Ah the knockout stages of a major tournament. The point in life where a football fan can go crazy if a silly decision goes the opposing team’s way but cherishes the moment the same decision is given to their team. The point where the referee has suddenly become biased towards the opponents and will avoid giving out yellow cards to their players. The life of a football fan is tough. But no test of faith will be stronger than this moment.
Czech Republic v Portugal
The first game of the quarter-finals began with Group A winners Czech Republic taking on Group B runners up, Cristiano Ronaldo, I mean Portugal.
Warsaw set the stage for this tense match and Portugal began with ascendency but with no penetration. João Moutinho came the closest with a tame shot outside the box which was easily held by Petr Čech. After a period of keep-ball from the Portuguese with Michal Bílek’s side struggling to get a hold of the game, Fabio Coentrão’s burst forward (does he ever defend?) took him past two players before he found Cristiano Ronaldo. Playing a quick one-two with Moutinho, Ronaldo shrugged off the defender before firing at Čech. Unfortunately the whistle was blown for a foul but the Ronaldo we all know had turned up today as well.
And it was the talismanic winger who ended the half with the best chance as he controlled Raul Meireles’ long ball with his chest and turned the ball beautifully with a half-volley towards the goal before smashing his shot towards goal. With both defenders who were marking him and Čech helpless, the ball smashed against the frame of the post and flew back out. It was a sensational move from Ronaldo and something Portugal needed him to do if they were going to progress.
Just thirty seconds into the second half, Meireles crossed into the box and Hugo Almeida, picked due to Hélder Postiga’s injury, headed well over the top of the bar. Paulo Bento looked to the sky as if to say ‘Why didn’t I pick Nélson Oliveira instead?’ It was Portugal’s only attacking outlet Ronaldo who created the next chance after he lined himself up for a free-kick. Taking longer to take five steps back, breathe heavily and stare at the ball rather than just hitting it, the famed manoeuvre almost paid off when his effort hit the post and bounced out. Sensing maybe his side needed more than one player, moments later, Nani let fly from 20 yards to see his shot parried away by Čech.
With Portugal’s dominance now becoming apparent, Czech Republic tried the old Chelsea/Denmark/England routine and refused to attack. With eleven men behind the ball, it almost cost them when Almeida found the net from a Nani cross only to be denied by an offside flag. The ever-growing (in reputation, not height) Moutinho then nearly got the opener with a shot from distance which was touched over by Čech. Nani then had a chance to make it 1-0 but his shot was blocked brilliantly by Michal Kadlec, who was having a great game for his country.
With fifteen minutes of absence, you sensed Ronaldo had one more opportunity up his sleeve and when the game entered the final ten minutes, he had just that. Nani played in Moutinho, who took a touch past his defender before crossing into the box. The chance looked to have gone when Almeida missed his header but nobody, at least not Gebre Selassie anyway, saw the oncoming Ronaldo who having made an excellent run, headed the ball into the ground and watched it loop over a diving Čech. It was a fantastic header and demonstrated his willingness to get the winning goal.
The Portuguese fans were ecstatic and their side held on to claim a semi-final position in the European Championships since 2004.
Germany v Greece
Over to Germany and Greece where now the latter knew they would have to come up with something special to deny a team who still win when they don’t even have to. With Mario Gomez, Lukas Podolski and Thomas Müller all rested, Greece thought this must have been their lucky day when they saw their replacements in the form of Marco Reus, André Schürrle and the experienced Miroslav Klose. With a mixture of inexperience and nothing but experience, the front three didn’t look as prolific. And that was exactly the case as Germany attacked with no fear, bombarding the Greece defence early on. Sami Khedira’s shot was spilled by Michalis Sifakis into Schürrle’s feet who tucked in only to be ruled out for offside.
Beautiful work from Klose and Reus, who Greece didn’t expect to team up so well, set up Mesut Özil who could only shoot straight at the ‘keeper. Of course Sifakis who had buttered his gloves prior to the match didn’t hold on and watched as his defence had to scramble the ball away. Özil then teed up Rues who could only shoot wide when he should have hit the target. Özil, who had space to roam as the Greeks held back, wonderfully worked his way in and around two defenders before pulling back for Khedira to try his luck but once again Sifakis stayed strong and parried away.
At this point Joachim Low must have thought he’d made a mistake as chance after chance went begging without a prolific striker. But who needs strikers when you have defenders like Philipp Lahm? Germany played the ball around nicely and when it found the right-back, he went past a defender before lashing it into the far corner of the net with the goalkeeper well beaten. It was a captain’s goal, almost out of frustration as his teammates were not doing enough.
The half ended with the Germans in complete dominance. You felt with captain Giorgios Karagounis, Greece lacked the mentality to get anything out of the game but when the second half started, it was almost as if Low’s side became complacent. A rare breakaway saw the excellent Dimitris Salpingidis tear away on the right wing before picking out Georgios Samaras in the box with a peach of a cross that just needed tapping in from the Celtic striker. Manuel Neuer who was watching the first half reading a newspaper had now conceded a goal out of nowhere.
Immediately, Germany stepped on the gas and went searching for that killer second that would surely end Greece’s growing confidence. After some minutes of restrained pressure, just moments later Jérôme Boateng played a cross into the box which looped over Klose’s head but was expertly volleyed into the back of the net by Khedira. His run was timed perfectly and his execution was lavish as he gave his team the well-deserved lead.
Knowing Greece were still capable of hitting dangerously on the counter, Germany stuck to their game plan of passing the ball non-stop and the Greek continued to play the Chelsea/Denmark/England/Czech Republic way. Seven minutes after the second goal, the controlling Özil whipped in a free-kick from the edge of the box which found the head of Klose. With Sifakis coming out of his goal to try and play hide and seek, he watched as he was stuck in no man’s land and the German striker easily guided the ball into the open goal.
The score-line now looked like what it should have been in the opening five minutes and with Greece’s self-reliance now almost completely depleted, Germany passed the ball with ease. A ball played from all the way in defence made its way to Klose in two passes and when his lob was kept out by the rushing Sifakis, Reus coolly smashed the rebound into the top corner of the clear goal. Once again Sifakis had come out too early and once again, the Germans had someone on hand to make the goals look very very easy. Reus was calm and composed as he brilliantly took his chance.
Now with the game nearing an end, a Vasilis Torosidis cross seemed to come off the arm of Boateng in the box and a penalty was given. It looked a very harsh decision as Boateng had his back to the ball but in the circumstances it wouldn’t really matter as Greece were all but out anyway. The lively Salpingidis took it and calmly found the bottom corner of the net with Neuer diving the other way. It was nothing more than a consolation and Germany were strolling through to the semi-finals.
Where Did He Come From?
Dimitris Salpingidis
I know I could have picked the whole German squad put together but the fact that Dimitris Salpingidis was up against the likes of Boateng and Lahm makes you understand the amount of effort he had to put in to do what he did. Getting one assist and a goal isn’t easy and it doesn’t get any easier when you’re the only guy willing to run at players.
He showed his eagerness throughout the match and gave it his all despite the crumbling defence of the Greek side and has to be given credit for his wonderful assist that came out of the blue. It will be upsetting to go out but Salpingidis can say he did everything he could to keep his team in it.
Was He Even Playing?
Theodor Gebre Selassie
The normally so assured right-back suffered heavily against Cristiano Ronaldo and couldn’t get going with his attacking forays in the match. He was caught out of position so many times, Ronaldo was roaming around with ease and no real pressure. Sallassie has done himself no harm in the past few games and he will leave Euro 2012 knowing he gave it all, but on the day it proved too much to handle.
You can’t really give him too much stick for failing to control someone as talented as Ronaldo but being the Czech’s brightest spark, if he was going to be out of position, he should have at least attacked with intent but bar one meaningful cross into the box, he didn’t bomb forward as much as we would have liked to see.
What Happens In Football 
Thought Germany were going to stroll the cup after dis win
Germany have so much potential, it’s scary
Reus is a champion in the making.