France fire Blancs as Spanish sail on to the semis

France are the latest team heading for the airport, well beaten 2-0 by Vicente del Bosque's men in Donetsk this evening.

Spain did not play fluently and a fine goal apart were never thrilling, but still won comfortably enough. The French had already lost their way in their abject 2-0 defeat to Sweden in Kiev on Tuesday, which was followed by the sort of changing-room row they hoped they had left behind in South Africa two years ago.

Watching tonight's meek surrender in the Shakhtar stadium, it is worth remembering Les Bleus were on a 23-game unbeaten run a week ago and were the last team to eliminate Spain from a competition - the 2006 World Cup. France suffered from nerves throughout Euro 2012, and bottled it tonight. Coach Laurent Blanc admitted in his pre-match press conference what most of us had been thinking - the best tactic is to keep Spain at bay for the first twenty minutes and then think about attacking. Unfortunately for France, the defensive mindset going into the game found itself outflanked by events on the pitch.

As it happened, Xabi Alonso, on his 100th appearance, scored in the 19th and his team never looked back, apart from the first ten minutes of the second half when the French pressed and had Spain backpedalling. Alonso added a penalty in injury time for the coup de grace.

France never truly threatened to score due to an incoherent forward line and lack of team spirit. While Frank Ribery twisted and turned dangerously on the left, Karim Benzema misfired at centre-forward and attacking substitutes Olivier Giroud, Jeremy Menez and Samir Nasri all failed to make an impression.

Content to sit back and soak up Spanish attacks in the first half, they failed to put their opponents on the ropes after the break when they needed an equaliser. As the minutes ticked away, Blanc's men were reluctant to throw men forward at 0-1, presumably for fear of leaving gaps at the back.

Spain won 55% of possession, low by their standards, but registered five shots on target to France's one. Cesc Fabregas looked out of sorts as the 'false No.9', while substitute Fernando Torres had another limp display, offside more than dangerous.

Winning while playing badly is a sign of great teams of course, but all Spain knows La Roja must up their game on Wednesday to beat their Iberian neighbours Portugal and on-fire Cristiano Ronaldo, the player of the tournament so far.

Tonight: England v Italy
Weds: SF Spain v Portugal
Thurs: SF Germany v England/Italy
Sun: Final

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Euro 2012 Prediction

We are down to the knockout stages of this year's Euro 2012 as 8 teams remain with a great shot at winning this year's Euro 2012. There have been some surprises as the Netherlands, Russia, and both hosts plus four other nations have been eliminated. So, who will win this year's Euro 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal to the semifinals

Quarterfinals
Portugal vs Czech Republic
Petr Cech is going to fact his toughest challenge yet as he is going to have to be prepared for a lot of dangerous shots on target. The Czechs will probably be without captain and midfield playmaker Tomas Rosicky as that will make this a really tough matchup for the Czechs. Portugal is loaded with talent from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani in attack to Raul Meireles and Miguel Veloso in midfield to Pepe and Bruno Alves on the back line to Rui Patricio in goal. The Portuguese will be able to dominate possession as the Czechs best chances will be on counter-attacks. However, Cristiano Ronaldo is starting to really take off at this and the Portuguese are in their best form so I think Portugal will win 3 to 1.



Andres Iniesta and Spain will be in the semis

Spain vs France
This is one of the more interesting quarterfinals as two world powers take one each other with the defending champs taking on a French team that disappointed against Sweden. After France's disappointing loss, I would expect manager Laurent Blanc to put Yohan Cabaye and Jeremy Menez back in the lineup for Yann M'Villa and Hatem Ben Arfa. Laurent Koscienly will have to step up against Spain in the spot of the suspended Philippe Mexes as this Spanish attack has shown some weakness against team that are aggressive at disrupting possession. That will be the key for the French as disrupting possession allowed Croatia to stay in the game against Spain. The Spanish need to run their attack through striker Fernando Torres as he is starting to show his elite goal-scoring form. Also, Vicente Del Bosque need to keep using Jesus Navas off the bench as his pace as been able to change games and make the Spanish pressure even tougher to handle. This will be an exciting game as the French will need Karim Benzema to be on his best form to have a good chance at winning. However, the French will come up short as the Spanish will win 2 to 1 and book a ticket in the semis against Portugal.

Ozil is going to help take the Germans to the quarterfinals.

Germany vs Greece
The Germans have been the most impressive team at this year's Euros as the Greeks will need a Euro 2004 size miracle if they want to upset the Germans. The Greeks do have some talent in attack Dimitris Salpigidis and Theofanis Gekas and the Greeks have a solid back line. However, the Gemans have some great chemistry with most of the starters playing for Bayern Munich. Mario Gomez is in the best form of his career internationaly as he is on pace to win the Golden Boot for Euro 2012. Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been key in setting opportunities for Gomez as the Germans have been very dangerous throughout this Euro 2012. Mats Hummels has proved that he is one of the best defenders in the world as he impressed in every game during the group of death. This is the easiest opponent that the Germans have faced so far and they will easily defeat the Greeks 4 to 0.





Rooney has shown his top goal scoring form for the English

England vs Italy
This will be the most exciting game of the quarterfinals as both these teams are on a very similar level. The English have done very well at staying organized and using a conservative attacking style which helped them come back to beat Sweden and then cruise against the co-host Ukraine. Wayne Rooney is already showing his true number nine ability as his ability to be in the right place at the right time allowed him to put James Milner's cross in the back of the net. Rooney and Danny Welbeck are the right pair of strikers as they are both used to each other from playing for Manchester United and regularly starting together at Old Trafford. Steven Gerrard has worn the captain's armband well as he has been playing at the high level that you would want your captain playing at. Ashley Cole has been a constant at left back as his ability to get up the wing from his left back position is part the reason why he still starts for the Three Lions. Joe Hart has given the English a rock in goal as he has become the number one keeper they have been looking for after the disappointments in goal from two years ago. The Italians changed to a 4-1-3-2 against the Irish as that was their best goal scoring day of the tournament as they scored two goals. It might have been the Irish but this formatiob can definitely work for the Italians. Mario Balotelli has finally found his goal scoring form as he came off the bench to score a spectacular goal to extend the Italian lead to two goals. Andrea Pirlo might be playing in his final major international tournament but the 33-year-old is still one of the best playmaking midfielders in the world and he will cause some problems for the English. Gianluigi Buffon has once again proved why he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world as he has been in top form in this tournament. The English and Italians both are elite teams but the English will be able to book a semifinal ticket against Germany by beating the Italians 2 to 1.

Torres is ready to help Spain go to a final

Semifinals
Spain vs Portugal
It is always exciting when we get to see a great rivalry in the semifinals of a major tournament and the battle between the two Iberian nations will definitely be an exciting battle. The chance to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal take on Xavi and Spain will be an exciting match. Pepe is the tough type of player that the Spanish struggled against when they played the Croatians and the Spanish could struggle to get a consistent attack while Portugal's lack of an elite striker in the middle will allow Pique and Sergio Ramos to shut down tons of attacks. This game will probably come down to one or two chances for each side as whoever takes advantage of the opportunities better will have more success. Andres Iniesta and David Silva are going to have to take advantage of whatever chances they have as they also can look to get it to Fernando Torres as he has regained some confidence. The Portuguese will need to attack the Spanish wing backs if they want to have the most success as Jordi Alba and Arbeloa will have to step up their play to contain Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani on the wings. The Spanish and Portuguese will have a very exciting game as both of these teams could very well win but the Spanish will get the chance to repeat as European champs as Iniesta will get the one goal that the Spanish need to win 1 to 0.

Philipp Lahm and Germany are headed for the final

Germany vs England
This game should also be really good as the English have the organization to be competitive with the Germans in this semifinal as both teams have the goal scoring ability to go to the final in Kiev. John Terry is probably going to be given the task of marking Mario Gomez in this game as how Terry defends will be key in England's hopes to advance to the final. Roy Hodgsen will have to think about starting Theo Walcott as his speed is something that the Germans lack and that could make the English attack very dangerous. Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger versue Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard in the center of midfield will be the key matchup as this could even decide who wins the match. Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber will have the job of containing Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck as this will not be an easy job for the two centerbacks. The Germans and the English will provide an high scoring game as both Mario Gomex and Wayne Rooney will score some big goals in this game. The English are proving to be a very tough side to beat but the Germans will send them home as the Germans will beat the English 3 to 2 and book their ticket to the final in Kiev.

Final
Germany vs Spain
This will be one of the best finals as UEFA is getting exactly what they want with the two best teams in Europe facing off in the finals of Euro 2012 in Kiev. This should be an instant classic of a game as both teams have great attacking prowess so we should see plenty of goals in this finals. The Spanish and the Germans both are very good at running organized attacks but a key difference in this game will be which team can have more success on the counter attacks as there will be a few of those in this game. Fernando Torres and Mario Gomez will probably both score as Gomez will wrap up the Golden Boot in this final. The matchup of Xavi versus Mesut Ozil should be exciting as these are two of the best midfield maestros in the world and both know how to make plays. The backlines of Spain and Germany will be tested as goalkeepers Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer will have to be prepared to handle tons of shots in this final. Tactics and making the right substitutions will be key for each manager as Vicente Del Bosque and Joachim Low will both have to make the right decisions to win as one piece of abd tactics or one wrong substituion could cost either side. The Spanish have the chance to win their third straight major, international competition but it will not happen as the Germans will win all of their games at Euro 2012 and lift the trophy in the final by defeating the Spanish 3 to 2 with two goals from Mario Gomez.

The Germans will be celebrating a European Championship in Kiev this year

Euro 2012: Italy up against it again

*The last time Italy entered a tournament in crisis was in 2006 at the height of the Calciopoli scandal, when the dark side of that nation's football showed its face in daylight again.

Gli Azzurri traveled to the World Cup in Germany under a cloud but came home with the trophy.
 
1980 saw another match-fixing expose, Totonero, blacken the name of calcio. Yet Italy ended up winning the 1982 World Cup, thanks in no small part to six goals from striker Paolo Rossi, who only appeared because his three-year ban in the wake of Totonero had been reduced to two on appeal.

Euro 2012 coach Cesare Prandelli will be hoping a similar siege mentality envelops his squad and that this time around they can draw on the same hidden reserves of strength which carried Enzo Bearzot's and Marcello Lippi's elevens to their famous triumphs. The latest calcioscomesse (match-fixing) scandal has already claimed the scalp of Italy left-back Domenico Criscito and there was more bad news today when centre-back Andrea Barzagli was ruled out of the group stage with a thigh injury.

Italy might appear a perennial giant but are more of an enigma. At times they sink without trace unexpectedly (Euro '96, Euro 2004) or else sweep to the final when no-one foresees it (Spain '82, USA '94 or Germany 2006). There is definitely something special about those blue shirts and tournaments, but the Azzurri do not have a midas touch. Just look at how they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the dying seconds of the Euro 2000 final.

With less than a week to go before Euro 2012, Italy's preparations are as troubled as ever. Friday's 3-0 defeat to Russia in Zurich was their third loss in a row, after home defeats to Uruguay and the USA. It was also their third game without scoring a goal, despite the attacking talents of Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano.

The combustible Balotelli limped out of training today and last week confirmed his highly-strung soul when he promised to "kill" any banana-throwing racists he comes across in Eastern Europe and go to jail if necessary.

Italy the nation is also in choppy water amid deep economic gloom and the unedifying spectacle of an unelected technocratic government, after the ineffable Silvio Berlusconi finally relinquished his grip on power last November. The national team carry an even bigger burden than usual on their backs. Football can take people's minds off a recession and the soccer-mad Italian press will not miss a beat during Euro 2012.

A win in Kiev for the Azzurri and the nation buys itself some time.

So business as usual for the much-maligned traditional slow-starters to tournaments, who often end up having the last laugh by winning them.

And if Italy were in any doubt about what happens when the going gets tough, the Azzurri kick-off in Gdansk on Sunday with the small matter of a Mediterranean derby against reigning European champions and World Cup holders Spain.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Spain avoid China crisis in Seville

The World Champions completed their preparation in defence of their European title tonight with a 1-0 win over China in Seville.

Spain played an unimpressive first half creating little of note and indeed it was the visiting Chinese, coached by former Real Madrid and La Roja legend Jose Antonio Camacho, which came closer to scoring.

Striker Zheng Zhi wasted two good opportunities by finding the side netting and Iker Casillas' legs instead of the goal.

But the Spanish came out for the second half like raging bulls, thanks in no small part to the introduction by coach Vicente del Bosqueof the attack-minded Andres Iniesta, Jesus Navas and Fernando Torres.

And the home side soon had the tiki-taka flowing with that familiar quickness of feet and telepathic passing and movement we have grown to know so well over the past few seasons.

Before long, Iniesta and Torres had thumped the woodwork. Chinese dreams of stealing a famous win evaporated as their red shirts were pinned back into their own half, unable to launch any more of the dangerous  incursions they had made before the break.

A Spanish strike looked likely as Del Bosque's men funneled forward but the home supporters in the Olympic Stadium had to wait until the 84th minute for a goal before David Silva finished off a passing move by side-footing into the net from close range. Their 4-3-3 promotion ended up utterly dominating China's 4-2-3-1 with 72% of possession.

Spain could have added more as they finished very strongly, erasing a toothless first 45 minutes in the process and sending a message to the Euro 2012 qualifiers that they are not about to let go of their trophy in a hurry.

The Euro 2008 winners begin their title defence against Italy next Sunday in Gdansk, before group games against Eire and Croatia.

China meanwhile are on a long road of rebuilding having missed out on World Cup 2014 after defeats to Iraq and Jordan in the third round of AFC qualifying in late 2011/early 2012.

-Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


Euro 2012 football

Spanish titans pause for thought

The expected UEFA Champions League final between the two giants of La Liga looks a little less than a racing certainty after both Barcelona and Real Madrid lost their semi-final first legs.

Barça as usual marinated possession away at Chelsea and hit the Londoners' woodwork twice, yet succumbed to a breakaway goal on the stroke of half-time, finished by Didier Drogba.

Real also suffered a sucker punch, conceding a last-minute Mario Gomez goal to lose 2-1 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, venue for this year's final. Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead in the 17th minute before German international Mesut Ozil equalised for Real in the 53rd.

So both Spanish clubs have deficits to make up in their home legs in order to ensure the 'Superclasico final' in Munich, although Real have the slight advantage of an away goal.

The two are well acquainted of course, and meet on Saturday at the Camp Nou in the domestic showdown of the season. Jose Mourinho's Real lead Pep Guardiola's Barça by four points at the top of La Primera with five games to go.

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final second legs
Barcelona (0) : (1) Chelsea Tue 24 Apr
Real Madrid (1) : (2) Bayern Munich Wed 25 Apr

Final Sat 19th May, Munich 20:45 local time


(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Estadio Benito Villamarín

Real Betis Balompié play their home games at the over 50,000 capacity Estadio Benito Villamarín. The stadium has gradually been developed since 1929.

From 2000-2010 the stadium was called Estadio Manuel Ruiz de Lopera after the President of the football club at the time. However, after a popular vote, the ground reverted to its previous name.

Estadio Benito Villamarín staged two games during the 1982 World Cup, Brazil's 4-1 win over Scotland and Brazil's 4-0 win over New Zealand.

The Estadio Benito Villamarín lies on Avenida la Palmera south of the historic city center of Sevilla and not far from Plaza de Espana. Access to the stadium is fairly straight forward by either bus or taxi. Walking would take about 45 minutes from the cathedral area.

Except for the really big games against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and the local derby, tickets can be bought on the day of the match up to 15 minutes before kick off.

Cross-town rivals Sevilla play their home games to the north east at Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan.

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When the Kings came to town

England 1:0 Spain
Wembley Stadium, London

Wembley was full, sold on the dream of the king's touch, as the world's No.1 soccer nation Spain dropped by for an evening.

A strange pre-match atmosphere, as the usual patriotic fantasy rang increasingly hollow: No-one expected England to win and most were hoping for a defeat short of embarrassing.

A 90,000 defending army expected its fortress to be breached, and that it would only be a matter of when, not if the Spanish Armada would get revenge for 1588.

They had their full team out: Xavi, Iniesta and David Villa were facing Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott and Danny Welbeck - ouch!

In the first five minutes the red sea washed over Wembley as expected, Spain marinating possession and donning the mantle of the home side as they took their game confidently to their raw hosts. England were second best, pinned back in their own half, unable to string multiple passes together or create moments of danger. This was no ordinary home game.

Spain enjoyed the (three) lions' share of of the ball and out-shot England 21 to 3 overall, but never showed real 'animo' until they chased an equalizer in the final quarter, instead stroking the ball around as gently as crown green bowls. It was a lesson for the land of macho power-play from a visiting maestro. Simple yet brilliant: Play it to feet and flick it quickly when danger nears but never lose possession.

Yet Fabio Capello's team still merited their win for holding firm having stolen the lead against the run of play. Scott Parker's astute anchoring and his last-ditch lunges saved the day more than once, while the lone strike was a goal made in England. James Milner muscled away on the left and won a free-kick. He looped his set piece into the melée and Darren Bent soared highest to nod the ball against the post.

Enter the wily old head of Frank Lampard, increasingly tipped to lose his place as he drew level with Bryan Robson on 90 caps, as the only one following up as an open goal gaped. England wanted it more and were hungry for the scalp of FIFA's No.1-ranked nation. Their defence held firm and withstood the Spanish onslaught; job done.

Yet Spain were clearly a class apart and England fans left buoyant but slightly subdued, knowing a narrow win had probably flattered the hosts. Even the loudest loudmouths at Wembley began hollering at England to pass and keep the ball down after a few minutes of watching la furia roja hold sway with effortless élan.

The fruits of tiki-taka are still ripe, a playing system streets ahead of any other in 2011.

England and other nations play in a linear fashion, hitting front men with crosses or runners in channels or working the ball upfield with diagonal passes or dribbles. Spain eschew the 'droit au but' approach and prefer to keep possession, spinning a spider's web of flicks and passing triangles which send ball-watchers' heads spinning as the play changes direction with every pass.

Only late in the game with the introduction of Fernando Torres to supplement Cesc Fabregas did Spain attack in a more 'vertical' way.

Tiki-taka is maddeningly predictable yet unplayable at the same time, a winning formula that has bagged the European Championship and World Cup in an unprecedented golden age for a hitherto jinxed giant.

Spain are not all-conquering however and have already been beaten five times since 2008 as it happens, twice competitively - the USA beat them 2-0 at 2009's Confederations Cup and Switzerland edged them 1-0 at last year's World Cup. Make that six losses for the champions now. Friendly defeats have come in Italy (2-1) this summer, and in Portugal (4-0) and Argentina (4-1) last year.

It is as if in away friendlies the Spaniards take their feet off the gas and use them for practice and make sure they do not lose when it really matters, while the home teams are eager to beat the World Champions.

The US beat Spain in 2009 through conceding the wings and forming two solid banks of four to frustrate their close-passing through the middle, leaving American speedsters Landon Donovan and Charlie Davies to chase balls over midfield and stop the Spanish full-backs overlapping. Like England at Wembley, Switzerland grabbed a goal and kept a tight ship to frustrate the more talented Spaniards and hold out for a close win. Spain are beatable.

Being reigning European and World champions can become a millstone - everyone wants to say they beat you so they raise their game accordingly. As Spain manager Vicente del Bosque confirms,

"Anything except winning will be seen as a disaster and that doesn't help us at all."

For England, there was little to get excited about, but some green shoots showing promise: Danny Welbeck and Jack Rodwell impressed, Phil Jones fought manfully out of position, while man of the match Scott Parker proved why he should have gone to South Africa.

England remain an underachiever on the competitive stage but had beaten three World Cup holders at Wembley before Saturday: West Germany were dispatched 3-1 in 1954 and 2-0 in 1974, while Argentina with a teenage Diego Maradona succumbed 3-1 under the twin towers in 1978.

Beating the mighty Spain in 2011 in a friendly will not count for much in the long run, though a win is a win is a win.

Euro 2012 will be a whole different ball game.

ENG: Hart, G.Johnson, Lescott, Jagielka, Cole, Walcott (Downing 46'), Jones (Rodwell 56'), Parker (Walker 85'), Milner (A.Johnson 76'), Lampard (Barry 56'), Bent (Wellbeck) 63'.

SPA: Casillas (Reina 46'), Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos (Puyol 74'), Alba, Busquets (Torres 64'), Alonso, Xavi (Fabregas 46'), Iniesta (Cazorla 74'), Silva (Mata 46'), Villa.

Goal: Lampard 49'.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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FIFA back down in poppy row

England will be allowed to wear poppies on their shirts against Spain on Saturday after all, albeit as an armband.

An extraordinary row had been stirred up after the Football Association announced the England team would sport the Remembrance Day flower for their friendly against the World Champions. Scotland and Wales plan to do the same for their games against Cyprus and Norway.

FIFA reacted monolithically by refusing to countenance it, citing their regulations against "political, religious or commercial" symbols on national team shirts.

Political leaders and royalty reacted with rage, the London media went into frenzy and two members of the English Defence League, a protest group which draws a number of soccer thugs, scaled the roof of FIFA House in Zurich to protest.

Ignoring the fact that several nations' shirts have Christian crosses or Islamic crescents on them, or that Adidas, FIFA's favourite manufacturer, Nike, Umbro and other brands already have their logos emblazoned on shirts, the accusation that the poppy was a political symbol was well wide of the mark.

Poppies are ubiquitous in England in the week leading up to the 11th of September commemoration of those who served and/or died in conflicts. Military veterans man the entrances and exits to every major railway station, adults and children alike wear them and no TV presenter would be seen dead without the little red flower in their lapel.

Indeed, the pressure to be seen honouring the fallen has led to some complaining of 'poppy fascism'.

But it is definitely not "political". All parties unite to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, Britain's national war memorial. The poppy, which comes from Canadian John McCrae's 'In Flanders Fields' poem and American campaigner Moina Michael, succeeds in uniting the nation in quiet reflection, pacifists and non-pacifists alike.

On that basis, FIFA should never have interfered with something so close to a nation's heart which was a one-off because it just so happened England had a friendly at home a day after Armistice Day. The interventions of UK Prime Minister David Cameron and future king Prince William were probably due to their unpleasant experiences at the World Cup vote a year ago, where both left fuming at having been lied to by FIFA Ex.Co. members.

At the same time, did England need to wear a poppy? Their alternative plans of having a giant red flower on the pitch and having poppies on England training shirts and tracksuits and a minute's silence before kick-off surely would have made the point that football remembers too.

1,000 servicemen and women are due to attend to as part of the FA's 'Tickets for Troops' giveaway. Indeed, there has been a creeping military feel to England home games in the last few years. Now it is customary for uniformed soldiers to carry the flags around the field, to sometimes line up to be honoured and for the P.A. system to encourage the crowd to applaud, as 'Help for Heroes' collectors raise money for the families of those serving in Afghanistan.

The connection between the national team and the national army is becoming a little blurred in England, and FIFA were right to assume all national shirts should be left alone, but equally the strength of feeling in Britain on the issue was something they should have been aware of before clumsily putting their foot down.

In terms of football politics, England and FIFA look as far apart as ever, with the motherland of the game having given up the dream of ever hosting the World Cup again. Until regime change happens in Zurich, the FA can content themselves with mini-victories like this one.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Is the Spanish league "third-world"?

*We might be marveling at the brilliance of Barcelona every time the blaugrana grace the field, and shake our heads at the bottomless bank account of Real Madrid, but the Spanish league is as absurdly top-heavy and devalued as the Scottish league.



The two giants won 5-0 and 6-0 respectively on the opening day of the Spanish season, leaving Villareal president Fernando Roig to exclaim in anguish, "It's a third-world league in which two clubs are sapping the TV money...I give it three to four years. Either it changes or we kill Spanish football." In third place in La Liga last season were Valencia, a full 21 points behind Real and this season the gripes are getting louder. Seville's president has blasted Spanish football as "not the biggest mess in Europe but in the world".



Euro 2008 winner Marcos Senna concurred: "The superiority of Real and Barca is brutal."



Three clubs other than Barça or Real have won La Liga in the past 15 years: Deportivo La Coruna in 2000 and Valencia in 2002 and 2004.



The problem is historic, with Real Madrid built up by the Franco regime into a mega-club and Catalonia focusing its cultural and political frustrations onto its soccer team. Two weeks ago I was in the Castile province of northern Spain and watched the Barcelona v Real Madrid Super Cup second leg, which kicked off at 11pm local time.



It was almost like watching Spain in the World Cup with the whole town glued to multiple TV screens in the main square. TV is the problem, as the clubs negotiate individual deals which inevitably favours the two giants. The locals in Ponferrada were largely pro-Real, as is the majority of Spain, but there were plenty of youngsters in Barça shirts too, presumably having grown up on Ronaldinho.



Most of Spain is like this is in my experience. The big two have too big a hold on the nation. That said, at a national team level, this period of Barça/Real saturation has coincided with Spain winning Euro U-19, Euro U-21, the European Championship and the World Cup. This season began with Spanish players going on strike over money. How long before the imbalance in La Liga results in a breakaway?



*Dunga and David Trezeguet are the latest to take the Arab shilling, having agreed to take jobs with club sides in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates respectively.



The 47 year-old Brazilian most recently coached his nation at the World Cup finals and will coach Al Rayyan, while the 33 year-old French striker leaves a storied European career including spells at Hercules, Juventus and Monaco. 'Trez' won the World Cup with France and scored the winning (golden) goal in the Euro 2000 final. He will now play for Baniyas SC.



No doubt he, like Dunga, are heading to the Middle East for the stratospheric salaries and little else, but in footballing terms it still seems a shame to be moving to real soccer backwaters in search of one last big payday.



*Best wishes to Owen Hargreaves as he attempts one last resurrection of his injury-plagued career at Manchester City. The Canada-born midfielder, it is easy to forget, was England's best player at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, despite, or perhaps because he had never played in English club football, gaining his soccer education instead first in North America and then at Bayern Munich.



-Sean O'Conor



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Spain are the U21 kings of Europe

UEFA U21 Championship Final, Aarhus, Denmark

Spain 2:0 Switzerland
Herrera 41', Thiago 81'
Att: 16,110

Spanish football wrote another chapter in its golden age as its Under-21s bagged the European Championship in Denmark this evening with a convincing 2:0 win over Switzerland.

Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera scored the opening goal four minutes before the interval, meeting a curling cross from Didac Vila on the run to power a header past Yann Sommer, the first goal the Swiss had conceded in the tournament.

With nine minutes left on the clock, Barcelona's junior wizard Thiago Alcantara grabbed the clincher, lobbing Sommer spectacularly from around 35 yards.

The favourites played much of the second half in cruise control, comfortably sweeping the ball around while Switzerland huffed and puffed in an effort to get level.

Juan Mata took with the tournament's golden boot with five goals.

In the day's earlier third-place play-off, Belarus booked their ticket to the 2012 Olympics with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic.

Spain (4-1-4-1): David De Gea, Alvaro Dominguez, Javi Martinez, Adrian Lopez (Jeffren Suarez 80'), Juan Mata, Martin Montoya, Didac Vila, Ander Herera (Diego Capel 90'), Thiago Alcantara, Alberto Botia, Iker Muniain (Daniel Parejo 85')

Switzerland (4-1-4-1): Yann Sommer, Philippe Koch, Jonathan Rossini, Fabian Lustenberger, Innocent Emeghara (Mario Gavranovic 53'), Fabian Frei (Amir Abrashi 54'), Xherdan Shaqiri, Admir Mehmedi, Granit Xhaka (Pajtim Kasami 67'), Timm Klose, Gaetano Berardi.


Ball Possession: Spain 54%, Switzerland 46%
Shots on Target: Spain 3, Switzerland 2
Cautions: Spain 2, Switzerland 2

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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England scrape a draw against Spain

UEFA U21 Championship 2011:
England 1:1 Spain Herrera 14', Welbeck 87'
Herning, Denmark, Att: 8,046

Manchester United's Daniel Welbeck rescued English blushes with a barely-deserved equaliser three minutes from time against Spain in Herning.

The top two teams in the tournament, from the largest football nations, now head into their second games trailing the Czech Republic by two points.

A poacher's goal in the 18th minute by Real Zaragoza's Ander Herrera was all that separated the teams on paper before Welbeck unexpectedly slotted home, but the scoreline belied the gulf between English and Spanish football recently illuminated by the UEFA Champions League Final.

Less than a month ago, the respective top club teams had crossed swords, with Barcelona showing Man Utd a clean pair of heels, sparking the most serious debate yet about the English playing style.

Within the opening minutes it was clear that old habits die hard. England chased and tackled hard on the back foot, while Jordan Henderson launched missiles forward towards the muscular duo of the two Daniels - Sturridge and Welbeck. Brawn but little brain.

Spain, anchored by 2010 World Cup veteran Javi Martinez and untroubled by the English air-raid, pressed en masse and tried to weave their way upfield via their nimble No.19 Thiago Alcantara - more clash of the styles than clash of the titans.

In the 14th minute their influential duo combined to nab the lead from a speedy set-piece. Thiago's whipped corner was nodded on by Martinez and Real Zaragoza midfielder Ander Herrera raced in to head home at the far post.

Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Spanish then marinated possession, leaving England to rely on right-sided thrusts from Tottenham's Kyle Walker for inspiration.

England almost got even five minutes from the interval Sturridge failed to connect with a thumped-in cross from Danny Rose but while the Chelsea forward looked more dangerous as the half was ending, his teammates still relied on hopeful launches from afar.

With their stentorian coach Luis Milla yelling them on from the touchline, Spain entered the dressing-rooms at half-time confident of victory, while England expected a dressing-down from Pearce and talk of a Plan B.

After a spell of English huffing and puffing following the restart, it was Spain almost doubled their lead in the 58th when Herrera the goalscorer found space on the edge of the box and got a shot off, deflected by Phil Jones but clawed away by the agile Frank Fielding between the sticks.

Pearce had seen enough and made two changes in the 67th, pulling off Rose and skipper Michael Mancienne and replacing them with Arsenal's Henri Lansbury and the Premier League experience of Everton's Jack Rodwell, a veteran of 2009.

Meanwhile, Spain were still in control of the battle, laying comfortably at anchor in the knowledge the English cannons were off-kilter. Right-back Martin Montoya fired into the side-netting twenty minutes from time to finish off a lovely move, but otherwise the Iberians were content to contain.

Ten minutes to go and the biggest cheer of the night erupted as Barcelona's Bojan Krkic took the field, while Pearce played his last card by throwing on Scott Sinclair in place of Tom Cleverley.

Finally the gods smiled on England as the Spanish defence were caught napping by Walker's incursion three minutes from time. The Spurs man found Welbeck with space in the box and a neat turn allowed him time to pick his spot past De Gea and slot home.

England's players cheered their travelling support at the final whistle relieved at their good fortune, while Spain trudged off annoyed they had failed to make their superiority count - their centre-back pairing of Botia and Alvaro Dominguez arguing over who was to blame for the equaliser.

Honours shared, the two go into their second games on Wednesday against the Czech Republic and Ukraine seeking more.

ENGLAND (4-2-3-1) - Frank Fielding, Michael Mancienne (sub Henri Lansbury 67'), Ryan Bertrand, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Kyle Walker, Thomas Cleverley (sub Scott Sinclair 81'), Danny Rose (sub Jack Rodwell 67')
Coach: Stuart Pearce

SPAIN (4-1-2-2-1) - David de Gea, Alvaro Dominguez, Javi Martinez, Jeffren (sub Bojan Krkic 80'), Adrian (Daniel Parejo 72'), Juan Mata, Martin Montoya, Didac Vila Rosello, Ander Herrera (Diego Capel 86'), Thiago Alcantara, Alberto Botia
Coach: Luis Milla

EURO U21 2011 so far

Belarus 2:0 Iceland

Denmark 0:1 Switzerland

Czech Republic 2:1 Ukraine

England 1:1 Spain

Tue 14/06/11 - All times CET

Switzerland v Iceland (Aalborg 18:00)

Denmark v Belarus (Aarhus 20:45)

Wed 15/06/11 -

Czech Republic v Spain (Viborg 18:00)

England v Ukraine (Herning 20:45)

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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Flying another flag

There's nothing like Christmas to bring up old and unresolved family issues.

With the rest of Europe, England apart, on hibernal hiatus, 32,000 turned out at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium tonight to watch Catalonia hammer Honduras, a representative in last summer's World Cup Finals, 4-0, with a brace from Barça's Bojan Krkic.

The Catalan eleven also boasted blaugrana stalwart Carles Puyol and teammate Sergio Busquets, who both lifted the World Cup in Spanish colours in South Africa this year. Barça heavy though the team was, the Catalonia squad actually contained more players from the city's other team, Español.

The Catalan national team remains of course unrecognised by FIFA or UEFA, as are a handful of European 'countries' like Corsica, Gibraltar, Jersey, Kosovo, Monaco and the Vatican City. FIFA now demand full United Nations recognition before they rubber-stamp anything, but in their quest for acceptance, the 'forgotten nations' point to the footballing status of not entirely sovereign states such as Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein and San Marino, as well as the four nations which make up the United Kingdom, which has only one seat at the UN.

The Spanish close season or mid-winter break are the only times the Catalan national team can realistically assemble, but on the evidence of recent outings, their side, now coached by Barcelona idol Johan Cruyff, would be a force in European football were it playing regularly: Last year they downed Diego Maradona's Argentina 4-2 at the Camp Nou, beat Colombia 2-1 the year before that and in 2003 thrashed Ecuador 4-0, five years after a memorable 5-0 walloping of Nigeria. And absent from their ranks tonight were Catalan aces Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Xavi, World Soccer's Player of the Year for 2010.

Indeed, Spain won the World Cup playing the Barcelona style and with far more Catalans (five) than any other regional nationality, although the skipper who hoisted the golden prize aloft in Soweto was Madrid-born and 100% Real man Iker Casillas.

That magical night in the Rainbow Nation shone a brighter than ever spotlight upon Spain's fractured footballing loyalties, which were last probed in depth following their Euro 2008 victory. Claim and counter-claim surrounded the extent to which the triumph of 'La Roja' ('The Red') was cheered in its less than ardently patriotic regions, and the apparently obvious semantics of the chant 'Yo soy español, español, español' ('I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish') which echoed around the country this summer, were equally dissected at length.

Maybe it was the dawn of a new and modern Spain ready at last to jettison a painful past or perhaps it was just a passing fiesta where everyone fervently embraced each other in brotherly love as on New Year's Eve, toasting La Roja with ample Rioja, before waking up hungover the next morning with unforgiven feuds and remembered rivalries.

AS Diario, one of Spain's daily football papers, summed up the conundrum quite succinctly in its headline 'Visca España' - 'visca' being the Catalan version of 'viva'.

And Cruyff, despite his assimilated Senyera DNA - he named his son Jordi after all, does not foresee or even desire that Catalunya should become FIFA-recognised or an independent nation any time soon. He speaks (ropey) Castillian Spanish rather than Catalan, yet remains proud to take charge of what are essentially glorified friendlies once a season in his adopted homeland.

With Spain defeating Holland in the World Cup final only a few months ago, harvesting the fruit of the seeds he had planted as a player with Barcelona in the 1970s, perhaps this is not the best time to be questioning Cruyff's cultural leanings with any certainty anyway.

The Basque country also has a national team in action over Christmas, hosting Venezuela tomorrow night in Bilbao. Heavily dependent on the historically Basque club sides of Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, their squad also boasts Spanish World Cup-winner Xabi Alonso of Real Madrid.

Euskadi are no slouches either, having claimed the scalps of a host of FIFA nations across the last twenty years including Uruguay, Ghana, Russia, Serbia, Venezuela, Nigeria, Bolivia and Morocco. Famous former players from the Basque country include the great goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, still Spain's record cap-winner, and the flying French World Cup-winning left back Bixente Lizarazu.

And the tapestry does not end there: Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Extremadura, Galicia, Murcia, Navarre and the Region of Valencia have all played friendlies against FIFA-recognised nations during the past decade.

A united Spain might have won the World Cup in June, but the red of its national shirt, in truth belies a coat of many cultures.



(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile

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