This year’s Euro Cup has had a great start with the first round bringing a lot of great games and surprises! The quarters with no doubt showed us a handful of great games and matchups. Here’s this analyzation of the great games the quarters showed us…
By Brian
(Note: Sorry for the confusion, and I'm aware this is similar to the last post! Won't happen again!)
Portugal vs. Czech Republic:
This was an interesting game that brought the best out of both teams, but in the end Ronaldo lead the Portuguese squad to a 1-0 victory over a strong and formidable opponent. Towards the closing minutes of the game, Portugal was awarded a corner. With a poorly marked Ronaldo running full steam ahead, Portugal scored an amazing goal due to the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo’s awesome diving header. With both teams playing fairly level with a similar style of play, there was only one deciding factor: Ronaldo. The Czech played great and so did the Portuguese, and ultimately it came down to finishing. It’ll be interesting to see how the Portuguese try to find a way to finish against an even stronger adversary.
Germany vs. Greece:
What many said was to be the David and Goliath matchup, turned out to be an impressive effort by the Greeks and a well rounded game for both sides. The final score turned out to be 4-2, Germany. Germany maintained most of the possession at 70%, and 30% for the Greeks, but the Greek squad managed to score one goal on the counter- attack and another on a penalty given for a hand ball. The German squad left Muler, Podolski, and Gomez as subs, but eventually subbed Gomez and Muler due to a push by Greece later on in the game. There was no doubt that even with their subs, the German squad dominated the game for the entire 90 minutes. Although Greece have made many improvements over the past couple of years, they still have room to grow, but don’t be surprised to see a stronger Greek squad in the next Euro Cup.
Spain vs. France:
With two teams with a tremendous amount of talent and many superstars, we expected an overwhelming amount of goals, but we were left wanting more. Spain played a very possessive and patient style, while the French played a more direct and quick style. This was playing styles were well pronounced, but in the end, the turtle beat the hare. The final score was 2-0, Spain. Both teams had their moments, and it was fun to watch, but it was a shame these two powerhouses couldn’t light it up. Both Benzema and Torres (sub) didn’t seem to have the spark they normally have during this game, but both are sure to turn it up in the future.
England vs. Italy
This was absolute football in its most traditional form. Both sides poured everything they had onto the field and saved nothing for the future. Both teams also displayed great finesse and control throughout the entire 90 minutes. With both sides being almost identical during the game and extra time, we had to go through penalties. Here, we saw the Italian side pull away with a win, thanks to their outstanding keeper, Buffon. There was no doubt that both captains, Buffon for Italy and Gerrard for England, ran the show for their squads through both teams ups and downs. But there will be an even harder opponent for the Italians against a strong and unique German squad, but we’ll just have to see if the Italians can force another win.
There was no disappointment for the quarters and expect to see more action in the Semis. I can’t wait to see what these four teams have in store for us in the next round!
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