Game in a sentence
Spain win Euro 2012 with a dominant final performance against Italy in a game that will be talked about for years to come, not only for the aesthetic, but because they’re the first side to win three major international tournaments in a row.
Observations
- Spain, the same names, Fabregas as false nine in 4-3-3. You know the drill.
- Italy, with Ignazio Albate back healthy, started with him in right back, which meant Balzaretti was on the bench. Four at the back again in a diamond midfield, 4-1-2-1-2. It didn’t take long for a change however; Chiellini pulled up in the 21st minute, and the Italian David Beckham got right back off the bench again.
- Directly from kick-off Spain played thrillingly direct football, as if they knew they needn’t leave anything in the tank. They passed with all efficiency toward goal, and found a pair of good chances in the first ten minutes.
- My own impression was that Prandelli knew Spain would be dominant on the ball, and so directed his players not to press too early and exhaust themselves as the game progressed. Spain however were able to find passing lanes through the heart of the Italian defense. This was perhaps one of the most entertaining displays from a team in a major tournament final since 1998. Considering the ‘boring’ label Spain endured to this point in Euro 2012, this was no small accomplishment.
- The Spanish incision paid off in the 14th minute when Cesc Fabregas calmly floated a heat-seeking cross to the head of David Silva, who headed in Spain’s first goal. Expectations of a terse, tense final went poof in a matter of seconds.
- As dominant as Spain were, Italy still looked more than capable of a goal, particularly as the Spanish fullbacks, Jordi Alba in particular, were advanced enough in attack that the wide players in the diamond had an awful lot of space in front of them. Unfortunately Antonio Cassano was sometimes profligate in creating chances, and Riccardo Montolivo didn’t play to the same effect as the trequartista who’s not quite a trequartista.
- Speaking of attacking fullbacks: Jordi Alba simply ran past the Italian centreback pairing of Bonucci and Barzagli to score Spain’s second goal in the 41st minute, from a sensational pass from Xavi. Spain looked positively ruthless, and despite some back four heroics from Bonucci on occasion, the flat back four was left to deal with a Spanish midfield that utilized every acre of space in Italy’s narrow midfield diamond.
- Heading into the second half, Prandelli knew he had to gamble in order to preserve Italy’s chances at a sensational comeback. On came Di Natale for a largely ineffective Cassano. And eleven minutes later, Prandelli made a fatal roll of the dice: Thiago Motta on for Montolivo. These were necessary changes, but at what cost using up all three subs? Five minutes later, Motta pulled up, and had to leave the pitch in the 62nd minute leaving Italy with 10 men.
- Should Prandelli have picked Alessandro Diamanti instead? The widely favoured player was not as good as he might have otherwise appeared in previous matches, and Prandelli was right to take the risk with less than 35 minutes to play.
- The game from that point saw Spain tease the ball to good positions in the flank, and Torres came on to generally do nothing until an easy through pass saw the game finished off in the 84th minute, while Mata stuck the dagger in from an unselfish pass from Fernando Torres in the 88th.
- First, Cesare Prandelli’s accomplishment in bringing this unfavoured Italian to the final is nothing short of remarkable. One of the most impressive managerial performances of the tournament.
- Spain have won three major international tournaments in a row, the first side ever to do so. They did so in sumptuous fashion, playing gorgeous football, at least in the final. Worth it for a half-century of underachievement? Probably.
- Euro 2012 eh? Pretty good.
Three Stars
1. Xavi
2. Jordi Alba
3. Sergio Busquets
Why busquets? What about iniesta?
Or Fabregas just for that cross on the opener.
Disappointed by the score but Spain is the best national team without doubt. The short days rest between games caught up to Italy. Spain would of won either way but might of been a bit closer.
Whittall, usually I agree with your stars, however not putting Iniesta as one of the stars in quite odd. Busquets did play well in that holding spot, however he did not have the impact that Iniesta had during the game.
I don’t award stars based on appearances. Busquets had a 93% pass accuracy, he made five defensive interceptions, he didn’t miss a tackle, a clearance or a lose a take-on. Iniesta was fantastic; Busquets was that much better.
Iniesta may have played exceptionally, but he didn’t provide a goal or an assist, which would be the only things that could perhaps have outweighed all the incredible work that busquets did in this game. The guy almost never gave up possession (even under extreme duress), barely made a mistake when receiving and distributing the ball in midfield and even got in on the attack in the last few minutes – he is the backstop to Spain’s tika taka system and probably the best holding midfielder in the world. As usual, his “impact” was both invisible and immeasurable.
Well, he didn’t DIRECTLY assist a goal, but he certainly created their first goal. The article didn’t mention Iniesta at all, which is a huge disservice to him, as he was the man to unlock Italy first and open up the scoring. Yes, Fabregas chipped the ball onto David Silva’s head perfectly, but Fabregas wasn’t just THERE with the ball. Iniesta’s perfectly weighted through ball to Fabregas was the key, and the game changed from the moment they scored their first goal.
I agree that Busquets tends to go unnoticed and he did play very well, but not better than Iniesta.
That first goal was all Iniesta and Fabregas for me. Spotting the space, making the sprint for it, Iniesta seeing the sprint and instantly and laying out the perfectly weighted pass – as Ray Hudson would say “He computed a gigabyte in a nanosecond”.
Iniesta had too much room to make that pass. The only blemish on Pirlo’s tournament
Quite an entertaining final, Spain played some great stuff. Too bad for Italy, they defied the odds in reaching the final, they like so many before them just didn’t have an answer for Spain.
The only good thing about this tournament ending is no more John Helm, my word is he unbearable.
I feel like Spain “played” us all…they could have done this in the first game if they wanted to, but held back in order to save the best for the Final…anyone else see it that way? Or were they just that good today, and Italy had no answer?
I think they grew as a team as the tournament went on, just like Italy. Alba and Iniesta seemed to have a great time attacking down the left wing together in the last two games. Looking forward to seeing them together on Barcelona.
I think Italy made a couple of bad player selections and I don’t know whether it was because the coach is constrained to pick Chiellini and Motta for some reason or whether those players lied to him about their fitness or just bad luck. If they had played Barzaghli from the beginning and left Chiellini out… And I would also have played someone other than Cassano. I think against the Spanish you want someone more energetic to help support Balotelli. Cassano is very skillful and makes the occasional genius pass but he is not great at chasing opponents and helping win the ball back. I would have played Diamante with Balotelli.
Sorry. Not Barzaghli (he played the whole game), I meant Balzaretti. Number 6 with the Zlatan hair style.
I once said that spain wouldnt win this final without a striker. Boy was I wrong, the Italian defense were looking for a striker to mark and their was none. Because Silva, Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc, Alba even Ramos were just bombing the box like lions after raw meat. It was absolutely magnificient to watch.
Finally, what ive been asking for from spain all through these finals, has come to pass. I once said that tiki taka is not beautiful if you dont attack the opponents goal. Well Spain finally attacked the opponents goal, and here it is 4 goals in return. Its not whether this team needed to grow together, or going from strength to strength. They could have done this right from day one instead of that useless side to side passing. And here it is a perfect game for this team. From Goalkeeper to Striker. Wonderful game.
So sad though, about my boy Alba going to Barca. Valencia unfortunately, is starting to seem like a feeder club to the big boys. From, Silva to Villa and now Alba. Who next Soldado?
Anyway congrats to Spain, well deserved.
And one more thing I would like to add , is about that Motta situation. I had a discussion with my brother a couple of days ago where I saw the Germans use all their 3 subs and I think it was Schweinsteiger who went down. And I wondered what a blow that will be if they lost him and they had to push with 10 players.
I suggested that the addition of an extra sub be added to the game. Like having 3 subs and an extra sub. And the conditions are; if all the 3 subs are used and an extra sub allowed, only if an injury has occured can that extra sub be used.
Weird foresight because it happened to the Italians today.
Spain played great again, not normal how spain score with all those midfielders, it’s a mix of barcelona and real madrid that give Spain the victory Felicidades España!
I heard K.J and Sharman talk about Spain’s “Forced 9 tactic”. Can somebody explain to me what is the “Forced 9″ exactly? What happens to the 10th player excluding the goaiie of course?
“False 9″. Number 9 is a reference to the striker or center forward position, like they refer to player positions in baseball in the phrase “6-4-3 double play”.
It is “False” because Fabregas, for example, doesn’t always take the advanced position on the shoulder of the last defender . He tends to drift back to play more like an attacking mid-fielder and operate interchangeably with the other attacking midfielders depending on the opportunity. Messi plays this role for Barcelona, for example.
Oh, I see, ‘False 9″. I got it. Thanks for the explanation.
Pretty good is quite a misnomer. The entire Euro 2012 cast including the teams dealt an early exit are a wonder to behold. Indeed, it is one of a kind and exciting in years. The World Cup organizers are probably scratching their heads right now how to upstage this. Viva Euro 2012!
It’s a shame about having to play with 10 players. Every gradeschooler would have added another sub each to make it fair.
The only player who has won three trophies this year, FA cup, Champion’s league and Euro 2012 and was present in all three finals was “Juan Matta” from Spain. The first two with Chelsea and the last with Spain national team.