Perennial acheivers no more. Lazy journalists will now have to find another way to describe Spain, as they finally broke their 34 year duck to win a major trophy.
And how they deserved it. With a swift passing game that was too much for a distinctly pedestrian German side, Spain were worthy winners in the final. But not only that, worthy winners of a fantastic tournament. Their quality told in the end, and the best team won.
Was there a better goalkeeper than Iker Casillas? The Real Madrid stopper was as reliable as ever, and inspired confidence into his defence. I dont recall him making any mistakes, and you cant ask for any more from your Goalkeeper. Casillas lead by example throughout.
The defence? All the concerns going into the tournament were proven to be unfounded, as Spain only conceded 3 goals in the whole tournament. Puyol and co were rocks at the back, and this gave the Spanish attack the platform they needed to express themselves, and how they did that.
I'm running out of superlatives to describe the Spanish midfield, because it really was that good. It had everything, from guile and creativity, to steel and drive. And no-one epitomized this more than the player of the tournament, Xavi. One minute he was driving Spain forward, the next he was back making tackles. He and Marcos Senna were the true stars of this Spanish side in my eyes.
The flair of Silva, Fabregas and Iniesta can not be ignored however. With their quick feet and equally quick brains, they were too much to handle at times.
And finally the attack. Quick, strong, and lethal in front of goal, the Spanish attack took their chances and fired Spain to glory. Even Fernando Torres came good in the end, much like I thought he would. Playing with one striker or two, Spain were just as dangerous in the final third.
And what's more, this young side can only get better. A scary thought indeed.
The final itself was a fairly one-sided affair, with Spain having the lion's share of possession, and showing great ball retention under pressure. In terms of shots on goal the Spanish also dominated, with 13 shots on goal to Germany's 4. Germany to their credit battled away, and occasionally looked threatening on the break, but there was only one team winning this final. A victory not just for Spain, but for football in general, I'd say.
They came, they saw, they entertained. Oh, and I called it from the very beginning.
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