Spain Play the Perfect Game in Euro Cup Final

On July 1st, 2012, Spain beat Italy 4-0 to become European Champions. They also defended their '08 Euro Cup title, and became the first team to win three major tournaments in a row (Euro '8, World Cup '10, Euro '12).

Spain are Champions

But what the world watched in the 2012 Euro Cup Final was not the same Spanish team that won in '08 or at the World Cup, it wasn't even the same as the team that made its way to the final. No, the Spanish team that showed up in the final was a perfect team.

From the goalkeeper Casillas, who made several key saves to keep the clean sheet, to the defense who effectively shut down the Italian attack, to the substantial midfield that not only blocked Pirlo from passing, but created goal scoring opportunities in wonderful passing efficiency. The Spanish played the best any team has ever played, and they did it with the world watching.

Each goal came about because of quick passing and perfect accuracy. The fact they scored 4 goals against a good Italian defense and one of the best goalkeepers in Buffon, shows how deadly they were.

Some might say it goes too far to call Spain's performance in the Euro Final 'perfect', or to say they are the best team in history. But the fact that no other team has put together a show like Spain did in the final, and no other team has won three major tournaments in a row, seem like overwhelming factors in their favor. I think Spain are due their recognition.

While I look forward to Spain's next involvement in a tournament (World Cup 2014), I recognize that it will be nearly impossible for them to play better than they did in the Euro Final. From now on, people will compare their performance to that game, and will likely be disappointed when they don't meet that expectation. I am just glad I was able to watch the game in which Spain proved they are the best.

If you are looking for more on the final, read Euro Cup Final 2012 - Spain Beat Italy 4-0

Euro Cup 2012 Semifinal Preview – Germany Vs. Italy

Euro Cup 2012 Stats for Germany vs Italy

UEFA Euro Cup 2012 

Germany and Italy are set to clash to see who will advance to the Euro Cup 2012 Final against defending champions Spain. The tickets are sold, and predictions are in, as these two soccer superpowers play for the last spot in the Euro Cup 2012 Final.

Date and Time for Euro Cup 2012 Semifinal – Germany vs. Italy

Germany will play Italy on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 20.45CET (2:45 pm EST) from Warsaw, Poland.

How Germany and Italy Reached the Euro Cup Semifinal:

Germany:

•       Won group ‘B’ (Aka: The Group Of Death):
•       Beat Denmark 2-1
•       Beat Portugal 1-0
•       Beat Netherlands 2-1
•       Easily beat Greece in quarterfinal 4-2 to advance to semifinal

Italy:

•       Finished second in group ‘C’:
•       Tied Spain 1-1
•       Tied Croatia 1-1
•       Beat Ireland 2-0
•       Tied England in quarterfinal match 0-0, won 4-2 in penalty kicks

Predictions for Euro Cup 2012 Semifinal between Germany and Italy

70% of fans on UEFA.com predict Germany will beat Italy to advance to the final. Most are expecting an exciting game with the possibility of goals for both sides. After going scoreless against England, Italy will look to adjust its lineups to provide better scoring opportunities. Germany, meanwhile, scored 4 goals against Greece, but let in two. They will look to continue their attacking momentum, while keeping a tight defense.

Key Players to Keep an Eye on;

For Germany:

Germany Striker Gomez has already scored three times and will look to continue his run. In the midfield, Ozil will launch the Germans attacking plays and look to reach their forwards such as Gomez.

For Italy:

Long time goalkeeper Buffon stopped a PK to allow Italy to reach the semifinals. Italian midfielder Pirlo provided precise passing and will look to guide the attack.

For full match info, also check out UEFA Euro Cup 2012 Official Website

Portugal Beat Denmark in Thrilling 3-2 Win at Euro 2012

Portugal massively needed to win against Denmark in the Euro Cup 2012 round 2 of the group stage to keep hope alive for advancing to the knockout stage, and they did just that.

Portugal scored two goals in the first half by Pepe and Helder Postiga and looked to be well on their way to 3 points. However, Denmark answered at the end of the first half, and again in the second half to make it 2-2. They game reached a frantic pace as Portugal, the 9th ranked team in the world pushed forward to try to score on Denmark, the 10th ranked. 

With only minutes to go, substitute Verela scored the game winning goal to make it 3-2 and keep hopes alive for Portugal to advance to the next stage.

The game kept a lively pace throughout most of the match with chances more often in favor of Portugal. Christiano Ronaldo was much more active in this match compared to his performance Vs. Germany, yet he just didn't have the same lethal ability as he so often has had this past season for Real Madrid.

The Euro Cup 'Group of Death' has so far lived up to the hype and excitement, with several more important games to come. 

Next game for Portugal: Netherlands on June 17th.

Euro Cup 2012: Best Games Thus Far

Each team in the Euro Cup has now had a chance to play a match in the group stage. There were some big match ups, such as Germany Vs. Portugal, Italy Vs. Spain, and France Vs. England. Each of these games were entertaining and full of excitement in their own way, but the best games thus far came by more unlikely teams.

Best Matches at the Euro's so far:

Stadium in Kiev for Euro 2012

Poland Vs. Greece: 1-1

Poland and Greece were the first game of the tournament and played to fair score of 1-1. However, the game was filled with drama as there were two red cards handed out, and a PK save by the newly subbed on Polish goalkeeper. This game proved to be a fit beginning to what is expected to be an action packed tournament.

Russia Vs. Czech Republic: 4-1

This was the second match of the European Championship, and the Russian side came out and showed they are an attacking force to be reckoned with. They simply overwhelmed the Czech's, leaving many to expect the Russians to advance from group A. 

Russia plays Poland in the next match on Tuesday at 2:45pm Eastern. This game is expected to share some of the same excitement as the first matches and should not be missed!

Ukraine Vs. Sweden 2-1

Ukraine versus Sweden was the most recent game that saw an incredible back and forth game for the first half with chances for both teams. Ukraine's Shevchenko and Sweden's Ibrahimovic would prove to be the Goal scorers, and stars of the game. the chances for both teams through out the game made for a much more exciting game compared to the slow England Vs. France tie. Both Ukraine and Sweden looked strong with powerful attacking players. At the final whistle the game concluded 2-1 in Ukraine's favor with two good goals by 35 year old striker Shevchenko.

After four days of games there have already been surprises, beautiful goals, and great games. One can only expect the matches to get better and better from here. Be sure to catch the action live on ESPN, and online at ESPN3.com! 

Euro 2012 Coming to ESPN!

It's about a week away, and I can feel the excitement growing within me.

The UEFA Euro Cup 2012 begins June 8th 2012 and will last for nearly a month, until July 1st. This competition brings together sixteen of the best teams in Europe to compete for the title of Euro Cup Champions. This competition is all about pride, fame and bragging rights for the European country that wins.

You might be wondering, Why am I (an American) so excited about a competition that only involves Europe and Europeans?

Euro 2012. Source - UEFA

Two Reasons I am excited for Euro 2012;

1. First, I believe its safe to say the biggest collection of the best soccer players is in Europe so this competition will feature many incredible players and teams. The likes of Germany, Spain, England, France, Portugal, and Netherlands will be playing against each other, just to name a few.

2. Second, All the games will be shown in America on the ESPN Network.

Yep, you read it right, ESPN will be airing every game live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN3.com. Just writing that makes me exited.

This means that for nearly a month there will be games between some of the best teams in the world on almost everyday.

In case you are still not excited, let me run though some of the match ups I am looking forward to in the Euro Cup 2012.

June 9th: Germany Vs. Portugal - With stars on both sides, this will be an exciting clash.
June 10th: Spain Vs. Italy - Another incredible match up. Spain was 2010 World Cup winners, Italy won in 2006.
June 11th: France Vs. England - Both teams have something to prove, and should play hard for a win.
June 13th: Netherlands Vs. Germany - Two excellent teams filled with world class players

I hope you get the point, there will be quite a few exciting games, and these are just from the group stage. Once teams make it out of the group stage, the games can get even more enthralling and the stakes increase dramatically.

I hope you will be watching the Euro Cup 2012, I know I will be! No matter who you cheer for, it will be an incredible competition made even better by the ability to watch it live on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

Link to ESPN3.com for those who might be unfamiliar with it.
Also, UEFA Euro 2012 official website