EURO 2012: One win from the finals

After 28 games played in the Euro 2012 tournament, three remain on the schedule.  The semi-finals have arrived, and four teams linger, relieved to still be alive in the tournament.  Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28 are the dates to look forward to.

Spain's road to the "Final Four" has not been a walk in the park.  Being in a group with competitive teams such as Italy and Croatia, the Spaniards squeaked in as the one seed, then handily defeated a talented French side in the quarterfinals.  Portugal survived the "Group of Death," eliminating hopes of the Netherlands and Denmark's chances of advancing.  Italy slipped into the second seed after falling to third in Group C going into the last game of group stages; they are the only team to get a result in the tournament against Spain, the defending Euro champions.  Last but not least, Germany.  The Germans controlled their group as well as the quarterfinals, winning every game coming into the semi-finals.

Wednesday, June 27

Spain vs. Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo's confidence has since been revived when he proved the naysayers wrong in his rebound game against the Netherlands, scoring two goals, and helping the Portuguese claim a quarterfinals spot against the Czech Republic, where he netted the game's only goal.  Now, Ronaldo has a huge wall to climb in the semi-finals, playing a Spainish side that's dominant in all facets of the game.  Many of the players he will go up against will look particularly familiar, many of whom play on the same team as Ronaldo at Real Madrid or in the same league.  Spain will search to find a way to contain Ronaldo, preventing him from dangerous attacks in the final third against a Carlos Puyol-less Spanish defensive line, while Portugal look to stop Spain from possessing the ball for an extended period of time, knowing that if not successful, devastating consequences are likely. 

My prediction: 1-0, Spain

Thursday, June 28 

Italy vs. Germany

These two teams are used to facing against each other in meaningful games or shall I say semi-final games.  From the 1970 World Cup semi-finals, also known as the "Game of the Century," to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals, Germany and Italy have the history to show their rivalry, however, Italy tends to be the victor.  In the "Game of the Century," the Italians won 4-3 in a back-and-forth rally that needed extra time;  fast forward to 2006, where once again, both teams needed extra time, resulting in two late goals by the Italians, making matters worse for Germany as Italy went on to win the World Cup.  Although, 2012 is a different year for the Germans; they seek revenge against the Italians, hoping to capture the dominance in possession, which the Italians have excelled in throughout the tournament.  On the other side, the Italians have an eye on the surging German offense, who have scored nine goals in four games.  

My prediction: 2-1, Italy