Euro 2012 Semifinals: Spain vs. Portugal

Stop Cristiano: Spain has neither the defensive personnel nor the pace to keep up with Cristiano Ronaldo. They must stop him receiving the ball in advantageous positions initially. Their natural game, holding possession and pressing high up the field, should do much of the work for them. Portugal’s midfield struggles getting the ball out quickly at the best of times. Pressure should slow them long enough for Spain to get set defensively. Ronaldo may only get a couple of chances. For Portugal to beat Spain, he must finish them.

Boring, Boring Spain: Spain may be the best soccer team in the world, at club or international level. Their tiki-taka possession game is ruthless, and forces even the world’s best sides out of their comfort zone. The quality is stunning. So is the monotony when they slow the tempo. It’s 90 minutes of ponderous foreplay with the sex so brief its perceptibility barely registers. Sometimes, it is more fun to watch burly Englishmen barge at each other like raving drunks. Spain are boring, but until a side beats them, there’s no reason for them to rethink playing that way. Let’s stop debating it.

4-6-0: Expect to see that formation with Fabregas as the false nine continue, at least for the semifinal. When teams sit back so deeply against Spain, it renders the striker irrelevant, especially if the striker is Torres whose game is running onto through balls. There is no room to play those passes to him. One could argue for more width with Navas, but do you take off Iniesta, Spain’s best player, or David Silva, Spain’s best player in Euro 2012 thus far? Scratch that. Negredo starting up front for Spain.

Ronaldo Legacy: Cristiano has been here before. He went to the Euro 2004 final. He scored in the semifinal. He was named to the team of the tournament. He’s not necessarily treading new ground. What he has is a chance to add that iconic international performance, a la Platini at Euro 2004, to an already stupendous resume. The reasonable already recognize he’s among the all-time greatest soccer players. This is Ronaldo’s opportunity to shut everyone else up.

Prediction: 1-0 Spain.

Here are the France players kicking a ball at Iker Casillas’ significant other.

[Photo via Getty]