After 44 years of waiting Fernando Torres scored and brought Spaniards on top of Europe. Absolutely deserved! Spaniards were the most effective team of the tournament and they have played a high quality football.

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Germany - Spain 0:1 (0:1)

Unhealed Ballack spent the most time arguing with referee

By the end of the first half, Germans were mostly nervous, without concrete chances, while Spaniards threaten mostly from far. The second half was opened by good action of Silva, Fabregas, Torres and Xavi, who shot strong, but Lehmann knocked into a corner.

After the corner kick, Sergio Ramos tried to turn Silva’s shot with his heel and seduce (too) busy Lehmann, but he failed to encroach the ball. After one hour has passed, Germany rouse. The waking-up of Elf was announced by Ballack’s shot, who hit outer part of the net.

Germans pressure has been growing, so Spanish coach reacted by sending Xabi Alonso and Santo Cazorla in instead of Silva and Fabregas. That resulted with a great opportunities of Sergio Ramos and Iniesta, but both times Lehmann was in place and spare his team from more goals conceded.

In the last twenty minutes both team played very opened, and Spaniards could claim their victory in the 81st minute. Cazorla threw in for Guiza (got in 78th minute for Torres) who returned the ball in front of Lehmann’s goal with a head, but Senna came too late and missed a great chance.

By the end of the match Germans tried to equalize with endless crosses towards the Spanish penalty box and a great pressure, but fortunately they have failed. At the end, Spain absolutely deserved the celebration.

referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)

assistant referee: Alessandro Griselli and Paolo Calcagno

fourth official: Peter Frojdfeldt

Germany: 1 Lehmann (gk), 3 Friedrich, 7 Schweinsteiger, 8 Frings, 11 Klose, 13 Ballack (c), 15 Hitzlsperger, 16 Lahm, 17 Mertesacker, 20 Podolski, 21 Metzelder

substitutes:12 Enke (gk), 23 Adler (gk), 2 Jansen, 4 Fritz, 5 Westermann, 6 Rolfes, 9 Gomez, 10 Neuville, 14 Trochowski, 18 Borowski, 19 Odonkor, 22 Kuranyi

coach: Joachim Löw

Spain: 1 Casillas (gk) (c), 4 Marchena, 5 Puyol, 6 Iniesta, 8 Xavi Hernandez, 9 Torres, 10 Fabregas, 11 Capdevila, 15 Sergio Ramos, 19 Senna, 21 Silva

substitutes: 13 Palop (gk), 23 Reina (gk), 2 Albiol, 3 Fernando Navarro, 7 Villa, 12 Santi Cazorla, 14 Xabi Alonso, 16 Sergio Garcia, 17 Guiza, 18 Arbeloa, 20 Juanito, 22 de la Red

coach: Luis Aragonés

Head to Head

19——–played——–19

8——–won——–5

5——–lost——–8

6——–drawn——–6

26——–goals for——–21

21——–goals conceded——–26

every 38 min.——–goal strike rates——–every 53 min.

every 90 min.——–goal concede rates——–every 155 min.

The team of Luis Aragones, which doesn’t know for anything but victory in last 21 matches, after full 24 years has another chance to win the Henri Delaunay trophy.

Here is a video of all Spanish and German matches on this Euro. German way over Poland and Austria, but also and 2:1 defeat to Croatia in the group stage; 3:2 victory to Portugal and extra dramatic last minute victory to Turkey. Spaniards came to the final unbeaten. In order have fallen down Russia (4:1), Sweden (2:1), present European champions Greece (2:1),present world champions Italy in penalty shootout and finally, Russia one more time (3:0).

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The only time when Furia was on the roof of the Old continent was in 1964, after beating CCCP with 2:1 in final in Madrid. Another time when they were in the final was 24 years later in Paris, when Michel Platini and Bruno Bellone led France to the title (France 2:0 Spain).

And while it is confirmed that currently the best goalscorer of this Euro with four goals David Villa won’t be able to play for Spain because of muscle strain gained in a semi-final match against Russia, Germans have to face the possibility of losing their captain Michael Ballack because he has renewed his calf injury.

Statistics, which, the truth is, doesn’t mean a lot, is on the side of Spain. They have scored the most goals (11) on this Euro (not counting the penalties against Italy) and conceded only 0.6 goals per match (better is only Croatia with 0.5).

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Spaniards also have the deadlier and the most dangerous attack which, in five matches, made 44 shots on target (Germany made only 23), and they are also the only national team with the treble number of produced actions (101).

Russia - Spain 0:3 (0:0)

stadium: Ernst Happel, Vienna

referee: Frank de Bleeckere (Belgium)

goalscorers: 0:1 Xavi (50′), 0:2 Güiza (73′), 0:3 Silva (83′)

Russia: Akinfeev - Anjukov, Berezutski, IgnaÅ¡evič, Žirkov - Semak - Žirjanov, SemÅ¡ov (56′ Biljaletdinov), Saenko (57′ Sičev) - ArÅ¡avin - Pavljučenko

Spain: Casillas - Sergio Ramos, Marchena, Puyol, Capdevila - Iniesta, Senna, Xavi (69′ Alonso), Silva - Villa (33′ Fabregas), Torres (69′ Güiza)

Golden Furia of Luis Aragones stopped in Vienna with 3:0 Red army of Guus Hiddink, and in final of European championship will measure the strenght with Germany.

Goal of decision was the creation of Barça’s duo, Iniesta and Xavi, who managed to unlock, until then, stringently guarded nets in the 50th minute.

Iniesta received the ball on the edge of the penalty box and shot towards the goal, badly, but Xavi ran in from the second plan and managed to push ladybird through Akinfeev’s legs.

The victory was confirmed by the reserve Dani Güiza only 350 seconds after entering the field, when he calmly finished the action whose director was splendid Cesc Fabregas.

By the end of the match, the Spaniards made Russians start from the center of the field one more time, in the 83rd minute. Again, asistant was youthful member of Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas, whose throw in to the penalty box David Silva packed up for Russians.

It has happened in the moments when Russia was completely open and when they were vulnerable from the counter attack.

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The duel of two great opponents, looked all together, unfortunately wasn’t the spectacle for remembrance and the reason of that was and perishingly annoying rain which made everything much harder for players.

All in all, Spain completely deservedly fought out the finals, tactically entirely outflanking the rivals, and as one of the key moments, I would sort out the injury of David Villa, who had to leave the field already in the 33rd minute. Instead of him, Cesc Fabregas came in, after what Furia gained more on a ball possession and the strenght in the middle of the field, what has showed as an insurmountable obstacle for the Russians.

referee:Frank de Bleeckere

assistant referee: Peter Hermans and Alex Verstraeten

fourth official: Kyros Vassaras

Russia: 1 Akinfeev (gk), 2 V.Berezutski, 4 Ignashevich, 9 Saenko, 10 Arshavin, 11 Semak (c), 17 Zyryanov, 18 Zhirkov, 19 Pavlyuchenko, 20 Semshov, 22 Anyukov

substitutes: 12 Gabulov (gk), 16 Malafeev (gk), 3 Yanbaev, 5 A.Barezurski, 6 Adamov, 13 Ivanov, 14 Shirokov, 15 Bilyaletdinov, 21 Sychev, 23 Bystrov

Spain: 1 Casillas (gk) (c), 4 Marchena,5 Puyol, 6 Iniesta, 7 Villa, 8 Xavi Hernandez, 9 Torres, 11 Capdevila, 15 Sergio Ramos, 19 Senna, 21 Silva

substitutes: 13 Palop (gk), 23 Reina (gk), 2 Albiol, 3 Fernando Navarro, 10 Fabregas, 12 Santi Cazorla, 14 Xabi Alonso, 16 Sergio Garcia, 17 Guiza, 18 Arbeloa, 20 Juanito, 22 de la Red

Head to Head

Russia—————-Spain

4——–played———4

3———-lost———-0

1——–drawn———1

1———goals for——6

6—-goals conceded—-1

The game of nervs

The game of nervs between the oldest selestor at Euro Luis Aragones and hit-coach Guus Hiddink started only a day after Spanish victory over Italy. Casillas and company wanted to be placed in Vienna NH Danube hotel, which was ‘lucky’ to them before the match with Italy. Besides, it’s part of great Spanidh chain of hotels. But, Russians were faster and Furia had to go to Hilton.

Euphoria at the Pyrenees is larger than ever. Marca had on it’s pages advertised interesting petition: “I, eternal fan, promise to Marca, fans and members of national team that I will shave my Spanish head till the last fell if our team wins the title of European champion 2008″.

Hiddink settles down

So, Madrid could after Sunday grow bald. On the last training session before the trip to Vienna, the record number of fans has gathered. Aragones was practising the same squad which faced Italy. Questionable is apeearance of Senna who is dragging an injury. Midfielder of Villarreal fairly said: “If I’m 100 per cent fit and fresh for Thursday then I want to play. If not, then let someone else take my place because we are here only for the good of the team and the country.”

That way, from the first minute could play Xabi Alonso or Cesc Fabregas whose wish to be in the first squad would than be fullfilled. Atmosphere among the Spaniards is victorious although they know it will be a lot harderthan inthe first match with Russians when they won easily 4:1.

“Russians can’t again play as good as they played against Holland”, thinks Xabi Alonso.

Guus Hiddink tries to settle donw the euphoria of Russians before the semi-finals: “If we will play like we played in first match against Spain, we can congratulate them immidiately. Our team is not experienced and it is questionable for how long we can lay at the highest level. And when will that experience overtake us.”

Spaniards in their history on 22nd June three times lost matches on big competitions, and always after penalty shootout. Fortunately, against Italy they battered down that uncomfortable row.

Now, they have to face semi-finals against Russia which they will play in yellow, unlucky jerseys.

“I’m not worried with the fact that we will play in yellow jerseys. Nobody is thinking about it.”, said midfielder Marcos Senna, and Xavi agreed with him:

“I also remember few excellent matches in yellow jerseys. So, there’s no talking about lucky or unlucky color”, added midfielder of Furia.