Entertainment, TV, Celebrity, Culture

Follow @2Paragraphs
  • Daily Edition
    • Elon_MuskElon Musk Shocker: “Governments Should Step In”
    • Senator Cory BookerSen. Cory Booker and The Tragedy of Tiny Coffins
    • Gov Greg AbbottBiden’s Win Helps Gov. Greg Abbott’s Crisis Plan in Texas
  • Business
    • Sen. Elizabeth WarrenSen. Elizabeth Warren Laughs at Bank CEOs Doing Their Own Stress Tests
    • Randi ZuckerbergRandi Zuckerberg Sarcastically Mocks Crypto Boys Club
    • Daymond JohnDaymond John Drops Elon Musk Icebreaker on Twitter, ‘Money v. Meeting’
  • Culture
    • Ian ZieringIan Ziering, Drinking at 90s Con, Makes Mark Cuban Joke
    • Martha StewartMartha Stewart Flaunts Famous Baseball Mini Dress Before Yankees Opening Day Game
    • Mckenna Grace on Young SheldonMckenna Grace Turns Heads in Sheer Bikini Corset Dress, ‘Big Bang’
  • Sports
    • Sergio GarciaSergio Garcia’s Wife Flaunts Legs in Tiny Cutout Mini Dress, ‘Supermodel’
    • Naomi Osaka, US Open 2020Naomi Osaka Flaunts Bare Belly in Crop Top, Reveals Victoria’s Secret Collab
    • Gov Greg AbbottTexas Gov. Greg Abbott Picks Alabama Over Houston, Fails Politics 101
  • Food
    • Jennifer GarnerJennifer Garner Reveals Her Favorite ‘Dry January’ Treat at Home
    • Dark ChocolateAre Dark Chocolate Fears Overblown? Cadmium, California, and “Ouch, Ouch” Disease
    • Wendy's restaurantWendy’s New Riddle Stumps Social Media — “Chili in Philly?”
  • Interviews
    • Cranberries_in_a_bucketDo Cranberries Really Help UTI? A Doctor Answers With New Evidence
    • Lauren Lovett The Speech Ring InventorVideo: The Speech Ring Inventor on Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
    • Surge first out gay superhero in the moviesFirst Out Gay Movie Superhero Surge Speaks on Humor, Responsibility
  • Cool Stuff
    • Ice-T on LAW & ORDER: SVU (Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Ice-T’s Wife Flaunts Brand New Range Rover With Front Seat Refrigerator
    • Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue store in NYCChristian Louboutin Reveals 3.5″ Spring Mules With ‘Vibrant Red’ Nail Polish
    • Cardi_BCardi B Says She Hit Jackpot With $30,000 Chanel Slot Machine Bag
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Euro Soccer: With Assist, Fabregas Joins Picasso, Velazquez on List of Great Spanish Artists

by Rick Boomer in Sports | July 6, 2012

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Linkedin
  • Reddit
  • Email

The 2012 European Championship Final between soccer giants Italy and Spain is rife with talking points. But I don’t want to talk about whether Spain’s current national team is better than that of Brazil in 1970 (how can one legitimately compare?) And I don’t want to discuss how some pundits, and even some “fans”, are referring to Spain’s patient, clever, and immensely skillful possession game as boring (is Rembrandt’s precision  boring?) I don’t even want to talk about Italy’s dropping to ten men after substitute Thiago Motta’s hamstring injury essentially ends a compelling Euro Final thirty minutes early. Nor how Barcelona-bound Jordi Alba, Spain’s swift left back, crowns his magnificent tournament with an aggressive forward run and confident finish for La Roja’s second goal. I don’t even care that Spain’s central defender Gerard Pique’s hair resembles ever more closely that of his girlfriend Shakira’s jungle cat style. I only want to sit around with a pitcher of sangria and revel in the sublime beauty of Spain’s opening goal in minute 14, ultimately the game winner.

Let me pour you a glass. Spain’s technical genius, midfielder Andres Iniesta, surgically slices the Italian defense open with his perfectly weighted pass into the box behind Cesc Fabregas’ defender. A dangerous one-touch cross now presenting itself from just outside the six, Fabregas instead takes an impossibly deft and menacing touch forward, towards the goal, inside his chasing defender. Italy’s legendary goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, must suddenly commit to the near post. Fabregas’ defender can now only foul from behind and so is with this single move rendered superfluous. The Spaniards race to flood the eighteen. Then at full speed and a yard from the endline, Fabregas, who’s had up to this moment a rather forgettable tournament, pivots on his left foot and magically floats the ball back to the middle of the six with his right. The television camera is just quick enough to catch the 5’7” David Silva surging through the air, hair flying, legs scissored, slamming the levitating sphere against his forehead and ripping it into the back of the net. A short series of nearly perfect soccer decisions and execution from a team that has changed the way the game is played, and the World Champions lead Italy 1-0. That’s what I do want to talk about.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Linkedin
  • Reddit
  • Email

One Love? Catalans for Teutons: World Soccer, Bob Marley, Excellence and Loyalty

Soccer Love

Load More

  • Recent
  • Trending
  • Popular
  • Sergio GarciaSergio Garcia’s Wife Flaunts Legs in Tiny Cutout Mini Dress, ‘Supermodel’
  • Naomi Osaka, US Open 2020Naomi Osaka Flaunts Bare Belly in Crop Top, Reveals Victoria’s Secret Collab
  • Gov Greg AbbottTexas Gov. Greg Abbott Picks Alabama Over Houston, Fails Politics 101
  • Michael_Jordan_and_Barack_ObamaBarack Obama Knocks Out #1 Seed Purdue In NCAA Round 2, ‘A Crime’
  • Oscar de la HoyaOscar De La Hoya’s Girlfriend Sizzles in See-Thru Mini Dress, ‘OMG’
  • Naomi Osaka, US Open 2020Naomi Osaka Flaunts Bare Belly in Crop Top, Reveals Victoria’s Secret Collab
  • Sergio GarciaSergio Garcia’s Wife Flaunts Legs in Tiny Cutout Mini Dress, ‘Supermodel’
  • Giannis_AntetokounmpoGiannis Antetokounmpo Hears Appreciation Grow, Personally and Professionally
  • Charles_BarkleyCharles Barkley Gets Laughed At For Bold NBA Pick, ‘Top Notch’
  • Danica PatrickDanica Patrick Rocks Sexy Leather Pants, High Heels at NASCAR
  • Dennis RodmanDennis Rodman in Vegas, ‘Hard to Imagine a Crazier Notification’
  • Keith Allison [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia CommonsAaron Rodgers’ New ‘Big Pharma’ Connection Makes Twitter Laugh
2paragraphs on APPLE NEWS | 2paragraphs Amazon Shop | SEE MORE 2paragraphs ARTICLES
  • About 2paragraphs
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Dedication
  • Map
  • Fresh
  • Law
  • How-To
  • Personal
  • Books

© 2012-2023, 2paragraphs Productions, LLC

  • Buffer
  • Diggit
  • Email
  • More
  • Facebook
  • Flattr
  • Google+
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Stumble
  • tumblr
  • Twitter
  • VK
  • WhatsApp
  • Yummly
  • Xing