Euro 2012: A no-striker zone

JUNE 12 — As the games are coming in thick and fast – and I am not talking about Mario Balotelli or Fernando Torres – it is almost impossible to sit and write at length. But still there is, as is the case with football, plenty to write about.

One noticeable trend after the first round of group matches is that strikers seem to have mostly gone into hiding and being ever so kind to let midfielders and defenders score on their behalf.

Let us start with the Balotelli “Brain Freeze”, and I am pretty sure it had nothing to do with any Italian gelato he may have consumed before the match.

The Italian striker simply froze! Closing in on goal, facing Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas one-on-one, he somehow went into slow motion mode and it was almost comical to see the blank look in his eyes as he trudged off the pitch in humiliation. Welcome to the big time!

And then we have Torres the Terrible, who proved once again that his touch is terrible! He could still have been a hero if he had played Jesus Navas in for a more likely winning goal for the defending champions, but instead, Torres chose to balloon the ball.

Then again, it has become second nature to him, the ballooning bit that is.

The next striker in the firing line — pun most definitely intended — is the Netherland’s Robin van Persie.

The reason why Van Persie was slipping and fumbling about was simply his studs. He had the wrong studs on and his air shot was proof as his standing foot slipped, again.

Fortunately, there was some saving grace in the first round of group matches, with one high-scoring game to entertain football fans around the world on the first day. Not that the other games were not entertaining but the goals still count the most.

That game was Russia against the Czech Republic. Somebody obviously forgot to tell the Russians that it is only the opening game but it was still good to see them flying. That it was the biggest international loss for the Czechs in 42 years must say something for the confidence Dick Advocaat’s boys brought to the pitch.

Meanwhile, back to the Italy-Spain encounter … usually, when the topic of playing a back three is brought up, some coaches have kittens! So, full credit to Cesare Prandelli for helping the Italians bring some German invention back into football with the 3-5-2. And it was great fun to see Danielle de Rossi playing the libero too.

The Spanish played with a false number nine and almost fooled themselves. When Barcelona adopt the same tactic, playing the false number nine, it is Lionel Messi in that role.

Sure, Cesc Fabregas eventually made good and got the equaliser but Vicente del Bosque will have to revert to a true number nine. And let us hope it will not be Torres the Terrible but preferably Alvaro Negredo or Fernando Llorente.

The Germans were efficient as usual. But the Portuguese did not look too bad either. The Dutch are wounded and Denmark has three points! Did someone say Group of Death?

Well, it certainly was slow death watching England against France. But then again, this is the most disciplined I have seen England play in a very long time.

Great teams are built from the back and Roy Hodgson was always going to have to coach the defensive aspect of the game.

The experience of Hodgson would have highlighted the obvious weaknesses, a lack of balance and defensive organisation. This was certainly the two areas where the English looked comfortable apart from Steven Gerrard turning his back on Samir Nasri’s strike.

And so, we will move on to Matchday Two tonight, and possibly see the Czechs bounce back against Greece, while Russia’s battle with Poland will hopefully be limited to the action on the pitch and not on the streets of Warsaw.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.