Italian Giants In The Final Again

Germany vs. Italy: 6 Things We Learned from Euro 2012 Semifinal

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It was all decided. It had all been preordained. Many planned for it at the beginning of the tournament, and it was a foregone conclusion that it would happen once both teams made the semifinals.
Germany and Spain, the two best teams on the planet, were always expected to face each other in a thrilling final at Euro 2012.
Then Italy came along.
The Italians, with two goals from Mario Balotelli (as they call him the bad boy) and some heroic defending, crashed the party to clinch a meeting in the final with Spain. Can Spain crash the Italian giants? The final will tell, who the best team will be, after their encounter in their group stage.
Here are six things we can take from an exhilarating game of football.

 

Joachim Low Out-Managed Himself

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Joachim Low was never happy with his starting XI throughout this whole tournament.
Even though the same side had won all three of its group-stage games, the German manager tinkered with his lineup against Greece in the quarterfinals and did so again versus Italy.
It might have worked against the Greeks, but Germany just did not have the right chemistry today with a new addition, Toni Kroos, on the right wing and Mario Gomez at striker.
It was not until the second half, when some of the best players from their last match came on, that the Germans created good chances and drove forward with vigor.

 

The German Defence Lost the Game

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Take a look at both Italian goals and you will see examples of very poor defending from a normally stingy German team.
Holger Badstuber let Mario Balotelli get behind him on the first goal, and it was a very simple header for the striker in the end.
And the killer strike was precipitated by a total disaster at the back for Germany. On a set piece, nobody except Philipp Lahm decided to stay in the center to guard against a counterattack, leaving Balotelli an easy target for a player 40 yards away.

Manuel Neuer Is a Beast

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I would be remiss if I didn't mention how impressed I was by Manuel Neuer during this game, even if he did concede two goals.
He was consistently a massive presence between the sticks for Germany and displayed a will to win that equals any player in the world.
At every opportunity during the late stages of the match, Neuer would rush forward to get involved in the attack in any way he could, even contributing a diving header from the center circle that pushed the ball into the penalty area.
Many things are to blame for Germany's premature exit, but the goalkeeper is certainly not one of them.

Super Mario Still Exists

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It is widely known that it is impossible to know what Mario Balotelli will do every time he steps on the pitch, and even his manager is never sure which version of the striker will arrive on any given day.
We've seen him benched recently because the Balotelli we have seen lately has been the volatile, unproductive and whiny version of the striker and more consistent options like Antonio Di Natale sat on the bench.
But against Germany, we saw that that marvelous Balotelli still comes out often, and he had easily his best game of the tournament, scoring a well-worked header and a wicked strike into the top corner off a counterattack.
There is no question now of whether or not he will start the final.

More Rest, More Problems

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A major talking point during the past couple days has been the imbalances in the schedule that caused one team in each semifinal to have two less days of rest and preparation than the other.
It is patently unfair, but on both occasions the side that was put at a disadvantage triumphed over the supposedly better positioned one.
I thought that, after playing a grueling 120-minute match against England and only having a couple days to recover, Italy would be dropping like flies in the second half. Instead, they just played their game even better and booked a deserved place in the finals.

Italy Can Win the Whole Thing

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No one gave them a chance a few days ago, even a few hours ago, but Italy will feel now that they have a legitimate chance of vanquishing Spain against all odds in the final.
As long as the Italians do not show the Spanish juggernaut any respect, they will be in a very good position with their admirable solidity at the back and the extremely potent Mario Balotelli.
Plus, since few expected the Azzurri to get as far as they have, all the pressure will be on Spain to win their third major championship in a row over a supposedly weaker team.
With the form the Italians are in, the confidence they have, a remarkably strong core of players and prior knowledge of their opponents from the group stage, do not put it past Buffon, Pirlo and Co. to become champions of Europe for the second time.

Germnay Vs Italy, Who Will Creat History

Germany vs. Italy Euro 2012: One-on-One Battles That Will Decide Semifinal

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Germany came into Euro 2012 as one of the heavy favorites aside from reigning champ Spain, but they'll face their toughest test yet against Italy.
The best asset to Germany's success so far has been lighting up the scoreboard as they've gone for nine goals in just four games. However, Italy themselves have only given up two goals all tournament and their experienced defensive line should prove to be nearly impossible to break.
Both teams have the raw talent and skill to pull out a victory and become one win away from hoisting the Euro 2012 trophy, but who will make it happen?
Let's take a look at the one-on-one matchups that will decide the match.

Gianluigi Buffon vs. Manuel Neuer
It's a scintillating matchup between one of the world's up-and-coming netminders and yesterday's greatest force between the posts.

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Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon already etched his legacy behind an improbable 2006 World Cup penalty shootout victory over France in "Headbutt Gate," but Buffon has shown in Euro 2012 that his passion still rivals anyone on the pitch. The 34-year-old Juventus footballer is still arguably the world's best point-blank goal stopper.
The 26-year-old Manuel Neuer has proven his worth as a goalkeeper with Bayern Munich and with a German squad that is hitting their prime. Neuer came from being the third option in 2009 to being a cog in their semifinal run in the 2010 World Cup, and he's quickly become a leader on this German team.
Neuer's ability to create counterattacks and scoring chances could be a huge difference in this game, and Buffon will be tested early and often against a menacing Germany frontline.

Bastian Schweinsteiger vs. Andrea Pirlo
Germany's hub for years has been the Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, and although things have changed a bit in recent years, his impact on the game is still far reaching.

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However, he'll have his hands full in the defensive midfield with Andrea Pirlo, who is one of the more creative playmakers and facilitators in the sport. Pirlo has become a troublemaker to opposing teams with his free-kick accuracy. He put the 2012 tournament's first free kick in the net from range in a 1-1 draw against Croatia, a goal that proved to be huge.
Schweinsteiger looked beat up in Germany's quarterfinal win over Greece after taking a bad slide tackle to the ankle, but he's fit to play in Thursday's showdown. With Sami Khedira often playing more of an offensive role in the defensive midfield, Schweinsteiger's biggest impact will have to be making tackles.
Germany could be in trouble if a sore ankle is holding him back from nagging Pirlo.

Mario Gomez vs. Leonardo Bonucci
Arguably the biggest question mark heading into Euro 2012 was the effectiveness of Mario Gomez as Germany's striker and whether or not he could lead one of the tournament's favorites to glory.
So far, Gomez has proven to be a nearly unstoppable force through the European Championship with three goals. However, Italy is most well known for their defensive prowess, and scoring a goal against the 2006 World Cup champions won't be a simple task.
Bonucci is an experienced defender and one of Italy's leaders. At center back, he'll have the toughest job of staying with Gomez and keeping his huge frame from being a German target.

Spain wins 4-2 on penalties

Far from its best, Spain still advanced to another major final on Wednesday by beating Portugal 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw at the European Championship.

Cesc Fabregas, who came on as a substitute in the second half of regulation time, scored the deciding penalty after Bruno Alves had hit the crossbar for Portugal moments earlier.
“I played poorly, but the team worked really hard,” Fabregas said. “I had this intuition that we could advance if we went to penalties and that’s what we did.”
Spain, which is trying to win a third straight major trophy after claiming titles at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, will next face either Germany or Italy on Sunday in Kyiv.
“Being in another final is a miracle,” Fabregas said. “It’s really incredible.”

Cristiano Ronaldo had several chances for Portugal, but he sent three shots well over the bar as his team held its own for the entire match. The Real Madrid star, who came alive with three goals in his last two matches at Euro 2012, did not take a penalty in the shootout. He had been slated to take the fifth one, but he never got that far.

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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, right, reacts during the penalty shootout at the Euro 2012 soccer championship.

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Spanish defender Jordi Alba and Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas celebrate with teammates after winning the Euro 2012 football championships semi-final match Portugal vs Spain.

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Spanish players celebrate at the end of the penalty shoot out of the Euro 2012 football championships semi-final match Portugal vs. Spain on June 27, 2012 at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk.

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Portugal's Pepe (3rd L) wipes tears after the lost their Euro 2012 semi-final soccer match against Spain at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, June 27, 2012.

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Spain's Cesc Fabregas reacts after scoring the winning penalty goal against Portugal during the penalty shoot-out in their Euro 2012 semi-final soccer match.

After an often dour opening 90 minutes in which the Spanish failed to impress, the match livened up in the 30 minutes of extra time. Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta forced Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio into a superb reflex save in the 103rd minute. Iniesta ghosted into the penalty area, then held his head in disbelief as Rui Patricio reacted brilliantly to get a strong hand to his shot after Jordi Alba cut the ball back toward the penalty spot.
Rui Patricio made another fine save to deny substitute Jesus Navas in the 111th.
Tempers frayed at times, with Portugal centre half Pepe getting a yellow card for a challenge on Xabi Alonso as they went for a high ball. Ronaldo also received some heavy challenges late on.
In the shootout, Xabi had the first attempt saved by Rui Patricio. But Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas then saved Joao Moutinho’s shot. Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos then all scored for Spain, while Pepe and Nani scored for Portugal.
“The first one wasn’t so lucky, and then we scored the rest of them,” Casillas said. “Yes, we really were lucky. Everything is about luck sometimes.”
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque ditched his unorthodox 4-6-0 formation for Wednesday’s match and opted for a traditional striker — but not the one many expected. Instead of Fernando Torres, it was Alvaro Negredo that got the start up front. But 10 minutes into the second half, Del Bosque took him off and replaced him with Fabregas.
Although Negredo worked hard, his lack of movement made him easy to mark. Spain improved as Fabregas made clever runs to stretch the defence and the defending champions dominated most of extra time with the addition of Pedro Rodriguez late in the match.
Rui Patricio was a big help in goal for Portugal, but much more was expected from Ronaldo. The winger had a chance, albeit a difficult one, to win the game in the 90th minute when Portugal poured forward after clearing a free kick. But Raul Meireles’ pass was fractionally behind Ronaldo and, with momentum lost, he had to check his run and sent his shot high and wide.

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Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao reacts after losing the Euro 2012 football championships semi-final match Portugal vs Spain.

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Spain's Sergio Ramos and Portugal's Nelson Oliveira jump for the ball during the Euro 2012 soccer championship.

Ronaldo briefly threatened early in the first half, whipping over a cross from the left wing that Casillas grabbed before Nani could head it in. He also sent a free kick into the wall after too easily tumbling under a challenge.
Working as a unit, Portugal started to gain the upper hand midway through the first half. Moutinho flicked the ball into the path of Ronaldo, whose wild shot flew over.

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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (R) encourages goalkeeper Rui Patricio before the penalty shoot-out of their Euro 2012 semi-final soccer match.