C'è del buono in Danimarca

L’Europeo under 21 appena concluso ha confermato l’ottimo stato di salute di due movimenti calcistici, quello spagnolo e quello svizzero, e poco altro. Escludendo le selezioni di Milla e Tami, finaliste con pieno merito, il resto delle partecipanti si è distinta per la scarsità di idee e un gioco raramente propositivo. Quanto mostrato da Spagna e Svizzera è però sufficiente per affermare che c’è del buono in Danimarca.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).

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UEFA 2011 European Under-21 Championship Final: Switzerland v Spain match preview

Writing History
From underdogs to the tournament’s most efficient team, Switzerland’s march to the final has been spotless. With four wins out of four and no goals conceded, the Alpine nation are the first country to have reached the Under-21 final with a perfect defensive record. Coach Pierluigi Tami has skillfully melded together a group of talented players – four were in the Swiss squad that lifted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2009 – into a solid and perfectly organized team.

Like their opponents in this final, Spain, Switzerland showed their squad is full of players able to make the difference; right-winger Xherdan Shaqiri was Man of the Match against Denmark and the Czech Republic; Fabian Frei and Innocent Emeghara were key in the defeat of Iceland; the striker with African roots was vital too against Belarus. Finally, a superb four-men defence led by goalkeeper Yann Sommer, has kept clean sheet after clean sheet, conceding not a single goal in 390 minutes of play.

However, it was striker Admir Mehmedi who wrote a glorious page of his country’s footballing history, with a powerful shot that defeated a tough and defensive-minded Czech Republic outfit in extra-time, that booked Switzerland’s slot in this final. And together with a place in the Under-21 final, the Swiss have also qualified for the London Olympics, their first time at the games since 1928. Now facing the Spanish, Tami’s men swear their fairytale is not finished
yet.

Triple Crown In Sight
The abyss loomed for tournament favourites Spain in the semi-final, as Luis Milla’s side came within a few minutes of being eliminated – the Spanish were one goal down against outsiders Belarus. The masters of ball possession seemed unable to break the barricades raised up by a well-disciplined Eastern European side, despite controlling the game from the kick-off; it took 89 minutes for the tournament’s leading scorer Adrian Lopez to break down Belarus’ wall.

Apart from Adrian, coach Milla himself could claim to have the biggest impact on the encounter. Substitutes Diego Capel, Jeffren and Bojan Krkic proved themselves vital in the Spanish side’s comeback, providing one goal and two assists between them. Spain’s boss now faces a number of tough decisions ahead of the final, especially when it comes to deciding which two wingers should support Juan Mata and Adrian up front.

With an imperious playmaker in the form of Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara in midfield, a solid defensive unit led by potentially world-class goalkeeper David de Gea, and two full backs – Martin Montoya and Didac Vila – who consistently provide support, Spain and their tiki-taka football are confident of lifting the European Under-21 title.

Players to watch
Switzerland – Admir Mehmedi: With three goals to his name Admir Mehmedi is Switzerland’s top scorer. Possessing great technique and an ability to create space, Tami deploys the striker in the centre of his team’s attack. A regular at Swiss Super League side Zurich, Mehmedi has been given first team football ahead of bench-warmers Mario Gavranovic (Schalke) and Nassim Ben Khalifa (Wolfsburg).

Spain – Adrian Lopez: This is a predatory striker finishing a troubled season in style. Adrian Lopez suffered the pain of relegation from La Liga with Deportivo La Coruna, but has forgotten those difficult times with five goals in four games for Spain, including two braces that handed his country victories over the Czech Republic and Belarus respectively. Adrian has justified the faith Milla has placed in him, and despite not boasting a strong physique, the hitman is lethal in the box.

Match Prediction
On paper Spain start this final as clear favourites: 14 players in their squad have been involved with various Spanish youth teams in international finals, and 12 of those were successful in lifting silverware. Moreover, many of the Spanish have enhanced their first team experience by turning out for clubs such as Barcelona, Valencia and Atletico Madrid, while their opponents featured only for the likes of Basel, Zurich and Sassuolo.

However, Switzerland have shown they have enough talent and tactical organisation to perform at the highest levels of the game. And the lack of a win-at-all-costs attitude and the pressure this generates could be the Swiss’ secret weapon. The Alpine country also won the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, a tournament in which no one predicted the side would finish as champions. History can repeat itself here. Switzerland 2-1 Spain.

Fonte: Inside Futbol

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Euro under 21: Con la Spagna sorpresa svizzera in salsa italiana

Epilogo con sorpresa agli Europei under21 in Danimarca, dove toccherà alla Svizzera contendere il trofeo alla favoritissima Spagna (oggi ore 20.45 ad Aarhus, arbitro Tagliavento). La matricola elvetica, alla prima finale della sua storia, contro i re mida del calcio odierno, già due volte campioni under21 in passato. Eppure l’esito del confronto si prospetta meno scontato del previsto; se infatti la Spagna ha rispettato il copione deliziando con quel tiki taka diventato ormai il marchio di fabbrica del movimento calcistico iberico, è stata la Svizzera a compiere il percorso netto. Quattro partite, quattro vittorie e zero gol subiti. Mai prima d’ora una squadra era approdata in finale con la porta inviolata.

Un’impresa, quella elvetica, che batte anche bandiera italiana. È l’Italia di provincia quella che ha fornito diversi elementi alla selezione del ticinese Pierluigi Tami: Sassuolo, Brescia, Padova, Palermo. Gente che questa sera si troverà di fronte giocatori di Barcellona, Valencia, Atletico Madrid e Athletic Bilbao. Giocatori come Mata e Javi Martinez, che nell’estate 2010 tornavano dal Sudafrica con la coppa del mondo. Eppure in Danimarca il miglior difensore dell’Europeo risponde al nome di Jonathan Rossini, cartellino in comproprietà tra Sampdoria e Udinese, reduce da una stagione in B nel Sassuolo. Ha impressionato tutti per personalità, senso tattico e pulizia negli interventi, ricordando a tratti il giovane Nesta. Nei 390 minuti di imbattibilità del portiere Yann Sommer c’è tanto di suo.

Un altro protagonista con i rossocrociati, che grazie alla finale raggiunta tornano alle Olimpiadi per la prima volta dal 1928, è Gaetano Berardi, esterno sinistro nel Brescia, terzino in nazionale. La fama era quella di cursore dai piedi ruvidi, il campo ha proposto un laterale veloce, difensivamente accorto e utile nel supporto alla fase offensiva. Non bello ma efficace; una squadra ha bisogno anche di giocatori così. In mediana invece ha dovuto lottare per trovare spazio il mediano del Padova Xavier Hochstrasser, la cui fisicità è stata però fondamentale in semifinale contro i gladiatori della Repubblica Ceca. Chiudono il cerchio le riserve Fabio Daprelà (Brescia) e Pajtim Kasami (Palermo). Magari toccherà proprio a loro regalare il lieto fine a questa favola svizzera spruzzata di tricolore.

Fonte: Il Giornale

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Euro Under-21 Semi-Final: Switzerland v Czech Republic Preview

No longer underdogs
Switzerland’s performances have improved game by game: a difficult but deserved 1-0 win against Denmark in their first game; a comfortable 2-0 victory over Iceland; an easy 3-0 win over Belarus. Coach Pierluigi Tami has developed the Swiss into the most impressive team at the tournament, alongside Spain. Unlike the Spanish though, Switzerland won their group with nine points and clean sheets galore, thanks to a superb defence marshalled by centre back Jonathan Rossini and goalkeeper Yann Sommer (a key figure in the opening win).

Tami has made all the right calls in Denmark; the coach moved left-footed Xherdan Shaqiri to the right; deployed striker Innocent Emeghara as a left winger to better utilise his pace; put Granit Xhaka at the heart of a five-man midfield as a playmaker, well protected by defensive midfielder Fabian Lustenberger and factotum Fabian Frei. Tami also finally opted for attacking all-rounder Admir Mehmedi, leaving experienced Bundesliga-playing Mario Gavranovic and Nassim Ben Khalifa. Under Tami, playing abroad does not hand a player any guarantees, as seven Swiss Super League players in the first eleven confirms.

Substance over style
A dramatic late comeback in the last group game against England booked the Czech Republic a well-deserved ticket to the semi-finals. Despite the English boasting more talented players on paper than the Czechs, Jakub Dovalil’s men showed strong team spirit and better tactical organisation than their opponents. This should not have surprised England – after all, since June 2009, the Czechs had lost but one game, a 2-0 defeat to Spain four days before facing Stuart Pearce’s side.

The Czechs’ strongest asset is their largely functional five-man midfield, led by Marcel Gecov, combined with two quick full backs - Ondřej Čelůstka and Jan Lecjaks – who constantly provide support. Against Spain, Dovalil experimented with a more attacking formation, going with a 4-4-2 and two strikers up front; it was not a success though. Against England the Czechs reverted to type, playing Tomas Pekhart as a lone striker, and delighting in the striker’s winning goal at the death.

Players to watch

Switzerland – Fabian Frei: While all eyes will focus on star man Shaqiri and tournament revelation Emeghara, Frei’s ability to play between the lines can be Switzerland’s secret weapon. His versatility makes him crucial as both an attacking or defensive midfielder, as the Swiss showed against Belarus when he opened the scoring and then successfully defended on Switzerland’s goal-line. Currently under contract with Basel, Frei spent last season on loan with St. Gallen.

Czech Republic - Ondřej Čelůstka: A physically strong full back, Čelůstka has impressed due to his ability to get up and down the entire right flank and has turned in two stellar performances against Ukraine and England. His speed could prove to be the perfect solution to breaking down Switzerland’s stubborn backline, especially as Čelůstka should face the less than lightening quick Gaetano Berardi. The Czech plays for Slavia Prague after an unlucky loan spell with Serie A outfit Palermo.

Match prediction
Switzerland start this semi-final as clear favourites, but the Czechs should not be underestimated and their strong tactical organisation will make them difficult for the Alpine country to break down, especially if they succeed in slowing down the rhythm of the game. The absence of Xhaka in midfield is a big blow to Switzerland, however this game still looks a 60-40 clash in favour of the more talented Swiss.

Fonte: Inside Futbol

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Euro Under-21 Semi-Final: Spain v Belarus Preview

Manifested superiority
The magic moment of Spanish football seems to be endless, as even the country’s Under-21 team set the pitch on fire playing a dominant, attacking game. In recent years, Spain’s trademark has been the amass of technically skilled players well versed in the art of possession football. And in Denmark, this philosophy is well represented by the likes of Juan Mata, Thiago Alcantara (a little Xavi “clone”), Javi Martinez, Iker Muniain, Ander Herrera and Martin Montoya.

Moreover, coach Luis Milla can count on a lethal striker in the form of Adrian, who has bagged three goals in three games. The Deportivo La Coruna forward is in great form and has proven Milla right to hand him a starting spot ahead of Barcelona’s Bojan Krkic. With an extremely solid defensive unit, led by potentially world-class goalkeeper David de Gea, the only real danger this young “Invincible Armada” face is one of complacency. Such a fate befell the side in their first game of the tournament against England, when a game Spain ruled ended in a disappointing draw due to a late conceded goal.

Great luck and little else
Just a good 90 minutes out of 270 were enough for Belarus to secure a spot in the Under-21 semi-finals. Coach Georgi Kondratyev’s men produced a fine second half against Iceland, scoring twice in the last 13 minutes, after being kept alive by some crucial saves from goalkeeper Aleksandr Gutor; Belarus also took the lead against Denmark in their second match before being defeated 2-1. However, Dmitri Baga’s goal was vital, alongside Gutor’s impressive saves against the Danes, in helping his team make the last four, thanks to a superior head-to-head goal difference with Denmark and Iceland.

While Belarus were trampled by Switzerland in their last group game, Denmark’s suicide against Iceland meant that luck shone on the Eastern European side. But despite progressing past the group stage for the first time in their history, there are reasons to be concerned about the quality of the football on show. The Belarus side that impressed with a sensational comeback to defeat five-time champions Italy 3-2 on aggregate in the playoffs, never landed in Denmark. Kondratyev’s 4-4-1-1 is defensive and unspectacular without being functional, as five goals conceded in the country’s last two games attest to.

Players to watch

Spain - Juan Mata: With two goals and two assists out of Spain’s three games, the number 10 has played a key role in helping his country march to the semi-finals. Holding 11 caps to his name in Spain’s senior team – he even made an appearance at the 2010 World Cup –, the Valencia man started the tournament as one of the most experienced players in Denmark. On the pitch the winger-cum-midfielder has lived up to his billing.

Belarus - Aleksandr Gutor: The keeper’s saves have been a big reason behind Belarus’ progression in Denmark and he possesses superb one-on-one abilities. Indeed, the BATE Borisov man has often pulled the chestnut of the fire for his team. However, Gutor will need to put in the display of his career so far to help Belarus beat Spain, and even that may not be enough.

Match prediction
Spain face the weakest side they have met so far against Belarus and the Eastern Europeans have already achieved a historic result by reaching the semi-final stage. So far, the Spanish have played the most entertaining football of the tournament, while Belarus have played some of the poorest. The real question is not will Spain win, but how many goals will they score? Three, at least.


Fonte: Inside Futbol

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