Now, like I said, I have been a lifelong Italy fan, through the highs (yes, still reigning World Cup Champions, no big deal) and lows (numerous, numerous low points). In the days leading up to the match, all I could think about was Roberto Baggio’s epic shootout miss against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup finals. It still draws tears of pain to my eyes. In a rivalry loaded with history and World Cup final clashes, this was sure to be a treat. In their previous matchups the teams were an equal 4-4-2, and I was thirsty for a victory.

The match was played at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s new-ish home in North London. The atmosphere around the stadium was electric; and surprisingly Brazilian fans outnumbered the Italians significantly. And Brazilian fans aren’t the quiet, corporate type (see: Toronto Maple Leafs). We’re talking drums, flares, and constant chanting. After much cop horse and drunk fan dangling, I managed to finally make my way into the packed stadium for the beginning of the Italian national anthem, which, if you haven’t heard it, is probably one of the most epic pre-sports anthems ever.

A quick look at the starting lineups was the first ominous sign. Brazil had loaded their starting 11 with several first-team starters, including Gilberto Silva, Ronaldinho, and Robinho. Italy, on the other hand, was going with a more experimental side, but still fielded first-team stalwarts Andrea Pirlo, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Fabio Cannavaro. Surprisingly, many first-teamers started the game on the bench, giving some youngsters a chance to prove themselves.

At first, I figured it wasn’t too bad of an idea. Italy is a team with a core of star aging veterans, but in need of youth development, and what better opportunity to get the kids some work than a friendly against Brazil? My optimism was soon satisfied after Italy came out of the gate strong, putting together a few great opportunities and a few unlucky offsides calls. The tide quickly (like five minutes in) turned though, with Brazil’s superior midfield controlling play. Ronaldinho even gave the Brazilian crowd something to cheer about with his classic showmanship and ball control, seemingly de-pantsing Italian defenders at will. To put this in FIFA 2009 context, he was rocking the trick stick beautifully.

After numerous first-half opportunities, Brazil struck first and worked their possession control well, with Elano finishing strongly. After that it was all downhill for my beloved Azzurri. Robinho capped another Brazilian offensive in the first half with an admittedly outstanding goal, undressing a clueless Andrea Pirlo and numerous Italian defenders. The stadium erupted as my heart sank.

At halftime, the halls of the Emirates were alive with Brazilian cheer. I was hoping for at least some semblance of a comeback in the second half. Again, I had reason for optimism as the second half saw regular starters Daniele De Rossi and Luca Toni enter the pitch. To my dismay Luca Toni continued his shit-tacular run with the Azzurri and failed to convert two golden opportunities. The rest of the game saw both teams put out their youngsters and generate few scoring opportunities. Final score: Brazil 2, Italy nil. Heartbreaking.

This is the best account of the game I can possibly give (understand I was in the bag after several pints of English cider and a North American style halftime that involved flip cup and hot dogs). But the facts remain, Italy was clearly outplayed. I’m going to go ahead and blame it on the classic Italian underperformance in friendlies, or the fact that the stadium was almost entirely pro-Brazil, or the fact that Brazil started more of their first-teamers, any excuse will do. I dearly hope that the performance isn’t a sign of things to come for the Italians.

Overall, my first trip to a match in England was a great experience. Coming from a Canadian perspective, it was amazing to see the passion in the stands, and the pure enjoyment fans got out of the passing and intricacies of the match. National pride and love of the game lit up the stadium in a way I have never experienced before. That being said, the Italians seemed lacking on the pitch. The rooks and vets didn’t gel too well, and although it will be a long transition period away from the team that won the 2006 World Cup (evident from their recent Euro performance), it’ll take a lot of work to get them back at the top of world of football.

Holler at it!

Last time on BKAF, we took a look at Kaka and thus delved the world of AC Milan, my adopted team. My year abroad saw me frequent the San Siro on numerous occasions, most notably for their upset of Manchester United en route to a European title. How long ago that success now seems: not only were the Rossoneri eliminated in the First Knockout Round of the Champions League by Arsenal, but the team finished a lowly fifth in Serie A and thus lost its place to compete for next year’s European Cup (instead they will try for the inferior UEFA Cup).

So, why mention the club again if they are in such disarray? The answer lies in a certain attacking midfielder from Porto Alegre, Brazil: the esteemed Ronaldinho. Thanks to the deep pockets of billionaire Silvio Berlusconi, the former FIFA World Player of the Year will be joining Milan this fall (following his transfer from Barcelona for $34 million CDN). It is not every day that one’s favorite club acquires a player with other-worldly touch and 126 career club goals, so indulge me in profiling Milan’s latest savior via comparison to a star back from that other football…LaDainian Tomlinson.

Offensively Offensive: We are all familiar with Tomlinson’s considerable aptitude for setting scoring records: in 2007, LT set all-time single season records by scoring 31 touchdowns, 186 points, and having 8 multi-touchdown games. He set a new standard by once scoring a major in 18 consecutive games, and his 115 career TDs place him third all-time and climbing. Tomlinson is clearly the best running back in football and the most impressive offensive force at his position since Marshall Faulk. Though LT’s resume is striking, Ronaldinho is no offensive slouch either. Although he is not principally a striker and therefore not a primary goal scorer, Ronaldinho’s outstanding speed and technical ability enable him to score in abundance. He won the FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Boot in 2000, the Ballon d’Or in 2005, and overall had 94 goals in his 207 games with Barca. He has also scored an impressive 32 goals in his 82 caps for Brazil.

(Not Quiet) The Face of the Game: Tomlinson is a five-time Pro Bowler, a former MVP, and a former NFL Man of the Year. By any measure, he is reached an echelon of stardom that puts his among pro sports biggest names. Yet he has clearly not achieved the level of fame that either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady has as the unofficial “Face of the NFL.” The reason he hasn’t attained that magnitude of acclaim is clear: he is not a quarterback. Ronaldinho meanwhile in a international superstar, but even as a two-time World Player of the Year he has never stood alone as the principle figure in the sport. Be it Beckham, Zidane, Henry, Cannavaro, or Totti, there is an excess of great talents and celebrated performers in the beautiful game that compete for consideration as the sport’s biggest draw.

What’s in a Name? While they may not stand out in the way Crosby or LeBron do as the clear-cut upholder of their sport, both players have household names known the world over. What neither has, though, is an original name. LaDainian’s nickname of “LT” would already win an award for unoriginality, and that is before considering that he stole it outright from the one-and-only true “LT,” Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. As a general rule, one should not misappropriate a nickname from a legend in the very same sport. For his part, Ronaldinho’s name means “little Ronaldo,” and he is better known in Brazil as Ronaldinho Gaúcho so as to distinguish him from all-time great Ronaldo, who was already called “Ronaldinho” in Brazil. Ronaldo eventually went only by his first name and thereby allowed Ronaldinho to drop the “Gaúcho.” It is in situations like these that one might pine for a last name.

Rare Air: The folks from Beaverton, Oregon have their guardianship over each of these superstars. Nike has showed us that LT’s fast is faster, his quick is quicker, and his better is better (whatever the hell that means). List of demands aside, he has replaced Mr. Bad News Kennel as the posterboy for the brand’s football division. Ronaldinho, too, is the star of Nike campaigns, both in North America and abroad. Most recently the company used home footage of him playing as a youth in their Joga Bonito campaign. Oh, and there was this, too.

Turn the Page: Tomlinson is the only player to ever have rushed for over 1,200 yards and have 50 receptions in every year of his career. While he had another remarkable regular-season with San Diego last year, he ran for just 42 yards on 21 carries in his first playoff game, then bruised his left knee and missed the second half in a divisional round win over the Colts and finally had just two carries and 5 yards in the AFC title game. This, combined with his closing in on the age of 30 (the Age of Death for running backs) have many questioning if LT will be the same this season. For what its worth, he did not participate in the Chargers’ offseason program though he is expected to be ready for the regular season. Ronaldinho is at an even bigger career-crossroads. He can be seen as coming to Milan on the cheap, considering just last summer Barca declined an offer of $90 million for the skillful Brazilian. His star has certainly dwindled since his time as the world’s best player, in part due to injury but also as a result of questionable desire. His signing with AC Milan is an illustration of how quickly his career turned south. The Barca locker room became bitterly divided when Barça striker Samuel Eto’o suggested Ronaldinho’s effort is lacking and he played in fewer than half the team’s games. He, and the AC Milan brain-trust, are hoping he can rediscover his game in Serie A.

This article has been submitted by Trevor Smith.

While most Canadian fans appreciate The Beautiful Game, the strong majority of them haven’t been acquainted with its central personalities. Better Know a Footballer, The ODC’s new weekly feature, hopes to rectify this by means of juxtaposing soccer’s biggest names with North American sports notables we are more familiar with.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known simply as Kaka, is the best soccer player from Brazil, the best player in Serie A, and perhaps the best footballer on Earth. What is my basis for suggesting this? The 26-year-old Brazilian attacking-mid was the recipient of both the Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) and FIFA World Player of the Year last year. As far as credentials for greatness go, those two trophies are as weighty as they come. North Americans likely are only familiar with Kaka’s play thanks to Milan’s run to last year’s Champions League title, but if they dig just a bit deeper and examine the evidence it becomes clear that we already know him by a different name: Dwyane Wade.

Unlikely Megastars: Though it may now seem difficult to fathom, Wade was not always a surefire prospect. A mere three schools recruited him as a High School Senior and, though he eventually landed at Marquette, he missed his entire freshman year because of academic failing. He entered the league as only the fifth pick overall and though he had a successful rookie season in Miami, he was greatly overshadowed by Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. Despite this, Wade has become one of the more accomplished young players in the NBA and is now a Finals MVP and a four-time All-Star. Kaka was seven when his family moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil. There his houseleague local youth club qualified for the finals in a local tournament, where his unexpected play won him assignment from Sao Paulo FC. Sao Paulo FC is Brazil’s third most popular team, but it does not have a history of national club dominance. Unlike his countrymen Ronaldo or Ronaldino, Kaka was not a guaranteed star when he was brought aboard by AC Milan in 2003 for a mere $8.5 million transfer fee at age 21 (by comparison, Ronaldo drew $6 for his move from Brazil to PSV, but that was a decade earlier and he was only 17).

Early Returns with Aging Allies: Every basketball fan remembers Wade’s remarkable performance in the 2006 Playoffs, which saw him literally drag the seemingly lifeless-and-decaying corpses he called teammates to an NBA title. He became the fifth youngest player ever to be named NBA Finals MVP and recorded the third highest scoring average by a player in his first Finals, which was made all the more impressive considering his supporting cast included Shaq (34), Gary Payton (37), Alonzo Mourning (36), Antoine Walker (the oldest 29 ever), and Jason Williams (30). After the win, the Heat seemed to age ten years in the span of one. Its veterans instantly turned into dead-weight and they were forced to rebuild. Meanwhile on the pitch, Kaka soared as he lifted Milan over Liverpool and to its seventh European Championship in club history (second most ever). During Champions League play Kaka scored 10 goals, nearly double the next closest player. While the Rossoneri were victorious, the core of its roster was also staggeringly old (key players included Inzaghi, then 33; Nesta, then 31; Cafu, then 36; and Dida, then 33). This season their advancing years and lack of speed caught up to them as they made an early exit in Champions League and a dreadfully mediocre Serie showing.

Selling Sensations: Dwyane is the face of T-Mobile, Converse, Gatorade, Sean Jean, Lincoln, and Topps. Though he may still trail LeBron in terms of marketing potential and overall appeal, he was named to People 50 Most Beautiful list and had the top selling jersey in the league for two years. Kaka is no slouch salesman himself. He is the international face of Adidas football (which, given the brand’s dominance in the world’s most played sport, is considerably substantial) as well having being a pitchman for TIM phones and having a modeling contract with Giorgio Armani (after all, he plays in Milan). For a gauge of his importance and fame internationally, consider this: he was the only footballer named in the 2008 Time 100 Most Influential list. Forget Face of the Franchise, Kaka may be the face of the game.

Faithfully Yours: Though he is getting divorced, Wade is a devout Christian (though this would seem difficult given the lure of South Beach) and chose the number three to represent his faith in the Holy Trinity. He tithes 10% of his salary to a church in Chicago and recently purchased a church outright for his mother (he also named his kids ‘Zaire Blessing’ and ‘Zion’ respectfully). Not to be outdone, Kaka is a devout evangelical Christian and he removed his jersey after his Champions League triumph to show a shirt that read: “I Belong to Jesus.” He also stitched “God is Faithful” in his shoes for the 2002 World Cup final and tithes his salary to his church in Brazil. This all relates back to when he was 18 when he suffered a career-threatening spinal injury in a swimming pool accident only to recovery and attribute it to God.

Fat Friends: Flash seems to have an affinity for girth: he was Shaq’s sidekick in Miami, he has finally been allowed into Barkley’s Fav 5, and internet rumours have him shacking up with formerly-meaty Star Jones. Kaka? For both Milan and the Brazilian national team he plays with…Ronaldo. Enough said, me thinks.

So there you have it. Both men are among the highest superstars in their own sport and beyond that have become global icons. Though it is difficult to compare stats between sports, it can be said with certainty that both men are also wizards of offensive excellence (Kaka has 109 goals in 309 club appearances; Wade has a career scoring average of 23.9 a game). If you look close enough, you see in DWade the same ingenious mix of flash, substance and creativity that Kaka brings to every match. Now…GET ME THEM SOCKS!

This article has been submitted by Trevor Smith.

So it’s been a long road to the final match of Euro 2008, but here we are. This has been one of the most exciting tournaments in recent memory with boring, negative, defensively oriented teams bowing out, for the most part, in the group stages. In Germany we have a team that carried the odds to win the tournament but that disappointed in their group, finishing second to an up and coming Croatian team that should be feared come the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Germans regained their form against Portugal but were less than impressive in their win against the surprise of the tournament, Turkey, to put them into the finals.

Spain’s tournament couldn’t have gone better; they topped their group displaying some beautiful football and a degree of mental toughness that Spanish teams of the past have lacked. This strength got them through a penalty shootout against a team that thrives on them in Italy, putting to bed a 24 year curse that has kept them out of the semi-finals in all international tournaments. In fact, 24 years ago was the last time Spain has been in a major final and they broke that hex with their decisive semi-final win against Russia, putting them in a great position to win their first international title since 1964.

This year’s finals pit a country looking for its record 4th European title against a country looking to drop a 44 year reputation of being the biggest underachievers in international football. If you’ve been following my Euro 08 coverage, you know that I’ve been backing Spain to take the Henri Delaunay Trophy since the start of the tournament and on that note, this preview will be more to feed my ego than maintain any journalistic integrity that I may have. Sorry Germany.

Goalkeeprs, Iker Casillas v Jens Lehman
Casillas has conceded 2 goals this tournament against Lehman’s 6 with 2 cleansheets apiece. I think Saint Iker has been the better tender in terms of positioning; Lehman let in a weak near post goal against Turkey that any keeper should have been all over and I’m not entirely convinced on his work ethic this tournament. Though it’s hard to fault a keeper for a goal coming off a goal post rebound, Lehman seemed to be too slow reacting to that type deflection against Croatia and the Turks. At 38 years old maybe he’s getting too old for the game; he’s 11 years older than Casillas and frankly, it’s hard not to take Casillas, at the peak of his career playing with Real Madrid, as the better keeper. Note: I also despise Lehman based on his recent club play/behaviour at Arsenal; he’s got some attitude issues and I wouldn’t be surprised if he picks up a yellow card in this game… hopefully a red one.

Defence
Going into the tournament Spain’s defence was a source of criticism and none would have predicted that at this point they would be more highly rated than what is normally a sound German back four. The center back duo of Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena have surprised many with how solid they are in front of Casillas. Full backs Joan Capdevila and Sergio Ramos have been an incredible threat going forward down their respective wings with only Ramos showing signs of being a defensive liability. He silenced his critics (which included yours truly) with an exceptional defensive performance against Russia, being an integral part of Spain’s effort in making an unperson (excuse the 1984 reference) of Andrei Arshavin.

The problem for Germany lies in the same positions that raised doubts of Spain’s defence. First though, their full backs have been solid; Philipp Lahm had his only real blemish defensively this tournament against Turkey but more than made up for it by scoring the winner while Arne Friedrich has been a wall on the right side since he came back from injury. The issue for Germany going into the finals is that their two 6’3” plus centre backs, Cristoph Metzelder and Per Mertesacker, won’t be able to handle the pace and precision passing of the Spanish attack which will obviously keep the ball on the turf rather than attempt to take it to the air.

Spain’s back four have proven themselves in this tournament more than their German counterparts, but Germany could still exploit their size advantage. More tellingly however, Spain’s defence has called on Iker Casillas to make only 8 saves in this entire tournament versus the 24 that Lehman has been forced to make.

Midfield
Spain’s midfield has been unreal all tournament and is the definition of depth with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso not cracking the starting XI. A tight short passing game (they call it tiki-taka) and maintaining possession (longest average ball possession in the tournament at 54.6%) has been the key to Spain’s success; they’re at the top of the tournament in terms of average passes per game (602.8; 2nd best is Germany at 476.8) as well percentage of passes complete (81.8%; again 2nd best is Germany at 75.8%). Already there’s the trend that the Germans are second best to Spain, but Michael Ballack and co. will be the toughest opponents the Spanish will have faced come Sunday, that is, if they’re on their game. I don’t want to overanalyze the midfield because it comes down to one thing; Germany can’t give Spain any room in midfield otherwise they’ll get passed off the pitch just like nearly every other team that’s allowed them that luxury.

Forwards
How do you stop the tournament’s leading goal scorer in David Villa? The German’s won’t be asking themselves that question as Villa is poised to be a spectator in the final as he nurses a thigh injury that forced him to end his night early against Russia. Though his ability to finish and to get behind defenders will be missed, his loss opens the door for one of Spain’s outstanding players this tournament despite being a regular on the bench. Cesc Fabregas came in for Villa in the semis, playing directly behind Fernando Torres as more of an attacking midfielder than a second striker and the inclusion of the tournament’s assist leader (3) helped to add fluidity to the Spanish attack and consequently their dominance of Russia. Speaking of Torres, he has been very quiet this tournaments with just a goal to his name but he’s gotten a lot of chances. Knowing that his counterpart on the bench, Danny Guiza (La Liga’s leading scorer this season with 27 for RCD Mallorca), has been an excellent substitute for Spain with 2 goals in the tourney should inspire Torres to make good on his chances against the Germans.

For fairness’ sake, the Germans have legitimate threats up front as well. Though Miroslav Klose has been quiet for most of the tournament, he seems to have peaked at the right time, scoring a goal in each of his last two games. A calf injury to Lukas Podolski earlier in the tournament seems to have put him off his form in the group stages where he netted 3 goals in 2 games; his goal tally hasn’t changed since then. Mario Gomez is feeling the effects of missing numerous chances by being relegated to a bench role and hasn’t seen any action since his first game as a sub. Germany’s forwards have something to prove come Sunday and I’m sure they’ll be on their game but a lack of creativity in balls coming towards them from the midfield will make an easy night for Marchena and Puyol.

Mocash’s Money Pick
I’ve said it before; I’ve got Spain to take this game and the title. The German’s defence will be their downfall, they were like a sieve against Turkey, whose forwards were able to get behind them fairly easily and cause problems inside the box. They were able to get away with those defensive miscues because of a lack of skill in the Turks that isn’t present in the Spanish. 2-1 Spain to cap off the 2008 European Championships.

This article has been submitted by Mostafa El Beheiry.

Sports fans with international perspective know Europeans take ample shine to their version of football. The beautiful game is a religion and its players, saints. Thus calico stars receive extraordinary attention from the sporting media. For our part, Canada’s fascination with major international soccer competitions suggests the majority of sports fans are pitch-literate insomuch as they understand the game (or perhaps just like putting flags on their cars). While the stereotypical fan appreciates the game, a strong majority has not been acquainted with its central personalities. Better Know a Footballer hopes to rectify this, by means of juxtaposing soccer’s biggest names with North American sports notables we are more familiar with.

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as the best footballer in the world and is one of the most talented of his generation. No less an authority than Johan Cruijff (three time European Footballer of the Year) has said Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, two of the greatest players in Manchester United history. Yet the young winger is generally loathed. Fans in North America that are unfamiliar with Ronaldo should still have a grasp on the Portuguese star’s narrative because it is nearly indistinguishable from that of the Yankee we all love to hate: Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. ARod is the best player in his sport and the odds-on player of his generation. His individual talents are without question…so is the public’s general repugnance toward him. Analysis of the pair of megastars shows their similitude shining clearly; Canadian sports fans hate Ronaldo the same as Rodriquez, they just don’t know it yet.

Gaudy Stats: Rodriquez has more HR, RBI, runs scored and base hits than the respective all-time leaders in each category did at his age. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs. He is projected to be the all-time leader in homers, runs scored, RBIs, and total bases (as well being in the top five in hits and walks). To call his statistics prodigious is detracting: he will almost surely retire with the best statistical career resume of all-time. Ronaldo has, himself, put up marvelous numbers. The pride of Funchal, Portugal scored 42 goals in 48 games (including 31 in 34 appearances in league play) last season with Manchester United and was the top scorer in Europe by eight goals. His performance left him only three shy of the Premiership record for a season, and he did so in eight fewer games. His 92 goals in 238 career games at Man U place him far behind Bobby Charlton career-record 249, but that mark was set in 758 games.

Hated Teams: As a Yankee, ARod is part of the most storied and valuable franchise in North America, a team that is also the most hated team in American sports. The Bronx Bombers’ 26 World Series banners make them the antagonist of every small-market team and their superfluous payroll earns them their ‘Evil Empire’ epithet. Ronaldo calls Old Trafford home (for now at least) and is therefore part of a house that is even more despised than the Yankees. Manchester United is said to have over 330 million supporters worldwide…and about 6 billion others that hate them. The club is the most successful in the modern Premiership era, having won 20 major honors since 1986, and have taken the country’s top division 17 times, one short of Liverpool’s record. Man U is also the world’s most valuable sports franchise, worth over $1.8 billion (by comparison, the Leafs are the NHL’s most valuable team at $413 million).

Contract Controversy: Rodriquez famously abandoned Seattle for Texas, only to force the Rangers to trade him exclusively to New York or Boston. But the most damning wrangle for ARod was his opt-out last year, when he did not meet with Yankee management beforehand and then made his intentions known during the final game of the World Series. The subsequent beating he took from the media and public made him ultimately bypass his agent and agree to a 10-year deal with the Yankees himself. Not to be outdone, last week Ronaldo declared his desire to move to Real Madrid, this after Manchester United filed an official complaint with FIFA over Real Madrid’s interest. It has been suggested that Madrid would be willing to pay up to 100 million euro (!) for the winger, though the transfer is in doubt after the Glazer family stated that it would not sell Ronaldo for any price and would rather sit him all season.

Unclutch: Rodriguez has long been criticized as being ‘unclutch’ (though in 2007 he hit .444 with the bases loaded). Much of this is associated with his inability to lead New York to another championship and his hitting a measly .200 in both the 2005 and 2006 postseasons. While Ronaldo’s big game failings are not nearly as famous, there still exists the impression that he falters on the game’s biggest stages. One need only reference his missed penalty in the Champions League final, his scoring a mere one goal in four games at Euro 2008, or the controversy that surrounded him after the 2006 World Cup for evidence of his shrinking in the moment.

Disconnect from Common Man: Both men are magnets for criticism in part at least because of the perception of the common fan that they were born with a ‘silver spoon’ and the world at their feet. There is clearly an envious and resentful feeling amongst fans towards both stars that relates more towards their considerable advantages (good looks, wealth, and fame) than their play on the field. ARod has acknowledged as much in saying, “People write [bad things] about me, I don’t know if it’s because I’m good-looking, I’m biracial, I make the most money, I play on the most popular team.” Perhaps because he in the anti-Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo’s pomp and prettiness has not won over English fans, who hold him as, well, a douche-bag.

Significant Other Issues: I am not even going to touch this one except to point those unaware in the direction of the media storms caused by Mrs. Rodriquez and Miss Nereida Gallardo’s, um, tasteful, pictorials (search for yourself, NSFW).

In conclusion, one sees plainly that the world’s greatest football and hitter have much in common, and with this knowledge you can feel even more justified in objecting to Ronaldo on the grounds that he is ARod-Euro Edition. So tune into a Manchester (or Real) game next fall and take comfort in knowing that their overpaid, obnoxious star is not so different from New York’s.

This article has been submitted by Trevor Smith.

The quarter-finals followed up the group stage with some heartbreaking results with three of the four results considered upsets in addition to going to extra-time. The Germans “upset” Portugal 3-2 – they were underdogs based only on their runner-up status after the group stage, I don’t think anyone with a brain would have been able to pick an outright favorite for that tie. The same couldn’t be said about Croatia and Turkey, where everyone and their mother (except the Turks) expected Croatia to advance handedly. With the Croatian go-ahead and Turkish equalizing goals coming at 119 and 120 minutes of extra-time respectively, the Turks, with their never say die philosophy, advanced on penalties. The high flying Dutch from the group stage were nowhere to be seen against Guus Hiddink’s Russia, who advance to the semis to face a Spanish side that finally expelled their international tournament demons by beating Italy on penalties. I went 2-2 on the quarters with no success in picking scorelines, so here’s hoping my luck improves for the semis.

Germany vs. Turkey, June 25
Germany are the clear favorites for this match up but apparently that’s an ambiguous classification when you’re playing Turkey in these Euros, who were come back winners against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and, of course, Croatia. Will the Turkish train keep on rolling or will Germany be the couch on the tracks? I’m leaning towards the latter as surely this will finally be Turkey’s swan song.

Keys to German Success
• Avoid being overconfident: The players blamed there upset loss to Croatia in the group stage on overconfidence and if they go into this game in the same frame of mind, they could be in store for a repeat. Don’t count on it though, no doubt the Germans learned from their blunder against the Croats and will be focused on only one outcome against Turkey.
• Don’t fix what ain’t broken: The starting XI that beat Portugal should not be altered. Defensively they were stellar; did anyone notice Cristiano Ronaldo when he wasn’t crying after a tap on the foot? No. Bastian Schweinsteiger, arguably the most German sounding name on the roster, had a stellar performance coming off of his suspension, netting a goal and delivering the crosses that led to Germany’s two other goals. He was in at the expense of the defensively minded Clemens Fritz who shouldn’t be too badly needed against the Turks.
• Close out the game early: Croatia should have advanced against Turkey but they couldn’t capitalize on any of their chances and as a result the better team lost. Germany needs to score early, looking to take a 2 goal lead into half time and building on that in the final 45. The longer Germany goes without scoring a goal, the more confident Turkey will become.

Keys to Turkish Success
• Hope for a miracle: The Turks are here because Croatia beat themselves; after squandering all their chances in regulation, Croatia go up a goal with a minute left in extra-time and forgot that there’s STILL a minute left in extra-time and the rest is history. The way their offense looked against Croatia (non-existent; 2 shots on goal in 120 minutes), they don’t have much of a hope of scoring against the Germans.
• Play for penalties: If they can’t score in open play, I wouldn’t be surprised if Turkey coach Fatih “the Emperor” Terim opts for a very defensive (read: boring) approach to this game. Can Turkey hold off the German attack for 120 minutes? (I’ll give you a hint: no.)
• Discover the cure for all sports injuries and bribe UEFA officials to overturn player suspensions: Stupid and unrealistic, but the fact is Turkey are missing 8 players of their 23 player roster due to injuries and suspensions. Notably, their captain and hero against the Czech Republic, Nihat Kahveci , picked up a calf injury that’ll put him out of the semi-finals. They’ll likely be missing their 6’3¼” central defender Servet Çetin with a knee injury – he may return prematurely though since his replacement is suspended for the semi-finals – he would have been vital in shutting down the German aerial threat. They’re missing a dangerous attacking option in Tuncay Sanli, who is suspended alongside Arda Turan, who scored the go-ahead against the Czechs. The list goes on…
Mocash’s Money Pick: I have to go with Germany here and all credit to the Turks, who played ugly ugly football all tournament but still got results. Germany 3-0

Spain vs. Russia, June 26th
The Russians excelled in their role as underdogs against the Netherlands and will look to do the same against their group rivals in Spain. When the two met on June 10th, Russia were outclassed and were easy prey for the clinical Spanish counterattack, losing 4-1. This bit of recent history adds the revenge angle to this tie which pits two attacking teams against each other. Should be a beauty.

Keys to Spanish Success
• Contain Andrei Arshavin: He was responsible for creating Russia’s winning goal in extra time in addition to providing one of his own against the Dutch. The duties for keeping this baby-faced 27 year old in check will fall to Marcos Senna, Spain’s token Brazilian (every national team has to have at least one these days), who has had a great tournament in his role as a holding midfielder. Arshavin was serving a suspension in their first meeting and since his return the Russians have looked like a completely different team, so making him a nonissue is a big deal.
• Strengthen the right flank: Russia’s left wing consisting of left back Yuri Zhirkov and midfielder Ivan Saenko can be a huge threat coming down the wing; they each move with pace and Zhirkov has the ability to lay in the perfect pass at his target’s feet. Spain’s left back Sergio Ramos will need to have his best defensive game of the tournament to stymie the left side attack and needs to avoid getting caught too far up the pitch or else risk getting burned on the Russian counter. He should look to support from left midfielder Andres Iniesta and Marcos Senna.
• Start Cesc Fabregas: Arsenal bias aside, he’s been a substitute for all of Spain’s games except for the meaningless game against the Greeks, and after his calm game winning penalty against the world’s best keeper in Gigi Buffon he deserves the start over Xavi Hernandez. You don’t lose anything for swapping Xavi for Cesc, they’re both attack minded, have great vision and pristine passing, but Il Mago was the better player over the 60 minutes he saw against Italy. Point is, either player is a good choice, but Cesc deserves the shot.

Keys to Russian Success
• Shore up the defense: Center back Denis Kolodin is suspended for the semi-finals and he was integral in keeping the Dutch at bay. The Russians did a good job of defending without taking away from their attack and should look to do more of the same against Spain. They’ll need to shut down the passing lanes from the midfield to the forwards and prevent the likes of David Villa and Fernando Torres from getting behind them like they so easily did in the group stage.
• Attack the Spanish right flank: See above.
• Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko: Arshavin has scored a goal in each of his two appearances so far and has been a huge influence on the recent success of the Russians. Pavlyuchenko, though he is the 2nd leading goal scorer in the tournament, needs to improve his finishing. He could very well have settled the quarter-final against Holland in regular time and SHOULD be the leading the scorer in the tournament.
• Keep listening to Guus Hiddink: I mentioned Hiddink in the quarter-finals preview and just want to re-iterate that he’s whipped this team in a fitness level that is unbelievable. Even during extra-time the Russians didn’t look at all like slowing down, they were just as fast as they were in the first half and made the Dutch look like old men. Additionally, the brand of soccer that Hiddink has instilled on his players, “Total Football,” requires excellent teamwork as everyone covers for everyone else, keeping the formation organized (if a left back moves into the attack, the left midfielder should take his place and be just as effective in this position as his preferred one).
Mocash’s Money Pick I’m embarrassed to have brushed off the Russians so easily in the quarters, but again I’m going to go with their opponents. This is Spain’s year and to beat the Italians at a penalty shootout just goes to show that luck is on their side in this tournament. Spain 2-1

This article has been submitted by Mostafa El Beheiry.

I’ll kick off the second part of the quarter-finals breakdown by introducing everyone to Trix and Flix, mascots for this year’s competition. Probably the gayest mascots ever conceived in the history of the illustrious profession. Anyways, the second half of the quarters will prove to be just as, if not more, exciting as the ties in the first half which have by this posting gotten underway. With the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Russia in the first knockout round we should see some beautiful football. Here’s how the teams match up.

Netherlands vs. Russia (Group C Winner v Group D Runner Up), June 21st
The Dutch surprised everyone with their gorgeous attacking football that led them to impressive wins over the 2006 World Cup finalists as they easily topped what was seen before the tournament as the group of death. The Oranje go on to face Russia, who qualified for the quarters on the back of a decisive win against fellow 2nd place contenders Sweden in which they demonstrated superior player fitness and creativeness on the pitch.

Dutch Keys to Success
• Maintain their momentum from the group stage; Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin Van Persie need to keep their attacking form. The Dutch have had 7 different goalscorers in the tournament so far, indicative of a tight nit group that knows how to share the ball and work off of each other’s strengths.
• Maintain their solid defensive form (1 goal against in 3 games). The Dutch back four were predicted to be their vice and unfortunately for them, they still haven’t been tested by a quality attacking (even from France and Italy) team. Their system uses two holding midfielders that strengthen the defense by playing just in front of the back four and has been successful so far.
• Look for the counter-attack; Spain was able to dismantle Russia on the counter and this fits right into what we’ve seen of the Dutch system. They’ve proven that the best defense in this year’s Euro has been a vicious offense and they shouldn’t lose sight of this.
• Maintain their uncharacteristic unity – usually Dutch international teams self destruct as egos clash, but so far there are no signs of this. With players laughing it up on the bench at a Rafael Van der Vaart fart during the game against Romania, these guys look loose and show no signs of internal strife.

Russian Keys to Success
• Andrei Arshavin: The Zenit St. Petersburg striker led his club to the UEFA Cup Championship this season and in returning from a two game suspension for Russia’s quarter-final clinching game against Sweden he showed how important he is to the Ruskie’s attack, netting a goal and narrowly missing on a couple of other chances.
• Need to improve their finishing – they could have made it 5- or 6-nil against Sweden if they capitalized on their chances. There’ll be no margin for error against the Dutch and with Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko up front, they can definitely be the team to cause problems for the Dutch defense.
• Get the first goal; the Netherlands haven’t been down in a game in these Euros and taking an early lead against them could throw them off their game.
• Guus Hiddink (famous for leading South Korea to the 2002 World Cup Semi-Finals) is a proven world class international manager and has shaped this team into a very fast attacking squad and should be able to give the Dutch a taste of their own medicine.

Notable Absences
None in this one, both teams are healthy and suspension free.

Mocash’s Money Pick: It’s not as clear cut as some might think. With Arshavin back, Russia are a much more dangerous team than they showed themselves to be in their first two games. That being said, they’re a young team and have a bright future under Hiddink, but the Euro 2008 semis aren’t in that future. The more experienced and well rested Dutch team will take this game. 3-1 for the Netherlands.

Spain vs. Italy (Group D Winner v Group C Runner Up), June 22nd
Spain went through their group with ease, clinching their spot in the quarters after an injury time winning goal against Sweden from the current leading scorer in the Euros, David Villa (4). Italy’s Euro hopes were dashed by a Dutch thrashing in their first game and were subsequently saved by an incredible Gianluigi Buffon penalty stop against Romania’s Adrian Mutu. In a must win situation, they triumphed over a dismal France squad but even with the win were only put through to the quarters following the Dutch second team’s win over Romania.

Spanish Keys to Success
• Forget about history; Spain haven’t won a competitive match against Italy in 88 years. The Spanish media has been quoted saying “Italy don’t scare me, they terrify me.” The players need to put that behind them and realize that history means nothing, they just need to be confident in their own ability.
• Attack the Italian defense at every opportunity; the Dutch embarrassed the Italians with their attacking football and Spain plays a similar game, and with the likes of David Villa and Fernando Torres up front and the creativeness of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez in midfield, they should be able to break down the Italian defense easily. Their counter-attack can easily put the Italians out of this competition.
• Key players need to get healthy; Xavi, midfielder David Silva and center back Carles Puyol all picked up injuries in Spain’s second group match and each will be needed by this squad. Though Puyol isn’t the best of defenders, he’s still a leader on the field and is a gritty mother (has some caveman hair too). By the time this quarter plays out, they’ll have had a week to rest up so it shouldn’t be an issue.
• Use the bench; the Spanish arguably have the most depth in the tournament, especially considering that players of the caliber of Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso can’t make it into the starting XI. The game against Greece gave the substitutions a chance to shine with Ruben de la Red and Daniel Guiza being the outstanding players of that game.
• The defense may not be able to deal with the physical presence of Luca Toni in the box and so should look to stopping crosses from coming into him rather than battling out for crosses already made. Fullbacks Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila will need to make sure not to get caught too far ahead on attacks so that they can get back and deal with that threat.

Italian Keys to Success
• Shore up defensive issues; losing their captain and best defender in Fabio Cannavaro was a huge blow to the Azzurri, whose back four haven’t looked good all tournament and defense is usually an Italian strength. They seemed to have settled on Gianluca Zambrotta, Christian Panucci, Girogio Chielleni and Fabio Grosso as their starting back four and they did do well against France, keeping the likes of Thierry Henry and Karim Benzema off the scoresheet. Marco Materazzi had a horrible first game against the Dutch and will likely be warming the bench.
• Gianluigi “Gigi” Buffon; world’s best goal keeper, without a doubt. He’s the reason they’re in the quarters. I mean did you see that penalty stop?!
• The Azzurri need to put pressure on the ball carrier to prevent the Spanish from settling into their typical short passing possession game. The Spaniards are happy to pass the ball around and slowly chip away at a defense until they find an opening; consistent ball pressure will disrupt their passing game and force turnovers that should be capitalized on.
• Related to the above point, big games will be needed from Massimo Ambrosini and Alberto Aquilani who will likely being filling the roles of suspended Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. These two haven’t shown too much of themselves in the game time they have seen and need to step it up.
• Finally, Italy’s big striker and Bundesliga top scorer this season (24 goals) Luca Toni needs to see crosses coming into the box. He’s got a huge height advantage against the Spanish defense and the Itals need to exploit this. He also needs to start finishing as he’s missed countless chances already leading to his sum total of 0 goals in the tournament.

Notable Absences
Andrea Pirlo (ITA) and Gennaro Gatusso (ITA): as mentioned, both were suspended for getting their second yellow cards of the tournament against France. Their midfield presence will be sorely missed.

Mocash’s Money Pick: Spain haven’t won a major international tournament since the 1964 Euros; the Leafs haven’t won Stanley’s Cup in 40+ years too… as a Leafs fan I see some interesting parallels. I also picked Spain to win this tournament from the outset, and I’m sticking by that. They have one of the best teams they’ve ever put together and they showed that they’re able to win games when they’re not playing well (vs. Sweden and Greece); an integral quality of a Championship side. Italy, on the other hand, squeezed into the quarters and aren’t looking like World Champions. Spain takes this 2-1.

That wraps up the quarter-finals of these Euros, hope the matches are as exciting as they should be and I’ll see you again for the semis.

This article has been submitted by Mostafa El Beheiry.

With the start of the Euros, the ODC has seen more footy articles in the last 2 weeks than it has in the last year, and this little number will just add to that total. An incredibly exciting group stage that saw goals, upsets, red cards, and controversy has come to an end and now the surviving teams are left with little time to lick their wounds with the knockout rounds getting underway immediately. The format is pretty simple, group A and B will face each other in the quarters and then semis with the eventual winner facing the team to get out of groups C and D. With that being said, the quarter-finals promise some quality football with some dream match ups that even non-fans might find remotely entertaining.

Portugal vs. Germany (Group A Winner v Group B Runner-Up), June 19th
The Portuguese easily clinched top spot in their group by taking down their first two opponents (Turkey and the Czech Republic) allowing them to rest key personnel for their meaningless final game against co-hosts Switzerland. The Germans didn’t afford themselves that luxury when they were upset by a tactically strong Croatian team, forcing them into a do or die (more like do, draw or die) situation against a poor, yet not as poor as expected Austrian team. A Michael Ballack free kick saw the Germans through to the quarters for the first time since winning the Euros back in 1996.

Portuguese Key to the Semis
• Strong midfield presence from both attacking (Ronaldo, Deco, Simao) and holding (Petit, Moutinho) midfielders to keep Germans from controlling the game. The holding midfielders will be especially key in bolstering a questionable Portuguese defence.
• Get the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo: With 42 goals during this club season, he is their main, though not only, attacking threat and will be integral in causing problems for Germany’s strong back four.
• Portugal’s defence was not tested by their Group A opponents, so they’ll need to prove themselves against potentially dangerous as well as taller German attackers. With quality like Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho, they should be able to keep shots away from their mediocre keeper Ricardo, but may have trouble keeping German heads away from crosses.

German Key to the Semis
• Miroslav Klose, Golden Boot winner for most goals in the 2006 World Cup and Mario Gomez, 2007 German Footballer of the Year and 2008 2nd leading Bundesliga scorer, need to get back in form as they have amounted for 0 of Germany’s 4 goals so far. 3 of those 4 goals came from Lukas Podolski who is doubtful with an undisclosed calf injury, so without him, Klose and Gomez have to score. Additionally, Gomez’s ineffectiveness might have reduced his role from starter to substitute, so we’ll see if the demotion (or threat of demotion) will up his game.
• Michael Ballack showed he’s an excellent leader against Austria and needs to do the same against Portugal, especially to inspire his midfield partner Torsten Frings who hasn’t been as in form as I’m sure he’d like to be.
• Arne Friedrich needs to be kept in at left back over Marcell Janssen who is a poor defender and will get burnt by the likes of Ronaldo consistently. Otherwise, the German defense is strong with Metzelder, Mertesacker and Lahm.

Notable Absences
• Joachim Low (GER): Loss of their coach (manager) means Germany will rely heavily on pre-match tactics and on their assistant-manager during the game.

Mo-Cash’s Money Pick It’s such a tough call between these two, but, with very little confidence and the faint hope that the Germans will step it up for the quarters, I’m going with the aerial threat of Germany over the fancy footwork of the Portuguese. 2-1 Germany.

Croatia vs. Turkey (Group B Winner v Group A Runner-Up), June 20th
The Croatians topped group B thanks to their inspired 2-1 win over Germany in their second and 1st place clinching match giving them the benefit of resting the first team for the final group match. Turkey, on the other hand, are through to the quarters after an unbelievable come from behind win in the last 15 minutes of their match against the Czech Republic who were also battling for that final knockout round spot.
Croatian Key to Success
• Manager Slaven Bilic: His emphasis on an air tight full team effort (their only world renowned star is $32M Luka Modric) was clear in their defining match against Germany where their constant pressure on the ball carrier and excellent positional play kept the Germans from getting anything going. He’s also rocking some of the finest bling of any manager in the tournament.
• Control the flow of play with the likes of Modric and Niko Kranjcar in the midfield and make sure striker Ivica Olic disrupts the Turkish defense with what I can best describe as a vicious forecheck (minus the hitting) when the ball is played into the attacking third.
• Wear their flagship checkered jerseys.

Turkish Key to Success
• Hope for the Croats to self-destruct.
• Keep cool heads. Turkish players can get very emotional and it’ll be easy for them to become undisciplined against the Croatians who will definitely frustrate them.
• Score early instead of chasing the game and earning a result in the last 10 minutes with a timely equaliser or winner as they’ve done in their last 2 matches.
• Look to inspiration from captain Nihat Kahveci who equalized and scored the winner (a beauty strike from the top of the 18 yard box) against the Czechs to bring them here. They should work off the momentum of that game.

Notable Absences
• Volkan Demirel (TUR): Though Turkey has 7 players that won’t be able to play in the quarters, their keeper Demirel, who picked up a red card in injury time against the Czechs (which put a terrified striker, Tuncay, between the posts for the dying minutes of the game where a Czech goal would result in penalty shots) is arguably the biggest lost (they’re also missing their first choice captain Emre Belozoglu). He’s an erratic keeper that makes odd decisions every now and then, but has been pretty solid so far and is an amazing penalty stopper.

Mo-Cash’s Money Pick This one’s easier, Croatia should have no problem with the Turks who had their last hurrah against the Czech Republic. 1-0 Croatia.

Part II will breakdown (or at least attempt to) group C and D matches of which includes the clash between Spain and Italy. Oh mama.

This article has been submitted by Mostafa El Beheiry.