EURO 2008: facts, figures and impressions
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship and is credited to have been a tremendous success. It proved to be quite a spectacular tournament, with 31 matches played and 77 goals scored (2.48 per match). Euro 2008 was attended by 1,140,902 spectators (36,803 per match).
Spain won the tournament by defeating Germany 1–0 in the final. This was only the second time in the history of the tournament that the winning team won all their matches in the group stage. The other team to do so was France in 1984. Spain performed superbly from start to finish, they scored 12 goals and nobody can question their right to the title.
The UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament, named by the UEFA Technical Team was also dominated by Spain as no fewer than nine Spanish players being picked in the final 23: goalkeeper Iker Casillas, defenders Carlos Marchena and Carles Puyol, midfielders Marcos Senna, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta, and forwards Fernando Torres and David Villa.
Also, Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez has been named the Castrol Player of the Tournament for UEFA EURO 2008. The 28-year-old FC Barcelona player appeared in five matches at the finals, scoring once in the semi-final against Russia, as Spain earned their first major international success since beating the Soviet Union to win the 1964 UEFA European Championship.
UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh said: “We chose him because we think he epitomises the Spanish style of play. He was extremely influential in the whole possession, passing, penetrating kind of game that Spain played.”
My personal impression is that the so-called “small teams”, that is the underdogs, proved to be more determined and performance-oriented than the big favorites. In this particular order, Turkey and Russia provided the most pleasant surprises of this EURO 2008. Also some of the best players of this European Championship were some Turkish and Russian playmakers like Semith Senturk, Hamit Altintop or Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko. In my eyes, the only favorite team who reached the level of everybody’s expectations was Spain. Their national team dispayed some skillful and beautiful football, both effective and spectacular.
As European champions, Spain earned the right to compete for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Premier league will start in the middle of August
The best football championship, Premier League, will start in the middle of august. A few days and EURO 2008 will end.Some teams perhaps will take some players from this EURO, the players from EURO which played at EURO 2008 need a holiday finally. But will be a small one, because they have to join the clubs to practice for the new Premier League Season
First match day :
Arsenal vs West Brom
Aston Villa vs Man City
Bolton vs Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Everton vs Blackburn
Hull vs Fulham
Man Utd vs Newcastle
Middlesbrough vs Tottenham
Sunderland vs Liverpool
West Ham vs Wigan
Massimo Busacca referee at Germany vs Turkey
First semifinals at EURO 2008 will found at the center Massimo Busaca, a referee from Switzerland. Born 6 february 1969 in Bellinzona.
Massimo play football in lower divisions but he bacame referee in 1990, after 6 years he referee in Swiss Super League and since 1999 he is a FIFA referee.
From international career we have to mention that Busacca participate at 2006 FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA final Cup from 2007.
At EURO 2008 Busacca was referee at Netherlands vs Romania and Greece vs Sweden, both games in groups (C and D) and bo th ended with 2-0 (Netherlands and Sweden won). Massimo Busacca football statistics at EURO 2008:
- goals 4
- yellow cards 4
- fouls committed 54
- corners 15
- offside 12
Massimo Busacca is the referee from the “Basel Hooligan Incident” in 2006. It was the last match day in season 2005-2006. Basel play at home and to win the championship they need at least a draw. At that moment FC Basel did not lost in 59 games. It was draw in minute 90 and look OK for the Basel team. But I. Filipescu, the Zurich defender scored a goal. After some minutes Basel funs enter in the field and attack players from Zurich, incidents continued in the streets.
Busacca enjoy to play tennis, skiing.
Will Spain play in semifinals at EURO 2008?
After Netherlands vs Russia and Croatia vs Turkey I think this is a good question.
In the games I mention not go forward to semifinals teams who won all games in groups. Spain is the only one at this tournament with just victories.
Croatia did not know the feeling to lose any point in Group B were they play with Germany, Austria and Poland. But this was not enough, they even score in 119′, all looks that they will go forward, but turkey came back again.
Netherlands stop with Russia after winning all games min Group C : France, Italy and Romania. Netherland in group score 9 goals, most of tournament in this stage, but this was not enough in the quarters with Russia.
Now we have only one quarter final left at EURO 2008 a game which promise a beautiful game between Spain and Italy. Italy is the only team who have all 3 results at EURO in groups : win, lost and draw.
In group D at EURO 2008 Spain play against : Russia, Sweden and Greece.
Spain is the last team with just victories at EURO 2008. Will they go in semifinals or they will go home like Croatia and Netherlands.
Group D - Russia or Sweden?!
This game will decide the last team to qualify in quarter finals Russia or Sweden.
At this moment Sweden from 2nd place is qualified, this mean that Russia to go forward have to win the game.
In previous games in Group D Sweden beat Greece with 2-0 and lost against Spain with 1-2. Russia won the game with Greece 1-0 but they lost with 1-4 from Spain. That is why Russia is behind Sweden in current standings before last game in group.
Russia the first European Champion came at EURO 2008 from Group E, a group where let England at home.
Russia vs Sweden EURO games :
| PLD | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Russia | 48 | 27 | 10 | 11 | 100 | 48 |
| Sweden | 93 | 44 | 24 | 25 | 140 | 91 |
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EURO 2008, penalty in groups?!?
With the new rules we have chances to get penalty if last match in groups finish draw and both team are equal in standings. At EURO 2008 we have chance for this in 2 groups.
Group A
Czech Republic and Turkey. Both team win against Switzerland and lost against Portugal. Both team have 2 goals scored and 3 received. In a draw at the end we will have penalty shoots.
Group C
In this group we have chances to penalty, if we take a closer look. Romania is on 2nd position with 2 points while France and Italy on the bottom with 1 point, but both with 1 goal scored and 4 received. If Romania lost the game at 3 goals we have chances for penalty here.
Italy vs France an amazing game which can be draw. I say this because in the statistics for top Shots Wide at EURO 2008 France and Italy are in the top. But like I sad in my last post, one of the team will win this game.
Group C - Italy or France?!
After match day 2 in Group C at EURO 2008 we have The Netherlands on the first place with 6 points, Romania on 2nd place with 2 points and in the end of this group with 1 point Italy and France.
Who will stay and who will go home from Euro 2008: Italy or France?
To qualify forward, any of the above team have to win the game, that is why Italy vs France in Group C will be a real final at this tournament. Who will lost this game will go home. In my opinion, the winner from this match with 4 points will go forward.
Why I do not count Romania?!
I don’t think they have chances to beat The Netherlands team. They have a very good defense, which we can see it against France and Italy. But if Romania wants to go forward they have to win, and at EURO 2008 tournament they don’t show this part. OK they will attack, but the opponent is The Netherlands who already scored 7 goals in this tournament most of them in counter-attack. The Romania team will have to create spaces in defense, but France and Italy have both lost with this strategy.
Will The Netherlands play with the 2nd team?!
And what if the 2nd team is almost as good as the first one? This could be a very good opportunity to prove that those players deserve a place in the first team.
A draw in Romania - The Netherlands?!
It is not a good advice for Romania to play for a draw. Because Italy and France will play perhaps for the best of their game in this tournament and they want to win. This two teams in a draw means that both will go home and that it is why will be a real game. They will not want to know the results from Romania - The Netherlands because one team must win, and after that they will not want to hear that Romania won against The Netherlands.
In this situation the winner between France or Italy will go forward.
EURO 2008 Group C standing
Euro 2008 Group A
After two games for each team in this group Portugal looks a winner and it is qualified for quarter finals. Switzerland after two lost games will play just a simple game against Portugal.
Two teams fight for the 2nd place Czech Republic and Turkey. They have same points matches and goals. If this game ends a draw looks like we will have early penalty shoots in this tournamet.
Regarding the games already play in Group A at EURO 2008 look s like Turkey have more chances to score a goal if we take a look at some statistics:
| TEAM | shots on goal | Shots wide | Coners | Ofside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech | 9 | 12 | 12 | 3 |
| Turkey | 15 | 11 | 13 | 10 |
Perhaps if the goal man Jan Koller will be in the first 11 and will play the match of his life, since if not won, could be the his last game in a final tournament.
On June 15 we will find the second team from this group which will go in to the next level this year on EURO 2008
Portugal team at EURO 2008 Football tournament
Founded : 1914
Portugal team affiliate to UEFA in 1932 and to FIFA in 1954
Best perfromance
- EURO final in 2004, lost against Greece
- WorldCup place 3 in 1966
Best victory
- 8-0 against Liechenstein in 1994 and 1999
- 8-0 against Kuweit in 2003
Worst lost with England 0-10 in 1948
Portugal team was present at 4 World Cup tournaments and 5 EURO tournaemnts
Portugal on FIFA current standing is in place 9, best position was 4 on march 2001, worst 43 in august 1998. Qualified for EURO 2008 from 2nd place in group A
EURO tournaments for Portugal team : 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008
Goalkeeper
Pedro Rui Patricio
Pereira Ricardo
Joaquim Silva Quim
Defender
Pedro Rui Ribeiro
Kepler Pepe
Luis Miguel
Fernando Meira
Paulo Ferreira
Ricardo Carvalho
Jose Bosingwa
Bruno Alves
Midfielder
Miguel Veloso
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ricardo Quaresma
Armando Petit
Joao Moutinho
Raul Meireles
Souza Deco
Forward
Simao Sabrosa
Helder Postiga
Nuno Gomes
Hugo Almeida
Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha (Nani)
Montreal F1 preview
Statistics about Montreal Grand Prix including only active drivers:
Victories
* 1 » Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen
Fastest laps
* 2 » Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen
* 1 » David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello
Pole Position
* 1 » David Coulthard, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button
Podium
* 5 » Rubens Barrichello
* 4 » Giancarlo Fisichella
* 2 » Kimi Raikkonen
* 1 » Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Nick Heidfeld, Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard
Finish in points
* 7 » Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella
* 6 » David Coulthard
* 3 » Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso
* 2 » Felipe Massa, Mark Webber
* 1 » Heikki Kovalainen, Timo Glock, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Takuma Sato
Drivers which achieved points on Montreal Grand Prix
* 36.00 » Rubens Barrichello
* 33.00 » Kimi Raikkonen
* 32.00 » Giancarlo Fisichella
* 17.00 » Fernando Alonso, David Coulthard
* 11.00 » Nick Heidfeld
* 10.00 » Lewis Hamilton
* 9.00 » Felipe Massa
* 6.00 » Jenson Button, Mark Webber
* 5.00 » Heikki Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli
* 3.00 » Takuma Sato
* 2.00 » Timo Glock
The fastest lap on Montreal was set by Michael Schumacher at 1:24.125 in 2004
