(Image: Spain v Nigeria at France ‘98. It wasn’t always sunny in Madrid)
Jumping on the wagon.
In Trinidad and Tobago, of a population of roughly 1.3 million, there are about 5 million fans of the Spanish national team. Wait, what? Well thinking about it, it is not as irrational as it seems on paper. Almost everyone who watches football nowadays seems to either support Spain or FC Barcelona and it is bordering on infuriating.
Now I’m not saying it’s a travesty to support the team of your choice. However in the social circles of the sports fan, great pride is taken by one’s loyalty to their particular team; regardless of how ridiculous it seems. Yeah we know none of us in T&T live in Manchester or have ever been there or intend to be there; but when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer toe poked United’s winner into the roof of the net in ‘99 many became Man United converts. Having a certain Tobagonian on the roster that night at the Camp Nou didn’t hurt either. People have varying reasons for supporting their team that can generally be respected. However as society has tailored people hell-bent on instant gratification, there are a new breed of fans emerging. Ahh, save the professionalism: I hate band-wagonists!
Bragging rights have always been a part of sports fanboy-ism. Although one did not play a season with Chelsea or isn’t even English, they take great pride in gloating when they won the CL. But to be fair every fan does this. It just seems more legitimate when the individual laughing at your expense actually knows and supports the victor.
In T&T in particular, it seems that it has become increasingly crucial to be on the winning side. Always. On the other side of the spectrum, the football purist loathes disloyalty and will follow their team to the depths of hell and back if they have to. To them, honouring their marriage with their club super-imposes any silverware the club may win.
However the die-hard fan is also a dying breed. Particularly in this country you get a lot of opportunist fans that switch allegiances as soon as the going gets tough and/or another team rises to the pantheon of greatness. This time around the carousel has stopped at Spain, or Barça whichever team would suffice for the purposes of this post. It’s tough for the actual Spain fans I know because they’re constantly drowned out by the idiocy of the football illiterate, spewing hot fecal matter at their detractors.
Imagine a friend of mine, Blaugrana fan since ‘98 tells me another “Barça fan” starts a fight at Woodford Café after the first leg CL defeat to Chelsea. I suppose he’s the vice president on the Barcelona board - Rossell’s right-hand man. Or let’s take it up a notch, because Barcelona have been successful in the past 20 years.
Spain conversely, have imploded time and again since God first spoke to Moses. Their only win was in 1964 at home in the early days of the European Championships. However in the past four years which have been a real Spanish renaissance, every Tom, Dick and Harry not only supports Spain but banishes all opposed to the pits for not converting to their new religion. I wonder where these fans were when Spain lost to Nigeria 3-2 at France ‘98? Or when they were eliminated on penalties by England in Euro ‘96? Or when they crashed out of Euro ‘04? Or when France had their number every time they met in major competition? Probably off somewhere being a die-hard “Brazilian.”
Speaking of which, where are all the Brazilian fans at the moment? Apart from the real Brasileiros I know, there aren’t many. “Brazil are chopped liver yo, no Ronaldinho, no Ronaldo, no Pelé so dem eh winning sh*t again nah!” - words from the orifice of a wagonist.
Truth be told, what Spain/Barça are doing now is nothing short of amazing. So this particular band of wagonists (pardon the pun) may be here to stay long after the Spanish ship has sailed. However I wonder how long it would take before they change citizenship once again? Twelve years may be the educated guess because that is how long it took France to change from the “best eva” to “a team of nobodies.” Choose your allegiance wisely my friends.
Taylor
Del Bosque is laughing all the way to the bank.
When Italy drew with Spain or in other words; Spain failed to defeat the Italians in their opening Euro 2012 fixture, Del Bosque was thrown into the meat grinder. Why? Because of his tactical decision to leave Fernando Torres on the bench as well as any recognised centre forward. Instead, he inserted Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas who is more a nomadic figure than anything resembling a centre forward. Three weeks later Spain created history albeit against a team turned into invalids when they were down to ten men with a third of the match remaining. The most mind-boggling aspect of Spain’s 4-0 triumph was that it was achieved with the same “negative” starting lineup as in their opening match (gasp). Del Bosque’s detractors are flabbergasted.
The Spanish exclusion of an actual striker caused an understandable few grumbles across Europe. It’s already a general subplot that with the accomplishments of Jose Mourinho at the 09/10 Champions League and more recently Chelsea this year, that “anti-football” seems to be on the rise. While I don’t agree that parking the bus (especially when necessary) should be a criterion to crucify a team, I will say that modern football has become increasingly pragmatic and reactive. Competitions have become so contextually important to respective teams, that they would rather hold the fort in spartan fashion if it guaranteed progression. So the combination of the Soldado exclusion, as well as neither Llorente nor “El Niño” in their starting lineup in Gdansk, suggested at the very least that Spain had inevitably succumbed to their “shortcomings” that is; the lack of an in-form striker to operate at this level, and no Puyol at the back to protect an out-of-form Piqué.
Well now that the dust has settled and order is restored (the perspective of tiki-taka aficionados at least), let us see where the critics may have overlooked a few factors. So Del Bosque deployed Fabregas as a striker. While it’s common knowledge that he will never possess the requisites of a centre forward, he did however play in a similarly advanced role à la Pep last season. This new autonomy to roam further forward was invariably successful, but yielded nine goals for a player more similar to a Xavi than a Raul. So okay Cesc has minor experience in the role but what guarantee was there that no actual centre forward in a lineup would be effective for their campaign? Did anyone watch a Barça match last season? When Villa went down in December they essentially had no striker to call upon, but Messi still bagged tonnes of goals week in, week out. Oh by the way, to the layman football fan Lionel Messi is not a striker. He can fit into that nominal role but he is far more enigmatic and versatile to just stay near the penalty area sniffing out a chance in Inzaghi-eque form. Messi for the past couple seasons has revolutionised what was once an attacking midfielder or second striker into what is known as the false nine; or as I like to call it: “The Phantom.”
Excuse the corny monikers, but Del Bosque borrowed bits and ends from the Blaugrana system in order to buttress a team already overflowing with talent. So Fabregas when started would “ghost” out of position in order for another player; sometimes Iniesta, sometimes Silva, to fill that false nine role. The end result was mass bewilderment and confusion. One of the keys to Del Bosque’s tactics was that the midfield is the most important area of the pitch; it supports the attack while protecting the defense. Pretty relevant when you consider Spain’s for/against ratio was (12/1) at Euro 2012. His 4-6-0 formation constantly drowned the opposition whether they had the ball or not, which meant the Iberians could bide their time before one of their assorted midfielders felt like scoring.
Spain were boring! Well… it does get monotonous when one team can be so dominant. Remember what Manchester United home matches were like in the EPL about twelve years ago? Exactly. It also doesn’t help when teams like France deliberately shut-up-shop and try to stop Spain instead of playing them either. The only teams that really pushed the Spanish were the Portuguese in the semi, and the Italians in the opening match. That contest could have gone either way, although I personally felt the Spanish failed to crush a tired Italian midfield in the second half. The point is Italy led by another tactician, Prandelli took the gamble and it nearly paid rich dividends. When the ex viola coach reverted to Italian type in the final… well you know how that story ends.
Del Bosque’s tactical nous has ushered us into the post-modern era of football. So alright Spain are no Brazil by any stretch, but who said they never needed to rely on individual flair? The collective effort, technical superiority, pragmatic opposition and a coach known for winning the CL regularly were all they needed to re-create history. I would have hated if Del Bosque were Trinidadian. His catch-phrase from now on would have been: “Talk nah!”
Taylor
Blue wall may stand in way of repeat final.
Germany are the overwhelming favourites to go into the Euro 2012 final. The general consensus is that the Italians will be easily taken apart by die mannschaft. However it is also noteworthy that the Germans have never defeated Italy in competitive football. Wait, really?
This semi final has shades of Euro 2000 all over it. On that occasion, tournament favourites, The Netherlands, were in a bullish mood in the wake of their 6-1 demolition of Yugoslavia. Italy had just defeated the Romanians 2-0 in their quarter final in a more modest display. That match went down into the annals of footballing history as the Italians managed to avoid elimination, after losing Zambrotta to a second yellow after about 17 minutes, and surviving two penalties. This time around though, it seems that they face an even greater challenge in the Germans. Unlike in 2000, today’s Italy lack the sustained quality as they did then along with a couple other frailties that can be suicidal in a match like this.
Coming into this tournament, Italy boasted a lot of creativity in midfield and attack. Their achilles heel was at the heart of their defense (not something you’d associate with gli azzurri). That sounds more like the profile for a conventional Brazilian World Cup team. What’s more is that with all that creativity, the Italian forwards have been unable to finish when called upon - a recurring plot for the azzurri the entire tournament.
After watching them take on the English in their quarter final Sunday it seems that the Germans have nothing to fear coming into tomorrow’s clash. They had a slight injury worry where Schweinsteiger was concerned, but he is fit and says he’s ready for the challenge. Even the statistics weigh up in Löw’s favour over the duration of this tournament. In terms of goals for and against, the three-time European Champions are (9-4) while Italy (4-2). Also, if you believe in football superstition, the Germans have never lost a euro final after being runners up in the previous edition. So then why is there the inkling of apprehension in the German camp?
Well, there’s the fact that playing the Italians in major championships is seldom a good omen for Germany. They’ve never managed to beat Italy thus far in either the World Cup or European Championships. Particularly in the World Cup, it has been heartbreak for the then West Germany as on two occasions Italy eliminated them from the World Cup. In 1970 at the semi finals as well as losing emphatically to Italy’s talented midfielders in the 1982 final. Things didn’t change post unification as Germany drew 0-0 will the Italians in their final group fixture in euro ‘96. Of course for a lot of Italian fans the memory of Fabio Grosso’s face in 2006 is as eternal as Tardelli’s famous celebration in 1982.
The point is Italy have always had a knack of pulling off the unexpected when the world least expects it. In 1970 they set a world record for winning their first round group despite scoring only one goal. Yet they had the character to beat West Germany 4-3 in the epic semi to face Pelé’s Brazil in the final. In 1982 they also had a less-than-convincing campaign in their first round group qualifying for the second group phase with only three draws. However, they came to life, bludgeoning Maradona into submission to beat Argentina, then in one of the all-time great matches beat Brazil 3-2, after Rossi’s hattrick eclipsed the brilliance of Zico, Falcão and Socrates. At euro 2000 a more defensive than ever Italy unit survived the Oranje tide and came within 30 seconds of winning the entire tournament. In 2006 while the calciopoli betting scandal crippled the league, la nazionale went on to win their fourth World Cup as a cohesive unit.
However ultimately all this history does not determine what’s to occur in 90 minutes, but anyone aware of the history between these two should expect an epic battle. Or we may see Italy implode like they did in South Africa and succumb to a superior team on paper. It all depends on which Italy team shows up on the day, or if the Germans can finally exorcise those blue demons.
Taylor
Carrying his team into the semi finals virtually with one deft flick of his boot - Andrea Pirlo.
Cristiano Ronaldo 1-0 “Cech” Republic
It was a case of: come of the hour, come of the man as the Portuguese captain inspired his side to a semi final berth. He superimposed his performance against the Dutch last Sunday with an even more electrifying performance. Petr Cech threatened to steal the show though, as he made a string of impressive saves particularly in the second half. Portugal are building momentum at a crucial stage in these championships and are emerging as a real dark horse. The winner of the France/Spain needs to beware.
The Czechs were organised throughout and particularly in the first half, Gebre Selassie’s man-marking of Cristiano Ronaldo was effective. The eastern Europeans
absorbed as much as they could and threatened on the break. However the Portuguese defence has always been their strong point, and they were able to thwart everything thrown at them; including a series of corners in the first half. On the quarter hour, Vladimir Darida having an excellent debut, swung a teasing arcing cross for Baros who was unable to capitalise.
Ronaldo would not be content with Baros stealing the show though and was the nucleus of the Portuguese attack. He was wrongly penalised for a foul when he shrugged his marker off before driving at Cech. He hit the post just before the break after swivelling past his Czech escort, Michal Kadlec and hitting a fierce drive.
The short halftime respite made no difference as the Portuguese increased the tempo after the break. Hugo Almeida headed over when he attempted to finsih a move constructed straight from the kick-off. Petr Cech kept his team in the match for as long as possible. Ronaldo’s free kick had beaten him and hit the post, while the livewire Nani then João Moutinho stung Cech’s fingertips from distance. His save against Moutinho’s strike was a candidate for the best of the tournament so far. Petr Jiráček, a Jens Jeremies lookalike, was having yet another excellent match and his incursions into Portuguese territory kept their defence on alert.
The Portuguese siege continued and Nani’s deflected shot went just over the crossbar. He had the Czech defence at his mercy when he outstripped his marker but fluffed his cross straight into Cech’s hands. The Petr Cech force field was shattered however, when Nani found Moutinho on the right and the Porto playmaker found Ronaldo’s head who made no mistake. Portugal saw out the final ten minutes in Warsaw playing a passing game slicker than Ronaldo’s new haircut and erupted as a nation when the final whistle sounded. They face the winners of the quarter final between France and Spain in Donetsk full of confidence that they can overturn whoever stands in their way. The world is sitting up and taking notice.
Taylor
Orange is not the only fruit.
The implications of yesterday’s defeat are endless. Cristiano Ronaldo responded well after being heavily criticised after the scrape of a win against Denmark. However it was never going to be easy as the Dutch went ahead through a Rafael Van der Vaart curler. Ronaldo beat the offside trap to finish confidently at the near post (similar to a chance he spurned on Wednesday). Then a text book counter attack led to him patiently picking his spot after leaving Van der Viel sprawling in his wake. A late Van der Vaart strike struck the post, but a draw would not have been the tally required to save the sinking Dutch fleet.
With all the permutations making an amazing subplot for the final round of matches in the group of death, Holland for once finally looked the part for the first ten minutes. They then went ahead when Van der Vaart wrapped his left boot around ball, placing it into the far corner. When Germany went ahead versus the Danes in Lviv, things finally seemed to be going the oranje way. What the Dutch didn’t account for was Ronaldo showing up when it really mattered. They couldn’t say they weren’t warned. Twice the Real Madrid forward came close; hitting the post then heading powerfully straight at Stekelenberg. It was third time lucky for him as he timed his run expertly then made sure the ball hit the back of the net and not the advertisers like in the Denmark encounter. Portugal finished the first half with all the possession.
In the second half, Ronaldo’s pace down the flank was irrepresible as he picked out Contrão, then Nani who should have finished with the keeper at his mercy. However in the 74th minute, he started a rapid counter attack, made a 70-yard sprint to the Dutch penalty area before receiving the return ball from Nani, cutting inside and sealing the deal.
It seemed apt that the Dutch wore black to the occasion as their hopes of survival were buried by a Madeiran. Coach Van Marvijk was a forlorn figure in the post-match press conference, but he has to shoulder a lot of the blame for the failed campaign. The creaking legs of the captain Van Bommel were unable to protect the vulnerable back line in a group like this. Plus a lot of players ultimately did not show up; Robben, Van Persie, Sneijder, Huntelaar and the centre of the Dutch defense were all culpable. With this current generation of Dutch players beginning to age and/or lose form at this stage of their respective careers, I can only assume that a lot of wholesale changes would be made with World Cup qualifying beginning in September. Starting with Van Marwijk.
Taylor
Oranje progress reduced to a mathematical equation.
“The Dutch fans are orange in the tops but red in the face.” Those were the words of the BBC commentators at half time of the do-or-die clash with the tournament favourites. That seemingly innocuous one-liner encapsulates the overall feeling of the dutch players. Holland have to hope that they get a miracle in the final round of games in order to qualify for the last eight.
In the wake of the narrow Portugal victory, as things stand if der oranje defeat the Iberians by at least three goals and Germany win against Denmark then there is the distinct possibility that the Dutch will qualify. However it is also likely that Joeleon Lescott will be the top scorer at Euro 2012.
It all went wrong with the intial defeat against the Danes, which in a group such as this is suicidal. Van Marwijk’s tactics are ineffective mainly because we’ve all seen it before. We know that Robben will inevitably cut inside from the right and set himself for one of his famous left footers, we know that Wes Sneijder is going to have games filled with invariably uninventive passes. Not to mention the centre of the Dutch defense is ageing among other overt problems. So coming into the group of death, all Holland had to offer was the same old story up front, an increasingly dire situation at the back and most importanty, a coach that refused to paper over the cracks. Why wasn’t Klaas Jan Huntelaar a starter in the opening match? With Arjen Robben becoming more and more inefficient it was reasonable to assume that two forwards instead of one should have been used against a solid Danish squad. Van Marwijk instead chose to use tactics that worked two years ago in South Africa. Bear in mind that they also leaked a lot of goals for a finalist (five before the final compared to Spain’s two).
Thus when Holland took on the Germans yesterday, it came as no great surprise that Germany were able to take their well-constructed chances in the first half, and resist the expected orange tide in the second half. When Robin Van Persie pulled one back, it just seemed to make things even worse for the Dutch as Germany shut-up-shop with pragmatic possession football, playing down the clock.
Der Oranje’s best hope in the final fixture at a glance is that Van Marwijk needs to change his setup (obviously). The friendlies against Germany (0-3) in Hamburg late last year and earlier in the season against England (3-2) were the signs that Van Marwijk should have been re-evaluating his options on the pitch; particularly in defense. So it seems that the script has already been written for the Dutch. However if Chelsea’s Champions League campaign is any example of the unpredictability of the global game, then expect some fireworks in Sunday’s match. The question is whether the Dutch have the character to defy elimination and reach the last eight.
Taylor
The age-old enemies meet yet again tomorrow. Der Oranje take on Die Mannschaft in a do-or-die clash for both teams. A win means survival for the Dutch, while it can possibly put the Germans in the last eight.
The football history between these two is turbulent. The pinnacle match being the 1974 Wcup final. The rivalry has subsided, but during the decades when the Germans were known as West Germany fury boiled over. Case in point: Frank Rijkaard spitting in Rudy Voeller’s hair as both players are sent off during Italia ‘90.
France v England: Who’s coming out on top this time?
The last time these two met in Int’l competition was at Euro 2004 where a stoppage-time brace from Zizou slaughtered the three lions.
So what’s on the menu this time around? Well, it’s just about even. Because as much as England seem to be the underdogs, it’s actually an open group because France are almost an unknown quantity coming into this tournament.
So whether you’re pro “allez les bleus” or “c’mon England!” what result do you expect today?
European heavyweights play out exciting draw.
It was the best match of the European Championships so far as the last two reigning World Champions squared off in the opener in Group C. The pre-match hype was almost like the weighing-in at a boxing match, and in the red corner Spain were in a buoyant mood as they were coming off a convincing qualifying campaign and impressive warm-ups. In the blue corner the azzurri were not as convincing in internationals in 2012 and were wilting under the match-fixing pressure on the eve of the tournament. Or so the media thought.
Tiki-Taka
As if we needed an indication of the Spanish approach: they started the match with their metronomic passing style. It’s an approach emblematic of the Spanish game and the pedigree of their opposition today made no difference to their philosophy. Busquets to Xavi, to Iniesta, to Silva – the ball seemed to be magnetised to their boots.
Biting Italian marking
Italy came into Euro 2012 conceding only two goals in qualifying – the best defensive record. Their typical solidity at the back would not have been enough against these opponents. They hassled the Spanish for the entire first half to good effect and created the majority of the chances as a result. Cesc Fabregas started as a striker much to the surprise of everyone, and was never off the radar of the blue wall that protected Buffon. They refused to allow Spain to settle for too long in possession.
Italian Chances
Gianluigi Buffon had to wait until after the interval before he was really tested; he only had to deal with the wayward efforts of Silva and Iniesta in the first half. The same cannot be said about Iker Casillas however. He had to meet Pirlo’s low free kick and tip it out for a corner, deal with Cassano’s drive and thwart Motta from close range. The first half ended on a high for gli azzurri.
The red fury
The second half saw la furia roja determined to seize control of the midfield and they increased their tempo. Fabregas’ shot tested Buffon when shortly after Iniesta flashed his volley an inch wide of the far post. It was a dizzying opening to the second period.
Balotelli the enigma
It was impossible that this match would not have had a Balotelli subplot. His overall performance was a bit subdued, especially when compared to his strike partner Cassano. However he was booked presumably because of his reputation more than anything else in the first half. When he robbed Ramos of the ball on the right flank however, it seemed that the opener had finally arrived. but the eternity he wanted to set himself was more than enough time for Ramos to recover and nick the ball from behind him – cue the substitution that made the difference.
The goals
Antonio Di Natale latched on to a penetrative Pirlo pass and waited just long enough before picking his spot confidently. Then Spain equalised before fans across the world could stop tweeting about Italy’s brilliance and tune back in to the action. In my opinion, the buildup was much more impressive than the finish. David Silva’s delicious flick was worthy of the goal itself. The immediate response put the advantage right back into Spain’s hands as all of a sudden Italy’s midfield looked jaded (chasing the world’s best midfield for 63 minutes can do that).
Torres flops
Del Bosque aware of the sudden advantage, replaced Silva with the secret weapon, or so he thought. Torres still lacking confidence; an affliction not needed in a match of this importance, managed to waste three opportunities to put Spain ahead. When he ended up clean through on goal Buffon was actually able to mop up calmly without actually going to ground. Then with the Italian goalkeeper off his line Torres’ attempt at a lob ended up on top of the net. That profligacy can cost Spain in a tournament such as this.
Fabregas’ scoring record
Cesc Fabregas maintained excellent form in his European Championship opening matches. In the 4-1 rout of Russia in 2008, he scored his first international goal at senior level. This time around he made no mistake after David Silva gave it to him on a silver platter. He still however looks a little uncomfortable playing as a forward though. And the last thing Spain fans want is a repeat of his nightmare finishing at Stamford Bridge in April in the latter stages of this tournament.
Beware of the table-cloths!
Both teams need to be wary of the potential threat that Croatia poses. Their 3-1 demolition of the Irish may not have set the precedent for a long run, but their technical class cannot be overlooked. It’s going to be interesting to see how the makeshift Spanish defence deals with Modric and co. But by the time Spain play the Croats in the final group game they may already have a foot in the last eight. The Italians face the Croatians on Thursday and will fancy their chances after their performance today.
Tomorrow’s fixtures include the cross-channel rivals France taking on England where we’ll see how the three lions will cope without their only world-class forward as well as injuries to key players. While the co-hosts look to get their campaign underway against Sweden.
Taylor
Russia serves a Czech-mate in Euro 2012 Opener
The goals
An emphatic brace from Alan Dzagoev, and one each from the two Romans: Shirokov and Pavlyuchenko were a just reward for Russia’s approach play today. Somewhere within that salvo, the Czechs managed to score after a brilliant defence-splitting through ball from Rosicky.
The Czech Republic had Russia on the back foot in the first ten minutes, but Russia went ahead when Dzagoev lashed home after the ball rebounded off the far upright. Nine minutes later their captain on loan at Zenit from Arsenal, threaded the needle to create a gift of a chance for Shirokov who obliged, dinking the ball over Petr Cech.
Rosicky determined not to let his Arsenal compatriot get all the plaudits, created a goal of his own as he capitalised on a sleeping Russian backline to put Valcav Pilar through; who rounded Malafeev to pull one back. However after waves of attacks in the latter part of the second half, Russia finally sealed it when Dzagoev smashed it down Cech’s throat after a neat buildup, and Pavlyuchenko scored the fourth all by himself when he sent a heat seeker into the upper-right corner.
Early Czech pressure
The Czechs were the better of the two teams in the early stages of each half, however they lacked the cutting edge necessary at this level. A series of corners in the first seven minutes almost reaped dividends but they were made to pay for not capitalising on their dominance. However Petr Jiracek and Jaroslav Plasil were their brightest prospects going forward.
Arshavin v Rosicky
Colleagues at club level the two captains were inevitably going to be the difference for each side. Tomas Rosicky didn’t impose himself enough, but created the only goal for the Czechs. Conversely however Andrei Arshavin roamed the attacking third and created chance after chance. He dictated the Russian tempo seemingly without effort. He’s my pick for the Man of the Match as he was creative influence behind his team.
Kerzhakov profligacy
After seven attempts on goal with none on target, it’s clear that Alexander Kerzhakov will be relegated to the bench in Tuesday’s meeting with the hosts. However giving credit where it’s due; his header off the far post did inadvertently create the opening goal for Russia. The exchange rate was disproportionate however, as he went on to waste several chances in the second half thus keeping Czech Republic in the match longer than necessary.
Russia primed to win group
It’s still a bit early to call, but after today’s performances from all the teams in Group A, it’s reasonable to assume Russia have this in the bag. They still have more quality overall than their opponents and after the misadventure that was the opening match between Poland and Greece, they should pick them apart in similar fashion. But with home support Poland are not out of it, while the Greeks were a penalty kick away from creating their second successive opening-day upset vs. the hosts (They beat Portugal 2-1 at the Dragão in 2004).
So on to tomorrow’s matches where the Dutch take on Denmark, while Cristiano and friends hope to weather the incoming storm.
Taylor