Euro 2008 - That save

Of all the moments so far in Euro 2008 this was surely the one that will stay in the mind longest. The phenomenal Gianluigi Buffon's save from Adrian Mutu for Italy against Romania which with hindsight ensured the Italians went forward to a quarter final against Spain and sent the Romanians home. It was in a sense the story of the match Mutu v Buffon, the former Chelsea and now Fiorentina striker looking electric as he nipped in behind the Italian defencce for the first goal. There was never any doubt that the apparently reformed cocaine sniffer would take the penalty. It was a solid hit. Buffon throws himself left, the ball strikes his arm full on but squirts down on to his ankle and away. It was a save mothers will name their boys after...there will be many a Gianluigi over the next few years for sure.

Petr Czech - it was the ball

The great Petr Czech, looking here more like an incarnation of Arnold Scharznegger although Terminated is more the case than Terminator. He had an explanation for dropping the ball. He had an explanation for dropping the ball. "It was wet!"
Although pre-tournament there was a lot of discussion among keepers as to the aerodynamics of this ball and fears that long range shots would curl and dip. Michael Ballack showed that was possible for the Germans putting the Austrians out last night with a 35 yard screamer from a free kick, but largely goals have not come that way. Czech explained that he had tried to catch the ball and fluffed it when he should have punched it. All of which might not have mattered if the Turks had not also banged another two quick goals past him to pinch a slot against a Croatia team that are growing in confidence and self esteem under a mix of Slaven Bilic's tactics and naked patriotism.
Turkey are 18/1 to beat Croatia 2/1
£10 free bet for new members at BetClick.com.

3-0

Even if it is a bit grainy in this blow-up the look of sheer angst on Italian keeper Gianluigo Buffon says it all. Skipper for the night after Canavaro's injury, the world champions crash to an inspired Holland team. From 15/1 the Dutch are now 6/1 to win. The Italians are down to 10/1.

Long live football! Love live the Dutch

This was the moment last night that Real Madrid and Holland's Wesley Sneijder finished off the perfect team goal that had flashed from a goal line clearance at one end to the Italian net at the other in less than 15 seconds and made it 2-0.

The politics of European soccer changed. A seismic shift in the tectonic plates of the beautiful game. And the Italian house came down. After decades of catenaccio, strong arm defence, niggling, nasty midfield, histrionic gamesmanship, sharp incisive striking, the Dutch showed there is another way to play. To play and to win. This was the first Dutch victory over Italy since the 1978 World Cup.

The Dutch express of the early 90s was derailed at Wembley by Terry Venables England at Euro 1996 - 12 years and 10 days ago - with four goals two from Alan Shearer and two from Teddy Sheringham. Last night was the renaissance. After more than a decade of paranoia, schizophrenia, introspection, valium, Proxac and other nuerosis like fear of flying, a Dutch side emerged from its cocoon to show why they are one of the spiritual fathers of world soccer. Like the Brazilians, they bring another dimension to the modern game. Even if beating Italy was a one – off, they left their mark. Dutch football was here on June 9, 2008. Enjoy.

They were lucky. The Italians were unlucky. After so many offsides that have been down to the width of an elbow, a toe, a lock of hair, Ruud Van Nistelrooy was offside by an avenue, a motorway, the Atlantic ocean of space. As the Daily Telegraph put it, he was almost in Austria. But the flag stayed down. The goal stood. Apparently the fact that Christian Panucci was comatose knocked off the picth by his own goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon meant Fifa regulation 11, sub-clause 11 passed apparently mysteriously five years ago, says he was played onside. This must be the first time such a rule was actually enmforced. Throughout, the Swedish referee Peter Fröjdfeldt, was supremely lenient and let the game flow to increasing Italian chagrin in the second half. Sweet revenge for all those teams over the years that have suffered from over zealous refereeing as the Italisn strove to break up a game.

The victory was no more than the Dutch deserved after rolling the Italians back, like so much bedding back on themselves And for once the Italians to whom playing from the back was never an issue, were undone.

In a sense the mood of the match surrounded the superbly fit RuudVan Nistelrooy. In the 18th minute he burst through, caught his foot on the diving Buffoon but instead of falling as he might have done in the old days at Old Trafford he struggled gainfully for his footing and caught the ball on the byline but missed the chance of a penalty or an open goal. After the second goal, he could have had another bursting past the muscle of Marco Materazzi but only to shoot at Buffoon who saved it with an ankle.

And then there were two goals of sublime team play. Both came from goal line clearances. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, saved at one end, sprinted the length of the field crossed to the dynamic Dirk Kuyt who sent an angled ball in for an inspired conversion by an on rushing Wesley Sneijder. The second came after Edwin Van De Saar had saved brilliantly from a 30 yard free kick by Andrea Pirlo. The ball spiralled in the air was booted clear to another orange shirt. Again Van Bronckhorst was quickest up the field and set up Kuyt, who was denied by Buffon, but recovered, and chipped across the box, where it was headed in by Van Bronckhorst.

This is not strictly a team like those of Johan Cryuff or Ruud Gullit of the days of total football. It was a team in almost a mirror inversion of the Jose Mourinho Chelsea. Where Mourinho with his defensive mind set stuffed the midfield and moved forward like a tank with midfield runners and flying wingers and the brute brilliance of Drogba, here Van Basten had only two in the midfield, Nigel de Jong and the massive Orlando Engelaar holding the play, breaking it up and bringing everyone else into the game. It was a 4-2-3-1 formation. When the Dutch broke they did not attack down one side of the field, but both sides at once. They crossed from one side of the pitch to the other for both goals while running the length of it and could have come in from either side.

It was some stuff. And they ran. My did they run. By the end they had run Italy ragged despite the subtle beautiful threat posed by the substitute Del Piero towards the end. But even then players like Boulhrarouz who had looked clodden and out of his depth in the Premiership filled in at the right back slot which has become such a strange poisoned chalice at Chelsea and played with the heart of a lion or like a boulder rolled into the doorway of the defence. There was another ex-Chelsea right back on display in Panucci who again looked another class to his days at Stamford Bridge, except when he went missing for the offside goal.

And Italy were unlucky, not just for the first goal but on another day they might have scored but even if the result had been 3-3 it would not have altered the reality that here was a team capable and willing to depose the champions. Italy were good which makes the victory all the more important. Compared to the vapid French a few hours ealier Italy had tenacity, flying full backs that ran to the byline, they had in Luca Toni a big centre forward in Drogba fashion who was always going to be troublesome. The obituaries on them can wait. At 10/1 they are not a bad bet to still win the championship, especially after such a rude wake up call. If they have the legs in this ageing team, they probably have the nous and the acumen.

And then there were the fans too. Two thirds of the stadium ws orange. The Dutch were dressed in wigs and painted faces so much so the authorities had issued a warning about smoking (and this the Eurioopean country that discovered and introduced tobacco in the 1600s). They were there because they wanted to see it. They saw it. They sang: Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life.

Redemption man

One week after slipping and missing the penalty that would have won the European Cup, John Terry steals into the curve of a David Beckham cross and celebrates getting the English captaincy back with a trademark goal. Before the succession of injuries that have dogged him in the last 15 months, this was a regular one two of the old Jose Mourinho era and a bet on John Terry to score was a Stamford Bridge banker.

Guess that's why they call it the blues

John Terry unconsolable after missing the penalty that would have won the European Champions League for Chelsea

That's it. Over and out.

Avram Grant surely shelled out £15million on Nicolas Anelka for just moments like these...

Oh no, no, no, no (part two)

Of all the guys you might want to take a penalty kick to win the European Cup, John Terry would probably figure but ...wrong. Come to think of it

Didier Droga might have been another if he had not been red carded for flicking a bif dust of Vidic's face

Oh no, no, no, no (part one)

Petr Czech goes the wrong way in the penalty shootout. His luminescent orange is supposedly scientifically proven to make opponents think he is bigger than he is though he only fooled Ronaldo of the penalty takers. By the same token it might be worth a punt on Holland for the Euro 2008

Thanks, Frank

Chelsea this year has been their tactic of playing quickly and really getting into opponents before they are ready, often with huge kicks from Petr Czech. Here it was Essien charging from right back and letting loose a vicious forty yarder which picks up a deflection and falls into the on running Frank Lampard's path. Edwin and Rio look well horrified.

1-0 to United

It was an amazing leap and a precision accurate header. The redoutable Michael Essien is dwarfed by the jump and sinking in the dodgy Moscow turf. Carlos Tevez menacingly cruises the penalty spot like a mad dog looking for scraps

Boy that feels good

That leap. The celebration leap from Cristian Ronaldo was actually higher than the one he did to score as the Chelsea defence found itself stuck i nthe boggy Russian grass

The night the gods shone on Manchester

Manchester United turn Moscow into tinseltown after their epic 6-5 penalty shoot out victory over. Honour was probably satsified on all sides but the gods appear to have shone on the reds who after a scintillating first half looked to be falling apart as Chelsea attacked in wave upon wave...