How to Book Your Spot at Euro 2008, by Kevin Kuranyi

Quite a few players are sweating on their places in the final 23-man squads for Euro 2008. Because going to a major tournament is great and missing out hurts. Kevin Kuranyi would know, as he let a spot in Germany’s 2006 World Cup squad slip away by hitting a poor patch of form in the months before the tournament.

But not this time. Kuranyi scored four on Tuesday as Schalke beat up poor Energie Cottbus 5-0. See above. Double K’s second is probably the most impressive, but credit him for taking a punch from the Cottbus keeper while heading home his fourth.

Those four goals were enough for Germany coach Joachim Löw to promise that “Kevin will – if nothing else gets in the way – be at the European Championship.”

So there you have it. If there are any other players out there worried about not making the squad, the solution is simple. Just score four goals in one game and you’re in.