Euro 2012 Final: Preview & Prediction

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and his Spanish counterpart Iker Casillas could both be pivotal in deciding the Euro 2012 Final. (Reuters)

When Spain and Italy played to a 1-1 draw in the group stage match, I doubt very many people thought it would be a preview of the final. As it turns out, the two sides survived to reach the final, but in very different manners.

Spain was always among the favorites to win Euro 2012. After all, the Spaniards are looking to win a historic third consecutive major tournament. With seven points in Group C, Spain advanced as the group winner to play France in the quarterfinals. Xabi Alonso scored twice to lead the Spanish to a 2-0 victory. In the semifinals, they met Portugal in an Iberian showdown. A physical display by both sides led to a still scoreless line following 120+ minutes of play. In the penalties, it was the Spaniards who were the stronger and proved to be the victors.

Many thought Italy was simply hoping for a nice run at Euro 2102 to put its somewhat bleak recent history to rest. We have come to discover that the Italians had greater plans than that. They managed to advance from the group stage by the narrowest of margins over Croatia. Like the Spaniards, the Italians had to endure the drama of penalty kicks. Theirs came in the quarterfinals against England. A clutch goal by Andrea Pirlo and a crucial save by Gianluigi Buffon helped Italy to advance over England. In the semifinals, the Italians came in big underdogs to Germany. However, some great team play by the Azzurri led to two beautiful first half goals by Mario Balotelli. The Germans tried to recover, but the Italians held on to win 2-1.

There are many great players in this final, but there a few that I would recommend you keep an eye on more than the rest. Few players play the game as beautifully and seemingly effortlessly as Andrea Pirlo. His dribbling skill, ability to control the flow of the match, and capability to be a lethal scorer are just some of the aspects of his wonderful game. Spain's offense hasn't been as dominant as it can be, but one of the main man who is creating opportunities for himself and his teammates is David Silva. Silva's maneuverability could be a crucial aspect of the Spanish attack. For Mario Balotelli, Euro 2012 has been a microcosm of his career. There's been the highs, lows, and amazing goals. If he has any more of the latter, the Italians could be in very good shape.

Then, of course, there are the two goalkeepers. Italy's Gianluigi Buffon and Spain's Iker Casillas are two of the best in the world. Buffon's keen instincts and reactions are unparalleled in Europe. He wears his passion for the game and love for his country on his sleeves for all to see. Casillas uses his speed and excellent positioning to his advantage. His calm demeanor anchors the Spanish defense. Both men are their respective country's captains and mean so much to the success of their sides.

Deciding a winner among these two sides is a difficult task, but I believe I have come to my decision. The Italians are thriving coming off their shocking upset of Germany. They have improved drastically as the tournament has worn on. The Spanish have of course played very well, but have at times looked complacent and tired. I expect a hard fought 90+ minutes will result in a level 1-1 scoreline. In the extra time, I believe Pirlo will find a little extra magic left and will put home a beautiful strike from distance. The Italians will hold on to win 2-1 in extra time. That's my prediction. Now, we just have to wait and see what happens. The start of the match is only a little over 12 hours away. I can hardly wait.

Italy Advances Past England in Penalty Kicks

The Italians celebrate their much deserved victory over England. (Michael Sohn)

With the final semifinal spot on the line, England and Italy knew exactly what was expected of them. The two sides matched up well and often play very similar styles. Both are defensively minded with talent that can create offensive opportunities instantaneously.

The first fifteen minutes saw great action on both ends as the teams settled into the match. The Italians elected to make a slight tweak to their midfield alignment on the field. The result was really compete domination by the Azzurri (Italians).

Sure England had occasional opportunities off set pieces and nice runs, but they struggled to gain any sense of flow or rhythm for much of the game. The only thing that kept England in it was their goalkeeper, Joe Hart, and his helpful goal posts. Regulation ended with the first 0-0 scoreline of Euro 2012. But it definitely wasn't for a lack of opportunities. There continued to be quality chances in the extra half-hour of play, but nothing seemed to be able to find the net. Despite out shooting England 35-9, the Italians were forced to decide things with the English in a penalty shootout.

In the penalties, Mario Balotelli and Steven Gerrard both put home their sides' first attempt. The Italians second attempt by Riccardo Montolivo was shanked just wide of the post. Wayne Rooney calmly gave England the 2-1 advantage. Andrea Pirlo beautifully chipped in the equalizer for the Italians. With a chance to regain their edge, England's Ashley Cole saw his shot ricochet off the crossbar. Substitute Antonio Nocerino brought the advantage back to the Italians up 3-2. Ashley Cole tried to level things for England, but the quick instincts of Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon allowed him to make the huge save. With a chance to win it for the Italians, Alessandro Diamanti made no mistake, sealing the 4-2 penalty shootout victory.

The Azzurri were the better side from start to finish. Fortunately for them, they came out on top in the always chancy penalty shootout. While there were many standout out players, the man of the match has to be Andrea Pirlo. His ability to create in the midfield lead to many of the Italians' finest scoring opportunities. Additionally, his goal in the shootout was the one that proved to be the game changer. For England, it is another disappointing exit. They have been knocked out of Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, and now Euro 2012 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. Italy will have to rest up and prepare quickly for their semifinal Thursday against Germany.

Euro 2012: Group C Becomes Even More Crowded

Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic scores the equalizer. (Dimitar Dilkoff)

Even though they came into the day as the group leader, Croatia was the underdog to Italy. It was obvious why early. The Italians had a plethora of opportunities. Despite all of those chances, they only managed to put one in the net. In the 39th minute, Andrea Pirlo beautifully scored off a free-kick. The Italians took the 1-0 lead into halftime. Following halftime, the Croatians made some adjustments defensively and began to thrust more men forward. Their chances began to increase and improve. Finally, in the 72nd minute, the Croatians pulled level when Mario Madzukic was able to bury a tough-angle short-range shot. Both teams had opportunities down the stretch to score the winner, but it simply wasn't meant to be.

Spanish striker Fernando Torres netted two goals in 4-0 rout of Ireland (Getty Images)

After Vincente del Bosque didn't start any strikers in Spain's first group match, the Spanish coach elected to start the somewhat controversial Fernando Torres. Torres responded well and buried the game's first goal in just the 4th minute. Despite being outplayed badly, the Irish only trailed by one at halftime. However, their luck ran out in the second half. Spain made the most of their opportunities. David Silva scored early in the half. Torres followed up with his second goal of the match. Cesc Fabregas put the icing on the cake with his goal in the 83rd minute. The Spaniards dominated the Irish the whole game, and it was accurately evidenced in the final score of 4-0.

So where does this leave Group C? Let me tell you. First off, the Irish are eliminated with zero points through two matches. That means that Spain, Croatia, and Italy are battling for the top two spots to advance. Spain and Croatia are tied for the group lead with 4 points, having won and drawn one game each. Italy is the one in need of help. The Italians have just two points because of two draws so far this tournament. They do get to play the Irish in the final group match. Spain and Croatia should be a great battle as they square off in their final group game. Both of the final matches for Group C will be played on Monday. It remains to be seen which two teams will advance to the quarterfinals out of this group.

Friendly Fire: A Look at Some of the Action on 11/15/11

New U.S. Men's National Soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann has taken a lot of heat for how much the team has been struggling. Since Klinsmann took over, had been outscored 5-2 and had a record of 1-4-1. The team dropped to 34th in the latest Fifa rankings and finished last year 6-8-3, their worst record since 1994.

Coach Klinsmann decided to change his lineup formation. To help make up for a lack of scoring, he changed in to a very offensively minded 4-4-2. On a fog-filled night the U.S. got to test their new lineup in a World Cup rematch with Slovenia. The U.S. attack responded with three goals and some desperate defending and great saves by Tim Howard gave the U.S. a 3-2 victory.

The U.S.'s old coach, Bob Bradley, was in action with his new team as well. Egypt started well against Brasil, but then the Brasilians took over. Brasil had no shortage of good opportunities on the attack. Jonas scored the only two goals of the game and almost had a third in Brasil 2-0 win.

A weakened Uruguay team pulled off a stunning victory in Rome 1-0 over Italy. Uruguay was without four of its best players do to injuries and fatigue. In the 3rd minute, Sebastian Fernandez scored for Uruguay. Despite Italy's large edge in shots and shots on goal, Urugauy did enough to keep them from scoring.

Germany is starting to look like the best team in the world after a convincing 3-0 win over the Netherlands, who is the #2 ranked team in Fifa's current rankings. Prior to this, Germany finished World Cup qualifying with a perfect 10 wins in 10 games. In this friendly, Mirslov Klose scored one goal and had assists on the other two.

The #1 ranked team and defending World Cup Champions, Spain, got all the could ask for and more from Costa Rica. Costa Rica controlled the first half and led 2-0 at the intermission. Spain played better in the second half, but couldn't find the net until David Silva finally scored in the 83rd minute. David Villa added another in the 90th minute to help Spain salvage a 2-2 draw in a game they could have easily lost.

Fifa's current rankings: http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html