I bet Kurt is even more upset than the Italians tonight. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

We all are I think. It's so exhaustive to watch Spain and Barcelona all these years and Kurt is right. With Milan now transformed in a bunch of mercenaries and muscles - I really can't find much good in football overall.

+1 and ze Germans seem bent on choking too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
It's incredible that Spain have scored 4 goals and hardly managed to impress. I really really like David Silva though....there was a time when Milan had more than one of these types of players.

Oh man... What a downer...

+infinity.

Even without bad luck and Prandelli's sheer stupidity (or inexperience to put it more politely), Italy would've lost. the Spanish can be boring to neutrals more often than not, but they're the strongest NT team ever (not just my opinion, it's a fact now). at this rate, they could go on to win another world cup too. tonight they played some of the most perfect football I've ever seen.

Really, there's not much to say.

Hats off to them. what I saw tonight was football perfection on their part.

This post has been edited by Zed.D: Jul 1 2012, 10:06 PM

Just proves how fixed it all is.

Apparently the guy who picks the refs for games is Spanish which is hilarious. At least that's what BBC said before the Spain-Portugal game as the Portugese were very angry with the decision.

If this truly is the case, it is quite laughable really.

The ref did a good job in this game and there was a penalty, however unintentional, should have been given to Spain. Anyways, Prandelli's inexperience really showed in this game. Keeping Balzaerti out who has had a faultless tournament so far and fielding Bonucci who has been questionable to say the least.

IMO the biggest factor in tonight's heavy loss was that Italy got over-confident after the win against Germany. They didn't walk in to this game treating Spain like they were Spain. They had attitude. And they were taught a lesson. Prandelli must take a away a lot from this game.

And finally, I think Spain played some good mind games to lure Italy into playing open attacking football. If Prandelli was more shrewd, he would have used different tactics. Oh well, this Italy reached the final of Euro 2012. Good for them. And Gongratz to all Spainish fans out there. What a winning team!

What was fixed? Don't exaggerate now. Spain didn't deserve to win because they played like crap for the whole tournament (bar the final), not due to some questionable referee mistake in a group stage game.

That decision was awful and same goes for Germany.

I didn't watch the game after 1-0 today do I can't say.

It was awful, but Croatia would not have won nevertheless. As for Germany, it was a 50/50 situation, and nobody cared the referee didn't blow the whistle for penalty, except for the Danes and you.

+1.

I don't know if anyone watched the warmups. every time the camera zoomed in on the Spanish players, they looked very serious and anxious, almost as if they were slightly terrified by something (maybe the thought of losing the opportunity to make history). whereas the Italians were mostly laughing and feeling too relaxed and (over-)confident.

10 minutes after the kickoff I knew which team was there for business.

The Croatia incident was fairly late in the game. Is it unthinkable that they could score a penalty and hold on? I don't think so.

The latter is a problem of football, nobody even seems to care anymore. It's a routine red card and penalty not given - the response "who cares?".

I firmly believe that this Spain team would have been totally dismantled by some of the former Germany, Italy and Brazil teams of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Heck even '02 Brazil looks a good contender.

But the fact that Spain could do this to another footballing heavyweight is a combination of many things:

1)Spain's determined and intelligent commitment to youth has paid off. And they appreciated ALL aspects of the game. They had the speedsters (Torres), the dribblers (Silva and Iniesta), the thinkers (Xavi) the allrounders (Fab and Busquets to an extent) and of course defenders and goal keepers

Too many times a country excels at creating one type of player and little in other positions or roles. Look at Argentina..they're always making someone who's a Maradonna lite...but in crucial positions like CB, GK, CM they generally come up short. Same goes for Portugal...zillions of CR7 clones and hardly anything else.

2) A SUPER COACH IN VDB. I cannot emphasize how great this man it. He won it all. And without the theatrics of Mourinho, Ferguson and the and other more media demanding personas in football. His low key apporach is often underestimated by many not the least the circus that is Real Madrid...but really there's no equal to TWO CL's a few La Liga's, a WORLD CUP and Consecutive European Championships

3) A system and an identity. Many nations have lost (or at least temporarily put aside their's in search of success). Spain endured a lot of humiliation in the 90's for always flattering to deceive but they stuck to their game plan and soon when the generation arrived that could execute it came along they were set.

4)Talent. Goes without saying but this point wouldn't exist if it weren't for the La Massia. Detractors will never run out of things to say but the project worked. Barca and Spain have proved this over and over again. Special mention goes out to Xavi - the REAL midifield maestro. Despite his less than perfect physique, he isn't the defensive liability that Pirlo is. Stays quiet and gets the job done. Some girly haired, overrated judas, ladri scum may seek to grab the headlines for the slightest of achievements but the REAL champions show up when it really matters. Some dare compare him with the guy that proudly wears the prison stripes but I wonder when Xavi gets too old for Barca will he huff and puff and join Real (Barca's most direct domestic rival)? Will he keep ill speaking them in the media? I guess time will tell (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

5) A TEAM. OH MY GOD THIS IS A TRUE TEAM 100% (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)
Look at the REASONS other teams/clubs have undergone difficulty and it's not only a matter of talent and tactics. It's the ubiquitous human element and the collective soul of the team. So many sacrifices. Look at Fabregas playing a false #9 all tournament. Do you think you could ever get Zlatan or anybody on the dutch team to cast aside their personal glory in their position for the unknown outcome of playing far far out of their position?? Torres rode the bench extensively and didn't even complain (much if he did at all)

David Silva an absolute genius for his club didn't get as much time as a player of his caliber might have deserved....yet ALL THESE GUYS CAST aside SELF in favour of the team and as many complaints as I DO have with the Spanish nt I truly appreciate this.

^ I agree with this. People's sense of justice is waaaay down. I always remember the EXTREMELY dodgy penalty that Italy were awarded vs Australia and it was drowned under a downpour of "who cares bro we won the WC".

Croatia like Australia weren't deserving of justice....granted were the shoe on the other foot the outcry wouldn't have stopped yet.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/puke.gif)