Euro 2008 Final LiveBlog: Germany vs Spain

FINAL	June 29th, 2045 CET, Vienna (Austria)
Germany 0 VS Spain 1   Torres 32′

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. Both tonight and throughout the whole tournament. Our fingers are swollen at the joints, but the LiveBlogs have been great fun to do, mostly thanks to all the comments.

It’s got to be said, Spain well and truly deserve that tonight and are worthy winners of Euro 2008 as a whole. Big congratulations to them. Commiserations to Germany fans, it’s obviously hard to lose at the last hurdle.

FULL-TIME That’s it!!! Spain are European Champions!

Nearly over…

Euro 2008 is not the tournament to celebrate wins early. Even if Turkey are out.

Three minutes of stoppage time, I think

90′ Germany with half a chance, but Capdevila was fouled by Gomez. Sums up Gomez’s tournament that.

87′ Puyol with a dreadful pass, straight out of play.

85′ No rush for Spain to take this freekick. Xavi wacks it into the crowd. Good timewasting tactic in Sunday league, not so much when there are 20 or so official Euro 2008 balls around.

84′ Guiza getting the crowd going, Cassano style.

83′ Germany look beaten. Fat lady isn’t singing, but she’s having a good old think about it.

82′ Spain eight minutes (plus injury time of course) away from ending 44 years of disappointment.

81′ THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IT! Guiza knocks it across for Senna who swings both legs at it, but he can’t quite reach it.

80′ Horrible touch from Ballack. He must be feeling it now. Still wouldn’t bet against him banging home an equalizer though, to be honest.

79′ Was Lehmann out of his area then? Did he handle it? Can’t tell.

78′ Klose off….. Gomez on! 12 minutes to redeem himself.

77′ Torres off (every game he comes off!) Dani Guiza on.

76′ It’s just dawned on me: Spain are 15 minutes from winning a major trophy!

75′ Torres does the old “ball one way, me the other” move to Mertesacker, but Lehmann is out quick enough to gather. Spain look like hitting Germany on the break and settling this.

74′ Yellow for Torres. Not really sure what for though, he was just challenging for the ball.

73′ German fans singing national anthem loud and proud. Spanish fans respond with whistles I think.

71′ Game is very stop and start now. Free kick here, free kick there.

70′ Ramos basically lets Jansen run into him. Easier than chasing him down the line I suppose. But German free kick, theoretically dangerous.

68′ Lehmann makes another two saves from Iniesta. Germany all over the place.

67′ Spain break a piss-poor German offside trap with a cross and Ramos’s header is saved by Lehmann. Awful defending.

64′ Another sub. Silva off for Cazorla. Silva won’t get another pop at the volley then.

- Aragones has brought on Alonso for Fabregas. Bit of a defensive move.

63′ Something naugty happened there. Podolski and Silva head to head, then sort of double-headbutted each other. I figure if they’re dumb enough to do that to each other then they’re welcome to kill a few brain cells.

Great freeze-frame image of Torres’ goal. Click to see the vid.

60′ Casillas just gets a finger to a Ballack cross, Kuranyi with half a chance there though

59′ Ballack sort of scuffs a volley, but gets some side netting. Close.

57′ Hitzlsperger off, Kuranyi on. So two up front for Germany. And it’s 1-1 in terms of German born players now. Spain have Senna, Germany have Kuranyi.

56′ Why is Puyol acting the victim? He followed though and nearly kicked Klose, and now he wants sympathy???

55′ Is this still the first half? Torres nearly scores a carbon copy goal. Mertesacker faster and stronger than Lahm and Lehmann gets their first this time.

54′ Ramos tried the fancy mid-arid backheel, but no contact.

53′ Xavi with a shot from top of the box. Ref Rossetti gives a corner but Lehmann didn’t touch it. Mad Jens lives up to his name, but by being angry instead of a mentalist.

50′ Klose down injured after getting a wack from Marchena.

Video of Torres goal added below (at minute 32)

- I’m being told that ABC claimed it was Friedrich who came off for Jansen. They’re definitely wrong, don’t trust ‘em.

46′ Podolski holding his foot after collision with Ramos. Nice German flag on the boots Lukas.

45′ Second half underway.

Sub for Germany: Phillip Lahm has paid the price and been replaced by Marcell Jansen. No doubts about who takes the blame then.

Wow. Spanish colours are already on the Euro trophy by the look of it. Do UEFA already know the result?

Quick half-time picture puzzle. Should be easy. Who’s this?

HALF-TIME

45′ Has anyone seen Miroslav Klose???

41′ Ballack involved in some pushy pushy aggro. Thought there was a Zidane moment coming, but everyone calms down. Ballack gets a yellow though. Casillas too. Two captains get their names taken.

39′ Germany have a free kick to cross. Ballack wasn’t allowed on, then the free was taken too early and called back. Allowing Ballack back on. Or something. Whatever happened, Spain weren’t happy. Free kick came to nowt though.

38′ Ballack back on with a new bloodless shirt, but seems they didn’t close the cut properly so he’s off for more treatment.

- Replay of goal suggest Lehmann should have waited to come off his line. If Lehmann hadn’t rushed out, Lahm wouldn’t have given up so easily. You can see Lahm stop going for the ball when he see Mad Jens coming out.

- Replay shows Senna basically nutting Ballack. They were challenging for the ball, but Senna missed it by a good few yards and impacted on Ballack’s brain instead.

36′ Ballack bleeding. Looks like it’s around his eye. How’s that happened?

35′ Iniesta chips it to Silva, but Silva vollet it high, high, high. That ball is outta here.

So disregard what I said earlier about Torres getting swallowed by German defenders up front on his own. He ran on to a through ball and won the shoving battle with Lahm before dinking it over Mad Jens.

32′ GOAL!!! Torres, 1-0!

- replay shows Capdevila(?) flick the ball up onto his own hand. Benefit of the doubt though, there’s no way that was intentional. He’d be pretty dumb if it was.

29′ Someone just threw a bag at Iniesta as he took the corner. Free goldfish?

28′ As j just pointed out, Ballack’s calf seems to be holding up fine.

27′ Podolski waited far too long. BBC Commentator Mark Lawrenson betrays his past as a defender by shouting “No right foot!” He’s right though.

25′ Ballack got a volley off but Ramos jumps to take one in the chest. Like Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard.

22′ Torres leaps about ten feet in the air to meet a chipped cross but heads against the foot of the post. Best chance of the game so far. I didn’t know Torres could jump that high.

20′ Torres heads well over from the cross. He’s done well just to meet it with Metzelder and Mertesacker in there.

19′ Metzelder gets megged by Torres but responds by knocking El Nino down. You don’t nutmeg a man with a beard.

17′ Torres got down the left, but Mertesacker in his way. Also, no one in the box. That’s what happens if you play one up top.

16′ The midfielder monster that is Frings puts Iniesta on the floor. You’re not allowed to do that, so free kick. Nothing comes from FK though.

- Looks like Silva and Iniesta have switched wings. Silva on the right now, and Iniesta on the left. Seems to work judging by that little moment.

14′ Nearly an own goal! Great save from Mad Jens. Xavi put Iniesta in and his cross bounced off Metzelder.

13′ Think it’s fair to say Torres will struggle on his own up front. Mertesacker makes him look like a midget. And there’s Metzelder as well. El Nino needs help.

10′ Looked like a foul at first glance, but decent slide tackle from Ramos on Lahm.

9′ Hitzlsperger unleashes the hammer, but Casillas gathers. All Germany, if we’re honest.

8′ Ballack gets down the left and puts in an Arshavin (vs Netherlands) esque cross. No one there though. Germany really needed Ballack to be arriving late to head home his own cross. Maybe without the calf problem?

7′ Is Luis Aragones very small or is his ID badge very big?

6′ Sergio Ramos in bombing forward shock.

5′ Not a huge surprise but turns out two five man midfields on a narrow pitch = congestion.

3′ Ramos screws up with a lame backpass, half a chance for Klose. Puyol put him under a bit of pressure.

1′ Think the ball just hit the corner flag. Odd start.

0′ We’re off.

Handshakes all round. Before they kick each other.

Ballack looks a picture of patriotism. Let’s hope his calf is feeling equally patriotic.

The blowup Henri Delaunay trophy is floating around outside the Ernst Happel. Maybe they should award that to the winner instead?

That must have been fun for the players, waiting in the tunnel for Iglesias to finish.

Now it’s Iglesias miming his official song. Let’s hope the game’s better than the closing ceremony.

Oh, they’re doing the knockoout rounds. When a team is knocked out their balloons are released into the air. OK.

Can everyone see the closing ceremony? Mental. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is playing, while puppets made of balloons representing the teams dance with each other.

This German fan is ready for action. Is that bacon hanging off him? What can that possibly represent?

Let’s try a picture puzzle instead. Because WCB readers are too smart we’ve jumbled up the order. Who’s this?

Adrian Chiles getting far too poetic talking about Vienna. I’m not 100% sure what he’s talking about to be honest.

BBC coverage has started here. Big news is that it’s legendary commentator John Motson’s last ever international tournament behind the mic. If anyone’s unfamiliar:

We have lineups. Big news – as spotted by diana (thanks!) is that Ballack is starting. Good idea? I say yes, even a half fit Ballack is valuable and a huge mental boost. Let’s just hope he lasts, as it will make today’s game nice and competitive.

Germany 4-2-3-1: Mad Jens; Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm; Frings, Hitzlsperger; Schweini, Ballack, Podolski; Klose

Spain 4-1-4-1*: Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila; Senna; Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Silva; Torres

*That’s what UEFA say. But for my money, Spain could be more like 4-4-1-1 with Fabregas in the hole behind Torres. Sort of.

Hi all, welcome to our Euro 2008 Final LiveBlog. We’re about an hour from kickoff. Germany and Spain for the chance to hold Henri Delaunay in the air. Not the man, the trophy. But still worth playing for. Here’s what it’s all about:

Shiny.