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Spain crowned champion of Europe

Kevin McCarra

Torres’s strike settles the issue; Aragonés’s side ends a 44-year title drought

— PHOTO: AFP

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE: Technical excellence was the basis of Spain’s domination in the 13th European Championships.

Vienna: The delightfulness of Euro 2008 has been capped by its profound justice. Adroit and artistic Spain have triumphed in a tournament where their squad had the depth of talent to outdo all others.

Those who mused that Luis Aragonés’s side might lack in forwards while the tournament’s top-scorer, David Villa, was injured received their answer.

Liverpool’s Fernando Torres took the only goal with a mixture of anticipation, pace and delicacy of finish.

Germany were as intrepid as is to be expected of a nation in pursuit of a seventh major prize. Nonetheless, Michael Ballack, who had recovered from a calf strain, was the key person in a line-up that had to depend on its doggedness.

Strong-minded as Spain have also been in winning all six of their matches here, technical excellence is the true basis of their domination.

Aragonés carries some notoriety but he has taught Spain to count on their talent. The inability to win a trophy since taking this same competition in Madrid in 1964 has been all the more galling because footballers of lavish gifts have been among those who floundered.

At Euro 2008, by contrast, Spain permitted their opponents to assume the lead in only one game, an inconsequential tie against Greece.

Rough moments

This final had rough moments and it called for forbearance from the Italian referee Roberto Rosetti to restrict himself to four bookings. Germany are hardy and they carried the play to Spain at times. It must peeve them that the deadlock could not be prolonged as they wished because of a single lapse.

In the 33rd minute Xavi eased a through-ball which Philipp Lahm was well placed to deal with, but the swift Torres first moved outside the left-back and then inside him to flip a finish meticulously over the advancing Jens Lehmann and into the far corner of the net.

“Lahm was in a better position but for a moment he relaxed and I took advantage,” said the scorer, who had hit the post with a header 10 minutes earlier.

That took Torres’s tally for Euro 2008 to a modest two goals but this contribution was priceless.

Lahm was reportedly taken off with an injury, but Germany needed his replacement Marcell Jansen, a naturally left-sided footballer, to attack Spain. Joachim Loew’s team could not do that with any consistency, all the same.

Early exchanges

If they disturbed the opposition it was at the start. With much forthrightness then, they set course repeatedly for the right-back Sergio Ramos, illustrating the truth that he is really a centre-half.

Despite that awkward spell, Spain were bound to cause Germany distress sooner or later. Spain may have broken through only once but they defend well and have kept clean sheets since leaving the group stage.

Lehmann was involved in the game to a greater extent than Iker Casillas in the opposing goal.

Although Spain, in recent times, have been capable of touching a higher standard, their terror was of letting themselves down after coming all this way at Euro 2008.

The side had wrestled with such psychological issues, especially in the quarterfinal victory over Italy in a shoot-out.

Ballack’s woes

Spain’s advantage had looked fragile now and again in a sometimes heated game and a fracas between Casillas and Ballack secured a booking for each. Prior to that the German midfielder had needed protracted treatment for a cut to his eye. The lasting pain for Ballack is in further sorrow at yet another defeat in a final.

The result: Spain 1 (Fernando Torres 33) bt Germany 0. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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