Spain Wins = Soccer Wins

2008-11-15T15:09:35-05:00

2008-06-29T17:41:13-04:00

122

2008-09-10T06:38:33-04:00

2008-07-08T08:04:52-04:00

Edu

Glendora 451100

Oops, sorry for practially repeating the same comment. I thought the first one didn't get printed and I did it all over again. 2158251

2008-07-08T08:03:41-04:00

Edu

Glendora 451100

There should no hate between Italy and Spain, two very great Latin nations with shared historical and cultural connections, and even similar languages and bloodlines. I agree that ITALIA has to be congratulated for even making the quarters and posing a tough challenge for eventual champions ESPA??A. Despite all the injuries and inconsistent play! Imagime, maybe if they had played another opponent, they could have still advanced to the Top 4. So for 2010, what's best is for Italy to defend its World Cup, or for Spain to win its first! Forza Italia! ??Viva Espa??a! Also, while I am not an English team supporter, I feel that after Spain's win, it's time for teams like England, Holland and Portugal and other European powers to have more success in recent tournaments. The Premiere League is full of hype and media enjoys reporting sensational stories and gossip, but the English team can't even make the Euros. I think Capello will do a lot to change that. But for now, Spain is the best national team in the world, and deservedly so! 2158239

2008-07-08T07:58:54-04:00

Edu

Glendora 451100

Now that Spain won, it's time for other great football nations in Europe like Holland, Portugal and England to win a Eurocup or World Cup, or at least reach the World Cup Final. I think England and Spain have the best leagues, but not always the best national teams. But now that Spain finally broke the jinx, then maybe England should show that it's not just Premier League hype and sensationalist news media stories that rule English football, their team should advance further! Imagine, they didn't even make the Euros this time. I agree that despite bad luck and injuries, you have to cheer for ITALIA for even advancing to quarters and making it tough for eventual champions ESPA??A. If Italy had played another team in quarters, they could have advanced to Final 4, who knows? There should be no hate between Italy and Spain, two very great countries very much connected through history, Latin culture, and even similar languages and race. And of course great football. During the Final, were there more Italians cheering for Germany or for Spain? Or if Italy makes any Finals against Germany, would many Spaniards prefer Germany over Italy? I don't think so. Ma non lo credo, creo que no. Let's see what happens in 2010. Italy should defend the World Cup, or Spain should have its first. Vamos Espa??a! Forza Italia! 2158231

2008-07-04T13:53:47-04:00

ILCAMPIONI

Rancho Palos Verdes 447521

Apophis, I like your analization, but one thing is wrong! The Germans did not allow the Spaniards to make plays. It was the Spaniards, who were more passionate and physically superior than the Germans. Now if Torres had not scored when he did, we may have seen a different outcome, although this last point is nonsense and illegitimate. 2137720

2008-07-04T13:19:27-04:00

-Apophis-

No City 445979

Well germany was really tired and did play their most worse football! If they had played like vs portugal Im sure they had won. Spain have a problem with shooting goals, they need to many chances also the germans did not make defense, they always stood meters away and did let them make their play..Germany usually dont need to play magical football, they make goals, thats it, what makes them affective and dangerous. Spain usually play wonderful but dont make goals, thats why they always sucked on big tournaments.. 2137551

2008-07-04T09:47:30-04:00

DavidEscribano

No City 449542

I don't agree totally with the way the match is benn analized. Germany didn't play at all, cause they always wait to get the ball in middlefield, and then they start a fast atacking, through Schweinsteiger or Podolski, or through an accurate pass from Ballack. The point was, that Spain didn't lose the ball, cause they are tecnically way ahead of the germans. I agree with the assertion, that soccer won this time. Since there aren't "street players" in Germany any more, but "soccer school players", is their philosophy strength, accuracy, discipline and a rejection against everything that makes this sport a beautiful game, yet a way of arts. 2136822

2008-07-03T01:24:47-04:00

grumpee

No City 438762

Italy may have won only 1 game at the Euro's but they were the only team Spain could not score on so I think the 2nd place ranking is justified. Although I don't see how Argentina dropped from 1st to 6th. Probably Argentina should be 2nd and Italy 3rd. 2125258

2008-07-02T17:28:23-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/436/805/thumb/chargers218_51441.jpg 155 MS

Notorious O.T.T.

Hattiesburg 437245

maybe not second rate because every one agrees on their football pedigree...but definetly not the best liked....however go back and check the new rankings Italy won exactly 1 game out of 4 in the euro finals but they still moved up two spots. hahaha So maybe there is something fishy. 2123382

2008-07-02T16:29:53-04:00

grumpee

No City 438762

Spain is ranked no. 1 in the world and justifiably so. They win the Euro's and Brasil and Argentina have struggled of late so Spain is No. 1 no question about that. Spain's gold medal were handed out by Platini (EUFA boss) which is expected. However when Italy won the world cup in 06 and Brasil/Argentina participated and lost, Italy was not given the same respect of being ranked No.1 They were ranked 2nd - go figure. Italy gold medal was not handed out by Blatter (FIFA boss) as expected (even though Blatter was at the game). A FIFA deputy handed them out. Something smells here. Italy must be considered 2nd rate in soccer community. 2122782

2008-07-02T06:36:14-04:00

ILCAMPIONI

Rancho Palos Verdes 447521

To Notorious, excellent point until Buffon discredits himself, through his performances, he will be #1 and Casillas is #2, and for point purposes everyone else is a far far FAR #3. No one in the game doe it like these 2. No one has the angles, the brains or the guts let alone the confidence to challenge these two historics, because they have their performances for our tongues to be IMMORTALIZED by! 2115960

122

Three thoughts after Spain’s 1-0 win over Germany gave the Spaniards their first European championship since 1964 (and second major trophy in their country’s history): • Spain’s victory is a victory for entertaining soccer. Nothing against the Germans, who played some memorable games in this tournament, but Spain was the best team in Euro 2008—and its championship is a symbolic reward in a Euro when attacking soccer came back to the forefront after a dark and dreary Euro 2004. Spain created more chances than Germany today and deserved to win, but Luis Aragonés’s men also played honest defense, allowing not a single goal in the three knockout-round games against Italy, Russia and Germany. This game won’t go down as a classic in the annals of the sport (how many finals ever do?) but it does conclude a classic tournament, one that I still consider to be the best major international soccer tournament since the 1986 World Cup. • Spain’s England-based guys added even more nuance to their team’s attack. For most of the tournament I’ve thought that Aragonés undervalued his Premier League players: primarily Fernando Torres (who’d never play 90 minutes) and Cesc Fabregas (who wasn't able to crack the first-team lineup until the final). But Torres and Fabregas ended up being two of Spain’s most important players in this title run, not least because they melded the traditional Spanish short-passing style with a more direct approach that shows the influence of the league in which they play. El Niño’s hard-earned goal today wasn’t the only chance he created with the sort of scrappy hustle that we usually associate with Germany (and England), not Spain, and if the Spanish can continue to meld that grit with their youth, technical skill and forgetfulness of their past, we may be on the verge of a Spanish-dominated era in world soccer. • Marcos Senna did it again. It would have been a perfect way for Spain to punctuate this European triumph if the magnificent Senna had scored on his point-blank chance in the 81st minute. And even though he failed to finish (proving why he's a defensive midfielder, I suppose), Senna put on another clinic today by preventing Michael Ballack from exerting an influence on the game. Ballack saw his own blood after knocking heads with Senna late in the first half, and from then on Ballack was a different player, one who couldn’t energize the German attack aside from a brief stretch midway through the second half. Before this tournament I wasn’t sure that Senna was the right choice as Spain’s midfield anchor, but it quickly became clear that he was one of the best players in all of Euro 2008. Through-balls: From Blog pal Craig Stouffer after the match: “How do you think Raúl feels right now?” ... I kept waiting for what I felt would be the inevitable German push in the final minutes. None came, partly because Germany had some bad give-aways and partly because Spain didn’t go into the prevent defense and maintained possession extremely well. In the last 10 minutes it looked like Spain, not Germany, was the team that had been here before ... Philipp Lahm is a heck of a player, but he let Torres abuse him on that goal. After a momentary struggle with Torres, it looked as if Lahm actually let Torres go to get in on the ball ... Big credit to Spanish outside backs Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila for holding Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger in check. The German forwards were never much of a threat in this tournament, which meant a ton of pressure was on Podolski and Schweinsteiger, who just didn’t deliver this time. Finally, I want to say thanks for reading during the Euro. This is the first time I've done a tournament-long blog, and the Comments section (with only one or two minor exceptions) has been a place where fans can discuss and debate with good humor, as if they were friends doing it over a drink after the game. For me the last three weeks have been a blast. I hope we can do it again soon. Feel free to post your comments below! 1308 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/194/315/thumb/wahl_grant.jpg 11 MD

Grant Wahl

Baltimore 194615