Euro 2008 Celebrations in Madrid

Here in our little village in rural Ireland... no one seemed to care about the Euro final but Lynda and me. And certainly no one cared about Spain. Looks like we planned our exit from Spain all wrong. Oh, how I wish I'd been in Madrid yesterday. Well... there's always 2010.

Xavi

Those of us who regularly watch and follow Barcelona are well aware of the craft and alchemical transcendence that Xavi and Iniesta can conjure up on a weekly basis. They work as a team within a team--quick thinking, fleet of foot, unselfish, and daring enough to slip passes through a clomp of defenders when it seems most unstable, almost ruinous to do so.

Both players had an outstanding Euro 2008, and obviously UEFA thought so as well, as Xavi was named best Player of the Tournament. Brilliant. Nine Spanish players in all were named to the 2008 team of the tournament as well: Casillas, Marchena, Puyol, Senna, Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Torres, and Villa.

What a great, great tournament. I need some space and time to think, to soak it all in before writing about it more....

In the meantime, you can read more about the player of the games here.

Euro 2008 Final: Spain Victorious At Long Last!

Spain 1, Germany 0

Football romantics of the world rejoice!

Euro 2008 Half Time: Spain v Germany 1-0

Euro 2008 Final: Spain v Germany

And so... here we are. It's all come to this. It's sundown and good luck to you both. Keep it clean and keep it pretty. Or else....

See you at half time.

Villa Out of Euro Final

For fans of Spain, the horrible news has been confirmed... forward David Villa is out of the final against Germany (to be played on Sunday) after suffering a thigh injury early on in last night's semi-final match against Russia.

So Villa is out... and lone striker Torres will probably remain damp and uninspired. He really has had an awful tournament. But better he than the whole team. Regardless, there is still plenty of fire power and crafty goal scoring options from the midfield (Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Silva), as well as from reserve striker Dani Guiza. He still looks nervous on the ball at times, but his goal last night is perhaps what he needed to loosen up.

You can read more here.

Spain v Italy: Negativity Will Always Get You Killed

Italy played for penalties (anti-football) and... well, you saw how it ended.

Bravo!

Halftime: Spain v Italy 0-0

So... how much has the ref been paid off by the Italians?

Now, back to the match....

Three Lions Support Espana!

It's almost Euro 2008 time and apm is gonna try its best to cover most of it. We can't wait, especially since we haven't been able to watch a lot of football while abroad. But hey, no complaints. We're abroad for crying out loud!

Anyway... although I have found myself tearing my hair out over the sometimes dire exploits of England's grand inflated superstars, and have wished them ill-will many a time just to... well, I guess to prove some kind of point... it does feel weird not having them around to beat up--I mean, to watch self-implode.

But supporters of the Three Lions wake up! There's another national squad that you can watch loom large for those early matches and then burn out in spectacular fashion.

The Guardian, in leading up to the tournament, has been running a series of columns with accompanying video informing England's shut-out supporters that there are options for their allegiance... at least for a month. In today's post, Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vasquez, author of The Informers, talks about why Spain should garner the favor of England fans.

This morning, while scarfing down a plate of egg, rashers of bacon, beans, toast, and tea (ah, Spain, I dearly miss you already, but I do love me my English breakfast), the morning DJ on the radio said that a majority of English fans will be following Italy for the title. That's too easy, I think. That kind of certainty is too simple, too alien for an English fan. What will the average English fan do if Italy win? How do you expect them to celebrate? A Three Lions supporter only knows hope then blistering defeat! An English fan has only seen mass celebrations, like the ones in Italy after the last World Cup, from television. They won't know what to do if Italy wins.

But they'll know how to act when Spain sputters out. That alcohol-fueled self-hate and misery will be all too familiar to a Three Lions supporter.

Support Spain, fans of England. Support another world class bunch of over-achievers who will under-achieve when their country needs them the most.

I know who I'm rooting for.