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.

Armando Franca/The Associated Press

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

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/GettyImages

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.

DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/GettyImages

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.

REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

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.

REUTERS/Juan Medina

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.

JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/GettyImages

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

Ivan Sekretarev/The Associated Press

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.

REUTERS/Michael Dalder

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

Will Ronald leave Real for Premiership?

Chelsea, Man City, and Man Utd have been put on alert as Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly ready to quit Real Madrid this summer.

The 27-year-old was linked with a return to former club United at the end of last year, with reports in Spain suggesting he was ready to quit Madrid after being unhappy with the criticism received from fans following the recent defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico.

Last month the Portugual international attempted to end speculation about whether he would be seeking a move, insisting he did "not think about the future."

But according to the Sunday Express, although relations between the £80million signing and Real Madrid fans have improved as Los Blancos close in on the Spanish title, it has still left Ronaldo restless.

And according to Sunday's report, he has told close friends that his "dream" move to the Spanish capital has become tarnished, opening the door to a return to the Premier League.

Ronaldo, who left Old Trafford in 2009 for a world-record fee, admitted last year that he is still in contact with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

And speaking last September, he refused to rule out a second spell in the Premier League, saying of a possible return to England: "I hope so, because I know the league, I know the players, I know the atmosphere."

Manchester City have also been linked with Ronaldo over the past few months, although the player appears to be loyal to his former club and a move to the blue half of Manchester looks unlikely, despite the cash-rich club - like Chelsea - being in a stronger position to meet Madrid's valuation.

United would not be willing to spend anywhere near the £80m they sold him for, although according to Sunday's report, the Red Devils would be prepared to shatter their current club record - the £30m they paid Tottenham for Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov - in order to bring the winger back to the club.

Ronaldo's manager at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho, is widely expected to return to the Premier League when he quits the club, which could also be as soon as this summer.

Who will Draw the first Blood, Benfica Vs Chelsea and Apoel Nicosia Vs Real Madrid? Watch Out......

There are two games taking place in the Champions League tonight, with Chelsea and Real Madrid both in action.
The Champions League has entered the quarter-final stage and both Chelsea and Madrid will be looking to get a result away from home this evening.
Real Madrid travel to Cyprus to take on Apoel Nicosia tonight - the first Cypriot team to reach the last eight of the competition.
Apoel say they want to represent their country with "honour" when they face the La Liga leaders.
"This is the apex of the team's history so far, which also honours Cypriot football," said Apoel spokesman Panicos Hadjiliasis.
"It's the highest honour to represent Cyprus among the best teams in Europe."
Chelsea travel to Portugal to take on Benfica, with the Blues flying out of London shortly after midfielder Frank Lampard claimed the players were "not as good as we used to be".
However, Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has defended the quality of his squad, who fought hard to come from behind and see off Napoli in the last round.
"Everybody seems to have an opinion, and they have that right, but I disagree," he said on Monday.
"I believe in my team, my squad, my players.
"I don't think we're a weak team, not at all.
"We have, still, many games to play in the Premier League to reach fourth, and two games in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
"It looked a little gloomier two weeks ago, so we're pleased to be here.
"If we had a few more points in the Premier League, we wouldn't be talking like this.
"It's a very fine line between success and failure. This team has all the ability to play a very good game tomorrow night and show the qualities these players have."
Crunchsports.com will have team news and full coverage of both games online throughout the day!
Tuesday's Champions League fixtures:All kick-off times 19:45 BST unless otherwise statedApoel Nicosia v Real Madrid
Benfica v Chelsea

Spain Are Champions of the World

By Lance Mazza

Over the past several years leading up to the World Cup, Spain never had a problem scoring goals. That wasn't the case against the rough squad from Netherlands in the final game of the World Cup.

As the final minutes were ticking away, Spain did what they know how to do. They punished the Netherlands and avoided the luck of penalty shots. Both teams were tired and it didn't help the Dutch that they went a man down.

Andres Iniesta was the man to secure the game in overtime. It took 116 minutes for Spain to put the ball in the old onion bag, but it was due to their persistent pressure they had against the Netherlands. It was only a matter of time before someone put one home.

Early on in the tournament it didn't look like Spain would come out champions. They only scored 8 goals in the seven games they've played. However, they still maintained their composure and confidence it pulled through. It can get quite frustrating for a team when you miss as many chances as they did, but clearly they didn't let it get to them.

Things could have been different if the Netherlands capitalized on some of their chances. Arjen Robben had two great chances, one in which some believe is a controversial no-call. If any of these opportunities went in, who knows what would have happened? Instead, they walk away with their 3rd loss in the World Cup finals.

While the Netherlands secured the title as under-achievers, Spain secured the Euro Cup and World Cup titles at the same time. Only West Germany and France have produced such results.

Many experts believe Spain was stronger at the Euro Cup two years ago, which makes their win even more impressive. They weren't the best they've been and were still able to take home the title!

Spain was an extremely deep team. With Fabregas and Fernando Torres on the bench, they had some extra juice to bring in. These tournaments take a serious toll on the players, so having as deep of a team as Spain really goes a long way.

Lance Mazza enjoyed spending his time watching the World Cup games. He's also a passionate basketball fan and player. He's recently written about his favorite [http://basketballset.net/outdoor-basketball-hoop]outdoor basketball hoop and [http://basketballset.net/mini-basketball-hoops]mini basketball hoops.

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Spain Wins Final by 1-0

By Gianni Truvianni

Yesterday, Spain with an overtime goal by Iniesta at the 116 minute mark of match beat the Netherlands by 1-0 in what I would call the most boring, unimaginative, uninspired and above all foul infested final I have ever seen. Granted one could say that the 1990 final was not all that great but at least one got to see Maradona, who despite not having anybody to really work with tried all match long to break a solid German defense and did manage to provide a few passes almost out of nowhere while Germany did attempt to attack. Of course the 94 final between Italy and Brazil ended in 0-0 and had to be settled in penalties yet there were sparks of brilliance even if sporadic from the quality players on the field; such as Roberto Baggio, who despite being injured came close to scoring while Romario was a scoring threat through out the entire match.

Yesterday, it seemed that we had two teams who were playing the final not because either wanted to win it but because they had an obligation to do so, with perhaps Spain putting a little more emphasizes at the start though quickly realizing that they did not really have the skill to break the Dutch defense and needed to settle in to a plan of hoping for a vital mistake. The Dutch, at the start for their part seemed to be saying that this was a final and there was no point in trying to win it but just not loose it. This being an idea which the Spanish eventually caught on to as the game became slow and above all boring during most of the first half.

I, for what concerns me would have in all honesty changed the channel or done something else if this had not been a final of a world cup and I believe that I am not alone in the world in thinking thus. The second half seemed like two teams with no more inspiration than in the first yet with more fatigue added on to them. The Netherlands did however produce a moment of inspiration in which Robben was left one on one with Casillas but shot hopelessly; as his effort came far from scoring. Robben even seeming as if he did not really wish to take the scoring chance which had been presented him but did so as he had no other option but to at least try to look like he was attempting to score. David Villa, for Spain would get a clear scoring chance just a few minutes later but shot so wide that the last thing that could have happened was a goal.

The game would eventually end at 0-0 which meant overtime. It being in this overtime that Iniesta beat the Dutch offside trap to put and an end to Holland's hopes of winning their first title while handing Spain victory in the final and above all putting those who watched the match out of the misery of having to see whose penalty kickers could remain more firm under pressure.

In conclusion, I would say that the final was definitely not one which I will want to remember or talk much about yet Spain, to their credit did win and are the 8th nation to become world champion while the Netherlands are now the first country to have lost 3 world cup finals without having won one. Spain also became the first European team to win a world cup outside of Europe and have also given their continent the lead in world cup titles over South America by ten to nine. Europe in fact leading South America in world cup titles for the first time since Italy won the world cup back in 1938.

As a footnote to this match, the most interesting moment in my opinion came when the Spanish sent the ball off the field when Puyol was down and injured. This meaning that according to the etiquette of the game, the Dutch should give the Spanish back the ball which they did through a pass they made to Spanish goalkeeper Casillas which almost ended up going in for a goal. Casillas in fact having to send it for a corner which the Dutch did not use. As they just slowly passed the ball to Casillas on the ground to prevent any chances of an accidental goal.

My name is Gianni Truvianni, I am an author who writes with the simple aim of sharing his ideas, thoughts and so much more of what I am with those who are interested in perhaps reading something new. I also am the author of the book entitled "New York's Opera Society" which is now available on Amazon.

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What Happened With the USA-Slovenia Match? How a Referee Stole a Win From America

By Geoff James

American soccer fans were outraged by the final score of the USA-Slovenia match in the first round of the 2010 World Cup: a draw. There was good reason to be upset though; Malian referee Koman Coulibaly's whistle blew right before the third goal was scored, rendering it null.

So what was the call for? As star midfielder Landon Donovan said, no one is sure. Whether a problem with language barriers or a simple desire not to explain himself, Coulibaly had no answers for the team or coaches. It is a requirement that each referee submit a written report of the game. Coulibaly's failed to add clarity to the situation, and is not required by FIFA to fully explain any rulings.

And FIFA's policy is to stand behind the decisions of their referees, so it seems that no answer will come further than the cryptic "holding" description of the call on the World Cup Website. FIFA generally does not speak out against or publicly reprimand their referees, no matter how dire their crime. They simply shut them out, which is exactly what has happened to Coulibaly.

The Federation announced yesterday the referee lineup for the second round matches and Coulibaly was conspicuously absent from that list. Because the World Cup referee schedules are released round by round, it is unclear whether he will be removed for the whole competition or just this round. If he is to come back, it will surely be as a line judge or some other support position, and not as a referee.

To enter the next round the US must win their match against Algeria, or if both the US and England end their games in draws, the US must maintain their point lead against England. The goal in question was scored in the 86th minute by Maurice Edu, an astounding comeback in the second half (which began 2-0, Slovenia).

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