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The Final: Spain v Italy

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  • Evan Evian
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Re: Marchisio

    Agree he was the least impressive of the Italian midfield tonight (in fact he was poor). I thought Montolivo being subbed was a pretty odd decision.

    I do think Spain played with much more attacking intent tonight (from the very start of the game) than in any of their other games.

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  • matt j
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Marchisio did make one gut-busting run defensively to stop one of the Spanish players who was nearly through on goal, but otherwise, he did disappoint. (although he had a great tournament)

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  • ursus arctos
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    To pick up on GO, the counter factual chance was the one Di Natale had a few minutes into the half. If it goes in, the match is different.

    Congratulations to Spain, who have a truly golden generation.

    Italy over-achieved and should be able to build on this.

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  • Janik
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Portugal are one of the few sides with almost comparable technique. Plus they have an exceptional forward in Ronaldo who casues problems on his own, so they didn't have to ask their holding midfielders to push forward to make themselves a threat, meaning they could attack whilst retaining defensive cover. And even then Portugal managed about one shot on target, before running out of steam after 75 minutes and hanging on desperately for penalties.

    There is a comment upthread about Spain, Xavi in particular, making more forward passes than in other games, slid down the side of defenders for midfielders sprinting through the lines. Again, I think that comes down to two things, both of which are more to do with Italy's set-up than with Spain showing more intent; fewer bodies back to clog up the passing lanes and the Italy defence playing higher up the pitch than previous sides had done, leaving more space for players to run into. So Spain were able to try more killer passes as there was a much greater chance of those passes being successful.

    I wonder what the Italian press will make of Marchisio's performance tonight. He was on all match, and did precisely nothing.

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  • scratchmonkey
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    I think Portugal was probably the second-best team at the Euros. If Nani had been able to step up his game, they might have been champions. Their midfield was also a lot better equipped to deal with Spain -- all three of Moutinho, Meireles and Veloso are high-energy players with good positional sense and they did a very good job against Spain.

    It should also be noted that the ref had a very good game tonight. Generally let both teams play and looked to be right on every big decision.

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  • Calvert
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Pepe Reina: Double European and World Champion of sitting on his arse doing fuck all.
    He's excellent at leading the karaoke and all-round jolly-japery, to be fair.

    Plays the role of aggressive fuckwit too when actually on the field.

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    dalliance wrote:
    Portugal had a go at them though.
    Portugal kind of did, although Italy had a few decent chances at goal while Portugal had none. .
    Hang on, didn't Ronaldo hit the post twice? Am I thinking of another game?

    I think I am thinking of the Czech game actually.

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  • Evan Evian
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    satchmo76 wrote: Not sure I agree about the role of Motta's injury. It occurred at around the 60th minute. Had Italy done anything between the 2nd goal and the injury to suggest they might score one let alone two? I would say no, and also that Spain were still threatening to score a third.
    Do you mean apart from the two great chances for Di Natale to score?

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  • Sixmartletsandaseagull
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Spain were very good indeed.Unlike against Germany Italy didn't weather a tough opening 15 mins. They were too quick and slick all over the field.

    It's great to have reached final but very disappointing to lose heavily in the end. The strange Motta substitution and then quick injury putting an end to any hope of a comeback, but it wasn't looking likely at any stage for me.

    I think, in hindsight, we might have believed our press a bit in these past two days (I was guilty of this), as Italy looked overrun in midfield and at the back and couldn't live with their touch and movement at pace. Truthfully, whether Italy had played 3-5-2, 4-3-1-2/4-1-2-1-2 rombo or Glenn Miller's Pennsylvania 6-5000 they were too damn good.

    Well done to Spain,it's an amazing achievement to win the three tournaments in succession and they completed it in some style tonight.

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    I still think not going with the 3-5-2 was a mistake too, especially with the fit personnel available.

    We're talking margins though, Spain decided to switch up a few gears tonight and play a game they've only hinted at recently. I don't think anybody can begrudge them the praise they're due for that performance.

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  • Satchmo Distel
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Portugal probably had the best technical ability of all the sides Spain have faced in this 2008-2012 run, i.e. I would expect their possession stats (prior to extra time) to have been better than the others Spain beat.

    Portugal have a claim to have been 2nd best team of Euro 2012 in the knock-out stages.

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  • dalliance
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Portugal had a go at them though.
    Portugal kind of did, although Italy had a few decent chances at goal while Portugal had none. Portugal were bigger, faster and stronger in getting back into defensive positions though.

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  • dalliance
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    If you are going to play two strikers against a team who plays none , those strikers have to do a hell of a job to compensate for the midfield being outnumbered. Cassano and especially Balotelli did little tonight, neither did Di Natale when he came on.

    For all the fuss about Balotelli in the semi-finals, that was the only time they looked threatening the whole tournament along with the Di Natale goal against Spain in the opening game. They struggled to score against Ireland and England despite loads of play and chances, they did nothing against Croatia either.

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Portugal had a go at them though. Especially for the regulation ninety minutes it was an even game and even allowing for Portugal being worn down the attempts on goal were pretty close. More accuracy within ninety minutes and they could have been through.

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  • Janik
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Beltrano Carpinteiro wrote: I wonder if this Spanish performance backs up the tiredness theory for their lack of spark in the rest of the tournament?

    In that, with at least six weeks or so before their next game, the players are finally giving everything they had been holding in reserve in the games up until now knowing they will get some kind of rest after their exertions.
    I think it had more to do with Italy being the first side to try and go at them. Result was it opened up space, and Italy got ripped to shreds.
    If you don't have the ability to match Spain in keeping possesion, your only hope is to pack the defence in front of them and hope you might nick a goal on a rare counter, whilst they fail to pick their way through the crowd. i.e. the sort of game every other team has tried against Spain this tournament.

    So it's Spain's opponents fault that their matches are usually boring. But not one they can be blamed for, as it's their only hope of success.

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  • scratchmonkey
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Bryaniek wrote: The Italians were dropping like flies out there.
    Well, Chiellini, De Rossi and Abate were all carrying knocks (and I felt the Spanish were actually targeting De Rossi), an extra day may well have made some difference, it was still a risk taken by Prandelli to have so many unfit players starting, especially since he knew that Cassano would need an early sub.

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  • anton pulisov
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    You half to wonder what kind of match it would have been if Italy had been given another 24 hours rest. Playing Germany in a semi on Thursday and then being expected to play a final against the World Champions on Sunday (who get an extra day's rest) is asking a bit much.

    I'd say Spain would have won anyway, but it would have been a more even final. I think such a short rest before the final cheapens the whole tournament. The Italians were dropping like flies out there. The World Cup had three rest days in between the last semi-final and the final, the Euros only two.

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  • Satchmo Distel
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Not sure I agree about the role of Motta's injury. It occurred at around the 60th minute. Had Italy done anything between the 2nd goal and the injury to suggest they might score one let alone two? I would say no, and also that Spain were still threatening to score a third.

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  • scratchmonkey
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    the cantering captain wrote:
    Then Alba for the second goal. He is flying through like a rocket, he gets a well struck pass through to him that slips narrowly between two defenders
    The thing that struck me about this goal was that Xavi made the pass at all. In previous games they seemed to play the percentages more, and, when outnumbered like he was, turned back and tried to find another player. instead he played the eye of the needle through ball, and it came off beautifully.

    They seemed a bit more willing to take risks in general tonight.
    They had a lot more space to work in -- once they'd scored the first, they dropped off to see what Italy would do -- Italy started playing a higher line and it paid off with long attacking spells and a bunch of corners; however, they were allowing space in behind and that's why Spain were trying for the killer ball a lot more in this game.

    Possession ended at 57-43; that's heavily skewed by the end of the game, when Motta went off injured it was very close to even.

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  • Evan Evian
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    What can one say other than well done to Spain and it was a real shame for both Italy and the game with Motta going off like that (unlike the classy Mark Lawrenson I don't wish for footballers to suffer serious injury).

    Had Di Natale taken one of his chances and Montolivo not been subbed (who I thought was doing quite well) well who knows?

    But once again congrats to Spain – and they can play utterly brilliant football when they want to!

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  • Ray de Galles
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Yeah, I'd say you've pretty much nailed it there.

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  • Gangster Octopus
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Once again, without reading through, I'll put in my bit. Pre-match I was leaning towards Italy, purely because of their attacking instincts. (A sentence that I never, ever thought that I'd type...)

    Pretty damn quickly, though, it became obvious that Spain had decided to go for it properly. They were excellent. And excellent to watch.

    The only disappointment was that injury to Motta. A goal for Italy in the early to middle of the second half really would've made for a seriously memorable game.

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  • the cantering captain
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Then Alba for the second goal. He is flying through like a rocket, he gets a well struck pass through to him that slips narrowly between two defenders
    The thing that struck me about this goal was that Xavi made the pass at all. In previous games they seemed to play the percentages more, and, when outnumbered like he was, turned back and tried to find another player. instead he played the eye of the needle through ball, and it came off beautifully.

    They seemed a bit more willing to take risks in general tonight.

    Leave a comment:


  • Satchmo Distel
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    Did any Spanish player have a mediocre game? Several had excellent ones.

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  • Harbinger of Hope
    replied
    The Final: Spain v Italy

    I hate giving squad players medals.

    Pepe Reina: Double European and World Champion of sitting on his arse doing fuck all.

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