Euro2012 - Final: Spain defend their title in Style!

It is the final of the 2012 European Championships with defending champions Spain taking on Italy at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine; which was also the opening Group C match on June 10 when the match had ended in a one-all draw. Spain had overcome Portugal in a penalty shootout, while Italy had beaten Germany in the semifinals.


FINAL

Spain 4-0 (2-0) Italy
Goals: 1-0 David Silva (14'), 2-0 Jordi Alba (41'), 3-0 Fernando Torres (84'), 4-0 Juan Mata (88')

The old and new champions of Europe are Spain! Spain demolished Italy 4-0 to lift the Euro Cup for the third time. The Spaniards never ever really left a doubt in the final that they are the best side in Europe as Italy could never perform to the level as they did especially against Germany in the semifinals.

Spains combining tiki-taka football was at its best tonight as Italy were simpyl not able to stop the Spanish armada. Spain took the lead in the 14th minute through a lovely combination. Andres Iniesta found Cesc Fabregas free on the right just outside the box, he beats Giorgio Chiellini to the byeline and cuts back a perfect cross to allow David Silva to head in the lead. Italy tried to get back into the game, but Spain just didn't allow them and doubled their lead in the 41st minute when left-back Jordi Alba scored following a brilliant double pass with Xavi Hernandez.

After the break Italy came out attacking with substitute Antonio Di Natale's first touch a header just going over within the first time itself. But that was it for Italy as Spain retook the control over the match. Matters got worse for Italy when substitute Thiago Motta had to go off just four minutes after coming on for a hamstring with no substitute option left. Italy had to play for about half an hour with 10 men only and that was it for them. Spain continued their combination football and scored two late goals through substitutes Fernando Torres and his Chelsea team mate Juan Mata. First Torres scored of a Xavi pass following a Marchisio mistake through which Torres became the first player to score into Euro Cup finals. Then Busquets found Torres free to play in for Mata to finish of the 4-0 victory.


It ended 4-0 for Spain, who showed in the final what they are capable off.

Euro2012 - Final: Spain vs Italy tonight

The final of the 2012 European Championships will be held tonight between defending champions Spain and former champions Italy at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine. Interestingly this was also the opening Group C match on June 10 in which the Italians had surprised the Spaniards and had held them to a deserving draw.

But now three weeks later we are in the final and the rematch will be played under different circumstances with both teams having played four matches in-between. La Furia Roja has remained the unbeatable Spain which is still a fact, but they no longer look as invincible as in Euro2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Italian Azzuris meanwhile came into the tournament on the back of another betting scandal and nothing much was expected off them, but coach Cesare Prandelli has put together a squad of experience and young talent which has surprised many in the tournament.

Going into the final to name a favourite is difficult this time around, though Spain remain the better candidate without conceding a goal in the knockout stages since losing to France at the 2006 FIFA World Cup though Italy with their different approach to the game have gained a lot of new admirers.

Spain have the big match experience and coach Vicente del Bosque so far has done little wrong with his squad, when he did as against Portugal in the semifinals he corrected it and it did work towards in the end. Spain's problem is that their tiki-taka football for which they and FC Barcelona were praised over the last few years has become boring and tiring for the fans as they knit their passes together but don't really go for the finish playing sometimes without a real striker. Especially Xavi Hernandez had not shown what he is capable off while Andres Iniesta has at least tried and has shown glimpes of his class.

Italy meanwhile operate differently then in the past. Normally they depended on a strong defence with outstanding defenders and somehow they tried to score a goal to win by that goal. This Italian squad is different, then it does not have those calibre of defenders though having an Andrea Pirlo in midfield, who at 33 is playing like he hasn't for years with Cassano, Balotelli and di Natale causing problems to the rival defenders.

I all wish us a fitting final tonight and be this 31st and last match of Euro2012 be remembered for years...

Euro2012: Ukraine name 26 players for camp

Tournament co-hosts Ukraine have named a 26 players probable squad ahead of the 2012 European Championships. Coach Oleh Blokhin has called on a squad which went as per expected lines with former Barca wingback Dmytro Chygrynskiy a well-known omission while former superstar Andriy Shevchenko has made the squad.

The probables squad contains only two players who play abroad in midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk at German giants FC Bayern Munich and striker Andriy Voronin for FK Dinamo Moscow in Russia.

The Ukraine have been drawn in Group D along with France, England and Sweden. Their opening match in Kiev is against Sweden on June 11, then they face France in Donetsk on June 15 and in their final match in Donetsk on June 19 against England.


UKRAINE

Goalkeepers
Oleksandr Bandura (Metalurh Donetsk), Oleksandr Goryainov (Metalist Kharkiv), Maxym Koval (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Defenders
Bohdan Butko (Illychivets Mariupil), Olexandr Kucher (Shakhtar Donetsk), Vitaly Mandziuk (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Taras Mikhalik (Dynamo Kiev), Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Selin (Vorskla Poltava), Yevhen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Midfielders
Olexandr Aliyev (Dynamo Kiev), Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kiev), Oleh Gusev (Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy Nazarenko (Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan Rotan (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Taras Stepanenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (FC Bayern Munich), Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev)

Forwards
Marko Devic (Metalist Kharkiv), Artem Milevskiy (Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Voronin (FK Dinamo Moscow)