I take the possession point, but I think Spain stopped Italy playing and scored two sensational footballling goals.
Xavi was Pirlo's shadow throughout the first half, preventing him getting any room to dictate play. It's the first time in the tournament a team managed to stop Pirlo.
Xavi proved that to mark a playmaker out of the game you don't need to kick or foul him. Xavi simply closed Pirlo's space down, and moved his body to block his preferred pass. As a playmaker himself, Xavi was almost reading Pirlo's thoughts.
The two Spanish goals were made by fantastic timing of the through ball: Iniesta for Fabregas (to cross for Silva) and Xavi for Alba. It was vision combined with technique combined with timing to hit the player on the run in stride. Beautiful football.
Torres wins the golden boot.
He wins it because he played fewer minutes.
I am a huge admirer of Spain and the football they play. But I think you could also look at that first half and say it's not often a team manages to prevent Spain having as much of the ball in dangerous areas as Italy did that first half. As I pointed out Pirlo at half time had had more ball than Xavi and only one less (I think) than Iniesta. How many opposition playmakers get to see that much ball against Spain ?
Spain's goals were beautifully crafted (do they score any other ?) but I was impressed with how Italy were prepared to take some of the game to Spain at times and had the courage and ability to not just sit back and try and stop them. I think the difference was purely that Spain have three/four Pirlo's and Italy only had one !
Did they show Balotelli leaving the field on the uk coverage? From the looks of it he won't be back to pick up medal.
What a **** Balotelli is. Whilst his team shake hands and applaud the Italian fans he storms off and cries.
I am a huge admirer of Spain and the football they play. But I think you could also look at that first half and say it's not often a team manages to prevent Spain having as much of the ball in dangerous areas as Italy did that first half.
As I pointed out Pirlo at half time had had more ball than Xavi and only one less (I think) than Iniesta. How many opposition playmakers get to see that much ball against Spain ?
I think the difference was purely that Spain have three/four Pirlo's and Italy only had one !