Having had more than ample time to review the glorious tournament that was EURO 2012, I feel more than capable of having an educated say as to who ought to be included in the Team Of The Tournament. UEFA has, of course, already had its say; their 23 man 'short-list' is (predictably) scattered with Spaniards and Italians, and correctly so they have Andres Iniesta labeled as the best player of the whole affair. However, I am of the opinion that a true T.O.T.T. should be just that; a team of the eleven players who played best during their respective fixtures, regardless of how many there may have been...
Right into it then; my team will be playing in a 4-3-3, with three out-and-out forwards, beginning with my Number 9, Mario Balotelli. In a tournament that will long be remembered for a team playing with no discernable forward, Balotelli shined in an adventurous Italian team that dared to play two very attacking minded, mentally unstable forwards. Whereas the combination of Cassano and Balotelli only truly beared (bore?) fruit during the Azzurri's penultimate match against Germany, I am of the opinion that Balotelli was brilliant in at least 5 of his 6 games (the final against Spain being the lone exception, wherein he was utterly depraved of the ball, such was Spain's dominance). In total disagreement with many pundits, I believe that Balotelli was fantastic against both Spain and Croatia in the group stage. He displayed the kind of professionalism and work ethic that many forwards at the highest level simply do not conjure up when they are failing to put the ball in the back of the net; many are quick to forget that his missed chance against Spain came courtesy of Balotelli's own tireless haranguing of Sergio Ramos. And when the chances were eventually dispatched by the Ghanain-born titan against Ireland and Germany, the goals merely overshadowed that Balotelli had expanded his game further; he was now stretching entire defenses (see England) into compromising positions from which his fellow teammates thrived via extremely intelligent runs. Mario, therefore, leads my attack.
Flanking Balotelli on the right is Russia's Alan Dzagoev. Dzagoev's performances were not only punctuated by goals, but also by the kind of joy-through-triumph that I revell in seeing displayed on a pitch. Hunger and desire were emphatically displayed by this young star, and his link-up play with Andrey Arshavin demonstrated his capacity to succeed alongside top-tier players.
On the left side of the attacking trident is, of course, the magician. More than enough has been said about Andres Iniesta's role in guiding Spain to more tournament glory. The current iteration of Spain's national side is often frustrating to a neutral fan of the game; so often dominant in possession, La Roja often take their time before managing to disect opposition defences. When this occurs though, and it always does, it is mainly done via the brilliance of Iniesta. His willingness to run at defenders was refreshing as well in a tournament where few solo, slaloming runs were managed.
Realizing that this blog is running a bit on the 'lengthy' side, the midfield triangle of Montolivo, Khedira, and Xabi Alonso will be hurriedly acclaimed. Montolivo's passing ability is often overlooked by pundits who prefer more combative types, yet his silky precision is undeniable, and most perfectly put to use when sending Balotelli through against the Germans to make the game 2-0. Though only brought into Italy's starting XI via an injury to Thiago Motta, one could argue that no midfielder had a greater impact per minute on the pitch. Montolivo's silk is complemented here by Sami Khedira's steel; the Madrid man's positional sense in the middle of the field was unmatched at EURO 2012, and allowed his compatriots Özil and Schweinsteiger the freedom to attack as they pleased. Yet Sami Khedira is more than a compative midfielder; his technical prowess allowed him to score a breathtaking volley against a stubborn Greek side. Finally, and fittingly, Xabi Alonso anchors my midfield. There is not another player in the world who has mastered more areas of the game than Spain's ever present #14, and that includes his teammates. Alonso couples the technique of a Cantona with the tenacity of a Gattuso. His two-goal performance against France also demonstrated that he can grab a game by the scruff of the neck if need be. He's in the squad.
The back four of my side places Fabio Coentrao a bit out of his comfort zone at right back, though I'm sure he is more than capable of excelling there. Fabio's passing ability complimented the movement of one Cristiano Ronaldo perfectly, and tandem formed perhaps the most potent left-sided attack present in Polkrain. That he supplemented his attack-minded approach with sure-footed defending in each of Portugal's 5 matches guaranteed him a place in this side. My center back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Daniele De Rossi (perhaps placed a bit behind Ramos in more of a sweeper role) hardley needs justification; each man could well play in the midfields of any of the world's top club sides, yet their impeccable tackling and general defensive play dictates that they play mostly inside their own halves. The standout of my back four, and also my left-back, is the now worshiped Jordi Alba. Having watched all of Spain's games, I genuinely cannot remember a single moment where Alba was put on the back foot by an attacking opponent. And then he can do this -
He's in.
The goalie of the squad cannot be debated; standing only 5' 11", Iker Casillas is a monster in big-game situations. Many have forgotten that Iker's save against Croatia in the 80th minute of their final group game kept Spain in the tournament, and his coolness seems to have a ripple effect across his entire backline. The man doesn't give up goals. That he doesn't rack of up many saves per game is irrelevant; there is something to be said about a keeper who maintains his focus for a side that has the ball for so long.
And there we are, my tournament XI. If I were to give a full set of possible subs, Zlatan, Ronaldo, Xavi, Pirlo, and Cesc Fabregas would be coming off the bench. All five were brilliant.
Iniesta - Balotelli - Dzagoev
Montolivo - Khedira
Alonso
Alba - Ramos - De Rossi - Coentrao
Casillas
On to the Olympics, where I hope Ganso and Neymar run absolutely rampant.
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