When you look at the Premier League next season, it is hard to see who are clear title challengers. There are , you could argue, 7 or 8 top teams, but of these only about 3 will genuinely challenge for the prize that they all want.
There we have it, 31 games in 23 days, some great football, some red cards, some goal line controversy, an England Quarter Final exit on penalties and, of course, a Spanish victory.
Today is the day; the media has been building up to since Tuesday, players past and present have been talking up England’s chances, Mario Balotelli has come under the spotlight as pundit’s try and decipher his next move, and everybody seems to be resigned to it going to penalties; MSN have already compiled an in depth analysis of both teams records in shoot outs.
The pre tournament favourites, Germany, are really looking worth that label, as they go into Thursday nights semi final against either England or Italy with a 100% record, safe in the knowledge that they are yet to really hit top gear.
Sunday night saw Germany beat Denmark to progress to a Quarter Final tie against, off all countries, Greece.
Yesterday Joe Hart told the assembled media that England are in Poland and Ukraine ‘to win’ and whilst the confidence is good to see, it bears slight resemblence to the war cries that players past issued at, pretty much, every major tournament.
It was Monday 11th June, Laurent Blanc had just criticised England’s style of football in the build up to the two teams opening match Donetsk.
As the final whistle sounded on Tuesday night, and it became clear that England were going to face Italy for a place in the Semi Finals of Euro 2012, gradually people began to turn their attentions towards the Azzurri’s top players, Cassano, Pirlo, and, of course, Balotelli.