{"id":251673,"date":"2008-06-30T01:36:17","date_gmt":"2008-06-30T01:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/xmlimport\/index.php\/2008\/06\/30\/spain-crowned-champions-of-europe\/"},"modified":"2008-06-30T01:36:17","modified_gmt":"2008-06-30T01:36:17","slug":"spain-crowned-champions-of-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2008\/06\/30\/spain-crowned-champions-of-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain crowned champions of Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"first\">\n<img http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/images\/stories\/euro2208_finals.jpg\" alt=\"euro2208_finals.jpg\" title=\"euro2208_finals.jpg\" style=\"margin: 5px; float: left; width: 371px; height: 232px\" height=\"232\" width=\"371\" \/><b>Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany.<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<p>\nLiverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain&#8217;s goal hero, striking after<br \/>\n33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Xavi&#8217;s pass over Germany keeper Jens<br \/>\nLehmann.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSpain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the<br \/>\npost and Marcos Senna almost adding a second from close range after 80<br \/>\nminutes.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMichael Ballack came close for Germany, shooting narrowly wide after the break.<br \/>\n<!-- E SF -->\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<!-- S IBOX -->\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- E IBOX --><\/p>\n<p>\nSpain have long had a reputation as under-achievers on the big<br \/>\noccasions, but this was a richly-merited victory for veteran coach Luis<br \/>\nAragones and a team that played outstanding football throughout the<br \/>\ntournament.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGermany were outclassed, and for captain Ballack his catalogue of<br \/>\nmisery in major finals continues having lost two Champions League<br \/>\nfinals and also been suspended for the 2002 World Cup final when they<br \/>\nlost to Brazil.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMatch-winner Torres enhanced the reputation he forged at Liverpool last<br \/>\nseason, but this was an all-round effort for a side that is young<br \/>\nenough to already be marked down among the favourites for the 2010<br \/>\nWorld Cup in South Africa.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGermany were lifted by Ballack declaring himself fit after a calf<br \/>\ninjury &#8211; but he had little impact on a first 45 minutes in which Spain<br \/>\nwere the vastly-superior side.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAndres Iniesta almost created the opening goal for Spain in the 13th<br \/>\nminute when his driven cross took a deflection off Christoph Metzelder,<br \/>\nbut Lehmann pulled off a fine reflex save.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAnd they came even closer nine minutes later when Torres rose to meet<br \/>\nSergio Ramos&#8217;s cross, but his header bounced to safety off the post.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nBut he was not to be denied and put Spain ahead with a trademark piece of sharpness in front of goal after 33 minutes.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nXavi&#8217;s pass created uncertainty for Germany defender Philipp Lahm and<br \/>\nTorres shrugged him off the ball to lift a superb finish beyond<br \/>\nLehmann.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGermany&#8217;s problems threatened to worsen when Ballack needed lengthy<br \/>\ntreatment for an eye wound after a clash of heads with Marcos Senna.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nDavid Silva then wasted a perfect opportunity to double Spain&#8217;s<br \/>\nadvantage when he was set up by Iniesta, but he rushed his finish and<br \/>\nshot wildly over the top.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGermany made a change at half-time, sending on Marcell Jansen for Lahm, but it was still Spain who dominated.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nXavi and Silva were both off target &#8211; but Germany were sticking to<br \/>\ntheir task and almost grabbed an equaliser when Ballack shot just wide<br \/>\nafter Carles Puyol had conceded possession in a dangerous area.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSpain continued to look the more threatening side, but there was still<br \/>\nthe lingering prospect of Germany&#8217;s refusal to accept defeat yielding<br \/>\nan unlikely equaliser.<br \/>\n<!-- Inline Embbeded Media --><br \/>\n<!--  This is the embedded player component -->\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"videoInStoryC\">\n<div id=\"emp_7480512\" class=\"emp\">\n<object id=\"bbc_emp_fmtj_embed_obj\" classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" height=\"179\" width=\"256\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/player\/emp\/2_3_3497\/player.swf\"><\/param><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"default\"><\/param><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"><\/param><param name=\"name\" value=\"embeddedPlayer_7480512\"><\/param><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"config=http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/player\/emp\/config\/default.xml?v7&amp;companionSize=300x30&amp;companionType=adi&amp;preroll=&amp;config_settings_suppressItemKind=advert, ident&amp;config_settings_autoPlay=false&amp;config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&amp;playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Femp%2F7480000%2F7480500%2F7480512.xml&amp;config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType=eav2&amp;embedReferer=http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/sport1\/hi\/football\/default.stm&amp;config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition=Domestic&amp;embedPageUrl=\/sport1\/hi\/football\/euro_2008\/7363545.stm&amp;\"><\/param><embed src=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/player\/emp\/2_3_3497\/player.swf\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" id=\"bbc_emp_fmtj_embed_emb\" wmode=\"default\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" name=\"embeddedPlayer_7480512\" flashvars=\"config=http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/player\/emp\/config\/default.xml?v7&amp;companionSize=300x30&amp;companionType=adi&amp;preroll=&amp;config_settings_suppressItemKind=advert, ident&amp;config_settings_autoPlay=false&amp;config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&amp;playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Femp%2F7480000%2F7480500%2F7480512.xml&amp;config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_pageType=eav2&amp;embedReferer=http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/sport1\/hi\/football\/default.stm&amp;config_plugin_fmtjLiveStats_edition=Domestic&amp;embedPageUrl=\/sport1\/hi\/football\/euro_2008\/7363545.stm&amp;\" height=\"179\" width=\"256\"><\/embed><\/object>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- caption --><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption\">\nCasillas lifted the Henri Delaunay trophy for Spain\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- END - caption -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of the embedded player component --><br \/>\n<!-- END of Inline Embedded Media --><\/p>\n<p>\nSilva was fortunate to stay on the pitch when he appeared to motion<br \/>\nto head-butt Germany&#8217;s Lukas Podolski, but Italian referee Roberto<br \/>\nRosetti decided against taking any action.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nRamos should have put the game beyond Germany&#8217;s reach after 66 minutes<br \/>\nwhen he headed straight at Lehmann from point-blank range as he got on<br \/>\nthe end of Xavi&#8217;s free-kick.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIniesta then had a shot cleared off the line by Torsten Frings and<br \/>\nanother effort saved by Lehmann as Spain looked in the mood to add a<br \/>\nsecond.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAnd Germany had a remarkable escape after 80 minutes when substitute<br \/>\nDaniel Guiza &#8211; on for Torres &#8211; headed the ball straight into Senna&#8217;s<br \/>\npath right in front of goal, but he could not apply the final touch.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSpain were not made to pay for their generosity in front of goal and ran out worthy winners.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSource:BBC&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>\n<b>Germany:<\/b> Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm<br \/>\n(Jansen 46), Hitzlsperger (Kuranyi 58), Frings, Podolski, Ballack,<br \/>\nSchweinsteiger, Klose (Gomez 79).<br \/>\nSubs Not Used: Enke, Adler, Fritz, Westermann, Rolfes, Neuville, Trochowski, Borowski, Odonkor.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Booked: <\/b>Ballack, Kuranyi.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Spain: <\/b>Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila,<br \/>\nSenna, Iniesta, Fabregas (Alonso 63), Xavi, Silva (Santi Cazorla 66),<br \/>\nTorres (Guiza 78).<br \/>\nSubs Not Used: Palop, Reina, Albiol, Fernando Navarro, Villa, Sergio Garcia, Arbeloa, Juanito, De la Red.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Booked:<\/b> Casillas, Torres.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Goals: <\/b>Torres 33.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Att: <\/b>51,428\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Ref:<\/b> Roberto Rosetti (Italy).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-251673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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