Lincoln (2012)

The first look of Lincoln was enough to grab my attention. Daniel Day Lewis was Abe Lincoln incarnate.
Lincoln is a period drama. It captures the efforts of Lincoln amongst others to pass the 13th amendment to the American Constitution, thereby abolishing slavery. Even though the abolition of slavery and the culmination of civil war form a major part of the discourse, it’s peppered with behind the door political drama in good measure which ends up giving the audience enough to put things into perspective. Daniels performance is so sumptuous throughout the movie that a major part of the space here screamed to be devoted to him.
As much as the topic is flammable, the initial scenes are mellow courtesy a finely measured dialogue delivery and restrained method acting from Daniel. I somehow think Spielberg laid it out for him, to start at a low point and gradually set the tempo for Daniel to imprint himself into our consciousness. The plan however, works perfectly.
Daniel starts off with the supreme balancing act, that of a modest President. This exposes the audience to the many layers that Daniel carefully constructs, from a doting father, a tender and caring husband and the emotional turmoil of a couple who lost their first son in battle. Daniel pulls these off with consummate ease and poise. Following this is Spielbergs master act. We are introduced to Lincoln the charmer, the orator and the political mastermind. Needless to say, the elaborate conversations and dialogues follow. Lincoln, the soft-spoken political mastermind is at work for the most part of the movie, as he takes down each of the lobbyists with an assurance that is remarkable.
The movie has drawn some flak for being long drawn out and conversational, but that is the focal point of the movie and such construction of the script seems intentional. It is all the more necessary to be meted out this treatment. The reason is simple. The period that is chronicled in this two and a half hour flick, is the last four months of Lincolns life. It is only logical that the build-up has to be shared in some form or the other amongst the actors. The consequence of this is the overall conversational tone of the film. The only other option was to take us all to a flashback, but we can all agree how tedious that would have been given that so much needs to be said. Secondly, that would have entailed seeing a somewhat younger Lincoln, thereby diluting Daniels character build-up.
Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field excel as the radical abolitionist and Lincolns wife, respectively.
It could be argued that the movie does take some time to drive home the point. But the point that is sought to be made is not an easy one. It is a topic that is dealt with effectively through Spielbergs route than just rushing by. It is the same treatment that affords us Daniels stand out performance. For those bickering about the length of the movie, we should remember, we all sat through Avatar, a film which in my opinion had far less to offer than the verbal masterpiece that is Lincoln.

Rating- A
Abhilash D

Closer (2004)

Mike Nichols has directed “Closer” with an almost surgical precision. The movie is paced in such a manner that it is always slow, but always engrossing, within the horribly dysfunctional relationships between its four characters. Supporting roles are defunct, the film taking place in a self-contained bubble in which other people live, but, for all intents and purposes, do not exist outside of being window dressing. What is left are these four souls, obituary writer Dan (Jude Law), young stripper Alice (Natalie Portman), photographer Anna (Julia Roberts), and dermatologist Larry (Clive Owen) who seemingly choose destruction over happiness, meeting cute in sequences that would be right at home in the romantic comedy genre before the movie switches to the end of their romances when passion and emotional connection is gone. Their behavior is inexcusable and, at times, downright maddening. In their own way, however, and whether viewers are willing to admit it or now, they begin to take on patterns and make very bad choices that resemble one’s we have all made, or, at least, considered, in our own past. 

Written by Patrick Marber (based on his play), “Closer” is destined to elicit deep conversations for anyone who sees it. It is not an easy film to embrace, despite grabbing the viewer’s attention from the beginning and refusing to let go, because it features four characters that start off likable before becoming more despicable with each new scene. They are all self-destructive, yes, but they are also hypocrites in the biggest sense, willing to have affairs and give in to temptations even as they resent their partners who all, at some point, do the very same thing. Black as coal and uncompromisingly grim, “Closer” is an arresting that just so happens to involve an insufferable lot who, if they existed in your real life, you would walk on the opposite side of the street to avoid. In certain actions, they, indeed, symbolize the darker side of human nature. By the end, they have sunken to an even lower level that is difficult to apprehend, let alone understand.

The performances, free of vanity, and the salacious, at times sexually explicit dialogue they throw off each other are the key reasons why “Closer” remains a film worth noting. The actors are near the top of their game as they tackle difficult characters to wrap around, with Julia Roberts probably surprising the most with the amount of unaffected depth she brings to Anna through her facial expressions and line deliveries. Having such a huge star in a film outside of the mainstream realm always runs the risk of calling attention to itself, but Roberts so magnificently embodies the whole of Anna that she avoids this trap. As Alice, who seems at the onset to be the most virtuous of the leads before late developments prove this to might not be the case, Natalie Portman delivers stunning, nuanced performances. As male counterparts Larry and Dan, Clive Owen and Jude Law offer intensely good turns of their own.

Each sequence in “Closer” is something of a war of words that make up individual short features, all of them provocative and gripping. A sequence between Larry and Alice in the backroom of the strip club is ten minutes of sharply written and acted precision, as they dance around the real subjects at hand and tempt each other as a respite to their failed relationships with Anna and Dan.

If “Closer” is superb in sections, it all adds up to much less as a whole. By focusing solely on the characters’ key encounters with each other, Mike Nichols has neglected to delve into who these people truly are and why they do what they do. Perhaps his point is that there is no point to what Dan, Alice, Anna, and Larry do and that they are the biggest victims of their own indiscretions. But it makes for a slightly disconcerting cinematic outcome. “Closer” doesn’t offer much audience satisfaction because they are placed in the character’s terminally unsatisfied shoes, but it does welcome, and even demand, conversation and post-viewing discussions. The film is an uncompromising experience, which proves to be a simultaneous detriment and godsend to the finished product, but the sumptuous performances and tantalizing dialogue make even the most detestable of human behavior uncontrollably fascinating.

 

Rating- A

Abhilash D

Batman Begins (2005)

After the passage of years wiped the memory of the Schumacher-era Batman from our minds, the world was ready for the next re-invention of the Dark Knight. But perhaps nobody was quite ready for the radical renovation that Memento director Christopher Nolan delivered. Suddenly, Batman was all grown up.

Nolan’s Gotham – far from the fantasia of the Tim Burton movies – grounds the film in a believable urban environment, but it’s an emotionally grounded tale too. Until now, Batman’s origin story was a flashback-referenced aside. Here, it’s the essential character curve, the driving beat. No villain hijacks this story and Bruce Wayne’s father is no longer a doomed aristocrat to be gunned down, but a dreamer whose heartbreakingly optimistic vision of a future Gotham, all monorails and gleaming towers, is the dream that Batman chases.

David Goyers screenplay is cleverly structured. The film doesn’t make you fall head first into a world of capes, spandex and manly jaws. It builds the Batman universe in tiny, logical increments. Bruce Wayne’s war on crime unfolds in a focused manner and by the end of it all you’re seeing Batmobiles and Bat Signals, but accepting them as absolute

At the same time, Batman Begins is rich and resonant with a sense of mythology. It doesn’t wink at its pulpy source material, instead it elevates it, convincing you that there’s something inherently noble about putting on a mask and beating the living daylights out of criminals. And it is a brutal film. An initial, surprising burst of violence steels you for its primitive tone. It bruises, scars, punches your heart. In short, it’s Nolan taking Batman to hard-core levels.

Batman himself is the most terrifying thing in the film. When we finally see him, he’s a blur of fists and shadows. The suit may look pretty bulky and constricting in photos, but it works onscreen, which is where it counts. This Batman is the “weird creature of the night” of the classic ’70s Batman tales, with all the sleek grace of an old Neal Adams illustration.

There’s a superbly taken Batmobile chase, a twist worthy of The Usual Suspects (review earlier posted) and, above all, prepares you  to the heights of amazingness that the franchise has taken this dc comic to.

 

Rating- A

Abhilash D

Reign of Spain and Italian Pain!

“I didn’t really want to be the coach who wins but the coach who educates. I want to keep preparing them for the future.”

n  Vicente Del Bosque – Spanish National Team Football Coach

The statement in itself sums up the humility of the Spanish team and the principles responsible for pioneering the current generation. The other day, I was reading an article in which humility is emphasized within the current generation of Spanish players. From the on pitch display to off pitch display, the Spanish tend to dwell within themselves and to respect others. Most teams with the swagger of Spain would mean ego clashes within the squad and internal rifts, all the ingredients of controversy. This Spanish side has instilled themselves with humility and has proved that you don’t have to behave like spoilt brats, when the world lies at your feet. The drive to win has always been there but not at the cost of disrespect and even on winning the desire to achieve and learn along the way is what make this era of Spanish players so likeable and special.

This Spanish generation may never be matched, although when Iker Casillas, the Spanish captain was asked on being compared to the great Brazilian teams, his reply was “Are we the best ever? I don’t know. I think we have to keep winning and win more trophies. When we’re retired in 10 or 15 years then maybe we can look back and say we were really good.” This humility doesn’t arise out of the victories which they scripted out, but it is the cultured upbringing of these footballers which make them so endearing to the entire World. The hunger for success or conquering history itself is not enough. For the current bunch of players, the desire is still there to create history. Keeping this in mind, World Cup 2014 will be the target for these Spaniards.

Boring, over passing the ball, too much possession are some of the terms which the critics have been pointing out, but at the end of the day, you may say that the media have been putting forth these terms because they have run out of praises for the current Spanish team. While other coaches may have buckled to such pressure, Spain seemingly stuck to their game plan.

A 4-0 score line is never a good one to take back home, especially as history would suggest it was a rout. But it will truly not reveal the effort each Italian made on the pitch. It will also not take into consideration the injuries, the close chances and the sweat and blood of the players.

The Italians did themselves proud; a runner up medal is justified when the opponents are way superior.  But for all those who viewed the finals, they will understand that Italy didn’t just roll over. Indeed there were chances when the Italians could have scored, but superb defending, added to their wonderful goal keeping and clinical finishing is what gave the score line such a lopsided outlook. The midfielders played deep in defense when needed and snuffed out most chances Italians sought to create. At times, Spain was playing at a level which will be difficult to emulate in years to come. Their pressing, creation of small triangles to unlock the defense and the killer passes were all on display. Before the match, the Spanish coach had requested one last huge effort from these players and boy what an effort.

Initially the teams started off well but the determination could be seen on the Spanish players as they slowly started taking control. Indeed at one point of time in the first half, the Italians had more possession than the Spanish, which in itself is a rarity. But that was the last of what we can say dominance form the Italians. David Silva, one of the smallest men on the pitch directed a Fabregas cross into the top left corner, beyond a despairing Buffon, the Italian goal keeper. Eye catching though was the patient build up, and the sudden increase in tempo to free Fabregas on the right.  The initial pass by Andreas Iniesta was sublime. Italians are generally associated with outstanding defending, but there was hardly anyone to be blamed, as they could only look on helplessly.

In hindsight, the Italians may be blamed for giving the Spanish too much time on the ball, but clearly Spain played at a level, which was very difficult. Indeed, at times the way Spain pressed to regain possession, it was as if they had been deprived of their favorite toy. Unfortunate injuries didn’t help the Italians cause as well, and then came the goal from the new Barcelona recruit, Jordi Alba.  A lung bursting run from his own half and he calmly put the ball past Buffon. It might as well have been Game, Set and Match.

As the goal came just before half-time, there needed to be decisive substitutions and on came Di Natale for Cassano whose two chances came and went and just as in the first half after the initial hiccup, the second half also was dominated by Spain. To make matters worse, the Italians lost their third and final substitute to an injury. With half an hour left and a man down, this was the last nail in the Italian coffin. But Spain was not done yet, they sent on Torres and Pedro, speedier players against the tiring and overworked Italians who were already on their last legs.

For all his woes in the Blues, Torres has risen like a phoenix in these Euros, as he quickly settled and unlike the first game against the Italians in the group stage, where he was accused of being wasteful, this time around he was as clinical. Xavi’s straight pass soon found him and a drop of the shoulder and slight adjustment to his body was all he needed to guide the ball past Buffon, to settle the matter of the title. And if that wasn’t enough, his unselfishness, to set up Juan Mata, a 74 seconds old substitute for his first touch and goal was his way of making it up for not playing Jesus Navas in the earlier group game.

A minute earlier my friend was moaning about why Mata hasn’t been played in this tournament, but I guess with two winners medal already in his pocket, he is destined to make an impact in the World Cup 2014(all that’s a combination of squad selection, injuries etc –  the little considerations). With the score already 4-0, while teams look to stroll the ball about, Spain kept on attacking in the same manner in which they had pursued it in the first minute.

The hallmarks of champions, and in a way paying homage to the Italians, who were never considered inferior at any stage of the game by the Spanish. As Buffon the Italian keeper and captain put it very aptly, “Tonight, there was no contest, they were too superior – so the bitterness at losing this final is only relative. It’s ended badly because we faced a great team who deserved to win. Sometimes in life you need to be able to accept defeat and compliment opponents who were better,” Buffon said to Rai Sport.[1]

As tributes continue to flow for the Spanish side, this team can truly be called as the “Team of the Century” and hopefully will continue to enthrall us with their brand of football, which is so unique and humble, that the entire world of football can only continue admiring and applauding them and at times call them “Boring”.

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[1] http://www.goal.com/en/news/2898/euro-2012/2012/07/02/3214454/there-was-no-contest-italy-keeper-buffon-hails-superior# [last visited on 02/07/2012].

Germans found wanting! Azzurri clashes with the Spanish Armada!

“You have been weighed, you have been measured and you have been found wanting”

–          A Knight’s Tale

The Italians can proudly say this to the Germans after a dominant display in which frankly, they blew the Germans out of the park. While all the buildup to the game was about German efficiency, the Italians prevailed in what has been one of the most memorable matches of these Euros. With all due respect to the Germans, they were clueless to a dominant display of football, in which at any point of the match never tilted in Germany’s favor.

The Italians once again proved that they are the surprise package of the tournament and like all other past Italian teams; they showed the hunger, drive and energy which unusually Germany found lacking. For all the talk about extra rest days affecting the match, the Italians except for the initial few minutes, completely controlled the match. The Germans started out with a game plan to stifle Pirlo and ended up damaging and limiting their chances with their right midfield exposed brutally by the scheming Italians.

No praise can be enough for the display yesterday night put forth by the Italians, and Mario Balotelli, for all the baggage he carries of unpredictability, proved that with time he has the potential to become one of the legends of the game. His finishing was of the highest quality and the cheek to acknowledge that the yellow card issued to him for his celebrations was worth it speaks volumes about the man’s confidence. There have been issues about his finishing but the two finishes against the Germans will go a long way in silencing his critiques.

Many teams may have won semi finals with wonderful goals but never have been finishes so emphatic. All observers must have felt that the game was done and dusted when Balotelli scored a scorcher of a second goal. The Germans probably must have been fearing the worst of a rout, but the Germans hung on and were rewarded with a goal which gave the score line a decent outcome of 2-1, which in years will not reflect the Italian domination.

“We will not let Italy show us how to play football,” Löw, the German coach had said on the eve of the match but Italy tore up the script and produced football of such high quality that throughout the game Germany were playing catch up. “Chokers” a term you generally do not associate with German football, but going by the past performances since the 2006 World Cup, it will be difficult for them to distance themselves from this tag. Flawless throughout the qualifying and up to the quarterfinals but when a crunch match came along they buckled under the pressure.

While Spain stuck to their game plan and didn’t try to concentrate only on Ronaldo, Germany committed the cardinal sin of concentrating on one player, Pirlo and paid the price for it. The man in question, Pirlo, in the end providing the telling pass before a combination of Chilleni’s directness and Cassano’s trickery bamboozling the German defense and crossing for Balotelli to open the scoring.  Before the game Hummels had been bestowed as one of the better defenders of the tournament with Zidane, declaring himself a fan. Now only questions will be asked of the way Cassano got past him.

This tournament has remarkably seen a marked improvement in playing styles, with teams choosing to play football and lesser tackles and much lesser physical approach. This has only promoted the audience’s interest and keeping in line with the motto of the tournament, this match also provided a footballing spectacle. The Italians have played in a very unpredictable way and the flexibility in tactics can be attributed to their coach, Cesare Prandelli, who has constantly reminded us that football at the end of the day is just a game.

Criticisms have been made of earlier Italian teams as to their defensive mindedness but the current crop have shown they can adjust to the opposition and still be solid in defense. The best chances for Germany to score came early on with Hummel’s diverting a corner and a ricochet of an Italian defender’s leg. Kroos, took a shot which tested Buffon, who seemingly started to dominate the game after the initial hiccups. Much has been said about the finish of Balotelli’s second goal which was a rocket, but the second touch with his left foot to set up his shot on the volley was exquisite and the ability to do that with such nonchalance is what makes him such a talent.

Germany though tried to change and alter the tempo in their favor with the substitutions of Gomez and Podolski in favor of Reus and Klose, but they couldn’t effectively threaten the Italians at any stage. The Italians always looked the better outfit and if some of the chances which fell to Marchisio had fallen to Balotelli, the score would probably have been a more humiliating one for the Germans. We will never know. More than the loss, the manner in which the Italians implemented the loss was more heart breaking for the Germans.

The Germans will be back for sure and on a day of upsets where Rafael Nadal also exited the Wimbledon, the only silver lining is that things can only get better from here for the Germans. While they may have suffered at the hands of the Italians, the finals are still to be played and considering the circumstances for the Germans, they might just end up rooting for a Spanish victory.

Spanish Armada Rolls on!

Cristiano Ronaldo could only look on in agony and shake his head. For all his actions he could only reflect on what could have been as Francesc Fabregas, coolly slotted away the penalty via the inside of left crossbar. Fabregas though for a moment must have feared the worst when his penalty hit the bar, only to his relief to see the ball roll across the line and into the net. The relief on his face was apparent as he joyfully ran into his captain’s arms, Iker Casillas. The climax of the game brought to end one of the most eagerly anticipated matches in the tournament and thus ensuring Spain’s passage to the final of Euro 2012.

The world might be berating the Spanish team and calling them a bore, but the Spanish fans can point to the fact that the last team to make it to three consecutive major finals were the West Germany of 1970’s. Spain though didn’t make life easy for themselves, with a very sluggish first half in which the best of the chances fell to their right- back Arbeloa, if that could be called a chance. No fluidity in play, difficulty in retaining possession, misplaced passes and an uncharacteristic style of play is not what Spain are associated with.

Due credit though to the Portuguese midfield trio of Moutinho, Meireles and Veloso for snapping at the heels of Xabi, Xavi and Iniesta. Silva was off color and most times Negredo was invisible, contributing very little to the game. At times Spain looked like they were playing with nine men, but for all the unsettling part, the Portuguese failed to score and establish some amount of dominance. These features actually highlight the true hallmarks of champions because even though Spain was not at their fluid best, they still managed to nullify the Portuguese of any clear cut chances.

It takes a lot of character to stick to your game plan in the face of so many adversities, but Spain showed their resilience to sweat it out. A lot of talk had been before the game of how Spain would look to stop Portugal, and it was a pleasure to see that there was no employment of negative tactics so as to unsettle the Portuguese maverick, Christiano Ronaldo. Rather than concentrating on the opponent’s they stuck to their strengths which was remarkable considering the stage of the tournament.

The biggest tribute we can shower on this tournament is that almost every team has chosen to play football and the testament to that is the lesser amount of scoreless draws. The initial tactics though were quite confusing on the part of Spain, as the Spanish Coach, Vicente Del Bosque, chose to start Negredo to probably counter the physical presence of Pepe and Bruno Alves, the Portuguese central defenders. In hindsight, Llorente might have been a better option as he is good in the air and nimble on the ball as well.

But a few minutes  into the second half Spain brought on Fabregas for Negredo, and resumed with their false no. 9 game plan and as the game became more open they introduced one conventional winger and other a inside winger/forward. While Ronaldo, might have wanted to be more productive with his free-kicks, the threat he possessed throughout the game was enough to keep the Spanish defense on their toes. At times in the first half, he would have looked to do better with his finishing and had a few opportunities in the second half as well but for the majority of the match, he was mainly restricted to half chances thanks to the combined brilliance of Pique and Ramos.

The closest he came to scoring was in the 87^th minute when the Portuguese team broke from their own half like sprinters, only for the final pass to cause Ronaldo to check his run and the opportunity was gone. Since, it was Ronaldo it could be called an opportunity but he still had a lot to do, but the Spanish defenders had arrived.

While the talk was about how the Spanish players might be suffering from fatigue, they made a mockery of that in extra-time as they took over the game. The game’s best chances were created by the silky display of ball control by Pedro, with the first touch to keep the ball in play and the next series of touches to trick two Portuguese defenders and then make a innocuous pass to Alba, the Spanish left-back who then produced a burst of pace to enter the Spanish box and make a telling cross which Andreas Iniesta got a shot off, only for the Portuguese keeper to save it. Prior to that, Jesus Navas had taken the shot which was so horribly off target that Pedro could recover it. But Pedro and Navas did get further opportunities only for the Portuguese defenders to recover and clear with the fabulous Coentrao recovering to clear a one-on-one opportunity of Pedro’s foot.

That was the only passage of play for either team in which a clear cut chance was produced and that was in extra time. It speaks volumes of the Spanish determination, ability and hunger for further success which resulted in such chances being created. Some may call them boring, but to think and act and play beautiful football and to stick to their principles even at 120 minutes needs character.

Coming into the penalties, the keepers had not seen much action. At least someone on the field wasn’t exhausted for a change. The penalties though were agonizing and a chance for reversal of fortunes. Xabi Alonso, the most reliable penalty taker, missed or rather had his penalty saved and while other teams may have buckled, Iker Casillas, the Spanish captain kept everyone cool with a smart save of Moutinho. Next up Iniesta, Pepe, Pique and Nani scored, although again there was drama as Nani had a change of heart at the last moment as he called back Bruno Alves before hammering the ball into the roof of the net. It was an unstoppable one.

It must have been interesting to note what must have been running through Bruno Alves mind as he approached to take his penalty, but, not before Ramos who had chipped his penalty into the goal aka Pirlo/Panenka style. The additional pressure of being called back from the spot led to him smashing his penalty into the cross bar. The decisive penalty came up for Spain and just as in Euro 2008, Fabregas scored once again to ensure his side’s qualification for the finals.

The wait for Ronaldo goes on as he looks for International success and left to probably rue his chances. Critics may argue the team’s best player should have taken the first penalty but imagine if the team’s best player misses, it may result in the loss of morale and the result may have still gone in favor of Spain. Ultimately, Ronaldo didn’t get the opportunity to take his penalty and the image of him shaking his head and muttering to himself is what the Portuguese fans will be left with until the next major tournament.

The Quarter-Finals!

The weekend where the tournament didn’t throw up surprises for a change, unless of course you count the England exit. Although few English fans can actually complain about the display although as per the British press it was considered a honorable exit. Italy was the better team throughout and Pirlo’s display was exquisite. The chip penalty in the penalty shootout was audacious enough, considering the stage and the circumstances and it showed the chasm in class between the English and the Italians. It made Joe Hart look kiddish. And in the end a deserving Italy won. Any other result would have been a shame.

While the English game plan was more Italian than the Italians themselves, Italy themselves chose to play football. Like in World Cup 2006, when the team united to conquer ultimate glory ahead of the match fixing allegations, here too it seems to have spurned on the individuals to display.

The weekend though kicked off with Germany taking on Greece and quite a few political undertones were associated with it. The match though was fully controlled by the Germans and although the scoreline might be a tad unfair, Greece did get opportunities. Few heads must have been turned when Mario Gomez wasn’t in the starting lineup.  But they have a player of international caliber, Miroslav Klose as a substitute, which is an embarrassment of riches that Germany have at their disposal.

Philip Lahm’s goal, swerving and dipping started the onslaught and some of the other finishes, especially Khedira’s and Reus’s finish on the volley were a salute to the technical brilliance of the Germans. While the Greece were sweating it out, the Germans seemed to enjoy the game and even when Greece equalized, the Germans rather than looking flustered took it up as a challenge. While Low (Germany Coach), wasn’t thrilled at the goals conceded, it will give something to work on ahead of the quarterfinals against the Italians. Greece though can hold their heads up high along with the Czechs and the English, they did themselves proud.

The French though were an exception and their display was another wasteful one. While the Spanish had a surprise goal scorer in Xabi Alonso, the most woeful part about the Spain – France game was that of passion on the part of French. The quarter final stage of a tournament is where all players pull up their socks and put in a proper shift, but here the French faltered, stuttered and exited disappointingly.

Nobody would have argued the quality of the Spanish team but the failure of the French to compete made it a cake walk, although the Spanish sealed of the game only in the 90^th Minute. The tactics were confusing as well and while Spain took the opportunity to give Pedro a run out so as to bring a new dimension to their game ahead of the clash against the Italians. Spain though excelled in possession and their only worry at this stage is their weariness.

It sets up an exciting clash against the Portuguese. While all eyes will be on Ronaldo, the Spanish know that if they cut off the supply to Ronaldo, he will be harmless. The Spanish coach is an experienced man and he sure would have noted the Germany – Portugal game and it can even act as a template on how to restrict Ronaldo. Ronaldo has shown his ability to adapt and it will be a stern examination of his skills and patience if he along with his teammates is to dislodge Spain from their perch.

An air of expectation is always there from the English and if they would have gone through to the semifinals, it would have been considered an overachievement considering how much they rode on their luck in the tournament barring Steven Gerrard who put up inspiring performances game after game. The burden of expectations weren’t there on this team but while the Spanish and Germans expected a minimum place in the semi-finals. This disparity in expectations shows the picture of modern football. England again faltered in the penalties and although they were organized and defensively sound, they never looked like threatening Italy over the course of the entire 120 minutes. Except for the first half, England chose not to play football and there was a tendency to play within their limitations.

The loss of England though has paved the way for an exciting clash between the Italians and the Germans, which will be a display of different footballing cultures. While Italy is playing a very unitalian way, the Germans are looking like a machine with all parts functioning in symmetry with each other. It will be interesting to see what tactics will be used to neutralize each other, but the neutrals must be overjoyed at the prospect of two fabulous teams lining up. The prize though is a place in the finals.

Teams over the course of a tournament need to peak at certain stages to overcome fatigue. While the body may be tired but the mind cannot be. It is their reaction in situations like these which ultimately count. Spain though will have to conservatively use their mental strength because they have the talent and they know it. So the Spanish coach might be just creating a smoke screen for their opponents so as to take away the equation of expectations and thus give them a chance of further glory.

Portugal v Czech Republic!

The quarters have begun and the big players are coming to the party accordingly. If Ronaldo can rise up to the occasion, then expect Ozil (who surprisingly hasn’t been that effective), Benzema, Rooney, Balotelli and of course the Spanish contingent to light up the tournament further. While Ronaldo aptly scored the winner, it was his performance throughout the game which will act as a reminder to everyone as to why he is the world’s most expensive player.

While Ronaldo may have hogged all the lime light, deserved praise should be showered on Moutinho, Nani and Meireles as well. The defense also did a very clinical job and snuffed out chances without any hesitation. Coentrao kept on bombarding the left flank as usual and Pepe played with assurance and organized the defense well with Bruno Alves.

With the exception for the first 15-20 minutes the Czech never imposed themselves on the game and that was the closest they came to dominating the match. The team look bereft of ideas as they passed around mundanely without threatening to score. Ronaldo was a menace throughout and well picked out passes from Nani and Moutinho, helped his cause and added to his tally of international goals.

Barring the initial passage where Ronaldo was man marked by Gebre Salisse, who himself enjoyed putting in crosses, the entirety of the game was dominated by the Portuguese. A subdued second half performance from the Czech Republic and the lack of any creative spark, mainly the presence of Tomas Rosicky contributed to a lackluster style of play.

The score line was kind enough to the Czechs as their goal keeper Peter Cech made a lot of spectacular saves to keep the score to a goal only. The Portuguese though can only pick positives out of this game and now will lie in wait for their next opponents. With either Spain or France to come, the Portuguese will need to be refreshed mentally and physically if they are to progress to the finals.

End of the Group stages!

Now that the group games are out of the way, lets get down to the business end of the tournament. There is no looking back henceforth for all the teams, and the ability to recuperate mentally and physically will be the most important factor. One of the complaints every major international tournament faces is Player Burnout, but for a change most players are seemingly coping up with the tournament. Most notably, the big players such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres who spent their seasons injured or warming the bench respectively.

Some though seem to have carried on the form from their club seasons i.e the Spanish contingent, the Germans and the Italians and the French players as well e. Ronaldo has also lit up the tournament with those two well taken goals and now that Wayne Rooney is also back for England and scoring, we can only expect the tournament to reach greater heights.

Based on the evidence the French put forth against the Swedish, Spain should fear little. But in football there are no such guarantee’s as the Spanish themselves found out while etching out a hard fought win against the Croatians. The Swedish camp though benefitted from the extra day of training and the determination shown along with the performance of the players dispelled any rumors about the rift within the squad. While their performance came a little bit too late, they left with their heads held high. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, continues to chase international success and the scissor kick half-volley was one of the better goals in the tournament, if not the best.

There hasn’t been a single scoreless draw in the tournament as of now and this tells us how teams are looking to play. Instead of sitting back and defending, most teams have decided to play and take the initiative. While the quarters have given us unexpected teams in the form of Greece and Czech Republic, the other teams are there as expected. With the obvious exception of the Dutch the rest of the teams will make for very entertaining contests.

In view of the games yesterday, while the Swedes were emphatic in victory, the English weren’t as convincing as they would have liked. The English though are slowly starting to believe but their performance must have to be a notch better if they are to dismantle the Italians. While the French will probably need divine intervention if they are to dislodge Spain, based on their pathetic performance. But then the French can be playing the game of bluff, with the intention to induce Spain with a lackadaisical approach and probably then surprise them. But these are all assumptions on the basis that the French will play well and the Spanish will again struggle.

It’s difficult to envisage a Spanish struggle but it seems the other teams have figured out a sort of plan. But as Croatia showed the plan has to last an entirety of 90 minutes rather than just the occasional foray. As of now, Germany seems the most suited but before that they have their own challenges to conquer.

In the English camp, everyone will be mightily pleased to avoid Spain and the victory concurring with a Rooney goal only has added to the belief. While the expectations have been low this time around, the English media are slowly starting to wake up and a place in the semi-finals might just throw the country in a state of Euphoria. While they were the beneficiaries of a disallowed goal, which may have put to rest their insecurities about bad luck, it may also inspire them to go further and maybe even claim it.

For all the talking, there has been no hype about England’s chances this Euro, but with the tournament already creating an upset or two, the question arises “Are they ready to go all the way?” and “ Whose applecart are they going to topple?”

The Group games though were not dull in nature and almost every group game had its own moments of drama, tension and thrills. While the tournament would have obviously benefitted with the presence of a host nation, the travelling supporters haven’t lost out on the opportunity to explore Poland and Ukraine. While Ukraine said goodbye to one of its heroes Andriy Shevchenko, Poland too failed to fulfill their fairytale script. Ukraine though will feel a little robbed about the goal and who knows maybe a quarter final berth. The supporters though have enjoyed their teams play and now will be looking on enviously at the travelling supports.

Its the Azzurri and the Spanish who break in!

No repeat of the Euro 2004 result which led to Italy being knocked out, but this Italy team as in Euro 2004 ground out a victory. Fortunately, for them the Spanish armada also managed a victory, a labored one to say the least. While the Spanish continued with their possession based play, the Croatians looked to contain. Taking a piece of advice from the German players, the Croatians didn’t make it too comfortable for the Spanish to create neither did they spend their time running after the ball. It was controlled aggression on display by the Croatian players.

Spain though passed and passed, and until the 88^th minute, their progression still wasn’t secure. While Italy’s victory would also send Spain through, the Croatians knew they were always in the game with only a goal needed. As Sid Lowe of the Guardian puts it rather eloquently “The situation was a strange one: the team who needed a goal were not seeking it; the team who didn’t, were. Yet not with much urgency.”[1]

While the Spanish players were short on tempo, there was no lack of effort and saves at the near post was to the extent Pletikosa, the Croatian goal keeper was tested. Croatia though could have snatched a victory themselves. Many will say, Rakitic and Perisic should have scored, but Casillas pulled off brilliant saves. For a goal keeper of the Spanish team, it requires concentration at an optimum level, as the game is so possession based in favor of Spain, that the goal keeper will only get a few touches of the ball.

The touches though were telling enough and Casillas was the epitome of concentration as the captain led from the front. Spain though was not incisive enough as they would have liked and the substitutes once again changed the course of the game. Like the World Cup 2010 final, Fabregas was again the creator, while Iniesta had finished that time for the Spanish. This time though he laid it off for Jesus Navas, who walked it into the goal. The chip pass to crack the Croatian defense showed the artist Fabregas is in constructing beautiful goals.

Enough said about the Spanish game, the Italians played with attacking intent as well, till they scored the goal. The Irish at the end were simply not threatening enough, as has been the case this whole tournament. Their only goal has come from their Central defender, so they can hardly have any complains. The Irish team though showed a lot of fight and Italy was comfortable only at the end when Mario Balotelli’s fine volley sealed the result.

While the celebration of Balotelli’s goal was muted (forcibly muted), it has relieved quite a lot of pressure from his shoulders, after failing to score in the first two games. Italy, though are steadily building up steam for the knock out stages and based on the performance on display, their opponents know that the task in not going to get easier.

The Irish team though will have a lot to do and spare a thought for the Croatians, who would probably be one of the best placed third teams if there was such a spot in this tournament. On the day when rumors flew of Luka Modric moving to Spain, he put on display a master class of mesmerizing and pin point passing. Probably he could walk into the Spanish squad with the ability he displayed. While Euro 2008 was the platform, Euro 2012 was the opera where he orchestrated the play beautifully.

Truly an undeserved exit, but an exit nonetheless as the fickle nature of the Euro 2012 continues where there is no easy games or easy opponents.

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[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/18/euro-2012-croatia-spain-group-c [last visited on 19/06/2012]