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UEFA EURO 2012

Squads that played for the Semi Finals:



Germany
Portugal
Former from group Group B

Italy
Spain
formerly from Group C
 
SPAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!

Spain, Winners of UEFA Euro



Spain 4 - 0 Italy

Half-time (2 - 0)

Referee : Pedro Proenca (Portugal)
Spectators : 63,170

D. Silva
goal.gif
14' [1 - 0]
J. Alba
goal.gif
41' [2 - 0]
F. Torres
goal.gif
84' [3 - 0]
J. Mata
goal.gif
88' [4 - 0]

Statistics:
shots on target : 7 - 4
shots off target : 5 - 6
possession (%) : 52 - 48
corner kicks : 3 - 3
offsides : 3 - 3
fouls : 16 - 10
yellow cards : 1 - 1
red cards : 0 - 0
 
_61291265_61291264.jpg




Spain made history in magical fashion as they outclassed Italy and claimed a successive European crown to add to their 2010 World Cup triumph.
Vicente del Bosque's side staged acompelling claim to be the greatest international side of all time as the Euro 2012 final was transformed into an exhibition with Italy - who performed creditably for long periods - passed brutally into submission.
David Silva's header was reward for Spain's early supremacy and new Barcelona recruit Jordi Alba doubled the lead just before half-time with a blistering run and finish.
_60856753_phil_mcnulty_bw122x110.jpg

Phil McNulty BBC Sport chief football writer in Kiev



"We've seen a masterclass today. Spain have been the best team in the world for the last four or five years. They deserved it tonight again, even with 11 v 11. Italy gave a lot of effort, but unfortunately they'd played too many hard games. They felt the pace and Spain, with that superior technique and movement and talent on the ball have run out easy winners. The Spanish have been criticised but they are the best team in the world without a shadow of a doubt."
_60663688_waddle.jpg

Chris Waddle


The scoreline was emphatic at theconclusion but Italy performed with great resolve. Once they were reduced to 10 men after losing third substitute Thiago Motta to injury, however, they were ruthlessly exposed by masters of the passing art.
Fernando Torres emerged as a late substitute to make a powerful impact; steering home Spain's third then setting up Chelsea team-mate Juan Mata to inflict the final wound on a bedraggled Italy.
Spain's virtuoso performance wasa decisive answer to a growing band of critics who had forced coach Del Bosque and his players to defend themselves against allegations that they had been"boring" throughout Euro 2012 atthe pre-match media conference.
And even Arsenal manager ArseneWenger, in an ill-timed contribution, wrote that Spain"have betrayed their philosophy and turned it into something more negative".
Not on this night.
Every quality that has led to them dominating world football since they won Euro 2008 and the World Cup in South Africa two years later was brought to bear.
It was a heartbreaking night for Italy and coach Cesare Prandelli but there was no shame in being beaten by a team of such quality. They can reflect with satisfaction on their work before this chastening evening.
Spain, perhaps stung by the words of criticism aimed in their direction, started with a pace andtempo of passing that the Italians found impossible to live with.

391522_10151006496118485_939391872_n.jpg


_61291379_player-comparison-xavi-pirlo.jpg


The warning signs were posted for Italy when a long spell of possession ended with Xavi shooting just over - but it was notlong before they were ahead.
Cesc Fabregas was employed in the so-called "False Nine" role as Del Bosque played without a conventional striker. The former Arsenal star proved the tactic is a positive force rather than a negative one.
He collected the masterly Andres Iniesta's pass and outflanked Italydefender Giorgio Chiellini before delivering perfectly for Silva to head beyond keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
It was Chiellini's final contributionas he swiftly succumbed to the thigh injury that has been troubling him in the later stages of the tournament and was replaced by Federico Balzaretti.
Italy's response to Silva's goal andthe early Spanish onslaught was commendable as Antonio Cassano twice had shots saved by keeper Iker Casillas but a goal of brilliance in creation and execution made their task mountainous.
Alba demonstrated exactly why Barcelona were so keen to bring the graduate of their famous La Masia youth academy back to the Nou Camp from Valencia when he finished a blurring run on to Xavi's perfect pass with a composed finish past Buffon.
Prandelli acted during the interval, sending on Antonio Di Natale for Cassano. Twice he almost got the goal that could have halted Spain, heading just over before bringing a fine save out of Casillas.
Italy's third and final change came when Motta replaced Riccardo Montolivo but Italy's luckwas summed up when he suffered a hamstring injury within minutes and the Azzurri were reduced to 10 men.
Spain were now winning with something to spare and Del Bosque took the opportunity to remove the outstanding Fabregasand introduce Chelsea striker Torres for the closing stages.
It was an opportunity he took, adding the final flourishes by steering home Spain's third and unselfishly setting up Mata's finishto round off a spectacular performance.


spain.png
Spain 4:
italy.png
Italy0


Silva 14′ Jordi Alba 41′ Torres 84′ Mata 88′



Lineup, Bookings (2) & Substitutions (6)
Spain
01 Casillas
03 Pique
15 Ramos
17 Arbeloa
18 Alba
06 Iniesta (Mata - 87' )
08 Xavi
10 Fabregas (Torres - 75' )
14 Alonso
16 Busquets21 Silva (Pedrito - 59' )
Substitutes
12 Valdes
23 Reina
02 Albiol
04 Martinez
05 Juanfran
20 Cazorla
22 Navas
07 Pedrito
09 Torres
11 Negredo13 Mata
19 Llorente
Italy
01 Buffon
03 Chiellini (Balzaretti - 21' )
07 Abate
15 Barzagli
19 Bonucci
08 Marchisio
16 De Rossi
18 Montolivo (Motta - 56' )
21 Pirlo
09 Balotelli10 Cassano (Di Natale - 46' )
Substitutes
12 Sirigu
14 De Sanctis
02 Maggio
04 Ogbonna
06 Balzaretti
05 Motta
13 Giaccherini
22 Diamanti
23 Nocerino
11 Di Natale17 Borini
20 Giovinco
Ref: Proenca
Att: 60,000
Match Stats
Possession 49% 51%
Total time: 94 mins

Spain Italy
Shots
14 11
On target
9 6
Corners
3 3
Fouls
17 9

BBC Sports
 
Classik said:
More grease to my elbow...:lol
(This is probably the last). Time to provide some links for all soccer info...

(You disappeared)
Click to expand...

Time to turn you into a golf and American football (not to mention baseball and basketball) fan.
 
Classik said:
and taekwando :lol
Click to expand...

We'll begin with golf.

The object is to hit a little, dimpled ball into a small, round hole, anywere from a hundred to six hundred yards away, in as few strokes as possible. There are either nine or eighteen of these holes on a golf course. The person with the lowest score at the end of the round is the winner.
 
elijah23 said:
We'll begin with golf.

The object is to hit a little, dimpled ball into a small, round hole, anywere from a hundred to six hundred yards away, in as few strokes as possible. There are either nine or eighteen of these holes on a golf course. The person with the lowest score at the end of the round is the winner.
Click to expand...

Do impatient people play golf? Isn't golf magic???
 
Classik said:
Do impatient people play golf? Isn't golf magic???
Click to expand...

All kinds of people play golf. I have played golf a couple of times myself, and I used to build little golf courses in my parents' yard, when I was young.

No magic. Just hard work, I'm afraid.
 
Great golf tournament yesterday. Two guys tied and went into a sudden death playoff. They both hit the ball into the water on the first playoff hole and had double bogeys. Then Zach Johnson hit a great shot from a fairway bunker, to within a foot of the hole, and won the playoff.
 
Classik, I trust you are in England this weekend watching the British Open.
 
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