Spain finally wins tmajor tournament

Spain win big! They dominated the Germans and created all the best chances of the game. That's all there is to say. The Spanish midfield controlled the entire game and if it wasn't for a strong night from Jens Lehmann, it could have gotten ugly.

It was a good game. The Germans did try their best to push forward. Good end to a great tournament.

There Will Be Goals!

These two teams have both scored 11 goals on their way to the finals. There will be goals and maybe some blood too.

Both teams play a very attacking oriented game. Germany is a bit weaker at the back (borderline unstable). The Germans attack well but their defense is more than questionable. A second tier Turkey side almost destroyed them. Imagine if Kazim's shot went in early. The outcome would have been totally different. Even the Jen Lehmann looks nervy. Also Frings' injury and Ballack not playing will not do them any help.

Spain will control the ball. They will have the majority of possession. Their only real problem is that they're missing David Villa. Their defense has been good. Casillas has had a strong tournament. The midfielders have all had their moments. The attackers have also played well. Fabregas will start the next game and he will need to make a big contribution. Torres needs to showup!! He might end up being the difference maker. Silva is Spain's liveliest player and will cause ze German's a lot of problems.

I predict Spain winning 2-0. The German's weak defense and Spains strong attack will give them the win.

Spain produce an Encore of their first meeting with russia

Spain are playing a very strong type of football that's difficult to beat. They hold the ball so well and never desperately punt it away. They always create the chances, but it's converting on those chances that makes the difference and today, they converted. Good goals, good game and again, I think Fabregas deserves a starting spot no matter how deep their midfield is.

Iniesta has had a poor tournament, but today showed his value. I think Fabregas should start over him. Then again, Fabregas is providing an amazing boost off the bench. As soon as he enters the pitch, the Spanish side looks deadly.

Anyways, A Germany-Spain final will probably be a joy to watch. I can't wait.

Yeehaw!

Turkish bow out with style

You can argue that luck can only get you so far. The Turkish, however, were not extremely lucky. They were persistent and courageous. They took the licking and kept on ticking. I think the Turks were superb for the sport of football. They gave us some of the most interesting games in the whole tournament.

This Germany-Turkey game was no different. It was another 5 goal thriller, only this time, they were on the losing side. With just seconds left in regular time, Lahm slipped through the Turkish defense and finished well against the goalie.

If anything, the Turks were unlucky. The were dealt a huge blow by losing players to suspension or injury. Nihat, Emre and Tuncay didn't play. It's amazing that they put up a fight against the Germans.

God bless Turkey. What an amazing team. I think it's the Turkish people that are so resilient. Let's not forget how far Fenerbace got in the Champions League. Good stuff.

Spanish beat Italians in penalty shootout

Italy never really looked like they would win the game. Spain played to their style. They kept possession and played well enough to deserve the victory. Spain's attacking midfield options are the deepest remaining in the tournament. Xavi and Iniesta, Fabregas and Alonso. I think Fabergas provided an extra spark off the bench. He put Villa through with a delightful ball, but Villa's touch failed him. I think he deserves a starting spot. Then again, so does Alonso after the Greece game.

I predict another big win against the Russians, albeit not as big as game 1.

Dutch fans chanting: "Luca Toni is homo". Too funny. Very disappointing tournament for Toni. Misses more chances than anyone else.

Turkish Delight AGAIN!!

The Turks are simply the most resilient team I have ever seen. It's unbelievable what they are doing. I still can't comprehend how they came back and beat the Czechs. They did the same thing against Switzerland and just recently against Croatia.

The game in Croatia was even more surprising than the down 2-0 comeback against Czech rep. No goals in 118 minutes and then two in final 2 minutes. It's absolute madness!
Croatia scored and looked destined for a rematch with Germany, but the Turkish came out of no where and scored. I really mean out of nowhere. Croatia had all the best chances of the game. The penalty shootout was obviously going to go Turkey's way with all the momentum they had. They are the new Greece and I am rooting for them. Albeit Germany is an opponent more similar to Portugal (beat turkey game 1) than any of the others.

The Ducth bow out after being out classed and outworked by an inspired Russian side. Russia played the same way Holland started the tournament. Guus Hiddink (traitor to the Dutch)out thought Van Baasten and Arshin will be playing football in a big club this year guaranteed. Arshavin showed all his class and must of caught the eye of every top team. Roman Ambramovic would be smart to acquire his countryman.

Ze German's set pieces beat Portugal

Portugal played a decent game. The final score was 3-2 and it came down to the wire. The final 10 minutes were fascinating. It was a good game, the Turkey Czech Republic, still remains the game of the tournament.

I can't wait for Turkey vs Croatia. It will be a treat for the eyes my friends. Both teams never give up and keep playing attacking football. It's going to be a classic.

Turkish Delight

The Turks are probably the most resilient team I have seen in a long time. It must be something in the water. I saw this same resilience with Fenerbace in the Champions league.

The never give up. They were down 2-0 and it could've went to 4-0 if Koller scored on the breakaway and they scored on the chance that hit the post. They just kept pushing, kept getting chances (a lot of Tuncay chances).

One good finish and a Cech error followed by a sublime finish from Nihat in 15 minutes changed the look of the quarter finals.

Nihat scored twice in 2 minutes, with the second showing his absolute quality.

The only problem is their goalie got sent off with a red card at the last second.

Wow! What a game. The game of the tournament so far.

Battle of the Titans- Part deux

France and the Netherlands play each other tomorrow in what could be the game that decides the group leader. If Holland win, they are on their way to the next round, but do they have enough bullets left in the barrel to take on the French?

The French are going to look to score. They need goals! With Henry back, and maybe giving Nasri more minutes, the French can win this. The only problem is that Holland just beat Italy 3-0, they are as confident as can be. They have all the momentum. France are carrying the poor draw against Romania in their minds. I predict the Netherlands will win this one, but not by as big a margin as they had against the Italians.

Who will win on Friday, France or the Netherlands?
	France
	Netherlands
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Energetic Croats embarass Germans

The Croats kept running and kept attacking. They had more energy than the Germans and surprisingly played the better game. There is no doubt that the Croats deserved to win this game. Luca Modric was a beast when he had the ball at his feet. He might need a little more upper body strength to survive in the Premiership, but the skill, vision and passion are there.

Lucas Podolski did manage to make the game interesting by scoring yet again. When he puts on that German shirt, he simply scores a lot. It was a fantastic game to watch.

The Austrians also climbed back to tie the game with the Poles, but I can't imagine the Germans being stunned again. I predict a brutal demise for the Austrians when they play the Germans.

Hosts eliminated by resilient Turks

We can't fault the Swiss for trying to win. They had a 1-0 lead. On a stormy night like that, the slightest error can change everything. The Turkish goal keeper was very strong and the Swiss needed another attacking option (Frei).

Now the big question is who will take that all important second spot?
The Poruguese have booked their ticket to the next round. All that's left is for Czech Rep. and Turkey to battle it out.

Will Turkey or Czech Republic go to the knock out stages?
	Turkey
	Czech Republic
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Zlatan demoralizes stubborn Greeks

Zlatan Ibrahimovic does not score typical goals. No poke ins or deflections. When he scores, it's truly a work of art. His right footed torpedo from the left side of the pitch was unstoppable.

It looked like it would be headed for another France/Romanianesque dull draw. The Greek lacked ambition. They always had ten men behind the ball.

It did take a Zlatan moment of brilliance to break the deadlock.

Spain smashed through Russia. Credit the Russians for trying to play attractive football. They played good, attacking football. Unfortunately, the Spanish counter attack was too strong today. Spain did look a little bit sloppy at the back. Russia's fate will be in there hands with the way they play Greece and especially Sweden (big game).

Watch Vid of Zlata!

Group D

Minutes before kickoff, I don't know who to pick. One side of me feels Spain will blow Russia aside the way they did Ukraine at the WC, but another side of me is scared of any Guus Hiddink side. It must be something he puts in their water. Hiddink's sides are always resilient. Just think of how they qualified for the Euro. It's borderline ridiculous.

Still I conclude that the skill gap will be enough for Spain to win.

I think Sweden will beat another resilient european side, Greece. Hopefully Zlatan will find some kind of international form and lead the way. Also Larson's return gives them an extra incentive to play well.

Group D predictions
1-Spain
2-Sweden
3-Russia
4-Greece

Oranje Boven

Holland crushed Italy 3-0. They opened the floodgates and unleashed. You can argue that the first goal should have been disallowed, but the 2nd and 3rd were fine. The midfielders Van der Vaart and Sneijder were fantastic.Kuyt was a workhorse. Things are looking good for the Dutch, especially after France's dull draw with Romania.

Credit the Italians for creating some decent chances, most notably Di Natale, Pirlo's free kick and Toni's one on one. They probably would have faired better if Canavaro wasn't injured

The Dutch have created so many chances during qualifying, it's relieving to see them finally win convincingly against stellar opponents. Lets not get ahead of ourselves, but I haven't seen play like this since WC 1998 in France. Next steps, France and Romania.

Oranje Boven!

Will the Netherlands Netherlands win all of their group matches?
	Yes
	No- lose to Romania and France
	No- lose to France
	No- lose to Romania
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Group C: "The Group of Death"

There is no doubt that this is the group of death. All 4 teams are fantastic and 3 of them could easily be picked by anyone as champions. This group is as tight as a Mumbai train at rush hour.

France are World Cup finalists from 2 years ago. They have a good mix of young and old Benzema, Nasri with Viera and Henry. They have quality players all over the pitch and Ribery looks like a player with something to prove.

Italy are World Cup winners from 2 years ago. They always have the strong defense and formidable tactics. They will dearly miss Cannavaro's defensive prowess and leadership.

The Netherlands qualified easily but are in the middle of a goal drought. Hard to believe considering they have Ruud Van Nistlerooj, Robin Van Persie, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Dirk Kuyt and creative midfielders Van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder. They haven't won a major trophy since Marco Van Baasten was a player.

Romania qualified top of their group ahead of Holland. In the 2 matches they played each other, they beat the Dutch once and tied the other. They have Adrian Mutu who might want to impress more than anyone because he might owe Chelsea $16 000 000 for snorting coke and need a pay increase.

Predictions...
1-Holland (need to find the net eventually and they have created enough chances)
2-France
3-Italy (Fabio's absence will cost them)
4-Romania (need a bit more experience)

Group B

I think this group has the weakest team (Austria) in the tournament and therefore not as competitive as the others.

I predict Croatia will crush Austria period. I can't see Austria winning a game. I hope they do, because they are hosting, but their chances don't look good.

Germany will beat Poland in a closer match up. We have an idea what this match might look like (1-0 Germany in WC 2006).

Croatia and Germany are the strongest teams in the group and I don't see any upsets here.

1-Germany
2-Croatia (don't have da silva but do have Modric)
3-Poland
4-Austria

Day 1 of Group A

As predicted, the Czechs and Portugal would win their opening matches.

Having watched the games, however, Switzerland could have easily beaten or at least tied with a Czech side that looked old and lacked Rosicky's creativity. God bless them if Frei's injury will keep him out of the next few games. He was their best attacking player all match.

Another thing that surprised me was Turkey. Sure Portugal could have had 4 goals (Ronaldo 1st half post and Nuno Gomes hit the bar and post once a piece), but man did the Turks look strong. They have a lot of skill and might just squeeze into the next round.

The next game will paint this round's story more clearly.
Revised picks:
1- Portugal
2- Turkey
3- Czech Rep.
4- Switzerland (might have faired better had they tied their first game)

Look at Group A

Czech Republic, Switzerland, Turkey and Portugal. Two of these teams (Czech Rep. and Portugal) are capable of winning the tournament.

The Czechs were very strong in qualifying and look to show their true power after a horrendous world cup display. Thomas Rosicky will dearly be missed but with Petr Cech in goal, they always have a fighting chance.

Switzerland are the only team to have not conceded a goal in WC 2006 and still be eliminated. They will be strong as one of the co hosts of the tournament, but I can't picture them getting past Czech Rep. or Portugal. I am however really looking forward to the Swiss Vs. The Turks match up. The rivalry is extremely tense after the playoffs before WC 2006. The kicks will be flying my friends.

Turkey is a very strong team, comparable to Switzerland. I love Nihat. He's a monster in Spain and will soon be a household name. I just don't see them really challenging Portugal or the Czechz.

Portugal has the most exciting player of the tournament and they played well in Euro 2004 and WC 2006. I think Portugal will go as far as Cristiano Ronaldo will take them and he's good enough to take them the distance. Imagine him winning the Premiership, the Champions League and the Euro. He's already a pen in for world and euro player of the year. It will be a long journey, but his supporting cast is adequate enough to take Portugal far.

Prediction
top of group: Portugal
2nd: Czech Rep.

3rd: Turkey
4th: Switzerland

Man these groups are tight!

Which two teams will make it out of group A?
	Switzerland
	Portugal
	Czech Republic
	Turkey
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Euro Cup or World Cup

I think it's safe to say that after the World Cup and the Euro Cup are by far the strongest tournaments, but can we argue that the Euro might actually be tighter than the world cup???

With a group that consists of world champions Italy, France, the Netherlands and Romania (3 of those teams have already won the Euro), we can easily dispute this case.

For me, the world cup is stronger because of a handful of teams like Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Cameroon, just to name a few (My opinion).

Is the Euro Cup a tighter competition than the World Cup???
	Yes
	No
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NWO

Putting Jose Mourinho at the helm of Inter might finally give them that credibility they lacked under Mancini.

Inter won 3 consecutive scudettos, mind you the match fixing scandal played a bigger part than the players did. They went on a record breaking 17 game win streak ( hard to argue with that; the Serie A is still the Serie A even without Juventus). It's probably their failure in Europe that led to Mancini's dismissal. Lets not forget after the loss to Liverpool in the Champions League, he did say this would be his last season coaching Milan.

Mourinho is there to bring them European glory and strengthen Internazionale's international identity. They've already accomplished a great deal domestically.

There is already talk of Mourinho shaking up the squad by putting Stankovic, Suazo and even Ibrahimovic for sale.

The self proclaimed 'Great One' will make Inter one of the biggest clubs in the world, Leapfrogging the old lady of Italian football, Juventus, and stadium rivals Milan.(Roma is the only other club that can challenge Inter).