Germany vs. Turkey

Germany vs. Turkey (3-2, Ugur Boral, 22′, Schweinsteiger, 26′, Klose, 76′, Semih Senturk, 86′, Lahm, 90′)

Another stunning match from Euro 2008.  The Turks, missing almost half their players (never mind the starters) due to suspension and injury played with only three available substitutes.  The Germans played the same team which romped over the Portuguese in the Quarterfinal.  Was a thrashing in the works?  Probably not.  The Turks did come back in the last seconds of 3 separate matches already, and early on, they decided to attempt to go up early, instead of saving their theatrics for late.  Their strategy worked to perfection, as they dominated the Germans early on.  Colin Kazim-Richards had two shots hit the crossbar, one going out of play, and one falling to Ugur Boral, who easily tucked it passed German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann for a 1-0 lead.  Quite a shocker from a team missing its 6 best players (including Tuncay, Emre, Arda, Volkan, Nihat and Servet).  The Germans figured they probably should match the Turks, and four minutes later, they did.  On a ridiculous counter attack, Podolski found the ball with space on the left.  He waited for Schweinsteiger to make his run to the near post, for a 1-1 tie.  Still, the Turks continued to take the match to the Germans, and luckily, the blunders made by Jens Lehmann didn’t cost the Germans any further, so heading into halftime, it was a 1-1 draw.  As the second half kicked off, Simon Rolfes was taken off for Torsten Frings.  Rolfes looked out of place on the pitch, and replacing him with an experienced holding midfielder such as Frings was a good idea for Low.  The Germans started taking the match to the Turks, controlling possession and making them scramble back to their positions.  The breakthrough came through in the 79th minute, as Miroslav Klose grabbed his second headed goal of the tournament off a cross from Lahm.  Klose was lucky he was facing Recber instead of Volkan, because Recber ran out of his box into the penalty box, only to watch the ball fly past him.  Of course, with every lead, the Turks come back, and this was no different.  Because of the power outages, I wasn’t able to see Semih Senturk’s goal, but believe me, he scored, for a shocking 2-2 scoreline.  However, Philip Lahm once again came up big, and took matters into his own hands, dribbling through the Turkish team, dekeing a defender and slotting a goal past Recber for a 3-2 lead.  Another amazing attempt at a comeback just falling short for the Turks, who exit Euro 2008 as the Cinderella team.

Goalkeepers - Both goalkeepers were pretty bad.  Jens Lehmann solidified his spot at the top of my rankings of the World’s most overrated players, as he just looked uneasy and tentative the entire night.  On a free kick from the left from Ugur Boral, Lehmann was smart enough to punch the ball away instead of attempting to grab it, but he punched it right to the Turks.  He looked uneasy on Altintop’s free kick in the first half, and he just looked tentative at best the entire match.  I’m honestly surprised he lasted the whole match giving up only two goals.  His counterpart, World Cup veteran Rustu Recber fared worse believe it or not, as the Germans had 5 shots on goal, and he let in 3.  Schweinsteiger’s goal was his defense’s fault, but the other two goals, he had a chance of grabbing.  Especially on Klose goal, he came out too early, timed it wrong, and paid the price.  
Defenders - Pretty bad all around.  The Turks were playing probably with their 5th different defense in five matches, while the Germans used the back four which led them to a third placed finish in World Cup 2006.  I think the German defense was more disappointing, however.  Even though Philip Lahm had a great match offensively, he was run ragged on the left, and Friedrich the same on the right.  Mertesacker and Metzelder were only mediocere at the back.  You have to cut the Turks a bit more slack because they’re missing almost half their team, but then again, they are still professional footballers, and the defense had no excuse letting Schweinsteiger run all the way through the box to beat his marker for the first goal, or even the next two goals, partially the fault of Recber.  
Midfielders - Schweinsteiger was at it again, with another vintage performance.  His first goal equalized the scores at 1, and his work rate and skill were particularly impressive for a second successive outing.  The rest of the midfield didn’t work right for the Germans.  Rolfes looked out of place early on, Frings didn’t do much as his replacement, and most disappointing, Michael Ballack didn’t really do much in the midfield.  The Turks stuffed five in their midfield to start the match, and in the first half, the game ran through their midfield.  Good chances all around, until the second half, when the Germans really buckled down.  
Attackers - As lone strikers, Klose and Semih Senturk didn’t have great matches, but each did score.  They didn’t get much service up top, but they made it count when they got their opportunities.

Man of the Match - Philip Lahm.  Defensively, he was absolutely terrible.  Offensively, he was like a 30 million Euro striker playing in one of Europe’s top leagues.  He set up Klose’s first goal with a brilliant cross and he marched down the left, juked a defender and finished a beautiful run to give the Germans the go-ahead goal.  Even though he sucked on defense, his offense definitely made up for it, as it put the Germans up for good.
Dud of the Match -  Rustu Recber.  Disappointing match for the backup goalkeeper.  His defense did let him down on a few occasions, but he really should’ve done better with Lahm’s cross, which was eventually guided in by Klose.

Italy vs. Spain

Sorry, I didn’t blog about this match earlier, but it was one of the most boring, BS matches I’ve ever seen in my life.  If I wrote about it, I’d probably want to stab myself in the chest a few times.

Thus, I’m not gonna waste my time on it.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=232283&league=UEFA.EURO&cc=5901

Spain deserved to win.  Boring, uninspiring, defensive, just a piece of crap match.

Russia vs. Holland

Russia vs. Holland (3-1, Pavlyuchenko, 56′, van Nistelrooy, 86′, Torbinsky, 112′, Arshavin, 116′)

I’m just gonna put this out thre - Guus Hiddink is one of the greatest international managers in history.  He took Australia to the round of 16 in the World Cup, he took the South Koreans to fourth place in WC 2002, and now, he’s led the Russians to the semi-finals in a stunning performance.  His team’s performance was nothing short of spectacular today, as they took the game to the Dutch.  He even said the best defense is offense, and he proved it today by pushing all his players forward.  It was a weird first half for the Dutch because they seemed to be playing mostly out of their midfield, but their midfielders weren’t even involved in the match.  They left van Nistelrooy up front by himself, and when that proved to be a flaw, they moved right-back/right-holding midfielder/right midfielder Dirk Kuyt to striker.  The match was going entirely towards the right hand side, and by halftime, Kuyt already seemed totally out of it for all the running that was required of him.  Sneijder and van der Vaart just couldn’t inject themselves into the match, while de Jong and Engelaar were playing almost as central defenders, with their back ineptness.  Without prior knowledge regarding Arjen Robben’s apparent groin injury, I had predicted van Basten would sub Engelaar and Kuyt for van Persie and Robben.  Ibrahim Afalay was instead substituted for Engelaar, and without the match experience necessary for this type of international, he just looked lost in the wilderness.  As time went on, Sneijder tried to interject himself as got the ball and shot from all angles (even though it was less than advantageous).  It wasn’t working and while the Dutch were shooting, the Russians were creating.  A move on the left resulted in a cross into the feet of Pavlyuchenko for an early 1-0 lead in the second half.  Things weren’t working for the Dutch and inexplicably, they kept shooting from distance to no avail.  Luckily for them, they were able to force extra time on a set piece in which van Nistelrooy headed in a Sneijder cross.  Undeserved, but that’s football for you.  The first half of extra time was a bore, and then Arshvin took over.  He beat his marker Ooijer on the left and crossed it into the feet of Dmitri Torbinsky for an easy tap and a 2-1 lead.  He ended the scoring a few minutes later with a great indivdual effort off a throw, beating his marker (Ooijer again) and slotting it past van der Saar for a 3-1 lead.  The Dutch shot themselves in the feet, I thought by subbing Heitinga for Boulahrouz.  Boulahrouz was playing a decent match, and apart from the tragic death of his daughter or his yellow, shouldn’t have been taken off.  That one reserve could’ve helped the Dutch get an equalizer, someone like a Klaas Jan Huntaelaar who could’ve given the Dutch three attackers.  But by the same token, they would’ve had to switch to 3-4-3 and with that defense, who knows.  Despite all this, a wonderful match again.

Goalkeepers - Edwin van der Saar solidified his place in my book as one of the great goalkeepers in the World with his performance today.  His saves were impeccable, and he established his terratory well, even though his players just flat out sucked.  Akinfeev made all the saves he needed to, and really, you can’t blame van Nistelrooy’s goal on him.  I’m extremely surprised he’s recovered so well after the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Spain, but with his performances, he might be looking at a transfer to Western Europe after the tournament concludes.  
Defenders - Zhirkov had another great performance at left back, but I’m concerned mostly with the Russians and set pieces.  van der Vaart served up at least 3 perfect set pieces that luckily weren’t met by the Dutch.  If they’ll want to get past the winner of Spain/Italy, they’ll need to improve.  I don’t know what was in Kolodin’s water today, but his shots, even from distances were being rocketed on goal and if not for van der Saar’s many saves, it could’ve been a drubbing.  The Dutch defense, in a word, was horrible.  They were terribly exposed everywhere on the back line, and when John Heitinga is their best defender, there are bigger problems for the Dutch in the near future.  
Midfielders - In one word, the Dutch midfield was disappointing.  First of all, it was tough luck Robben was injured throughout, and a groin injury (apparently) kept him out of today’s match.  But van der Vaart and Sneijder, the two playmakers showed no creativity and really didn’t run the midfield.  Engelaar had a modest match and Kuyt was playing confused (he had no definite position - right back, right midfield striker?), but Nigel de Jong did play well.  If he had been a few inches taller, he would’ve gotten a few goals courtesy of van der Vaart’s set pieces, his only contribution to the match.  For the Russians, not the best performance in the midfield, but then again, who needs a great performance from them when you have Arshavin everywhere on the pitch?  Semak is a perfect holding midfielder for the Russians, but Zurianov and Semshov were nothing special.  
Attackers - van Nistelrooy needed a partner up front, and that was evidenced by his lackluster display in the first half.  When he did get support in the form of Robin van Persie, he played a bit better, although van Persie wasn’t all too great himself.  He did get the tying goal, but otherwise, had a less than stellar performance.  The Russians, on the other hand were once again in unison up front.  Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin worked well together, and even though sub Torbinsky blew numerous chances, he finally converted in the extra frame on a ridiculous ball by Arshavin, who beat Ooijer on the left.  If Torbinsky would’ve missed that, it would’ve been of Mario Gomez proportions.  Luckily for him, he converted.  Oh, and props to Ivan Saneko, the only foreign-based player in the squad for his play against van Bronckhorst.  As a forward, he kept attacking and kept the former Barcelona fullback at bay.

Man of the Match - Andrei Arshavin.  Even though Arshavin played well throughout, he really turned it on in extra time.  For the first 90, van der Saar was my man of the match, saving some ridiculous shots by Denis Kolodin and Arshavin, but during the extra frame, Arshavin turned it on.  When the Dutch looked like they were playing for the draw, Arshavin kept on running, and continued to show the creativity which has jettisoned Russia through this tournament.  He set up Torbinsky perfectly for the go-ahead goal, and created and scored the clincher, getting a little bit of help from John Heitinga’s deflection.  Who knew one player could make so much of a difference for the Russians?  (Ok, maybe I did - check my key players!)
Dud of the Match - The Dutch defense.  Ok, so the back four were solid for the first half, but then they went into a bit of a funk.  Boulahrouz and van Bronckhorst never had the chance to go forward, and they’re really not the best defenders in the world, so there were problems on the left and right for the Dutch.  Then, when you stick to less-than-stellar central defenders in the middle in Oojer and Mathijsen, trouble is expected.  The Russians had so many chances in the box and if not for Torbinksy’s ineptness (he missed seriously like 5 easy chances between the time he came on until the time he scored) and van der Saar’s ridiculous goalkeeping, the Dutch defense would be much maligned forever.  They are missing the one commanding figure in the middle, a la Jaap Stam.  Mathijsen and Ooijer are decent, but you’re not going to find Stam out of them.

Turkey vs. Croatia

Turkey vs. Croatia (1-1, Klasnic, 119′, Semih Senturk, 120+)
Turkey wins 3-1 on Penalty Kicks.

What an unbelievable match.  It’s tough to convey to others why I feel so passionate about this match, but here it goes.  First of all, the Croatians were with their top lineup, the one that demolished everyone in group competition (including embarrassing Germany), while the Turks were without their starting GK, starting back 4, starting midfielder and captain, and starting forward.  They had 15 eligible players - 13 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers.  That’s it!  And you know what?  They hung in there with the high powered Croats.  Of course, the Croatians were still missing Eduardo da Silva from that bone-crunching tackle, but they still were firing on all cylinders heading into the match.  But also, if one thing was certain, it was this - the Turks never give up.  Well, the match went back and forth for awhile, until Luka Modric was able to maneuver his way into the box in the first half, passed it to the feet of Ivica Olic, who blatantly put it right into the crossbar.  The follow-up attempt by Niko Krancjar went nowhere, a major opportunity missed by the Croatians.  There were other chances by Olic created by his unbelievable work rate, including an opportunity with a 50/50 ball he had beaten Rustu Recber to, but turned out to be a little bit of nothing.  Finally, when everyone realized the match was going nowhere, changes needed to be made.  Most importantly, the Croatians brought on two more strikers, Ivan Klasnic and Dortmund striker Mladen Petric, while the Turks also went the attacking mode, bringing on Semih Senturk and Ugor Boral, the leading scorer in the Turkish league last season.  Even as the match stalled to a snail-like pace in the extra frame, the substitutions both resulted in goals.  On a misjudged ball by goalkeeper Recber, he ran out and attempted to punch it away, but was left sprawled, and when Modric headed the ball back to the head of Klasnic, it was an easy 1-0 lead.  This, mind you was in the 119th minute, around 10 seconds from the end of extra time.  The Turks kicked off and attacked, and the Croats went on the counter, only to be caught offsides.  Recber stepped up quickly and fired it downfield, getting it to Senturk, who turned his opponent and fired a goal past Stipe Pletikosa for a 1-1 equalizer.  It was one of the most ridiculous goals you’ll ever see, especially considering the consequences and everything else, and the fact the Turks have been the only team to come back from a defecit, and they’ve done it THREE SEPARATE TIMES!  Insane.  The penalty shootout was a blur, as Recber stepped up and saved a shot by Petric, while Modric and Klasnic both missed their chances wide (one right, one left).  The Turks destroyed all their shots, and won the match in absolutely amazing fashion.  By far, the match of the tournament, and one of my favorite matches ever.

Goalkeepers - Rustu Recber had a weird match.  You have to remember, he was the goalkeeper that led Turkey to third place in World Cup 2002, earned a huge transfer to Barcelona, but played in only four competitive matches before going back to Turkey.  He started out strong, had some lapses, then made a ridiculous save on a Darijo Srna free kick right near the end of regulation to keep it even.  Even though his walkabout led to the Croat’s first goal, he got retribution not only by assisting Senturk’s goal, but also keeping out three penalty kicks.  Luckily, two were wide, but still, he was a presence.  What can I say for Pletikosa?  He had no work throughout the match, then his defense let him down, and he couldn’t save the penalty kicks.  Not his fault.  To me, he’s still been the best in the tournament, only behind Gianluigi Buffon.
Defenders - Pranjic is no longer an unknown commodity, and thus, he was limited on the left by Altintop.  Corluka attacked instead from the right, but his crosses didn’t have the quality Pranjic’s did in the first three matches.  Simunic and Kovac were alright at the back, but were at fault for the equalizer.  The makeshift Turkish defense was less than stellar.  If referee Roberto Rosetti had seen him tugging on Corluka’s shirt numerous times during set pieces, he would’ve not only given up a penalty, but might also have been sent off.  Altintop had another fabulous match.  He’s been the rock in the Turkish lineup ever since Emre went out with an injury.
Midfielders - Luka Modric finally broke out today and had the match I’ve been looking for out of him since the tournament started.  He was creative, he ran the midfield, he passed well, specifically setting up Olic for two easy chances, both of which he blew.  Rakitic and Srna also played well in the midfield.  No complains about the Croats.  Arda Turan was decent, but huge props go to my man Tuncay.  He had another match where his work rate was absolutely incredible and despite not hitting the mark on any of his shots, he still was able to set up his teammates numerous times.  He’s been one of my favorites to watch this entire tournament.
Attackers - Nihat is such an unconventional striker.  He’s short, he’s not that strong, and he plays by himself up front.  He needs someone to play off him effectively for the Turkish offense to work, and today, they stuck Kazim Kazim (formerly Colin Kazim-Richards) next to him in attack.  As the match started, they seemed to be partnered up front, but as the match went on, Kazim dropped back to play behind Nihat, and when he wasn’t getting the touches, he was subbed out for Semih Senturk.  Senturk got the equalizer - that’s all I really need to say about him.  Meanwhile, I won’t deny Ivica Olic’s unbelievable workrate on the pitch, but him and Krancjar really didn’t get it done today.  Olic had two golden chances and he botched them both, and Krancjar had a chance to follow up Olic’s miss that hit the crossbar, but didn’t hit the mark on his header.  He really never made himself a part of the match, and that’s too bad because it cost the Croatians.  Mladen Petric and Ivan Klasnic were both much better offensively, but it was a little too late.

Man of the Match - Semih Senturk.  If I could, I’d give it to the entire Turkish squad.  They were playing with only 15 active players (that’s a full squad and 4 reserves, including a goalkeeper).  But it was Senturk who once again came up with the equalizer, with the last kick of the match in regulation.  You have to remember - he was the one that equalized against the Swiss when the Turks came back in their second match…
Dud of the Match -  Josip Simunic and Robert Kovac.  They played well throughout, but their one lapse was the one that killed the Croats.  On the last boot of the match, Recber hit it pretty much as hard as he could down field, fell to the feet of Senturk.  The central defenders should’ve been there, but didn’t mark him closely enough.  With space, Senturk was able to spin around, and hammer home the equalizer, therebynot only putting the teams on level terms once again, but also shifting the momentum to the Turks.  At least Simunic didn’t get 3 yellow cards again…

Germany vs. Portugal

Germany vs. Portugal (3-2, Schweinsteiger, 22′, Klose, 26′, Nuno Gomes, 42′, Ballack, 62′, Helder Postiga, 87′)

Portugal came into the match favorites, after storming past the group stage, with impressive displays against the Turks and the Czechs in Group play.  The Germans, on the other hand looked out of their element in the Group stage, having lost to Croatia.  The Germans made three changes pre-match, including finally taking out ‘Super Mario’ Gomez, while the Portuguese stayed with the same lineup that did them wonders in their first two matches.  However, as the match started and Joakim Lowe watched from the stands, the Germans took the match to the Portuguese.  They simply dominated proceedings early on, and finally, on a string of beautiful one touch passes leading to the feet of Lukas Podolski, he crossed it in towards the recently suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger, and he simply beat Paulo Ferriera to the ball, and struck it past the stranded Ricardo for a 1-0 lead.  If you thought Schweinsteiger was having a good match so far, his next action was a free kick 20 yards outside the box.  It was swung in perfectly to Miroslav Klose, who didn’t have a great touch on the ball, but still had enough to put it past Ricardo for a 2-0 lead.  After this goal, the Portuguese got a bit desperate and decided to attack more.  Curiously enough, it seemed as if Bosingwa was attacking more on the right than Simao, as he provided some nice crosses, but without the quality a typical right midfielder would’ve done.  The Portuguese struck one back shortly before the halftime whistle when a run by Ronaldo resulted in a save by Lehmann, but the resulting follow up by Nuno Gomes led to his second of the tournament, for a mere 2-1 advantage heading into the half.  As the second half started, the Portuguese continued to push up, but without a competent attack from the right and without a hitman in the middle, things got rough.  Finally, the match was put out of reach with another Schweinsteiger free kick, this time met on the head by captain Michael Ballack for his second goal in two games off set-pieces.  The Portugese crawled one back after a nice run by Nani resulted in a cross met by Helder Postiga, but otherwise, they couldn’t muster much else.  With an able scorer, things might’ve been different, or if Simao hadn’t played like he did, things could’ve changed for the Portuguese.  But as it stands, the Germans are off to the next round.

Goalkeepers - Jens Lehmann was a lot better today.  Nuno Gomes’ goal was a brilliant save that took a wrong bounce, while Postiga’s goal was mainly his defenders’ fault for not marking him.  Ricardo, on the otherhand had a bad match, period.  The final goal where he rushed out for no apparent reason, sealed the fate of the Portuguese.
Defenders - Let’s face it, both defenses were less than stellar.  While Bosingwa attacked, Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho couldn’t cover the ground necessary as central defenders.  That, and Paulo Ferriera looked out of his element at left back.  The Germans weren’t much better, as Mertesacker and Metzelder looked shaky in front of Lehmann.  Lahm didn’t have a great match attacking or defending, but Arne Friedrich made up for it, with his stellar play against Cristiano Ronaldo.
Midfielders - The German midfield dominated the Portuguese midfield.  Ballack and Schweinsteiger looked like themselves for the first time all tournament, while Hitzlsperger made a mark on the right with his blistering, albeit unwarranted long shots.  The Portuguese really got nothing out of Cristiano Ronaldo or Deco, their two star players, while Simao had another ridiculously poor outing.  He’s quickly developing into one of my least favorite players in the world.  In this tournament, he’s shown himself to be not only ridiculously selfish and arrogant, but not all that good.  
Attackers - Pre-tournament, I felt the major weakness for the Portuguese would be up front.  However, as this match progressed, other issues took precedence, mainly the defense.  Nuno Gomes had decent support up front and bagged a goal on a remarkable save by Jens Lehmann that bounced the wrong way, but he didn’t do enough.  Helder Postiga scored on a nice cross by second half sub Nani, but again, he isn’t the finisher the Portuguese need.  The Germans, on the other hand, had Podolski up front for the first time all tournament (he provided the assist for the first goal) with Klose (who got off the mark).  Podolski had another spectacular match, seemingly controlling the match in the offensive end for the Germans.  You’ve gotta wonder if the German game is faltering because they’re not playing players like Podolski at Bayern, or if they’re just too reliant on foreign talent.

Man of the Match - Bastian Schweinsteiger.  He was one of my favorites leading up to WC2006, but since then, I really haven’t seen him play.  Today, he was just dynamic.  He set up two goals with his precise free kicks, and scored after beating Paulo Ferriera to the spot on a Lukas Podolski cross.  He was what the Germans lacked in the first three matches of the tournament.
Dud of the Match - Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho.  It wasn’t a pretty match for the Portugese defense.  The brute strength of the Germans just dominated the more technically sound Portuguese.  The pair were beaten on both headers and were nowhere to be found as Schweinsteiger scored the opener.

Quarterfinal Matchups + Predictions

Portugal vs. Germany - Cristiano Ronaldo will bag a brace, and Klose will get off the mark.  2-1, Portugal.

Croatia vs. Turkey - Without seemingly half their team, the Turks will get downed by the Croats, 1-0.

Netherlands vs. Russia - In the battle of the counter-attackers, the Dutch will take it, 3-2.

Spain vs. Italy - 1-1 after 90 minutes, but the Spaniards will prevail.

Matchday 11

Russia vs. Sweden (2-0, Pavlyuchenko, 20′, Arshavin, 54′)

Teamwork wins matches, and it could not have been more evidanced than in this match.  The Swedes played like a combination of every man for himself and not knowing they even had teammates, while the Russians played some silky smooth football.  The Swedes were already in trouble as the match started, as star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been diagnosed with ‘Jumper’s Knee’, and were already without creative right-sided midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson.  It was further evidenced as the Russians took the match to the Swedes, probably a direct order for Guus Hiddink, who’s never failed to reach the second round of any major tournament, after taking the reigns of Holland, South Korea and Australia previously.  The pressure paid off, as not only were they keeping the pressure on the Swedes, they were further limiting chances by hitman Ibrahimovic.  Their play finally played off, as they started a beautiful move from the right, and a string of 1 touch passes led to the right foot of Roman Pavlyuchenko, who stroked it easily for a 1-0 lead.  The lead was well deserved, and it looked like the Russians were on the way.  At the end of the first half, the Swedes started to come forward a bit more, needing at least a tie to move onto the next ground, but no chances were really created, per say.  Lots and lots of crosses by Johan Elmander and Frederik Ljungberg were put in, to the hands goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, or over the touchline.  The pressure was kept on as the second half started, and that left the Swedes susceptible to the counter.  Finally, they were caught out of position, and a nice ball through to previously suspended Andrei Arshavin led to a 2-0 lead.  The Swedes, needing two goals now, added another striker onto the pitch (Marcus Allback) and a more creative midfielder (Kim Kallstrom), but it was a bit too late, as the Russian midfield hustled to each and every ball, and controlled the match.  It was just a sweet team performance, especially since I really believe the Swedes had the better individual players.  But it just goes to show - you’ve gotta win as a team.

Goalkeepers - Isakson was let down by his defense on several occasions.  The Pavlyuchenko goal was just a ridiculous move, and the Arshavin goal was just a beautiful counter.  I have major concerns about Akinfeev heading into the next match, especially because of his inexperience and his ability to judge whether to catch or punch.  With the Dutch upcoming, I forsee some problems.
Defenders - The Swedes weren’t very good.  Hansson and Mellberg just didn’t look themselves after the first match, and the Russians sliced through their defense.  Storr and Nilsson were just…eh.  They never made themselves a part of the match.  The Russians were alright, and that’s all they had to be because their midfield worked so hard.
Midfielders - Absolutely brilliant display by the Russians on this night.  Bilyaletdinov and Zhirkov were attacking, Semak was holding, and it just worked for the Russians.  They controlled most of the match from the midfield, making tackles and starting the counter, and there was a sort of chemistry between the players lacking with the other teams, especially the Swedes.  Ljungberg and the out-of-position Elmander swung in way too many crosses, and there lacked the sort of creativeness the Swiss needed, especially with Ibrahimovic not at 100%.
Attackers - Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin worked extremely well together.  Until the end of the match when they were just trying to drill the Swedes into oblivion, they knew where each other was at at all times, and they passed it to each other as if they were playing together for the past 10 years.  Arshavin played well behind Pavlyuchenko - you could see why the Russians missed him.  Pavs, though has gotta shoot a LOT less.  He’s good, but he’s not Ibrahimovic good yet, and he needs his teammates to score - that’s the Russian way.  Zlatan just didn’t have a great match, partly due to his injury, partly due to the fact the Swedes were getting dominated at most facets of the match.

Man of the Match - Andrei Arshavin.  Played well behind Pavlyuchenko.  He’ll be a key to how the Russians do against the Dutch.
Dud of the Match - Olof Mellberg and Petter Hansson.  Very shaky at the back.  It’s surprising Juventus grabbed him also.  He’s not a bad player, but he’s no World Class player, either.

Spain vs. Greece (2-1, Charisteas, 42′, de la Red, 61′, Guiza, 88′)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=232279&league=UEFA.EURO&cc=5901

Group D Final Table -

1.  Spain (Advances as the winner of Group D)
2.  Russia (Advances as the runners-up in Group D)
3.  Sweden (Eliminated)
4.  Greece (Eliminated) 

Matchday 10

Italy vs. France (2-0, Pirlo, 25′(P), De Rossi, 62′)

This was THE MATCH to look out for as the tournament began, but under different circumstances.  The French and Italians were thought of as the class of the group, but turned out to be the bottom feeders vying for the last spot in Group C against Romania.  The Italians and French both had identical losses - boring matches against the Romanians resulting in ties, and a drubbing at the hands of the Dutch.  With the rain pouring down, one team looked to break out, and early on, it was end to end football.  That is, until Franck Ribery went down with an apparent knee injury tracking down Andrea Pirlo to his half of the field.  He was in obvious pain, and had to be immediately substituted for Marseille starlet and Arsenal recruit Samir Nasri, and once that happened, the match immediately started to take another shape.  The French lost their zest, and the Italians started to attack and counter, until the breakthrough - a long ball by Chiellini leading to a red card by Eric Abdial on a horrible challenge in the box - well deserved for the penalty.  Pirlo stepped up and drilled it for a 1-0 lead.  From then on, the Italians played with brimming confidence, while the French looked old and lethargic, something I didn’t expect, despite having the oldest team in European Championships history.  Moreover, the French had to re-substitute Nasri for a central back to replace the sent-off Abidal.  They went with Newcastle reject Boumsong, and he held up the fort well.  The second half involved much of the same - frustrating the French to no end.  The evening was capped off with a blistering shot by De Rossi on a free-kick around 35m out, deflected by Thierry Henry for a 2-0 lead.  Knowing the Dutch were ahead 1-0 against the Romanians, the Italian fans started to celebrate, and that’s how the match basically ended.  The French had no attack and looked listless without Ribery, which sent the Italians through to the next round.

Goalkeepers - Buffon was stellar, as usual.  In keeping a clean sheet, he also proved why he’s one of the best players in the world, saving a nice curling shot by Karim Benzema in the first half.  He commanded his area and saved his defenders when they were stranded.  Coupet just had an unlucky match.  He had no chance on Pirlo’s penalty (let’s be frank - most goalkeepers wouldn’t have gotten close to it) and De Rossi’s free kick sent him one way, while Henry’s deflection sent him the other.  His save on Fabio Grosso’s free kick in the first half was one of the saves of the tournament, in my opinion.
Defenders - The French defense is old, and they need to move into the next generation.  Thuram didn’t perform up to expectations and got benched, but with no adequate replacement, the French stuck Adibal at central defense, and that killed them.  Clerc is good at club level, but not ready to contribute to the French set-up internationally.  The Italian makeshift defense performed much better today, and weren’t really bothered by the French offense, after RIbery went down early on.  
Midfielders - The Italians ran the match from the midfield.  Gattuso and De Rossi were brilliant, completing over 90% of their passes, while Pirlo struck his penalty kick and Perotta supported Toni in attack.  On the other side, the French were just cold after Ribery got carted off.  Nasri came on and made no difference and had to be re-subbed after Abidal got sent off.  Toulalan continued a very unimpressive tournament, even though he could still be the holding midfielder of the future for the French.  Finally, Govou looked totally out of place on the right, away from his preferred striker position.  For the Italians, the only downer were two yellows, one to Gattuso and one to Pirlo, making them ineligible for their next match, against the Spaniards in the quarter-finals.
Attackers - Toni had his chances, but he created them all himself with his height and his power.  Cassano didn’t help him enough, and I think they’ll need to look elsewhere for Toni’s strike partner.  Henry looked lethargic and even though he was quite the captain, him and Benzema just looked off.  I was impressed by the quality of Benzema’s play, however.  He’ll progress nicely at Lyon.

Man of the Match - Daniele De Rossi.  My lasting image of De Rossi (since I don’t watch Serie A) was the incident where he bloodied up Brian McBride in WC2006.  He apologized, and I knew he was a good man soon after that.  Not only that, but today he confirmed he’s quite the player.  He and Gattuso partnered to stifle the French and effectively run the midfield.  And finally, his shot did help to seal the deal for the Italians.  A vintage performance by an up-and-coming midfielder playing his club football at Roma.
Dud of the Match - Eric Abidal.  First of all, to give him the benefit of the doubt, he’s a natural left back playing central defense for the French, who went without Lilian Thuram.  He looked shaky early, and after Chiellini lobbed in a nice ball on the counter and Abidal whiffed on the header, the rest was history.  He got sent off, Pirlo scored the penalty, and sent the Italians on their way.

Holland vs. Romania (2-0, Huntelaar, 54′, van Persie, ‘87)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=232277&league=UEFA.EURO&cc=5901

Group C Final Table -

1.  Netherlands (Advances as the winner of Group C)
2.  Italy (Advances as the runners-up in Group C)
3.  Romania (Eliminated)
4.  France (Eliminated)

Matchday 9

Austria vs. Germany (0-1, Ballack, 49′)

Talk about a bizarre match.  The lead-up to the match involved some severed heads and lots of tension between the German and Austrian fans.  Then, during the match, both managers got ejected and thrown into the stands, the first time I’ve ever seen anything of the sort.  On the pitch itself, a very uninspiring match.  The Germans were very unimpressive, led by Mario Gomez, who had another horrible match.  He was offsides on a few moves, and then, on a Miroslav Klose cross, all he had to do was tap it in, and not only did he fail, he didn’t even attempt to follow it up.  In the midfield, Torsten Frings put on another uninspiring performance, and even when Podolski was playing well injured, the rest of the team just seemed out of it.  The Austrians, trying to spring a miracle, lacked the quality to win.  They worked so had, but just didn’t have the personnel to finish, and that killed them in the end because they had chances they could not convert.  The only goal of the match came on a Michael Ballack direct free kick, as he fired a shot past Jurgen Macho for an impressive strike.  Otherwise, not really much else to tell.  The Germans have the Portuguese next, while the co-hosts bounce out of the tournament, doing not as badly as some predicted they would.

Goalkeepers - Lehmann kept a clean sheet because the Austrians couldn’t do anything up front.  Macho had a good game because of Mario Gomez.  If not for Ballack’s set piece, I’m not even sure the Germans would’ve been able to score.
Defenders - Much better from the Germans.  Even if they were caught on the counter a few times, Friedrich looked better at fullback than Marcell Jansen, while the others played well.  The Austrians weren’t bad themselves, frustrating the Germans to absolutely no end.  
Midfielders - Uninspiring performance from the Austrian midfield, and a very mediocere performance by the Germans.  Ballack did score, but otherwise, looked rather unimpressive.  Podolski outplayed everyone in the midfield, and he was playing with an injury.  How about that…
Attackers - Klose got absolutely no service, and the service he provided went to waste.  Gomez had another ridiculously bad performance, and who knows what the heck Oliver Neuville was doing near the end of the match with a 3v1.  The Austrians, believe it or not were even worse.  They got the passes necessary to break down the German defense but no one was able to finish.  In fact, it was quite sad seeing them try so hard, only to constantly fail at their chances.

Man of the Match - Michael Ballack.  His free kick won the match for the Germans, even if he didn’t have an outstanding match overall.
Dud of the Match -  Erwin Hoffer.  The main striker for the Austrians had a few chances at goal but couldn’t get a shot off either time.  He also had a yellow card to add to his troubles.  If the Austrians had Klose instead, they would’ve won.

 

Croatia vs. Poland (1-0, Klasnic, 52′)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=232274&cc=5901&league=UEFA.EURO

 

Group B Final Table -

1.  Croatia (Advances as the winner of Group B)
2.  Germany (Advances as the runners-up in Group B)
3.  Austria (Eliminated)
4.  Poland (Eliminated)

Matchday 8

Turkey vs. Czech Republic (3-2, Koller, 34′, Placil, 62′, Adra Turan, 75′, Nihat, ‘87, ‘89)

One of the most awesome matches I’ve ever seen.  The Czechs dominated the first 45, then the Turks dominated the last 45.  Koller scored on a screaming header to open his account for Euro 2008, and Jaroslav Placil scored a tough goal on a ball by Libor Sionko, as it barely eased past Volkan Demeriel for a 2-0 lead.  At this time, the Czechs were in total control, and kept attacking until the half ended.  Questions were asked whether or not the Turks got shafted because they didn’t get their 11th man back onto the field on time, but time resumed.  However, after the half, the Turks literally took over the match.  As the rain started to pour once again, the Turks felt right at home, attacking to no end, led by Tuncay and Adra Turan.  Their attacks didn’t come to any fruition until the 75th minute when Adra Turan rocketed a show near-post through Petr Cech for a 2-1 scoreline.  Many thought Cech should’ve gotten to it - I disagree.  It would’ve always been tough, especially with the slick surface.  The Turks kept on pushing and finally, lady luck fell on their side as Altintop’s cross was bobbled by Cech and Nihat had his first goal of the tournament.  Two minutes later, Ujfalusi and Rozehnal tried to play offsides trap with Nihat but he broke it, went on on goal and fired a beautiful shot to the top right-hand corner, past Petr Cech, grazing the bottom of the crossbar, and that put the Turks up for good.  It was an amazing turn of events for the Czechs, who thought they had wrapped up the match.  However, as the match ended, tempers started to flare and Milan Baros was booked for dissent on the touchline, while Turkish goalkeeper Volkan Demeriel was sent off for shoving Jan Koller as he tried to waste time.  It’ll be interesting to see who the Turks stick in goal for the next match, an elimination match against the Croats.  Nevertheless, a ridiculous win for the Turks.

Goalkeepers - Cech played so well for 75 minutes, and then he choked.  Questions have to be asked now whether or not he’s a big game goalkeeper.  Of course, he’s one of the best in the world, but he choked, big time.  Volkan had a decent match, but lost his cool, got red carded, and now he’s suspended for the next match.  The Turks will be playing the Croatians, so this could turn out to be a huge error on Demeriel’s part.
Defenders - Two pretty bad defenses.  The Czech defense started out so strongly, with Grygera and Jankulovski playing so well at fullback and Ufjalusi and Rozehnal playing so well at central defense.  However, when the tough gets going, the going gets tough, and they choked, big time.  Adra Turan and Altintop ran circles around Jankulvoski, Grygera and Placil on the right and left flanks, and Nihat shredded through the Czech defense.  The Turkish makeshift defense played a lot better than I expected, but still were far from perfect.  Emre Asik and Servet don’t look like the best partnership in central defense, and they’ll be tested by the Croats in the next round.
Midfielders - Sionko and Placil played well until they were both taken off.  Their counterparts, Altintop and Turan started slowly but picked it up for the big finish.  I can see why Altintop can play with the best of them at Bayern - he’s a good player.  In the middle, Tungay had success running the midfield, and you could see the Czechs really missed Rosicky to make that final pass.  Both midfields played well in retrospect, but in terms of the overall match, the credit goes to the Turks.
Attackers - Nihat was so desperate to open his account at Euro 2008 and he did so in fine fashion.  Koller put his poor matches behind him with a nicely headed goal, but in retrospect, could’ve had more if he had played a little better and had gotten better service in the box.  Milan Baros got the best (WTF) moment of the match with a yellow card from the bench.  Nihat was simply awesome and outplayed his counterpart in the match itself, however.

Man of the Match - Nihat.  Excellent leadership as the captain, and two deft goals, one on a ball he could’ve given up early on, and another on a ridiculous bending right footed shot into the top corner for the go-ahead goal.  A solid performance by a solid player.
Dud of the Match -  Tomas Ujfalusi and David Rozehnal.  The Czech defense peaked a bit too early in the tournament, and the last visions of them were trying to draw an offsides call when Ujfalusi was playing Nihat on.  Of course, they weren’t aided by Cech’s missed attempt at snaring a cross, but still - they’re experienced, and they should’ve never let the Turks back into the match.

 

Portugal vs. Switzerland (0-2, Hakan Yakin, 71′, 83′ (P))

I didn’t watch it, so I’ll leave it to ESPN to discuss the match….

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=232273&league=UEFA.EURO&cc=5901

 

Group A final table - 

1.  Portugal (Advances as the winner of Group A)
2.  Turkey (Advances as the runners-up in Group A)
3.  Czech Republic (Eliminated)
4.  Switzerland (Eliminated)