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Sneijder and Sar in UEFA star-team & Trivia

June 30th, 2008 | By: Jan | 24 Comments »

Wesley Sneijder and Edwin van der Sar have secured a position in the UEFA star-squad, chosen by “a select team of football experts” (they didn’t consult me!!). 23 players in total and Spain dominates this group with nine players.

Xavi Hernandez is part of the group obviously, chosen as the best player of the tournament.

This is the EC2008 group”

Keepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Edwin van der Sar (Holland).

Defenders: Bosingwa (Portugal), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Carlos Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain), Yuri Zhirkov (Russia).

Midfield: Hamit Altıntop (Tureky), Luka Modrić (Croatia), Marcos Senna (Spain), Xavi Hernández (Spain), Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Cesc Fàbregas (Spain), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Holland).

Strikers: Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain).

And a collection of goals, jokes, supporters, quotes, etc… This post will end the EC2008.

THE GOAL
Repeated ad nauseum by enchanted experts from all over the world: Holland’s second goal against Italy. The Gio-sprint, the Raf-pass, the Gio crosspass, the Kuyt header, the half volley by Sneijder. Alan Hansen said: “The perfect team goal.”

THE HOWLER
Petr Cech wanted to catch a simple cross against Turkey, but he dropped it as if it was a hot meatball. A crucial mistake, not much later Czech Republic would be out of the tournament.

THE WORST JOKE
Dutch comedian after the defeat against Russia: “I think the mourning armbands were too tight.” No one laughed.

THE SILENT FANS
There they were. Dressed in oranje clogs, with plastic cheeses on their heads. Looking at some point in the distant. Lifeless. When Oranje needed them, they were silent. Shellshocked. The conga line the day before in Basel was really fun, though.

THE QUOTE (1)
“I look forward to being Holland’s biggest traitor,” said Guud Hiddink before the Holland – Russia match

THE ASSAULT
Like a butcher, Mehmet Aurelio went for Nani’s leg. The Portuguese striker could still walk afterwards, miraculously and the Turkish player didn’t even get a free-kick against him. One of the few dark spots on this remarkable fair tournament.

THE COMEBACK
Black football boots. Weird coloured boots are suddenly out of fashion. Purists, rejoice!

THE LOSER
Turkey had beaten Czech Republic, but goalie Demirel thought it was handy to push Jan Koller on the ground, without a ball in sight. Dumb. Only seconds to play. Red card, two games suspension. End of EC. The Loser.

THE COMEBACK (2)
Three times, the Turks fought there way back. But the last one was the best. Croatian Ivan Klasnic thought he made history for his country in the 119th minute. Coach Bilic was already uncorking the champagne, but Senturk thought differently. Boom, goal!

THE MUSTACHE
Luca Toni would allow his mustache to grow until he scored on the EC. Every day, he looked more and more like Groucho Marx.

THE EXIT
Seldom would a title defender leave the tournament as honorless as Greece. The playing style is so old-fashioned even Socrates wouldn’t approve of it.

THE SUBSTITUTES
“That’s how I like to see Holland play,” said Gunther Netzer. Van Basten had seen how his team struggled to keep the lead against France and brought two super strikers to defend the lead. Both Van Persie and Robben would score in that match. “Genius.”

THE QUOTE
“Let’s be reasonable. We are much better than Germany.” Luis Aragones, one day before the final.

Tags: Cesc, Euro 2008, Pepe, Puyol, Sneijder, Van Basten, Xavi

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Comments

By Lis | June 30th, 2008 at 7:09 am

Who ever put Philip Lahm in the best squad has a strong sense of humour. He let a goal in with Turkey (and yes he made up for it by scoring), and so he did again against Spain (Torres was just to quick for him). Why is he in the best squad list???

Posted from Albania

By OhYeah | June 30th, 2008 at 7:11 am

Yes, that Lahm thing blew my mind. He might’ve been a good defender in WC2006, but not here. Maybe they made the selection before the final game?

Posted from Estonia

By sandesh | June 30th, 2008 at 7:30 am

so who at left then??
Gio Capdevilla Grosso Pranjic
everyone talks about arshavin and pavlyuchenko
i dont think they such a great players. they had an outstanding tour esp against netherlands but not that gret enof to come into big clubs like chelsea or barca any way this is the way i think
modric and senna to me are the find of this tournament many of them get to know these players
any news on rigters, de ridder, van der vaart, boulahrouz,

Posted from Nepal

By Michel-Olivier | June 30th, 2008 at 7:52 am

Euro 08 BEST DIVER Nominee
- Luca Toni
- C. Ronaldo
- Di Natale
- Yuri Zhirkov

Posted from United States

By goose | June 30th, 2008 at 8:22 am

Lahm was the one player i really respected in the german team; he played an awful EC and he sure doenst belong in some chosen 11..think you are right OhYeah, must have been done before the final

im very happy with this EC; we saw some great goals, attacking football and an impressive winner….much better than the EC04 with the terrible, shameful victory of them greeks…well done Spain (and yes ‘De Opstand’and ‘De 80-jarige oorlog” are all but forgotten!! haha)

didnt notice the shoes Jan but im all for it…i hate those flashy coloured boots; black it should be

about the fans; from what i heard from friends; everybody had a hangover and didnt have any energy left; i rather see the dutch fans care about the game than about having a party before it….the all look funny but i get this “you only sing when youre winning” attitude

Posted from Netherlands

By Caleb | June 30th, 2008 at 9:50 am

Wait a minute! There’s no Dutch defenders in the team!

Posted from Canada

By alaa | June 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am

How did they pick fabregas? Don’t get me wrong, I think he is the best midfielder in the world, but he was benched every game spain played so how did they include him if the coach made him sit on the bench for all of the games except the last one!

Posted from Canada

By Lis | June 30th, 2008 at 9:57 am

@alaa: Well as someone else already pointed, this list seemed to have been coocked before the EC started. This is why Lahm is in the “best list”. How were they to know that Aragones was going to bench Fabregas ?

Posted from Albania

By goose | June 30th, 2008 at 10:03 am

haha Caleb

here for all you hoolis, a dutch clip on fights between the dutch and russians (and dutch v dutch) after the match

http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/164241/13bcdc9c/rellen_fanzone_tijdens_nederland_rusland.html

Posted from Netherlands

By ferenc | June 30th, 2008 at 11:39 am

xavi hernandez was voted by the uefa best player of euro 2008. he really,really deserved it. outstanding performance. (and he’s a barca player:-))

Posted from Hungary

By HUP | June 30th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Xavi Who???

Posted from Canada

By --HedonistiX | June 30th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Lahm is on the best squad list because it’s voted based on “best per cm height” criteria …..

–H

Posted from United States

By Caleb | June 30th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

Lis – it was suggested that the team was made before the final game, not before the tournament

alaa – I guess they picked Fabregas because everytime he came on as a sub he did great things for the Spanish team, and he played excellently against the Russians.

Posted from Canada

By Jan | June 30th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

This team was picked after the final. It’s the official UEFA pick. Cesc had three assists, the most of the EC, and he only played once as a starter. That’s a good reason for me. Lahm is picked on reputation and that one goal I think.

By Carlos | June 30th, 2008 at 10:18 pm

News on de Ridder is that he has just been released by Birmingham City with no club in sight yet.
I love Fabregas and he is in because there are 23 players and so he would probably be one of the subs if there was a best 11 picked. I think only Sneijder would get into the 11 but only just.

Posted from Singapore

By Junior | June 30th, 2008 at 10:32 pm

Roman Pavlyuchenko is no better than Ruud Van Nilsterooy!!!Pavlyuchenko did little and missed so many goals. I can’t believe Ruud did not make the list. Maybe b/c he had fewer(or equal) goals than those guys, but as a striker he is better than all those listed. Take for instance Fernando Torres who could only score 2 goals. Had Van Nilsterooy played for Spain instead of him, he would have scored more. Besides if you compare Ruud and Torres record in the Premier League and the Spanish League, I think we all know who is the man:It’s Ruud, and there is no bias from my part.

Posted from United States

By Junior | June 30th, 2008 at 10:35 pm

Quote:
“Let’s be reasonable. Ruud Van Nilsterooy is much better than all those strikers selected in the squad.” Jan, should have added to his list of quote.

Posted from United States

By Ono | June 30th, 2008 at 10:37 pm

@ferenc
yeah, at least Barca players won the tournament and one of them chosen as the best player

Posted from Japan

By joe | July 1st, 2008 at 3:30 am

goose, watched that vid and it reminded of dlyan thomas’s ‘do not go gentle into that good night’

thx jan for all the hard work, love the site, and will be in tianjin to cheer on the youngsters and not quite has been ‘roy’

Posted from Australia

By Van Basten | July 1st, 2008 at 4:51 am

Well Joe…I have watched Goose’s video and I loved it too, but quite frankly it did not remind me of Dylan Thomas’s most beloved poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,Rage,Rage, Rage Against The Dying of The Light”. I have read that poem like a hundred times, analyzed it and love it eternally.But I don’t think that poem and this video have any similarities whatsoever. I think any link between the theme of the poem (which is about a dying old man , and the reflections of his son) and the Oranje is quite far fetched!!!
But thanks for being a fan of the poem though, I absolutely love it too!!!

Posted from United States

By Miguel Rosado | July 1st, 2008 at 7:53 am

when is Holland’s next game?.

By Miguel Rosado | July 1st, 2008 at 7:54 am

and what happened to Stijn Schaars, any future for this player in the Orange?

By Jan | July 1st, 2008 at 8:03 am

Stijn Schaars is coming back from injury. I think he might start this season again. Yes, he’ll be on the long-list but De Jong, Engelaar, De Zeeuw and potentially Van Bommel will be on the list as well…

By goose | July 1st, 2008 at 4:26 pm

dont know nothing bout poetry, im sorry;
about the vid; when you put 10.000 drunken people in a small area , something is bound(?) to happen, on the other hand; i do know that for the first time since 88 some ’serious’ people were there…im not for all this carnaval but rather carnaval than problems

i have had high hopes for Schaars..lets hope he can find back his form, i think him not playing due to injury was part of the reason for the terrible season AZ had

Posted from Netherlands

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