Can’t statistics see the main thing?

The three Euro-2012 quarterfinal matches ended without a sensation – quite in line with the FIFA ranking of national teams. Portugal, ranked 10th, defeated the Czech Republic (27th) 1:0, Germany (3rd) beat Greece (15th) 4:2, and Spain (1st) beat France (14th) 2:0. In the latest Kyiv game, which ended in a 0 to 0 draw in full time and extra time, England (6th) lost to Italy (12th) 2:4 on penalties. Italy’s coach Cesare Prandelli gave a surprisingly simple explanation of why the Italians played more actively but still missed several opportunities to score a goal: “You must play with your heart, not only with feet.” And this is what statistical ratings do not take into account. In all probability, the Italy coach trusts the famous phrase of the Frenchman Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Ukrainian fans may be thinking that England were summarily punished by soccer fate for a disallowed goal in the match against our team. Commenting on this moment in the match against Ukraine, the England coach Roy Hodgson alleged this was an act of redressing the injustice done to England two years ago, when England lost to Germany 1:4 in the round of 16 at the world championship held in the South African Republic. When the score was 0:2, a powerful shot by Lampard made the ball hit the crossbar and rebound behind the Germany’s goal line, but the referee disallowed the goal. Naturally, it would have been fairer if England had redressed this injustice at Euro-2012 in a match against Germany itself, instead of doing this indirectly at the expense of Ukraine. Yet the Italians have ample grounds to believe that they stand better chances for victory in the Euro-2012 semifinals encounter against Germany. The point is that Italy beat the host team 2:0 in Dortmund, Germany, six years ago in the 2006 World Cup semifinals. Following this, Italy defeated France on penalties in the final and became the world champion. Incidentally, the Italian Andrea Pirlo, who had scored the first penalty in 2006, also taunted the Englishmen The Day before yesterday in the penalty shootout by spot-kicking a Panenka goal.

Another important quarterfinal match was Spain vs. France. The current world and Europe champion beat France for the first time in official matches, avenging itself at last on the neighbor for the 1:3 defeat in the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup. The two goals of Xabi Alonso in his 100th match for the national team emphasized the importance and doubtlessness of Spain’s win.

UEFA functionaries drew up the Euro-2012 match calendar in such a way that fans, particularly those soccer gourmets who relish statistics for dessert, could see the performance of Europe’s two strongest national teams in the past four years. If Spain and Germany came out on the National Olympic Stadium’s pitch on July 1, this final would be their third consecutive official duel at the topmost level. The two previous ones were the Euro-2008 final and a semifinal at the 2010 World Cup. Spain beat Germany in both matches in Vienna and Durban, respectively, with a minimal score of 1:0. The decisive goals were scored by Torres (in the 33rd minute) in the Austria-based European championship and by Pujol (in the 73rd minute) at the world cup in South Africa. Nothing will be more interesting at Euro-2012 than a soccer battle between “the twice gold” and “silver-bronze” winners. It will be recalled that Germany were third best at the 2010 World Cup and the Netherlands, which were the runner-up there, lost to Germany at Euro-2012 in the group round and failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.

In all likelihood, the psychological climate in Kyiv would be in favor of Germany, for it is common knowledge that it is always more difficult to defend than to win titles. And while, after beating France, the Spanish team has not suffered a defeat at the final stages of the 10 past European championships, the German team has set an unofficial world record after routing Greece 4:1 in Gdansk – 15 consecutive wins in official matches. The road to this record began after the abovementioned defeat at the hands of Spain at the 2010 World Cup. None of the national teams has ever achieved such a multiple success as the German squad managed to do: the winning series of the teams of Spain, the Netherlands, and France lasted for 14 matches in each case.

Besides, it is increasingly difficult for Vicente del Bosque, the world and Europe champion’s coach, to find motivation for the players summoned to the national team from by far the strongest clubs of the planet – Barcelona (seven) and Real (five), the squads that failed to play the Champions League Cup last May perhaps due to a semifinals accident. By contrast, Germany’s chief coach Joachim Loew has invited eight players from Bayern Munich, who – after a humiliating defeat by London’s Chelsea in a home Champions League match, an uncustomary second place in the national championship, and a fiasco in the Germany Cup final – are striving for immediate revenge, this time wearing national team jerseys. The only thing that can satisfy them is the Euro-2012 victory.

It was easy to see the aggressive mood of the “German victory-making machine” in the quarterfinal match against Greece. After the sensational champions of Euro-2004 had heroically equalized 1:1 in this match, the Germans coolly shot three goals into the Greek side’s net. And Greece’s last penalty kick goal did not break the Olympic rule: the stronger one goes on and the weaker one is eliminated from the competition. Let us duly praise the chief coaches Michal Bilek of the Czech Republic and Laurent Blanc of France, who have admitted that their teams deservedly lost to Portugal and Spain, respectively. Having scored his third goal at Euro-2012, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo did his best to summon his compatriot, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, onto the pitch again for a semifinal match against Spain. It is beyond doubt that the “No. 1 Coach,” as he modestly calls himself, will not miss the opportunity to appear in public during a match only he is sure to win. No matter who will win, the laurel wreaths will mostly belong to those in his care – the Real players who are part of both national teams. Two years ago, Spain beat Portugal 1:0 in the 2010 World Cup’s round of 16. Yet, in the fall of the same year, Portugal unexpectedly thrashed Spain 4:0 in a Lisbon friendly match. Spain had never suffered such a disgraceful defeat in almost 50 years. Nobody knows which of the reminiscences and emotions will prevail in the Donetsk match as soon as tomorrow.