UEFA EURO 2008

[Inquest]

Spain will obviously win. You're all jealous of Villa serving it up.

ESPANIA WILL WIN!

[TalkBasket]

Holland 4 - 1 France

10' Dirk Kuyt [1 - 0]
59' Robin van Persie [2 - 0]
71' Thierry Henry [2 - 1]
72' Arjen Robben [3 - 1]
90' Wesley Sneijder [4 - 1]

Sweden 1 - 2 Spain

15' Fernando Torres [0 - 1]
34' Zlatan Ibrahimovic [1 - 1]
90' David Villa [1 - 2]

Greece 0 - 1 Russia

33' Konstantin Zyrianov [0 - 1]

Switzerland 2 - 0 Portugal

71' Hakan Yakin [1 - 0]
83' Hakan Yakin (pen.) [2 - 0]

Turkey 3 - 2 Czech Republic

34' Jan Koller [0 - 1]
62' Jaroslav Plasil [0 - 2]
75' Arda Turan [1 - 2]
87' Nihat Kahveci [2 - 2]
89' Nihat Kahveci [3 - 2]

Group A

1. Portugal 6
2. Turkey 6
3. Czech Republic 3
4. Switzerland 3

What a game it was Turkey vs. Czech Republic. Great come beack by Turkey. It looked like they would be out. But they put pressure on Czechs and had many opportunities to score and eventually used them. The first quarter-finals pair is clear. It will be Turkey vs. Croatia.

Enjoy...

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd1uO70soPs[/yvideo]

So far Holland, Portugal and Spain are the strongest teams looking at the way they play.

[TalkBasket]

Austria 0 - 1 Germany

49' Michael Ballack [0 - 1]

Poland 0 - 1 Croatia

52' Ivo Klasnic [0 - 1]

Group B

1. Croatia 9
2. Germany 6
3. Austria 1
4. Poland 1

[LeBron]

Italy beat France 2-0 yesterday meaning they will progress to the next round along with Holland. Romania needed to better the Italian or French win, but ended up losing 2-0 to Holland, Huntelaar and Van Persie with the goals. For France everything went pearshaped; First Ribery got injured very early in the game, and then Abidal got sent off, giving away a penalty in the process. Pirlo converted, while after half-time Daniele De Rossi sent the italians on their way.

Italy dominated all game, but in my opinion it was only because of that sending off. Grosso hit the post just before half-time with a free kick and Luca Toni just missed chance upon chance. I really hope Italy don't get far, they don't deserve it after how bad they've been playing.

[Inquest]

Spain wins 2-1 vs Greece. Either way, they were going to be in the quarter-finals! They play Italy! It's going to be hard, but Spain will prevail!

First international goals for Ruben de la Red and Daniel Guiza earned a second-string Spain team a 2-1 comeback victory as Greece's hopes of ending their UEFA European Championship title defence on a high were spoiled at the last.

Comeback

Guiza rose unmarked with two minutes remaining to head in Sergio Garcia's cross and complete an impressive second-half revival by Spain, who had fallen behind to Angelos Charisteas's header just before the break. However, after a tepid first half, Spain began the second with renewed vigour Xabi Alonso hitting the post before De la Red made it 1-1 on 61 minutes, rifling in after Guiza had nodded the ball into his path. The same pair almost added gloss to this third successive win for Spain, while Charisteas grazed the outside of the post at the other end.

Nikopolidis nerves

With the fate of the two sides bookending Group D already decided, and given the belated arrival of the Austrian summer, an end-of-term feel prevailed early on in Salzburg. For Greece's captain for the day, goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis, it was exactly that, with the 37-year-old having announced his international retirement in the wake of the error against Russia that sealed the holders' elimination. But while he may have been forgiven a few pre-match nerves at the Stadion Salzburg Wals-Siezenheim, these were quickly eased. The cheers of the Greece supporters behind his goal had barely died down when Nikopolidis was presented with a comfortable save, collecting Guiza's dinked cross after the forward failed to realise how much time Andres Iniesta's expertly disguised pass had given him.

Alonso special

It was a false Spanish dawn. Stung by the premature end to their campaign, Greece were circumspect at first despite the wide threat of recalled pair Giorgos Karagounis and Dimitris Salpingidis. Spain had the better of the possession, even if Garcia and Cesc Fabregas in particular did not make the most of it. Alonso offered a more serious threat midway through the opening period when he almost caused Nikopolidis embarrassment when he spotted that he had been drawn off his goalline. The Liverpool FC midfielder almost added another to his collection of goals from his own half but, with Nikopolidis scrambling, his attempt dropped just the wrong side of the upright.

Charisteas strike

If Spain were not exactly peppering Nikopolidis's goal, it was still more than Greece were mustering. Yet Otto Rehhagel's UEFA EURO 2004 winners in Portugal were hardly renowned for their attacking play either, instead neutralising opponents and making their few chances pay, often from dead-ball situations. They found exactly that route to goal three minutes before half-time, with Karagounis's free-kick finding Charisteas all alone and the No9 burying his header into the top-left corner.

Turnaround

Goaded into action, Luis Aragones's team were almost level soon after half-time as space opened up for Alonso to rifle an unstoppable effort that Nikopolidis was grateful to see come back off his post. It was a brief let-off for the Blue and Whites, and just after the hour De la Red restored parity with a fulsome finish. Both sides had opportunities to add to the scoring but the stage was set for Guiza, who ensured Spain would go into Sunday's quarter-final against Italy in Vienna on the back of a 100 per cent record in Group D. For Greece, it is home time.

[TalkBasket]

Russia 2 - 0 Sweden

24' Roman Pavlyuchenko [1 - 0]
50' Andrei Arshavin [2 - 0]

Did anyone watch this game? I wasn't sure whom to support because neither team is my favourite. But I must give credit to Russia and Guus Hiddink first of all. They played like Holland. So many chances to score and it was nice football.

[LeBron]

Russia have a good team now. Zyrianov is playing amazing, so is Pav and then Arshavin. They have a solid keeper but I'm still not sure on their defence, looks very static at times - Much like Germany's. I'd rather see Sweden go through, not a fan of Russian's tbh.

[TalkBasket]

It is rumoured that Pavlyuchenko could sign with Barca or Real Madrid. Everytime we see some new stars emerging in Euro's or World Cup.

All quarter-final pairs:

Portugal vs. Germany
Croatia vs. Turkey
Spain vs. Italy
Holland vs. Russia

My prediction is that Portugal, Croatia, Spain and Holland will go to the semis.

[Inquest]

You forgot Netherlands vs somenoe.

Spain is goignto win.

[TalkBasket]

You forgot Netherlands vs somenoe.

Portugal vs. Germany
Croatia vs. Turkey
Spain vs. Italy
Holland vs. Russia

Some people say Holland and some say Netherlands.

Portugal 2 - 3 Germany

22' Bastjan Schweinsteiger [0 - 1]
26' Miroslav Klose [0 - 2]
40' Nuno Gomes [1 - 2]
61' Michael Ballack [1 - 3]
87' Helder Postiga [2 - 3]

Germans were simply better. Simple as that. Their height advantage was notable especially in defense.

[AdaS234]

Bastjan Schweinsteiger played the best game in EURO and he played thebest game in World CUp against Portugal

[pata]

oopss!! we did it again

[TalkBasket]

Croatia 1 - 1 Turkey *

119' Ivan Klasnic [1 - 0]
120' Semih Senturk [1 - 1]

Simply unbelievable. If Turkey continue doing that they could end up as champions.

[TalkBasket]

Holland 1 - 3 Russia

56' Roman Pavlyuchenko [0 - 1]
86' Ruud van Nistelrooy [1 - 1]
112' Dmitri Torbinski [1 - 2]
116' Andrei Arshavin [1 - 3]

Russia pulled another surprise. They have too many similarities with Greece not in playing style but in recent achievements. Greece won Euro 2004, Eurovision 2005 and Eurobasket 2005. So far Russia has Eurobasket 2007 and Eurovision 2008. Interesting

[Inquest]

Woo! Spain won! First time in 88 years! Last time? The 1920 Olympics.

[TalkBasket]

Germany 3 - 2 Turkey

22' Ugur Boral [0 - 1]
26' Bastjan Schweinsteiger [1 - 1]
79' Miroslav Klose [2 - 1]
86' Semih Senturk [2 - 2]
90' Philip Lahm [3 - 2]

Turkey almost did it again. I was really impressed with the way they played. Germans could have conceded 3 or 4 goals in the first half already. If they keep Lehmann in the goal, they have no chances in the final.

[TalkBasket]

Russia 0 - 3 Spain

50' Xavi [0 - 1]
73' Guiza [0 - 2]
83' David Silva [0 - 3]

Russia got beaten heavily by Spain again. So it's Germany vs. Spain in the final.

[TalkBasket]

Germany 0 - 1 Spain

33' Fernando Torres [0 - 1]

Congrats to Spain they deserved to win this. They haven't lost a single game and also played an attractive football.

[AdaS234]

They played better than Germany and thay have very young team so Spain can win World Cup 2010

and Euro 2012