Italy?what a suprise

I have to admit I got my pre game winner choice wrong. I really didn't expect an Italian win but wow, they put on a show today. Super Mario showed up I was wondering if it was him or Crazy Mario will show up. Italy played a good game and they could have easily put five in the net if diNatalle did not waste all those chances. Good game for the Deutsche, go home and wait for the world cup in Brazil.
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Ageless Pirlo continues to produce

By Roger Bennett 
  
During a penalty shootout in cavernous Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, Joe Hart was doing all he could to throw the Italian penalty takers off their game. The cocky, young English goalkeeper waved his arms and leaped up and down on the goal line like a first-grader desperately in need of a bathroom.
Veteran Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo was unperturbed. Focusing only on the ball, he licked his lips and took six measured steps backward and to the left. The run-up of a man poised to pummel the ball with power. As the kicker charged toward the ball, Hart read his intent and unleashed an athletic dive to catch the bullet he expected to hurtle toward the right-hand corner of his goal.
The bullet never came.
The English goalkeeper landed on his backside in a confused heap to see the ball in the back of his net. The wily Pirlo had checked his backswing and impudently chipped his kick into the very space Hart had just vacated. A rare, brave and visually dramatic style of kick known as a "Panenka," or in Italy as a "scavetto" (spoon), is football's equivalent of being "Punk'd," live, in front of a global viewing audience of millions.
"I don't practice it, it just comes to you in the moment," Pirlo would later say about his poetic kick. "I saw that Hart was very sure of himself; I thought that he had to come down off his high horse."
In the crucible of a penalty shootout, surrounded by thousands of flashbulbs and with millions of Italians' hopes hanging on his every move, the 33-year-old Italian was able to blot everything out and become simply a man intent on restoring the moral order of the world by proving that wisdom trumps youth and the debonair always eclipses the déclassé.
England was unable to score again, and Italy was on its way to a semifinal clash with legendary rival Germany. Pirlo's cheeky kick was the crowning moment on an imperious evening, as the Italian ran the game from the rear of Italy's midfield diamond. The 117 successful passes he struck outnumbered the total mustered by England's entire midfield quartet. To the English eye, his comfort and creativity on the ball made him appear as exotic as an alchemist.
In an era in which soccer is overrun by attention-seeking Mohawks, tattoo sleeves and fluorescent boots, Pirlo often appears to be the only man who knows what is truly suave: the authentic originality of shaggy, feathered layers. Mick Jagger could not trot around a football field with a greater degree of cool.

Early in his career, Pirlo may have changed positions, but he has never changed his personal style.© Handout/Getty Images

That the midfielder is undeniably past his best is what makes his Euro 2012 performance so thrilling. Watching him attempt to enforce his will on the game is akin to catching one of Barbra Streisand's farewell tours. You are never quite sure if you will hear "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" live in concert again.
Pirlo is nearing the end of a long and noble career in which he has won 87 caps and tasted glory in the World Cup (2006) and the Champions League. Unusually for a footballer, he emerged from an upper-middle-class background to break through as a 16-year-old attacking midfielder with his hometown club, Brescia, in 1995. Inter Milan soon swooped in, but the giants lost patience quickly, believing the player lacked the pace he would need to thrive.
Farmed out on loan, a career of mediocrity beckoned until Pirlo was shuffled back into a deeper midfield role, sitting just ahead of his defenders as "il regista," the playmaker or quarterback.  With more time and space, Pirlo discovered he had the vision and intelligence to dictate the rhythm of play and dominate games.
AC Milan recognized his potential and snatched him from its rival for a reported 35 million lire in 2001. It was rewarded with a golden decade, as Pirlo, protected by the sharp-toothed Gennaro Gattuso, developed a lethal partnership with Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko. The Lombard became a legend, slinging passes around the famed San Siro stadium with such mesmerizing effect that he was affectionately known as "Il Metronomo," the metronome.
At the end of last season, AC Milan ended an era. Sensing its midfield was in decline, Pirlo was allowed to decamp for Juventus. His opponents proceeded to underestimate the midfielder as badly as his former club. Pirlo nonchalantly bossed game after game to lead his new team through an undefeated season and the Serie A title, proving he still had the ability to be the focal point and a champion.
The playmaker made his international debut in 2002. It was his set-piece delivery and Man of the Match performance that propelled Italy to triumph against Zidane's France in the World Cup 2006.
Four years later its title defense ended in humiliation. Pirlo suffered a calf injury on the eve of the tournament. Shorn of its midfield creator, Italy struggled through two uninspired draws with Paraguay and New Zealand. Though clearly injured, Pirlo managed to stumble on for the last 30 minutes of a 3-2 loss to Slovakia, but Italy's tournament was over.
Pirlo called the ignominy of Italy's failure to emerge from the group stage for the first time since 1974, "the biggest disappointment of my career." At 33 years old and with a lead role in the 2014 World Cup unlikely, he seemingly knows Euro 2012 represents his last chance to experience victory on the international stage.
During the opening 1-1 draw against Spain, the veteran demonstrated why he is an ageless master. In the 60th minute, he jogged toward a routine ball in a seemingly harmless position around the halfway line. With just five touches, the playmaker made the innocuous fraught with danger. A concussive change of pace took him past Sergio Busquets. As a suddenly exposed Spanish defense scrambled to cover, Pirlo was a step ahead. Looking up, he anticipated Antonio Di Natale's run between defenders and rolled a ball so perfectly weighted that all Di Natale had to do was supply the finish.
But in Italy's next two games, Pirlo failed to convince. Against Croatia, his finely executed free kick gave Italy the lead in a first half it dominated. But after the break, he was starved of the space within which to operate. The longer the game went on, the more Croatia, and its playmaker, Luka Modric, had the upper hand.

Though Italy hasn't scored much in Euro 2012, Pirlo has been in the middle of it all.© Claudio Villa/Getty Images

In a must-win game against a dismal Ireland, an off-form Pirlo was uncharacteristically caught in possession. Critics, quick to note his fatigue, dared to suggest he was past his prime.  Irrespective of their barbs, Italy won 2-0, and Pirlo was involved in three of the four goals a low-scoring Italy managed to amass.
A game against England is always good to cure what ails you. Pirlo's virtuoso performance gifted his team with Thursday's semifinal against the potent and heavily favored Germans. Few give the Italians a chance.
That has not deterred Pirlo from goading his opponents.
"[The Germans] are afraid of us," Pirlo boasted. "They know that we can create some problems. There is the same desire as 2006. We are at the level of Spain."
Italy will draw a modicum of confidence from the fact it has never lost to Germany at a major tournament (3-0-4), but Pirlo will not be able to win the game alone. While England's footballing vocabulary extended little beyond tackling and turnovers, this German side is ambitious in possession. As in the Croatia game, Pirlo will see a lot less of the ball against a team that has aggressive intent of its own.
It is not only their opponents who will cause the Italians problems. Masked by the giddy joy of a penalty shootout victory was a night of hazardously shoddy Italian shooting. Antonio Cassano appeared oddly lumpen and disinterested. Mario Balotelli, while powerful and present, was wildly profligate. Italy has fired off a tournament-leading 87 shots, 50 of which have been on target, yet has only scored four times, a 4.6 percent conversion rate that ranks dead-last of the four teams still alive. Pirlo, at his best, enhances and enables his strikers' capacity to score. As of yet, he has not found out a way to pass to himself.
In football terms, Pirlo is an old man with aging legs that have a tendency to tire. But as he trots onto the field at Warsaw's National Stadium, he will well remember the last time he faced the Germans in a semifinal at the 2006 World Cup.
Then as now, Italian football had been stained by a widespread match-fixing scandal, and few favored the Italian challenge. But after 119 minutes of absorbing football, the ball fell to Pirlo on the edge of the German area. Four Germans charged out to shut him down. Most players would have fired off a snapshot. Not Pirlo. Counterintuitively, he elected to creep sideways away from the goal, luring the defenders out of position before threading a no-look pass into the open space behind them. The unmarked Fabio Grosso latched onto the ball and lashed it home.
Cue scenes of delirious goal-scoring celebrations that can only truly be achieved by the Italians in victory

Germany vs Italy.Another mouth watering match

     With the competition on its final stages its clearly it saved the best to last. Today's game is a battle of the giants with the winner booking a place to meet Spain in the final game on Sunday. Germany is the only team in the competition that has won all the games doing so while playing a very attractive football. Germany has one of the teams that is complete in all areas. Good defense, strong midfielders and deadly strikers that will make sure Buffon will have a busy day at the office. Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose have proved time and again they know where the goal is, its almost a guarantee that one of them will find the net.

    On the other hand, Italians are no push overs. The team is full of talented players and characters. Andrea Pirlo in the mid field will be full of confidence after scoring a marvelous penalty kick against England in the quarter finals. The Italian defense has been playing very well but as usual the eyes of all soccer fans are gonna be on Mario Balotelli and for the right reasons. At his best Balotelli could be the difference on the attacks. There is no secret he is supper talented and an ass. He is one of the player who can give everything or give nothing,rarely there is in between.
    
    Even though the game has the potential to be the best so far, I don't relay fancy an Italian win. I think Germans are too strong for them to handle I can already see the final of Spain vs German with German winning it all.

Germany Vs Italy.Nani kuibuka kidedea?

Hay wandugu wakati tunasubiria lwa hamu mtanange wa leo swali ninalouliza ni nani atasonga mbele nani atafunga virago? nakaribisha maoni yenu.

Headline:Ronaldo,just the way he likes it.

Cristiano Ronaldo was partly responsible for the flawed penalty strategy that saw Portugal eliminated from the Euro 2012 semifinals before he had a chance to be the hero, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Within moments of Portugal losing its semifinal to Spain 4-2 on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw, head coach Paulo Bento claimed responsibility for the decision to put Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of the two best players in the world, fifth in the kicking order.
That strategy was designed to ensure that the 27-year-old could clinch victory, but it backfired spectacularly when Spain won before Ronaldo even had a chance to take his turn.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates are dejected after Spain won 4-2 on penalties. (AFP)The Real Madrid superstar was left stunned after Cesc Fabregas rolled in the winning kick to send Spain to within one victory of an unprecedented third straight major tournament trophy.
"I feel sad," Ronaldo said. "Losing a semifinal in a penalty shootout is always painful, but it is a lottery, the luckier team wins. The decision on who to shoot the fifth penalty was unanimous."
However, he must take his share of the blame for the decision to place himself fifth and being left a bystander in the shootout.
Despite some confusion among fans when Ronaldo appeared to shake his head when the order was handed to match officials just moments before the penalty drama, Yahoo! Sports has learned that the decision was not the coach's alone. Prior to the tournament, Bento sat down with his assistant coaches to discuss a wide range of matters, including logistics, training schedules, and the preferred penalty order if the team was involved in a shootout during the knockout stages.
[Also: Mario Balotelli asked to take first penalty, doesn’t like sports drinks]

Ronaldo, as captain, was the only player consulted, and, according to a well-placed source, voiced his preference for taking the fifth kick.
"This was not a choice that was [Bento's] and his alone," said the source prior to the semifinal. "Cristiano has an important role and his opinion is listened to in detail. It was one of many things discussed, that he should take the final penalty."
Ronaldo has enjoyed previous success from that position, taking the kick that sent Portugal into the semifinal of the 2006 World Cup at the expense of England, and scoring comfortably.
He has some dark recent memories of shooting in an earlier slot, missing from the spot in Real Madrid's Champions League semifinal defeat to Bayern Munich while going first.
If not for that experience, he may have opted to go first against Spain, the place that would be expected of a player as important to his team as Ronaldo.
Elimination means another major tournament has gone by without Ronaldo getting his hands on any hardware and his frustration was all too evident after the game. Victory at Euro 2012 would have almost certainly guaranteed him the Ballon d'Or award, given to the world's best player, a tribute that may now be handed to his rival Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina.
[Photos: Spain beats Portugal on penalty kicks]
Ronaldo put together a solid performance during regulation, especially in a first half that Portugal dominated. However, with just one minute left in regulation, he horribly sliced an attempt on goal that would have put his team into Sunday's final – an error that will only add weight to the theory that he struggles to deliver when it counts.
It was not Ronaldo's fault that this turned out to be a desperately disappointing game. That fact, lamentably, was caused by Spain's ultra-cautious approach, despite boasting a squad containing far more overall talent.
The extra-time period offered some more entertainment, but regulation was uninspiring. However effective Spain coach Vicente del Bosque feels his policy of not playing Fernando Torres is, it certainly takes something away from the spectacle of the game.
But it is hard to argue with success, and having booked a place in the final, Spain is where 13 already-eliminated teams, plus Thursday's semifinalists Germany and Italy, would love to be.
Perhaps Spain is not attaining the same levels it was in 2008 or 2010, but equally, achieving results without reaching peak performance might just be the ultimate sign of its greatness.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has some weeks of regret ahead before the club season gets underway.

Texas ‘stand your ground’ shooter headed to prison

  A Texas man convicted of shooting and killing his unarmed neighbor during a dispute over loud music received a 40-year prison sentence on Wednesday.

Raul Rodriguez, 47, faced a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison.  He claimed he shot schoolteacher Kelly Danaher in self-defense under Texas' version of the "stand your ground" law.

  But prosecutors argued Rodriguez provoked the incident by confronting Danaher, 36, and his friends with a handgun and demanding they quiet down at a late-night birthday party in May 2010.

The Houston case captured more attention in the wake of Trayvon Martin's death in Florida. There, George Zimmerman says he was being attacked and cited the state's "stand your ground" law after shooting the unarmed teen. But prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder.

Two dozen states reportedly now allow citizens to stand their ground even outside their home. The specifics vary by state, but generally justify a person not retreating and using deadly force when a threat is perceived.

  As in Florida, Texas law includes public areas, "if a person has a right to be present at a location where force is used."
But veteran attorney Andy Drumheller told Yahoo News that the Houston jury appeared to draw a line with Rodriguez leaving his home and going down the street.

"The law is not designed to create this bubble that you can carry with you everywhere you go," said Drumheller, a former prosecutor now practicing criminal defense in Houston. "The jury's verdict is a cautionary statement on the limits of this defense."

The Rodriguez case is also unique because the former firefighter was recording video during much of the ordeal.

  Rodriguez, who had been calling police about the loud party, dialed 911 again as both sides shouted at each other near Danaher's dark driveway.

"Tell you what, pal, you just pulled a gun on the wrong [expletive], OK?" one of the partygoers is heard telling Rodriguez on the home video.

  Seconds later the partygoer warns, "When I go in that house and I come back, don't think I won't be equal to you, baby."

  Rodriguez, who told police he suspected the men were drunk, tells the 911 operator that he's scared and will defend himself, if needed.

  "I don't want to do this, and it all started over them playing their music real loud … it's about to get out of hand, Sir. Please help me. "

  Seconds later, he says, "I'm standing my ground here, now these people are going to try and kill me."

   The video is dark when Danaher and two other men apparently lunged toward him, laughing loudly. Rodriguez fired his gun, killing Danaher and injuring two others.

  In lobbying jurors for a lenient sentence, defense attorney Bill Stradley blamed the tragedy on his client's misunderstanding of the state's "stand your ground" law. Something he predicts will happen with other Texas gun owners in the future.

"And they will find themselves, like Raul Rodriguez, charged with murder," said Stradley, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"Raul believed he had a right to be where he was. But he had two seconds to make that call, to pull that trigger."

By Jason Sickles

Ronaldo send Portugal packing

Before the game the talk was if Christiano Ronaldo was gonna be the difference maker in the game? Well he was, only the he was the negative difference for his side. What kinda star won't take the opportunity to rescue his team? Why didn't he take the penalty kick and rather let a defender do it? The answer is simple,personal glory. Ronaldo plays for the headlines. He had already started dreaming of the headlines if he were to take the last penalty kick and win for Portugal. It was all so selfish and typical Ronaldo. He will make the headlines alright, only that he will the villain and not the hero.

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Spain Vs Portugal.Is Spain boaring or just too good?

  This may have been a Euro 2012 quarterfinal in which the score was an apparently close 1-0, but no sooner had the second half kicked off than the air felt like it had been sucked out of Donetsk’s Donbass Arena.
As the Spaniards arced around the field tappity-tapping passes into crevices of space, even their own fans went silent as if a group decision had been made to save their voices for Wednesday’s semifinal against Portugal. Groggy Ukrainian spectators who had fallen into a stupor could not even muster a token Mexican wave. For long spells, all that could be heard were the shouts of the players calling for the ball as if this wasn’t a Euro elimination match featuring the defending champion but a half-hearted training game.

Spain and Xavi swarm defenders like angry wasps. But is their domination good for international soccer?© Yves Herman/Reuters

This may have been a Euro 2012 quarterfinal in which the score was an apparently close 1-0, but no sooner had the second half kicked off than the air felt like it had been sucked out of Donetsk’s Donbass Arena.
As the Spaniards arced around the field tappity-tapping passes into crevices of space, even their own fans went silent as if a group decision had been made to save their voices for Wednesday’s semifinal against Portugal. Groggy Ukrainian spectators who had fallen into a stupor could not even muster a token Mexican wave. For long spells, all that could be heard were the shouts of the players calling for the ball as if this wasn’t a Euro elimination match featuring the defending champion but a half-hearted training game.
Spain’s eventual 2-0 victory, in which it smothered a craven France, triggered a Twitter meme in which the spectacle of watching the combined talents of Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets was deemed officially boring. The messages could be boiled down to this: For the love of God, this Spanish side must be stopped before they kill the game we cherish with their gluttonous possession, chaffing passes and irritating movement.
Admittedly, Spain manager Vincente Del Bosque's side has not scored as often as it would have liked because of the absence of David Villa. La Roja's tactical flip-flopping between midfielder Cesc Fabregas and striker Fernando Torres has become a subplot that, while theatrical, is yet to provide resolution. But is Spain now so dominant to have entered the ethereal territory once populated only by the Brazilians, which forced that team's one-time coach Carlos Parreira to ask: "Why do Brazil have to play beautifully and the others don't?”
How did this happen?  At Euro 2012, Spain has won three games and drawn one, topping almost every statistical chart in the process. Is it boredom, or is it overexposure?
How many times can we watch a taciturn Del Bosque shake the hand of his vanquished opposite number after a low-scoring victory before it begins to feel like listening to a favorite song on repeat until the chorus and verses that once moved you start to sound grating. (Just how grating? The Germans have become the favored team for all of Spain's neutral haters.)
Is it boredom, or is it other teams' powerlessness in the face of their mesmerizing threat?  French coach Laurent Blanc complained ahead of Sunday's quarterfinal.
"The problem with Spain is that they average 65 to 70 percent of possession," Blanc said. "So you're left with a third of possession. But for 70 percent of the game, you have to adapt to Spain because they have the ball and you don't.”
It was a revealing comment that foreshadowed his team's willful impotence that would allow Spain to dictate the flow of the game.
Is it really Spain's fault…?
…or merely a testament to their greatness that opponent after opponent abandons their most natural style of play, electing to undergo an extreme tactical makeover shortly before kickoff?  In the group stage, France had been a possession-craving, pass-slinging side.  Enter the quarterfinal, and the French attempted to retract into a protective shell that did not exist by doubling down on right backs to protect the very flank Spain sliced open to score the opening goal within just 19 minutes. A product of the panic caused by the prospect of playing Spain which edged La Roja toward victory before they took the field.
Or is it merely a reaction to the lack of tension?

Can Ronaldo and Portugal disrupt Spain's exquisite ball possession?© Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Spain is attempting to become the first team to defend the Euro championship. The side managed to make time to win a World Cup in between this feat.  Their hallmark is the ability to score, and then prevent opponents from equalizing by cutting off their access to the ball -- the use of possession as a defensive measure instead of an attacking one.  To do this requires an inimitable technical control and collective sense of understanding, none of which could be qualified as boring.  Rather it is the predictability of victory that has become anticlimactic. Their mastery guarantees the end result, stripping any game they play of the soap-opera writ-live quality that thickens viewers' blood.
One connected note: the lack of tension even exists when Spain plays and the score stays tied deep into the game. Spain often scores late. Jesus Navas blasted the ball home against Croatia in the 88th minute. Xabi Alonso converted a penalty to sew up the French game in the 91st minute. This is not luck. It's more a symbol of how mentally and physically exhausting it is for opponents to play Spain for an entire 90 minutes.
The chances of Spain sportingly setting aside its unique abilities, and offering to play its opponents in any atavistic style they choose -- be it long ball or anti-football -- is unlikely, so those who are bored will have to wait for Spain's defeat.  Can it happen?
Croatia has come closest recently by attempting to bully the bully, fielding two fluid holding midfielders and using the talents of Luka Modric to tie up Spanish resources in their own half.
Portugal, Spain's semifinal opponent, may be the team to knock Spain off its perch.  The Portuguese have enjoyed the benefit of an extra day's rest and will send João Moutinho to silently craft danger, and have the uber-potent Ronaldo running at Spain's defensive weak link, Alvaro Arbeloa, like a young gazelle. But even if the Portuguese don't win, remember this: you will most probably never see another international team like Spain in your lifetime. Witnessing Xavi, Iniesta and David Silva descend upon more physically-gifted defenders like angry wasps can offer a vicarious thrill. It's illusory, perhaps, but no less powerful.  Every angled pass they tuck behind tormented opponents can appear like a triumph for the everyman.
So sit back, relax and stop your moaning.

By Roger Bennett

Can Ronaldo be the difference between the two teams?

Cristiano Ronaldo is having his best international tournament yet.© Boris Streubel/Getty Images

One of the things I have most enjoyed about watching Euro 2012 games broadcast live on Ukrainian television is that whenever the commentator mentions Cristiano Ronaldo, he often tags three puckered air kisses onto his name. Although I doubt Sir Ian Darke would add this commentating piece of genius into his oeuvre, the gimmick perfectly captures the central tension of the Portuguese star's career to date: the battle for superiority between his undeniable skill and peerless ego.  Seeing him play is like watching another human being's mind and body engage in "Mortal Kombat."
Ronaldo's pre-tournament narrative revolved around his apparent inability to perform at the international level.  Although he had managed to pelt a century of goals faster than any player in Real Madrid's history, a Portuguese jersey appeared to strangle his skills. The world's most expensive club player had netted only one goal in his last three international tournaments, a storyline that reveled in the classic dramatic conflict of “hubris” (arrogance) and “nemesis” (downfall).
At Euro 2012, the Portuguese captain has flipped the script. After a wobbly start, he has delivered a pair of performances so awe-inspiring, they have made his arrogance seem like self-confidence by grounding it in fact.  The tournament's joint top scorer, he has notched the winning goal in two consecutive matches to lead Portugal into Wednesday's semifinals against Spain. All while managing to hit the woodwork five times, more than any other player in history.
The pouting Ronaldo has become potent.  Restated by coach Paulo Bento to his favored position on the left flank, he has become the most menacing individual performer at Euro 2012, able to torment opponents with both his feet and his head. His free kicks have become such must-see television that they almost deserve their own spinoff show.
Few would have predicted this after Portugal's opening game: a 1-0 loss to Germany in which Ronaldo was lost to the periphery, managing only 38 touches, 10th-most on the team. Whether this was due to his teammates' inability to service him or that Ronaldo seemed determined to spend most of the game with hands on hips, shaking his head with frustration, remains unclear. At the final whistle, he departed the field with abnormal haste, causing journalists to type the words "preening" and "show pony" in each of the world's alphabets.

Against Denmark, Ronaldo couldn't find the mark.© DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/GettyImages

It would get worse. Portugal fought out a 3-2 victory against the Danes thanks to an 87th-minute strike by unheralded substitute Silvestre Varela, but Ronaldo's performance was clumsy. The Real Madrid superstar certainly found more space and ability to influence the game by vacating his wing and drifting into the center, running at the Danish defense like a windup toy, but his finishing was wayward. Three times he ran in on his opponent's goal, and three times the ball was scuffed or mis-hit, as Danish fans goaded him gleefully by chanting Lionel Messi's name from the stands.
There is a classic soccer cliché star players tend to employ in postgame television interviews when they have scored a winner, in which they earnestly tell the camera: “My goal wasn't important; what really mattered was that the team won three points.”
As he dragged himself off the field surrounded by jubilant teammates, Ronaldo's countenance suggested he had the opposite thought in mind.

After the game, the icon snapped at waiting reporters.
"Do you know what [Lionel] Messi was doing this time last year? He was going out of the Copa America in the quarterfinals," Ronaldo said.
It was an emotionally revealing statement referring to his archrival's similar challenges at the international level. In the past six seasons, Ronaldo has scored 237 goals in 299 games, a record that would be superlative if Messi had not rolled home 244 in 295 games. Even when the tiny Argentine was absent at the Euros, his specter hung over Ronaldo's head.
Those who tuned in to Portugal's final group game with the same motivation people employ when attending a public execution were to be sorely disappointed. Although the Netherlands went ahead early through Rafael van der Vaart, this was to be Ronaldo's night. One lashed drive against the post was to be his naysayers' last delight because in the 28th minute, the Portuguese striker calibrated his scoring touch and turned his tournament around.

Against the Dutch, Ronaldo turned around his tournament ... and his reputation.© Yves Herman/Reuters

A flashing, diagonal drive was well-spotted by teammate Joao Pereira, whose perfectly angled pass bisected four Dutch defenders. Ronaldo picked up the ball in stride and lashed it past Maarten Stekelenburg into the Dutch goal. It was only his sixth goal for Portugal on his 102nd shot.
More was to come. Nani spotted his charging captain on a counterattack and slid the ball invitingly toward him. But Ronaldo decided to score when he was good and ready, electing to humiliate tumbling defender Gregory van der Wiel by cutting inside him and then rifling home the winner.
Portugal emerged out of the Group of Death with all its limbs intact, and Ronaldo's vanity seemed like swagger. The Portuguese media hailed his performance as the best he had delivered in a national jersey, but it was just a trailer for the game that was to come.
In the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic, Ronaldo's performance was a virtuoso display of skill, desire and aggression. Running at the desperate Czechs all night long, he conjured 33 attacking-third touches, dispatching eight shots at goal and hitting the post twice before propelling a technically delightful downward header home from the far post. Between every pass, shot and tackle, the star stared up into the sky and addressed the heavens as if continuing an ongoing dialogue with God in game.
Despite the defining nature of Ronaldo's individual performances, his coach has been eager to maintain an emphasis on the collective. In the aftermath of the Dutch victory, he refused to single out his star.
“Right now, above all else," Bento said. "We're happy and proud of what we've done as a team.”
Ronaldo's accompanying cast has certainly performed with increasing cohesion. João Moutinho has silently crafted danger in the midfield: Nani, prowling the flanks, is very much the Scottie Pippen to his captain's Michael Jordan; Fábio Coentrão has caught the eye at left back; and just the thought of Pepe sends upcoming opponents scurrying to reinforce their shin pads.
But in the run-up to the semifinal, Ronaldo will fill Spain's waking house. While the defending champions undoubtedly will devour the majority of possession, coach Vicente Del Bosque was clear.
"They [Portugal] don't need a lot of play because on a counterattack, they can send a long ball to Ronaldo," Del Bosque said. "It's obvious that Cristiano is unique. There is nobody like him."
Del Bosque will throw one Real Madrid clubmate after another at Ronaldo in an effort to throttle him, including Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and the last line of defense, Iker Casillas. But if Spain has a weak link, it is right back Álvaro Arbeloa, and the prospect of the Portuguese star driving at him for 90 minutes suggests he may yet produce one more of Euro 2012's defining moments.
If he does, the world may finally admire Ronaldo even more than he does himself.
By Roger Bennet.
Roger Bennett is a contributing writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @rogbennet

Rodgers targets winning formula

By ESPN staff
Brendan Rodgers has said success is more important than style as he looks ahead to his first season in charge of Liverpool.

PA PhotosWe'll be in the business of winning, says Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers and his Swansea side won widespread acclaim for their passing game last season, finishing 11th in the Premier League after being promoted in the play-offs.
The Northern Irishman, who made the switch to Anfield in May, said his new club would be "in the business of winning - but hopefully we can entertain along the way."
"The way I want to play here is the Liverpool way," he told Liverpool's official website. "The history and tradition of this club has been about offensive football, attacking football - but always with discipline.
"The game will be based around what Liverpool are about, which is control, dominating games with the ball, working very hard when you haven't got the ball and keeping the game as simple as possible.
"Of course I'll bring in a certain philosophy which I'm attached to, but the principles of your game are based around the players.
"For me, the best thing about the game - other than scoring goals - is having the football, and that'll be the idea and the fundamentals we'll work on, but they are playing ultimately to win."
The 39-year-old stressed: "It doesn't matter if it's tiki-taka football or possession football - the supporters, and all of us, want winning football. That's what the philosophy will be about."
Meanwhile, Alberto Aquilani's agent has said Rodgers will decide whether the Italian midfielder has a future at Anfield.
Aquilani, who is under contract until 2014, spent last season on loan at AC Milan after failing to break in to the first team picture on Merseyside.
Franco Zavaglia told the Italian station Radio Mana Mana: "The new Liverpool coach will decide Alberto's fate. We will have to wait and see what he thinks about the player and whether Alberto will be of any use to the Reds.
"He would be happy to stay at Liverpool if he was given the right opportunities."
Aquilani, 27, joined Liverpool from Roma for £20 million in 2009.

England VS Italy.Clash of the keepers

Joe Hart and Gigi Buffon are among the world's best keepers. © AP Photo

      The prospect of England’s quarterfinal with Italy conjures some tantalizing tussles: the heroic Scott Parker attempting to smother the cultured Andrea Pirlo; Steven Gerrard battling Daniele De Rossi in a clash the Italian papers are calling “Operazione Gerrard -- 007;” and Wayne Rooney and Mario Balotelli being rigorously analyzed for their match-changing dynamism and mental stability.
One of the match-ups that will be most fascinating to watch will be the Clash of the Keepers: 25-year-old Joe Hart and 34-year-old Gigi Buffon, who along with Spain’s Iker Casillas and Germany’s Manuel Neuer are considered to be among Euro 2012’s finest.
     Manchester City’s Hart exudes a natural confidence and leadership that makes it easy to forget Euro 2012 is his first international tournament. No other goalkeeper outstripped the 14 saves he executed in the group stage, thanks to his peerless handspeed.

     The English media lionize Hart as if he is made of 40 percent confidence, 60 percent Kevlar. It is a reflection of their gratitude for his restoration of the proud tradition of English goalkeepers such as Gordon Banks, Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton -- a tradition that had been chipped away in recent years as Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and Robert Green wilted in the international spotlight, rattling off  one calamitous howler after another.

     Hart’s strength is his fearlessness, and he has risen to the challenge of tournament play with relish, displaying a refreshing positivity and maturity of a man twice his age. “If you can't enjoy this, playing for your country against a massive nation in a quarterfinal, you've got problems,” Hart declared. “Embrace it, be confident. These are memories for life.”

  At the other end of the field is the iconic veteran Gianluigi Buffon, a man whose renowned reflex shot-stopping, bravery and perpetual panache have won him 117 caps and the team captaincy.
Perhaps the ultimate symbol of Hart’s confidence is that when asked by journalists about the prospect of England’s traditional poisoned chalice, the penalty shootout, he sounds almost eager to participate -- both in front of the ball as keeper, and behind it as one of the shooter

“I'd definitely put my name forward to be one of the five takers,” Hart said. “I practice putting them in all parts of the goal, and it wouldn't be a random blast if I took one.”

Hart is not alone in savoring the Russian roulette of the shootout. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta of the London School of Economics once studied the game theory of star players and discovered that Buffon, along with Zinedine Zidane, was one of the few players  whose strategy at the shootout was perfectly unpredictable and impervious to game theory.


   If the game does go to penalty kicks, it would feature another clash, pitting two of the world’s worst shootout teams in masochistic competition.  England has won only once in six attempts; Italy’s record of two wins in seven shootouts is barely better.
This could get interesting.
By 

Roger Bennett

Didier could be China's 'Drog-god'

The ball sat on the penalty spot at Tokyo National Stadium waiting for the boot of Kazuyoshi Miura. It, and the 60,000 fans witnessing the J-League's first ever championship play-off final in January 1994, was in for quite a shock. Zico walked up, bent down and, furious at the decision which would give Verdy Kawasaki the title instead of his own Kashima Antlers, spat on the stationary sphere.

GettyImagesDidier Drogba is a global superstar

The Brazilian was sent off for his actions but it didn't stop there. "It was if he had spat at the J-League itself," said league chairman Saburo Kawabuchi but the White Pele was no mercenary on the take. His passion, professionalism and, yes, even his phlegm, helped to change Japanese football for good.
Zico's pride and high standards as a player were infectious. If those Japanese pioneers of professionalism didn't catch it just by being around him, they received a direct dose. He stayed up with players the night before games to make sure there was no drinking, he shouted at the sight of muddy boots, insisted on time spent with fans to sign autographs, despaired of anyone caught laughing after a defeat, spent more time on the training ground than anyone else, and basically helped to instil a winning attitude in Kashima that stood the team in good stead for years. Zico didn't come cheap - he was one of the best players ever after all - but he was worth every yen.
China is still waiting for its Zico. Nicolas Anelka isn't the man, how could he be when, according to officials at Shanghai Shenhua, it is written into his contract that he doesn't have to do interviews? He could have been in the faces of 23 million inhabitants of the intoxicating city - exhorting, persuading and pleading with them to visit a stadium that is usually no more than half-full at best.
There is another now. Didier Drogba is a bigger star and still fresh after helping Chelsea to the European title. The setting up of a foundation that bears his name and aims to make a difference in the healthcare and education of disadvantaged African children, suggests that he could be interested in helping Chinese football off the pitch. One would hope so because otherwise, he is going to be a waste of money.
In strict football terms, he will be. When it comes to playing for Shenhua, he is not going to be able to repay the massive amounts invested - even if he does terrorise Chinese Super League defences and help the club to the title. That is unlikely however as with the season approaching the halfway stage, Shanghai are just three points above the relegation zone with a paltry nine goals from 13 games. It has been a crazy six months. Jean Tigana left after less than two months as head coach. More confusion than usual reigned for a while before Sergio Batista took over. Anelka has had little effect, though given the surrounding chaos; he can't really be blamed for that.
Shanghai is one of the fastest-moving cities in the world. It likes stars, glamour and whatever is the next big thing. It is not a football city. If Drogba can help change that situation, then the money would have been well-spent. It won't be easy. There is excitement at his arrival but, by itself, it will not last long.
Even with three months of hype after the Anelka signing, the first game of the season at Shanghai attracted 17,000 fans. Drogba will help draw crowds in Shanghai for a while and all over China for longer. He will raise the profile of the league higher and add to the general excitement. Just being there and playing football will, in the long-run, change little.

GettyImagesZico coached Japan at the 2006 World Cup finals

It would be asking too much of one man, however famous and talented, to do that by himself but if the biggest star now playing in Asia can do his bit off the pitch, a little like Zico did, and really get involved in Chinese football, then it would be a start. One of the biggest complaints that local fans have about their domestic players is a lack of professionalism, the suspicion that once players make the breakthrough into the game and start getting paid, too many seem to feel that the hard work is done.
Drogba can certainly help - bringing a true winning spirit and everything that entails to Shanghai and maybe elsewhere would be welcome. He could also get busy in Shanghai. Serious efforts to promote the club around the city would make a difference. After all, around 22.85 million of locals don't go to games.
The situation is a little harder in China than it was in Japan 20 years ago. By the time the J-League got going in 1993, the country was already reorganising its youth system with a long-term vision in mind. Zico, as well as Dunga and Dragan Stojkovic, were giving a push to a league that was already heading in the right direction.
It is an easy point to make, but still bears repeating that all these millions being spent on players in China would make a huge difference if they were directed at the opposite end of the football pyramid. One of the companies throwing money around is Wanda. It also sponsors the Chinese FA and offered $77 million for youth coaching last year but still, it was all about taking the best youth players that do come through the system, such as it is, and making them better.
It doesn't change the system itself. It doesn't really go any of the way to changing the fact that there are less than 10,000 registered Under-10 players in China while Japan has over 300,000. It is no surprise that the Chinese are increasingly looking to Japan when it comes to football - not always an easy thing to admit.
The J-league didn't come cheap and there was significant investment in the whole structure at all levels but there was a goal in mind. In China at the moment, that clarity is lacking. This money being spent is not about fundamentally changing Chinese football but about bringing stars and excitement. With the government getting serious about the game - as the ten year prison sentences handed out to two former CFA chiefs this week for accepting bribes shows - and with Xi Jinping, the next president, a football fan, big business is currying favour with politicians all over the country.
Even if Drogba lived up to his nickname in parts of Asia of 'Drog-god', there would not be much he could do about all that. Nobody is asking him to single-handedly change the fortunes of Chinese football but, more than any other player in the country, he is in a real position to do something positive. He doesn't have to start spitting on balls but if he can do his best to make Shanghai a football city and seriously promote the Chinese Super League to the Chinese people, that would be a massive start.
 By John Duerden

Spain vs France.goodbye france

Two goals from Alonso are enough to see off France and to make a date for one dream semi final against Portugal. After a genuine game in the first half the French team came back with a really disappointing game in the second half. The team gave up before the game was over and they provided no threat to there opposition. Will Spain be the first ever nation to defend their Euro title?lets wait and see

EURO 2012. finally a game worth watching.

 Today's quarter finals match will be the first game in the last eight that feature teams that will be hard to pick apart. The previous two games in the last eight were more of joke than anything, the gaping class between the opponents were vast and the winners had to just show up to the pitch to win the game. I mean lets be honest there was no way Greece was gonna beat Germany, may be in their sleep.

   France playing Spain today will be a different story. Spain has struggled to produce the last touch to go with their lion share of possession of the ball. Spanish game is all about control of the game so France will be expected to defend for most of the game  but there is a catch. Spain lack speed while the french got a lot of it and they can capitalize on counter attack than any other team in the tournament. Samir Nasri has been outstanding for France in the midfield and I can see him causing a lot of trouble to Spain. This game has all the recipe for being a great game, such a mouth watering encounter.

I can't wait for the game to begin.

Germans demolition job

The long awaited game is not over but the score board suggests its over for the Greece and quite right reflects the game on the pitch. One of the berry happy people on the stand is the German chancellor miss Merkel. It was always expected for deutsche to win, and now they turned the game to a demolition job
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Euro 2012.Greece vs Germany

It's another day of the EUROs quarter finals,with a big game to come. Will the Germans kick Greece out of the Euro? That is the question of the day. In the football pitch the answer is yes but in the political sense who knows? I am sure the Greeks will come out fighting. There is the issue of pride on the line. With the Greek people continuing to see Germans as the enemy the game will have a big impact away from the pitch. I just can't imagine how the streets of Athens will be like if the Greeks are to win today
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Its Ronaldo

No I am not excited saying that but I have to. The game was excellent even though it lacked goals, I was expecting more than one goal. There is no doubt the Portuguese played better and they deserved a win. I think the semi finals will be better with them in it. Now I can't wait for tomorrows game. This one game in the tournament that is played in more one aspect. Is it really as big of a sign as is being branded,let's wait and see

Portugal Vs Czech

As I m getting ready for the quarter final first game I can't help to wonder what's gonna be like. Portugal came out firing in cylinders in there last game out. They were just too good for the Dutch. Ronaldo was on fire(I still hate his personality but I do recognise his ability as a player). On the other hand the Czech have been consistent and a joy to watch. They play like a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain. I sure hope this game will keep me on the edge of my seat and as neutral as I wanna be on this I can't help but to dream Czech.

No EURO's..No problem

I have spent my last couple of weeks afternoons in front of television watching the euros. Since there no games played today I took my afternoon to the missouri river. It was no where near fun with the temperatures in the nineties. To.make it worse I didn't catch anything to show for. Sweaty and tired and I am ready to retreat to my air conditioned cave. For more picture go to http://celliphoto.blogspot.com/

Euro 2012. the Neverlands

I haven't been commenting in here everyday on what's going in the euro's but that doesn't mean I haven't been following the games. I was just trying to find my voice after poor showing of my favorite teams. Starting with the team that I always root for, the Netherlands,what a disappointment? I just can't believe how poor this team is.As to why this country cant perform in international competitions after putting up an amazing qualification run time and again is mind blowing. The Dutch are always among the favorites to win it all in all the competitions they enter, and since they have only won once in there history then it goes without saying that Netherlands national soccer team is the most disappointing team in the world. Totally crap. Then there is Spain, I know the passing game is beautiful to the eyes but without goals to show for it means nothing. When the first team selection has no strikers it send one simple message, we want to control the game and probably we gonna get a goal but its not what we are here for. The Spanish game yesterday was not good enough. Yes they are through to quarter finals but I can't really see them defending there title. I was really hoping to see Denmark progress but its a part of the game. I can see the Germans win it all this year they have a team that doesn't fool around and the Portuguese will be a force to be reckoned with.

Russia fans

I would like to welcome the Russians fans in my crap list thanks to there terrible display of behavior they showed on their first game.Thankfully Uefa is not keeping up with crap this year,hopefully something comes out of the investigation on racial abuse and the beating of the stewardess. I guess Russians never got the memo that this is called the beautiful game.

Balotteli

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I think one of the hardest thing to figure out about this man is if he is a victim or he just get victimised. It is something I don't think even he knows the answer. I still think he is a fantastic player but a terrible person that makes it easier for his personality overshadow his talent. The referees don't always get it right with him so I do have a little sympathy on him.Sadly he will be dominating the news when people look back at the Spain Vs Italy game.

att sucks

I can't say how much i was looking forward to the starting of EURO 2012 but to my disappointment when the time came I had no cable service.What do i.mean by that?well my cable TV provider att had hiccups so i missed the first game. I did try to call them but after an hour and half without a clear solution i gave up. I feel like i am entitled for a refund for the whole freakin day. All I wanted was some of this

Yes just some soccer so I can be like like this Thank you so much ATT and welcome to my crap list

Euro 2012

Today is the beginning of Euro 2012 championship and the crap list will be following events closely. With tensions building up over the question of racism by the host nations and the abuse already suffered by the Dutch player I hope UEFA will put a tight grip over the situation so we can all enjoy the beautiful game.
Since its Friday lets see who is in the crap list.
From Top down
#1. Is president Assad and the Syrian regime. It's not a surprise to anyone after another massacre this week you should number one on everyone crap list.

#2. Israel protesters against Black immigrants, for people who know how it feel to be prosecuted because of your race it's sad to see the use of violence against others on the same bases

#3. That stupid Canadian porn star killer, I really wonder if he is mentally sick or just tired of being an unknown bustered.

#4. I would like to welcome Boko Haram to my crap list, judging from how busy you have been killing Christians in Nigeria this year you are in my list to stay.

#5. los Zetas cartel. for obvious reasons.

closing the week

Its friday, the week is over. This was a verry sad week for the people of Syria. The massacre of children,women and the elderly is an called for. It is also sad knowing there stupid contries still supporting Assad regime and still trade wepons with him. After saying that it goes without saying the number one in my crap list is Assad,and the Syrian government.number 2 will be Russian government.I guess when they have to stand by another oppressive government. numbe 3 will China for the same reason. number 4 goes to Israel for the violence against black immigrants.