What was he doing? What was he thinking?
And who am I talking about?
Vincente del Bosque - no number nine again? No Torres? Cristiano Ronaldo - why didn't he take his time? Could he not have cut inside, onto his right foot, like he did against the Dutch... And who decided to save CR7 for the fifth penalty?
If it was the captain's call then his ego, on this tense night in Donetsk, proved to be his downfall. If Paulo Bento wanted to save his star player until the end (when the pressure, presumably, would really be on) then the Portugal coach has not been paying attention to the last thirty two years of football.
Think about it: how often does a shoot out go to the tenth and final penalty? 50% of the time, maybe?*
As a forensic examination of the supposed death of Tiki-taka, this match was exhibit A. Here are my findings:
1) Spain don't like it up 'em
For the first 45 minutes, Portugal gave the Spanish midfield (all ten of them) no space and no time. And they didn't know how to cope. Their lack of a plan B (see Spain 1-1 Italy) was cruelly exposed by hard work, discipline, and attacking intent. Portugal's failure to score during this period was ultimately their undoing.
2) Tiki-taka is tougher than you think
After half time, Spain found another gear. Superb fitness and a belief in their ability (or if you listen to Cesc: destiny) saw them through, as they displayed a trait common in perennial winners: sheer stubborness. The "not today" school of avoiding defeat.
3) We were given a glimpse of life after Xavi
Herecy it may be, but when Pedro replaced The Master on 87 minutes, Spain looked fresher, faster, and more likely to score. Only one team was going to win in extra time, and it wasn't Portugal. True, they were bearing down on exhausted opponents, but Spain seemed more dangerous and direct without Xavi.
There, I've said it.
In other news: did you know that the first player to miss a penalty in a shoot out, in a professional match in England, was Denis Law?
No? Neither did I.
[*based on ZERO research]
THE STORY SO FAR
Match of the tournament: Sweden 2-3 England
Player of the tournament: Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Goal of the tournament: Ibrahimovic (SWEDEN v France)
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