Spain made history yesterday when they became the first nation to win consecutive European Championships, and the first nation to win three major tournaments in a row. This Spanish side is really something special, and later in the post I will examine where they rank among the greatest international runs of all time. First, let's take a look at my predictions from before the tournament.
Group A
Group A, the minor league group of death, was pretty much upside down from how I called it. I expected Russia and the Polish hosts to qualify for the quaters, but Poland failed to win a game and Russia flamed out in somewhat impressive fashion. The Czech Republic were the unexpected group winners, and Greece managed to get in. Both sides lost their quarterfinal matches, as expected.
Group B
I was in total shock when the Netherlands failed to even gain one point during the group stage. It really makes you wonder if their appearance in the World Cup Final two years ago was a fluke. Germany's success (and subsequent semi-final disapointment) was really no shocker. They are one of the best sides in the game, but continue to struggle as the pressure increases. Ronaldo did well to lead the Portuguese to the semis, but it was a questionable decision to have him anchor the penalty shootout, and thus never getting a chance to keep Portugal alive against Spain.
Group C
The undisputed best team in the world surprised nobody, but more on them later. This group finished exactly as I called it.
Group D
England and France stayed true to character by doing well enough to pass the group stage but flame out on the quaters. England even took it to the next level of consistency by losing in penalties when not one, but two, of their better penalty takers (Ashley Young and Ashley Cole) failed from the spot. While not as tragic as the Euro 1996 semi-final, this still ranks up there as another disappointment for English football.
Now, on to Spain. This team is really the cream of the crop in world football. Their "tiki-taka" passing style is fast paced and enjoyable to watch. They may not have the greatest player in the world, but they have a lot of great players who play well as a team.
For a team that was praised for their attacking ability, their defense is really something to behold as well. Despite losing star defender Carlos Puyol early in the tournament, they only conceded one goal. It was in their opener against Italy. This was a first for a European Champion.
Let's compare Spain to some of world football's greatest teams, shall we?
We begin with the little mentioned Hungarian teams of the 1950s. That 1953 team was the first ever to beat England at home, in front of 105,000 at Wembley no less. Although they never won a World Cup, they revolutionized the game in terms of tactical style much like today's Spain is doing. Although the Dutch teams of the 1970s take the credit, it was the Magnificent Magyars that laid the foundations of their Total Football scheme. The 1954 World Cup side took out several of the major powers at the time, including Uruguay and Brazil, before falling in exciting fashion to West Germany in the final.
Often mentioned as one of the best teams ever was the Brazil sides of the 1960s. Rarely has their been a collection of stars on one team. Surely a side with Pele, Carlos Alberto Torres, Jairzinho, Tostão, Gérson, and Rivelino would be considered the best ever and is probably Spain's toughest competition. From 1958-1970, Brazil won three of the four World Cup tournaments, a feat that has never been repeated.
Another revolutionary team that never won a World Cup was the Dutch teams of the 1970s. Feeding off Hungary's primitive Total Football style, the Dutch teams of the 1970s perfected it and made it their own. Their beautiful passing style and allowance for any position to play any role served as the foundations for the so called "tiki-taka" style of play that Spain, FC Barcelona, and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal employ today. They never won the World Cup, but they twice lost to the host in the World Cup Final, and won the 1976 European Championship.
It's no doubt that Spain's major tournament victories take them above the 1950s Hungary teams and the 1970s Dutch squads. I think they still have a bit to go to catch the legendary Brazillians. They have already accomplished something that no other country has done with three consecutive major tournament wins, but Brazil has the long term consistency that Spain simply hasn't had the time to catch yet. An impressive showing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will go a long way towards catching the great Pele and company. A championship in 2014 will not only make them better, but serve as a sort of poetic triumph over the one nation that could be considered better.
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