Euro 2008 shows soccer skills

Who says soccer players aren't tough? They do play football, after all.

 

I was intrigued by the recently completed Euro 2008 Tournament and watched as much as I could. The Germany-Turkey semifinal on June 25 and the Sunday final between Germany and Spain were highlights of my off days. I was in front of the television with an iced coffee by 2:45 p.m. ET both days and didn't do anything else until the matches were over.

 

I was impressed by the players' footskills.  They routinely made passes that were unbelievable - pinpoint, right on the money every time. These guys are athletic, too. Fernando Torres made a couple of great moves, maneuvering past a German defender and leaping over keeper  Jens Lehmann, to create his goal in Spain's 1-0 final win.

 

Now, if someone from FIFA or UEFA or wherever can get rid of the flopping. It ruins the game, and whenever a guy goes down you never know if it's legitimate.

 

In the ESPN telecast of the Germany-Turkey semifinal, a camera caught Turkey's Ayhan Akman being treated with a staple gun for a gash on his head. The Turkish midfielder collided with Germany's Simon Rolfes, who also came away bleeding and was treated by his medical staff for a head wound. The camera showed Akman sitting on the ground while someone tended to his injury and I couldn't help but think how tough Akman was though I read he didn't return. In the final, German midfielder Michael Ballack was treated for a cut over his eye. There was a trail of blood on his face and neck but he returned to the match.