Brilliant Spain can outshine their rivals for longer still
At 2.45am the lights went out on Kiev's Olympic Stadium. The only
noise came from the thudding musical beats from hospitality areas and
the few fans still taking souvenir photographs.
And yet this exciting, bustling city and its state-of-the-art arena
was still illuminated by the latest stunning display from arguably the
finest international team this sport has seen.
Partisanship and patriotism will be factors in the debate - Brazil of
1970 and France of 1998/2000 will have their advocates whenever the
argument turns to who really was - or is - the greatest.
But Spain have now had a grip on the game since
they won Euro 2008 and can take their place in history after a
4-0 victory against Italy, following
a World Cup triumph in South Africa two years ago, confirmed three major tournaments in succession.
From the devastating opening burst that
brought David Silva's goal, via a run that resembled
a red blur from Jordi Alba to end a spell when Italy actually threatened, this was a masterclass in tactical and technical excellence.
And then, with Italy down to 10 men after their final substitute
Thiago Motta was carried off injured, came the ruthlessness. The late
appearance of Fernando Torres saw the ploy of the "false nine" - playing
without a conventional striker - replaced by one of "genuine nine" as
Chelsea's striker
scored the third, then set up club and country team-mate Juan Mata
for the coup de grace.
Every box that indicates a world-class team was ticked. This was
quite simply a supreme performance from a Spain side that can now slap
their medals on the table and demand comparison with anyone.
And, laughably, it was done against the background of complaints that
this was a "boring" Spain, who had crawled their way through Euro 2012.
If this was their answer to those charges, it was eloquent enough for
even the most hardened observers.
It is true there have been times when this Spain side has been less pleasing on the eye than in the past -
the semi-final win against Portugal on penalties was dull - but to brand them "boring" on that evidence was naïve, and an insult.
One man who should have known better was Arsenal manager Arsene
Wenger. With comic timing that was so bad it was good, he chose the
build-up to the game to write of Spain that
"they have betrayed their philosophy and turned it into something more negative".
Wenger was able to reflect on those ill-judged remarks as he watched
high in the stands in his role as a French television pundit, the
Spanish making a nonsense of his words as they played without a negative
thought in their heads.
This has been a Euro 2012 rich in quality, so a performance from the
winners that will be forever remembered by all those who witnessed it
was the perfect finale. The tournament got the two finalists it deserved
and out of those Spain were worthy victors.
And a glance around the team, its stellar performers and those on the
bench, suggests they have the capacity to extend their reign.
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is the symbol of the Spain side, responsible
and mature. Sergio Ramos is hard as nails, while new Barcelona
defensive signing Alba's raids have been one of the highlights of Euro
2012.
Where to start in central midfield? Andres Iniesta is the master
manipulator of touch and tempo. Xavi's pass for Alba's goal displayed
almost scientific precision, while Xabi Alonso's distribution must make
Liverpool fans weep when they wonder why Rafael Benitez decided he could
do without him.
Cesc Fabregas filled the "false nine" role to perfection and David
Silva was impeccable. All this with striker David Villa and great
defensive lynchpin Carles Puyol watching from the stands in Kiev, ruled
out by injury.
Look to the bench. Torres, Mata and Pedro Rodriguez came on in the
final. Javi Martinez, Jesus Navas and Fernando Llorente were among those
who did not.
For Italy, this was a night when their recent momentum was brutally
stopped. The frustrations, inevitably, were most obviously expressed by
Manchester City's Mario Balotelli.
He was unable to repeat the goalscoring feats
that overcame Germany in the semi-final
and walked straight down the tunnel at the final whistle before being
persuaded back. He joined his team-mates, and rightly so, because this
maligned figure has done himself credit at Euro 2012 and did not deserve
to end his tournament generating headlines of the wrong sort.
Andrea Pirlo, another star of the tournament, sank along with his
colleagues in the face of Spain's brilliance but he, like the rest of
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli's squad, can hold his head high. Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon's acceptance of Spain's superiority was gracious and
befitting his role as a statesman of the game.
Kiev's Olympic Stadium may have been in darkness in the small hours,
but the manner of Spain's win in the Euro 2012 final will bathe it in
light for a long time to come.
