Well, it all comes down to this as 2 teams battle it out for glory in the UEFA Euro 2016 final between Portugal (Led by Cristiano Ronaldo of European champions Real Madrid and co) and hosts France (Featuring Paul Pogba of Italian champions Juventus who beat Germany (Also featuring Thomas Muller of German champions Bayern Munich) 2 - 0 in the semifinal).
It was in 2000 (Well I have been covering the Euros since then) that the last time that France (Who had won the FIFA World Cup 2 years earlier and featuring the likes of current Real Madrid coach/manager Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Marcel Desailly, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, David Trezeguet & current France manager Didier Deschamps) had last won the title as well as appearing in the final because it was against Italy (Which also featured the likes of Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti & former Italy & now Chelsea manager Antonio Conte) as France became the first team to win the UEFA European Championship as Champion Du Monde as David Trezeguet came off the bench to score a golden goal because it left Italy crestfallen having been seconds from winning the contest in normal time, leading through Marco Delvecchio's second-half strike before Sylvain Wiltord's last-gasp effort forced extra time. Trezeguet did the rest as well as the final had got off to a similarly frenetic start. France almost took the lead when Thierry Henry's hooked shot came back off the post and Youri Djorkaeff had headed just wide from a corner before Italy came to life, Demetrio Albertini curling a free-kick narrowly over the bar. The game was still only 15 minutes old as Both sides settled and les Bleus came desperately close to breaking through six minutes before the interval. The livewire Henry weaved into the penalty area and drove the ball goalwards, Djorkaeff seized possession and turned to fire in a low shot but Toldo made a fine point-blank stop within seconds of Alessandro Del Piero's second-half introduction Italy came close themselves, as Laurent Blanc was forced to head desperately behind from a dangerous Paolo Maldini cross and finally, on 55 minutes, the deadlock was broken. Francesco Totti's back-heel released Gianluca Pessotto down the right and his cross eluded Marcel Desailly, allowing Delvecchio to volley in from point-blank range. Italy should have doubled that advantage six minutes later when Totti sent Del Piero clear, but the Juventus forward pulled his shot across goal and at the other end France were struggling to find a way past the brilliant Toldo, who denied Wiltord and Henry as Zidane began to weave his creative magic. Yet despite the introduction of a third striker – Trezeguet – Roger Lemerre's side seemed destined for defeat, until Wiltord broke free on the left of the penalty area in injury time to send a low drive squirming past Toldo but France, buoyed by their late reprieve, began extra time on the offensive, Zidane having a shot deflected wide from a Robert Pirès cross. And the Arsenal FC-bound winger was the source for the winner, tricking his way down the left before pulling the ball back for Trezeguet to crash a first-time shot into the roof of the net. With the French fans exultant, Didier Deschamps lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup.
And onto 2004 that Portugal (Which featured the likes of young Ronaldo way back then as well as the great Luis Figo, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Pauleta, Rui Costa, Maniche, Brazilian born Deco & Nuno Gomes) were hosting the tournament, had last been to a final by taking on the underdogs Greece (Which also featured the likes of Angelos Basinas, Theodoros Zagorakis, Angelos Charisteas, Giorgios Karagounis (Who didn't play due to suspension) & Kostas Katsouranis) who beat them in the opening match of the tournament as Greece, who began the tournament as 80-1 outsiders, pulled off arguably the biggest shock at a major football tournament as Angelos Charisteas' goal earned a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the final of UEFA Euro 2004 while Portugal thus became the first host nation to lose a UEFA European Championship showpiece and they will have to wait at least another two years to claim their first senior title. For the likes of Luís Figo and Rui Costa it was an agonising end to glittering international careers, but they can look back with pride on the past three weeks as Luiz Felipe Scolari's side in Lisbon were unchanged from the team that beat the Netherlands in the semi-finals, with goal-scorer Pauleta preferred to the in-form Nuno Gomes in attack. Greece made just one change, Stelios Giannakopoulos replacing the suspended Georgios Karagounis in midfield but perhaps contrary to some expectations, the game was an attractive spectacle from the start, with both sides playing fluently. Portugal playmaker Deco was involved twice early on, combining with Pauleta and then Cristiano Ronaldo, but first Greece captain Theo Zagorakis and then Traianos Dellas – man of the match in the semi-final win against the Czech Republic – made timely interceptions but Pauleta was just beaten to a long through ball by Greek goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis before Greece showed their class with a sweeping move down the right involving Konstantinos Katsouranis and Zagorakis that was only halted with a crude foul by Costinha on Giourkas Seitaridis, for which the Portuguese midfield anchorman was booked as Portugal hit back and Miguel, on his home ground, sent a powerful low drive fizzing across the face of goal; Nikopolidis had to tip the ball away in spectacular fashion. At the other end Ricardo was forced to race from the Portuguese line to deny Charisteas, who had been played in by Katsouranis but a speculative Pauleta effort was saved comfortably enough by Nikopolidis but only a fine tackle from Dellas prevented Ronaldo causing havoc with his dancing feet. The hosts were getting on top and Maniche shot wide from a corner as the crowd held its breath, hoping for a repeat of his stunning goal against the Dutch as Mihalis Kapsis, doubtful for the game owing to a knee injury, then broke up another promising Deco-Ronaldo attack on the edge of the area. At this point the Greece fans, heavily outnumbered, took the initiative on behalf of their team and created a deafening wall of sound at the end Portugal were attacking: an invisible barrier the hosts could find no way past for the remainder of the 1st half but the 2nd half opened with a Pauleta effort that was blocked when he might have done better, a microcosm of his frustrating tournament, and then the unthinkable happened – Greece took the lead. A surging right-wing run from Seitaridis won them a corner which Angelos Basinas swung over and there was Charisteas climbing above Costinha to head in from close range but Costinha was immediately withdrawn in favour of Rui Costa and the veteran midfielder nearly made an instant impact, tricking his way into the area before delivering a wayward final pass. Seitaridis was then cautioned and Figo shot straight at Nikopolidis as nerves on and off the pitch began to fray as Ricardo Carvalho had to be alert to prevent Zisis Vryzas doubling the lead just past the hour mark, and the home fans now did their best to rally their team. For a time Greece had their backs to the wall as Rui Costa, Deco and Figo probed for an opening, but the defensive discipline that has stood Rehhagel's team in such good stead throughout the tournament once again came to their rescue as Portuguese attacks broke down time after time while Scolari swapped Pauleta for Nuno Gomes with 17 minutes of normal time remaining and soon after that Ronaldo almost latched on to a long pass by Rui Costa but, off-balance, his shot was high and wide. Rui Costa himself went closer but his deflected shot was palmed away by Nikopolidis, while Figo also saw an effort rebound behind as Greece held on for a famous win.
And then to 2008 that Spain (Who had never won since 1964 and featured the likes of Carles Puyol (Who missed Spain's 2012 triumph due to injury), Andres Iniesta, David Villa (Who also missed Spain's 2012 triumph due to injury along with Puyol), Xavi, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Xabi Alonso & Sergio Ramos) took on Germany (Who was trying to add their successes of 1972, 80 & 96 European Championship titles and also featuring the likes of Michael Ballack (Who would be his last major football/soccer tournament before in 2010 when Thomas Muller took over the reins after Ballack got injured by Jerome Boateng's brother from Ghana, Kevin-Prince Boateng in the FA Cup final between Chelsea & Portsmouth), Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose & Mario Gomez) as Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres's first-half goal in Vienna proved enough to defeat Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008 but Spain had won their only previous piece of silverware in this competition in 1964 and had not been beyond the quarter-finals of any tournament in 24 years, yet Luis Aragonés's men chose to use that history as an inspiration rather than a burden. After a strong start from Germany, seeking a fourth title themselves, Spain were the more dangerous side throughout an entertaining final at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion although it took just one goal – in the 33rd minute, courtesy of Torres's pace, perseverance and unerring finish – to end their long wait while Germany received a significant boost before kick-off with captain Michael Ballack included despite a much-publicised calf problem, and, perhaps buoyed by that news, Joachim Löw's team settled quickly. Much had been made of the contrast in style between the sides yet in the opening exchanges it was Germany whose passing looked crisper, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger failing to make the most of glimpses of goal. Meanwhile Spain, shorn of four-goal leading scorer David Villa due to a thigh injury, struggled to find their feet in a new 4-5-1 formation in which Cesc Fàbregas was rewarded for a fine semi-final display with a starting place as an indicator of the pattern of the match, however, Germany's bright beginning proved misleading. Spain soon worked their way into the contest, with Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann – becoming, at 38, the oldest player to appear in a UEFA European Championship final – forced into action for the first time in the 14th minute. Although his instinctive save came when his own defender, Christoph Metzelder, inadvertently deflected Andrés Iniesta's cross towards his own goal, Xavi Hernández's fine through pass had unpicked the Germany defence and showed the Spanish were finding their feet as right-back Sergio Ramos was then allowed to cut inside and deliver a deep cross, Torres peeling away from Per Mertesacker to create space for the header only for the right-hand post to come to Lehmann's rescue. The warning signs were there for Germany, yet they failed to heed them and duly fell behind three minutes past the half-hour. Again Xavi was the architect, playing a pass in behind the Germany back line towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm and clipped the ball over the diving Lehmann and just inside the far post. David Silva then volleyed over Iniesta's cross when given time and space inside the area as Spain threatened to increase their lead but Spain had more openings in the early stages of the second half, Lehmann getting the merest of touches to Xavi's low shot before Ramos nearly guided in Silva's drive from the resulting corner. Yet a hint of the threat Germany still posed arrived on the hour, substitute Marcell Jansen and Bastian Schweinsteiger combining for Ballack to shoot centimetres wide. Klose then deflected a Schweinsteiger effort past the post and, in response to Germany's renewed menace, Spain coach Aragonés promptly introduced Xabi Alonso and Santi Cazorla in place of Fàbregas and Silva. The switches reinvigorated Spain instantly, Lehmann making smart stops from Ramos and Iniesta while Torsten Frings blocked another Iniesta effort on the line as the final moved into the last 20 minutes, Spain had had seven shots on goal to Germany's one, but with the Mannschaft having turned virtually one in two of their attempts on target into goals en route to the final, that would have been scant consolation to Aragonés and his side. In the event, however, it was Spain who continued to carve out chances as the match reached its conclusion, Marcos Senna narrowly failing to apply the finishing touch to an unselfish header from substitute Daniel Güiza – but the celebrations would not be delayed much longer.
And finally in 2012 that the World Champions Spain (The returning players from the Euro 2008 squad are captain Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa, Santi Cazorla, David Silva & Pepe Reina) are attempting to successfully defend the European Championship crown by taking on Italy (Which featured the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chellini, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele de Rossi, the emerging Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, Antonio Di Natale and of course Thiago Motta) in the final after drawing against them in the opening match of the tournament as Spain saved their best until last at UEFA Euro 2012, a final-record 4-0 victory in Kyiv completing an unprecedented hat-trick of major tournament wins and against a flagging Italy side whose thrilling knockout campaign looked to have caught up with them, Spain were in control from the moment David Silva broke the deadlock with a rare header on 14 minutes. A barnstorming second with half-time approaching from the indefatigable Jordi Alba, his first international goal, left the Azzurri with a mountain to climb. The sight of Thiago Motta, their third substitute, being carried off on a stretcher ended all hope, causing Italy to play out the last 28 minutes with ten men – and Spain replacements Fernando Torres and Juan Mata fully capitalised but this was billed as a meeting of great creative minds, of conductors in their prime, of Xavi Hernández against Andrea Pirlo; but for much of the opening phase it was a one-man show. Spain's No8 picked up the baton from the off, in harmony with Andrés Iniesta, dictating La Roja's now familiar staccato movement as Italy were forced deeper and deeper. The olés had already begun among the sizeable Spanish contingent in the 63,170 crowd when, just before the quarter-hour, the pair combined to devastating effect as Xavi, who had fired narrowly over moments earlier, fed Iniesta and his finely weighted pass allowed Cesc Fàbregas to easily outstrip Giorgio Chiellini on the inside-right channel. There was still plenty to do but how simple Spain made it look as Fàbregas pulled a sharp ball back for Silva, all 170cm of him, to glance his header in. It proved a disappointed Chiellini's last real action as he soon succumbed to the thigh problem that has hampered him throughout his time in Poland and Ukraine but a heavy-legged Italy could ill afford the double blow, but impressively they fought their way back into the contest. Pirlo, inevitably, was their driving force, the beating drum that pulled the strings at the back and sounded the horn to attack. Not that there was much of that. In fact, Pirlo's most telling contribution of the first half was a superb last-ditch block on Iniesta. Yet try as he might – and he did try – the 33-year-old could not be everywhere but Spain's second was a little too easy, though. Standing on the touchline near halfway, Fàbregas nodded Iker Casillas's clearance to Alba who turned the ball into Xavi before haring forward. The Azzurri back line did not seem to notice but the erudite Xavi did, advancing forward before slotting his new FC Barcelona club-mate in. The composed left-footed finish that followed would have pleased even the injured David Villa, watching in the stands with Carles Puyol & if it appeared that nothing could now deny Spain a first competitive victory against the Azzurri in 92 years – at least over 90 minutes – but Italy were not done yet. Antonio Di Natale, scorer in the 1-1 group stage draw between these sides three weeks ago, came on for Antonio Cassano and within six minutes he might have scored twice. His first chance, a header, was far from straightforward, but the striker could have done better when Riccardo Montolivo's pass found him in space. He snatched at the opportunity and the advancing Casillas blocked & of course yet Italy's slender hopes of mounting a comeback disappeared when Motta departed forlornly down the tunnel. It was left to Xavi to resume his conducting, slowing things down until, with six minutes remaining, he upped the tempo for a rousing crescendo. First he robbed Pirlo in midfield and set up Torres for a goal to add to his strike in the UEFA EURO 2008 final – a 'double' no one had managed before – then he combined with Torres to release Mata, just on, to seal an emphatic win. It has been an emphatic four years.
And who's gonna win that final of UEFA Euro 2016, Portugal or France, but all will be revealed after the final (Well my money is on France at the moment because I have the French flag right here, allons y (Let's go) and if the French win, it's Vive La France (Long live France) baby (They could be celebrating Bastille Day on the 14th of July (4 days after the final) in style) because it is the Postmodern Jukebox of the French Revolution because they don't want to lose against Portugal just like Napoleon Bonaparte lost the battle during the battle of Waterloo way back 201 years ago on the 18th of June, 1815).
P.S. And don't forget the curse behind the All Blacks Rugby World Cup campaigns way back in both 1999 & 2003 are ruined by a 1997 movie Anaconda (A movie which is about a film crew (Which includes a Latina and a Black man who are protagonists of the film) is taken hostage by an totally insane hunter (Known as the Demon all the way from Hell), who takes them along on his quest to capture the world's largest & deadliest snake (Which is a deadly animal, mercy me) starring artist/musician Jennifer 'JLo' Lopez (Filmmaker Terri Flores, a Latina like no other who shares the same role with Alice from Alice in Wonderland), rapper O'Shea 'Ice Cube' Jackson (Cameraman Danny Rich, a Black man with no intentions who also shares a similar role with Wolfenstein protagonist BJ Blazkowicz) as well as Angelina Jolie's father John Voight (Totally insane hunter Paul Sarone, who acts like a Demon from Hell by sharing a role with the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day) being shown on Sky Movies at the same time (Or should I say, the wrong place at the wrong time) as the All Blacks were pounced by the French in 1999 (Even though the All Blacks were torn sky blast apart by the French who enjoyed an insane amount of rugby during the 2nd half) and again when the All Blacks got dismantled by the Wallabies in 2003 (Well something went wrong for the All Blacks during the semifinals as Stirling Mortlock's intercept try for the Wallabies ended New Zealand's hopes of reaching the World Cup final) when the movie was shown this time on TV3 at the same time (And again at the wrong place at the wrong time because they were getting isolated about it) so let's see how it unfolds but here is Jeremy Wells from Eating Media Lunch said about it:
Some blame Keith Quinn, others say it's Foxy's (Grant Fox) inverted sideburns or Helen Clark's (Was the Prime Minister of New Zealand before John Key took over 8 years ago) childlessness, whatever the cause, there's no doubt that a makutu (Which is Maori for sorcery or witchcraft) is keeping us from winning the World Cup, But we can now reveal a startling new theory as to why we weren't there, in 1999, while New Zealand were being beaten by the French, Sky TV was showing the movie Anaconda, 4 years on, and the curse of the snake struck again, this time the movie was on TV3, at exactly the same time as the All Blacks were being squeezed by the Wallabies...And I quote, I didn't watch the movie but I did watch the game because it was really difficult situation to watch either the movie or the game because I was in Raetihi (My birthplace & my old hometown for 16 years before I moved here to Wanganui so I have been living here for like 9 years) way back in 2003 (BY CRIKEY! STREWTH!) and in 1999 (OH SACRE BLEU!), Aunty Tania said to either the late Nan or Pops on the phone that she was shocked that her beloved All Blacks team lost so the French rugby fans went crazy because she was living in Clermont-Ferrand way back then (She had lived there for 4 years before moving to Canada in 2004 and after Australia where she lived for also 4 years) and well, watching the Anaconda movie is a bit like taking on 2 Barons of Hell at Phobos Anomaly (Episode 1 (Knee-Deep in the Dead) Mission 8) in the 1993 video game Doom (And remember, use your rocket launcher to destroy both Barons of Hell but be careful about this weapon as it may cause splash damage from it) but this is more like BJ Blazkowicz trying to take on Hans Grosse in the 1992 game Wolfenstein 3D.
And did you know that it's 28 days until the Rio Olympics? Repeat after me...just 28 days remaining because I will be doing a blog about the history of New Zealand at the Olympics from Antwerp 1920 to London 2012 once the Euros are complete but 1st I will have to do a blog about the review of the UEFA Euro 2016 final which takes place on Monday morning New Zealand time (Actually the final is held on a Sunday).
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