Euro 2012 Review

So, the European Football Championships, or European Nations Cup (as they were variously called when I was a lad) is/are over for another four years.  What, if anything, have we learned from the past few weeks of footballing endeavours?

Well, first of all, it would seem that reports of the decline of the Spain team have been greatly exaggerated. Indeed, many would opine that the tactical experimentation being instituted by Vicente Del Bosque is indicative of a further evolution of his squad.  Can this generation of players maintain the motivation and zest to launch a credible defence of their world title in Brazil in two years' time?  At this juncture, the answer would seem to be in the affirmative, although much can transpire over such a timespan.

Although defeated in the final, Italy also emerge with considerable credit from events in Poland and Ukraine.  Before the tournament, they were not being totally discounted, but equally they were not exactly receiving rave reviews and endorsements, either.  In the event, they applied themselves to their task, and relied on their inherent good footballing habits and tactical nous to progress to the final, augmented by the imperious play of Andrea Pirlo in midfield, and cameos from others.

One of the nations which has most to ponder in the aftermath of Euro 2012 is Germany.  As the tournament went on, they were increasingly being feted as likely winners, but in the end flattered to deceive, more than meeting their match in the semi-final against the Italians.  For me, the Germans had not been wholly convincing in the group stages, seeming to lack the fluency and bite which they showed in the World Cup in South Africa.  Injuries and fatigue affecting key players may be partly to blame, but there is clearly also much work to do to turn this group of players into the "finished article".

As for England, they achieved one objective by reaching the quarter-finals, although their shortcomings were evident even as they accomplished that aim.  It was acknowledged, and even accepted, going into the tournament the the current crop of players did not have the quality in depth of previous squads, and effort and organisation proved insufficient to make up the deficit.  Without wishing to sound defeatist, the cupboard looks relatively bare as we look forward to the next World Cup. Roy Hodgson is no doubt keenly aware of the task facing him, but is at least being afforded some breathing space and leeway by media and public alike.

So, how will Euro 2012 be remembered?  Despite what some are saying, I don't think that it was a sensational tournament.  There were some bright moments and some entertaining matches, but these were counter-balanced by mediocrity.  It did not have the entertainment, excitement or all-round quality of, for example, Euro 2000, which is probably the best international tournament which I have watched in my lifetime.  However, it was played in a generally good spirit, and was blessed with exceptional victors in Spain.

Euro 2012 Final

In recent days, it had become almost fashionable to bemoan and decry the approach of the Spanish team. To hear some of the detractors, you would think that they had resorted to the same tactics employed by the catenaccio sides of the 60s and 70s, or the cynicism of some of the South American club teams of the same period. All that they were doing was examining a differing method of attaining the same objective - winning a football tournament.

The self-appointed arbiters of football "morality" and "righteousness" will have been disarmed by tonight's performance in Kiev. True, Italy were emasculated for the final quarter, after going down to ten men after Motta's injury, but it would be stretching credibility to imagine that this affected the ultimate destiny of the trophy.  Spain's performance represented an emphatic "take that" to those who had been doubting them.  It will also have made sobering viewing for those who aspire to topple them from their perch.

In the early stages, as Spain forced the pace, I thought to myself that they did lack a spearhead, or a focal point for their attacks.  However, if you have that many options, from such a myriad of sources, it does not seem to matter all that much, as long as everything clicks, which it assuredly did in the final.

Andrea Pirlo did still see the ball, but he seemed to be coming deeper than usual to collect it, and was having to work harder to find himself some space. Spain appeared to work according to the notion that if they kept possession well enough themselves, Pirlo would be denied influence by default.  The Milan midfielder rarely got into positions where he could hurt Spain.

One must have some sympathy for Italy, who did not do all that much wrong.  They were affected by injuries during the game, and their substitutions by and large made tactical sense.  I was impressed by Mario Balotelli tonight, both in his work-rate, and his demeanour during the match, remaining philosophical.  In Balotelli, Pirlo and Buffon, Italy supplied three of the tournament's outstanding personalities.

So for all the debate about their formation, Spain have proved a cut above the rest once again.  Personally, I prefer my football to have a bit more rough and tumble (following Leeds United does that to a man!), but it would be churlish to deny the aesthetic beauty and technical proficiency of this Spanish squad.  They are still the benchmark, amongst the European nations at least.

Now, bring on the English domestic season!

Germany 1 Italy 2

So, we have a Spain versus Italy final in Euro 2012, in Kiev on Sunday, after Italy gave a consummate display of tournament football last night, to overcome the much-fancied German team.

Many people I think expected Italy to employ "spoiling" tactics, to make the game fragmented and bitty, in an attempt to stifle Germany's creative resources.  We under-estimated the self-confidence, patience and quality of Cesare Prandelli's men.  This was a victory for planning and cool heads, as well as talent.

Andrea Pirlo's influence was perhaps not quite as all-pervasive as it had been in the quarter-final, with Germany doing a marginally better job than England of negating him, but he was still involved enough to help steer Italy to a victory.  Some of Pirlo's "minders" in the Italy midfield also raised their game, and this was one of the decisive factors.  For all the inevitable hype about Mario Balotelli's goals, this was a true team performance, dripping with unity, purpose and cohesion.  The versatility and flexibility of Italy's players, positionally and tactically, was key.

Other teams may have been intimidated or daunted by Germany's attacking options, but Italy backed their own tactics and ability, and the goals in the first-half were real "surgical" strikes.

Although Italy's own approach doubtless contributed to this, Germany just lacked a certain something. The final ball was lacking throughout the match, and they relied excessively on optimistic attempts from distance.  It is a moot point whether the Germany coach's recent "rotation" of his attacking players disrupted them, but the malaise I think went deeper than that.

Germany raised their level of intensity at the beginning of the second half, with the hitherto quiet Schweinsteiger taking up more prominent positions, but once this spurt had been repelled, they seemed gradually to run out of ideas.  Indeed, as the second-half progressed, Italy increasingly looked like the sharper outfit, and numerous counter-attacks should really have yielded additional goals.

Pre-match, there had been much debate about the supposed advantage conferred on Germany by the greater rest period which they enjoyed following their quarter-final.  However, Italy scarcely looked affected by fatigue, their economical style, ability to retain possession, and Prandelli's adroit marshalling of his men, all playing a part in this.

Where does this all leave this German team?  They were possibly not as surprised by the outcome of the semi-final as the outside world.  Still, they were out-witted and out-thought.  It was less a case of experience than one of "know-how".   Germany will learn lessons, and this side is clearly still a work in progress.  A case here of growing pains, maybe?  Eventually, though, excuses will not wash or suffice. There is still work to be done between now and the 2014 World Cup.

So, on to the final.  Italy, once again, will have less "recovery" time than the opposition, but strangely yesterday's game did not seem to take that much out of them, either physically or mentally.  Spain, on the other hand, were involved in a attritional struggle with Portugal.  There is a temptation to feel that come the final, Spain will be the "flatter" team, with Italy remaining ebullient and buoyant, still on an upward curve.

Much will depend on which Spain turns out on Sunday evening.  It has the potential to be a cagey affair, but Italy's alleged "caution" has actually been quite entertaining and enlightening to behold.

It should be an intriguing conclusion to the tournament.

Euro 2012 - England v Italy

This morning, the English nation is afflicted by an all too familiar feeling, having been eliminated from a major football tournament on penalties.  This time, however, there is no discernible feeling of injustice, or even anger.  There is a sense that the quarter-finals represented the limit of the abilities of this squad of players, and deep down many people realise that Italy were the superior team over the preceding 120 minutes of football.

The statistics on possession and pass completion tell their own story. Andrea Pirlo delivered a magisterial performance in the Italian midfield, and England proved incapable of stemming the flow of his passes.

As well as lacking in some technical areas, England also looked fatigued from quite early in the proceedings, as if the exertions and effort, both physical and mental, of negotiating the group matches had drained most of their energy. For the most part the effort was there, but it looked like a match too far, even if Italy were prevented from scoring.  If the Azzuri's forwards had been less profligate in front of goal, the scoreline would have been more representative of the balance of play.

I discussed the match with a friend late last week, and he suggested that Wayne Rooney should have been omitted from the starting line-up, because he would disrupt and disturb the balance of the England team.  As it happened, Rooney was ineffectual against Italy, but I don't feel that his presence unsettled England as such.  Formations and tactics played no major role last night, as opposed to technique and fatigue. Rooney endeavoured to make things happen, popping up all over the pitch, but he was simply lacking sharpness.

After an early flurry from England, it was Italy who dictated the course and tempo of the match.  The aforementioned Pirlo was a joy to watch, running the show consummately.  In fairness to England, they rarely lost their shape in defence, and I thought that John Terry and Glen Johnson in particular gave impressive performances.

So, not quite the sinking feeling of previous England "failures", as there is less thought of "what might have been".  England did not disgrace themselves overall, even if they were ultimately found wanting. There is now time and space for Roy Hodgson to remould and reshape the team in accordance with his own vision and ideas, and some of the personnel might be different once the World Cup qualifiers get under way.

As for Euro 2012 itself, one has to favour Germany to reach the final now, not only because of their own potency and abilities, but because of the toll which last night's game will have taken on Italy.