Here are my general thoughts on the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
Spain calm, cool and collected
Aside from France’s only chance on goal — Yohan Cabaye’s free kick that forced an acrobatic save by Iker Casillas — Spain looked more than comfortable in its quarter-final match.
No one can criticize manager Vicente del Bosque for starting Cesc Fabregas instead of a natural striker like he did in the opening match against Italy. The tactical experiment was so clearly effective against France, that it would be a surprise if Del Bosque didn’t continue to employ the same six-man midfield going forward.
True striker Fernando Torres did finally make an appearance late in the second half, but he didn’t exactly make a case for himself to start in the semifinals against Portugal.
While it was a team effort by the Spaniards, ultimately Xabi Alonso made the biggest difference for his side in its 2-0 defeat of Les Bleus. Opening the scoring with a brilliant header in the first half, then netting a classy penalty late in the second, Alonso was the man of the match on Saturday. Spain’s greatest strength though, is that on any given day, their best player could be any one of the 11 men on the pitch.
Portugal too reliant on their star?
Cristiano Ronaldo came through for Portugal once again in the quarter-finals. There’s no denying the Portuguese prodigy is shaking his reputation for underperforming at the international level. The question now is not whether or not Ronaldo will show up in the semifinals — it’s whether or not one man can bring down Spain alone?
That’s not to say Sergio Ramos and the rest of the Spanish back four won’t have their hands full with the Real Madrid star. Ronaldo’s late game heroics in scoring the breakthrough goal against a Czech Republic team with all of their men behind the ball was top class. The Ronaldo we saw was one any team would have difficulty defending.
But a similar effort in the semis will be pretty hard to come by — if not impossible — if Portugal can’t win the ball off of Spain first.
Greece didn’t have a hope
Other than highlighting its dominance in the tourney and reinforcing the notion that it is the favorite to win it all, Germany’s ruthless thrashing of Greece in the quarter-finals also showed just how weak Group A actually was. The 4-2 final score was hardly reflective of just how superior Germany was to Greece.
England lucky to make it to shootout
Very little was expected of this English side coming into the tournament. The fact that they made it all the way to the quarter-finals — and penalty kicks for that matter — was quite an achievement.
In the end, England was out-classed by Italy both during the game and in penalties.
Italy dominated the play with their possession and created a number of dangerous chances. Although England did have some help from the post on two occasions, their ability to keep the score level for 90 minutes was in large part thanks to John Terry and Glen Johnson’s defensive efforts.
It was what England did with the ball once they won it that hurt them the most. Their inability to maintain possession had Italy attacking on their front foot for the majority of the game. Mario Balotelli looked lethal getting in behind the English backline, and Alessandro Diamanti caused a lot of trouble too, but it was veteran Andrea Pirlo who was the biggest threat.
Pirlo put on a clinic for the English players, showing them what it means to keep the ball and dictate the play. He played a role in six important goal chances for Italy and topped his fantastic performance off during the shootout with a classic chip shot down the middle of the goal.
It was a Francesco Totti inspired finish in fine Italian fashion. To gamble on a shot like that in a game with so much on the line shows just show confident this Italian side is right now. The Italians will need that confidence Thursday when they face Germany in the semifinals.
Italy ready for a fight
The German side has shown that it’s the most dominant team so far in the tournament. It’s the whole package, tactically, technically, and physically — Germany has been excellent in all aspects of the game and on all areas of the pitch.
But against England, Italy proved that they can compete physically. Italy’s technical superiority has never been in question. However before the quarter-finals the assumption was that Germany would have the physical advantage. Now it appears as though it could be a much more even battle. The matchup between Bastian Schweinsteiger and Pirlo will be one to watch in particular.
Mesut Ozil: Germany’s poster boy
With Joachim Loew’s rotation of his front line, no single “go-to” attacker has emerged for Germany. Not because Germany has had any shortage of effective attackers, though.
In fact, Lahm’s stunning strike against Greece showed that every player on the pitch for Germany is a threat going to goal. The offensive responsibilities are shared among the whole team, but young Mezut Ozil is certainly a standout. Germany’s depth in attack makes it a very unpredictable opponent. But one thing Italy can expect is for Ozil, with his creativity and remarkable vision, to be a menace in the semifinals.