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Euro 2008 TV

Viva la Espana! Champions of Europe!

Re-live the Euro 2008 Championship by selecting a match below or visiting the dedicated site Euro2008TV.com for articles, photos, and video highlights of your favorite team.

 

Spain Euro 2008 Online Streams and TV Schedules

#Date Time (US/Eastern) Match Result Stage Venue
Jun-10 11:50am Spain - Russia 4:1 Group D Innsbruck
Jun-14 11:50am Sweden - Spain 1:2 Group D Innsbruck
Jun-18 02:30pm Greece - Spain 1:2 Group D Salzburg
Jun-22 02:30pm Spain - Italy 4:2 Quarter-Finals Vienna
Jun-26 02:30pm Russia - Spain 0:3 Semi-Finals Vienna
Jun-29 02:45pm Germany - Spain 0:1 Final Vienna

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Spain at Euro 2008

Spain - Euro 2008

Group D

Greece
Russia
Spain
Sweden
View all group D details
Team Spain - Euro 2008

Simply overrated

As all football fans have been told, Spain are a supremely talented side who under-achieve at international tournaments. After all, a country that boasts the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, David Villa, and Fernando Torres must be the real deal, with only a congenital Spanish ability to self-destruct preventing it from realizing its potential. But the mantra is beginning to ring hollow. Does not habitual failure that stretches back more than four decades (Spain won the European Championships in 1964, which is their only trophy at the senior level) discredit such high praise?   Not, apparently, for pundits so used to peddling clichés. Spain may have talent, but as a football team they are ineffective, and in judging a team that is what matters most.  When it has come time to step up, the Spanish have seldom possessed the stomach for a fight.  Roll your memory back to only four years ago.  Spain needed only a point against Euro2004 hosts Portugal to wriggle their way through to the quarter-final.  Instead of rising to the occasion, Spain shrunk into their peculiar panic and lost 1-0.  The mental frailty certainly contributes to Spanish demise, but so does a lack of decent coaching.  Consider this: Real Madrid and Barcelona each have a foreigner as coach, which, if nothing else, is a clear indication of a lack of top-level Spanish coaches.  Look around and Juande Ramos is the most outstanding Spanish coach currently in the business, but he is a rarity. Luis Aragones, the incumbent, just does not seem to have what it takes. It is often said that Spain’s strong regionalism detracts from their commitment to a national cause.  However, while that argument has merit, it is used far too frequently to accommodate Spanish shortcomings.  The overwhelming evidence suggests Spain are the most overrated international side, with England giving them a close run for their money. To be sure, taking Euro2004 in isolation is not a fair standard to judge Spain by; taking the last fourty years as a whole definitely is.

How Spain qualified

Spain finished top of their group, handily beating Sweden and Denmark along the way. They did suffer a defeat to Northern Ireland, which, coupled with the subsequent defeat to Sweden, initially knocked them off course for qualification.  They recovered strongly, however, winning eight of their remaining nine games.

How Spain  play

Spain line up with a 4-1-4-1 formation, with trustworthy Casillas in goal, behind a defence of Ramos, Carles Puyol, Carlos Marchena, and Jose Capdevila. David Albelda sits in front of the defence, even if his place may be under threat after being told he could leave Valencia by coach Ronald Koeman. Andres Iniesta, Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez and Villa are the four midfielders behind the lone striker Torres.  It should be noted that though the prolific Villa is a forward, Aragones has used him as a wide midfielder who cuts in and supports Torres.  It has worked very well, for Villa still managed to score seven goals in the qualifiers.

About the coach

Remarkably stayed on as coach after a largely forgettable World Cup 2006 and losing two consecutive games during the qualifiers. Though he is a fairly good tactician, Aragones lacks charisma.

Key players

Sergio Ramos- Spain’s brilliant right-back Ramos is a rising star. He is quick and strong on the ball and an absolutely crucial defender for the Spanish. Fernando Torres- Liverpool’s Torres will spearhead the Spanish attack this summer. He had a tremendous World Cup 2006 and will look to continue his progress at international tournaments.

Star player

Iker Casillas- One of the best goalkeepers in the world, Real Madrid’s Casillas will be Spain’s most essential player at Euro2008. An extremely agile keeper who is the model of consistency and professionalism.

Verdict

An international team’s talent is not only measured by club reputations.  How well and quickly the players can gel with each other at the international level is an important factor also. Spain always seem to fall short in that department. They should get past their group, which contains Russia, Greece, and Sweden, but will find it difficult to get further. Quarter-final exit.

Article by Hasan Saiyid

Spain Euro 2008 News

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