Déjà vu

In 2008, Rafael Nadal won his fourth Coupe des Mousequetaire, his first Wimbledon title and La Roja won their first European Championships in style.

In 2010, Rafael Nadal has emulated Björn Borg again by winning the French Open followed by Wimbledon, La Roja after coming a cropper in their opening match against Switzerland regrouped and steadily improved in subsequent games. Their mastery of possession football came to the fore in the semi-final match against Die Nationalmannschaft where they highlighted the weakness of the latter's counterattacking style - it doesn't work if you can't get the ball and La Roja had the ball 61% of the time. Die Nationalmannschaft expended so much energy trying to get the ball off La Roja that when they did get the ball, they were too tired to do anything useful with it.

I'm with Paul on this one.

Vamos La Roja!!

Not quite total

While the Oranje topped Group E, they are yet to play the total football for which they are so renowned. That can only be a good thing as in Euro 2008, they total footballed Italy only to surrender meekly to Russia in the following game.

I fancy the Oranje against Slovakia because their injury prone talisman will be back and as he proved with his cameo against Cameroon, he gives them another dimension.

Vamos El Niño, viva España!!

Spain's victory over Germany yesterday to clinch their first major football trophy for 44 years was triumph for scintillating attacking football and El Niño scored the goal that mattered most. My money is on Rafa to do the business at Wimbledon and make it another glorious sporting week for Spain.

Viva España

It's shaping up to be quite a sporting year for Spain; they won the women's doubles at Roland Garros, Rafa has continued his tradition of winning the French Open and looks set to become the first man since BB to win Wimbledon after reigning supreme at Roland Garros. The Spanish football team finally overcame their mental frailty to beat the Azzuri and if they meet Russia in the final, Euro 2008 will have a fitting finale.

Vamos Rafa!
Viva España!

The Dutch Master

Well, you have to hand it Guus Hiddink because after the mauling his young Russian team suffered at the hands of the effervescent Spanish in their opening fixture, it looked as if the Russian's stay in Euro 2008 would be a short one. But Hiddink encouraged them to keep the faith and his young team have handsomely repayed him and then some! By putting the Oranje to sword, the Russians have made the footballing world sit up and take notice. This is the Oranje side that had caused us to reminisce, by the manner in which they beaten both World Cup finalists, about the total football displayed by the Oranje team of 10 years ago that dispatched the South Koreans 5-1 and prompted the South Korean football federation to make Guus Hiddink their coach - he was the Oranje coach at the time.

Ultimately, Hiddink outmanoeuvred van Basten and has served to reinforce his credentials as a master tactician. He has taken the Oranje & South Korea to the semi-finals of the World Cup, the Australians to a World Cup and now in Russia he has an opportunity to win his first European championship.

It's just as well

Having watched a lot of the matches at Euro 2008, I can honestly say that I'm relieved England didn't qualify. Given the verve of attacking football on display, England's stultifying style of play would have stuck out like a saw thumb. Don Fabio is the man to get them to play with an element of panache, after all he was the coach responsible for AC Milan's swashbuckling 4-0 demolition of Barcelona, in the 1994 Champions League final.

TANT PIS!!

surtout Ribery - obtenez bien bientôt. Ainsi il est au revoir à Claude Makele et Lilian Thuram. J'espère que Titi continuera jusque à 2010.

Allez Espagña!!

La Hollande 4 France 1 mais pas de probleme

Pourquoi? Parce que France a joué très bien, surtout Titi et Ribery. La Hollande étaient très chanceux, même leur entraîneur a dit ainsi. Je prévois que la France battra l'Italie.

Allez les bleus, arrivederci l'azzuri.

VIVA Espagña!!

It's turning into quite a sporting week for Spain. First Rafa extends his reign at Roland Garros (without dropping a set) with his straight sets demolition of the Fed (looks like it will be a barren year in terms of Grand Slams for the current world no 1), then Spain win the French Open women's doubles and for the final flourish, the Spanish football team put on a scintillating display of attacking football to see off Russia 4-1. El Niño has taken his Liverpool form into the championships and his partnership with David Villa promises goals, goals, goals!

As for France, qu'est-ce qui se passe?!

Welcome BACK!!

It is almost 10 years to the day since the Oranje put on an exhilarating display of total football and annihilated South Korea 5-1 in a group game at the 1998 World Cup. The geometry of their passing in that game was something to behold - one could see their fluid triangles all over park. Last night with a breathtaking display of counter attacking football, they made Italy look their age. If Italy are to progress, then Del Piero needs to start because his impact was immediate when he came on. The Oranje's second goal was reminiscent of that goal scored by van Basten in the final of Euro 88, the angle was equally acute.

It looks as if a vast number of commentators are not as au fait with the rules of the game as they should be - how else can one explain the outcry that greeted van Nistelrooy's opening goal. Clearly, Panucci had played him onside - DUH!!!!

Arrivederci l'Azzuri!!