When too many good things happened at a time, life comes to an instant halt leaving one perplexed. Exactly the same feeling occurred to me now, as I’m truly undecided on whether to express my ecstasy because my favourite team Spain won Euro 2012 or to break into tears because the magic of soccer ended in 90 minutes flat.
I was a kid then, so it’s not possible for me to describe at present how Holland used to play under Johan Cruyff’s leadership, but I’m sanguine this Spain team is no way inferior to that Orange squad, if ‘total football’ is still the prime concern besides individual brilliance.
Frankly, to identify one or two golden moments as presented by the Red Bulls in the Euro 2012 final was not only tough but also next to impossible.
From strategy to team composition to execution, the Spaniards were matchless against the Italians.
In order to blunt Italy’s 4-1-3-2, the way Spain moved the ball forward from the word go was beyond any adjective. Changing the 4-3-3 formation to 2-3-5 as well as 2-2-2-4 to attack and then again changing that to 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 to defend couldn’t have been any better than what Spain illustrated… as if 10 painters were creating a montage on the field with a football.
I was a kid then, so it’s not possible for me to describe at present how Holland used to play under Johan Cruyff’s leadership, but I’m sanguine this Spain team is no way inferior to that Orange squad, if ‘total football’ is still the prime concern besides individual brilliance.
Frankly, to identify one or two golden moments as presented by the Red Bulls in the Euro 2012 final was not only tough but also next to impossible.
From strategy to team composition to execution, the Spaniards were matchless against the Italians.
In order to blunt Italy’s 4-1-3-2, the way Spain moved the ball forward from the word go was beyond any adjective. Changing the 4-3-3 formation to 2-3-5 as well as 2-2-2-4 to attack and then again changing that to 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 to defend couldn’t have been any better than what Spain illustrated… as if 10 painters were creating a montage on the field with a football.
No praise is sufficient for Arbeloa and Alba, given the game they played by using the right flank and the left flank, respectively. Plus, the run and finish that Alba produced to score the second goal off Xavi’s velvet through pass, I guess, will take many a year to be forgotten. The sense of timing of that particular move has perhaps been more precise than any clock in the world. Actually, it was the turning point of the match.
In addition, the quadrangles Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Fabregas kept forming and firming up, constantly, on the edge of the Italian box were too much to handle, especially when Chiellini had to leave the field owing to an early injury.
The score line could have been 5-0, had Spain not been deprived of a clear penalty while Bonucci conceded a hand-ball in the box during second half.
However, it would be unfair to write off Italy. In fact, a few crackers from them were really threatening. But, as the Red Bulls had Casillas under the crosspiece, for the reason obvious, the Blue Brigade couldn’t score. Practically, as long as Casillas will keep playing for Spain, all other teams have to play against 12 men with their 11 a side. And, Motta’s sudden hamstring pull didn’t help Italy’s cause either.
Ultimately, it’s a great delight and pleasure to see Spain triumphs! And a befitting reply to those who kept on arguing and making noise (for nothing) that Spain became weaker and would be needing luck and blah, blah and blah… because of David Villa’s absence.
Football is a team game, where only THE 3S: ‘Strategy, Stamina and Skill’ matters, and it’s different from a game of Ludo, or the photo-sharing on facebook for that matter.
Cheers! :D
