It's fair to say that my pre match excitement levels for this game weren't met by the entertainment on show. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the game. It was 2 teams playing at a very high level and the tactical battle was fascinating. However, a few more near misses and memorable moments would have been nice. I don't subscribe to the "Spain are boring" theory, but I think the way they play often leads to the opposition employing boring tactics to try and combat them. To Portugal's credit, this approach worked very well. It wasn't until Extra Time that the tiki taka masterclass started, and even then Portugal dug in and took the game to penalties.
Let's set out a few parameters first - 5/10 is the average, 1/10 means he played, but didn't touch the ball and 10/10 means he won the game all on his own.
Portugal
Rui Patricio 6.5/10 Solid handling throughout, but it wasn't until Extra Time that he had to make any serious saves. His close range block from Iniesta was outstanding, as was his save from Alonso's penalty. Patricio has enhanced his reputation over the last 3 weeks.
Joao Pereira 7/10 Rock solid throughout the competition and last night was no different. Didn't get forward as much as usual but put in numerous tackles and blocks. Good distribution.
Pepe 8/10 One of the stars of the tournament and a MOTM contender last night. Barely put a foot wrong in defence, but also intelligent with the ball. Kept it simple but rarely misplaced a pass.
Bruno Alves 5.5/10 Outshone by Pepe, but he still did his bit to protect the Portuguese goal. Not such an accomplished passer and guilty of a few aimless hoofs, but every team needs a no nonsense man at the back. Looked nervous during shoot out and not a big surprise he missed.
Fabio Coentrao 6.5/10 A class act and surely one of the first names on the team sheet. Gave nothing away in defence, but his link up play with Ronaldo wasn't as effective as in previous games. A contender for best left back in the competition.
Miguel Veloso 5/10 Worked extremely hard and helped nullify the Spanish midfield. Barely a factor in Portuguese attacks. Ran out of steam and no surprise he was replaced in Extra Time.
Raul Meireles 4.5/10 Very similar to Veloso, ran himself into the ground but offered very little with the ball. A bit of a disappointment as he a better attacking player than he showed here. Not a great tournament for the Chelsea man.
Joao Moutinho 7.5/10 Perpetual motion. Seemed to be following the entire Spanish midfield around the pitch. Won the ball on countless occasions and very good distribution. Was the instigator for most of the Portuguese attacks. Hit his penalty well, but denied by a great save.
Nani - 4.5/10 Wonderful penalty, but the proceeding 120 mnutes were largely frustrating. Made a couple of trademark runs in the first half but was up against a superb full back and struggled to make much impact.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 5/10 Didn't get many chances to run at the Spanish defence and well shackled by Arbeloa. Never the less there were still flashes of Ronaldo's brilliance. One run and cross in the first half was particularly brilliant. Very poor from free kicks and wasted at least 5 good opportunities. Also, blazed over the chance to score a last minute winner.
Hugo Almeida - 2.5/10 Anonymous, aside forma couple of good defensive headers. Contributed almost nothing to the Portuguese attack. It's hard to see them winning a tournament until they find a world class front man. Substitute din normal time.
Subs: Nelson Oliveira - 3/10 Carried on where Almeida left off! Slightly better movement, but he failed to have much impact.
Custodio - 4/10 Carried on where Veloso left off, but was mainly chasing shadows as Spain took hold of midfield.
Varela - Only had 6 minutes so unfair to mark him.
Spain
Iker Casillias 5.5/10 Caught a few crosses but that was about it. Portugal didn't manage a shot on target. Made a great save form Moutinho's penalty. More long kicks than usual, as Portugal closed down the space effectively.
Alvaro Arbeloa - 6/10 Supposedly the weak link, but didn't play that way. Kept Ronaldo quiet and passed the ball sensibly. Provided some width to Spanish attacks and had a decent early chance, but decided to take it with his left foot , when a blast with the right may have been a better idea.
Gerald Pique 6/10 Doubled up on Roanldo on occasion and distributed the ball well. Not a very taxing night, but Pique looked as accomplished as usual. Also took a lovely penalty.
Sergio Ramos 7/10 Handling Almeida was a formality, and Ramos was solid throughout. Not as good coming forward as Pique, but gets an extra point for his outrageous penalty.
Jordi Alba 6.5/10 Boundless energy for 120 minutes and was always available for a pass. Beaten by Nani a couple of times, but always covered by his centre halves. Great tournament for Alba.
Sergio Busquets 4.5/10 Not a great night for the Barcelona man, distribution was patchy and this wasn't the Spanish midfield at it's finest. Broke up a few Portuguese attacks but we've come to expect a bit more from Busquets.
Xabi Alonso 4.5/10 Hard to criticize his penalty, as it was a wonderful save. During normal time, Alonso struggled to have much influence and was a peripheral figure. Came into it more in Extra Time as Spain took control of midfield.
Xavi 4/10 A rare, poor game from the world's best central midfielder. He never got into his usual rhythm as Portugal disrupted the Spanish passing game. The message is clear for whoever faces them in the final - stop Xavi and Spain are are nowhere near their best.
David Silva - 3.5/10 Another off player who had an off night. Drifted inside to try and get into the game but it was no surprise when he was taken off. Not helped by a lack of movement from Negredo up front.
Andrea Iniesta 6.5/10 As usual, Iniesta was a joy to watch. Lovely flicks and tricks as he tried manfully to get something going for the Spanish. If there's one criticism of Iniesta it's that he didn't get any of his shots on target. Had a couple of decent chances. Buried his penalty confidently.
Alvaro Negredo 3/10 Excellent hold up play to create a chance for Iniesta, but that was about it. Did nothing to justify his inclusion and I can only assume that Llorente is terrible in training or carrying an injury. Highly unlikely that Negredo will start the Final.
Cesc Fabregas 4/10 Not a great contribution from Fabregas as he struggled to get into the game. Scored the winning penalty with an inch perfect shot.
Jesus Navas - 5.5/10 Passed it efficiently and got into the game well, even forced a good low save form Patricio. Provided more of a spark than Silva.
Pedro 6/10 Offered a much needed injection of energy. Made a number of incisive runs, although his end product wasn't great.
That was definitely one of the more enjoyable methods of reporting I've done this month. Not easy to decide the score for some players, but I think I've got it spot on by awarding Pepe, Moutinho and Ramos the highest scores. The lack of high scores from the "superstars" on each team goes a long way to explaining the lack of goals in this game. None the less, I found it an interesting game to watch and Spain just about deserved their spot in the final.
Tonight I'll be compiling a head to head report of the strikers on show during the Germany v Italy game. That should be interesting, as I'm expecting a lot more goalmouth action, and a hard fought Germany victory.
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