The hangover from a tournament this good can last for months. Fortunately, it will only last a month or so until all the European leagues start their 2008/2009 seasons in August. I hate having to come down off the high that these types of tournaments induce.
So much world-class soccer…so many world-class players to watch, day in and day out. All gone now, only to leave me with memories and conversations of the old days…those days being Euro 2008…the most memorable three weeks of soccer in a long time.
The last World Cup wasn’t even close to being this good. Even though I was actually there in Germany and can tell you that even though I was home for my daily walk with the wife during this Euro, those couple weeks in Germany from a fan standpoint were truly unforgettable.
The Euros this year brought with it a new dawn in international soccer.
The waning-moment-winner.
No longer will anybody ever leave the room before the final whistle has blown. Stoppage time doesn’t just mean something now, it means everything. A lead will never feel safe until the main man in the middle calls it quits. Turkey started it and now everybody seems intent on following suit.
In a couple hundred words, here are my final thoughts…Spain proved you can look good AND win. Italy proved that it has a lot of work to do before 2010…France who? Germany looked like they felt they deserved it the whole time, but got beat by the better team in the final. I think I may have a man-crush on Cesc…
Croatia still can’t believe they actually lost that game and neither can we. My Dad is STILL watching the replays to see if the outcome changes. Don’t have to worry about using the words Czech Republic and world-class team in the same sentence anymore.
What happened to France (I know I already said something about them…but I had such a pleasant time in Paris when I was there years ago that I had to rub it in)? Romania looks better than I expected. Fatih should bag coaching and go on the motivational speaking circuit. The refereeing could have been worse.
The Netherlands needs to win a World Cup…but now they even have Spain to worry about. Austria and Switzerland repped better than I thought they would. Guus is a genius and worth every penny. Torres had an extra lung in the final.
Ballack’s crushing free-kick beats Beckham’s bends. Lehman could be the least likeable player in modern history. My neighbors are bound to find out that I used their house for the Final party…I feel like playing again, just need to figure out how NOT to run so much in this game.
I wish I was there…I wish you had joined me…we’re all losers for not going…if you were there I hate you…I plan on heading to London for Boxing Day…with the wife…whoever said that you can’t have it all was…well, right.
Your final thoughts? Was it worth losing your job, house or significant other?
Make sure to check back for plenty of transfer talk this week and don’t ever hesitate to comment…unless you disagree with me. Kidding of course…well, not really.
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6 Responses to “EURO CUP 2008: In Conclusion”
Posted: 06/30/08 at 9:31 pm
Great work Mark over the past month! Loved the articles and opinions
Posted: 06/30/08 at 9:50 pm
I hear there is a great 7-a-side league up in Wyoming…….
Posted: 06/30/08 at 10:48 pm
I heard you had a killer Final party. Wish I was there.
Posted: 07/01/08 at 7:12 am
Fantastic job Mark during Euro 08!!
Posted: 07/01/08 at 8:57 pm
Thanks…glad that everyone enjoyed the three weeks as much as I did. As for the 7 a side league…still sounds like too much running for me.
Posted: 07/02/08 at 8:18 am
Nice write-ups. Germans can’t close the deal as of late. Always the bridesmaid…. Wait I thought that was the Spanish calling card.