Congratulations to Luis Aragones ’ side! They came a long way to be crowned as the new Champions of Europe.

On Sunday night in Vienna , it took 90 minutes for Spain to defeat history.

A single goal by Torres and a defensive resistance were all what the team needed to write a new page in their country’s football history.

24 years have past since Spain appeared in a European Championship final and 44 since it last lifted the trophy.

Yesterday was the perfect moment to end this lack of success’s curse and the Spaniards did not fail to do so.

In the first quarter of the match, they struggled to play their fluid passing game due to Germany ’s aggressive attacking style.

But they did not take long to claim their superiority; with a country like Spain that plays tactical soccer, loosing possession as the Germans did always turns out as a punishment.

In the whole of the match, Spain had several chances which they could not convert. And among them all, only one proved to be decisive.

The Golden Goal

In this tournament, Fernando Torres looked very calm and was left in the shadow of the competition’s top scorer David Villa . However, the Valencia striker’s fate was to miss Sunday’s grand finale which give Torres the opportunity of playing as a lone forward in Spain ’s 5-1-4-1 formation.

He certainly wasn’t as good as he can be but the 33^rd minute of the game was the golden moment of his life:

Fernando Torres combined pace and skill to strike the ball past Lehman and score probably the most important goal of his career.

He might have got only two goals in this tournament, but the nominated man of the match showed up when it was needed the most – which makes him a true number 9 player.

Iglesias with the official Euro 2008 song, a coincidence?

One can think that Spain ’s victory is also due to the fact that Spanish Pop Star Enrique Iglesias sang the official Euro 2008 track before the match.

Perhaps did it help the Spanish crowd to feel in the mood of a premature party but on the other hand, this could have nothing to do with the support Spanish fans generated behind their team. 4 years ago, Nelly Furtado – of Portuguese origins – sang the official Euro 2004 song “Forza” at the final but it surely had no effect on the Portuguese squad as over anxiety contributed to their 1 – 0 loss to Greece.

Either way, it looks like the final was made for Spain to win it.

Iglesias seemed to have started the party with his dynamic soundtrack and celebrations indeed continued as Spain triumphed over Germany.

Like Enrique, many of the Spanish fans had to wait a lifetime for a moment like this.

Spain has won the European Championship for only the second time in their entire history.

Angela Asante

Euro2008TV.com

What a pity for Russia! Spain was just too good last night.

Despite the heavy rain, Luis Aragones’ side managed to display a mature and excellent performance. The first half was goalless, which left the Spanish coach anxious about what could happen. Torres struggled to find the net and really wasn’t as his best. As for Villa, he was hit by a foot injury and had to be substituted for Fabregas.

As things went right at the back for Spain with Sergio Ramos who defended outstandingly, they concentrated on breaking the dead lock.

At the 50th minute, Iniesta’s cross found Xavi who fired the ball through the Russian goal keeper’s legs to give his side a deserved lead.

With Silva being creative in midfield and playmaker Fabregas, it seemed like Spain had found the keys to open the doors of the Russian defence.

Substitute D. Guiza doubled the lead with less than 20 minutes to go when he looped the ball into the net after Fabregas had made a clever pass. The Russian keeper thought the goal was offside but he was wrong. Russian fans understood it was certainly all over for them but they kept praying for a miracle. But Spain’s game plan tired their opponents and even Arshavin could not make a revolution.

Russia’s hopes were completely destroyed when Silva, at last, got his first goal of the tournament.

3 – 0 to Spain and they will meet Germany in their first final of a major tournament since 1964.

Angela Asante
Euro2008TV Writer

Turkish fans might feel it’s hard to accept that their team has not made it to the final in Vienna.

Going into the game, the Reds were ravaged by injuries and suspension. Their team counted only 13 available players to face in-form Germany.

Most soccer analyst had predicted that Joachim Low’s side would “easily” pass the test and qualify to the ultimate stage.

But Germany was stunned when Turkey opened the scoring in the first half. They played with determination and dominated the game. However, almost out of nowhere, Germany found their way back as Schweinsteiger scored to provide his side a precious equalizer.

75 minutes had run down the clock and it was still 1 – 1. Turkey could have converted two or three shots into goals but keeper Jens Lehman was alert enough to make excellent saves.

Instead, it was the Germans who took the lead at the 79th minute when P. Lahm’s cross found Klose’s head who fired the ball past Rustu.

Turkey was desperate for another comeback.

And indeed, they had it: Sabri tapped the ball across the line from close range for the match to be all square. Germans fans could not believe it that point and suddenly, the red crowd came alive… but not for too long.

At the 90th minute, defender P. Lahm stepped in the penalty area and brilliantly scored the game’s fifth goal. 3 – 2 to Germany and the Turkish just couldn’t find another miraculous touch: an injury time free-kick was virtually their last chance of survival but the ball went well wide.

Certainly, the Germans did not deserve their victory. For Turkey, Lahm’s goal was questionable because the referee let the game continue though one of their players was injured on the ground.

Well, the Turkish have been brave throughout the tournament and their fans can certainly be proud of their heroes’ performance: these gentlemen have proved to the whole world what soccer is indeed about; but this time, luck wasn’t on their side.

Germany will face either Russia or Spain in Sunday’s final.

Angela Asante
Euro2008TV Writer

Italy against France.

On the field, some of the greatest players of all time…

But in the end, the game was one of the worst of the tournament.

If Italy deserved the victory they got, based on the games they played, they did not deserve to advance to the quarterfinals all that much.

On the other hand, France lost everything and it is totally coherent if you look at the game they played during their week in Switzerland.

How much fans regret the Italian and French teams from 1998-2000. They faced each other in France for the 1998 World Cup and in the Netherlands during the 2000 European championship. And both games were far better than what we got to watch this time.
(read full article…)

At the time, some people laughed or at least smiled at the idea. Today, many of them wish it had been the truth. Because Domenech’s players did not live up to the hopes of 60 million French fans, who think the team should be ashamed of its performances.

Two years after bringing les Bleus to the world cup final in Germany, Raymond Domenech is threatened… A decision on whether he remains national coach will be made on July 3.
When he was asked about his future after the 2-0 defeat against Italy, he proposed to his girlfriend and mother of his children Estelle Denis (who is a famous journalist / anchorwoman in France). An answer that clearly upset French fans, many of whom are aking for Domenech to be fired.

Because if Raymond Domenech led the team to the final two years ago, he is not – nor has ever been – loved by the French audience like former coach Aimé Jacquet, ho led the team to the world cup trophy ten years ago. But the truth is Aimé Jacquet was very criticized by both media and fans in France prior to the world cup in 1998.

The difference is one of them actually won the world cup…

The other thing that people do not like about Raymond Domenech is the way he answers questions. Most of the time he is ironic…

Of course he is not agressive. When you watch his press conferences, he is actually pretty nice… joking with journalists. But he does not say anything interesting about the game or the team itself

There really is something about communication that Domenech does not like.
And it just so happens that there really is something about Raymond Domenech that French fans don’t like.

Maybe it is the fact that he has never won anything (except for a second division title in the late eighties).

Maybe it is the way he answers – or does not answer – the questions he is asked.

Maybe it is the sardonic smile he has everytime someone asks him something…

Whatever it is, it will all count against him on July 3rd, the day the French federation will give its decision…

By Roxanne Roche

These traffic numbers represent an increase of over 250% compared to
euro2004.com four years ago, even though the tournament is still in its final
stages, and the traffic numbers are still coming in.

(read full article…)