Tag: european championship

[BEST XI] Spain dominated the All-Euro ’08 Team, as selected by Soccer America’s editorial staff. Six Spaniards made the first 11 and a seventh was one of three reserves selected. For all the picks …

[BY THE NUMBERS] Spain lifted the European Championship after leading the tournament in goals and shots. For more stats on the Spain victory and Germany’s loss. …

[SPAIN-RUSSIA REPORT CARD] Despite losing top tournament scorer David Villa to a muscle strain in the first half and a poor showing by forward partner Fernando Torres, Spain pumped in three goals while smothering Russia to win, 3-0, in Vienna to book a final date with Germany on Sunday (2:30 pm ET on ESPN). Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the players.

[EURO 2008] Only Swiss TV and Qatar-based Al-Jazeera broadcast the entire Germany win over Turkey from Switzerland while TV viewers around the world missed as much as 25 minutes of action, including the crucial second-half goals.

[EURO 2008] More than 2.5 million people with Turkish heritage live in Germany, prompting German leaders to turn Wednesday’s semifinal (ESPN, 2:30 pm ET) into a German-Turkish Friendship Day. Two of Turkey’s stars were born and raised in Germany. And Germany coach Joachim Loew had two stints in Turkey early in his career.

[RUSSIA-NETHERLANDS REPORT CARD] The Netherlands joined the group winners to go down in the quarterfinals after surrendering, 3-1, to overtime goals by Dimtri Torbinski and Andrei Arshavin after Ruud van Nistelrooy had nodded home a free kick to tie the match, 1-1, late in regulation. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the players.

[GERMANY-PORTUGAL REPORT CARD] Germany regained its favorite status by downing Portugal, 3-2, in the first quarterfinal of Euro 2008. The Germans came out on all cylinders and took a 2-0 lead on goals Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose before the Portuguese scored five minutes before the break. Despite taking better charge of the game in the second half, Portugal fell further behind on Michael Ballack‘s 62nd minute header and didn’t strike back until the 87th minute. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[CROATIA-GERMANY REPORT CARD] Croatia lived up to its dark-horse billing with a 2-1 win over Germany. Darijo Srna opened the scoring by stabbing home a cross from Ivan Rakitic. The Croatians struck again — Ivica Olic on a close-range rebound after Rakitic’s shot from the right wing deflected off Lukas Podolski and hit the post – before Podolski scored his third goal of the tournament for the Germans. Croatia leads the group with 6 points, having opened with a 1-0 win over host Austria. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[OFF THE POST/EURO 2008] Striker David Villa suffered a hairline fracture in his finger while celebrating his first of three goals in Spain’s 4-1 win over Russia on Tuesday. The injury won’t keep Villa, who practiced with a bandage on the index finger of his right hand on Wednesday, out of action. Villa hurt the finger while trying to hug Fernando Torres, who set up the goal.

With the end of Matchday 1, we take a look at the best and worst of Euro ’08, on the field and off. The best and worst games, teams, players, newcomers and TV moments.

[OFF THE POST/EURO 2008] Poland’s national team coach has apologized to the German people after two Polish tabloids “declared war” on Germany in their preview of the nations’ European Championship clash on Sunday. In photo montages, Super Express depicted Poland’s Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker carrying the severed heads of German midfielder Michael Ballack and Coach Joachim Loew while Fakt turned Beenhakker into a sword-wielding warrior about to deliver a death blow to Ballack.

[OFF THE POST] Thomas Schaefer-Elmayer, known as the etiquette guru of Austria, which is co-hosting the European Championship, has offered “rules” of how to behave during Euro 08. Schaefer-Elmayer, the director of the Elmayer dance school that prepares debutantes for the annual Viennese Opera Ball, says:

[OFF THE POST] The Swiss government has agreed to ease potato import restrictions following fears of a French fries shortage during next month’s European Championship, which the Swiss are co-hosting with Austria. The policy change makes way for the importation of an additional 5,600 tons of potatoes. The possibility of a sausage shortage, however, remains.

[EURO 2008] Switzerland’s Federal Health Office spokesman Jean-Louis Zurcher said fans coming to this summer’s European Championship, which the Swiss are co-hosting with Austria, should check their vaccination status. A measles epidemic has plagued Switzerland for more than a year.