Euro 2008/The Final

damn , forgot to press the sky+ bummer, is it still repeated tomorrow

Germany all the way!

Maria

The weakest German side I can recall were soundly played off the park by a Spanish team that stayed to their game plan of passing football. The Germans tried to hustle the Spaniards out of their game for the first 15 minutes but that effort could never be sustained. Once the Spanish players began to get hold of the ball the Germans had very little in answer.

Cleverly on occasions the Spanish utilised a good old English tactic of the long ball to great effect. Why? This allowed Fernando Torres to terrorise the two lumbering centre backs with his pace, a goal came from such a play.

I have never seen a more convincing 1-0 victory. A score of 4-0 would not have flattered the Spanish on the night. It was clear on their faces and the body language as they waited to go to collect their losers medals, that the German players knew they had been soundly beaten.

Luis Aragones was subjected to a hate campaign over racism generated by the English press. The same guy was the first Spanish coach to cap a black player,(Marco Senna) That master stroke saw Marco easilly play the man of the match role last night.

Michael Ballack? A string of cynical fouls, constant badgering of the officials, slow and well past his best.

Well done España!

Originally Posted by dissuade

I happen to be German. And just because we are both white doesn't mean that's not offensive. Racial slurs are not endearing.

I am half German as well, I also find the pointless anti-German sentiment stupid. Am I offended? Nope, I just think less of anyone that speaks like that. "It's just a football thing". How does that justify it? Just proves that football is a violent and racist game too. We have had 1 and a half pages about a football match and already had two racial slurs and one comment about a manager also being vilified under racist pretences. Why can't anyone in football just concentrate on the game??

Give me rugby any day. No chair-throwing, supporters from both teams standing side by side and no cynical professional fouls and diving antics.

And by the way the Germans played atrociously, it was very good to see Spain triumph with their optimistic and beautiful football.

Originally Posted by Dave The Rave

I am not sure cheering is the right word but I hope the Spanish Brigade will do it this time. Surely no one can be cheering for Germans (not even Germans I think).

OMG ... surelly NO ONE can say this is racist?

They had the worst team Germany ever fielded. Slow, no creativity yet they still go to final. I was furious last EURO when Greeks won it. No talent and double helping of luck. Amitedly the German site as marginary better than the Greeks, but still no match for anyone else. I would prefer to see the Turks in as it would surelly be more entertaining to watch?

Hope I am not offending any Germans/Half Germans etc.

Reality check.

Spain last won the Euro Championship in 1964,they were finalists in 1984 but lost. Over 40 years of under achievement and in that time fans full of hope but never of any real bravado to suggest they had a world beating team.

The Euro Championship only lacks Argentina and Brazil in order to make you realise how BIG a thing it is to win it. Then again the South Americans do not normally perform too well when the World Cup is held in europe.

The Spanish attitude has been far different from that of English fans,who have forever clung to the fact that they won the World Cup. Yes they did but it is so long ago that it has almost no relevance at all.

So what realistic hope is there for England in the next World Cup. How would they have contributed to Euro 2008? Was the tournament poorer for their absence?

Discuss.

[arc123]

I happen to be German. And just because we are both white doesn't mean that's not offensive. Racial slurs are not endearing.

Dissuade - Because you're fit I reckon you're not included in ther Krauts he can't stand

Is it just me or did the cameras keep panning to gorgeous german women?!
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not that I noticed..

Throughout the whole thing Germany played crap football. No neutral is going to support any team playing like that, nobody wants to see a team win with brute force and good fortune. I was delighted Spain won and I would have hated to see Germany win. It's a victory for football, I just wish they'd really stuck the knife in and made it 4 or 5.

I hope that Spain become a new dominant force in international football.

@El Pedro: England? Hope and expectation are two different things. I hope they qualify, I hope they play good football, I hope they'll reach the final, I hope they win. I realistically expect them to qualify but not get far in the finals. Capello needs to give them some self belief, or a kick up the ****, or something. All of the players compete at arguably the very highest club level. There must be a certain amount of potential there, at least equal to that of teams like Russia, Germany, Croatia. I'd just like them to be regular contenders, in with a chance against anybody.