Yesterday was the finial game of the 2008 European Cup between Germany and Spain. It was a matchup between two of the European powerhouses and it had all of the makings of a classic match. But it didn’t seem as though Germany felt like they needed to play their best game to win. I am sure, since they are Germans, they thought the Spaniards would fold as soon as they say the German jersey’s hit the pitch, like they usually do. But this time, the team from Spain was full of young hotshots that didn’t seem to be one bit intimidated by the Germans. From the first touch of the ball, Spain seemed to be in control of the game and tempo. They were constantly pushing the ball forward and trying to get it to their speedy attackers. Spain had several good scoring opportunities in the first half and finally capitalized when Fernando Torres flipped a ball into the back of the net. Torres was definitely the sparkplug for the Spanish team and was constantly outrunning the Germans to get to the ball. None better then his efforts to get to a ball by running around a German defender and popping the ball over the sliding keepers head for the games only goal. It was a beautiful display of effort, skill, determination, and touch. The kid they call “El Nino” scored the game-winning goal and helped erase some missed opportunities from earlier in the tournament. Here is a shot of “El Nino” doing his trademark celebration (sucking his thumb) after his goal.
Overall the game was a little of a let down. I was expecting it to have a couple more goals and a lot more since of urgency by the Germans. Even with 10 minutes left in the match, down 1 goal, they still weren’t pushing their players forward to add pressure on the Spanish defense. I think they just felt like they would tie it up just because they were wearing the German colors. They are traditionally one of the strongest teams in Europe, but not yesterday. They were outplayed and out hustled by Spain. The better team definitely won! Spain can no longer be considered chokers in big tournaments; they have finally gotten the monkey off their back! Even though it has been 44 years since wining a European title, they have always been a strong team. Now they have the hardware to prove it. That brings the end to Euro 2008 and I will miss going home and watching the replay of the games as will my youngest son, Henry, he and I have spent some quality time watching the games. Now we look forward to watching some world cup qualifying games as well as the soccer games in the Olympics.
Overall the game was a little of a let down. I was expecting it to have a couple more goals and a lot more since of urgency by the Germans. Even with 10 minutes left in the match, down 1 goal, they still weren’t pushing their players forward to add pressure on the Spanish defense. I think they just felt like they would tie it up just because they were wearing the German colors. They are traditionally one of the strongest teams in Europe, but not yesterday. They were outplayed and out hustled by Spain. The better team definitely won! Spain can no longer be considered chokers in big tournaments; they have finally gotten the monkey off their back! Even though it has been 44 years since wining a European title, they have always been a strong team. Now they have the hardware to prove it. That brings the end to Euro 2008 and I will miss going home and watching the replay of the games as will my youngest son, Henry, he and I have spent some quality time watching the games. Now we look forward to watching some world cup qualifying games as well as the soccer games in the Olympics.
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