Talk about marquee match-ups. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Michael Ballack. Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho vs. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. Portugal vs. Germany.
The Euro 2008 quarterfinals kick off today with one of the best match-ups of the round. Will a rested Portugal squad that looked extremely good in its first two matches be too much for a German squad that has yet to resemble the tournament favorites they were supposed to be when the Euros began?
Whether you will be watching on TV, or are stuck at work and unable to watch, please feel free to follow the match here. I will be doing a running commentary throughout so stay here for all your updates. Also feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below.
Enjoy the match and check out the running commentary after the jump.
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FINAL- German set pieces proved too much for Portugal, exposing Portugal's weakness and sending them packing. Now Germany is one step away from the final and just might get a chance to avenge their lone loss of the tournament, against Croatia.
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FINAL- Germany 3, Portugal 2. It wasn't easy but the Germans held on and eliminated Portugal.
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92nd minute- Portugal running out of time here. Germany is letting them have the ball but they can't create.
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87th minute- GOAL PORTUGAL!!! Helder Postiga with a great header to make it 3-2. Uh oh.
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85th minute- Can Portugal find a goal? I definitely agree with Andy Gray's assessment that Portugal is starving for a true center forward.
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79th minute- Wow, Podolski just blasted a long-range shot that missed wide by inches.
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77th minute- Kudos to Germany for defending so well as a team. From the forwards back, it has been a team effort to smother Portugal's attackers.
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75th minute- Portugal has put in Postiga and Nani and the offense doesn't look any more dangerous.
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62nd minute- Nice work by Ballack to get away with a pair of small shoves to the back of Paulo Ferreira to create space for the header.
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61st minute- GOAL GERMANY!!! And it's Ballack with a header off a long free kick. Terrible set piece defending yet again.
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55th minute- The rain is pouring in Basle but the field appears to be holding up.
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51st minute- Hitzlsperger almost get a blast on goal but sends it way high instead. He's dangerous any time he gets a shot.
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50th minute- And we're back. Apologies for the delay. Germany has drawn two yellow cards this half as Portugal look like the livelier squad.
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45th minute- Ballack tries a sharp-angled shot that forces a Ricardo save. Here comes Portugal again. WOW, Ronaldo came so close. he missed by inches wide.
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44th minute- Portugal definitely has more life now and Germany had better be careful.
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40th minute- GOAL PORTUGAL. Gomes finishes off a Ronaldo rebound and we have a game again. Germany 2, Portugal 1.
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35th minute- Portugal looking for a penalty call but it was a weak attempt to draw a PK.
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33rd minute- Portugal is starting to press but can't find the final touch.
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31st minute- Raul Meireles comes on for an injured Joao Moutinho.
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29th minute- Can Portugal respond to this one?
The first goal came courtesy of a beautiful ball in from Podolski. The second came on a floating free kick from Schweinsteiger as Portugal's free kick defending was horrendous there.
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25th minute- GERMANY 2, Portugal 0. Klose heads home a long free kick just two minutes after Schweinsteiger opens the scoring. WOW.
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18th minute- Schweinsteiger with some nice moves to earn a corner. Corner is headed over.
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15th minute- Simao with a sharp-angled shot that Lehmann handles.
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14th minute- Portugal is starting to knock it around. Germany is definitely defending with numbers.
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12th minute- Germans have had the better of the play early as Portugal shakes the rust off.
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5th minute- Torsten Frings is out of the match with cracked ribs. I'm sure U.S. fans with good memories are in tears over that one.
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3rd minute- Podolski fouls Simao, no card.
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3rd minute- Ricardo runs out of the area to cut off a pass. He's a bit confident isn't he.
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2nd minute- We're underway and the field in Basel looks a mess.
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PRE-GAME- No Torsten Frings for the Germans, who have also benched Mario Gomez. Tomas Hitzlsberger and Bastian Schweinsteiger are in the lineup today.
Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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Go (Forca) Portugal!
Posted by: CO_Soccer_Fan | June 19, 2008 at 02:44 PM
anyone got an audio or video link that doesn't include PC only things (sopcast) or completely useless things (ESPN 360)?
I hate not being able to listen.
Posted by: nicholas s. | June 19, 2008 at 02:48 PM
Hit it with your head or your foot. Your knee was certainly not the choice.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 03:05 PM
what a sequence to the goal
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 03:07 PM
that was some sweet soccer.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Schweinsteiger!! Very good run across by him, fed right to him, and he slots it away. 1-0 to Germany which is deserved. Done with cool, German precision.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Seems like the ref is allowing for a very physical game. That will be an advantage to the Germans
Posted by: Shoshana | June 19, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Wow. Germans just know how to win. Portugal? This is nothing new for them.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Germany 2-0 Portugal
The Machine is rolling over Portugal now!!
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 03:12 PM
From Klose range, he emphatically bangs home a header that puts the Germans up
2-0. The placement of the cross by Schweinsteiger was good as well, and Portugal have left themselves with a monumental task.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 03:13 PM
C. Ronaldo looks jittery. He's bailed out by Gomes. Good,though. This is becoming quite a game.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 03:26 PM
Portugal gets a vital goal near halftime. Ronaldo took a shot that Lehman just got a hand on. The German defenders back couldn't get to the rebound, which Nuno Gomes put home. 2-1 Germans still in the lead.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 03:27 PM
Portugal gets 1 back in the 40'
Germany 2-1 Portugal
Ronaldo shot is saved by Lehmann only for Gomes to slot the rebound in for the goal.
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 03:27 PM
Nuno Gomes = Revs first DP
Posted by: Ilya | June 19, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Halftime
Germany 2-1 Portugal
Portugal had a good end to the 1st half and are looking dangerous.
2nd Half should be something!!
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 03:32 PM
This should be a sick half of football upcoming. I'm impressed with Germany. They seemed to out-Portugal Portugal for the first 30 minutes. Ronaldo seems to have found himself though (looking to atone for his lousy marking on Klose's goal)and the Germans looked shaky in the back for that last 15 minutes. It should be a (insert cliche here) nail biter for the remaining 45. Sweet!
Posted by: Betinho | June 19, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Certainly not the first half that I expected to see. I'm wondering .... if the Germans hold on for the win, will Ronaldo upstage their celebration by immediately announcing that he wants to leave Man U????
Posted by: William the Terror | June 19, 2008 at 03:50 PM
I think if the Germans hold on for the win, Ronaldo will attempt to upstage everyone by saying that he's moving from Louis Vuitton to Dolce & Gabbana.
Posted by: Nic | June 19, 2008 at 03:56 PM
It's over. Portugal's marking on set pieces is miserable.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 04:03 PM
Well, it was helped by Ballack's push. Wow. No call.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 04:04 PM
Ballack!!! A bit of a push to lose his marker, and he heads home a free kick. 3-1 Germany, and this could be the killer blow.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 04:04 PM
Ballack with a header off of a free kick in the 60'
Germany 3-1 Portugal
Ballack gets away with a "slight" shove as he goes up for the header that more than likely buries the Portugese.
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Terrible shot selection by Simao there.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 04:23 PM
Like I said in my last comment in this website,Portugal and Scolari are the most overrated team and coach in Soccer!
In this game you can clearly see how you can easily defeat this team and coach,just be agressive and tacticaly disciplined,thats just it...
Portuguese players dont like when the other team is more agressive,and intimidates them,and Scolari is a coach that is way too predictable to be considered one of the best in the world.I could name dozens that are better than him,he is just good at motivating the players,but when it comes to tactics he leaves a lot to be desired.
Posted by: Paolo | June 19, 2008 at 04:29 PM
Ronaldo should take notes from Nani on "how to make an impact when your team needs you."
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 04:29 PM
3-2 Portugal!!! The last few minutes will be interesting.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 04:30 PM
LOL @ everyone saying
(a) Portugal wouldn't choke
(b) Germany couldn't score
(c) Portugal's offense was better than Germany's defense
(d) Missing Frings would kill Germany (I said on dozens of sites that Hitzlsperger was more than capable of taking his place)
Hoorah for Germany!
Posted by: Kris | June 19, 2008 at 04:30 PM
Portugal gets 1 back in the 87'
A ball in from Nani is headed home from just outside the 6 yard box by Postiga.
Beautiful goal!
Germany 3-2 Portugal
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Unfortunately for Portugal, the referee chose this moment to recognize what a push in the box by an offensive player on a cross looks like and call the foul.
Posted by: ManicMessiah | June 19, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Krauts vin.
Posted by: Dominghosa | June 19, 2008 at 04:36 PM
That's it folks...
Germany 3-2 Portugal after 4 minutes of stoppage time.
Posted by: DCM | June 19, 2008 at 04:37 PM
Portugal Portugal alles ist vorbei, alles ist vorbei, alles ist vorbei!!!
Posted by: Mikebsiu | June 19, 2008 at 04:39 PM
I could live with result had Portugal been outplayed, or lost to a better team. Three defensive mistakes= three German goals. Oh well, at least Ricardo didn't wait until the final this time for the gaffe, unlike in 04. Portugal's defense had looked spotty the whole tournament.
Posted by: Picoroto | June 19, 2008 at 04:55 PM
Scolari over-rated for winning a World Cup? What does he have to do, part the ocean? Multiply fishes & loves? Win MLS Cup for the Red Bulls?
Posted by: KingSnake | June 19, 2008 at 05:32 PM
I could live with result had Portugal been outplayed, or lost to a better team.
Hahahahahaha both happened.
Posted by: Maple Leaf Red | June 19, 2008 at 06:15 PM
Portugal, Spain, and Holland will do what they always do- choke...One down, two to go...
Posted by: MiamiAl | June 20, 2008 at 08:54 AM