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Sunday, July 1, 2012

Vicente del Bosque Takes the Acclaim After Collecting his Winners' Medal

Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to lead sides to glory at both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup after Germany's Helmut Schön.

Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to lead sides to glory at both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup following Spain's 4-0 UEFA EURO 2012 final victory against Italy in Kyiv.
Before Sunday the only trainer to get his hands on the Henri Delaunay Cup and FIFA World Cup Trophy was Helmut Schön, who guided West Germany to European and global glory in 1972 and 1974, respectively. Only Antonín Panenka's famous penalty for Czechoslovakia in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final denied Schön, and a side featuring the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier and Paul Breitner, a hat-trick.
Spain have now achieved that elusive treble while Del Bosque, who took the reins from Luis Aragonés after UEFA EURO 2008, has matched Schön's feat. He led La Roja to their maiden World Cup triumph in South Africa two summers ago, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final to break Schön's record as the oldest winning coach. By stretching Spain's unbeaten run in competitive matches to 20 in Ukraine, the 61-year-old duly added the EURO.
Under Schön, West Germany also finished runners-up at the 1966 World Cup and 1976 UEFA European Championship. Two other coaches won continental crowns before falling at the final hurdle in the World Cup: Italy's Ferruccio Valcareggi lost to Brazil in 1970 two years after claiming the EURO and the Azzurri condemned Schön's West Germany successor Jupp Derwall to a similar fate in 1982. Del Bosque, who also won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid CF in 2001/02 (something Schön never managed), had no such problem.

Spain Overpower Italy to Win UEFA EURO 2012 - 4-0 Victory in Kyiv

Spain 4-0 Italy
Vicente del Bosque's side saved their best until last at UEFA EURO 2012 as they overwhelmed an Italy outfit that ran out of steam.

Spain saved their best until last at UEFA EURO 2012, a final-record 4-0 victory in Kyiv completing an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins.
Against a flagging Italy side whose thrilling knockout campaign looked to have caught up with them, Spain were in control from the moment David Silva broke the deadlock with a rare header on 14 minutes. A barnstorming second with half-time approaching from the indefatigable Jordi Alba, his first international goal, left the Azzurri with a mountain to climb. The sight of Thiago Motta, their third substitute, being carried off on a stretcher ended all hope, leaving Italy to play out the last 28 minutes with ten men – and Spain replacements Fernando Torres and Juan Mata fully capitalized.
This was billed as a meeting of great creative minds, of conductors in their prime, of Xavi Hernández against Andrea Pirlo; but for much of the opening stages it was a one-man show. Spain's No8 picked up the baton from the off, in harmony with Andrés Iniesta, dictating La Roja's now familiar staccato movement as Italy were forced deeper and deeper. The olés had already begun among the sizeable Spanish contingent in the 63,170 crowd when, just before the quarter-hour, the pair combined to such devastating effect.
Xavi, who had fired just over moments earlier, fed Iniesta and his finely weighted ball allowed Cesc Fàbregas to easily outstrip Giorgio Chiellini on the inside-right channel. There was still plenty to do but how easily Spain made it look as Fàbregas pulled a sharp ball back for Silva, all 170cm of him, to glance his header in. It proved a disappointed Chiellini's last real action as he soon succumbed to the thigh problem that has hampered him throughout his time in Poland and Ukraine.
A heavy-legged Italy could ill afford the double blow, but impressively they fought their way back into it. Pirlo, inevitably, was their driving force, the beating drum that pulled the strings at the back and sounded the horn to attack. Not that there was much of that. In fact, Pirlo's most telling contribution of the first half was a superb last-ditch block on Iniesta. Yet try as he might – and he did try – the 33-year-old could not be everywhere.
Spain's second was a little too easy, though. Standing on the touch line near halfway, Fàbregas headed Iker Casillas's clearance to Alba who turned the ball into Xavi before haring forward. The Azzurri back line did not seem to notice but the erudite Xavi did, advancing forward before slotting his new FC Barcelona club-mate in. The composed left-footed finish that followed would have pleased even David Villa, watching in the stands with Carles Puyol.
It seemed nothing could now deny Spain a first competitive victory against the Azzurri in 92 years – at least over 90 minutes – but Italy were not done yet. Antonio Di Natale, scorer in the 1-1 draw between these sides three weeks ago, came on for Antonio Cassano and within six minutes he could have scored twice. His first chance, a header, was far from simple but the striker could have done better when Riccardo Montolivo's pass found him in space. He snatched at the chance, though, and the advancing Casillas blocked.
Yet Italy's slender hopes of mounting a comeback disappeared when Thiago Motta did likewise down the tunnel. It was left for Xavi to resume his conducting, slowing things down until, with six minutes remaining, he upped the tempo for a rousing crescendo. First he robbed Pirlo in midfield and set up Torres for a goal to add to his UEFA EURO 2008 showpiece effort – a feat no one has managed before – then he combined with Torres to release Mata, just on, to set seal on an emphatic win. It has been an emphatic four years.

Faultless Ramos the Star of Spain's Showcase - UEFA Cup Final Review

Sergio Ramos's flawless showing ensured the defender was the Castrol top performer as he helped Spain stride to an historic 4-0 victory against Italy in the UEFA EURO 2012 final.

Spain defender Sergio Ramos did not put a foot wrong as La Roja overwhelmed Italy 4-0 in Kyiv to complete an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins.
The 26-year-old defender has been integral to an exceptional Spain side that conceded just once en route to their title defence. It was business as usual as Vicente del Bosque's men earned their fifth straight clean sheet in Poland and Ukraine, and Ramos's contribution was acknowledged as he topped the Castrol EDGE Index with a score of 9.69.
Defensively, Ramos was faultless. He earned points for a valuable block on Andrea Barzagli's goal-bound effort; keeping an Italian attack – including an in-form Mario Balotelli – in check; and for ball recovery, regaining possession from Cesare Prandelli's side on no less than 15 occasions.
The Real Madrid CF man's boundless energy, athleticism and determination ensured he was as potent in Italy's penalty area as he was protective in his own, and a good deal of his rating is for his attacking endeavour. He gave the Azzurri nightmares from set pieces and had four efforts on goal, including two on-target shots from close range, to crown an imperious performance.
Ramos headed a Spanish clean sweep. Marauding left-back Jordi Alba scored a fine goal to grab a 9.09 rating and finish second, while Iker Casillas came third on 9.07 to round off the top three.
Castrol EDGE Index: Spain v Italy
1. Sergio Ramos (ESP) 9.69
2. Jordi Alba (ESP) 9.09
3. Iker Casillas (ESP) 9.07
4. Xavi Hernández (ESP) 9.06
5. David Silva (ESP) 8.60
Key facts
1 – Spain are the first European side to win three consecutive major tournaments (UEFA EURO 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO 2012).
2 – Vicente del Bosque has become only the second coach to win the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship (after Helmut Schön, who won in 1972 and 1974 with Germany).
3 – Spain have equaled Germany's record of three European Championship wins (1964, 2008, 2012).
4 – La Roja became the first team to score four goals in a EURO final.
9 – Iker Casillas equalled Edwin van der Sar's record for clean sheets at the EUROs, this match earning his ninth shutout in this competition.

Spanish Moon on the Boom - Winning Hatrik in UEFA Champions League

Part of a defense which conceded just one goal at UEFA EURO 2012, Spain center-back Sergio Ramos finished top of the Castrol EDGE Index after the holders' historic final win.

For the second successive UEFA European Championship, Spain provided the winner of the Castrol EDGE Index, Sergio Ramos taking the honour in 2012 following a historic night at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium.

The 26-year-old, who succeeds metronomic midfielder Xavi Hernández in topping the pile, climbed seven places to the summit courtesy of a display in which he was heavily involved at both ends of the field.

A cornerstone of the holders' impenetrable defense, the Real Madrid CF man finished just ahead of club-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who had led the standings since the end of the group stage. Gerard Piqué, Ramos' center-back partner, completes the podium; he is the second of seven Spain players in the top ten, including their entire rearguard.

Ramos was in the thick of the action from the off against the Azzurri, having two efforts on goal – one a free-kick, the other a header – in the first seven minutes and four overall, two of which were on target. At the other end, a block from Andrea Barzagli and his retrieval of possession on 15 occasions swelled his match rating to 9.69, the third highest for a game at UEFA EURO 2012.

Ramos, ever-present in La Roja's unprecedented third consecutive major tournament victory, was instrumental in Vicente del Bosque's team keeping five consecutive clean sheets in Poland and Ukraine. The fourth of those came in the semi-finals, when he helped shackle Ronaldo, whose three goals and tournament-record 15 shots on target were responsible for the bulk of his overall 9.61 mark.

Piqué, Ramos and full-backs Jordi Alba and Álvaro Arbeloa – sixth and seventh respectively – limited the opposition to just 21 shots in six matches. In addition to this, the indefatigable Alba owes his rise from 14th to his well-taken goal, his first at international level, in the final.

The holders are further represented by Xabi Alonso (fourth), Andrés Iniesta (fifth) and Sergio Busquets (ninth). Alonso was a model of consistency throughout with his passing, with only Xavi completing more than the Madrid midfielder's 490. Crucially, in Index terms, 251 of these were forward passes in opposition territory.

Pepe (eighth) and Claudio Marchisio, on the losing team in the showpiece, make up the top ten.

Tournament facts
1 – Goals conceded at UEFA EURO 2012 by Spain in 570 minutes of action.

2 – Vicente del Bosque is the second coach after Helmut Schön to win a FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.

5 – David Silva had a role in more goals at UEFA EURO 2012 than any other player (two goals, three assists).

189 – Minutes in which Fernando Torres scored his adidas Golden Boot-winning total of three goals.

531 – The tournament-high total of passes completed by Xavi Hernández, at an average of 89 per game.