Monday, July 2, 2012

EURO 2012 Final

* Spain are the first team to win back to back European Championships with a World Cup triumph in between. It is their third European title, equalling Germany's record.
* The four-goal winning margin was the biggest in a European Championship or World Cup final.
* Vicente Del Bosque is only the second coach to win a European Championship and a World Cup, joining Helmut Schoen, who led West Germany to victory at the 1972 European Championship and the World Cup two years later.
* Sunday's victory was Spain's first outright win over Italy in eight major tournament matches (they won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in Euro 2008 quarter-finals)
* Spain striker Fernando Torres is the first player to score in two European Championship finals and wins the Euro 2012 golden boot for top scorer, by virtue of also having an assist and having played fewer minutes than Germany's Mario Gomez who also had three goals.
* Spain are unbeaten in their last 12 European Championship finals matches and have not conceded a goal in their last five, both competition records. They have kept clean sheets in their last 10 knockout games at the European and World Cup finals.
* Their last defeat in European Championship play was a 2-0 loss to Sweden in qualifying in 2006 - a 29-game undefeated run.
* The last time Spain lost after taking a 1-0 lead was a 3-2 defeat at Northern Ireland in September 2006.
* It is only the third time a team has scored twice before halftime in a Euros final. Italy beat Yugoslavia 2-0 in 1968 and Czechoslovakia beat West Germany on penalties in 1976 after leading 2-1 at the break.
* Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas is only the second player along with Franz Beckenbauer (1972-1976) to captain their country in three European Championship/World Cup finals.
* Casillas is also the first player to reach 100 international wins and has a record 79 clean sheets in his 136 appearances.
* Spain midfielder David Silva was directly involved in five goals at Euro 2012 (2 goals, 3 assists), more than any other player.
* Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon passed Dino Zoff's record for the most appearances at the European/World Cup finals with his 25th game. Only Paolo Maldini (36) and Fabio Cannavaro (26) have played more times for Italy.

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