Game 31: Passed and Present

What a climax. Spain finished the tournament with a two-fingers salute to me and eveyone else who'd yawned at them in previous rounds. Xavi and Iniesta were unstoppable, with their every pass measured to perfection. Jordi Alba put on a turbo-heeled display, and Torres, despite only having 20 minutes of game time, looked the part.

Spain were deserved winners of a tournament that was, on balance, pretty good. Definitely a 7/10 tournament for me; with some good games and good goals. I think the only thing it really lacked were any big turnarounds.

So life returns to normal and we wait 2 years for the next binge.

Italy or Spain?

Who to support?

On the positive side:

• Spain remain excellent. Their touch, skill, ball-retention, ability to adapt is second to none. They could make history by achieving 3 straight tournament wins. In many ways they deserve it, such a talented group of player.
• Italy, from adversity (squad depleted due to the match fixing scandal) they have played well throughout the tournament, from holding Spain in the first match, onwards. In beating the Germans, they put in a tournament winning display.

On the negative side:

• Spain, utterly boring, always playing within themselves. No bleedin' strikers. Hope they lose.
• Italy, corrupt, hope they lose.

On balance - I hope Italy win, Balotelli scores the winner, abuses the ref, hugs his adopted mum and then throws a firework celebration in his broom cupboard.

Bets for the final:

• Italy to win
• Balotelli to score
• Balotelli to be sent off

Game 30: Marioooo

Football is back! Shock of the tournament (apart from Russia capitulating to Greece). Italy did what no-one expected, and produced a replica performance, dismantling Germany in the way that they basically did against England.

Super-Mario scored two good goals, the second a fierce wonder volley and a celebration to dwarf Ginola's shirt-off effort a few years back.

The Germans threatened a comeback, but didn't actually look that good. And so we have Italy v Spain in the final...an exciting game in prospect.