EURO2012

[Philellinas]

I wasn't aware, Mike , that Park Ji-sung had been selected for the German squad. Unless he is on a Korea break...Anyway, it pays to get tight on the playmaker and let the water-carriers (to use Eric Cantona's disparaging description) have more freedom as they are less likely to deliver the killer pass (Memo to Mr. Hodgson).

[Philellinas]

The Iberian derby beckons. Forget about 4-4-2. Look at the balance of the squads for outfield players: defenders, midfielders and attackers. * Spain are playing 5-10-5 while Portugal prefer 6-11-3 (including Ronaldo as a midfielder). In contrast England played 8-8-4 when four of the eight defenders did not kick a ball in anger. Half of 8-8-4 is 4-4-2. I rest my case.
I am hoping for a fiesta of attacking football and expect Spain despite the missing Carlos Puyol and David Villa to edge out Portugal even with Ronaldo. Spain have an array of potential match-winners; Portugal only have one.
*Based on vital research carried out on the BBC Sport web-site.

[garth cartwright]

Well, it's turned into an excruciatingly dull tournament with teams seemingly unable to score. Last night's game saw Portugal cut up Spain several times then blast the ball into the crowd. Spain only came near Portugal's goal a couple of times and never really threatened. Spain's players pulling lots of dramatics in the hunt for penalties. A better game than England-Italy but not by much. Watching 0-0 matches reminds me of why people from nations that are not obsessed with football dismiss what is called "soccer".

Samuel L Jackson, once filming here, was taken to a Premier League game that ended 0-0. "I thought they were supposed to score," he snarled when asked what he thought. When I first landed here a Scouser mate insisted I accompany him to Everton - Norwich. A 1-1 trudge. As we left the Scouser said in that great accent "when yer away from it yer miss it so much and when yer back yer wonder why the fock yer bother". I thought "indeed". By sitting through last night's dullathon I missed the Story Of A Street. No more football for me, thanks.

[Philellinas]

Some 0-0s can make for fascinating viewing but this was not one of them. The only thing that hit the heights was the long-range shooting. The Spanish manager, Vicente del Bosque, hardly helped matters with his quixotic decision not to select a goal-scoring centre forward. Spain created several clear-cut chances but couldn't finish. Portugal concentrated on stopping Spain from weaving their magic in midfield and largely succeeded. Bruno Alves stepped forward too soon to take a penalty then hit the bar when his turn came leaving Cristiano Ronaldo high and dry as Portugal's fifth penalty taker. As a way of resolving ties penalties can take their toll on wayward spot-kickers, especially if they are English. Let's hope that they will not be required in the second semi-final.

[Con Murphy]

The tournament's been pretty good overall, even if it lacks a signature match. It's only in the most recent two games that the goals have dried up and these days there's almost a case for going straight to penalties after 90 minutes.

Hopefully the German team will continue their imperious progress* and I too miss the discussions we had here with Charlie and trying to make the case for Teutonic counter-attacking zeal against Iberian tiki-taka eye-candy - death by sporting sugar overload! I recall we even once discussed the intellectual footballing conceit of playing with no strikers, something which has since come to pass, albeit intermittently.

Wonder if richie's going to the final again...?



*I don't care for political point-scoring through sport - leave that to the Nazis and Communists.

[NormanD]

*I don't care for political point-scoring through sport - leave that to the Nazis and Communists

although

...trying to make the case for Teutonic counter-attacking zeal against Iberian tiki-taka eye-candy

Ahem

[Con Murphy]

?

Purely a footballing comparison. For the unitiated, Spain have been the dish du jour in soccer for the past four or five years for playing a technically-near-perfect, close-passing style. Some of us - the more dinosaur-like the better, arguably - prefer the old-fashioned up and at -'em high-tempo kick and rush style currently exemplified by the German team.

No politico.

[garth cartwright]

OK, I switched on the TV last night - it was dinner time so i figured I could watch 20 mins or so. Well, well. I'd heard a lot about Balotelli, mainly thru his off pitch behaviour in Manchester, but have to admit last night I saw a wizard, a true star. That said, the legendary German defense was not there. At all. Even the goalie didn't seem to want to throw himself at B's second goal. But this was exciting football. Even Samuel Jackson would surely have appreciated it. It meant I missed Rafa being knocked out tho'. A day of sporting surprises.

Viva Italia!

[gary booth]

There seems to be as much media attention being paid to Balotelli's two great goals as his comment re his goal celebration or lack of. "Why should I celebrate a goal it's my job, you don't see a postman celebrate when he delivers a letter." Well, Mario, as a postman, I'm pleased you chose such a noble profession as a comparision and by and large I have to say you're right - if we did such a thing we would be out there all day.
However, from last years agreement between Royal Mail and the C.W.U. there are specific occasions when celebrating is encouraged and, in certain cases, compulsory - here are the main ones:
(1) When delivering a package marked FRAGILE or an A4 card backed envelope marked DO NOT BEND (often important photographs or College certificates) if by any means necessary e.g tearing, bending, breaking the letter-box, you can the get the said item into their house one then raises one arm, grips the cuff of your jacket and walks slowly down the path - this is known as the 'Dennis Law'
(2) If you manage to deliver an item to the right door (and silence all the critics) you put a raised finger to your lips this is now, since the England v France game, called doing a 'Nasri'
(3) If you deliver any Party Invitation, Wedding Announcement, New Arrival cards, you phone your colleagues on the neighbouring streets. Once assembled, you lay on the floor star shaped, mouth open and a colleague squirts an energy drink at you. This is the 'Gascoigne'
(4) For Lottery Winners with the Camelot cheque you ask the neighbours to line up at their gates and then proceed to run along 'high fiving' them all.
(5) One which you won't see while the C.W.U. is so strong is 'The Lampard' - we don't mind mind wearing the Royal Mail badge on our shirts but we're not kissing it.
(6) For those lucky souls who've hit 100 and receive the famous telegram from the Queen we naturally go the extra mile in paying respect and celebrating this milestone. Again, we phone ten other colleagues and get the person to come out of their home and lay on the pavement and then one by one we all run up and dive on top of them -it's the least we can do.

[uiwangmike]

Just keep your Royal Mail shirt on, Gary.

[AndyM]

A mighty and historic victory for Spain. And I'm off to Madrid for a few days as it happens, expecting to find a hungover (but still celebrating) city!

[David Flower]

Spain's riposte to the doubters and sceptics was the most glorious 'up yours' I've ever seen. Silva's goal the goal of the tourney . Though Tiger Woods is mounting something of an up yours himself at the moment, or maybe an I told you so, but nothing like as glorious

[AndyM]

Minor musical observation, having waited for hours on the Gran Via to see the victors and the cup on their open-top bus ride - Spaniards do sing 'Y Viva Espana'. But perfectly sensibly they replace the naff package-tour lyics with la-la-las and just sing the title. Very loudly.