Wel Done: Danny Welbeck’s audacious winner sends the Swedes home early.
By Joe Baiamonte
If the first round of games at Euro 2012 was a tantalizing teaser of what was to come, then round two was the full monty of footballing emotions. There was the unbridled passion of Poland vs Russia, the depression of the eliminated Swedish and Irish and the utter shock of Nicklas Bendtner and Helder Postiga scoring, which almost triggered off the apocalypse in Donetsk two days later.
Portgual finally cast aside the shackles of the Carlos Queiroz era and started to prove themselves as an attacking force to be reckoned with, despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s wayward finishing in their 3-2 victory over Denmark. Andrea Pirlo effortlessly continued being the best player at the tournament and England scored as many in one game as they did in the entire 2010 World Cup.
So without further adieu, here are the awards for round two . . .
GOAL OF THE ROUND
Jakub Błaszczykowski: POLAND vs Russia
Perhaps it was fitting that a goal of this quality should grace the most dramatic game of the tournament so far. With a good few hundred years of history between Poland and Russia serving as a backdrop to this Group A match in Warsaw, tensions were heightened further with the fact it was being played on Russia Day and many Russian fans intended to march through the streets of Warsaw to the National Stadium. With the streets of Warsaw beginning to resemble a warzone, inside the stadium resembled the Coliseum. Two sets of gladiators setting foot into a 50,000 strong cauldron of cacophonous noise to do battle.
The Russians struck first blood just before half time following Alan Dzagoev’s header, but they couldn’t quite bring the host nation to it’s knees. Instead, Borussia Dortmund midfielder and Poland captain Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszczykowski struck right back in the second half in magnificent style. Collecting a pass on the right wing, his first touch evaded two Russian defenders and his second was curled ferociously into the top left corner. Cue scenes of delirious pandemonium and screams of “KUBAAAA!” around Poland.
TEAM OF THE ROUND
GERMANY
Going into a European Championships as many people’s favourites to win is often a burden of expectation that can weigh a team down and cause them to flounder in the spotlight. Not this Germany team. After a professional, if perhaps a tad cagey victory over Portugal in their opening game, the three time champions went into their next game anticipating a wounded Dutch team looking to bounce back from their shock 1-0 defeat to Denmark. With memories of the ’74 World Cup final, Van Basten’s last minute winner in the Euro ’88 Semi Finals and Frank Rikjaard’s phlegm in Rudi Voller’s perm fresh in everyone’s minds, the stage was set for a Euro epic between two tournament favourites.
What transpired was rather different. Germany mercilessly beat the Dutch into submission. The talents of Van Persie, Sneijder, Robben and Afellay were anonymous as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil bulldozed and mesmerized them in equal measure. Schweinsteiger in particular was immense in his domination of the midfield, like a Bavarian Roy Keane running, tackling and passing for the full 90 minutes, not to mention laying on both of Mario Gomez’s first half goals.
Gomez himself deserves praise for the expert taking of his second and third goals of the tournament. The first a devastating combination of expert control and immediate finishing, the second a sumptuously elegant, angled finish into the top, left corner of Maarten Stekelenburg’s goal.
The only negative to take away from Germany’s performance was that their dominance didn’t deliver more goals. Although we imagine they’ll more than make up for that as the tournament progresses.
GAME OF THE ROUND
Sweden vs England
The final day of round two served up more shocking events than the rest of the tournament combined. Shocking weather in Donetsk which led to France’s victory over Ukraine being abandoned for an hour. Shocking defending by both Sweden and England in Kiev and the triple shock of England not only playing well but also demonstrating a plan B and scoring more than one goal in a tournament game for the first time in six years.
Opting for the height and power of Liverpool’s much maligned Andy Carroll to partner Danny Welbeck in attack, Roy Hodgson looked to trouble the fragile Swedish backline which had proven to be so vulnerable to aerial attacks during their 2-1 loss to Ukraine four nights previously. The tactic work as the ponytailed powerhouse rose to meet Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard’s pinpoint cross to head England into the lead before Half Time.
Despite the optimism of a successful first half, it looked like business as usual for England in the second as dreadful defending from two set pieces first saw Glen Johnson unfortunately put through his own net followed by an Olof Mellberg header to give the Swedes a 2-1 lead.
Enter Theo Walcott and England’s much searched for plan b. Within minutes Walcott’s looping long distance effort had defied Andreas Isaaksson to draw England level. Then on 78 minutes, Walcott utilised his Bugatti like pace to torment the Swedish defence before crossing for Welbeck to audaciously backheel in the winner. Five goals and breathless entertainment. Why can’t all England matches be like this?
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE ROUND
Arjen Robben
Diva: Robben’s theatrics after being substituted against Germany were an embarrassment.
Ok, so Arjen Robben isn’t the most well liked footballer on the planet. Neither is he the most professional given his reputation for play acting and petulance. What Robben is however, is a phenomenally gifted footballer . . . when he wants to be. Time after time we have seen him carve defences open with lightning fast slalom’s and sublime finishing. Who can forget his thunderous volley which sent Manchester United crashing out of the Champion’s League Quarter Finals in 2010 or his string of match winning performances at the last World Cup?
Yet it won’t be as easy to remember Robben for his on field antics from this tournament. Where he was unlucky not to score against the Danes in the previous round, Robben was lucky not to be hauled off by Bert Van Marwijk sooner during his anonymous display against Germany. He offered little outside of constantly trying to cut inside and shoot at goal, a failed tactic that he attempted to deploy to no effect against Chelsea in the Champion’s League Final. Then when Van Marwijk had finally seen enough, Robben’s number was up. Rather than do the sporting thing and trundle off the pitch, shake your replacement’s hand and take your place on the bench, the Bayern Munich man hopped over the advertising hoardings on the far side of the pitch and took his time to strop round the running track before sitting on the floor like a child on the naughty step. When Holland needed a hero, Robben gave them a villain.
PLAYER OF THE ROUND
Bastian Schweinsteiger
I’ve already waxed lyrical about Schweinsteiger in this piece, so I can let the video do most of the talking, but what is worth noticing is just how much he resembles both former Germany captain Michael Ballack and Bavarian colossus and Bayern legend Stefan Effenberg. Schweinsteiger marauded around the midfield, swallowing up Dutch space, halting attacks before starting one of his own, constantly providing himself as an outlet and laying on both of Germany’s goals. A world class performance by a world class talent. All hail the new Kaiser.
Pulled Off At Half Time 