First off, I must apologize to the Italian team. They have far exceeded what I thought they were capable of at this tournament. The Azura truly deserve to be in the Final with Spain. After squeaking by the first round, they out classed England and again squeaked by via PKs to the Semis. Once in the Semifinal, the Italians dominated the German team with the same stifling defense that the world has come to know them for during the better part of the past decade and a half.. Their offense looked better, livelier than the German side.
As for the Germans, I cannot even explain what I saw the other day. This was their tournament. It was supposed to be their coronation, at long last a trophy for all their hard work. But alas, like the Russians against the Greeks, the German team crumbled under the pressure of the moment. Every other game that they played in this tournament was so easy for them. As soon as the Germans ran into a team (the Italians) with the wherewithal to actually put up a fight, they lost all sense of who they were. The midfield and backline should be very disappointed with themselves.
What were Gomez and Klose supposed to do when the heart of the German team, the supposed strength, failed them so miserably?
I still don't know what was wrong with Bastain Schweinsteiger. If he had a bad ankle and was so ineffective against the Greeks, why on Earth did the man start and play the whole match against the Italians. He was better in the Semifinal but there was no energy and the only time he did anything positive was at the very end when he began lobbing the ball in toward goal once the game was lost. Not sure what the Germans will have to do to overcome this massive setback. First Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final, and then this stinker against Italy. It's going to be a long off season for some of these players. They are better suited for a deep run in a tournament than the Russians, but they have to shed that choker status--much like Lebron James did this year in winning his first NBA Championship in dominating fashion. You cannot let up, ever, until the prize is yours.
