It Clinches 1st Euros in 44 Years With Win Over Germany: Spain 1, Germany 0
Associated Press
Monday, June 30, 2008
VIENNA, June 29 -- A big-game flop no more, Spain won the European Championship, 1-0, over Germany on Sunday for its first major title in 44 years.
Fernando Torres scored in the 33rd minute and the Spaniards never backed down. Their last significant title came in the 1964 Euros at home.
"It is a privilege to be in the national team and live through the most beautiful moment of getting the cup," Torres said. "It will be good not only for Spain, but also for football because the team that played best won."
In beating a team that makes a habit of appearing in championship finals, the Spaniards put to rest a reputation for underachieving. Always loaded with talented players, Spain has spent four decades falling short of expectations.
That all changed at these Euros, where the Spaniards swept their first-round games, eliminated World Cup champion Italy in a penalty-kicks shootout in the quarterfinals, then routed Russia, 3-0, in the semifinals.
"We have won in a brilliant way," Coach Luis Aragonés said. "We will be able to start saying we can win, a European championship as well as any other thing."
Against the Germans, they weren't intimidated. They got the one goal they needed -- from a slumping striker, no less -- and set off chants of "Es-paña," and "olé, olé olé" at the final whistle.
The Spanish squad ran over to the huge rooting section of red and gold, exchanging hugs, while many of the spent Germans collapsed to the turf.
"It is to me the most important day in Spanish football in many, many years," Torres said.
When Spain goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas accepted the trophy on a stage, the Spanish fans began chanting the melody to their national anthem, which has no words.
The Spaniards weren't close to finished with their celebration that was so long in the making. They marched to their rooting section, hoisting the cup and saluting their flag-waving, firecracker-exploding fans.
Germany has won three Euros and three World Cups, but was no match in this final. Captain Michael Ballack, questionable before the game with a calf injury, started but hardly was noticeable, except when he left for several minutes to have a bloody right eye treated.
"We had a great tournament, but made one mistake too many," Ballack said. "We were lacking of power against a great Spanish team. We couldn't keep up with them."
Torres, who had 33 goals for Liverpool this season but had been invisible in Euros, came through off a brilliant feed from Xavi Hernández.
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, at 38 the oldest player in the competition, charged from his net when he saw that defender Philipp Lahm was beaten on the right side. But Torres chipped the ball over the sliding Lehmann.
Even without leading scorer David Villa (leg injury), the Spaniards continued to carry the attack and were far more dangerous than Germany the rest of the way.
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