Saturday, June 30, 2012
EURO 2012: Portugal's worthy warriors
EURO 2012: Portugal's worthy warriors
Having pushed reigning world and European champions Spain for 120 minutes in their Euro 2012 semi-final, Portugal can reflect on a successful showing in Poland and Ukraine.
Cesc Fabregas' winning penalty gave Spain a 4-2 shootout success in Donetsk on Wednesday that sent Vicente del Bosque's side into the final, but the margins of failure were wafer-thin for beaten Portugal.
Had Cristiano Ronaldo not lifted the ball over the crossbar in the final minute of normal time, had Bruno Alves' fourth Portuguese penalty not hit the bar and bounced back, things could have been very different.
Dogged in defence and menacing on the counter-attack, Portugal proved themselves worthy of a place in the last four and although they failed to reach the final, coach Paulo Bento said there was plenty of cause for optimism.
"All that's left for me is the way that we played and the way we have competed," he said. "Even though we lost the semi-final, that should give us a lot of confidence.
"The country can be proud of the team's efforts. In the 90 minutes (normal match time) we played with a lot of speed and caused Spain a lot of problems.
"That's why I'm proud and all of Portugal can be proud."
Portugal have now won only once in six attempts in major tournament semi-finals -- their last final appearance being their loss to Greece as hosts of Euro 2004 -- but they grew in strength as Euro 2012 progressed.
Unfortunate in their opening 1-0 loss to Germany, in which they twice hit the crossbar, they reacted in stirring fashion to beat Denmark 3-2 through an 87th-minute winner from substitute Silvestre Varela.
It was then that the Cristiano Ronaldo show began.
The 27-year-old produced one of the tournament's outstanding individual performances in the final Group B game against Netherlands, scoring twice to cancel out Rafael van der Vaart's opener and sending Portugal into the last eight.
He was every bit as irresistible in the quarter-final against a stubbornly defensive Czech Republic side, whose resistance was finally pierced by a 79th-minute header from the Portugal captain.
Given Portugal's pre-tournament form -- 0-0 draws with Poland and Macedonia, followed by a 3-1 loss to Turkey -- and the strength of their group, a semi-final showing represents a commendable achievement.
For all the disappointment of the defeat by Spain, the Seleccao have come a long way since the 1-0 loss to Norway in their second Euro 2012 qualifier in September 2010 that cost Carlos Queiroz his job at the helm of the team.
"I think people will be proud of us, for what we achieved here," said centre-back Pepe.
"We are a young group and we will have other opportunities in the future."
There is every reason to expect that the squad will remain largely intact for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Prior to the game against Spain, the average age of Portugal's starting line-up was 26.9, and their key players should all still be in their prime in two years' time -- Ronaldo will be 29, Nani 27, and Pepe 31.
Bento, 43, is under contract until 2014 and he has established a sense of calmness and continuity that bodes well for the World Cup qualifying campaign, which starts with a match away to Luxembourg on Sept 7
Source [Asia one]
Euro 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo believes performance with Portugal will win him FIFA Ballon D'or award
Euro 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo believes performance with Portugal will win him FIFA Ballon D'or award
With Portugal out of the running at Euro 2012 after their semifinal loss to Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on the FIFA Ballon D’or award. Ronaldo was already a strong candidate to win soccer’s most prestigious individual accolade thanks to a brilliant season at Real Madrid, and he believes his strong performances with Portugal at Euro 2012 have all but sealed him the award.
Cristiano Ronaldo might have been left out of the semifinal shoot-out drama with Spain but he is “confident” that his performances for Portugal at Euro 2012 will win him the Fifa Ballon D’Or.
Ronaldo scored 60 goals for Real Madrid as he lead them to their first title since 2008 and then captained Portugal to the last four in Poland and Ukraine.
“The Golden Ball? I am always confident,” he said.
“Every year I try to be there. It depends on the people who choose but I’m confident I will win it.”
Lionel Messi has won the award both times since the Ballon D’Or and the Fifa World Player of the Year award were merged into one prize in 2010.
Yet after taking La Liga title, Ronaldo has produced some of the exceptional performances of Euro 2012, including two goals in the win over the Netherlands and one in the quarterfinal defeat of the Czech Republic.
“I’m happy with the way I have performed this season, both with my club and with the national team,” he said.
“I expected a little bit more in the semifinal, considering how we played, but I’m proud of the job I have done, proud of the way my teammates have played and proud of the way the coach has done his job.”
Source [NY Daily News]
With Portugal out of the running at Euro 2012 after their semifinal loss to Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on the FIFA Ballon D’or award. Ronaldo was already a strong candidate to win soccer’s most prestigious individual accolade thanks to a brilliant season at Real Madrid, and he believes his strong performances with Portugal at Euro 2012 have all but sealed him the award.
Cristiano Ronaldo might have been left out of the semifinal shoot-out drama with Spain but he is “confident” that his performances for Portugal at Euro 2012 will win him the Fifa Ballon D’Or.
Ronaldo scored 60 goals for Real Madrid as he lead them to their first title since 2008 and then captained Portugal to the last four in Poland and Ukraine.
“The Golden Ball? I am always confident,” he said.
“Every year I try to be there. It depends on the people who choose but I’m confident I will win it.”
Lionel Messi has won the award both times since the Ballon D’Or and the Fifa World Player of the Year award were merged into one prize in 2010.
Yet after taking La Liga title, Ronaldo has produced some of the exceptional performances of Euro 2012, including two goals in the win over the Netherlands and one in the quarterfinal defeat of the Czech Republic.
“I’m happy with the way I have performed this season, both with my club and with the national team,” he said.
“I expected a little bit more in the semifinal, considering how we played, but I’m proud of the job I have done, proud of the way my teammates have played and proud of the way the coach has done his job.”
Source [NY Daily News]
Euro 2012 closing ceremony to last 12 minutes
Euro 2012 closing ceremony to last 12 minutes
The Euro 2012 closing ceremony before the final match between Spain and Italy on July 1 in Kyiv at the Olympiysky National Sports Complex will last 12 minutes, according to the official UEFA Web site.
The 12-minute show will be presented shortly before kick-off and will feature more than 600 volunteer performers. It will also promote the participating nations together with key competition values: unity, rivalry and passion.
Both the opening and closing ceremonies were devised by Marco Balich, the president of Filmmaster Events, along with artistic director Lida Castelli and show director Bryn Walters. Balich has designed many international events, including the 2002 Olympic flag handover in Salt Lake City, the 2006 Olympic ceremonies in Turin and the Carnival of Venice.
The official tournament song, Endless Summer, will be performed live by German singer Oceana. The UEFA Euro 2012 hit is the first single from Oceana's outstanding new studio album, recorded in London, New York and Berlin with producers including Rob Davis (Kylie Minogue) and Blair McKichan (Lily Allen).
The national anthems of both finalists will be presented by Tamara Khodakova and Mykhailo Humenniy – soloists from the Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, under the leadership of Anzhela Maslennikova.
A total of 150 million viewers are expected to watch the UEFA Euro 2012 final live, UEFA said on its website.
Source [Kyiv Post]
Euro 2012: This Spanish win would be admired, not loved
Euro 2012: This Spanish win would be admired, not loved
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the former Brazil manager, will have been watching Spain line up with no striker during euro 2012 and telling anyone within listening distance: "I told you so."
Parreira, who led his country to the World Cup in 1994, made a prediction 10 years ago that we would eventually see the most successful teams play with no recognised No 9. He saw the future of football. Spain, and to some extent Barcelona, are realising that vision. The game has developed to the degree whereby where once we had a traditional 4-4-2 and then 4-5-1, now the world champions happily play 4-6-0.
From a professional point of view, it is fascinating to see the application of a theory which would once have been considered unthinkable. You cannot argue with its effectiveness, nor ignore the levels of technical ability required to set up this way.
Spain keep the ball better, quite possibly, than any international team in history. They have conceded just one goal en route to the final, their ability to dominate possession and wear down an opponent makes it incredibly difficult to create chances against them, and if they score just once, the odds are the game is over.
Even if you get a chance to attack, because you have been chasing the 70 per cent of possession Spain tend to have, you are normally too tired to do any damage. In their past 15 competitive matches in the World Cup or European championships, Spain have kept 12 clean sheets.
You will not find a single footballer who does not admire or even envy how the Spanish side are able to do this. The question I, like many others, have been asking myself during the course of this tournament is whether Spain are actually over-complicating the theory. Should they have to rely on penalties to beat Portugal, for example? I think they are better than that.
I do not believe they need to play 4-6-0 to win Euro 2012. They could play with one less midfielder and still pass the ball better than anyone else. Their left back, Jordi Alba, has been one of the players of the tournament and often looks like an extra midfielder. No manager has more options than Vicente Del Bosque, so it is a perfectly justified debate as to whether he should be packing his central midfield with players of a similar type.
It would not matter if Spain played 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 4-5-1, most countries still would not get near them because they have players flexible enough to make it work. What they have decided to do in this competition - a difference to Euro 2008 and the last World Cup - is adopt a system which is worthy of professional respect and appreciation rather than one that generates excitement and edge-of-the-seat football for those with no emotional connection to the team.
I understand why neutrals suggest the Spain games have not been that enjoyable to watch. I would not say I agree with them, but that is possibly because when you are a player you can get absorbed in the tactical play a bit more.
What I do accept is that what stirs the emotions is seeing a winger beat a man, someone with pace sprinting past defenders, plenty of goalmouth incident and, obviously, lots of goals. We have not seen that in the Spain matches. They have been more like strategy games where you can acknowledge the brilliance of what they are doing, but they are not playing in a way that gets the heart pumping.
I have heard it suggested they are mirroring the Barcelona system, but there are key differences. For a start, Barcelona have Lionel Messi's genius and his 70 goals a season. Also, Barca use the pace of Pedro and Alexis Sanchez down the wide areas, constantly running beyond the opposing defence giving the central midfielders passing options. Barcelona create tons of chances in every match they play.
You cannot suggest we have seen the same kinds of movement from this Spain team, because the midfielders have not gone beyond the opposition centre-halves enough. They have changed, even since the World Cup, suffering from the loss of David Villa who, even when playing wider, had a natural instinct to run beyond defenders. Four years ago, Fernando Torres and Villa played in the same team.
While I would not suggest there is anything negative about how Spain play, I do believe the 4-6-0 is reflective of Del Bosque sticking with the players he trusts most, who are evidently his central midfielders.
He may have felt he had to act. In several friendlies after South Africa Spain suffered heavy defeats. Argentina beat them 4-1 and Portugal also enjoyed a 4-0 victory. Opting for a more solid midfield could have been a reaction to this.
In difficult moments, Del Bosque has basically reverted to the system that ensures he has his best players on the pitch. He will argue, with some justification, that when he has selected a No?9 - Alvaro Negredo or Torres - they have been the weakest links.
Parreira's prediction about a team succeeding with 4-6-0 has proved correct. It is certainly a break from the past but I am yet to be convinced it is necessarily a forward-thinking evolutionary step for Spanish football. The greatest teams will always have the right balance between defensive soundness, technical expertise and attacking threat.
Italy will be heartened by what they witnessed against Portugal on Wednesday, but their manager Cesare Prandelli has a tactical problem of his own. He nullified the Spanish in their group game, playing three at the back. He will also have noted how Portugal pressed high up the pitch to unsettle the Spanish possession.
Del Bosque will recall the impact Torres had as a substitute in Gdansk, creating numerous opportunities by running beyond Italy's back three. He will also remember it was a deep midfield runner, Cesc Fabregas, who scored the equaliser. The tactical analysis of the game will make it enthralling for football students.
I expect Spain to win, probably narrowly, consolidating their position as the best nation in the world, with the most talented players. When they won in Austria four years ago, they did so by quickening the pulse of football lovers who took pleasure from their exhilarating brand of football.
Victory this time would deserve the same respect and admiration, but perhaps not the standing ovation of 2008. It is certainly a different Spain team winning in a different way. They have not thrilled in quite the same fashion yet, but they are still way ahead of the rest.
Source [DNA India]
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the former Brazil manager, will have been watching Spain line up with no striker during euro 2012 and telling anyone within listening distance: "I told you so."
Parreira, who led his country to the World Cup in 1994, made a prediction 10 years ago that we would eventually see the most successful teams play with no recognised No 9. He saw the future of football. Spain, and to some extent Barcelona, are realising that vision. The game has developed to the degree whereby where once we had a traditional 4-4-2 and then 4-5-1, now the world champions happily play 4-6-0.
From a professional point of view, it is fascinating to see the application of a theory which would once have been considered unthinkable. You cannot argue with its effectiveness, nor ignore the levels of technical ability required to set up this way.
Spain keep the ball better, quite possibly, than any international team in history. They have conceded just one goal en route to the final, their ability to dominate possession and wear down an opponent makes it incredibly difficult to create chances against them, and if they score just once, the odds are the game is over.
Even if you get a chance to attack, because you have been chasing the 70 per cent of possession Spain tend to have, you are normally too tired to do any damage. In their past 15 competitive matches in the World Cup or European championships, Spain have kept 12 clean sheets.
You will not find a single footballer who does not admire or even envy how the Spanish side are able to do this. The question I, like many others, have been asking myself during the course of this tournament is whether Spain are actually over-complicating the theory. Should they have to rely on penalties to beat Portugal, for example? I think they are better than that.
I do not believe they need to play 4-6-0 to win Euro 2012. They could play with one less midfielder and still pass the ball better than anyone else. Their left back, Jordi Alba, has been one of the players of the tournament and often looks like an extra midfielder. No manager has more options than Vicente Del Bosque, so it is a perfectly justified debate as to whether he should be packing his central midfield with players of a similar type.
It would not matter if Spain played 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 4-5-1, most countries still would not get near them because they have players flexible enough to make it work. What they have decided to do in this competition - a difference to Euro 2008 and the last World Cup - is adopt a system which is worthy of professional respect and appreciation rather than one that generates excitement and edge-of-the-seat football for those with no emotional connection to the team.
I understand why neutrals suggest the Spain games have not been that enjoyable to watch. I would not say I agree with them, but that is possibly because when you are a player you can get absorbed in the tactical play a bit more.
What I do accept is that what stirs the emotions is seeing a winger beat a man, someone with pace sprinting past defenders, plenty of goalmouth incident and, obviously, lots of goals. We have not seen that in the Spain matches. They have been more like strategy games where you can acknowledge the brilliance of what they are doing, but they are not playing in a way that gets the heart pumping.
I have heard it suggested they are mirroring the Barcelona system, but there are key differences. For a start, Barcelona have Lionel Messi's genius and his 70 goals a season. Also, Barca use the pace of Pedro and Alexis Sanchez down the wide areas, constantly running beyond the opposing defence giving the central midfielders passing options. Barcelona create tons of chances in every match they play.
You cannot suggest we have seen the same kinds of movement from this Spain team, because the midfielders have not gone beyond the opposition centre-halves enough. They have changed, even since the World Cup, suffering from the loss of David Villa who, even when playing wider, had a natural instinct to run beyond defenders. Four years ago, Fernando Torres and Villa played in the same team.
While I would not suggest there is anything negative about how Spain play, I do believe the 4-6-0 is reflective of Del Bosque sticking with the players he trusts most, who are evidently his central midfielders.
He may have felt he had to act. In several friendlies after South Africa Spain suffered heavy defeats. Argentina beat them 4-1 and Portugal also enjoyed a 4-0 victory. Opting for a more solid midfield could have been a reaction to this.
In difficult moments, Del Bosque has basically reverted to the system that ensures he has his best players on the pitch. He will argue, with some justification, that when he has selected a No?9 - Alvaro Negredo or Torres - they have been the weakest links.
Parreira's prediction about a team succeeding with 4-6-0 has proved correct. It is certainly a break from the past but I am yet to be convinced it is necessarily a forward-thinking evolutionary step for Spanish football. The greatest teams will always have the right balance between defensive soundness, technical expertise and attacking threat.
Italy will be heartened by what they witnessed against Portugal on Wednesday, but their manager Cesare Prandelli has a tactical problem of his own. He nullified the Spanish in their group game, playing three at the back. He will also have noted how Portugal pressed high up the pitch to unsettle the Spanish possession.
Del Bosque will recall the impact Torres had as a substitute in Gdansk, creating numerous opportunities by running beyond Italy's back three. He will also remember it was a deep midfield runner, Cesc Fabregas, who scored the equaliser. The tactical analysis of the game will make it enthralling for football students.
I expect Spain to win, probably narrowly, consolidating their position as the best nation in the world, with the most talented players. When they won in Austria four years ago, they did so by quickening the pulse of football lovers who took pleasure from their exhilarating brand of football.
Victory this time would deserve the same respect and admiration, but perhaps not the standing ovation of 2008. It is certainly a different Spain team winning in a different way. They have not thrilled in quite the same fashion yet, but they are still way ahead of the rest.
Source [DNA India]
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