Portugal Vs. Spain, Euro 2012: Spain Win Semi On Penalties

There was a long gap between chances until Andres Iniesta was set up for one in the 29th minute. The ball was worked around the edge of the box following a long ball over the top of the defense, eventually finding the feet of Iniesta on the left side of the area. He came inside and found a space to take a right-footed shot, but missed high. Two minutes later, Ronaldo created a decent opportunity for himself, but missed his shot from 20 yards just wide of the near post. That would be the last clear chance of the first half.

Vicente del Bosque allowed Negredo to continue despite his poor first half performance, but it became obvious early in the second half that he wasn’t going to make a positive impact on the game for his team. He was substituted out very early, with del Bosque taking him out for Fabregas in the 54th minute in a switch to the formation he was expected to start with.

Update: Final score Portugal 0-0 Spain, La Roja win on penalties

Spain did manage to kick it up a notch in extra time, going close via Iniesta and with substitutes Pedro and Jesus Navas causing a tiring Portugal defence some real problems. It was, however, too little too late, and now we go to spot kicks. Are the European and world champions going out at the semifinal stage? No team has ever defended the Euros...

We have live coverage in our Portugal vs. Spain, Euro 2012 Semifinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.

Anyway, not much has happened in the second half as of yet. They’re doing the wave at the Donbass Arena, which should give you a good idea of just how exciting this is. Spain are in control, but hardly well on top, but the chances haven’t really been forthcoming and it’s still 0-0.

We have live coverage in our Portugal vs. Spain, Euro 2012 Semifinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.

Spain, meanwhile, are creating chances - Alvaro Negredo latches onto a long ball and holds up play brilliantly, eventually spotting Xavi’s free run into the box and picking him out with what would have been a brilliant pass have Andres Iniesta not intercepted it. Iniesta nearly makes up for the mistake, though curling an effort just over Rui Patricio’s net.

We have live coverage in our Portugal vs. Spain, Euro 2012 Semifinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.

We have live coverage in our Portugal vs. Spain, Euro 2012 Semifinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.

Such self-involvement (count the Is) is annoying but it is probably necessary for the type of greatness long craved by Ronaldo, greatness that could, maybe, finally lie within his grasp. Contained within that sentence is the whole difference between Messi and Ronaldo. Whereas the Argentine is simply the perfect product of a collective ideal, Ronaldo is the simple perfection of self. Messi’s ‘we’ vs. Ronaldo’s ‘I’; the iconoclast against the icon.

Of these three, rough, types the latter is the more successful, as the makeup of the quarter finals indicates. This makes sense, given the extent to which the importing of already mutually familiar players mitigates the negative effects of the lack of time. The fourth quarter-finalist, however, is different. Because of Ronaldo, Portugal don’t really conform to any of those types. They are broadly defensive, but also, lacking midfield creativity (and a striker), somewhat broken. Think of Italy, Spain or Germany and you think of a smoothly carouselling midfield (with perhaps Xavi, Pirlo or Schweinsteiger instigating) pivoting calmness and elegance onto a swiftly oscillating forward line. Think of Portugal and you think of Ronaldo.

Friendlies usually don’t matter much in terms of analyzing competitive fixtures, especially 19 months later, but these teams are too similar to dismiss that match as irrelevant. Spain and Portugal are, at this moment, essentially the same teams. They’re under the same managers, in the same formations, with the same relevant personnel.

There is, of course, a human factor worth noting. Spain were just coming off of a World Cup victory in November 2010, while Portugal had just recently named a new manager after an average World Cup and a poor start to their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. The Portuguese players were fighting for pride and to win a place in their new manager’s first XI. Spain could have lost that match 10-0 and kept their dignity intact; post-World Cup friendlies are least relevant to the team that just won the World Cup.