Euro 2008, was a tournament I personally remember well. It was a time of transition in football, that in many ways reflected the world as attitudes shifted towards new ways of thinking.
Music was shifting as the Garage Rock scene that followed Brit-pop began to infuse with the cheesier pop music of the time. Genres previously at odds with one another began to sound more similar than ever before.
And things were no different in the world of football.
A new breed of football was emerging, as the Tiki-taka revolution had exploded over the last 2 years. Spanish sides were putting a huge emphasis on passing and keeping the ball.
Those privy to watching La Liga in the years leading up to Euro 2008 would be aware of a shift in Spanish footballing paradigms. To many, however, Euro 2008 would be their first exposure to this play style…
With the previous tournament providing a most unpredictable shock as Greece defeated host nation Portugal in the final, showing everyone that even at international level, underdogs could still win it all.
The Group Stage
All was to play for going into the final round of games.
The Germans survived a scare, going into the final game they faced off against an Austrian side 2 points behind them. Germany had managed a win over Poland, as they sat on three points, but a loss to Austria meant qualification for the host nation.
It took an absolute rocket of a free-kick from 30 yards by Micheal Ballack to separate the sides, as Germany inched into the quarter-finals. Croatia running riot and winning all 3 games to end things on pole.
Over in Group D, the holders found themselves floundering…
Greece were out. They’d lost both of their games, as they sat bottom with 0 points. With the two sides in 2nd and 3rd facing each other, there was no mathematical way for Greece to progress further.
A win against Spain could salvage some pride and potentially elevate them to 3rd place.
Meanwhile, Spain were flying. 6 goals in their first two games, including a 4-1 thrashing of Russia put the Iberians in a commanding position.
It was the Russians who triumphed, making it through, winning 2-0. Sweden collapsed at the final hurdle, with Tottenham front-man Pavlyuchenko and Arsenal winger Andriy Arshavin providing the goals.
Group A proved the most dramatic. Portugal were already through with 6 points, but the real story was the battle between the Czechs and the Turks.
Both sides came into their final group fixture level on points, as they faced off against each other in another fierce battle, reminiscent of the topsy-turvy Euro 96 group game between Russia and the Czech Republic
The Czechs took the lead in the first half through a towering Jan Koller header. After the break, an early cross found Osasuna’s Jaroslav Plasil at the back post, which the winger did well to steer into the corner.
But the Turks were never ones to give up and boasted somewhat of a golden generation. Former wonderkid Arda Turan, pulled one back 75 minutes in, and when Nihat pouched on a Petr Cech mistake, Turkey was back level, just 3 minutes left on the clock.
Stunned, the Czech team had no time to recompose themselves. Turkey went on the offensive, wanting to secure qualification without a penalty shootout (full story of the possibility of group stage penalties, and legendary match here).
Nihat’s equaliser may have come from a moment of calamity, but in the last minute of the game, he stole the headlines, sending a gorgeous, powerful, curling shot from outside of the box, that sailed over Cech and crashed off the bar as it went in.
Turkey went through in quite spectacular fashion.
In the Group of Death, it was French capitulation, as a Brave Romania battled to an unexpected 3rd place finish.
France ended the competition with just 1 point, earnt against Romania, but could have still gone through in the final game, had they not collapsed to a 2-0 defeat against Italy.
Their only goal of the tournament came against the Netherlands in a 4-1 defeat to the eventual group winners.
The Quarter-finals
The first round of knockout games would prove to blow the expectations of many out of the water.
Of course, like any international tournament, there was bound to be one bore 0-0 draw, with Spain squeezing past a defensively astute Italy on penalties.
The other 3 games, however, would not disappoint.
Germany saw off Portugal 3-2 after a strong performance, featuring goals from Schweinsteiger, Klose and Ballack.
The Portuguese threatened a comeback, but the Germans managed to keep them at arm’s length for much of the game, bar a late scare when Helder Postiga found the net with a header.
Over in the game between Russia and the Netherlands, most saw this game as a foregone conclusion. Holland looked fantastic in the groups, winning all three games, and boasted the best side on paper in the tournament.
Russia however were not to be underestimated.
With Pavlyuchenko giving the Russians a shock lead, a typical Van Nistelrooy close-range header saw the Dutch equalise late in the game, sending the tie to extra-time.
With the Russians pegged back, many expected the sleeping Orange dragon to finally awaken, but the beast was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, the Russians would claw their way in front, as midfielder Torbinski just about managed to turn in Arshavin’s far post cross.
The Russians were in dreamland, but it would get even better.
A devilishly intelligent quick throw-in, saw Arshavin pick the ball up in the Dutch box. Barrelling down on Van Der Sar’s near post, the commentator for the Russian coverage can’t quite believe his eyes, as the Arsenal winger slips the ball between the Premier League champion’s legs.
The commentator screams dosvidanya (goodbye), as Russia go 3-1 up with 4 minutes left, knocking Holland out.
What a moment it was.
But somehow, that wasn’t even the craziest game of the round…
Croatia vs Turkey
Two teams that had outdone expectations with their group stage performances already faced off in a match between the dark horses.
The game was a stalemate, for the first 90 minutes, neither side creating many clear-cut opportunities.
The story remained the same for much of extra time, but in a fashion typical of Turkey’s tournament, the game exploded into life with just 3 minutes left.
When Ivan Klasnic leapt highest to nod the ball into the net, with 119 minutes gone, everybody, including many of the Turkish team, thought it was over.
Turkish manager Fatih Terim, still believed, barking at Arda Turan, who had collapsed in disappointment to grab the ball and keep going.
In many cases, such optimism would prove fruitless, but this was a Turkish side, capable of incredible things.
Fast forward 3 minutes, with seconds on the clock, Turkey hoofed a ball into the Croatian box, the defenders scrambling to make a clearance, as the ball fell to the Turkish League’s top scorer Semih Senturk.
No time to think, with a defender closing him down, he swivelled and struck the ball at goal, the ball deflecting off of his man taking it into the top corner.
Croatia were stunned, like many teams had been, for the 3rd game in a row, Turkey had scored a dramatic late goal.
With penalties a test of mentality, the momentum was massively on the side of Turkey, and it showed.
Croatia were broken, a young Modric sending the first penalty wide. In the end, Croatia could only convert one penalty, as Turkey scored all four.
Spanish Silverware
With two giants and two dark horses in Spain and Germany and Turkey and Russia, the Semi’s looked set to provide two interesting ties.
Both typically lesser sides had proven they couldn’t be written off, and when Ugar Boral seized on a moment of Jens Lehman madness, Turkey found themselves in with a real shout of reaching a final, as they looked to replicate the feat of rivals Greece.
The Germans, however, were not ones to throw away a chance at silverware, and just four minutes later, they were back level.
The score was 1-1 as the game edged closer to a conclusion. A rush of blood to the head from Turkish goalkeeper, Rustus Recbar, saw him try to claim a cross that he had no chance of getting to, leaving Miroslav Klose with an easy header into a vacant goal.
But Turkey wasn’t done yet! And just 6 minutes later, Right-back Sabri Sarıoğlu, got to the byline and cut the ball back to the near post for the hero of the Quarter-final, Semih Senturk, to poke home at the near post.
Sadly, for all their grit and determination, Germany was just one bridge too far. In the last minute of regular time, a quick give-and-go saw Phillip Lahm through on goal, where he couldn’t miss.
This time it was Turkey who would suffer a last-minute hammer blow.
It was an incredible run, that captured the imagination of football fans all over, but sadly they fell valiantly to Germany.
In the other game, Spain would comfortably see off Russia, the Spanish also proving to be one step too far, as a 3-goal second-half salvo set up a Germany vs. Spain final.
With Spain showing both attacking prowess and defensive acumen, they looked the favourites, though in truth it was a tough one to call before the game.
In a final that was a little disappointing in comparison to some of the tournament’s earlier matches, the most consistent team won it.
A 33rd-minute Torres toe-poke proved the difference maker, as Spain ran out 1-0 winners, making them champions of Europe.
It was their first major tournament win since 1964, and just their second in Spanish national team history.
