The Azzurri KO's The Three Lions In Penalty Kicks As Germany Awaits

Unexpectedly, Italy and England provided the world with a dramatic performance as their quarterfinal showdown resulted in an Italy triumph by way of penalty kicks.  The game was thrilling from the opening whistle as Daniele de Rossi nearly fired the Italians into the lead in the 3^rd minute, but his long-range volley struck the post.  Only minutes later, Glen Johnson forced a quality save from Italian keeper, Gianluigi Buffon.  After this exchange it was clear that the game would be a classic.

Germany 4 - Greece 2: Blitzkrieg in Gdansk

Germany outclassed Greece for a 4-2 victory in their quarterfinal clash this evening in Gdansk.  The Germans were the heavy favorites, and their display warranted it.  The final score makes it appear closer than it was.  The Germans could have put ten past the Greek keeper.  However, the Greeks deserve credit for their effort.  They made it interesting when their brilliant counter attack leveled the game at 1-1 in the second half.  Unfortunately for them, they were just outmatched as the Germans scored three goals in the following twenty minutes.

Germany vs. Greece: Euro 2012 Quarterfinal Preview

It will truly be a David versus Goliath matchup when Germany takes on Greece in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals on Friday.  The Germans have the advantage at every position, and they have the better manager in Joachim Loew.  The Greeks face a very tall order.  Germany won their group games with relative ease, and they have not lost since the 2010 World Cup semi-final.  If the Greeks are to have any chance, they must rekindle the spirit of their Spartan ancestors at Thermopylae.

Portugal 1 - Czech Republic 0: Will The Media Ever Criticize Ronaldo's Attitude?

With the world watching, Cristiano Ronaldo did not disappoint.  In the 78^th minute, he broke the deadlock with a fabulous header to send Portugal into the Euro 2012 semifinals.  In a game that was relatively even in the opening half, Portugal completely dominated the Czech Republic in the second.  However, Ronaldo was the story throughout.

Italy 2 - Ireland 0: Italy Advances

With everything on the line, Italy advanced to the quarterfinals of Euro 2012 by decisively defeating Ireland 2-0.  After two draws, Italy needed a victory in order to advance.  The pressure was on the Italians, and they stepped up in every way.  Although the Irish created a few good scoring opportunities, the Italians had significantly more.

Spain Wins Group C By Defeating Croatia 2-1

The Spanish entered the tournament as the favorites and backed up the hype by winning Group C in convincing fashion.  They defeated Croatia 1-0 today, which eliminated the Croats as the Italians came in second place.  Once again, they showed why they are the defending European and World Cup champions.

Portugal 2 - Netherlands 1: Ronaldo Leads Portugal Into The Quarterfinals

After receiving heavy criticism for his lackluster performances for the Selecção, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals to lead Portugal to a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in Kharkiv.  It was a rematch of the notorious ‘Battle of Nuremburg’ that these countries played in during the second round of the 2006 World Cup, in which four red, and sixteen yellow cards were

Group A Complete: Czech Republic and Greece Advance

In a shocking turn of events, the Czech Republic and Greece advanced to the Euro 2012 quarterfinals.  Although they began in dazzling fashion, the Russians failed to advance despite winning their opening game.  The hype they created was just too much to live up to.  Despite their early exit, Poland provided some exciting football, and it is unfortunate that they could not give their fans more to cheer about by advancing. The Czech play the runner-up from Group B, while Greece plays the winner.  The matches will be played on Thursday and Friday.

England 3 - Sweden 2: The Three Lions Roar!

 On a lovely night for football in Kiev, England produced their best performance since Euro 2004 as they defeated Sweden 3-2 in dramatic fashion.  After an incredibly dull match against France, England played with infinitely more positivity.  While they relied on the long-ball during several periods of the match, they also maintained possession through short, quick passes.  They were delightful to watch.

Spain 4 - Ireland 0: Spain Cruises To Victory

The defending champions dazzled in their 4-0 thrashing of Ireland in Gdansk.

I debated, and decided that this game was not worth the time it takes to write a review. It was pure domination.  What is there to say that cannot be summarized?  Here are a few thoughts

Germany 2 - Netherlands 1: Germany Takes Advantage of Dutch Mismanagement

In what was expected to be the most exciting match of the group stage, Germany sent the Netherlands to the brink of elimination after defeating them 2-1.  Although the rivalry runs deep, it did not live up to the billing, as large parts of the game were unimaginative with the Dutch often appearing lifeless.  If one wanted to place blame, then look no further than Dutch manager, Bert van Marwijk.

The U.S. Ties Guatemala 1-1 in World Cup Qualifying

The U.S. Men’s National Team took on a Guatemala side in need of points at Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores. From the opening whistle there seemed to be an eerie calm cast over the stadium as the U.S. entered hoping for maximum points. That calm eventually

Poland 1 - Russia 1: Enemies Collide In Warsaw

Poland and Russia, bitter enemies, battled to a 1-1 tie in Warsaw.  Whenever two heated rivals square off an extra dimension is added to any game.  The struggle between these nations dates back several centuries, and after the Polish home crowd delivered a raucous national anthem there was a feeling that the game would be memorable.  While the

France 1 - England 1: The Three Lions Play Like Lambs

In a game that left much to be desired, the French and English walked away with one point from their Euro 2012 opener as they drew 1-1.  While some expected a thrilling game, it was anything but exciting.  Although fans hoped the English would finally abandon their boring, defensive approach to the game, they were left bitterly disappointed with their style of play.  However, they were able to get a point, which cannot be discredited.

While stretches of the first half were exciting, the majority of the game was largely

Spain 1 – Italy 1: The Return of ‘La Forza Azzurri’

For ninety minutes, two world powers dazzled fans across the globe.  In the opening game of Group C, Italy drew Spain 1-1 as the Spanish began their quest to repeat.  Although the Spanish played as expected, the Italians shocked everyone with their newly adapted style of play. 

Perhaps the most surprising things were the lineup and formation selections by

Germany 1 - Portugal 0: Gomez Fires Germany Ahead

Although their performance left much to desire, the mighty Germans managed to take three points in their Group of Death opener as they defeated Portugal 1-0.  With Jose Mourinho looking on from the stands, one can only wonder how different the Portuguese strategy would be with the ‘Special One’ in command.  From the opening whistle, the Germans attacked.  Foreshadowing later events, they threatened to take the lead in the second minute after a great header by Mario Gomez off of a Jerome Boateng cross. 

Denmark 1 - Netherlands 0: Shocking Result in Kharkov

The Group of Death opened with a bang as Denmark shocked the Netherlands 1-0 in Kharkov.  From the announcement of the starting line-up, fans hoping to see ‘Total Football’ were left disappointed with the selections of Nigel de Jong, and Mark van Bommel.  In addition, the Dutch left Kevin Strootman, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and Rafael van der Vaart on the bench.  It was clear that Van Marwijk chose a less offensive side.

U.S.A. 3 - Antigua & Bermuda 1: The U.S. Opens World Cup Qualifying

In front of a jubilant crowd in Tampa Bay, FL, the U.S. Men’s National Team took on Antigua & Bermuda to kick off their World Cup Qualifying campaign for Brazil 2014. Within the last month the U.S. completed a three match friendly series, which included a

Russia 4 - Czech Republic 1: A Red Storm Rising

By thoroughly defeating the Czech Republic 4-1, Russia made a very loud statement to begin their Euro 2012 campaign.  After the initial whistle, it seemed the opposite was more likely.  The Czech Republic controlled the pace of the game during the initial fifteen minutes.  It appeared that they were the better team and would dominate possession.  However, things change very quickly on the pitch.

Poland 1 - Greece 1: A Tale of Two Halfs

If the opening game is an indicator then Euro 2012 will be a huge success.  Coming out of the gates full of enthusiasm and emotion, co-host Poland ran rings around the Greeks. 

Group Stage Predictions

There wasn't a lot of disagreement here. When we reach the knockout rounds the picks will surely differ.

Top 5 breakout players at Euro 2012

1. Christian Eriksen - Midfield - Denmark

2. Kevin Strootman - Midfield - Netherlands

3. Yann M'Vila - Midfield - France

4. Mario Gotze - Midfield - Germany

5. Robert Lewandowski - Forward - Poland

Italy: Euro 2012 preview

Is there a nation on Earth that is more passionate about soccer than Italy?  Few take as much pride in their soccer as the Italians.  La Forza Azzurri have rewarded its countrymen with four World Cup championships, highest among all European nations.  They produced

France: Euro 2012 preview

Allez Les Bleus! For years, the French National Team was known for underachieving.  When the great Michel Platini came along they finally lifted their first major trophy on home soil at Euro 1984.  In spite of Platini’s talent, they were unable to achieve world dominance.  With the emergence of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, the French ran over Europe like the armies of Napoleon conquering everything in its path.  After defeating a great Brazil team

Spain: Euro 2012 preview

Once again, Spain, La Furia Roja, enters a major tournament as the odds on favorite.  In their minds, the trophy is theirs to lose.  The Spanish have plenty working in their favor and here are the reasons why.

Unlike their competition, with the exception of the Germans who have a large Bayern Munich contingent, ninety percent of Spain’s team play for only two clubs; Barcelona and Real Madrid.  These happen to arguably be the two best teams in the world.  While the animosity between them was often blamed for the poor performance of the national

Germany: Euro 2012 preview

What was once unthinkable is now the norm.  The German National Team, also known as Die Mannschaft, was characterized for decades as a rigid, disciplined, unbreakable force that had an iron will to win.  Their style of play left much to be desired.  They did not play an exciting, entertaining brand of soccer.  They grinded out low scoring victories, often relying on set pieces to break the deadlock.  Although it was not pretty, this style led them to three World Cup and European Championships. However, everything changes.

Netherlands: Euro 2012 preview

Will the nation that brought the world ‘Total Football’ return to its roots at Euro 2012?  Although the Netherlands is a relatively small country, they consistently produce many of the world’s best players.  Their 1970’s teams led by Johan Cruyff are always mentioned as one of the all time greatest teams despite not winning a major trophy.  Unfortunately, some of us never had the chance to watch that team.  However, the Oranje’s greatness continues to the present day.  Throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s, the Netherlands was known for how beautifully they played the game. It was their 1998 World

England: Euro 2012 preview

Are The Three Lions ready to roar in Poland & Ukraine? If so, they are off to a dubious start.  The controversy that always comes out of the England camp arose once again with Fabio Capello’s surprise resignation as manager at the end of April. West Bromwich’s Roy Hodgson was named manager with only one month to prepare.

It falls on Hodgson to lead England’s charge towards their first major trophy since they lifted the World

Official Launch

Welcome to the launch 'party' for Soccer State of Mind.  We will be releasing previews for the teams at Euro 2012 right up until kick off tomorrow.  We will provide game reviews throughout the tournament.  As the tournament moves on we we will also cover the U.S. National Team's World Cup qualification campaign.  We will provide coverage of MLS and the European leagues once they begin in the fall. Thank you very much for following us.