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If you love football, If you love soccer, If you love Euro 2008
Right, June 2008 is the month. And this is the AnswersThatWork Blog. So a warning straight away : if you thought you'd come to this blog to read about technical tips, IT news, funny PC stories, forget it !
Today, June 7th, 2008, there is the rather large matter of the beginning of Euro 2008
— the European Football Championship of 2008, and when a major World football event is around, everything else takes second place. So much so that we're going to dedicate our June 2008 blog page to Euro 2008.
So, if you love football, if you love soccer, this blog page is the place to come to during Euro 2008. Come and "watch" Euro 2008 right here at
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
Monday, 9th June 2008
IfYouLoveFootball match report :
FRANCE 0-0 ROMANIA
(Monday 9-June-2008, Zurich, Switzerland, 16:00 GMT)
Two years ago, when commenting on France's first match in the World Cup 2006 in Germany, I wrote :
"Raymond Domenech's team is devoid of creativity — France have a world class defence, world class strikers, Zinedine Zidane, and, most importantly, an overly defensive midfield. Which team needs both Vieira and Makelele ??! The French supporters will have cringed, yet again, watching the performance. Raymond Domenech's usual result is a draw, preferably a nil-nil draw, and this did not disappoint Raymond ! It probably was the worst match of this World Cup so far. The Swiss were solid, assured, and occasionally enterprising. France was solid, assured, and occasionally enterprising."
OK, Zinedine Zidane has hung his boots but, quite frankly, do I need to write any more than the above for the pile of rubbish we saw today ? Substitute Swiss for Romanians and the above two-year old write-up summarizes more than adequately the unbelievably boring match we saw today.
Now, I have to be careful because 2 years ago France played atrociously in their first two matches and then exploded in the Quarter Finals against Spain and went all the way to the Final. And if they do that again this year you know I'll be over the moon...
Still, this was a match of "ifs". If only Romania had believed more in themselves they might have just won this match. If only Gomis had started for France instead of Benzema. If only the latest Will Smith film had been on the other channel...
And that's where I will end this report : If only the latest Will Smith film, Hancock, had been on the other channel !!
Goals : Are you kidding ??!!
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
Sunday, 8th June 2008
IfYouLoveFootball match report :
GERMANY 2-0 POLAND
(Sunday 8-June-2008, Klagenfurt, Austria, 18:45 GMT)
A pattern is emerging and I predict that the winner of this Euro 2008 will only come from a country which has an excellent pair of strikers aided by an also excellent midfield because one thing is certain : this tournament is full of world class defenders and defences. This is why I doubt Portugal will make it all the way as they do not have the strikers to match their overall excellence everywhere else on the field.
The fourth match of these European Championships finally served us with a wonderful match. It could have been 1-1 in the first 4 minutes !! This was sumptuous attacking football. And it was beautiful football. I think the ball must have stayed in the air for a grand total of no more than 5 minutes in this match. It was all on the ground, balls to feet, quick passing, long and short, movement, defence-splitting passes, wing play, dangerous crosses, dribbling. It was beautiful stuff. Poland could have gone one up within 30 seconds
— they surprised Germany with their first attack, Jens Lehman, the German goalkeeper, clattered into one of his defenders while punching away the Polish cross straight at Jacek Krzynowek who fired over the bar when it looked simpler to simply guide the ball home. Three minutes later Miroslav Klose broke the Polish off-side trap, ran on towards Boruc, the Polish goalkeeper, and elected to pass to Podolski when, again, it would have been easier for him to fire home. Four minutes on the clock and it should have been 1-1. This was exciting
— forget dinner, a beer and crisps were fine; no time to take one’s eyes off this match !
The TV critics will have you believe that Germany’s first goal was down to bad defending by Poland. I disagree. The Germans simply have one of the most inventive German side of recent times but, most of all, they have clearly worked on channelling that inventiveness towards making the most of the speed of Klose and Podolski (both originally born as Poles in Poland). So when you think a ball is going to be played wide, it is instead played straight through 3 defenders with Podolski or Klose making an angled run to meet the pass. I guarantee you
— Poland won’t be the last team in these Championships to be beaten in this way by this inventive German side. This is how the first goal arrived on 20 minutes : Gomez split the Polish defence, Klose ran on from an angle, repeating the trick he he’d done in the 4th minute, moved into the right side of the penalty area and passed across for a simple tap in by Podolski. It was simple, yet beautiful and very skilful.
The other factor which made the difference, the little “detail” (you know how “it’s all in the little details” is the fashion nowadays with football coaches), is that all 11 Germans had impeccable ball control. Totally, totally instant control of the ball, accurate passing, and most of them could pass with both feet. When you have a team that is so gifted you can split any defence with accurate spot-on passing. The first goal had already shown the difference that a team gifted with the ball can make, the second goal emphasized it. The Germans played a mesmerizing series of passes around the Polish midfield and defence, ending with Klose mis hitting his shot and Podolski sweetly volleying home, left-footed, Klose’s mis-hit. Poetry in motion.
Poland ? I want to see Poland in the next round, and I believe that if they start with Guerreiro straight from the off, rather than midway through the second half, then they will beat Croatia. They too played wonderful football, and created so many good situations but, unlike Germany, only half the team is as instantly comfortable on the ball as the Germans are, and, also, they do not have Podolski nor Klose up front
— those two left Poland a long time ago and now play for Germany !
Goals : Lukas Podolski 20’, 72’
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
IfYouLoveFootball match report :
AUSTRIA 0-1 CROATIA
(Sunday 8-June-2008, Vienna, Austria, 16:00 GMT)
I have never liked watching Croatia down the years, for one and one reason only : they always look like they are playing with brakes on.
I wonder how their supporters cope but I just can never cope watching Croatia. I find it infuriating, and, ultimately, boring. Lack of urgency is the word. One is looking at world class players playing in all the top teams in Europe, but as a national team they almost always lack urgency, most particularly if they go in front.
Croatia played the first 5 minutes of this game with urgency and scored during those 5 minutes. And this, essentially, is the only point of note of the game. The goal came courtesy of a crazy but totally justified penalty (crazy challenge in an area of the penalty area that posed no danger). After that Croatia dominated for the next 20 minutes or so and then completely switched off. And I switched off too.
Austria tried and tried and tried for the rest of the game and, to be fair, deserved at least a draw for the half chances they created in the rest of the first half, and the two very clear chances they created in the last 20 minutes, not to mention their overall domination of the second half. But this was not a match for the purists
— Austria's domination was the result of Croatia's lack of interest rather than Austria's brilliance.
In the end Croatia were so frustrating with their lack of adventure and lack of urgency, as a neutral I wanted Austria to equalize ! A match to forget. As with Switzerland, I do not see the co-hosts, Austria, win a single game in this group. I am interested, however, in what type of match Switzerland and Austria will play when they meet each other; will they go for a draw...?
Goal : Luka Modric, penalty, 4'
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
Saturday, 7th June 2008
IfYouLoveFootball match report :
PORTUGAL 2-0 TURKEY
(Saturday 7-June-2008, Geneva, Switzerland, 18:45 GMT)
After the beautiful town of Basle, on the Rhine (when you see the small river Rhine in Basle it is hard to believe this becomes that gigantic European river further downstream, capable of inundating half of Holland and Belgium on a bad day), we move to the magic of Geneva.
This was a match between one of the favourites, Portugal, and a team which despite having gone all the way to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2002, had never won a Euro Finals match, Turkey. David vs Goliath. And so it turned out. Portugal could have won this game by four or five goals, but, as it turned out, the match was for a long time a duel between the Turkish cross-bar and posts and Ronaldo and Nuno Gomes. There was an air of arrogance about Portugal, in the positive sense of the word. Everything they did looked assured, they looked confident, and even when the match was still delicately poised at 1-0 they looked unconcerned and confident they would win this match, without question. Even when Turkey were creating dangerous situations, this Portugal team still looked like "Hey, we're OK
— that was close, but we're cool!". And so it proved.
The world's most expensive defender, Pepe, scored the opener in the 61st minute. Real Madrid paid $45 million for him (I'm dizzy!). It was a beautiful goal
— he strolled past 3 players, played a one-two with Gomes and dinked it over the goalkeeper with a little help from a defender's foot. It was no more than Portugal deserved. The match continued in the same vein : Turkey showing very occasional glimpses and Portugal threatening and rattling the bar again (Nuno Gomes). Then, at the death, Portugal scored their second goal. If there is one indication that Portugal might just go all the way or nearly all the way, it is that goal. In all my years of professional "football watching", I have never seen Portugal score a goal on the counter in such luminous fashion. It started with Ronaldo who converted defence into attack at Manchester United supersonic speed, his pass into Moutinho was superb, but Moutinho's turn, on the run, was sublime; that turn made the goal, it eliminated both the last defender and the goalkeeper and once Moutinho had fed Meireles, the finish was a formality. I will watch and re-watch that Moutinho turn on the run for days to come.
Portugal will qualify, that's definite. And they can go all the way : they have three of the best defenders in the world, and a brilliant midfield of Ronaldo, Deco, Moutinho, with Nuno Gomes up front. I still do not rate Simao, personally, but if all the others play well, it will take a superb French team to beat them. Ugghhh ! Why did I mention France in here !!!
As for Turkey, they have the players to do something, but where is that self belief ?
Goals : Pepe 61’, Meireles 93’
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
IfYouLoveFootball match report :
SWITZERLAND 0-1 CZECH REPUBLIC
(Saturday 7-June-2008, Basle, Switzerland, 16:00 GMT)
One has to feel for the Swiss in this opening match : beaten
at home by a Czech side whose performance reminded me of the
surprise Greece sprang up at the last European Championships — rock
solid defensively, no quality midfield (oh, how do they miss Pavel
Nedved!), and next to nothing up front.
The Swiss were pretty to watch. This was not the Swiss side of
previous tournaments. The main criticism I have always had of
past Switzerland sides has been their lack of athleticism.
They have always played pretty but slow football, and on the
international football scene that may qualify you for the finals but
it never takes you far. Not this time. Nowadays the
Swiss side is full of players who ply their trades at some of the
biggest clubs in Europe, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund,
Udinese, and Bayer Leverkusen to name a few, so it is a side full of
top class footballers, and their game today showed it : fast,
accurate, full of movement and invention. The problem,
Switzerland do not have enough world class players in midfield and
up front, they have only two : Barnetta in midfield and Frei
up front. Barnetta is brilliant, but he is the only diamond of
invention in midfield for Switzerland and at this level you need at
least two; Frei up front would find a place in any top team in
Europe and the tragedy for Switzerland was when he got injured a
minute before half-time when the teams were still at 0 0.
Through his own cleverness, positioning, and running, he had
manufactured by himself the three excellent chances Switzerland had
in the first half.
The second half started even better for the Swiss, despite the loss
of their talisman captain, Alexander Frei. They played the
better football, created chances, made Petr Cech produce saves,
great saves even, but they still could not put that ball in the net.
In fact, they were so much on top that is the reason they lost the
game. A minute before they went behind Hakan Yakin had nearly
put them in front but his header went just wide of the post.
Then the Swiss had to defend a corner and they were so excited by
their domination and what looked like only a matter of time before
they would score, that in their eagerness to catch the Czechs on the
counter they simply forgot to defend and Vaclav Sverkos beat the
offside trap to latch onto a pass over the Swiss defence and finish
with the outside of the foot. 1-0 to the Czechs. The
Swiss still managed to force Petr Cech into another world class
save, and they hit the bar, but you sensed the Czech, with the
imperial Jankulovski in their defence, would hold, and they did.
It’s sad but I cannot see the host Switzerland winning a match in
this group. As for the Czechs, have you noticed how I have not
mentioned them ? Still, remember Greece in 2004 ? I
reserve judgement for the moment...
Goal : 71’ – Vaclav Sverkos
—— (TUT) SpaceMan
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