Skip to main content

Euro 2012 - How was it for you?

Euro 2012 - How was it for you?




After 31 matches, 76 goals only 3 red cards and a total of 35 attempts on goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, Spain were crowned the kings of Europe. 





The comprehensive victory over Italy has cemented Spain's place in history as the first team to win 3 major tournaments consecutively. This morning, the team are rightly being talked about as one of, if not the best team ever. Pubs up and down the land will be full of fans debating whether  Brazil's sheer exuberant skill, Holland's Total Football, Germany's efficiency or Spain's pass and move is the greatest.


In hindsight, Spain seem to have dominated Euro 2012. Winning at a canter with reserves in the tank. But, how they have made us "feel" is not that clear.


As the tournament progressed, many pundits started to say they found Spain's style "boring". Mark Lawrenson even called them "a bad advertisement for football" Strangely, few continued the bad mouthing during the final with Spain putting on a devastating display and a quick perusal of today's papers has most of the pundits drooling.


How can something be so dry and boring and yet so sumptuous at the same time. Of course, it's all about point of view but how do Spain make us Feel?


One camp eulogises about the technical ability, the dominance of possession, cool head and patience.


They have the highest possession, pass completion, number of goals and least goals against so are worthy competition winners but as with most things in life it's not what you do, it's the way you do it.


To others,  the technique, possession and patience is easily appreciated  but we feel cold about it. In some ways, it's just another way of being ruthlessly efficient. Italy are renowned for keeping the ball and using "dark arts" to see out a game Spain do exactly the same but in a nice, technical pleasant way. The end result though is the same.

Games are dominated to such an extent that they become non-events. One side huffs and puffs desperately trying to enjoy the experience and Spain simply carry on being brilliant. 


This ruthlessness seems to be taken to extremes during group games. They are happy to win one nil and have teams run themselves to death. Again, Italy used to do this all the time but not in the same manner.


After a tournament of criticism though the final was where Spain showed the world what they can really do with possession, technique and patience. They added a cutting edge and an end result. 


So, in the end, it's what you do with all the possession, technique and patience that matters. If it's there just for it's own sake, like in the group matches, it's not nice to watch. If you use it to produce chances and goals it really is the greatest football ever.


If Spain were your lover, foreplay would be everything, you would be teased to exhaustion and most times the pay off would be barely worthwhile but then after weeks of thinking it was just not worth it, they would use their talents in the way they should be. 


"How was it for you darling?"


"Amazing"






www.live4footy.com
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous2 July 2012 at 10:51

    And how would it be if england were your lover? Worse I feel?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. live4footy.com2 July 2012 at 11:59

      Of course!

      Its the intent that makes all the difference. If you want to stifle and kill off games Spain will look boring. If you use the possession positively and create chances and score goals it is wonderous!

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3 July 2012 at 17:27

    Like your analogy but what would an Irish lover be like?

    ReplyDelete
  3. live4footy.com3 July 2012 at 17:29

    Great fun, very enthusiastic but not quite sure what to do for the best?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coaching For The Brave

Over the years football has become more and more commercial. At its highest levels the game is now so professional and scientific it bears little resemblance to that played just a generation ago. This has brought great benefits for players, supporters and TV audiences around the world. A whole industry has erupted to support the game, spawning Directors of Football, Sports Psychologists, Performance Analysts and even Sleep Advisers. Clubs have poured millions into Elite Academies for those identified as having a chance of reaching the top and reaping the rewards. Young Starlets that graduate from these Centres of Excellence are paid thousands of pounds per week despite never having done anything of merit in the game. Coaches are trained and can't wait to get into the talent factories as a "first step on the rung" to a dream full time job with a club. Kids as young as nine and ten have a Golden ticket dangled in front of them and doting, eager parents hapi
9 comments
Read more

Futsal and Youth Development

Futsal and Youth Football I've hesitated in writing this for a few months now but after spending sometime mulling the subject over, I thought I'd bite the bullet and suffer the flak that will inevitably find itself my way. Twitter is my University of choice. It's where I find ideas and swap opinions with like minded fellow Football Coaches. It's amazing, I am constantly surprised at the level of resources out there and more importantly the generosity of many of the people I come across. It's also chock full of people determined to see every exchange as a battle that must be won. This is why I've hesitated. For months now I've been engaged in exchanges about Futsal and in particular why it's a great development tool. Throughout these discussions, I've asked one simple question: Why? Now some have taken this innocuous enquiry at face value and tried to explain the reasons why they feel it works so well, some have just trotted well us
6 comments
Read more

Can City eat at the Top Table?

After a packed, hectic weekend of football we now look closer to having to place a new chair at the Top Table. Manchester United's noisy neighbours are one game away from crashing the party. Worryingly, they also have the means to stay there for years.  City looked to have blown the title race a month ago but after United's very own wobble the Blues have taken charge and could seal a famous victory over their local rivals on Sunday. City fans will revel in their victory and rightly so. Fans elsewhere will bemoan the unfairness that money brings to the game.  Michel Platini will use the win as vindication of his quest to "level the playing field"  Something he never cared about when he played for the most successful and wealthiest clubs on the continent.  This is a modern, regular gripe that raises it's head at times like this. The argument goes something like this: "Out of touch Sugar Daddy, usually foreign, invests heavily in team that is down
5 comments
Read more