So far I have to say I’ve enjoyed Euro 2008. We’ve seen some good football and some exciting matches.
Last night’s ‘epic’ between Spain and Italy wasn’t one of them though. Italy were dour, negative and defensive. Spain lacked the craft to open them up. They were pedestrian in midfield until Aragones brought on Fabregas for Xavi after about an hour.
The young Arsenal man made a real difference. Spain still failed to break down the stubborn Italians but he tried to make the openings, always looked for the ball and frankly showed the old coach that he should have started the game. And so it came to penalties. Spain scored through Villa, Cazorla and Senna while Casillas saved from de Rossi. Up stepped Dani Guiza, pichichi last season in La Liga, and took a rotten penalty which Buffon saved. Cassilas then saved again from di Natale and the kick to win the game fell to Cesc.
Talk about pressure. Three times on June 22nd Spain had lost a penalty shoot-out in a major tournament but there was no Riquelme moment, no Waddling, and he stuck it away to send Spain through to the semi-finals where they’ll meet Russia. No less than they deserved, you have to say, and I was delighted for Cesc. He showed real courage and composure to score under real pressure and it looks like he’s come of age on the international stage now as well. He’s got to start the semi-final and he remains the last Arsenal interest in the tournament (although Jens is still there, kinda).
Spain v Russia looks set to be a cracker though. Two teams that will attack and try to win, unlike the Italian who were doing their best not to lose first and foremost. In the Eurocast, coming later this morning, I put forward the theory that they play exactly the same way as Jack Charlton’s Ireland. Defend well, lots of pressure on the opponents, and then hoof it up to the big man who the Mugsmasher names perfectly. I’ll add the link when it’s live.
Now, onto the Adebayor stuff which has become part of our daily routine. Sport is just trotting out the same ‘Adebayor will pressure to come to Barcelona’ stuff while El Mundo says negotiations are advanced with a fee of somewhere between €27m-€30m agreed. They say a deal could be closed in the next few hours but the small hassle is that Barcelona have to sell Deco, Eto’o or Ronaldinho in order to pay the money. Which, of course, is a bit of a hassle because everyone knows Barcelona want to sell them so they’re going to try and knock the prices down as much as possible.
It’s not exactly great business sense to tell the world you’re desperate to sell, is it? Anyway, no doubt this will run throughout the week until the words ‘Adebayor’ and ‘Barcelona’ invade your brain, your dreams, every waking moment. Or not. Milan say Adebayor only wants to sign for them and part of me would almost like to see that happen. The idea of Ade speaking Italian is hilarious.
Andrei Arshavin ‘dreams of Barcelona’ according to his agent. Barcelona just need to sell the entire west side of the Camp Nou and half the Sagrada Familia before they can buy him though.
After being on the verge of a move to Inter Milan before Mourinho took over, then linked with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, poor old Alexander Hleb is now having to suffer transfer interest from Wolfsburg. His former Stuttgart manager, Felix Magath, is in charge there and he says Hleb is ‘interesting’. Interesting in the same way a three-cocked badger is interesting but interesting nonetheless. Tomorrow Hull City declare their interest in Dribbly McNoscore.
And that’s about it for this Monday. Another week of the close season begins which means another one has finished which means real football will be starting just that little bit sooner. I’m getting a bit antsy now. Stupid ants.
Till tomorrow.
