Ronaldo robbed of wonder goal

My personal feelings aside, you can't argue with the ability of this guy. Cristiano Ronaldo, in the midst of his country's utter shellacking of World Champion Spain, created one of the most jaw dropping "goals" you will ever see. The problem is, it didn't count.

After stopping short on Pique, flicking the ball behind him to his stronger right foot, Ronaldo then dragged the ball ever so slightly and chipped a flat footed Casillas. Unfortunately, his teammate thought it important to make sure the goal-bound ball really crossed the line with some gusto and headed it home. Nani flagged for offsides and the goal waved off.

After watching about fifty replays, and you should too, watch the drag before the chip. Usually Ronaldo adds twinkle toe accessories to his moves for the sake of pissing people off. However, the drag is what kept Puyol and an onrushing Xabi Alonso on edge for that split second to prevent them from blocking the shot. It also occurred to me that if Nani was the shooter, Ronaldo probably would have done the exact same thing by heading the ball into the net.

But hey, Portugal still won 4-0 and Captain Ronaldo didn't celebrate a single goal with his teammates. Why? Because he wasn't the one who scored them....duh.

Anchorette Update

Karina Kvasniova is not only a beautiful sports journalist for La Sexta, she also happens to be born and raised in Lithuania - Spain's upcoming opponent in their European qualifier. "It is a luxury to play against the world champion," she explained in a recent interview.

She left for Spain to pursue a Masters degree in sports journalism and decided to re-settle upon completion.

Kvasniova claims basketball is Lithuania's biggest contribution to the sports world. I think she's just being modest...

World Cup champs receive their weight...in beer

Trophies...keys to the city...medals...videos...photos -  the spoils of war for winning the World Cup. But let's be honest, all these things will hang on the wall or sit in a case and remain untouched and unused for years to come. That is what winning the World Cup gets you? Nonsense!!

Thank heavens the Spaniards have other options. Cruzcampo, one la selección's main sponsors, has decided to reward their champions with a different type of memento. Something that won't collect dust and become obsolete in a year's time. Something that will generate continued celebration and debauchery for months and months to come - BEER.

Yesterday, one by one, the squad stepped onto the "beer scale," which measured their weight in kilos and converted that into liters. However much brawn you brought to the table determined the number of cases you walked out with.

In total, the team amassed 1,734 liters of beer. The most went to Basque striker Fernando Llorente, pictured above, weighing in at 94.6kg (approx 209 lbs). Poor little Jesús Navas who weighs all of 60kg (approx 132lbs) only went home with 180 beers...

Oktoberfest?! Pff. Looks like Novemberfest, Decemberfest, and maybe even Januaryfest are in order for the world champions. 

WAG Wednesday Part 1 - Orsi Feher

Hungarian model Orsi Feher is the girlfriend of Atlético Madrid manager Quique Sánchez Flores aka the Spanish James Bond. Would you expect any less from him?

The best part is she doesn't just shop and look good. She watches every match whether in person or on television. And according to her, all they talk about is football - tactics, players, positives and negatives.

A hot girl with a football IQ? No better way to start this new Wednesday series.

More shots of Ms. Feher after the jump:

Spanish Youngsters Show Their Class...Again

On a day when the first team got rocked by Argentina 4-1, Spain's U-21 team continues to dazzle the competition with its exquisite skill and technique. With a free kick set up roughly 25 yards out, the Spaniards put together another cheeky display of how to make fools of your opponents. Don't feel sorry for Poland. They should have done their homework.

La Liga Table Preview

La Liga kicks off this weekend, and this column couldn't be any more excited for it to start. As such, here's how it will turn out.

1. Barcelona

2. Real Madrid

3. Atlético Madrid

4. Athletic Bilbao

5. Villareal

6. Valencia

7. Sevilla

8. Getafe

9. Espanyol

10. Deportivo La Coruña

11. Real Sociedad

12. Almeria

13. Mallorca

14. Osasuna

15. Real Zaragoza

16. Sporting Gijon

17. Málaga

18. Racing Santander

19. Hercules

20. Levante

Anchorettes Part 2 - Spain & Italy

Aaaaah Mediterranean women. Elegant...smooth...olive colored skin...blissful perfumes and aromas. They'll romance you with fine wines and rose petals. Think antiquity - beautiful women draped all over you, feeding grapes into your mouth. It's quite an ideal utopia for any right-minded man. Back in reality though, we do our best to constrict to society's rules of seduction and courting, and quite often find it a bit more difficult to conquer than our dream world...

In the same respect is our quest to meet, marry, and man-handle every hot body we see on television, all to often futile. The only thing that enables our fantasy to evolve is fixing our eyes on that television every week hoping our dream anchor will appear before us.

So, after a proper introduction to England and France's cream of the crop a few weeks back, we turn to Italy and Spain whose domestic campaigns commence this weekend. Italy packs a strong punch, with supermodel looks and cunning reporting. The world champions, on the other hand, report their football the same way they play it - with class and a soft tenderness. Making beauty so incredibly simple. We are all blessed to bear witness to such magnificence on a weekly basis.

Let the battle for Mediterranean supremacy begin!

The Future is Now

Congratulations to France who on Friday won the European U19 Championship in Caen over Spain by a score of 2-1. Dominated in the first half and trailing by a goal, the French came out a different team in the second half...at least after the first 4 minutes. The 3 before that included 2 guilt-edged chances for Spain who should have sealed the championship. However, France remained composed and equalized in the 49th minute against the run of play on a splendid goal from Gilles Sunu. France wouldn't let Spain play their game by pressuring and harassing anyone with the ball. It ultimately paid off as Alexandre Lacazette headed home the winner in the 85th minute to claim France's 7th championship.

Good for France. Seriously. After what happened at the World Cup, they deserved something to be proud of. 20,000 strong filled Stade Michel d'Ornano roaring on their home team with every touch. Any way you look at it, this was a breathe of fresh air for French football, and more importantly, it was the kids - the next generation - who did it.

How important is winning such a tournament? Perhaps only time will tell. These kids are still extremely young and have important years ahead in their development. Unfortunately, it is likely that many of the players will not feature for their clubs and national teams in the near future. They're still only between 17-19 years old. There is a slight exception to the rule though...

Practice Makes Perfect

Creativity in the Spanish camp apparently runs through every level of their national football program. The U-19 squad converted this cheeky, cheeky, cheeky free kick against England today in the semi-finals of the U-19 European Championships.

Right off the training pitch:

Wrapping Up Celebrations in Spain

The moments and memories of winning a World Cup last a lifetime. In realistic terms though, it's about 24 hours. Spain's rocking fiesta came to a close at midnight yesterday. All of the players have flown home from Madrid or straight to their holiday destinations. Here's some of the best sites and sounds from the past day...

One Spain...for now

Once again, football has achieved what politicians never could. In a scene that Spain has never witnessed in all it's history, every region of the country took to the streets to celebrate as one people. Spain was one country last night - one unified people flying the same flag and supporting the same establishment. I noticed the difference immediately. Back in 2008 when Spain defeated Germany in the final of the European Championship, every player draped themselves in their own respective regional flags. Sunday evening? Not a chance. No regional flags. Only a group of 23 guys wearing La Roja with the World Cup star freshly woven above the crest.

I was anxious to see how the country would experience the game. The Catalan government in Barcelona agreed, for the first time in HISTORY, to erect a fan zone for people to watch the final - to allow the people to openly support Spain. Tens of thousands crammed Avenida Maria Cristina in front of the beautiful art museum to take in the final. The celebrations and rioting afterwards actually resulted in more arrests than any other city in the country...go figure.




What about Pais Vasco? Reports today indicate that 75% of the Basque population watched the final. In Barakaldo, Ermua, Bilbao, San Sebastian - fans took to the streets and celebrated the win.

Now I know that for many of you, your jaw isn't dropping to the floor. So let me at least try and give you an idea why this is so epic. Fans in Barakaldo were greeted with this outside their viewing party. It's not much but it just goes to show you that the 25% who didn't watch the game were protesting in some fashion. They could never support the country even in a World Cup final. To them, it was as if 2 other countries were playing for the trophy - neither of them their own.

Then of course there's Barcelona. What makes the party on Sunday so incredible is what happened on Saturday. Depending on who you ask, 60,000-1.1 million people took to the streets. Only they were there to protest a decision by the constitutional court which stripped from the Spanish constitution certain amendments that granted Catalunya the legal right to declare itself a "nation" and to privilege the Catalan language over Spanish (all the schools up until college are taught in Catalan). A day before the biggest sporting event in history, the Catalans were stripped of practically every legal right they had to consider themselves a nation within Spain. And the very next day, everything I mentioned above took place to celebrate Spain.

It's tough to put into words the fractured relationship within this country. I had hoped before the final that they would put aside their political and cultural differences and give united support to the players and the country. My wish came true. And if only for a day or two, the scenes in every plaza of every city can and will never be replicated with a treaty or a speech or a politician's agenda. Football has the ability to break down barriers where no other options are available. The power of this sport reared its head once again.

For one night in July, Spain was a united Spain.

A Proper Tribute

Just a quick note here about Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos' touching tributes to 2 players who were watching the match from above.

After scoring the game winner, Iniesta ripped off his jersey to reveal a heartfelt message to Dani Jarque - "Siempre con nosotros" - "Always with us." The 26 year old captain of RCD Espanyol (the other team in Barcelona), Jarque was found dead in his hotel room last year - the victim of a heart attack. It was a moment that shocked the entire country and brought the city of Barcelona together. He was also Iniesta's teammate on the Spanish under-19 and under-20 team. I don't think Andres really cared about that yellow card he received for taking his shirt off.

You will have also noticed that Sergio Ramos always looks to the sky during the Spanish national anthem (he and Jesus Navas also wore special t-shirts after the game). He looks to the sky at his childhood friend Antonio Puerta. In August 2007 the 22 year old left-back for Sevilla, who was the future of the position for Spain and would have been on the squad in South Africa, suffered a heart attack on the field during a game. After a series of more cardiac arrests over the next three days, he finally passed - leaving behind his girlfriend who was 8 months pregnant with their first child.

Spain dedicated their win to Jarque and Puerta, and did so with the class that both of those players embodied during their tragically short careers.

Beauty Defeats the Beast

(marca.com)

After 120 minutes of some of the most disgraceful football I have ever seen, especially on a platform like the World Cup final, brute force lost. Beauty and guile won. In a game that saw 14 yellow cards, horrendous tackles, and one flying kung-fu kick, Spain managed to nick another late goal to secure the ever so classy one-nil victory (their fourth on the trot).

The Dutch did everything I expected them to do. They came out and actually held good possession for the opening 10 minutes. Every Spaniard on the ball had very limited time to act. What I also expected, which unfortunately came true, were the bullying tactics. I knew - I KNEW - that Van Bommel and De Jong wouldn't make it out of this match without a yellow card each. When that final whistle blew, it was shocking both were actually still on the field. What a disgusting pair of players. Absolutely shocking disregard for the safety and well being of other people on the field. Every one of the tackles was studs up, late, from behind, or any combination of those.

Iker - Get. Your. Girl.

Poor Sara. She was thrown under the bus and made the scapegoat for Spain's opening loss to Switzerland. After all, no team had ever lost their opening game and went on to lift the World Cup. Well guess what, this tournament was a first for everything.

So afterwards, during their interview which is always so incredibly awkward to watch, Iker slapped a nice fatty on his ever so adorable girlfriend. Throw that on the front pages!  (note how super embarrassed she is afterwards)

World Cup Final Preview

WHEN SPAIN HAVE THE BALL

Well it's obvious this will be a common sight. The question is where the weaknesses are in the Dutch defense. Gio van Bronckhorst is no Jerome Boatang of Germany who was subbed off in the 52nd minute against Spain, so attacking down the right will be a bit more difficult this time around for Sergio Ramos. I think the best bet would be the left side against Gregory van der Wiel - a 22 year old lil' baby instead of the 35 year old captain. As good as he is and will be, van der Wiel is ill prepared for the mental discipline needed to defend against the movements of Pedro (if he starts), Iniesta, and Villa.

Busquets and Xabi Alonso will need to help Xavi more than they have in previous games. Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong are two big and very physical midfielders who will surely smother anything that enters the center circle. In order to free up Xavi, he cannot be forced to come back too deep to receive the ball. Meaning, Busquets and/or Alonso will need to push up a bit farther to provide a little wiggle room for the maestro. Allow Xavi to get closer to the forwards where he can send that killer pass into the box. Otherwise, the Dutch midfield will squeeze him out.

Lastly, that free flowing movement up front will be key once again...assuming Pedro gets the start. Pedro and Iniesta switching from right to left and vice versa will keep the Dutch defense on edge. Villa will have to be a different player than he is when Torres plays, but the gaps will be there for him. This Dutch defense is a tad inferior to the Germans, which should bode well for the men up front. I want to say that because it's a final, many goals will be necessary to win. However, with this team we know that isn't the case. Score first - that's the most important.

WHEN THE NETHERLANDS HAVE THE BALL

Which will be sparse. However, they have the key to unlock that high defensive line the Spanish play, and his name is Wesley Sneijder. The second best midfielder on the planet only needs a split second to turn and release a devastating ball behind the back 4. I would expect Ramos and Capdevila to push up as they have all tournament from their defensive positions. That will leave TONS of space to exploit on the counter. Ramos has always been faulted for being caught out of position so Dirk Kuyt will have plenty of open space to run at on the left side. As for Robben on the right, whether it's open space or simply a one-on-one (perhaps Capdevila will be a bit less adventurous knowing the threat he leaves open behind him), he is MUCH quicker than Capdevila and should have no problem beating him.

Going through the middle won't work. We have all seen how relatively boring this Dutch team has been, lacking any sort of fluidity and creativity. The middle is going to be a war zone of tackling and it would be best to spread the Spanish lines and give themselves as much room to operate as possible.

Have a go from distance. Although Casillas is coming off his best game between the posts, he is still not the same keeper he was 2 years ago. The Dutch players should give him an early run-around and see if they can capitalize on any howlers. As for their central striker, I expect Van Persie to be a non factor again. He's drifted off many times this tournament and has been almost as inept as Fernando Torres. Now he's going to try and conjure up some confidence to go at Pique and Puyol? Don't see it happening.

PREDICTION
I've heard certain loonies claim that this Spain is boring to watch. After breaking down the argument, it ultimately centered on the lack of goals they are scoring. In response to that, someone said that compared to 2 years ago, "It's almost like they've gone too far." And I can see what he's saying. They have mastered this style of football to such an extent that they are are content with a different style of winning. 3, 4, 5 goals aren't needed anymore. The defense has gotten better, possession has been easier to hold, they get the ball back quicker than they used to, 1 goal is more than enough. It's a scary thought, but one that you have to admire. There is absolutely nothing boring about watching a team so comfortable in their style of play, break down an opposing team bit by bit. It's like a clinic in cruel and unusual punishment, knowing that death blow lies in wait somewhere.

I don't want to completely minimize the chances for this Dutch team to win, because they will have their chances. Whether or not they cash them in is a different matter altogether. The Germans were the team that had the deadliest combination of counter attacks this tournament that could unseat the Spanish and it simply didn't work. Yes, the Dutch will more than likely pressure the ball and not allow them as much time as the Germans did. But remember, no team applies more pressure on the ball than the Spanish! So when the Dutch get it, they'll need to be quick and incisive. They haven't shown that to date and there's no reason for me to believe they will now.

The better team will win the this game. The best team in this tournament will lift the trophy.

2-1 to Spain. Viva España.

The Bigger Picture in Spain

"It's not always easy for a Barcelona player to be a symbol of Spain," remarked Martin Tyler after Carles Puyol sent Spain to the finals. Forget the fact that he plays for Barcelona, he's Catalan.

For decades, Spain has been a fractured society. Made up of about 19 autonomous regions, each one treats itself as separate from Spain. They all claim to speak their own language. Yes, it's all Spanish with different dialects, but go to Sevilla and they'll tell you they speak Andalucian. Go to A Coruña and they speak Galician. Even within the Catalan regions, people in Valencia speak Valencian, not Catalan.

Football has been no different. Athletic Bilbao has been around since 1898, and in that time they have ONLY fielded Basque players on their team. No Spaniards, no Catalans, no islanders. Basque only. The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona gets caught up in so much politics that you forget there's even a game going on. It goes all the way up to the national team - where for years Raul stood tall in the locker room. A proud Madridista who wasn't shy about his political orientation, he often prevented the team from gelling as a cohesive unit. He intimidated newcomers, and made any outsider feel very uncomfortable. The team was split into many small groups of players. It's no surprise they choked in every single tournament, and then won the first chance they got when Raul was dropped.

Reaction in Spain

How they heard it:




How they witnessed it in Madrid:

A Por La Final

Complete domination. There's no other way to put it. For starters, I was completely wrong in assuming this wouldn't be a repeat of the Euro Cup Final. It ended up being more or less the same exact thing! Same scoreline. Same mammoth possession for the Spanish. Same German tactics to sit back and absorb pressure rather than pressing and giving little time for their opponents to operate. And go figure, the goal that did it wasn't a smooth pass, a quick 1-2, nor any form of art that we would expect from Spain. Instead we got a powerful header from the rock at the back off of a corner kick - perhaps the most UN-Spanish way you'll ever see them score.

Semifinal Preview #2

Los Peñajara, who haven't run in Pamplona since 1998 kicked off the second day of the San Fermín festival. A clean run with very minimal injuries kicked off a day which everyone hopes will end with the ceremonial death of their counterparts (see the entire run here). A couple thousand miles to the south, another Spanish fury is readying themselves for the "game of their lives" as one Spanish newspaper put it. In their way stand the Germans - a historical clinic in efficiency - who have lit up some of the world's best so far. Don't expect a repeat of the Euro 2008 final which saw the Spaniards suffocate their opponents with a score of 1-0.

Sheer Ecstasy

Many of us are used to our broadcasters having their own comfy little booths or suites at the stadiums to call the big games. Your own cameras, your own assistants etc.  However, with 32 teams at this tournament and an entire planet stopping in their tracks for each game, clearly there's nowhere near enough personal broadcasting booths. 

So they throw them all into a mosh pit of sorts - scores of different languages and personalities screaming and moaning at the top of their lungs one next to the other.  This is how the two men covering Spain's Telecinco broadcast called it. The guy on the left is José Antonio Camacho - manager of Osasuna who play in Pamplona (running of the bulls).