Euro 2008 has recently become a major part of my life. Whether that is because I have finally realized that soccer/football/fútbol is a genuinely passionate and skillful game that rightfully engulfs the rest of the world, or because I am bored and cheering for something makes me momentarily forget that fact, does not really matter. What matters now is that the underdog has won in each of the quarterfinal matches. Germany defeated Portugal. Turkey defeated Croatia. Russia defeated the Netherlands. Spain beat Italy. Maybe the Austrian air clears the mind. Maybe all that rain washed away precedent along with the field. Or maybe certain superstars have had their day.
Against most opponents, Germany would never be considered the underdog. They are the most successful team in UEFA history and, of course, they have Ballack. But Portugal was the pick for most, either because of turncoat Scolari or due to temporary blindness from the incessant sheen off of Cristiano Ronaldo's hair (and/or smirk). There was also the fact that Germany's coach, Löw, was benched. But by playing aggressively from the start, Germany secured a victory and a move to the semifinals.
That Turkey's win was an upset is obvious for every typical and stereotypical reason. There were injuries and penalties, a fierce opponent who had won all three qualifying matches while Turkey's wins were both come-from-behind miracles. There is also the ironic fact that Turkey isn't quite in the EU yet.
The Russian upset is more a case of young upstarts versus aging icons. The Ruud van Nistelrooy's of the world are quickly being replaced by hungry 20-somethings with dreams of their own. Personally, I never considered Russia as an underdog. With a zeal that seems to grow exponentially every generation (by either genetics or the repetition of Pushkin), Russia was finally able to combine the will with the way. That way was Guus Hiddink. Helping other ragtag teams in previous years (see South Korea and Australia), Hiddink has proved to be the magic touch again. This win was no where near as exciting as the Sweden win, but I might just be saying that because I only was able to see regulation. Hopefully the rematch with Spain will be full of the Russian fire I've grown to expect.
Today's Italy/Spain game seemed up for grabs the entire time. If really pressed, columnists could come up with the ill-fated day in Spanish football history and not having beat Italy in X many years, but that there was no clear favorite is closer to the truth. Italy is the reigning World Cup champs, but Spain outright won their group with three wins (defeating Russia, Sweden, and Greece). Italy might have had Buffon and an amazingly tight defense, but Spain completely dominated possession. My "theory" (that is also the theory of 95% of anyone else who cares) is that possession and attempted shots on goal are the real ways to win games. One of the ESPN commentators said at the end of regulation that if it were a boxing match, Spain would win with a unanimous decision. It's comforting to be reminded that hard work and winning aren't always mutually exclusive.
Semifinals are now set as: Germany v. Turkey. Russia v. Spain. I don't really want to make predictions, as I've grown fond of many of these players, but since I'm forcing myself:
Germany 2 - 1 Turkey
Russia 1 - 1 Spain* (Spain wins on PK)
