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Michael Moschetto

The Spanish Duopoly Strengthens With Malaga’s Downfall

Within the past decade, La Liga has evolved (or devolved, depending on who you’re talking to) into a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Between TV contracts, exposure and merchandise, the Spanish league is divided into distinct categories: the haves (two teams) and the have-nots (18 clubs). Qatari oil baron Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser [...]

EURO 2012 Final Preview: Spain vs. Italy

Few would have predicted that Italy and Spain’s 1-1 draw on June 10 would end up becoming a preview of the EURO 2012 final just three weeks later. Each squad has fought off adversities, injury problems, and questionable form among its players to make it to Sunday’s clash at Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. Lineups [...]

Semifinal Preview: Italy vs. Germany

Italy and Germany are tremendous historic rivals; as two of Europe’s most powerful footballing nations, any match between these two squads is intense and there is usually something on the line. Although this match probably won’t be as epic as the battle in Dortmund in the 2006 World Cup, it is still highly-anticipated and should [...]

Semifinal Preview: Spain vs. Portugal

Wednesday’s semifinal between Spain and Portugal has everything you want in a thrilling match; big names, interesting storylines, and tactical intrigue for hardcore fans. Star Power This game features some of the greatest players of the Spanish league in conjunction with a handful of the most underrated players in world football. Spain’s squad is undoubtedly [...]

EURO 2012 Quarterfinal Preview

The group stage of EURO 2012 has come to a conclusion, and the end product is a quartet of thrilling quarterfinal matches. With at least one goal in every game thus far, this summer’s tournament is the first edition of the EUROs to not feature a 0-0 result in any match in the group stage. [...]

Italy and Tactical Flexibility

On the eve of EURO 2012, Italy was an ominous cloud, surrounded by stifling winds of a Serie A match-fixing scandal and a base of supporters still disappointed from the country’s performance in the 2010 World Cup. Going into this summer’s tournament, defensive stalwart Andrea Barzagli had a calf injury, forcing him to miss at [...]

Group Round-Up, Part 2

After the second round of group stage games, we have reached the final roulette of matches before nations start getting eliminated (two have already clinched failure to advance past the group stage.) Almost every game has implications as to whether a team’s knockout-stage hopes will be realized or be a mere dream. Group A Russia: [...]

Group Round-Up, Volume 1

Each team has played one game in EURO 2012, and we have already gotten an idea of what to expect from this summer’s tournament. With a few surprises after a mere four days of games, this is shaping up to be quite the spectacle of European football. Group A Russia: 1-0-0, 3 points Greece: 0-1-0, [...]

Top 10 Forwards in EURO 2012

Having a top forward doesn’t only ensure that a team will score a ton of goals; it also keeps the squad’s supporters happy. As important as a solid defense and a gifted midfield are, they simply don’t offer the excitement of a winger beating two defenders off the dribble and slotting the ball into the [...]

Top 10 Midfielders in EURO 2012

With the way in which modern soccer has evolved, the need for a technically gifted midfield has become the prevalent way to build a team. Gone are the days of a classic number 10 who simply makes plays in attack and does barely anything on defense; gone are the days of pure “destroyers” who sit [...]