Euro 2012

So is retirement.

Buffon will be very old by the end of this match if this keeps up.

Unless, of course, if balotelli can pull one out and give them breathing room.

Italy 1-0

Balotelli makes it 2-0 on a great counter.

This one is effectively over. Italy averages .6 GPG in the Euros all time.

He gets a yellow for doing a Brandi Chastain.

I have to hand it to him, I didn't think Good Mario would show up. Couple of nicely taken goals for him.

And hand it to Pirlo. He set up two goals and saved one off the line.

The man is everywhere.

Germany has made progress. They seem upset. The last few cups they went with the "well, we didn't make it but we are a great young club on the way up" line.

At least now they are hungry.

No idea who will win this cup, But Italy just won the anthem singing contest.

Buffon was amazing.

OK, decided to join a group who are watching this European thing, and found the (first) goal by Spain to be something very special. Don't know who any of those guys are, but the movement, passing, and finish of that goal was great to watch!

I hope there is more of the same from both sides.

If you haven't been watching Spain for the last several years you are missing something very special.

I keep thinking that Alexy Lalas said on the first Euro broadcast that teams have Spain's number?

4-0 in a final is ridiculous, and I think Italy played a good game for them.

PurpleGeezer wrote: If you haven't been watching Spain for the last several years you are missing something very special.

Today was the first time I’d seen Spain since the World Cup two years ago, and I think they are better. Italy may not be the team it once was, but this is a very good Spanish team. I’d read where Spain was boring; ha! Not even close to boring.

Their goals were pure skill, but also the culmination of wonderful teamwork. It would appear Spain has a high number of very skilled players who have totally bought into the TEAM concept, not individualism.

Even with Spain’s wonderful style, Italy had plenty of possessions, but Spain had PENETRATION, working those elaborate little passing triangles, and then suddenly changing the pace of the game once they saw the openings..…loved it.

As much as I appreciated the great goal scoring, what I appreciated even more was Spain’s ability to get the ball back after losing it. They are so devoted to possessing the ball, and dribbling the ball. Their pass-and-move style of play is fun to watch, and just when I thought no men’s team played like this (anymore).

My love of men’s soccer is back, but no more MLS for me this season.

PurpleGeezer wrote:No idea who will win this cup, But Italy just won the anthem singing contest.

Buffon was amazing.

It's easy when the other guy's anthem has no words. Kind of like when you play the last half hour up a man.

In both cases, though, it didn't matter and the better team won.

DoubleDipper wrote:

PurpleGeezer wrote: If you haven't been watching Spain for the last several years you are missing something very special.

Today was the first time I’d seen Spain since the World Cup two years ago, and I think they are better. Italy may not be the team it once was, but this is a very good Spanish team. I’d read where Spain was boring; ha! Not even close to boring.

Their goals were pure skill, but also the culmination of wonderful teamwork. It would appear Spain has a high number of very skilled players who have totally bought into the TEAM concept, not individualism.

Even with Spain’s wonderful style, Italy had plenty of possessions, but Spain had PENETRATION, working those elaborate little passing triangles, and then suddenly changing the pace of the game once they saw the openings..…loved it.

As much as I appreciated the great goal scoring, what I appreciated even more was Spain’s ability to get the ball back after losing it. They are so devoted to possessing the ball, and dribbling the ball. Their pass-and-move style of play is fun to watch, and just when I thought no men’s team played like this (anymore).

My love of men’s soccer is back, but no more MLS for me this season.

Spain is on a different level right now. In the games before the Final they had been called boring because they weren't as good as they were yesterday. I think some of those people have just been spoiled by what Spain does, they were always going to be one of the favorites.

The thing about the Spanish game is, some opponents just won't play football with them. Look back to the 2010 World Cup Final with the Dutch. That was ugly. If you watch Barcelona, who plays the same style with lots of Spanish NT players, in the Champions League teams like Chelsea and Inter have beaten them by going into a defensive shell to keep them from scoring, then stealing a goal off a defensive mistake. Fortunately Italy chose not to go that route, and really they're good enough not to have to. They were keeping up with Spain until Motta went down and they had no subs left. As far as major finals go this was a very good game until the last 30 minutes.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:

PurpleGeezer wrote:No idea who will win this cup, But Italy just won the anthem singing contest.

Buffon was amazing.

It's easy when the other guy's anthem has no words. Kind of like when you play the last half hour up a man.

In both cases, though, it didn't matter and the better team won.

Buffon would have won if the other team had sung Bohemian Rhapsody.

There actually are words for the Spanish March that can be sung, it's just that the starters only know the Catalan anthem.

I thought the second goal was great. You could see it from a mile away, with the through run starting at about midfield, a perfectly timed pass and a nice little finish around the keeper.

I wonder if anybody has done reaction time tests on Buffon and Casillas?

I thought they were both outstanding in this tournament.

Here is a pretty amazing clip of Iker Casillas asking the ref to forget about injury time out of respect for Italy...