Czech Republic 2-3 Turkey
Tempestuous
Best 10 minutes of the tournament (unless you’re Czech). Turkey showed the sort of spirit (and chaos) that got them to a World Cup semi-final six years ago, while the Czechs still seem to be missing Nedved’s creativity.
Switzerland 2-0 Portugal
Rainy day ending with glorious sunset
Didn’t bother watching much of this (simultaneous broadcasts for the final matches in each group) but good to see the Swiss get a win.
Sweden 1-2 Spain
Cool, turning bleak with Arctic winds
Yes, it’s a cruel game. After 90 minutes, 1-1 was a fair representation of how Sweden’s workmanlike efficiency had tempered Spain’s rather over-casual passing finesse. But it only takes one injury-time goal to change all that.
Greece 0-1 Russia
Mild with brief but inconsequential storms
Weak Greeks, Russians not much better, but shading it on attacking flair. The tournament is probably better without either team.
Italy 1-1 Romania
Worst weather since records began!
Well, maybe not that bad, but Italy are barely clinging on. Only Cassano seems to be offering any creativity in attack (until his next bipolar attack kicks in) and the defence is weak without Nesta or Cannavaro. A win for France might do Italy a few favours…
Netherlands 4-1 France
Warm days and glorious orange sunsets.
I really thought Holland were going to do their usual trick of playing one great game before finally stumbling out amid internal strife and self-doubt, but they’ve now played two absolute belters on the trot. Things are looking bleak for France and Italy.
Croatia 2-1 Germany
Freak weather conditions!
Massive improvement by Croatia,who deserved the win. Cracking shot from Podolski, but is this another sign of a faltering Germany?
Austria 1-1 Poland
Grey and overcast.
It’s a cruel game. Once again, Austria deserved more on the basis of pure effort, but they just can’t score from open play. The lucky last-minute penalty may well have sealed the sad fate of both teams.
Czech Republic 1-3 Portugal
Hot and humid with storms.
One of the best, most balanced games so far, but Portugal tipped the balance by taking their chances.
Switzerland 1-2 Turkey
Torrential downp… hey, wait! The idea here was to use weather summaries as a humorous way of describing the matches, but in this case, a real torrential downpour defined the match. What was looking like being the dullest game so far was transformed by a waterlogged pitch, with Switzerland adjusting better to the conditions. Football can be cruel, though, and Turkey’s more effective attacking proved crucial.
Spain 4-1 Russia
Bright sunshine, slight risk of rain later.
Another team learns that beating England doesn’t mean you’re any good, but a late revival hinted at perennial flaws in Spain’s beautiful game.
Sweden 2-0 Greece
Dull and overcast, clearing later.
Could have been the worst match of the tournament, but Ibrahimovic seems to have found his international shooting boots. Whither the mighty Greece defence?
Romania 0-0 France
Blustery, unsettled.
Oh dear… when the tournament’s Best Squad On Paper looks at dreary as this, you know it’s going to be a funny day. France need to get their act together.
Netherlands 3-0 Italy
Torrential rain, mostly on parades.
The world champions, no less, utterly humbled by the finest Dutch performance since, ooh, 1988?
Germany 2-0 Poland
Stormy, settling later.
Plucky Poles eventually falling to inevitable charmless efficiency, not helped by own lack of strike power.
Austria 0-1 Croatia
Unseasonably mild.
Not the walkover I expected. Austria showed spirit and invention far beyond their terrible world ranking; Croatia looked dangerously complacent.
Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic
Muggy with lively intervals.
Czechs seemingly dominant but Swiss denied two penalties (one clear, one not so).
Portugal 2-0 Turkey
Glistening spring sunshine!
Scoreline flatters the Portuguese, who got lucky with a tolerant referee. Nice attacking play all round.
I thought about blogging Euro 2008 properly, like I did for the last World Cup. But then I’m not one for routine, and I could do with spending a bit less time tapping gibberish into computers and mobile phones this summer, so my solution (first instalment to appear later this evening) will be highly streamlined and almost Haiku-esque in its brevity…
