Final countdown

So after three weeks of ups and downs and great games every day, the final of Euro 2008 is a few hours away, to be contested by Germany and Spain.

For the Germans, it has been business as usual, getting to the latter stages of a tournament without playing to the best of their capabilities. In fact, had Turkey been preparing to headline the final, the Germans would not have had anything to complain about. They were let off the hook by the gutsy Turks who had the Germans cornered, only for them to conjure up a goal from nowhere. Typical Germany. Michael Ballack even admitted that it was their "German" mentality that got them to the final. Their mentality is probably their key strength, simply not knowing how to lose. The team is almost machine-like, bound to get the job done no matter how.

Meanwhile, Spain have reached their first final since 1984. For a team that has traditionally had some of the world's best players, this modest return is quite incomprehensible. Spain have been tagged as perennial underachievers, always packing up before they get started. This tournament has seen them emphatically lift the weight from their shoulders and proven themselves to be one of the fine teams, if not the finest, in the tournament. Their passing is superb and they monopolise the ball to such an extent that at time the only way for their frustrated opponents to stop their flow is to give away a deliberate foul. They haven't beaten the Germans in a competitive fixture since 1984, but there is a real sense of confidence within the team, one they haven't had in a very long time, and this could very easily be their year.

Both sides have played themselves down as the favourites, and with good reason to. There is already enough pressure on each team and the additional weight the favourites tag brings along does not help either team. Personally, I'm tipping Spain as the favourites, simply because they have been impressive in every game, bar the quarterfinal against Italy. That performance was also due to the Italians spoiling the game. The Germans have barged into the final with their workmanlike performances and good luck along the way. Ricardo and Rustu didn't exactly put in stellar performances against the Germans and must take huge credit for some of Germany's goals. Simply put, if the Germans are not out to spoil the game, I believe Spain will play them off the park. Incidentally, I cannot see any other way for the Germans to win other than to impose their size and physicality on the game. The question is whether they will use that style of play or not. It makes for an intriguing battle and one I cannot wait to watch.

The whole tournament has been a huge boost to football's reputation as the beautiful game and I for one will be getting a DVD review of the tournament as soon as it is available. Xabi Alonso said, "The best is yet to come and we need to finish off what we have done so far." We can only hope the game lives up to his words.

In transfer news, Frank Lampard has reportedly sealed the deal on a lucrative move to Italy, joining his former boss José Mourinho at Inter. Expected it really. The bond between the two would have probably fit in straight into Brokeback Mountain. Ok maybe not that far, but it was pretty close. Ricardo Quaresma has joined Inter as well, possible as a long term replacement for Luis Figo. I think he's overpriced, there are lots of other wingers around for less than €35 million. Cash-strapped Valencia would probably have accepted that offer for David Silva, who in my opinion is a lot better than Quaresma. Yet who am I to doubt the Special One. He must have a plan in mind. I don't feel like talking about other transfer speculation and done transfers at the moment. Too many to cover and I'm not in a writing mood. Head over to goal.com if you really need some news to read.

Spain stake their claim to be the best

Xavi Hernández, Daniel Güiza and David Silva will be on the lips of every Spanish supporter for years to come. Spain’s 3-0 victory against Russia last night emphasised that this squad had come of age and have no doubt that they can lift Europe’s biggest prize come Sunday.

Russia had been tipped in some quarters to emerge victorious in this encounter. Of course, much of their success would depend on their playmaker extraordinaire, Andrei Arshavin. He didn’t deliver, thus Russia didn’t deliver and they lost to Spain by a three goal margin yet again. David Villa’s injury was a pivotal moment in the match. Luis Aragonés opted to switch to a five man midfield, bringing on Cesc Fàbregas. The match was rather even until the first goal, scored by Xavi early in the second half. Spain completely dominated after that, with Fàbregas and Andrés Iniesta dominating the midfield. Russia had already struggled to wrest the ball away from Spain with four men in midfield. Now with five, they played some delightful one-touch football, frustrating the Russians and moving the ball around the pitch effortlessly. A fine clipped pass by Fàbregas over the Russian defence led to an opening for Güiza and the striker took his chance well, lobbing the ball past a helpless Igor Akinfeev. Another fine defence splitting pass from Fàbregas set up Silva to cap a fine performance by Spain and send them to their first final in 24 years.

Fàbregas’ superb performance was not good enough to get a Man of the Match accolade but he has almost surely sealed a starting spot for himself in Sunday’s final. Aragonés will be sorely tempted to start with five in midfield again after witnessing Spain dominating proceedings against the Russians. Such possession is only a distant dream for many coaches, yet Aragonés has an extremely talented midfield that can dominate against the best the world has to offer. He acknowledged that Spain played better football with five in midfield and most of that credit must go to Fàbregas. His vision and creativity was a welcome addition in the middle of the park and as a result, the Russians were never really in the game after Xavi’s opener.

Arshavin was anonymous the entire night, watched closely by Marcos Senna. He never really got going and as a result, Russia’s source of creativity had to be found in other areas. Unfortunately for them, there wasn’t enough elsewhere. Roman Pavlyuchenko was another anonymous figure although it can be argued that his supply was cut off last night by Spain’s superbly marshalled defence. They were completely outclassed, no two ways about it. There wasn’t an element of bad luck about the result, nor did the referee have an unwanted influence on the game. Spain won because they deserved to. Russia captain Sergei Semak said, “We could have done better, but this is how the match went. The Spanish won absolutely on merit.” No one who watched the game will disagree with his evaluation. Spain have been the tournament’s best team by far and if they win on Sunday, the tournament will have a worthy winner. Nothing against the Germans but there isn’t a clear underdog for the final and I’d like to see the best team win the trophy.

Xavi Hernández, Daniel Güiza and David Silva will be on the lips of every Spanish supporter for years to come. Spain’s 3-0 victory against Russia last night emphasised that this squad had come of age and have no doubt that they can lift Europe’s biggest prize come Sunday.

In other news, Emmanuel Adebayor has announced that he will be staying at Arsenal for next season, killing off speculation that he could be heading to AC Milan or Barcelona. At least he’s had the decency to announce his decision nice and early. Unlike some Portuguese wingers who play for Man Utd. Cristiano Ronaldo has said he will be back for pre-season training with Man Utd but has not formally announced where he would like to play next season. Unethical and inconsiderate are two words that immediately spring to mind. It’s hard to see past money as a motivating factor, as Man Utd are clearly a better team than Real Madrid, so it’s not a case of wanting to improve his game. He could do much worse than take a page out of Adebayor’s book of ethics and motivation. I stumbled across this interesting article, shedding some light into Adebayor’s difficult past. Whilst it’s not a deep biography, it does show us what kind of person he is and how he was brought up. He has kept his feet firmly on the ground and it is refreshing to see such a player in today’s world, where many succumb to the lure of riches. Adebayor insists, “I was born in Togo so I never cared about playing for money, my happiness was to play to enjoy myself.” Many others should be looking to emulate this man for what he is on and off the pitch.

And as I write this, a news story has surfaced in which Adebayor makes a complete U-turn on his stance. He says, “I am footballer, I have a three-year contract at Arsenal but as you know, a lot of clubs are interested in me.” So much for all that loyalty talk I was writing about. Football never ceases to amaze me.

Turkey - Expiry date: 25/6/2008

It had to happen eventually. Turkey had thrilled us three games in a row. Surely it couldn't happen a fourth time?

It very nearly did. Turkey had a decimated squad missing 9 players through injury and suspension. Unsurprisingly, Germany were the overwhelming favourites to progress to the final. Turkey, however, had ideas of their own. The 3-2 loss was harsh on them as they deserved to take the match through to extra time at the very least. They completely outplayed the Germans in the first half, catching them off guard with their attacking play. Kazım Kazım was desperately unlucky to see his shot cannon off the crossbar with Jens Lehmann well beaten. He hit the bar a second time with a scuffed, looping shot and Uğur Boral somehow managed to turn in the rebound. Germany's equaliser came through their first real attack on the Turkish goal, Lukas Podolski sending in a low cross which Bastian Schweinsteiger expertly flicked home, using the outside of his right boot. The second half was less of an attacking spectacle although Lehmann continued to make saves and Turkey continued to have shots on target. However, Rüştü Reçber horrific mistake looked to have lost the game for Turkey when Miroslav Klose beat the keeper to the ball and headed into an unguarded net. The never say die attitude of the Turks brought them level when Semih Şentürk struck in the 86th minute to revive Turkish hopes once more. Extra time loomed but Philipp Lahm's one two with Thomas Hitzlsperger settled the contest in the final minute, Lahm finishing at Rüştü's near post, with the keeper at fault once again for going to ground too early and exposing his near post.

Turkey had 17 shots in total, of which 11 were on target. Germany had 7, of which 3 were on target. And those 3 shots resulted in Germany's 3 goals which sent them to the final. Turkey have every right to feel hard done as their enterprise did not bring about the reward they so richly deserved. However, with a European Championship semifinal under their belt, to go along with their 3rd place at the 2002 World Cup, they can now claim to be one of football's leading nations. Many of their players are surely bound for bigger leagues in Europe after the tournament concludes. Reports are already linking Arda Turan with Juventus and expect many more similar reports involving his teammates. Their fighting spirit was their standout quality and Turkey can be proud for providing the watching world with 4 memorable games and they will surely build on this and hopefully go one step further in the next tournament in 2 years time. Fatih Terim was full of praise for the Germans but he must be wondering how it is not Turkey that will be lining up in the final on Sunday. "I am proud of my players for showing the world what good players they are," he said. The watching world has been given ample evidence of that.

Germany must be relieved more than anything. Their 3 goals were the only 3 shots they had on target all game. Their ruthless finishing only underlined what a quality team they are as well. They may have survived the Turkish onslaught on their off day but they must now regroup and shift up a few gears if they are to lift the trophy on Sunday. Their players will need no further reminders and motivation for the prize at stake. Joachim Löw said, "We were worried, but we were lucky to score in the 90th minute. Congratulations to Turkey for a fantastic show." Easy to be full of praise for your opponents when you have triumphed. Germany would have had no reason for complaint had they been on the wrong end of that scoreline. They were second best on the day but they will now contest who the best team in Europe will be on Sunday. Football is harsh but the Germans won't mind in the slightest and the competition's most successful side ever will now be full of confidence of adding to their trophy cabinet.

Their opponents will be either Russia or Spain, due to play in a few hours. I will not predict this game as anything can happen. It's extremely even and a repeat of Spain's 4-1 win in the group stage is extremely unlikely. The Russians have improved massively, with a large chunk of that credit going to Andrei Arshavin. Spain have quality all over the park and an off day can be glossed over with a moment of magic from one of their many talents. I will be supporting the Russians, simply based on their underdog status and their brand of football. Also because there is a need for an underdog in Sunday's final. Underdogs who play their more illustrious opponents off the park. A dream for any neutral. I have a feeling that Spain will go through but I'm hoping the hunch is wrong. Good luck to Russia and may Arshavin justify my decision to sleep at 5am again. He's been subject of an official approach by Barcelona and hopefully he proves why tonight.

And a quick rant about the transmission interruptions. It's quite unbelievable that UEFA would be so underprepared for such an event. Apparently they've now got backups for the generator backups should the power cuts occur again. Well it's too late now isn't it? Why wasn't that implemented in the first place? We're not going to see the best 10 minutes of Turkey vs Germany live again now are we? Not good enough and they've been left with egg on their face. Deserved.

Italy bores me!

World champions two years ago. Isn't that something to think about? The Italians were so negative in their approach last night its amazing how they even bothered turning up at all. Placing a brick wall in front of their goal would have provided just as much entertainment.

A bore draw. 0-0. Nothing more, nothing less. Last night's quarterfinal between Spain and Italy offered as much excitement as Cristiano Ronaldo's pending announcement. You just knew what the outcome was going to be. The Italians may have been deprived of their 'fantasista', Andrea Pirlo, but that's no excuse to be playing such boring rubbish. They would've struggled to create anything even if you had given each player a bucket of Play-doh. Spain did their best to create chances but anything they put together was quickly snuffed out by Italy. The closest they came to scoring was when Gianluigi Buffon fumbled Marcos Senna's drive onto the post. Spain struggled to break down what was admittedly a very well organised defense, Giorgio Chiellini and Christian Panucci performing admirably as makeshift centre backs.

You'd expect Spain to come up with better than that. The onus was on them to be the creative team in the contest with Italy playing for penalties. They failed. David Villa looked extremely quiet on the night and David Silva was probably their most effective player going forward, with several long range shots just off target and some testing Buffon somewhat. It was still surprising to see Fernando Torres hauled off to be replaces by Daniel Güiza, especially with penalties looming. Güiza missed his penalty in the shootout and must be thankful for Iker Casillas' subsequent save from Antonio Di Natale. Somehow, despite the lack of openings created by Spain, you felt that they were bound to go through. At least they had tried to make a contest of it. If Italy had on the shootout, football would be the loser. It just felt fair. Their victory was their first over Italy in a major tournament in 88 years. Can't say it was worth the wait but at least they're through to their first European Championship semifinal since 1984. All these firsts. Shows just how much Spain have underachieved. There is a sense they can go all the way this time but they'll have to be more creative and lethal in front of goal than last night.

Especially since they're up against Russia, a completely different side than the one they convincingly beat 4-1. With football's latest superstar, Andrei Arshavin, Russia will certainly have revenge on their mind and to show the world that the defeat to Spain was only a flash in the pan. Reports have already linked several clubs to Arshavin and don't expect the trend to change until he finds a new employer. The only thing certain about the game is that Russia won't be such easy pickings for Spain again. It should certainly be another good game of football, certainly better than last night's. It would be a huge disappointment if it was anything less.

No talk of Ronaldo today. Thank God. Just a bunch clubs eyeing up Arshavin. And Paul Ince has become the first black British manager in the Premiership. Trust the media to play up such an incident. Plain fact is that if there were good ones before, they would've risen to the top earlier. Forget all the talk of not enough chances, if you're good enough, you'll get to the top sooner or later. Good luck to Ince, he'll need some of it.

Who said football is a team sport?

Well it is, but Andrei Arshavin's performance against the Dutch last night stood out like a sore thumb. Pundits and commentators ran out of superlatives to describe the Russian maestro last night and rightly so.

Russia's victory after extra time sent them into the semifinals of the European Championships for the first time since the break up of the USSR. Extra time almost felt unfair for them as they had completely outplayed the Dutch and were physically fitter. Only a string of fine saves from Edwin van der Sar had prevented the Russians from running away with the game. The only real chances for the Dutch came from set pieces as they failed to create anything from open play against a well organised Russian defence. Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart proved dangerous from freekicks but the Dutch did not capitalise from the many chances fashioned by the two. Yuri Zhirkov and Aleksandr Anyukov bombed down the wings and caused the Dutch endless problems whilst Arshavin was on a one man mission, ghosting past opponents at will and creating openings for his teammates as well as nearly scoring a couple of times himself, denied by a fantastic save from van der Sar and narrowly missing the target with a brilliant freekick. Denis Kolodin also had a couple of long range efforts, one which was saved by van der Sar and another narrowly going over the bar.

Roman Pavlyuchenko's goal from Sergei Semak's cross looked to have put the Russians through but van Nistelrooy's header four minutes from time forced the tie into extra time. That blow may have deflated a lesser team but it only served to pump up the Russians. Extra time belonged to them and Arshavin's brilliant looping cross from the left evaded van der Sar and left Dmitri Torbinski the simple task of touching the ball in from a yard out. Arshavin would score Russia's third goal himself, finishing between van der Sar's legs via a deflection, capping off a fantastic day's work for him and adding to his growing reputation.

All of Europe's top clubs must be taking note of Arshavin. Surely he will leave Zenit St. Petursburg to try his hand in one of the big leagues. Reports have claimed Arsenal are already preparing a bid and don't be surprised if the offers continue to pour in for the playmaker. And from my point of view, I would love to see Arshavin at Man Utd. Forget Ronaldo, here's a man who actually performs consistently on the big stage. I know he's only played two games at Euro 2008 but a quarterfinal against the Dutch is hardly a small matter. And he's performed consistently in the qualifiers and for Zenit in the UEFA Cup. As far as I'm concerned, Euro 2008 has only helped to expose his talents to the watching world. Those who have been following his progress will have seen for themselves what a player he is. He has outgrown the Russian league and should be packing his bags for a big money move to a top European league after the Euros. Reports suggest he wants a move as well so the only stumbling block for a club would probably be his transfer fee, likely to have skyrocketed after the Euros. However it should still not be a problem for any of the top clubs to stump up the cash for such a talent.

Russia look the complete package and must surely be considered as a force now, certainly after their dismantling of Holland. No one would be smart to write them off. They are extremely fit, the one constant of all teams managed by Guus Hiddink, play as a team and have wonderfully gifted players as well. A potent combination and a force to be reckoned with. They and Turkey have been the revelation of the tournament so far. You'd usually expect on underdog to take a tournament by storm. Euro 2008 has given us two, enhancing it's reputation as one of the best major tournaments in recent memory. As we near the semifinals, you almost feel a sense of regret that the tournament is slowly drawing to a close.

Spain vs Italy tonight is one I would not bet on. The Spanish are in red hot form, but then again they always are only to crash out prematurely. The Italians have started slowly but they have valuable experience, much more than the young Spaniards. Form counts for nothing in this game, only the performance on the night. It is a tight one to call but the loss of Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso may tip the balance in favour of the Spanish. If I had to pick, I'd stick with Spain simply because of the Villa-Torres strike combination, possibly the best in world football today. I wouldn't be surprised if Italy somehow scraped into the semifinals but I'm going for Spain to progress. I'm not betting on it however.

Three times a charm

It's almost becoming a formality. Turkey escaped at the death for the third game running, dumping favourites Croatia out of the tournament.

118 minutes of mind numbing football could not have given an indication of how dramatic the final minutes would be. Rüştü Reçber's mistake had allowed Luka Modrić to cross the ball for substitute Ivan Klasnić to head home after 119 minutes of play, sparking wild scenes of celebration among the Croatians. Even Slaven Bilić joined in the celebration on the pitch. This may have taken their minds off the game for a crucial minute, one which proved to be very costly, Semih Şentürk slamming home an equaliser in the 122 minute, the latest goal ever scored at the European Championships. How the mighty have fallen.

Missing three of your five penalties doesn't help either. Modrić, Ivan Rakitić and Mladen Petrić all failed to convert their spotkicks, making Turkey's job much easier. They converted all three of theirs, putting them through to their first ever European Championship semifinal where they will face Germany. All the major talking points were in the last three minutes of play and the penalty shootout. Very few highlights throughout the rest of the match, the best of the lot being Ivica Olić hitting the bar and Mehmet Topal's 30-yard drive that was narrowly off target. Croatia had the game in their hands. With a minute to go, defense should have been their ultimate priority, not to mention the fact that victory was not yet secure. Many of them had already moved on to thinking about the semifinal before the game was up and this clearly had an effect on them in the penalty shootout. They did not believe they should've been there and completely lost focus and thus were dumped out of the tournament. For Turkey, their fairytale continues and they will hope to deal a similar blow to Germany's hopes. They now have the belief that they can go all the way and that destiny may be on their side. I certainly wouldn't write them off. Lightning usually doesn't strike twice, let alone three times. You wouldn't bet against them being fourth time lucky anymore.

Moving on to the sensational, open secret of the day, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally come out of the closet, announcing his desire to "complete his dream" by moving to the world's biggest football circus, otherwise known as Real Madrid. Ungrateful, narcissistic prick. Well a world record fee and a player should suffice for the world's best player. But you'd expect him to show a bit more respect to Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd, the two elements in the equation that made him who he is today. Instead he says, "It is my opinion. That is why I don't mind if people get upset. It is my decision. It is what I want." Notice the blindingly obvious constant in that quote. I, me, my. All what he wants. And apparently the decision was taken before the Champions League final. Talk about focus on the season, he was already planning for the next one!

What has he done for Man Utd? In his time they've won an FA Cup, a League Cup, two Premiership titles and the Champions League. Quite an impressive tally of trophies. And he achieved all of this in five years. From an immature 18-year-old, Sir Alex and his team fashioned Ronaldo into a purebred, terrorising opponents on the right wing while maintaining his unnaturally prolific goalscoring rate. For all he's won at Man Utd, he's no legend yet. David Beckham's right foot has done more for Man Utd than Ronaldo. As has Eric Cantona, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Roy Keane, Denis Law and many others I've left out. He may be one of the best players United have ever had, but that does not make him a legend. He certainly has a whole lot more going forward than Keane but Keane is still held in higher regard than Ronaldo. Judging by achievements, he has certainly repaid Man Utd's £12m investment in him. But doesn't he want to establish himself as a legend at the biggest club in the world? Sure if he ends up staying (which he won't), he'll get attacked by fans and the press for a whole season but another standout season and it'll all be forgotten. He's only 23. It's not as if he's heading towards 30 and wants a new challenge. There is still so much more to be achieved at Man Utd.

"It is a dream, a step forward," says Ronaldo. In which world is Real Madrid a step forward? They may be the world's richest club but they are definitely not the best team in the world. He also said, "For me, it is a great opportunity and, as Scolari says, that train passes by only once and we have to take advantage of it." That train may only pass once but would you give up a first class seat on your train to take a second class seat on that train? If Ronaldo had any sense of loyalty and sense, he wouldn't even have thought about leaving for Madrid. Going there would only herald the return of the Galactico era, one in which every player was a global icon but could not pass the ball among themselves. In the end it's his choice and as of now it looks like being an extremely unwise one. Maybe he will return to Manchester in a few seasons' time, with his tail between his legs, making up for lost time. For now, Madrid fans can lick their lips while United fans lick their wounds. However, no player is bigger than any one football club, and it is certainly not the first time United will have sold a key player only to bounce back stronger. Ronaldo may be full of himself but United, or rather Sir Alex will never let him influence them.

A quick prediction for tonight's game between Russia and Holland. Russia are definitely second favourites to win but tonight's game should be full of intricate passing patterns and beautiful football all over the park. Guud Hiddink is not known for dour, defensive tactics. While this may prove to be Russia's undoing against the Dutch, it can certainly work in their favour and in Andrei Arshavin, they have a true superstar. Marco van Basten's team will know what they have to do against the Russians. If they play to their capabilities and in the same manner that they have played throughout the tournament, they will be through. I'm tipping Holland but I wouldn't place a bet on it. Whatever it is, tonight's game promises much for the neutrals and I can't wait to watch it.

He did it again!

Just as he did two years ago in the World Cup, Bastian Schweinsteiger had a hand in all of Germany's 3 goals against Portugal.

Their 3-2 victory last night knocked out one of the pre-tournament favourites who failed to perform to the lofty standards we have come to expect of them. Scweinsteiger's Man-of-the-Match performance atoned for his immature sending off against Croatia and it's hard to wonder why he wasn't a starter for German at the beginning of the tournament. He certainly seems a better all round player than Clemens Fritz, the player who he came in for. Perhaps Joachim Löw went for a more attacking approach to the game and it paid off handsomely. Germany's first goal was a thing of beauty, interchanging passes and weaving a delicate pattern through the left flank before Schweinsteiger finished Lukas Podolski's cross. Pure brilliance. Portugal stunned. The two freekicks from which Germany scored showed an unbelievable lack of man marking by the Portuguese, although Michael Ballack's goal should have been ruled out for a blatant push on Paulo Ferreira. However, the ref missed it and the goal stood. When questioned in a BBC post match interview, Ballack even had the cheek to answer that in a game there are always pushes and that it was difficult to say. Come on you used both your hands to conveniently usher Ferreira's body away from the ball! Then again Germany did deserve their win and will now be confident of beating the winners of the Croatia vs Turkey semifinal.

Portugal simply did not deliver. Luiz Felipe Scolari will not have been pleased by the way his team lost their sense of direction. They may have scored two goals but those were only scant consolation in a game where they were second best. Even Scolari admitted that he had failed. It doesn't augur well for Chelsea fans, a manager admitting he has failed the team with his selection. Although his truthfulness may deserve some applause, it's not heartening to know that a manager cannot find a single reason to justify his selection. Their style of play was easy on the eye but lacked an end product that really mattered. Nuno Gomes' goal came about only because Jens Lehmann couldn't hold onto Cristiano Ronaldo's shot from a tight angle. Luck. He should have squared the ball. And to think he had matured after watching his assist against the Czechs. Perhaps not.

Ronaldo had a poor night by his standards and reinforces many people's beliefs that he cannot consistently perform on he big stage. He may have played well in the Champions League final but that was only one standout occasion. I know I've said you can't keep a player as good as him down but the question is how long will it be before he delivers a superlative individual performance in a game of paramount importance? In other words, he wasn't good enough last night when it really mattered. Nani outshone him when he was sent on, combining the right amount of trickery and passing and created their second goal for Helder Postiga. For all the talk of Ronaldo being completely focused on Portugal at Euro 2008, you can't help but wonder whether his mind was really on his football 100%. If you read this (it's a good read, you get his answer in two days right now!) you may start to agree with me. All this talk of him announcing his intentions in two days is utter rubbish. He wants to leave the greatest club in the world (figuratively and subjectively) for Real Madrid. Actually I'm not going to recommend you read the interview, I insist that you do. He speaks of his dream which will be announced soon. If his dream was to stay at Man Utd he would've announced it earlier. He wants to go to Spain, end story. Man Utd should now focus on getting as much money as possible and a couple of decent players in exchange. I'd say £60m and Wesley Sneijder at the very least. Shame Madrid don't have a decent out and out striker. I doubt Ruud van Nistelrooy would want to go back to Man Utd either. Sneijder's stock has risen during Euro 08 and would fit in perfectly on the right of Man Utd's midfield. Get working on it Sir Alex!

From Russia, with love

Last night belonged to one man. Andrei Arshavin. I know I talked about Russia being potentially eliminated from the tournament before he became eligible to play. And I know I said Zlatan Ibrahimovic was much better. Last night, I was proved wrong in spectacular fashion, although Ibrahimovic was not fully fit.

Russia's 2-0 victory over Sweden was easily their best performance of Euro 2008 and their best to watch, Arshavin being a focal point in Russia's best moves. He was involved in the buildup to Roman Pavlyuchenko's goal and he also finished off a sweeping counterattacking move to put the Russians ahead by two. His passing led to numerous goalscoring opportunities and was a key factor in Russia's win. Guus Hiddink's tactic of deploying him just behind Pavlyuchenko paid off handsomely and we were treated to a masterful performance by Russia. It goes to show how highly he is rated in his homeland, Hiddink selecting him in the knowledge that Russia may be out of the tournament by the time he completed his two game suspension. His gamble was fully justified last night and Arshavin showed the world why Hiddink labelled him one of the most intelligent players he has coached.

The support cast also proved to be able performers, notably Konstantin Zyryanov, Aleksandr Anyukov and Yuri Zhirkov in particular. Zyryanov passed the ball neatly in midfield and was involved in many of their best passing moves. Zhirkov provided pace and penetration down the left wing, Anyukov on the right and they were both rewarded with an assist each. Their attacking style has drawn comparison with the Dutch and judging by this performance, a repeat in their quarterfinal could possibly be the best game of the tournament. Their second goal was the perfect indication of how far Russia had come, moving the ball effortlessly within the Swedish half of the field, culminating in a goal for Arshavin. Another point to note was how Hiddink allowed his fullbacks, Zhirkov and Anyukov, so much attacking freedom. They were key to Russia's attacks but this could prove to be their undoing when playing against the Dutch. Their counterattacks have dismantled France and Italy and they could easily do the same to the Russian. Everything points to a mouthwatering encounter when these two teams meet in the quarterfinals and I hope it will not disappoint.

Sweden on the other hand were very disappointing. They were far too careless with the ball and did not offer much going forward. Freddie Ljungberg was their main attacking threat, with Ibrahimovic struggling to make his mark on the game. Henrik Larsson's best effort was a glancing header that hit the upright but that was about as close as Sweden got to a goal. Lars Lagerbäck summed up Sweden's game perfectly saying, "Today they were better than us. We were too passive." Russia completely dominated the game and played Sweden off the park. No ifs and buts. There was only ever one team in it and the lack of fight put up by the aging Swedes surely signalled the end of an era for many of them. Surely now they must rebuild the team around younger players like Kim Källström, Johan Elmander and Ibrahimovic. Too many of the squad were at the wrong end of 30 and it is now time to pass on the torch.

I did not watch Spain vs Greece and still have not seen the highlights as of yet. I only saw Angelos Charisteas' goal. Spain must be pleased to have come back against a Greek team with a strong work ethic, but undeniably lacking quality. Spain made ten changes to the team that started the first two games and came away with another late victory. Rubén de la Red and Daniel Güiza scored their first international goals and this will certainly please Luis Aragonés, knowing that he has ample firepower on his bench should his main strikers fail to perform. Spain will play Italy in the quarterfinals, and I expect them to find their way past them. Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are suspended and ths may tip the balance in Spain's favour. Italy have more experience but I think Spain's firepower may prove to be too much to handle.

Attacking football has been a staple at Euro 2008, giving hope that international football is not all about tactical organisation and defensive duties. Tonight's game features Portugal against Germany, hardly what you would call a game likely to be cagey. I hope it won't be and I believe the players starting the game will prove me right. As long as Cristiano Ronaldo does not fail to perform on the big stage again, we should be in for a treat. And if Joachim Löw starts with Mario Gómez again, it may prove to be a very costly decision. His backing of Gómez is well documented but it's hard to imagine he will start him again. He may yet justify his selection but his first three games have only added to the weight on his shoulders. Kevin Kuranyi has yet to play any telling part in Germany's campaign so far and Löw may be reluctant to throw him into the deep end. Whatever the tactical choices to be made, tonight's game is not to be missed and will hopefully deliver on its promise.

Joy for Italy, despair for France and Romania

Italy celebrated last night while Romania and France were left to contemplate what might have been.

The conclusion to Group C proved to be something of an anti-climax for the Romanians, who had approached the game with such hope and expectation. Facing a second string Dutch side, they lost 2-0. The sad truth is that it was always a step too far. Playing like crap in your decisive game doesn’t help either. Romania seemed far too cagey in a game they realistically had to win. Chances were few and far between and the few that came their way were wasted, the most notable being a shot blazed over the bar by Paul Codrea from Răzvan Raţ’s pull back. Romania were hardworking and passed the ball neatly at times but they lacked a hero, someone who could conjure up a moment of magic. Unfortunately, their talisman, Adrian Mutu had a rather poor game and did not appear to be the inspirational figure Romania wanted. His reluctance to pass to his teammates and his dribbles against one man too many resulted in the ball being lost on several occasions. He went close with a long range effort after a beautiful dummy but, for the most part, his touch and decision making let him and his team down. It says a lot when your most dangerous player struggles to trouble the opposition. Even the captain, Christian Chivu, looked lost at times and his poor first half freekick summed up the match for Romania - knowing what they had to do, but not doing it. You never got the feeling Romania were going to score. They also struggled to control possession of the ball, a key factor as to why so few chances of note were created. But looking back, it has been a good tournament for Romania. Holding both World Cup finalists to draws is no mean feat. However, Mutu will be left to contemplate what might have been for a very long time. Surely thoughts of his costly penalty miss will come back to haunt him endlessly, especially now with the knowledge that it would have put his country through to the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, the Dutch did not blow us away with their attacking football but there were plenty of positives to be taken. Their retention of the ball was crucial to neutralising Romania and their passing had a very healthy completion rate, most notably the two holding midfielders, Demy de Zeeuw and Orlando Engelaar. They created more chances than the Romanians and took their goals well. Klaas Jan-Huntelaar's goal will have given Marco van Basten a healthy headache but he is still likely to play second fiddle to Ruud van Nistelrooy. Robin van Persie's goal demonstrated again what a fine left foot he has and Arjen Robben's first start for the Dutch in the tournament will be a welcome boost to them. He may not have been on fire but his return to fitness will please van Basten. All in all, it was a professional performance from the Dutch and van Basten can eagerly look forward to a quarterfinal with Sweden or Russia, where his team, no doubt will be favourite to win.

The French were miserable last night in their 2-0 loss to Italy. An injury to Franck Ribery and a sending off for Eric Abidal did little for their cause. As well as their uninspiring play, Raymond Domenech must shoulder a lot of the blame. His tactics were inept and subsitutions baffling at best. Replacing Ribery with Samir Nasri seemed straightforward enough, but him hauling Nasri off to be replaced by Jean-Alain Boumsong was perplexing. France needed to chase the game and were already playing with Claude Makelele and Jeremy Toulalan, both defensive midfielders. Why would you rob the team of your last creative source when you need two goals? It's plain stupid. And bringing Boumsong on when there are other options available on the bench was also another puzzling choice. Why Boumsong? Why not Willy Sagnol? Surely he could have shifted his defense around to accomodate the fullback. Perhaps the most damning indicator of Domenech's focus is his midfield selection. Of the 7 official midfielders he selected for the tournament, 4 were defensive midfielders. Not a great stat to show off to a country with a huge array of attacking talent. And yet another puzzling substitution, bringing on Nicolas Anelka for Sidney Govou. Surely he should have picked Bafetimbi Gomis rather than a striker out of form and low on confidence. And to top off a night in which he made a complete fool of himself, he proposed to his girlfriend after the loss. He needs to work on his timing. It needs to be a whole lot better. Why would she say yes to a man most of France hates right now? Then again maybe he's found someone as eccentric as himself.

Italy were good, but only good enough to beat a team as incompetent as the French. They will certainly need to buck up in the quarterfinals where they will meet Spain. Luca Toni was a nuisancee to the French defense and he did everything bar scoring a goal. His best effort was a cheeky flick with his heel, the ball agonisingly flying past the post. Again he proved what a great target man he is and his strike partner, Antonio Cassano linked up with him quite well, feeding the ball to Toni no less than 5 times during the game. Daniele De Rossi's long range freekick only compounded France's misery and Italy cruised to a comfortable victory. Not much to say on the game as I only caught bits and pieces and Italy's average performance was good enough to see off the French. However, they will be without the Milan pair of Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso for the quarterfinal, meaning likely returns for Massimo Ambrosini and Mauro Camoranesi. It could prove to be two costly suspensions for the Azzurri. Only time will tell. Spain may yet press the self destruct button once again.

Ballack's rocket

Well the title says it all. Then again there wasn't much else of note in the Germany vs Austria match. Apart from the rocket of a freekick which Michael Ballack drove home, the match didn't have that many highlights.

The two clear openings created by Austria were wasted by Erwin Hoffer, his first touch letting him down on the first occasion and his indecisiveness proving costly on the second. Austria did have their spell of dominance, stringing passes together and bursting forward without really threatening the German goal. They did manage to win a decent amount of corners but never really found the one killer ball to a striker. Jens Lehmann did not put a foot wrong all game and collected most of Austria's crosses cleanly. Mario Gomez's incredible miss early in the first half summed up his tournament so far. And this is Germany's player of the year, expected to take Euro 08 by storm. He's certainly been off colour in the tournament and Joachim Löw must have baffled many observers by starting him yet again after two dismal performances earlier in the group stage. I doubt he'll make the same mistake again in the quarters. Especially since they have Portugal to deal with. Needless to say, missing against Austria isn't as costly as missing against Cristiano Ronaldo and co. They must step up a gear to have any chance against Portugal who will have their rested stars back for the game. On a lighter note, the sending off of both the team coaches was rather amusing. After arguing with the fourth official, they shook hands and took their seats in the stands, Löw even appearing to be venting his frustration with the German chancellor. So much for separating politics and football.

Moving onto Poland vs Croatia, from what I saw, there were two key points to note in this game (I didn't watch this match as I was watching the other one and only managed to catch highlights). First was Ivan Klasnić's goal, completing his miraculous return to international football. Undergoing a second kidney transplant after his first replacement was rejected, his long road to glory finally came to an end last night when he scored the winner against Poland. His emotional celebration showed just how much it meant to him and he has reiterated many times how grateful he is to just simply being able to play football again. Such a story isn't one you come across everyday and his comeback will surely be a source of inspiration for many. The second point of note was another brilliant performance from Polish keeper, Artur Boruc. His stock will have surely risen after his many saves that kept Poland's scorelines respectable. Celtic had better brace themselves for a barrage of bids for the Polish custodian from Europe's top clubs. Even though Poland may have fallen at the group stage of a major tournament yet again, Boruc can be satisfied with his 3 outstanding performances.

Anyway, may Romania progress from the Group of Death tonight. With the Dutch likely to rest key players, it may not be too much to hope for.

Can you spell classic?

For a long time to come the word classic will be spelt T-U-R-K-E-Y.

Portugal vs Switzerland was on at the same time, and needless to say apart from the goals, I didn't catch much of the match. Not with a cracker of a game on the other channel. From the little I saw, Portugal had the upper hand until Hakan Yakin scored the first goal for the Swiss. He sealed the win with a coolly taken spotkick and ran over to the bench to celebrate with his team. With a bit more luck Switzerland could easily have qualified for the quarterfinals. Köbi Kuhn's reign is over, but the players showed just how much respect they had for the man at the end of the game, unveiling a banner saying "Merci Köbi". I don't have much else to say about the game as I wasn't watching it as much as the other one.

Turkey looked down and out, trailing the Czechs 2-0 with 15 minutes to play. The Turks somehow managed to turn it around, booking their place in the quarterfinals. The first 75 minutes of play were decent, but once Arda Turan reduced the deficit, Turkey had an inspired spell of play, pushing forward at every opportunity and laying siege to the Czech goal. Ironically, it was this style of play that had given the Czechs their second goal, a swift counter attack finished off by Jaroslav Plašil. Turkey were also extremely fortunate not to fall 3 behind when Jan Polák hit the post, which would surely have killed off the game.

The Czechs adopted the strategy of utilising Jan Koller's height as their primary target. The target man was unplayable at times, jumping high above every Turkish defender to knock down headers for his grateful teammates and his goal was a perfect example of how valuable his height was. Servet Çetin had a torrid time trying to defend against the giant beanpole striker who simply played simple but effective football, to the benefit of his teammates. Plašil's goal came on the counter attack when most of the Turks were stranded in the Czech half. His lung bursting run to meet the cross paid off handsomely and the Czechs had one foot in the quarterfinals. In fact, the Czechs were cruising until Turan's goal. It galvanised Turkey and they were completely dominant after that, almost camped in the Czech half of the field. Their efforts looked to be in vain until Petr Čech fumbled a cross from Hamit Altıntop, giving Nihat Kahveci the simple task of sidefooting home. A minute later, Nihat completed the remarkable turnaround. All the pre-game talk was about the possible penalty shootout for the first time in a group game. I was certainly hoping for it. It would have been a treat for neutrals and a historic occasion. However, the drama within 90 minutes was more than enough to satisfy those wanting a good game. Who would have expected one of the best keepers in the world to fumble crosses he usually takes without trying? To be fair, it was raining and the ball was probably a lot more slippery than usual but you'd still expect Čech to take that cross comfortably. And Nihat coming up with such a brilliant finish to give Turkey the lead so late in the game was simply unbelievable. Demirel Volkan's red card was the only sour note of the night, the Turkish keeper foolishly pushing Koller to the ground. When will these players learn? A moment of foolishness cost him the opportunity to play in the quarterfinals. Tuncay Şanlı going in goal was an amusing sight though. You could see him trying to put on a brave face, while wearing Demirel's goalkeeper's jersey inside out. When was the last time you saw an international fixture this dramatic? The term classic and epic is used to describe many matches but I don't think it would be out of place to describe this as one of those classic matches. It had everything, bar penalties. Goals, red cards, comebacks, it had simply everything. I don't think we'll see a better match at the Euros this year. If we do, we can only thank our lucky stars for the privilege of watching such a game. Last night's match showed the world why so many of us watch this beautiful game. Let's hope there will be more to come.

Let us rejoice for Greece is gone!

At least let's hope that's the case. The reigning European champions have been knocked out of the tournament by Russia. Thank God for that.

The football they played was unbelievably dull. Similar to watching paint dry. Boring. All the pre-tournament hype that surrounded them and their brilliant record in qualifying was dispelled immediately after their first game against Sweden. Their lack of cutting edge up front was a key factor in their style of play. If you're not going to score many, you have to shore up the defence. Their top scorer in qualifying, Theofanis Gekas, was ineffective against the Swedes and Otto Rehhagel had to find an alternative. Unfortunately, Angelos Charisteas was not the answer. The hero's from 4 years ago wasted all the chances that came his way, the most telling being a headed attempt that went straight to Igor Akinfeev. Rehhagel described Greece's win in 2004 as a miracle and their performances in this edition certainly showed us why. Although their performance against Russia was a marked improvement on their first game, they still were not good enough to get a result, showing just how far the gap between them and Europe's elite really is.

Russia on the other hand, managed to find the form that had led them to qualifying in the first place. After their lucky goal, they were dominant for the rest of the half, breaking up the Greek defense at will. Roman Pavlyuchenko put in an impressive all round performance but failed to score, wasting two great chances in both halves. Russia should have won by more than a solitary goal, and that may come back to haunt them in their final game against Sweden. Due to their better goal difference, the Swedes only need a draw whereas the Russians must beat the Swedes. However, credit must be given where it is due and based on last night's performance, they certainly have it in them to beat the Swedes. Another plus for them is that they will be able to call upon their star player, Andrei Arshavin, who has now served his two match ban and is available again. He's had a fantastic season, culminating in lifting the UEFA Cup with Zenit St. Petursburg, and could prove to be the spark Russia need to win.

Spain's last gasp win over Sweden proved another thing. They have grit. They will keep fighting till the end to secure a result. This is another reason why Spain may yet defy tradition and live up to their tag as favourites. Although their play wasn't as fluid as in the demolition of Russia, they kept going and were rewarded when David Villa finished Joan Capdevila's pass in stoppage time, confirming Spain's progress as group winners. The injury sustained by Carles Puyol was the only negative on a good night for the Spaniards. While that may not be much of a worry for them now, they will be hoping he will be available for the quarterfinals. While I'm still wary of Spain's uncanny ability to exit tournaments prematurely, this side certainly looks the part, Villa's form being a key reason for their favourites tag. As much of a star he has become, Fernando Torres has been a great strike partner for him as they both complement each other and understand how they play. Joan Capdevila's runs from left back has also been one of Spain's positive points, highlighted by his part in Spain's first game against Russia and his assist for Villa to score Spain's winner against Sweden. They could go all the way. Everyone's been saying it. Everyone is also wary of them slipping up when it matters most.

Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has finally seemed to get his critics of his back. Often accused of not shining in the big games, his first half cameo against Spain was one of his better performances. His first touch was sublime and his goal was just reward for his play. He had to be taken off after the first half so as not to aggravate his knee injury and had he been on the pitch for the entire game, we may have been labelling Spain as chokers rather than favourites. At any rate, he showed us what a world class player he is. Certainly I don't think he's overrated. His performances may be below par at times but you can't keep a player as talented as him silent forever. Sweden only require a draw in their final group game against Russia and I believe they will do it. I like both teams, but unfortunately, only one will go through. Russia have Arshavin and Sweden have Ibrahimovic. And Ibrahimovic is better.

Group of Life

The Group of Death was expected to be the tightest and cagiest of groups and in that sense it has disappointed. Last night's matches were superb entertainment. I was cursing local free-to-air TV for not showing Holland vs France. In the end I was cursing them for not showing both games.

Italy vs Romania was one of the most thrilling games I have watched in recent times and the lack of goals did not take anything away from the spectacle of the game. Romania may not have created as much as Italy but as soon as Mirel Radoi was substituted for Nicolae Dica, the game opened up. Adrian Mutu showed great predatory instincts when he latched onto Gianluca Zambrotta's poor headed backpass and finished superbly into the roof of the net. Romania's joy was shortlived however as poor defending at a corner gave Christian Panucci the easiest task of tapping in from 2 yards out. The rest of the game was thrilling end to end stuff, with Romania committing men forward to knock out the Italians and them doing the same to stay in the tournament. Luca Toni was unplayable at times, the giant striker using his strength to create openings for himself and his goal was unfortunately ruled out on the stroke of half time. The penalty Italy conceded was a bit dubious, but as a neutral, anything goes for the underdog. However, Mutu's penalty was poor and Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a save that kept Italy in Euro 08. His world came crashing down on him and you could clearly see that he couldn't continue playing as he was mentally crushed. As Romania's talisman he should have been stronger than that. Who else would lead the line for Romania once he left the field? Certainly not his replacement. He must show greater character on the pitch in the next game against the Dutch. Although his character may be suspect, his attitude certainly isn't. He stepped onto the field after the game to congratulate Buffon on saving his penalty which was a great show of sportsmanship, an acknowledgement of a great save. Romania will need no motivation in their final game as they know victory will send them through. With the Dutch likely to rest some of their top stars, Romania progressing to the last 8 is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Holland vs France was another fabulous game of attacking football. Mostly from the Dutch. Yet again the French were disappointing. Their run to the final of the last World Cup only highlighted the importance of Zinedine Zidane. Since he retired, the team has struggled without him, and there is no doubt that if Zidane did not come out of retirement for the World Cup, France would not have got as far as they did. Holland linked up effortlessly and the scoreline did not flatter them, with Wesley Sneijder's goal the pick of the bunch for the Dutch again. They were a class apart from the French. Apart from Thierry Henry's cute finish they did not pose much of a threat to the Dutch defense. Experience counted for little in this match and the Dutch underlined their credentials as serious tournament contenders. Then again the Czechs were favourites for Euro 04, having played some similarly scintillating football, only to be knocked out by a Greek suckerpunch. They will have to guard against complacency but they can bask in glory of having handed both World Cup finalists their worst defeats in European Championship history. Having qualified for the quarterfinals, topping their group in the process, expect them to rest a few regulars and give some of the fringe players a run out in their final game. That can only be good news for Romania and neutrals such as myself. Every tournament needs a shock result and I'm hoping that this will be it. Certainly this would rank as Romania's greatest footballing achievement. They managed to qualify from a group containing Portugal, England and Germany at Euro 2000 and this will certainly give them hope in their attempt to emulate their achievements of 8 years ago. Even if they lose against the Dutch, they could still go through if Italy draw against France, as long as they don't concede more goals than Italy and France did against the Dutch. One thing is for sure, the conclusion to the Group of Death is not one to be missed. Come on Romania!

Wesley Sneijder putting victory in perspective - "This is just superb – six points after two games. Italy and France are not the smallest teams."

Victor Piţurcă on Mutu's crap penalty - "He didn't miss – it was Buffon who made a great save."
And another philosophical gem from Piţurcă - "Penalties have been missed, are missed, and always will be missed."

Raymond Domenech suspecting a conspiracy theory - "The Dutch have six points and I am convinced they won't play the same players."

Marco van Basten playing down his teams strengths - "We can defend quite well and we have an excellent goalkeeper and, one way or the other, we stopped their attackers. We have astute, intelligent players in midfield and excellent players in attack."

Roundup of the rest....

Alright this is a bit overdue but exams came in the way. With holidays now in full swing, expect a lot more analysis.

Moving back to Euro 08 groups, there wasn't much to say about Group C. Romania vs France was everything football should not be. Boring, insipid, lacklustre, sleep inducing. The final score of 0-0 flattered no one. Romania would have taken a point before the game but it was very disappointing to see the French lacking such creativity. Even Franck Ribery put in a sub-par performance, almost unrecognisable from the man who has carried Bayern Munich on his shoulders all season. Meanwhile the sheer brilliance of Holland's fantastic 3-0 win over Italy was plain to see for all. Not much to say there. Anyone who saw the game will agree that Holland were fantastic. 3-0 may not have reflected how close the game actually was but there was no doubt Holland fully deserved their victory.

Group D turned out as expected in the first round, with Spain beating the Russians 4-1. Pure class from David Villa. That's all that needs to be mentioned really. Fernando Torres may have played his part but he was overshadowed by Villa on the night and rightly so. Sweden may have been heading for a draw until Ibrahimovic and Larsson combined beautifully on the edge of the area and Ibrahimovic lashed home a sensational goal into the top corner. Greece were never really expected to come anywhere close to repeating their success from 4 years ago despite being ranked 8th in the FIFA rankings (big joke that they are), and they fully justified that view against Sweden.

And on to the next round of play. In Group A, Portugal played a great game against the Czech Republic who improved massively from their dismal showing against Switzerland in the tournament opener. However despite the Czechs resilience, Portugal's class shone through, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing a part in all 3 of their goals. He may have his critics about not playing to his best on the biggest stage but a player as good as him can't play below par every single time. His pass for Ricardo Quaresma to tap in in injury time proved how mature he has become. You'd expect Ronaldo to shoot anytime he gets a sight of goal, let alone a one on one, but he saw Quaresma and unselfishly squared the ball for his teammate. Surely a sign of maturity and indicates that there is a lot more to come from Ronaldo in the tournament. Meanwhile, Switzerland's loss against against Turkey was another example of their poor finishing letting them down. Only this time it eliminated them, becoming only the second host nation to not qualify for the knockout stages. Luck may not have been on their side but tat does not change the fact that they are now out of the tournament.

Group B had the neutrals on their feet applauding Croatia, who sensationally beat Germany 2-1. Although there was an element of luck about both of Croatia's goals, they deserved it for the way they took the game to the Germans and played them off the park. Had Croatia not gotten those lucky breaks, we would be talking about missed chances, lack of creativity and cutting edge. Fully deserved result for them however and Slaven Bilic proved to be an animated characted on the touchline and the win will have elevated him even higher in the eyes of Croatia. Lukas Podolski also managed to add to his goal tally in a losing effort and his well taken goal will only have more of Europe trying to lure him away from Bayern. He may well try his luck elsewhere as Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose seem to be perfect for each other while Podolski struggles for a look in. I didn't catch Austria vs Poland to make much comment about the game. The only thing I saw from the highlights were the obvious talking points of Roger's controversial offside goal for the Poles and Ivica Vastic's controversial penalty for the Austrians. At any rate it gives both sides a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals. As unlikely as it seems, an Austrian victory over Germany will most likely see them through and would rank as their greatest footballing achievement in my opinion. They've had great teams in the past and should they pull of such a feat with the current squad they have, it would be nothing less than their greatest feat.

Euro 08 is warming up nicely after the first round and it's good to see less clean sheets and more goals in the games. As a neutral, I can only hope for the trend to continue.

Group A + B

Group A and B have just concluded their first round of play and already a clear pattern is being drawn. The favourites have won each match so far with a clean sheet. The underdogs have performed admirably but a lack of quality has proved to be their downfall. However there has been one outstanding match and two rather dismal performances.

The curtain raiser between the Czechs and the Swiss was not pretty to watch. Quality was alarmingly absent from play for large periods of time. Only in the second half did the Swiss create some clear cut chances but their profligacy in front of goal ultimately cost them the match. Portugal vs Turkey was a much better affair and despite the resilience of the Turks, Portugal's class shone through at the end. Deco and Ronaldo looked lively and were involved in Portugal's best moves. Nuno Gomes was rather unlucky not to have scored twice, in a game where Portugal were denied by the frame of the goal thrice.

Austria vs Croatia was another match lacking quality. Austria managed to dominate the favourites in spells and were left ruing how they did not manage to get at least a point from the encounter. However, it does give them hope for the coming matches against Poland and Germany. Thousands of Austrians had signed a petition requesting that their team withdraw from Euro 08 so as not to embarrass themselves. Based on last night's performance, there is a sense of optimism within Austria now. Germany vs Poland has been the outstanding match of the Euros so far. The Germans were rewarded for their performance with a convincing win and it could have been more had Mario Gomez put away Miroslav Klose's unselfish pass. Poland did match Germany at times and had a few decent chances fashioned by their neat passing moves but two smart finishes from Lukas Podolski proved to be the difference. His second goal was a combination of quick thinking and deadly finishing, Klose's badly miscued shot expertly volleyed home.

The favourites have made their mark early and it looks like being a straightforward qualification process for them in Group A and B. Hopefully, Group C and D can provide a bit more uncertainty than that.

It's here!

4 years of waiting has finally ended. Euro 2008 is about to begin. 16 countries will battle it out to determine Europe's finest team.

I'm not going to make any predictions. I'm only interested in the underdogs at these tournaments. They provide the sensational stories and create the biggest shocks, which for me is what major tournaments are all about. The further they go, the more interest is sustained in the tournament. Even neutrals get sucked in by the atmosphere and spectacle which only underdogs can create.

It's a unique experience and I've witnessed two unbelievable stories between 2004 and now. Greece were the last winners of the Euros and Iraq pulled off a similarly astonishing feat by winning the Asian Cup. These teams managed to go all the way and stunned the millions watching them. A rare feat, but one which creates the ultimate football tale. I've been fortunate to have seen two such stories. Those slightly older than me may have witnessed Denmark's Euro 92 triumph.

The point I'm trying to put across is that for those who have no connections to the participating nations, why support the big teams? All the big teams are almost guaranteed to win each and every time. What's the fun in that? It's much more interesting watching a smaller team worry one of the big ones. I've seen Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese supporters etc. But no one seems to be pulling for the small teams. Why worry so much about winning when you're not even connected to the country you support in the slightest? Isn't the football on show meant to be what we're watching? It's quite amusing watching a Chinese man getting annoyed at a referee because Luca Toni is denied a penalty. Or an Indian celebrating wildly, waving his shirt in the air because Franck Ribery scored for the French. Sure I support a club team, but they've become global entities. The various nationalities within clubs allows for such passion. However, I'm not so convinced about mixing noodles with pizza or dhal with baguettes.

I'll be watching Euro 2008 with great interest. I don't support any team because I'm not affiliated with them in any way. But you can be sure I will be following the progress of the smaller teams very closely.

Manager mention and others

All this talk of managers. Isn't there the Euros to focus on? Well it would be appropriate to talk about at least one high profile move. Mark Hughes has just taken over at Man City and has already started talking about making them a force in England and Europe. His transfer budget is a key factor for him as he was always restricted by the tight budget at Blackburn. However, if his eye for cheap talent is anything to go by, he will use his summer funds wisely. Roque Santa Cruz and Morten Gamst Pedersen are just two of the bargains he pulled off in the transfer market. Large transfer kitties don't guarantee success, but you get the feeling Hughes will know how to use the money.

Names such as Ronaldinho and Jo are being bandied about by the media and my guess is that Hughes wouldn't mind those two at his club in the slightest. The undoubted quality of the two would be a boost for a squad full of talent but not enough to challenge at the highest level. Whereas many may think Ronaldinho's powers are on the wane, I believe that he has what it takes to succeed in the Premiership if he applies himself. His skills are undoubtedly still with him; you don't lose such skills in a single season. His brain is also capable of handling the high tempo game of the Premiership and although his strength is not of Drogba proportions, he certainly has enough to survive in the league. All he needs is his hunger and if his brother's claims are true, Ronaldinho may be lighting up the Premiership next season, should he move to City of course.

Hughes certainly has talked the talk. Let's now see if he can walk the walk.

Moving on to more pressing matters, Xavi scored a brilliant goal for Spain against USA in last night's friendly. Their lacklustre performance merely highlighted how they can change a game with one moment of magic, such is the quality of their squad. They missed chances, looked shaky at times but a brilliant piece of skill was what separated them from their opponents. Spain look like clear favourites for the Euros but they have the heavy burden of constant failure in major tournaments on their shoulders. Whether they will step up and prove everyone's predictions right is yet to be seen but success or failure would not surprise anyone.

Talking about favourites for the Euros is quite pointless as all the strong nations are hard to separate and any one of them could win it if they hit some form. The more interesting part of the Euros are the smaller nations looking to cause a shock or two. Croatia and Russia are two names that immediately spring to mind. You'll probably see these two names mentioned as darkhorses on every other site and I would agree with Croatia. Croatia may have lost Eduardo but Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar are class midfielders and are key to Croatia's hope. They also topped their group in qualification and played some brilliant football at times, knocking England out in the process. Russia may have been touted as darkhorses but the loss of two of their key players raises doubts in my mind. Pavel Pogrebnyak is a major doubt for the tournament and is only rated at 50-50 by Guus Hiddink to feature at all. Meanwhile, Andrei Arshavin is suspended for the first two games and by this time Russia may have already been knocked out. Russia have other players worthy of mention such as Bystrov, Bilyaletdinov and Zyrianov but the loss of the main two will severely dent their hopes. They may prove me wrong but that's why I watch football. Nothing better than an underdog giving the favourites a real challenge.

Miss you Sven you're gone.

Thaksin Shinawatra has no shame. Sacking Sven. He didn't exactly get them into a relegation dogfight did he? He's achieved more in one season than many others had in five. He commands his players' respect, the fans' adulation and yet Thaksin seems to think that Manchester City is Thailand and he's still Prime Minister. He even had the nerve to ask Eriksson to accompany City on their tour to Thailand. Being the gentlemen that he is, he obliged but you can't help but wonder what compelled him to do so.

City played some brilliant football this season (acknowledgement from a Man Utd fan) and even managed to do the double over their derby rivals. They've had their shaky moments and embarrassing moments but ask any Man City supporter if they support Thaksin's decision. The answer is very likely to be a resounding no.

Apparently all billionaire football owners don't seem to understand that a winning team can't be built in a day. If Chelsea can't build a winning team in a season, what makes Thaksin think he can take City to that level in that period of time. He appeared to have a reasonable plan in shape when he first took over, giving Eriksson the goal of establishing City in the top half of the table. He did just that and managed to sneak them into Europe via the Fair Play League. And got sacked for it. It's baffling. Nonsensical. Brash. Idiotic. Almost any negative term can be applied to these rich owners who think they're playing Football Manager. Only it costs several hundred million pounds to play and in this world there are no saves and retries.

Unless City replace Eriksson with a manager of similar stature and bring in a few decent players, you can't see them progressing much further. Their current struggle to hold on to their best players may yet come back to haunt them. If the players have no motivation and desire to take the club to the next level, no amount of money Thaksin puts in can drag them there.

Moral of the story - patience is a virtue. Brashness only brings on the wrath of the fans and the ridicule of others. Thaksin got kicked out of Thailand. A few more brash decisions and he may get himself kicked out of Manchester as well.

Are you ready for Mour?

God have mercy on the rest of the football world! Inter have got themselves the Special One. As if having won 3 consecutive Scudettos wasn't enough! You can almost imagine the press conference tomorrow. Mourinho waxing lyrical about himself. In Italian. He may not quite be fluent but you can be almost certain that he has been learning the language in preparation for this move. It's been an open secret for sometime now but the sacking of Roberto Mancini merely confirmed it.

Looking back at his managerial record, the one thing that stands out is his man management ability. Under his guidance, Porto became the best team in Europe, Chelsea won their first league titles in 50 years and players such as Carvalho, J. Cole and Drogba have flourished into genuinely good players (you can't really label J. Cole as world class). The key point of note here is that he transformed teams who have not tasted success and gave them the confidence to achieve it on the biggest stages of the game, in full view of the public eye.

You can only wonder what he will do to a team of proven winners! Fresh from winning their 3rd league title in a row, the appointment of Mourinho will ensure that they start next season as one of the favourites for the Champions League. And he's already been linked with his former players at Chelsea, notably Lampard, Drogba and Essien. Armed with funds, a team of winners and a few additions to the playing squad and the rest of Europe will be quaking in their boots come next season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has often been accused of not performing in the big games. Inter's encounter with Liverpool in the Champions League last 16 this season added fuel to the critics' fire. However, now that Mourinho has taken the hotseat, you can expect Ibrahimovic to set Europe alight next season. It would not be surprising in the slightest, such is the reputation Mourinho has built up for himself. His ability to bring the best out of his players has been the one constant of his managerial career. Add the return of Adriano from his loan spell at Sao Paulo and you have possibly the most potent striking partnership in world football. Should one of them fail to perform, he will have a very able deputy in Hernan Crespo. The Argentine is a proven hitman in the slow-paced environment of Serie A and could easily replace any of the two. A reasonable defence and a creative midfield ensure that on paper, Inter are bound to be one of the most entertaining teams to watch next season.

However, there is always two sides to a story and for all the hype and expectation surrounding Mourinho's arrival, we may yet end up watching an Italian version of Chelsea. Yes, just imagine that. Outrageously talented players such as Ibrahimovic, Stankovic and Adriano wasted to accomodate Mourinho's notoriously careful tactics. Italian football is already defensive enough and Mourinho's containing tactics may only serve up another reason why Italian football is only watched by defenders and blind men. His entire backroom team that worked under him at Porto and Chelsea will also join him in Italy. Further proof that negative tactics may be a staple at the San Siro next season. He'll get results for Inter but it may not be bad advice to follow their progress via newspapers and websites as opposed to wasting 90 perfectly good minutes watching long balls.

Mourinho has also been known for his impatience with players who underperform and constantly live the high life. The Emperor is well known for his party lifestyle (typically Brazilian) and may cross Mourinho on more than one occasion. Whether he will toe the line is yet to be seen, but it would not be the greatest surprise in the world. Adriano could easily be sent packing next season but if he performs to the standard he is capable of, our eyes will be the winners.

You can't help but wonder if Mourinho has made a wise career choice. Inter have just sacked their most successful manager in recent times. Shades of Chelsea. The impression is that 1 trophy will not be enough for Mourinho. Then again it's not enough at most top clubs these days anyways. Whatever happens, all eyes will be on Inter next season. All the best to him. He's just one of those people you love to hate.

It's that time of year again!

No the Euros only happen once every 4 years. The post season period gives papers a lot of space to fill where match reports and analysis are the norm. The usual lack of football for 3 months or so ensures that papers are constantly on the lookout for a "scoop".

Check out some of today's "top stories". To give these stories a sense of realism, papers have to "realistically" adjust their creative talents to truly reflect feasible possibilities with regards to players. Take Arsenal for example. Nothing strange going on there with their supposed interest in Piotr Trochowski. Wenger's keen eye for unknown talent at its best! And to think that people put up with 3 months of this rubbish every year. If I wanted to read fiction in the papers, I would be at the comics section. Thank God for the Euros! At least the rubbish will be diluted by the presence of some real football news.

Nonetheless you can still expect one story that will not lay low this summer. Chelsea's odyssey to find their new manager will dominate the sports section until they eventually find him! Hiddink, Rijkaard, Mancini, Hughes, even Eriksson gets a mention! Abramovich's riches will have to do a lot of the talking if he is going to entice a top notch manager to the club. If you can sack the Special One and his successor who nearly won 3 trophies in a season, you must be a real emo! Abramovich has probably been listening to too much Simple Plan! Wonders why his club is not perfect and why all this had to happen to him. You can't really imagine him with the eyeshadow and the lot but it's the only reasonable explanation for all his brash decisions. Good luck to the new manager, whoever he may be. At least he will know that legend status will be bestowed upon him should he succeed. And should he fail, he will still get paid handsomely to take a sabbatical.