Justice has been served. The best four teams of Euro 2012 will face off in the semifinals. The two pre-tournament favorites, Spain and Germany, remain on track to meet in the final. Italy and Portugal, both of whom struggled in pre-tournament friendlies, have found their stride as the tournament progressed. Any of the remaining teams would be a worthy winner.
The semifinals present an opportunity to take stock of the state of soccer, and it is clear that the geographical center of the game has shifted to the Latin countries of the Mediterranean region. Spain, winners of the past two major tournaments and favorites to win a record-breaking third major title in a row, is the obvious model to emulate. This tournament has again vindicated Spain’s high-pressing, controlled style; they have allowed only a single goal and are less than thirty minutes away from setting a Euro record for longest scoreless streak.
Spain’s highly influential style has spread across Europe. Italy, home to one of the world’s most distinctive soccer cultures, has abandoned its traditional catenaccio style of cerebral, counterattacking soccer. Instead, they rely on the class of Andrea Pirlo to orchestrate a fluid attacking game. Although the Italians still defend with a dogged intensity, the focus of their play has shifted to controlling the ball, much like their Spanish counterparts.
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Perhaps even more dramatic than the Italian shift in style is the new-look German squad. The result of more than a decade of planning, Germany has emerged from a dark period that reached its nadir at Euro 2004. Under coach Joachim Low, the Germans have shifted to a highly dynamic game, based on quick passing and movement (see the trend here?). Ever the perfectionist, Low has set a target of 0.9 seconds between passes for his players. Playing at this feverish pace, the Germans have dominated their opposition thus far.
Germany, it seems, bucks the trend of southern Europe’s dominance of the tournament’s latter stages. However, the global flows of migration ensure a Mediterranean flavor in the squad. Representing a multicultural Germany, the German players of Turkish descent add a highly technical dimension to the squad, best embodied by the understated but brilliant Mesut Ozil. Less physically combative than past German sides, Low’s team seems to have learned from their narrow defeat at the hands of the Spain at the last Euro and have a good chance at winning the title. Facing an Italian team that played 30 minutes of extra time before beating England on penalties two days after Germany beat Greece easily, the Germans should have a slight edge.
It seems ironic that the team that plays in the least Spanish style are their Iberian neighbors Portugal, who will face Spain in today’s match. Portugal, who only qualified after a tense playoff series with Bosnia, seem to be a team built for the highly concentrated environment of international soccer. Their pairing of center backs, Pepe and Bruno Alves, is very solid, and the team has a clear technical leader in Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, who has finally overcome an ego-induced paralysis on the international stage, has delivered the best individual performances of the tournament. Because the rest of the team plays simply to get him the ball, he takes pressure off his teammates. Many have pointed to Ronaldo’s impending battle against the Spanish right back Alvaro Arbeloa as the crucial individual matchup of the tournament. Arbeloa, while experienced, has looked a step behind his more impressive teammates throughout the tournament, and may present a weakness for Ronaldo to exploit.
Portugal will look to soak up the inevitable Spanish possession and break quickly when Spain’s attacks collapse. Portugal’s capable, workmanlike midfield trio of Joao Moutinho, Miguel Velso, and Raul Meireles will work to distribute the ball to Ronaldo, and, to a lesser degree, Nani. If either Portuguese winger can find space behind the Spanish back line, this match could contain a surprise.
Many spectators have been encouraged by the attacking play of Euro 2012. Thinking about style in geographic and cultural terms, Mediterranean soccer is enjoying one of its best ever moments and is currently the dominant force in the sport. In such a global sport, it is rare to see a particular model adopted so effectively and completely by a variety of top teams. That it has produced an attractive, technical style makes the final matches of the tournament moments to savor.
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Follow on Ology: Alex Campolo | Euro 2012
Follow on Twitter: @AlexCampolo | @OlogySports
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