The Final

Anyone that reads my Valencia blog on the Offside knows I’m not one for formal previews, so if you’re looking for a tactical break-down of the respective teams in tomorrow’s Euro 2008 final, I’m sorry to disappoint.

What I can give you is a straight assessment of tomorrow’s Spain-Germany grudge match from the heart.

From pure emotion. From what I see and what I believe …

And in my heart of hearts, I think Spain is going to win the championship.

I still can’t believe Spain is in the final, but I’m sure by mid-day tomorrow, I’ll be a believer.

Spain? In the final? Believe it, my friends. And believe this, we’re in it to win it.

True, it’ll be a little harder with star striker David Villa out of the match. But Cesc Fabgreas more than compensated for the absence of El Guaje, clogging the midfield and making Spain that much harder to beat.

Unfortunately, Germany isn’t going to have it as easy as they think, with star midfielder Michael Ballack a doubt for the final.

The guy sure has a knack for getting hurt or suspended before finals, eh? Remember the 2002 World Cup final against Brazil? I feel for the guy, but without him in the line-up, the Germans are an easier team to play.

Having said that, the Germans won’t be easy to beat.

They’re physical, bigger than Spain and have impressive stars sans Ballack, like left midfielder Lukas Podolski and right midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

True, goalie Jens Lehmann doesn’t inspire confidence and the center-half duo of Per Mertesacker and Christopher Metzelder make Marchena and Puyol look that much better.

But remember, the Germans have a superior pedigree. They’re 3-time World Cup champions, 3-time European champions. They boast an impressive record and a winning spirit second to none. Not many teams could have been as easily outplayed as they were in the semifinal against Turkey and still advanced, 3-2. They’re good. Very good.

Having said that, take a look at what Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl had to say about the game.

He says the Spanish are the best team of the tournament, have a deep bench, are playing a shaky German squad who were outplayed by an injury-riddled Turkey in the semis and we have a stronger attack.

Yet he chooses Germany to win the game, 2-1. Why?

They play well together, they convert set pieces and they regroup after tough losses. What he’s really trying to say is, they’re good. So we can’t take them lightly.

They’re all that, but we’re quick. We have a tremendous amount of confidence and most importantly, we’re not intimidated by the Germans. I really believe coach Luis Aragones has these guys believing they can do this.

“Aragones has taught us to believe it was possible,” said Barcelona captain Carles Puyol. “He has been the first to be convinced that we, as a team playing with a very clear style, we could win.”

“We have an impressive team that have united,” he said. “We came here with the idea of overcoming the quarter-final stages and we have achieved that.”

Now, they want more … the Title …

That’s all I have to say about that.

It’s time for the hyperbole, the previews and the conjecture to end.

Let’s just get the final underway.

Spain vs. Germany for the European crown! I can’t believe it and I can’t wait until it starts!

To follow the liveblog, please click here and offer your comments while the game is going on.

If you want to meet up, I’ll be holding court at my favorite soccer establishment, Nevada Smiths in New York City, trying to will Spain to victory while sipping a few adult beverages.

That’s it, my friends. I’ll be back sometime Monday for my assessment of the final.

It’s been a fun ride, eh? Lots of great action, lots of unforgettable goals and superb victories.

Let’s hope they get one more big game out of Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva. And let’s hope that around 5pm Eastern Time tomorrow, captain Iker Casillas is accepting the European trophy from UEFA President Michel Platini and the entire Spanish country is awash in delirium and pure football madness.

Either way, Spain’s made us proud. Here’s to one more victory …