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Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 29

Martin Rogers — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:26:10 PDT

FERNANDO TORRES, SPAIN. With the Spanish having so many standouts in their 1-0 win over Germany, it almost seems unfair to single out one man. Torres' superb finish was the difference between the two teams though, and he was unlucky not to add another goal when his header hit the post.

WHAT WE LEARNED SUNDAY

1. That there is some justice. Spain deserved to lift the trophy after entertaining us all for the past three weeks. They held their nerve and proved their big-game credentials emphatically.

2. That this German team needs a shakeup if it wants to challenge in the next World Cup. Michael Ballack is said to be considering international retirement and the defense needs a drastic overhaul.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE NEXT

1. If Euro 2012 is going to be held in Poland and Ukraine, then there needs to be some positive action – and quickly. Guarantees and promises are no good. Unless the co-hosts (especially Ukraine) can show that political red tape and disorganization is not going to impact the event, then it should be relocated to a more appropriate venue.

2. For the suggestion to raise the number of teams in the tournament to 24 to be ratified. There are enough good teams in Europe to ensure that the quality would not be diluted too much and the fans would get to see up to 20 more games, depending on the new format.

Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 26

Martin Rogers — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:58:34 PDT

CESC FABREGAS, SPAIN. Fabregas was superb from the moment he came on after 34 minutes in Thursday's 3-0 victory over Russia. He turned the game by craftily unlocking the Russian defense and is now almost certain to start in the final on Sunday.

WHAT WE LEARNED THURSDAY

1. That Spain owes much to David Villa but can cope without him. Villa was spectacular in the early part of the tournament and was the catalyst behind his team's surge through Group D. He will miss the final through injury, but the way the team coped -- thanks to Fabregas -- was thoroughly impressive and means the Spanish will hold no fear ahead of the final.

2. That Andrei Arshavin is human. The Russian midfielder's performances against Sweden and Holland created an aura of mystique around him, but he was well contained in the semifinal. Luis Aragones was encouraged to use Fabregas in a man-marking role by two members of his staff, but he eventually settled on Marcos Senna -- who did not let him down.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM THE FINAL

1. A better Germany performance. Coach Joachim Loew and several players admitted they were fortunate to emerge from their semifinal with Turkey and know that much, much more will be needed against Spain.

2. For the Spanish to hold their nerve. They have crumbled when faced with the big occasion in the past. But for the sake of giving this fantastic tournament an appropriate sendoff, let's hope both teams are in full flow.

Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 25

Martin Rogers — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:52:00 PDT

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, GERMANY. The Germans looked dreadful for most of their 3-2 semifinal victory over Turkey, but Schweinsteiger's classy finish to equalize at 1-1 was highly impressive.

WHAT WE LEARNED WEDNESDAY

1. That there will be some harsh words spoken by Germany coach Joachim Loew over the next couple of days. Loew will be delighted at being one game away from winning 2008, but he will know that dramatic improvement will be needed on Sunday.

2. That Turkey truly was the bravest team in Euro 2008. With so many players injured or suspended, it must have been tempting for Fatih Terim's team to take a negative and defensive approach. Instead, they took the game to Germany and were unlucky to end up losers.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE THURSDAY

1. To see how Spain plans on curtailing the impact of Russia's brilliant Andrei Arshavin. Holland and Sweden couldn't do it. Don't be surprised if Cesc Fabregas is used in a man-marking role in an attempt to deny Arshavin space.

2. No more of the storm-caused technical problems that robbed millions of fans around the world of visual footage for several minutes of the first semifinal. Unavoidable I guess, but deeply unfortunate.

Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 22

Martin Rogers — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:24:49 PDT

IKER CASILLAS, SPAIN. The Real Madrid goalkeeper did not deserve to end up on the losing side against Italy and continued his impressive tournament with two key shootout saves in Spain's dramatic quarterfinal win.

WHAT WE LEARNED SUNDAY

1. That superstition and coincidence can be conquered. In its history, Spain had lost three times on penalties on the date of June 22 and there were millions of nervous souls back home when the quarterfinal went to a shootout. But Luis Aragones's side held its nerve to book a place in the last four.

2. That Italy's exit from the tournament is a relief to all neutral fans. Sorry Italy supporters, but your team was horribly defensive on Sunday and deserved what it got. It is one thing for teams with no talent to operate with a defensive mindset, but for a side with as much ability as Roberto Donadoni's men, there is no excuse.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM THE TWO REST DAYS

1. For UEFA to allow Turkey special dispensation to bring in an extra player. The latest injury, to key striker Nihat Kahveci, leaves the Turks facing the ludicrous situation of entering their semifinal with only 13 fit players.

2. A cure for soccer withdrawal symptoms. This thrilling tournament has captivated soccer fans with a non-stop diet of matches for 16 days in a row. It's only two days without a game, but we can't wait for it to start again with two enthralling semifinals.

Euro 2008: Man of the Match, June 21

Martin Rogers — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:20:18 PDT

ANDREI ARSHAVIN, RUSSIA. If Real Madrid is prepared to pay up to $150 million to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo, then Arshavin could be a bargain for someone at a quarter of the price. The Netherlands never came up with a suitable answer for the brilliantly creative Arshavin, whose cleverly weighted cross set up the second goal. He capped off a memorable 3-1 victory by scoring the third himself.

WHAT WE LEARNED SATURDAY

1. That winning your group means nothing at Euro 2008. For the third night in a row, a group winner was bounced out of the tournament and all Holland's wonderful effort in the Group of Death was wasted.

2. That Guus Hiddink is a tactical genius. OK, we knew that already, but few expected his Russian side to out-think and out-play the Dutch so comprehensively. His accomplishments with Russia add yet another line to Hiddink's glittering resume.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE SUNDAY

1. To see a classic battle between two great football nations with Spain's attacking flair against Italy's experience and technical ability. Enjoy.

2. To see whether Sergio Ramos' head is in the right place for a European Championship quarterfinal. Ramos' attitude has been questioned by head coach Luis Aragones, who wants to drop him from the starting lineup but believes he is the best man to handle Italian striker Luca Toni.

Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 20

Martin Rogers — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:04:49 PDT

SEMIH SENTURK, TURKEY. With the final kick of extra time, Senturk wriggled clear of his defenders and sent a left-footed shot scorching into the top corner for one of the most dramatic moments in European Championship history.

WHAT WE LEARNED FRIDAY

1. That Turkey never, ever, knows when to quit. Ivan Klasnic's 119th-minute header should have knocked the stuffing out of Fatih Terim's team, but this group of players fights to the bitter end and pulled off another miraculous comeback.

2. That even the "boring" games of this tournament are fantastic. Compared to the entertainment of the past fortnight, the first 118 minutes of the Croatia-Turkey quarterfinal were relatively dull. But what happened defied belief.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE SATURDAY

1. To see if Holland can repeat its superb performances from the group stage. Marco van Basten's team has been a pleasure to watch and has been adopted by the Swiss public after the co-hosts went out.

2. To see what Andrei Arshavin has up his sleeve next. The little Russian was sensational against Sweden to take his team into the last eight, but Holland will be a tougher prospect.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 19

Martin Rogers — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:47:32 PDT

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, GERMANY. The standout performer in a ruthless and efficient German effort, Schweinsteiger hit the ground running and helped his team grab an early stranglehold in a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Portugal.

WHAT WE LEARNED THURSDAY

1. That Portugal cannot defend set plays. Big Phil Scolari's team was exciting to watch and electric going forward, but defensive lapses robbed them of the chance to go on and challenge for the title.

2. That those Germans are up to their old tricks again. When the going gets tough, they get going and they love nothing more than to prove the doubters wrong. Michael Ballack did push Paolo Ferreira for the third goal, but Germany deserved the win.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FRIDAY

1. An end-to-end encounter between two fiery and entertaining teams. Croatia cruised through Group B, while Turkey staged a dramatic comeback in clinching a quarterfinal place. Neither team will hold back.

2. Some clarity from Cristiano Ronaldo on his future. He said he would talk further about his possible move from Manchester United to Real Madrid once his tournament was over. Now's the time.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 18

Martin Rogers — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:15:07 PDT

ANDREI ARSHAVIN, RUSSIA. Why would you include someone in your squad who was suspended for the first two games? Well if you're Guus Hiddink and the player in question can perform like that, then it's a no-brainer. Arshavin showed Euro 2008 what Russia has been missing with a wonderfully imaginative and all-action display in a 2-0 win over Sweden.

WHAT WE LEARNED WEDNESDAY

1. That Russia – yes, the team that was demolished 4-1 by Spain in its opening game – cannot be written off. Hiddink's men, spurred on by Arshavin's brilliance, have hit form at just the right time.

2. That negative football has no place in this tournament. Sweden was made to pay for its lack of flair and while Greece, the most boring team of the lot, was the only side to finish without a single point.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE THURSDAY

1. To see whether Cristiano Ronaldo can unlock a German defense that will dedicate itself to shutting him down. That battle could decide the first quarterfinal.

2. To see the pitch at St. Jakob's Park in Basel hold up. The turf has been re-laid at short notice and there are real fears it could churn up. It would be an awful shame if the mouth-watering quarterfinal was affected by such factors.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 17

Martin Rogers — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:45:03 PDT

ROBERTO DONADONI, ITALY. Failure to reach the last eight probably would have cost the Italian coach his job. But he conjured a more motivated and passionate performance from his troops, caught some luck, and escaped the Group of Death with a 2-0 win over the French.

WHAT WE LEARNED TUESDAY

1. That France is too old, too slow and devoid of any meaningful ideas under Raymond Domenech. It is time for a change ... and change is a-coming.

2. That the sweet smell of success surrounding Holland does not extend to Rafael van Der Vaart, who disgusted his colleagues on the bench by suffering from an ill-timed bout of flatulence. The reaction of the other members of the Dutch bench, who pulled their shirts over their noses and waved their arms frantically, was priceless.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE WEDNESDAY

1. To see what impact Andrei Arshavin can have on Russia. Arshavin stupidly got himself sent off against Andorra in qualifying and missed the first two games. But the influential Zenit St. Petersburg star is back in time for the crucial head-to-head showdown with Sweden. The prize: a spot in the quarterfinals.

2. How Luis Felipe Scolari handles the latest bombardment of questions about his impending employment at Chelsea. The Portuguese media and public are furious at the lack of information and explanation supplied so far and quickly falling out of love with the charismatic national team boss.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 16

Martin Rogers — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:46:33 PDT

IVAN KLASNIC, CROATIA. The kidney-transplant recipient proved he is not merely in the Croatia squad, as some have unkindly suggested, for morale-boosting purposes or a feel-good factor. Klasnic looked good all night against Poland as the Croatians won their third match in a row thanks to his decisive goal.

WHAT WE LEARNED MONDAY

1. That Germany's Mario Gomez, many people's tip to be one of the stars of the tournament, has gone from hero to zero in the space of little more than a week. The Stuttgart wunderkind is a quality player but appears to have lost all his confidence.

2. That Italy and France have differing methods of trying to persuade Holland coach Marco van Basten to field a full strength side against Romania. Roberto Donadoni claims he "has faith" in van Basten's integrity, while France coach Raymond Domenech took a pessimistic view, admitting he already fears matters being taken out of his hands.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE TUESDAY

1. For van Basten to keep his big stars in the lineup against Romania. It won't happen as he will sensibly rest key players. But we can't get enough of seeing this rampant and super-talented Dutch team in action.

2. For Italy and France to fight for their lives in a repeat of the 2006 World Cup finals. Both teams are not at the peak of their powers as they were two years ago, but it would be sad to see either of these powerful nations bow out of the tournament with a whimper.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 15

Martin Rogers — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:57:31 PDT

NIHAT KAHVECI, TURKEY. The Villarreal striker twice kept his cool to help the Turks pull off an incredible comeback and book their place in the quarterfinals with a dramatic 3-2 win over the Czech Republic.

WHAT WE LEARNED SUNDAY

1. That Petr Cech is human. The Czech Republic goalkeeper is generally rock-solid for both Chelsea and his country, but he made an awful error to gift the Turks an equalizer.

2. That all is not well in the Portuguese camp. It was not the meaningless defeat to Switzerland that will most worry Portugal fans, but the grim and strained expressions on the faces of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and his players.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE MONDAY

1. More of the same. This tournament continues to get better and better, with exciting, high-quality matches every day for the past week. Keep it coming.

2. How long Turkey's fans keep celebrating until. We're guessing some time on Monday afternoon, but it could be longer.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 14

Martin Rogers — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:48:46 PDT

DAVID VILLA, SPAIN. The forward held his nerve to slide home the winner in injury time and keep the Spanish championship bid on track.

WHAT WE LEARNED SATURDAY

1. Spain doesn't like it when teams sit back and refuse to come at them strongly. Until Villa's winner, the Spanish often looked frustrated against a tough Sweden defense.

2. That negative, boring football will not prevail at Euro 2008 like it did four years ago. Goodbye Greece, you will not be missed.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE SUNDAY

1. How badly Portugal has been affected by Big Phil Scolari's decision to join Chelsea. Friday's press conference in Neuchatel descended into a shouting match between journalists and Portugal officials, and reports of discontent in the camp are spreading like wildfire.

2. A draw between Turkey and Czech Republic -- meaning that for the first time ever in a major tournament, we would see a penalty shootout following a group game to determine who reaches the quarterfinals. Sure, shootouts are not particularly fair, but they provide great drama and are preferable to the alternative of flipping a coin.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 13

Martin Rogers — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:49:25 PDT

ARJEN ROBBEN, HOLLAND. The Dutch playmaker showed that, even when he is not at full fitness, he still possesses an absurd level of talent. His goal to effectively seal Holland's 4-1 victory over France was pure class.

WHAT WE LEARNED FRIDAY

1. That Italy is not just dead yet. Thanks to Gianluigi Buffon's penalty save from Adrian Mutu, there is still hope going into the Italians' final game against France, but Roberto Donadoni's side is definitely on life support.

2. That Dutch coach Marco van Basten is not afraid to be unpredictable. Just when it looked like he would take a safety-first approach in the second half against France, he turned the screw and allowed flair players Robben and Robin van Persie to clinch a resounding victory.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE SATURDAY

1. A proper goal celebration from David Villa if he scores against Sweden. Following his hat trick against Russia, the Spanish striker wrestled and cuddled with his teammates and even broke his own finger by accident. He's getting enough practice at this to have come up with a better celebratory routine by now.

2. To see who is worse: Greece or Russia. Both teams were heavily defeated in their opening games, but the defending champion Greeks were particularly inept.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 12

Martin Rogers — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:01:38 PDT

Slaven Bilic, Croatia. The Croatian manager masterminded a shock 2-1 victory over tournament favorite Germany to put his team in pole position for a more straight-forward quarterfinal draw.

WHAT WE LEARNED THURSDAY

1. Germany is not invincible. Joachim Loew's team looked short on ideas against Croatia and was left to lament goalkeeper Jens Lehmann being caught out at his near post.

2. That neither host nation, Switzerland and Austria, was up to the task on the field. Would they really have qualified without being given a free pass?

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FRIDAY

1. A Romanian team that makes a concerted attempt to cross the halfway line. It is easy to see why the Romanians have adopted a defensive approach, but they are doing nothing for the spectacle.

2. Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira to be fit to start for France against Holland. It may be the last major tournament for the French legends. They deserve a fitting sendoff.

Euro 2008: Man of the matches, June 11

Martin Rogers — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:30:19 PDT

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal. The Manchester United star can certainly play much better than this. But how do you argue with one goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic?

WHAT WE LEARNED WEDNESDAY

1. That Portugal is good enough to go all the way, but that the most likely cause of their downfall is goalkeeper Ricardo's panicky difficulty in dealing with corners and free kicks.

2. That the drainage system at St. Jakob's Park is completely incapable of handling the amount of rain that has fallen in the past week. It was occasionally amusing to see Switzerland and Turkey splashing about in the quagmire, but it shouldn't really happen in a major tournament.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE THURSDAY

1. Croatia's "little genius" Luka Modric take on the steadfast Germany defense. Modric is full of confidence but may find Joachim Loew's side a little bit too resolute at the back. Either way, the Tottenham-bound 22-year-old won't be overawed. "I love big challenges," he said.

2. No more rain. Pleeeeeeeease. It's getting silly now.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 10

Martin Rogers — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:05:51 PDT

David Villa, Spain. A beautiful performance from the all-action Spaniard, scoring three goals and helping set up the fourth in a crushing 4-1 victory over Russia.

WHAT WE LEARNED TUESDAY

1. Absolutely nothing new about Spain. We knew the Spanish had some of the most talented players in the tournament and were capable of dominating displays like their opener against Russia. What we still don't know is if the 2008 team has the mental strength to go all the way that its recent predecessors lacked.

2. That Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a force to be reckoned with at this tournament. Ibrahimovic has had his critics (myself included), but the way he set up and scored his goal against Greece was truly world class.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE WEDNESDAY

1. Switzerland and Turkey put their differences from the infamous Battle of Istanbul behind them and play out a clean and good-tempered game. And if you believe that, you'll believe anything. Let's hope for another action-packed and fiery encounter between two teams that despise each other – this time without the mass brawl at the end.

2. The Czech Republic to step up and produce a significantly better performance than they managed in their opening match, a 1-0 victory over Switzerland. If they do, we could see one of the games of the tournament and find out whether Portugal is the real deal.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 9

Martin Rogers — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:50:20 PDT

Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands. The Real Madrid midfielder set up the first goal (albeit controversially) for Ruud van Nistelrooy, produced a quality finish himself for the second and was a constant threat in the Dutch's 3-0 win over Italy.

WHAT WE LEARNED MONDAY

1. That you can play an opponent offside even when you are off the pitch injured, according to bizarre FIFA Rule 11.11. Christian Panucci was the victim, van Nistelrooy the beneficiary.

2. That a lot can change in two years, even for the world champions (Italy) and the World Cup finalists (France). And that the decline might not be pretty.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE TUESDAY

1. Whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic can transform his club form on to the international stage and score for Sweden for the first time in two and a half years.

2. No more crowd trouble in match cities similar to that which followed Germany's victory over Poland. The tournament is taking shape nicely and doesn't need a minority of idiots trying to cause havoc.

Euro 2008: Man of the Matches, June 8

Martin Rogers — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:51:13 PDT

Lukas Podolski, Germany. The young striker got his team's challenge off to a perfect start with both goals against the country of his birth in a 2-0 win over Poland.

WHAT WE LEARNED SUNDAY

1. The times, they are a changin' – maybe. So far, there have been no upsets in a tournament that normally produces plenty. The heavyweights are looking good.

2. The Germans' attacking game plan does not mean their defense is any less resilient. The tournament favorites look to be in mean mood.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE MONDAY

1. A high-scoring thriller between powerhouses Holland and Italy to really get the juices flowing after just six goals from the first four games.

2. The ridiculous yet wonderful costumes of the crazy Dutch fans. Expert to see men in orange bikinis, orange wigs – orange everything.