| Reflections on Euro 2008 (September 2008) |
What we can learn from a tournament that's better than the World Cup
By Jay Martin
The European Championship is a better tournament than the World Cup. All 16 teams are competitive; the qualifying tournament is brutal, and the number of teams adds a “closeness” that the WC misses. Euro 2008 was a very good tournament; in fact, it was one of the best international tournaments we have seen in a long time. Coaches can take many lessons from it. With the help of UEFA and the world press, let’s have a look at the lessons from Euro 2008.
Surprises: Germany was in the final again, but there were surprises from teams that were not expected to challenge for the championship. Russia and Turkey come to mind. Each played very good soccer. Each played attacking soccer. Each went further into the tournament than expected. Turkey came from behind against Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia and probably would have done better against Germany if it were not depleted because of injury.
Attacking: Most teams attacked much more than expected. The attacks came through the counterattack (see below) and through the traditional build, possess, penetrate and score formula. The winners—Spain—attacked in every game with enthusiasm and aggression.
Late goals: A lot of goals were scored late in the game. Coaches influenced the game and made the decision to change something to help the cause. Many subs affected outcomes. These late goals led to drama in many games. The quality of games was high (e.g. Germany v. Portugal), and the late heroics added to the excitement and drama of games.
Countering the counter: The UEFA Technical Team reported that many teams used “anchors” in front of the defensive line; their job was to sit in and counter the counter. Some teams used two anchors because coaches at this level are aware of how dangerous the counter has become in international soccer.
Experience counts: Of the coaches for the final four teams, only Germany’s Joachim Loew is considered young by international coaching standards. His three counterparts—Luis Aragones of Spain, Guus Hiddink of Russia and Holland and Fatih Terim of Turkey—have been around international soccer for a long time and are smart and battle-tested. UEFA’s Andy Roxburgh said, “When it comes to soccer at this level, there is no place for people without experience…people who have been around the block a few times.”
Quality of teams: There were no slouches in this tournament. The line between winning and losing was very fine. Like the Champions League, the standard is so high that the difference between winning and losing can be an injury, a decision, a counterattack, a set play or a red card.
Set pieces: Where have all the restarts gone? For years we have heard that restarts will account for up to 60 percent of all goals scored. In fact, in this era of sophisticated defenses, coaches have emphasized the counterattack and restarts as the two most important ways of scoring goals. Through the first 68 goals at Euro 2008 (in games played prior to the semifinals), only one goal as a result of a free kick (Michael Ballack against Austria), and fewer than 25 percent of the goals were scored through restarts. This is similar to the UEFA Champions League. Roxburgh and UEFA hypothesize:
• Could it be that the defensive organization has improved?
• Are teams trying to avoid fouls in the attacking third?
• Are the “free kick specialists” not quite up to par?
• Is there a shortage of “clever” restarts?
Spain: The champions moved from the ranks of underachievers to the ranks of contenders. After the first round, perennial underachievers Portugal, Holland and Spain looked like they were destined to change their roles in international tournaments. Holland and Portugal crashed out against better-prepared and more enthusiastic teams. Neither team was mentally prepared for their opponents—Russia and Germany respectively. They remain underachievers. But Spain had a plan, executed that plan and won the tournament. Alby Jnr of BleacherReport.com explains what made the difference for Spain at Euro 2008:
• Game plan: Spain concentrated on doing what it does best: keeping the ball and letting the opponents exhaust themselves trying to win it back. This worked extremely well against the Germans in the final, but caused coach Luis Aragones some tough decisions. He had to leave at home some good players that were not as technically gifted. He built his team around the creative talents of players who came through the Barcelona youth team—Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas—and stuck with them to the end.
• Team spirit: This Spain team didn’t believe in “galacticos”—stars who are bigger than the team (read Real Madrid). This wasn’t Ballack’s Germany, Beckham’s England or Ronaldo’s Portugal. This was Spain’s Spain. When asked why David Villa was left out for the game against Greece when the Valencia striker might have finished as the top scorer, Aragones said he wasn’t after individual awards—it was the championship he sought. It’s the main reason why he left Raul at home!
• Generosity: Players such as Marco Senna ran their hearts out to let the more creative players shine. Forward Villa was the team’s first defender, and captain Iker Casillas invited everyone to his room to play cards at night. Again, the collective was above the individual (a big change in Spain).
• Concentration: Spain made sure there were no distractions at this tournament. There were no WAGs or any other turmoil. There was no gossip in the Spanish newspapers. There was no circus surrounding the Spanish camp.
• Bravery: Aragones did not hesitate to remove the likes of Torres, Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas when the team needed it. Torres complained in the first match and after that was silent.
• International experience: Players such as Torres and Fabregas were decisive in the wins over Italy and German. The success they and others have had in England helped the team move from pretenders to contenders.
• Equilibrium: The team was strong in all areas. Casillas and the defense were the heroes against Italy. The creative midfield beat Russia, with Xavi and Silva scoring in the semifinal. And it was the strikers, Torres and Villa, who sealed victory in the first and last match.
When we think of international soccer in the future, Spain will have to be considered with the favorites. They shrugged off the underachiever role and moved into the championship. Next? Holland and Portugal?
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