Match #31 :: The Final :: Sunday 29 June [R]

[Lusankya]

It's time to write History, again. Go Germany!
I hope for another 3:2.

[Lahmfan]

official line ups!
http://euro2008.uefa.com/tournament/matches/match=301696/mcpopup.html

[unclesox]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080629/capt.a17e9b1fa5af464cb7a26bc30568d97e.soccer_euro_2008_fans_xom109.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080629/capt.818840d3ee2e40cbba89162e552dd46f.soccer_euro_2008_fans_xpz109.jpg

http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/imgml/kits/match/301696.gif

Lehmann
Friedrich -- Mertesacker -- Metzelder -- Lahm
Frings -- Hitzlsperger
Schweinsteiger -- Ballack -- Podolski
Klose

Casillas
Sergio Ramos -- Puyol -- Marchena -- Capdevila
Senna
Iniesta -- Xavi -- Cesc -- Silva
Torres

[Juanele]

Hehe, nice try Germany with the Ballack misdirect. Who really believed he wouldn't play?

Good luck to both teams and may the best team win, and may that team be Spain :)

[Clan]

It would probably be best to have a new thread for the actual game, given the amount of posts in this one already it'll hit post count closure before half time.

[Tony Dellbird]

Will F.Torres be able to break his duck. Will he be able to beat the amazing German CB pairing of Metzelder and Mertesacker with their supreme organisation and positioning?

[superfrantheman]

does somebody has the final?

[Txtriathlete]

Will F.Torres be able to break his duck. Will he be able to beat the amazing German CB pairing of Metzelder and Mertesacker with their supreme organisation and positioning?

Yes!
If not, one of the midfielders will :)

[Cris 09]

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa221/crismerz09/Ballack2.jpg?t=1214763338

[Pit-182]

Whoho just an half hour and there will be the great game!

Spain is the best team, but Germany has more experience= everything can happen. Will Ballack play? If he is in form, he can do the difference.

[Alberto]

See my remarks in red.

No it didn't. I was alive back then so your "I'm old so you have to belive me" stick doesn't work here. It only means somthing if you also believe the Confederations Cup or the Club World Cup is important.

We disagree. there have been a number of very fine third place matches in the past. No argument from me relative to the merits or lack thereof for Confederations and World Club Championships.

Yugoslavia was a very good squad back then. You know, Red Star Belgrad won the Champions Cup in 1991? But remind me again how that inspiring squad Argentina played them in the QF... Germany's game against the Netherlands was also much more entertaining than anything Italy or Argentina did in the KO stage. As was noted in an earlier post in the knock out phase of that tournament, no one distinguished themselves.

Wow, and now you're actually making stuff up! No, there would have been penalty kicks. The time of replay games have long gone by.

Not at all. I recall they noted same during the broadcast. The same thing happen when this last came up in a world cup final, in 1978 when Argentina and Holland went to overtime. If the match had remained tied they would have a replay that Monday.

And you know what? Missing Cannigia is much less worse than missing Gascoigne in that all so important 3rd place match. But I guess bunkering for 90 minutes because one of your players is missing counts as skilled in your world.

Not at all, no question Argentina bunkered, but the fact remains that Caniggia was as vital to Argentina as Paul Gascoigne was to the English. It would have been a much better final if Cannigia would have played.

They tried a lot harder than Argentina that's for sure.

Agreed they tried much harder, but it was a borefest.

[Cris 09]

Whoho just an half hour and there will be the great game!

Spain is the best team, but Germany has more experience= everything can happen. Will Ballack play? If he is in form, he can do the difference.

Spain is the "better" team. There is no such thing as the "best" team. ;)

[Milaniac]

AHHHHH go Germany!!!

Not like 2002!

[J.C.80]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080629/capt.818840d3ee2e40cbba89162e552dd46f.soccer_euro_2008_fans_xpz109.jpg

My hero! :D

[superfrantheman]

the natl anthems are on........

[Tony Dellbird]

Yes!
If not, one of the midfielders will :)

That's it you stay positive! ;)

Hell I don't care who wins really, I just wanna see some beautiful football. Like Spain showed in the second half vs. Russia.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Enrique rocked it & how good do those Spanish women look? My my!

I'm excited!!!

[Alberto]

These are teams with contrasting styles. Spain has a bit more flair and individual creative play. They also when on their game have very good one touch and short diagonal passing. Casillas is probably the best shot stopper out there though he at times looks shaky with high balls in the area. He is also not that tall, but he makes up for it with his position and reflexes.

Germany is very organized, but they have at times looked shaky in the back. Lehman is not Kahn in his prime and the back line has given up chances and not closed down space consistently. The real question mark will be the midfield. Against Russia (and several other teams too), Spain caused Russia to turn the ball over killing attacks. It will be interesting to see if Germany are able to maintain possession and get the ball to the forwards. I think the build up for Germany will come quickly with a minimum number of passes to try and catch Spain without numbers to defend. Certainly, as we saw Germany was able in every match to make meaningful attacks on counters and from the normal build-up from the defensive to the attacking third. I also think that Podolski has been sensational. Klose has been uneven.

[superfrantheman]

Enrique rocked it & how good do those Spanish girls look? My my!

I'm excited!!!

the german girls werent bad too.......

[Alberto]

Enjoy see you at the half. Good luck to both teams.