Sunday, 1 July 2012

Defending champions Spain win Euro

July 1, 2012

Defending champions Spain claimed an historic third successive major trophy with a 4-0 rout of Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev Sunday.

It was a breathtaking display from the 2010 World Cup winners, with victory all but sealed by halftime as goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba gave them a 2-0 lead.

Substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata rounded off the emphatic win with two late strikes.

Victory in the final also represents a triumph for 61-year-old coach Vicente Del Bosque, the first man to lead teams to the World Cup, European Championships and European Champions League crowns, the latter with Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002.

But for Italy and their coach Cesar Prandelli it was a bitter end to a tournament which they had earlier graced with their imaginative performances.

Spain Goals

3rd Goal

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Sunday, 24 June 2012

Italy Beats England on Penalties
4-2(Final Score)

Monday, 18 June 2012

Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Final score and result:- Italy vs Ireland 2-0 ( Cassano, Balotelli)

Municipal Stadium, Poznan, Poland- Group C, Euro 2012- 18 June, 2012- 19.45 UK- 18/6/12- Mon

Italy progress to the quarterfinals of Euro 2012 as runners up in Group C behind Spain as goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli help them beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Poznan

Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli scored to secure victory for the Azzurri which, combined with Spain's win in Gdansk, put them in the last eight.

Italy 2-0 Rep. of Ireland (Euro 2012 - Group C)... by fasthighlights-2012

Todays Results

Croatia		0-1		Spain
	Italy		2-0		Republic of Ireland

Navas strikes late to break Croatia resistance

Croatia 0-1 Spain

Substitute Jesús Navas scored the only goal of a tight contest with two minutes remaining to send Spain through and eliminate Croatia.

A goal two minutes from time by substitute Jesús Navas earned Spain a hard-fought victory over Croatia that sent Vicente del Bosque's side through to the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-finals and eliminated their opponents from the tournament.

Both teams knew a victory in their final Group C game would ensure a passage through to the last eight as section winners and following a tense encounter at the Arena Gdansk, it was Navas who settled matters after slotting home Andrés Iniesta's lay-off in the closing moments at the Arena Gdansk.

With Slaven Bilić opting to sacrifice striker Nikica Jelavić to incorporate a compact 4-5-1 formation, the game quickly took on a pattern of Spain possession and Croatia counterattacking. The holders pressed and probed for openings in the final third of the field and fashioned the first chance of the night with Fernando Torres heading over from a Xavi Hernández corner.

A constant threat throughout the encounter with his quick feet and excellent vision, David Silva then found the tightest of openings through which to thread a low pass in for Andrés Iniesta whose first touch could only help the ball into the path of goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa.

Scorer of two goals in his team's 4-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, Torres appeared hungry to add to his tournament tally as he stormed goalwards from the right flank before thumping a low drive at the target which Pletikosa beat out for a corner. As the half progressed, Xabi Alonso looked to alleviate the sense of frustration building in his team-mates and went close with a long-range shot that flew narrowly over the crossbar, the same fate that then befell Gerard Piqué’s tester from outside the box.

With news filtering through of an Antonio Cassano opener for Italy against the Republic of Ireland in Poznan, Croatia – looking to progress to the EURO quarter-finals for a second successive time – began to move forward with more purpose and tested Iker Casillas through Danijel Pranjić's left-foot effort which the goalkeeper gathered.

With so much at stake, tension began to fill the warm air at the Arena Gdansk. Luka Modrić looked to show the way when he confidently led a counterattack that eventually saw the Tottenham Hotspur FC schemer arc a wonderful pass to the far post with the outside of his right foot which Ivan Rakitić met with a header that was denied by Casillas's flying stop.

That chance prompted a change in Spain's tactics with Torres making way for Navas and it led to the match eventually turning in La Roja's favour. Prior to that, the team's second substitute, Cesc Fàbregas was crowded out after taking too long over a shot while Casillas was called on again to palm out Ivan Perišić’s drive at the other end.

With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Fàbregas chipped through for the onrushing Iniesta to run clear and, spotting team-mate Navas alongside him, he delivered the pass for the winger to finish and send Spain through.

Group C Standings


Spain	3	7
Italy	3	5
Croatia	3	4
Republic of Ireland	3	0

source

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Todays Scores

Portugal 2 - 1 Netherlands

Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv - 17/06/2012 - 20:45 CET (21:45 local time)

Portugal (Scorer er)

Cristiano Ronaldo 28, 74

Final tournament - Group stage - Group B

2-1

Netherlands

Van der Vaart 11

Rampant Ronaldo fires Portugal through

Portugal fell behind before their captain turned it on when they needed him most to secure a quarter-final place and leave the Dutch without a point. //////////////////////////

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal beat the Netherlands 2-1 to secure second spot in Group B and a quarter-final against the Czech Republic.
Paulo Bento's side were perhaps considered third among equals in this so-called 'group of death', but it is the Dutch who finish buried at the bottom of the pile without a point to their name. Suitably dressed in black, it was ultimately a funereal occasion for Bert van Marwijk's side, who had hope of an unlikely resurrection when Rafael van der Vaart put them in front. Cristiano Ronaldo then came to the fore, however, scoring a goal in either half and hitting the post twice in a majestic performance.
However, even Paulo Bento's pre-match warning that "Dutch teams like to have the ball, to play and to control the game" could scarcely have prepared his players for the Oranje's early slickness. Van der Vaart, so consummate in possession, played no small part, but it was his splendid 11th-minute finish which was the most striking difference from what had gone before.
When the Tottenham Hotspur FC midfielder curled in from the edge of the penalty area, it looked as though he might have a chance of celebrating his 100th cap in the quarter-finals. Van Marwijk had everything he could have wanted; an attack which had finally clicked, dominion of the ball and an early goal. Then, though, came the Ronaldo show.

Portugal 2-1 Holland (Euro 2012 - Group B) All... by fasthighlights-2012

German joy signals despair for Denmark

Denmark 1-2 Germany
Lars Bender struck ten minutes from time as Joachim Löw's men set up a quarter-final against Greece and sent the Danes out of the tournament.

Group B Pts


Germany	3	9
Portugal	3	6
Denmark	3	3
Netherlands	3	0

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Eduardo revving up Croatia for Spain

Published: Saturday 16 June 2012, 17.30CET

While Eduardo believes it is hard to "pick out any weaknesses" in Spain's team, he is confident Croatia can exploit the chinks in their armour during the sides' final game in Group C.

At major tournaments, the next game is always the biggest. For Croatia, their first match against the Republic of Ireland was massive – then the meeting with Italy, giants of international football, raised the bar still higher. Now, as Slaven Bilić's men prepare for their final Group C outing, the fixture needs absolutely no building up at all. The name of their opponents is enough: Spain, world and European champions.
Bilić said his team "need to play the best match of their lives on Monday", something of which the players are all too aware, with striker Eduardo noting: "We all know it will be very difficult to beat Spain. They are the favourites to win the EURO and favourites against us. But we will give our best and try to win it – we all believe we can do it."

In Croatia's favour is the fact they have their destiny in their own hands, having picked up four points from the first two games in Poznan. A win would give them top spot in the group and any draw other than 0-0 or 1-1 would also be enough to confirm progress.
Nevertheless, Spain are a daunting prospect, as Eduardo explained. "It's difficult to pick out any weaknesses in their team, but if I had to say one thing it's that they sometimes leave space at the back," the forward said. "That could be our chance. They are experts at controlling possession 30 metres from goal, where they're just waiting for a hole to open in their opponents' defensive lines where they can play a pass.
"So, our chances will come from counterattacks," the 29-year-old continued. "I think we will get chances. We saw Ireland made two opportunities to score against them and I think we will have our chances too." The key, according to the FC Shakhtar Donetsk man, is patience. "I don't think we'll attack Spain from the beginning – it all depends on how much space they leave us."

With the clamour growing ahead of the Gdansk showdown, Eduardo – a late substitute in both matches so far – confirmed no extra incentive will be needed. "We also have to enjoy this game against the European and world champions," he said. "We don't play Spain every day and it will be an honour to take part in such an important match – extra motivation to win is a given."
Eduardo said Croatia will also have to keep a special eye on the "world class" Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta and said adrenaline will get any players through the game who were feeling the pace – "as this is the EURO, a big competition". With a big game comes big ambitions, and the former Arsenal FC marksman concluded: "My dream would be to reach the quarter-finals after getting past a top-class opponent like Spain, but let's see if my dream will come true."
source

Striker Negredo itching for Spain chance

Álvaro Negredo is "trying to make the coach see" how useful he can be as the Sevilla FC striker looks to battle his way into Vicente del Bosque's Spain selection.

Each night or morning before Spain training begins, a range of outfield players – Gerard Piqué, Fernando Torres and Álvaro Negredo – take turns in goal so that their team-mates can take pot-shots at them.
In the case of Negredo, heavily fancied by Spain's newspapers to start against Italy in the lead-up to that initial Group C game, that action has had to make up for what he hoped he would be getting at UEFA EURO 2012 – game time.
Negredo began up front in Spain's last friendly against China in Seville, where he plays his club football with Sevilla FC, and the way Vicente del Bosque praised the Madrid-born forward's mobility and link-up play suggested he had a distinct chance of starting the champions' defence of their title. Instead, Torres and Cesc Fàbregas have been selected while Negredo – although called on to warm up against the Republic of Ireland – has had to bide his time.

He claims that is no great hardship, and knows exactly what type of player he is up against. "The coach has three outright strikers here, and each of us are pretty distinct," the 26-year-old said. "Fernando [Torres] is very quick and mobile and that makes him very powerful over the last few metres in front of goal. That's important for Spain. Fernando Llorente is big and strong and when a game is going against us, when our opponents won't let us dominate, he provides an out-ball which we don't normally use, but which can be effective. As for me, I try to link well with my team-mates and be in the right place at the right time, and that's what I'm trying to make the coach see!"

Negredo got in touch with his club-mate Ivan Rakitić after Croatia drew with Italy to set up a Group C decider against Spain in Gdansk on Monday. "I congratulated him on their game and we spoke about other things, like his family and how he was, because we get on well at Sevilla," he explained. "We didn't talk about playing each other in the last group game."
Having brought Jesús Navas, Santi Cazorla, Javi Martínez and Fàbregas on from the bench already, Del Bosque has shown that there will be opportunities for substitutes, but – given his training-ground sideline – should Negredo consider himself a potential back-up keeper too?
"No, all the shots go past me when I'm in goal before training," he joked. "But if Iker Casillas or Víctor Valdés were sent off, they'd need to watch out for their place because there are one or two good deputies – Sergio Ramos is probably the best."