The Final Word: Germany 1 - Argentina 0 (ET)

photo by Miriam Poppe	via PhotoRee

Scott has some final thoughts about the Final:

• Germany didn't look nearly as dangerous as they have in previous games but they did just enough.
• I can't help thinking that a healthy DiMaria might have swung this game the other way.
• That was a spectacular take and finish by Goetze.
• Messi looked so dangerous throughout and it was almost a pity to see him go home empty handed. His last gasp free kick, however, perhaps belied his concentration.
• I never thought I would see they day when more Germans were diving than South Americans.
• Except for getting the Neuer/Higuain clatter spectacularly wrong, this was a well-officiated game.
• I really love how the refs were instructed to hold their cards as the more free-flowing games were very entertaining. Only the Brazil-Colombia game got out of hand. 
• Is Muller a diver?  He sure went down easily a couple of times.
• Higuain blew 2 primo chances - the first because it seems he is intimidated by Neuer and couldn't get a 1 on 1 shot even on target and the other because he doesn't seem to understand the concept of offside even when he has a clear view of the last defender.
• Manuel Neuer is a studly sweeper-keeper. Did you see him take the throw in!?
• Argentina chicks are hot.
• Ian Darke is one of the best announcers ever - astute, witty, knowledgeable and gracious. Plus, I feel like I'm playing FIFA Soccer on the Wii when he speaks.
• Schweinsteiger looked like the Allstate mayhem guy by the end of the game.
• Bottom line - this game could have gone either way but Germany were the better team over the tournament so I suppose it's fitting that they won.
• Does Klinsmann get any credit?

This is farlieonfootie for July 14.

Impossible is Nothing: Germany 1 - USMNT 0

Coach Mark and Correspondent Ed weigh in on the USMNT's advancing through the Group of Death to the Round of 16:

Mark:

So we backed into the next round. There is no sport in the world that can bring you that anti-climatic feeling like soccer. We lost, and we won at the same time. Muted high fives everywhere.

You got to like the competitiveness of this team. The team has the personality of Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman, which is 100% scrappy hustle. Unfortunately it also has their offensive skill set.

Bradley has looked like a defensive mid pretending to be an attacking mid the whole tournament. Jones ended up playing target man part of the game because he's the only player on our offense who has the physical strength to compete for balls with a player on his back. We had a terrible time controlling the ball in our midfield to come into the attack.

I think Clint Dempsey's doing a good job faking the striker position. He's not fast enough to go by anybody, and not strong enough to play target, but he's got such a great feel getting in good spots and is the only guy with any precision on the team so he can survive.

I thought Omar Gonzalez was terrific today. Horribly tough spot to be put into, but he was a beast in the air, and showed a faster recovery step than Geoff Cameron. I think Cameron had a terrible game the other day, but he's a player. I would not mind seeing him sub into the defensive midfield to end a game. I thought it was kind of lousy that he got pulled after such a rough game when he was so solid during qualifying, but Gonzalez justified the decision, at least for today.

This team's Achilles' Heel is a complete lack of speed and precision on the offensive side. Dempsey and Graham Zusi (who I thought was very good today) are the only two offensive creators who have any precision on the final pass or shot. But neither of those two guys has the speed to threaten vertically.

Bradley's been just awful in front of the goal. Bedoya is basically an invisible player, and plays like a third outside fullback with a hustle-only game and Brad Davis showed why he got passed over three times for World Cups when he was in his prime. He's too slow and not tough enough on defense. It was a miracle we survived him today.

Unless: Italy 2 - Germany 1

photo by Ed Yourdon	via PhotoRee

So, Germany had never beaten Italy, but as this column right here clearly told you, and in language that would be familiar to any student of economic bubbles worldwide, this time things were going to be different.  Sure, Germany had never -- not once -- beaten Italy in a major football tournament, but we all saw the raw power, the sheer athletic might of this current squad from Deutschland.  You couldn't help but notice it and be suitably impressed.  And who were these Italians that faced them, other than a less than potent version of their predecessors, a team without an effective striker, that had a tough time finding the net, a group that had won only one of its tournament games to date in 90 minutes, and only two years removed from the bunch that failed to qualify for the knockout round of the most recent World Cup...?  So this game had no chance of even being close, did it?

Unless.

Unless a certain Andrea Pirlo -- a 33 year old, six years removed from being the most valuable player at the 2006 World Cup, who has undoubtedly been the player of this year's Euro tournament -- is there to block a ball off the line in the game's first seven minutes, a ball that has already evaded a haplessly waving Gianluigi Buffon, that is headed into the back of the net to provide an early German lead and begin the rout.

Unless Italian striker Mario Balotelli could lose his marker and capitalize on a pinpoint accurate Antonio Cassano cross, nodding it past German 'keeper Manuel Neuer to give Italy a surprise 1-nil lead halfway through the first 45 minutes, a lead that would represent the inaugural German deficit of the entire Euro qualifying campaign and tournament.

Unless minutes later, Balotelli were to split the German center backs, and take dead aim at the opposition net, rocketing the ball past a shellshocked Neuer and creating a two goal advantage for the Italians, sowing havoc in the German defense and creating serious problems for the Teutonic game plan heading into the interval. 

Unless Gigi Buffon were to find a way to rewind the years and stretch every inch of his long, lean body to stop a laser-like Marco Reus free kick from slipping just under the bar and keep the Germans off the board and the shutout intact at the hour mark.

Unless the Italians could make the German midfield look more like England's midfield, negating such big-club superstars as Mezut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger for a full 90 minutes, allowing the men from der Deutschland possession but not penetration, keeping the danger well at bay and looking nothing more than comfortable throughout the entire match.

Pedestrian Crossing: More Thoughts on Euro 2012

photo by iboy_daniel	via PhotoRee

The Euro express rolls on:

o Although they won on Wednesday, Portugal looked rather pedestrian for the supposed 7th best team in the world. If not for Silvestre Varela's 87th minute strike, the European papers would have been sharpening their knives on the stunningly poor effort turned in by Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, Varela saved his compatriot's bacon with a world class winner.

o Although Twitter was filled in the game's aftermath with regular fans and even media types lining up to label the game a classic -- due to the Dane's fight back from 2-nil and then the late Varela winner -- in truth the contest was anything but classic to my eyes.  Filled by long portions of ugly and thoroughly uninspiring football, the game was punctuated by two brief periods in which multiple goals were scored, leading to a score line that made the game seem more exciting than it actually was. Here's an important lesson for you: don't confuse close final scores with "classic" games. This one was rather ugly, plain and simple.

o For all of their supposed "superstars" -- Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Raul Meireles and Pepe among them -- Portugal has never struck me as a great team. If I remember correctly, they barely made the last World Cup, and -- including yesterday's narrow victory -- they've done nothing in Euro 2012 to disabuse me of my opinion.

o Ronaldo looks as if the weight of the world is hanging on his slight shoulders. Every shanked shot or lost ball was met with hands in the air or that faraway wistful look. His complete and utter bollocksing of a virtual empty netter in the game's 78th minute made it look as if the ghost of Fernando Torres was possessing the Real Madrid man's body.

o On the other hand, Michael Ballack is having a much better tournament, albeit off the pitch in his role as a commentator for ESPN.   The Leverkusen man is growing on me -- he's not afraid to speak his mind, in contrast to many other athletes who toe the politically correct line.  Acting like Johnny Miller, Ballack -- seemingly having found his feet while calling England's win on Monday "ugly" -- is a breathe of fresh air on the airwaves, and I would rather listen to him for days at a time than have to hear another second of Alexi Lalas.

Argentina and Messi Take Out the Euro-Trash

Photo by DrabikPany on Flickr

Several thoughts, but not many, after a hard couple of days watching Euro 2012:

o Including the action in Europe, easily the best football game of the day was played in the United States -- Argentina's 4-3 victory over Brazil was fun to watch, fluid and dynamic, with goals, footwork and fancy passes galore.  Anyone that didn't enjoy that one won't enjoy football.

o I'd like to see Pele repeat his assertion that Neymar is better than Lio Messi with a straight face. Neymar may be good, but his game is nowhere near as good as Messi's and his haircut is patently ridiculous.  Maybe Messi can lend the Brazilian the hat (trick) that he scored to cover up the My Little Pony look.

Neymar Coloring Pages, by Coloringpagesforkids on Flickr

o Speaking of world class, does anyone still think Wojciech Sczcesny is that kind of 'keeper?  Let's hope not, after his ridiculous display against Greece on the Tournament's opening day.  Although neither of his mistakes cost his team points, it's only a matter of time: the kid is not ready for Prime Time.

o Robert Lewandowski looks good.  His first half goal was a textbook illustration of how to put the ball in the back of the net.  With thirty goals in 2011/2012, his skills shouldn't come as a surprise, but if you weren't watching the Bundelsiga, you may not have realized that guy is bringing his 'A" game.

o Germany looked decent, but not great -- but beware.  Teams that grind out three tough points early on in a tournament usually raise their game as the matches get more important. 

o In contrast, Portugal never really got started.  Cristiano looks as if he spent more time working on his hairdo than his ball skills, and Nani was a complete non-factor.

Euro-fun

photo by What Makes The Pie Shops Tick?	via PhotoRee

The Euro’s are upon us, and the respective national teams in place and ready to go.  Here are Columnist Ed’s thoughts on three of the more relevant sides (to him, at least).

1.        Spain

This may be the last hurrah for Xavi, arguably the best midfielder in the history of the game.  Spain once again seems the class of Europe.  Their success will largely be a matter of how much they care about this Euro title. After winning the biggest prize world football, I’m just not sure whether the fatigued pros want it enough.

2.       England 

Not sure who’s left to play on the England team.  Frank Lampard out and Jordan Henderson in.  Eewww.  Gareth Barry also out (yawn) and replaced by Phil Jagielka.  And of course, most recently out is Gary Cahill after an outrageous push that deserved a red by Belgian forward Dries Mertens -- although it only got a yellow.  (The push was intentional and malicious, and as bad as the injury was it could have been worse.)  Oh, and Jack Wilshere never even made it to the initial team due to injury.  So where does England stand?

Actually, not so bad, I think.  England usually suffers from outrageously high expectations.  For the first time they can play the role of the underdog.  And this despite more speed than I can remember up top with Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Theo Walcott, and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain.  There’s also that Rooney guy coming back after a suspension.  Needless to say, these guys can break and they can score on the break.

As for the midfield, Scott Parker and Stephen Gerrard should be able to hold down the fort, although this is a weakness of this team even with Barry in the lineup.  In short, these guys are neither terrific possession guys nor terrific runners.  As much as I love Stevie G, and as much as I suspect he will do well in the Euro’s, he doesn’t seem to have the flash he did a few years ago.  And perhaps it’s his ankle injury, but Scott Parker has also looked a step too slow in the friendlies.

As for the defense, I think England will be fine with Ashley Cole, John Terry, Phil Jagielka, Martin Kelly and Glenn Johnson.  Cahill would have been nice, but this squad will be fine.

Finally, Manager Hodgson will have this team playing disciplined and tight football.  It probably won’t be easy on the eyes, but I suspect more games just like the one they played against Belgium.  For most of the game, Belgium looked the better team, but England was of course the most lethal.  You simply cannot get too aggressive with the finishers England has up top, and sometimes when you dominate possession you tend to forget their skill and push too far forward.