Euro 2008 - Football Slate

Football Slate

follow this blog subscribe by email

7 followers

153 daily readers

rank of 259

Euro 2008 - Football Slate

Next Page (15-28)

Euro 2008 - Group Stage Best Performances

June 19th 2008 14:48

All right, another list of great performers. Keep in mind that some players played three games, others played two, some played one, and many of them came on as substitutes. So, my primary criteria for making those lists is the impact that players brought to their team. For example, I put Artur Boruc before Van Der Sar even though we all know that the Dutch is the better goalkeeper. But Boruc saved his team countless times while Van der Sar didn't have that much work. So, here you go - the group stage's best matches and players.

Top 5 – Most Entertaining Games:
1. Spain – Russia: 4-1

2. Netherlands – France: 4-1
3. Netherlands – Italy: 3-0
4. Turkey – Czech Republic: 3-2
5. Russia – Sweden: 2-0

Top 10 – Goals:
1. Michael Ballack (Germany against Croatia)
2. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands against Italy)
3. Daniel Güiza (Spain against Greece)
4. Angelos Charisteas (Greece against Spain)
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden against Greece)
6. Nihat Kahveci (Turkey against Czech Republic - 2nd goal)
7. David Villa (Spain against Russia - 3rd goal)
8. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands against France)
9. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands against Romania)
10. Arda Turan (Turkey against Switzerland)

Top 5 – Goalkeepers:
1. Gianlugi Buffon (Italy)
2. Artur Boruc (Poland)
3. Edwin Van Der Sar (Netherlands)
4. Andreas Isaksson (Sweden)
5. Bogdan Lobont (Romania)

Top 5 – Defenders:
1. Carles Puyol (Spain)
2. Phillip Lahm (Germany)
3. Khalid Boulahrouz (Netherlands)
4. Christian Panucci (Italy)
5. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (Netherlands)

Top 15 – Midfielders:
1. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
2. Deco (Portugal)

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
4. Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
5. Dirk Kuyt (Netherlands)
6. Lukas Podolski (Germany)
7. David Silva (Spain)
8. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands)
9. Arda Turan (Turkey)
10 .Fredrik Ljungberg (Sweden)
11. Luka Modric (Croatia)
12. Roger Guerreiro (Poland)
13. Umit Korkmaz (Austria)
14. Ibrahim Afellay (Netherlands)
15. Martin Harnik (Austria)

Top 10 – Forwards:
1. David Villa (Spain)
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
3. Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
4. Fernando Torres (Spain)
5. Hakan Yakin (Switzerland)
6. Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia)
7. Ivica Olic (Croatia)
8. Andrei Arshavin (Russia)
9. Daniel Güiza (Spain)
10.Luca Toni (Italy)

What do you think? Who are your best players so far?

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 12: Hiddink Does It Again, Leads Russia to Second Round

June 19th 2008 00:05

How does this guy do it? After South Korea in 2002 and Australia in 2006, the Dutch coach will be leading Russia to the Euro's quarterfinals for the first time since the Soviet Union's collapse. His decision to keep Andrei Arshavin in his roster despite the player's suspension for Russia's first two games has paid off with the striker scoring Russia's second goal and improving the team's overall performance.

Speed and vigor were keys in this game that neither team wanted to lose. While both teams deployed a 4-4-2 formation (a traditional 4-4-2 for Sweden while Russia's was more of a 4-1-3-2), Russia had more mobility along the wings with both defenders Yuri Zhirkov and Aleksandr Anyukov overlapping on the attack and causing all sorts of trouble to the Swedish defense. Faced with as much as 6 players attacking their goal, the Swedes were often pinned in their own box for long stretches of time, unable to get the ball out of their zone. Consequently, Russia was the first team to score at the 24th minute when Anyukov burst into the box and crossed the ball to Roman Pavlyuchenko who finished the play by putting the ball in the back of the net. Sweden almost equalized three minutes later, but Larsson's header hit the crossbar. It would be their best opportunity of the first half as they were completely dominated by Russia who also hit the crossbar at the 36th minute.

The Russians scored again five minutes into the second half from a nice counterattack after a Swedish free-kick. Sweden inherited a foul in their own territory and used the opportunity to send a long ball to Henrik Larsson. The cross was intercepted by Zhirkov who immediately passed the ball to Diniyar Bilyaletdinov before starting his run. The midfielder then passed the ball down the flank to Zhirkov while Arshavin ran down to the Swedish penalty spot. The rest was textbook play as Zhirkov sent a low cross to Arshavin who poked the ball past Isaksson for Russia's second goal.

Sweden tried to come back into the game with the entrance of both Kim Kallstrom and Marcus Allback but it only left their defense exposed as the Russians kept attacking Sweden with no respite. Their speed slowly worn down the Swedish midfielders who had trouble moving up and down the field all the time – by the 75th minute, the only really active player left in the Swedish side was captain Fedrik Ljungberg who kept running from one end to the other, leading his team by example. Ljungberg's efforts was all for nothing however, as Sweden found itself disconnected with the forwards unwilling to come back while the defense didn't have enough strength to move up the field only to go back sprinting with the threat of another Russian attack.

So, Russia goes through to the quarterfinals and will face Guus Hiddink's country, the Netherlands. Two attacking teams which have displayed very attractive football – it should be great.

My man of the match: Andrei Arshavin. His impact on the team was very noticeable as created several plays seemingly out of nothing.

Honorable mentions:
- Yuri Zhirkov. The left-back was a workhorse, running up and down the field like a mad man. He was the origin of his team's second goal.
- Roman Pavlyuchenko. This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorites. He has a great presence in the box and could've scored a hat trick if it weren't for Isaksson and his crossbar.
- Fedrik Ljungberg. The only Swedish player who had a great game. He seemed to be the only one who was able to keep up with the Russians.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 12: Late Goal Gives Spain Perfect Record

June 18th 2008 22:37

In a meaningless game for both teams, it was Spain who came out as winners further embarrassing the defending champions Greece who lost all three games and scored only one goal in their short stay. While the Greek line-up stayed intact from previous matches, Aragonés brought ten changes to his squad, leaving midfielder Andres Iniesta as the only player who started all three matches and changing his formation from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 with Daniel Güiza as the lone striker.

From the get-go, it was Spain who controlled the ball while Greece took their chances on set-pieces. Surprisingly, it was the Greeks who scored first on a free-kick just before half-time. Giorgios Karagounis' cross nicely connected with Angelos Charisteas' head, leaving no chance to Pepe Reina. It was a classic goal from the striker who managed to get away from his marker and find a bit of space to unleash a devastating header. Although Spain was the trailing team at half-time, they had several chances to score in the first period including a long-range lob by Xabi Alonso which shaved the outside of Nikopolidis' post.

The second half had the same pattern of play, Spain controlled the open play while Greece use long balls and set-pieces to move up the field. At the 61st minute, the inevitable happened. Fabregas chipped the ball to Güiza who headed it back to Rubén de la Red at the edge of the box. With no hesitation, the midfielder volleyed a rocket past Nikopolidis whose outstretched arm wasn't enough to stop the powerful shot. Almost half an hour later, Güiza got his first international goal with a superb header after a cross from Sergio García. Once again, Spain got a late goal-winner from their striker and go to the second round undefeated.

My man of the match: David Güiza. He had one goal and one assist, giving the win to his team with a great header.

Honorable mentions:
- Xabi Alonso. His long range shots came close enough to beating Nikopolidis to warrant special attention from the Greek midfielders who tried their best to prevent him from shooting.
- Angelos Charisteas. The striker scored his team's only goal of the tournament with a majestic header.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 11: Netherlands' B Squad Blanks Lacklustre Romanians

June 18th 2008 17:39

For a team that absolutely needed a win to advance, Romania looked surprised that the Netherlands had actually come to play and weren't about to roll over for the Eastern Europeans. Marco Van Basten brought nine changes to his starting eleven while Piturca made four changes.

Romania started the game the same way they played against France and Italy – cautiously. The ball was almost always in the Dutch's feet who had 66% of the possession at half time, and the Romanians' rare offensive rushes were often stopped dead in their tracks by a solid Dutch defense. The second half was much of the same as Romania tested Stekelenburg with long-range shots while the Netherlands often penetrated their opponent's box. At the 49th minute, Robin Van Persie's close-range shot was stopped by Lobont but the Dutch came back again five minutes later to finally score the opening goal via Klaas Jan Huntelaar. The young striker didn't miss Afellay's low cross which filtered through several players before connecting with Huntelaar's foot

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 11: France Collapses Against Italy

June 18th 2008 03:49

There were no saviors this time around for France. What you had instead was a questionable change in defense, an unlucky setback at the beginning of the game, and an epic collapse confirming the end of an era.

To qualify for the second round, one of the two World Cup finalists needed to defeat the other and hope that Romania would lose against the Netherlands. Both coaches brought changes to their formations which were both disappointing up to that point. Roberto Donadoni started Antonio Cassano up front alongside Luca Toni. Both strikers were supported by Simone Perotta who played in front of a midfield composed of Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo at Daniele De Rossi's sides. The backline stayed intact from the previous game with Grosso, Chiellini, Panucci, and Zambrotta operating in front of Buffon. Raymond Domenech opted to bring more youth to his starting eleven, taking out Sagnol and Thuram at the back as well as invisible man Florent Malouda in midfield. François Clerc started at right back while Eric Abidal was assigned at the center of defense alongside William Gallas – a questionable call since Abidal usually plays left back. The midfield was a four-man affair with Ribéry and Govou on the wings while Makelele and Toulalan did the dirty work. Finally, the attack was a mixture of young and old with Henry and Benzema playing side by side

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 10: Croatia's Reserves Edge Out Poland 1-0

June 17th 2008 18:45

His team's qualification already assured, Slaven Bilic brought nine changes to his starting eleven for their final group match while Poland's coach brought three changes to his line-up. Like Portugal against Switzerland, the Croats had no playmaker in the middle, forcing them to use high crosses in their attacks. The match wasn't very intense as the first half ended 0-0 with some nice goalkeeping by Artur Boruc. Most of Poland's offensive rushes posed no threat to Croatia's defense as their shots were often high and wide.

The second half was much of the same with Croatia attacking and Poland barely holding on. The Croats finally scored at the 53rd minute when Pranjic crossed the ball back to Klasnic who struck it to the second post, beating a helpless Boruc. Nothing much happened after that since the game was meaningless anyway. So, Croatia goes on to face Turkey and I've got the feeling that, just like in 1998, they might finish third (that is if they don't reach the final

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 10: Ballack Strike Sends Germany to Quarterfinals

June 17th 2008 00:37

n an effort to solidify his defense, Joachim Löw replaced left-back Marcell Jansen by veteran defender Arne Friedrich. Friedrich played on the right while untouchable Phillip Lahm was sent to the left side of the defense. The rest of the squad was unchanged as all Germany needed to go through was a draw. Switzerland made three changes to their starting eleven – striker Erwin Hoffer replaced Roland Linz, midfielder Christian Fuchs replaced Christoph Leitgeb and finally, defender Martin Hiden replaced Sebastian Prödl since the defender was suspended after picking up a yellow card in the two previous matches.

Although Germany only needed to pick up a point to qualify for the next round, they weren't going to settle on a draw against a team like Austria. Consequently, they started to attack very early on, even getting a three-on-one at the 3rd minute of play but couldn't capitalize. At the 5th minute, Mario Gómez missed the unmissable in front of the empty net as he couldn't get the proper touch on Klose's cross. It was supposed to be an easy tap-in but the striker somehow sent the ball in the air and an Austrian defender managed to clear it right before it crossed the goal line. It was all Germany in the first 15 minutes but the Austrians quickly got over their nervousness after that and started to show their teeth. But like last night's two games, the match was punctuated by endless fouls and free kicks, breaking the rhythm of both teams. Strangely enough, both coaches were sent to the stands right before half-time as they seemed to get in the way of the fourth official (that's probably what the referee thought, I really don't know what happened there). Both teams went to the locker room tied at 0-0. Germany had some scoring chances, but their passing play wasn't as effective as normally expected and they had to work on that for the second half

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 9: Last Day Victory Brings Joy to Swiss Fans and Coach

June 16th 2008 16:55

Facing Potugal's B squad, Switzerland was able to procure a nice win to their retiring coach despite the fact that they were already eliminated. In a game which had no meaning for Portugal, it was obvious to see how important Deco is to that squad. Indeed, with his star playmaker on the bench, Luis Felipe Scolari deployed a 4-3-2-1 instead of his usual 4-2-3-1. With two attacking midfielders playing wide – Nani and Quaresma – Portugal couldn't seem to connect in the center of the field like they usually do when Deco is there. Most of their attacks were long balls to the wingers who used their speed to get into the box. Set-pieces were also used to test Pascal Zuberbuhler to no avail.

The first half ended on a scoreless note as Portugal's Helder Postiga was denied a goal due to an offside position. The game didn't seem to have any rhythm at all since referee Konrad Plautz whistled on almost every tackle. The second half was more of the same with numerous fouls on either side. Nani had the best effort on goal at the 53th minute but his low-shot hit the post. At the 61st minute, Jakob Kuhn replaced Johan Vonlanthen by Tranquillo Barnetta in an effort to bring some constructive plays to the game. The spark was immediate as Switzerland started to attack more with Barnetta participating in every offensive rush. The first goal finally came at the 71st minute via Swiss striker Hakan Yakin who put the ball through Ricardo's legs after receiving a pass from Eren Derdiyok to the fans' delight. Portugal responded by sending Hugo Almeida in place of Postiga at the 75th minute but it's Switzerland who scored again at the 83rd minute on a penalty-kick. Barnetta was at the origin of that play as he was the one taken down in the box by defender Fernando Meira. Fan favorite had no trouble beating Ricardo for the second time and the Swiss victory was, thus, assured

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend

Euro 2008 - Day 9: Amazing Comeback Gets Turkey Through to Quarterfinals

June 16th 2008 04:26

Back when I was previewing the different teams participating in the tournament, I pointed out that the Czech Republic relied heavily on their defense. On the night where they needed him the most, Petr Cech crumbled and so did the whole team.

I actually missed the first half of the game since my TV only showed the match between Portugal and Turkey. Watching the highlights, it was nice to see Jan Koller finally contribute to his team as he scored the first goal of the game in a half that his team completely dominated. I started to watch at the second half (after looking for it all over the Internet) and the game seemed more balance with end-to-end action. There was a lot more confidence on the Czechs' faces however, and their second goal at the 62nd minute was an even greater boost. They probably thought that with the defense they had, there was no way for Turkey to come back

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: Euro 2008

Email this Post to a Friend