“Berdepan pasukan yang hebat seperti Sepanyol, perlawanan ini pastinya diibaratkan seperti hidup dan mati bagi kedua-dua pasukan,” katanya. – Agensi

sumber : kosmo online

Peluang Portugal, Sepanyol 50-50

PEREITA (dua dari kiri) bergurau seketika bersama rakan-rakan sepasukannya ketika menjalani latihan di Stadium Opalenica, Poland kelmarin.

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Tonggak pertahanan Portugal, Joao Pereira menganggap pertemuan menentang Sepanyol pada aksi separuh akhir Euro 2012 di Donbass Arena awal pagi Khamis ini adalah 50-50.

Pereira berkata, perlawanan itu akan menjadi berbeza berbanding ketika aksi persahabatan antara kedua-dua pasukan dua tahun lalu.

Biarpun ketika itu Portugal berjaya melakar kemenangan 4-0, namun Pereira menjelaskan bahawa skuad La Roja pasti akan tampil dengan corak permainan yang berbeza kali ini.

"Ia akan menjadi perlawanan 50-50. Saya tidak pasti sama ada kami akan menonton semula rakaman perlawanan persahabatan dua tahun lalu tetapi apa yang pasti, ia akan menjadi perlawanan yang berbeza.

"Ketika kami menang 4-0 ke atas Sepanyol pada perlawanan persahabatan itu, mereka (Sepanyol) beraksi dengan bersahaja dan tidak berada dalam keadaan tertekan.

"Namun, kini ia akan menjadi lebih sukar buat kami. Pada kempen Piala Dunia, kami bersaing hebat untuk menang tetapi akhir Sepanyol mencatatkan kemenangan 1-0.

"Kami yakin kami mampu menewaskan Sepanyol dan saya harap kami akan menang," kata Pereira.

Portugal memulakan kempen Euro kali ini dengan hambar apabila tewas 0-1 pada aksi pembukaan Kumpulan B menentang Jerman.

Bagaimanapun, skuad kendalian Paulo Bento itu kembali bangkit apabila melakar kemenangan dalam dua baki perlawanan kumpulan iaitu ke atas Denmark 1-0 dan Belanda (2-1).

Meskipun, anak-anak buah Bento dilihat mempamerkan peningkatan tetapi Pereira mengingatkan rakan-rakan sepasukannya agar berhati-hati dengan corak permainan Sepanyol.

"Biarpun kami tewas pada perlawanan pertama tetapi kami telah berjaya mempamerkan peningkatan.

"Saya harap kami tidak akan melakukan kesilapan kerana Sepanyol pasti akan menggunakan kesempatan tersebut bagi menjaringkan gol.

"Kami perlu berhati-hati dengan pemain tengah Sepanyol yang berkebolehan melakukan hantaran-hantaran yang merbahaya dan mengelirukan," jelas Pereira. - Agensi

sumber: kosmo online

Punca England kalah

ENGLAND masih belum mampu untuk bergelar sebagai gergasi bola sepak Eropah.Pada kempen Euro 2012, perjuangan mereka hanya sampai ke peringkat suku akhir.

Mereka ditunjuk jalan keluar oleh Itali menerusi penentuan sepakan penalti selepas kedudukan terikat tanpa jaringan sehingga tamat perlawanan masa tambahan.

Kualiti yang ada dengan skuad kendalian Roy Hodgson itu masih belum mencukupi untuk membawa mereka mara lebih jauh meskipun aksi mereka pada saingan peringkat kumpulan telah menunjukkan peningkatan dalam setiap perlawanan yang mereka harungi.

Ramalan sebahagian besar penyokong England sebelum bermulanya aksi menentang Itali itu ada kebenarannya.

Mereka berpendapat bahawa jika England mahu menang perlawanan tersebut, ia akan berlaku dalam tempoh 90 minit tetapi jika ia berlarutan sehingga ke sepakan penalti, England akan tewas.

Majoriti daripada penyokong mereka tidak yakin dengan kemampuan England untuk memenangi sepakan penalti kerana ia sudah terbukti sebelum ini.

Ramalan tersebut ternyata benar apabila England ditunjuk jalan keluar selepas penentuan sepakan penalti tersebut.

Tidak keterlaluan jika dikatakan bahawa Ashley Young dan Ashley Cole menjadi punca kekalahan England kerana mereka gagal menyempurnakan sepakan penalti tersebut.

Sepakan Young terkena palang gol sementara ledakan Cole diselamatkan oleh penjaga gol Itali, Buffon.

Kegagalan mereka telah memusnahkan hajat besar England yang mahu membuktikan kritikan penyokong terhadap mereka adalah tidak benar.

Bagi Hodgson, dia tidak mahu menyalahkan mana-mana pihak kerana menganggap nasib sekali lagi tidak menyebelahi mereka.

“Semua pemain telah melakukan yang terbaik, tetapi nasib tidak memihak kepada kami.

“Dalam perlawanan genting seperti ini, kadang-kadang kamu memerlukan sedikit tuah untuk meraih kemenangan, namun tuah itu menyebelahi Itali,” katanya. - Agensi

sumber: kosmo online

Maut Gara-gara EURO 2012

MOMBASA: Sekurang-kurangnya seorang maut manakala beberapa lagi cedera selepas bom tangan meletup di sebuah bar di kawasan tumpuan pelancong di Mombasaketika pengunjung sedang menonton bola sepak Euro 2012, awal pagi tadi.
Tiga yang cedera dalam serangan bom itu dilaporkan dalam keadaan kritital, kata Ketua Polis Wilayah, Aggrey Adoli.

Ketika serangan berlaku di Jericho Bar di kawasan padat penduduk itu, pengunjung dan peminat bola sepak sedang menonton perlawanan suku akhir antara England dan Itali.

“Serangan berlaku jam 10 malam waktu tempatan. Seorang terbunuh dan beberapa lagi cedera,” kata polis.

Seorang saksi, George Lado, memberitahu AFP: “Ramai yang cedera. Saya lihat satu kawasan di dalam bar yang tiba-tiba meletup dan saya terus keluar menyelamatkan diri.”

Serangan itu berlaku selepas sehari Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat di Kenya mengeluarkan amaran kemungkinan wujud serangan pengganas apabila polis tempatan menahan dua suspek pengganas wargaIran. – AFP

source:tengokNi.com

Cristiano Ronaldo: Even Messi has his critics

The Real Madrid forward has been the subject of much criticism from fans

 and media in recent weeks, but made clear that such attacks are normal

 and that no player is spared.

Portugal attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that he is not troubled by the constant pressure to perform for the Seleccao, and pointed out that even Ballon d'Or holder Lionel Messi has his critics.

The Real Madrid man was the subject of scathing attacks after his underwhelming performances against Germany and Denmark in Group B of Euro 2012, but responded well with superb showings against the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

"Even Messi has his critics. You can't please everyone. But I don't get angry or frustrated by it," Ronaldo told reporters.

"The bigger star you become, the greater pressure there is on you to perform at a level acceptable to get people off your back.

"I don't have an agenda where I set out to appease critics. I just go out and play to the best of my ability."

"I accept it as a part of being a professional footballer. It takes a bigger man to ignore it and just get on with playing.

Ronaldo then took time to praise the unity within Paulo Bento's squad, and said that the Seleccao's team spirit is the key to their success.

"We're improving and that's important. There is great unity in our squad, we've a good team spirit and that helps," he added.

"It's been difficult to get this far, but we enter this stage with a great deal of optimism no matter who we face in the semi-final.

"Our objective now is to reach the final. Why not? There's greater pressure on other sides in this tournament and we've been able to progress without excessive expectations.

"No matter what happens now we should all be congratulated."

source: goal.com

Defending champ Spain defeats France

Xabi Alonso scored two goals in his 100th international appearance Saturday, leading Spain to a 2-0 win overFrance and a spot in the European Championshipsemifinals.

Alonso first scored with a thumping downward header in the 19th minute and then converted a penalty in injury time.

''We knew this was the most important match and we played very well,'' Alonso said. ''Scoring the early goal really made things easy, so I must say we're happy.''

The win was Spain's first over France in a competitive match in seven attempts. Spain will next face Portugal on Wednesday in Donetsk in the semifinals as it bids to win a third straight major title.

''When you lose a game there's always something missing, I'm not sure if it's possession or technical ability,'' France coach Laurent Blanc said. ''The lads gave everything and it's very hard to play against Spain. We blocked their left flank, which is their strong point.''

The opening goal was the result of excellent one-touch football - the hallmark of Spain's game. Andres Iniesta prodded the ball through for Jordi Alba, who whipped a perfect cross from the left to Alonso. The Real Madrid midfielder timed his run so well that no France defender picked him up.

''He knows how to sacrifice himself, help the team and where to play,'' Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. ''He is one of the attacking strengths of ours. He knows how to create and finish.''

Spain wrapped things up after France right back Anthony Reveillere barged into substitute forward Pedro Rodriguez in injury time. Alonso coolly sent goalkeeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot, looking right but clipping the ball firmly to the left.

France's only shot on target came in the 32nd minute when Yohan Cabaye's free kick was tipped over by Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

''They were there for the taking,'' Blanc said. ''We knew we would get some chances, and the only thing I regret is that they scored off their first good chance. If we had gone in level at 0-0 at halftime, then I think we would have had more room in the second half.''

The match was sometimes dull, but the Spanish did not really need to change gears after Alonso's opening goal.

Although the French made it out of the group stage for the first time since the 2006 World Cup, the manner of Saturday's loss will be disappointing for a team touted as one of the tournament's dangerous outsiders.

France formed a deep defensive line and watched awe-struck as Spain flicked the ball around as if it were a training session. The Spanish made dummy runs everywhere early on, and had a penalty claim waved away in the sixth minute when Cesc Fabregas tumbled under a challenge from left back Gael Clichy.

Spain soon pulled a compact France team out of position in the 10th minute as Iniesta curled a ball behind center half Adil Rami but it was too far for Fabregas to reach.

Karim Benzema, looking for his first goal at a major tournament, looked sharp and made some good runs, but the Real Madrid striker rarely got any service. He was fouled in the 32nd after galloping onto Florent Malouda's pass, and Cabaye's free kick was sailing into the top left corner before Casillas shuffled across quickly to save it.

While the French averted a repeat of the 2010 World Cup crisis - when the entire squad went on strike at training - the buildup to Saturday's game was marred by tensions in the camp following a heated dressing room bust-up after the 2-0 loss to Sweden.

''The big teams have all showed up at this Euro, and they will be in the semifinals,'' Blanc said. ''Unfortunately, France won't be.''

Lineups:

Spain: Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, David Silva (Pedro Rodriguez, 65), Andres Iniesta (Santi Cazorla, 84), Cesc Fabregas (Fernando Torres, 67).

France: Hugo Lloris, Anthony Reveillere, Adil Rami, Laurent Koscielny, Gael Clichy, Mathieu Debuchy (Jeremy Menez, 65), Yohan Cabaye, Yann M'Vila (Olivier Giroud, 79), Florent Malouda (Samir Nasri, 65), Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema.

source:msn.foxsports.com