Gabriele Marcotti's daily diary: The best team really did win

3. Let's put Spain's win in context, shall we? They won five of six games and never looked in danger in any of them. The one time they played poorly - against Italy - they were still better than their opponents despite having to go to penalties to win. Yes, they were lucky in the sense that, David Villa apart, they were not hit by injuries or suspensions. But there is little question that they were head and shoulders above the field. What's more, they won playing attractive, attacking football. Let's be thankful for that.

2. Nice touch from Sergio Ramos during the post-match celebrations: the Real Madrid defender wore a T-shirt commemorating Antonio Puerta, his former teammate at Seville, who tragically died last August.

1. What I found most disappointing in the final on the German end wasn't the effort or quality of the players.  It was the messy, tactical chaos that reigned for much of the second half.  Putting on two big men like Kevin Kuranyi and Mario Gomez is an acceptable strategy, provided you figure out how to get them the ball (you can either hoof it up the pitch long ball style or you can try to run at opponents and win free kicks).

But, at one point, Kuranyi, Gomez, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker (who had somehow wandered up the pitch) were standing at the edge of the Spanish box doing something close to nothing. Joachim Loew won't be happy with his own tactical performance.

Comments

[Amit]

Everyone played the best game, all countries tried their best but it was a spain's day. Its a rule who ever sttrikes at right time and right place wins the game ans spain did that germany was full of good players but none of them clicked at right time so its all about luck and it was in spain's favour.

[james brownley]

Spain were fantastic, so good in fact that they won all six games, not five. Gabriele states correctly that they won their game against Italy on penalties; they beat all their other opponents in normal time.

A win on penalties is still a win.

[richard dow]

did the best team not win it??

[Hassan]

No, David, we cannot agree on that. Spain were awesome. The best.

Holland went out to Russia – who were hammered by Spain – twice. Holland were weak at the back, Portugal were weak at the front and at the back, and Italy? Well, Italy were weak at the front, the middle, and the back.

France were muddled, the Czech Republic were unmethodical, Poland were delusional, Turkey were hopeful, Sweden were hopeless, Romania had its head in the clouds, Croatia were a shambles, Switzerland were lucky they were hosts, Austria were lucky because they were in the news on a positive note for a change, and as for Greece? Lightning doesn’t strike twice.

What about the Germans? Well, they didn’t win, but once against they were consistent, organised, and disciplined. Importantly, they were present. Guess who was absent?

Spain deserved it and there isn’t a team in the tournament that was better!

[robert Feeney]

Holland were still the tournament's most exciting team, barring their collapse (I believe due to the timeout they took between the Russia game and the fact they played without Robben for that game) against Ashavin an company. They still attacked with the most flair of any team at the Euros. Holland and Spain would have been a terrific game, nonetheless. In my estimation those were the best teams of this tournament. Holland's 3 victories in the group of death stage were beautiful to watch, power, precision and teamwork, slightly more attractive than the mathematical Spanish, who can bore you to death as well as entertain. Torres's goal in the final was due to poor goalkeeping and a terrible mental lapse on the part of Lahm. Surely a worthy champion is capable of scoring better goals than that fluke.

[David]

First it was Portugal then its was Holland, then Russia now its Spain! Can't we all just agree that there was no best team in the tournement.

[Silvio]

Justice have been made, no luck, no referees, good football... just credit

[David Harris]

I think in the second half you saw the best effort possible from a very tired and banged up (injury-wise) group of German players. You also saw the best effort from Kuranyi, who hadn't played at all in the tournament and Gomez, who hadn't been in form. They did the best they could, the Spanish just wouldn't let them get the ball forward.

David Harris
www.prosoccerweekly.com