Euro 2008: The Unsung Heroes

Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Netherlands)

People had started questioning the 33-year-old Dutchman’s international longevity against quality attacks. After his country’s Euro 2008 campaign, the critics were truly put in their place. Van Bronckhorst continues to defend the way the Netherlands have always preferred to: by going forward and pressing hard.

He proved his value as a stable hold, both in defence and attack, culminating in a now famous passage of play against the Italians. During that Group C match, he cleared the ball off his team’s line, and then embarked on an epic counterattack that led to him scoring at the other end with a header.

Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben may dominate games with their flair, but there is always a small-statured fullback who holds the Oranje ship steady when it matters, even excelling in a holding midfield role when his team was looking for an equaliser against the Russians in the quarterfinals.

Artur Boruc (Poland)

"The Holy Goalie", so called for his continuing religious symbols in the sectarian world of Scottish football, must have crossed himself the right number of times during the tournament, because the Celtic star was amazing at Euro 2008.

One could argue that Buffon or Casillas had the saves of the tournament, but Boruc was under far more pressure in a strictly average team that looked like hemorrhaging goals left, right, and centre. If it wasn’t for his reflexes, they might well have capitulated that badly. He certainly was the only impressive thing about the Polish side.

That 1.93m frame had miraculous performances, stopping one of the highest percentages of shots in the tournament, including three first-half saves against the Austrians in Group B that were nothing short of phenomenal. Celtic fans may well be disappointed this summer when bigger clubs come calling.

Marcos Senna (Spain)

He may not be Zinedine Zidane, but the 32-year-old Brazilian-born midfielder is mightily effective. An excellent passer of the ball with either foot, he can inject some much-needed pace into a game when required, and also slow it down if necessary.

Both in attack and defence, Senna’s determination is there for all to see, with an engine that runs and runs and runs. Cool under pressure to score a penalty in the quarterfinal shoot-out win over Italy, it is no wonder Manchester United were keen to sign him a few years back before deciding on Owen Hargreaves.

Xavi may have a greater passing range, and Iniesta a better long-shooting ability, but the holding midfielder is Spain’s most valuable player just for his ability to dictate the play and allow those more expressive players to win the game uninhibited by defensive duties. How he deserved a goal in the final!

Alexandr Anyukov (Russia)

With those overlapping runs and bursts into the opposition's box, it is hard to believe that the Zenit St. Petersburg player and UEFA Cup winner is a right back, but that’s exactly what he is: a virtuoso fullback that defends and attacks with equal verve.

On the left side, Yuri Zhirkov, dubbed ‘the Russian Ronaldinho’, may have picked up the column inches, but Anyukov’s inspired match-winning displays, last-ditch tackles, scintillating performances high up the pitch, and the versatility to play anywhere on the right were a joy to watch.

He had a solid answer for everything opposition attacks threw at him, including the right balance between defending and moving forward. If only the Russian central defence was as assured as its flanks, then the team might have pushed for a final spot with more poise than they did against the Spanish in the semifinals.

Arda Turan (Turkey)

Nihat Kahveci and Semih Senturk were undoubtedly Turkey’s lifesavers when the team looked down and out, but young Arda, at the tender age of 21, with his precise passes, his ability to get past defenders, and his determination was one of the inspirations.

One of the best things about tournaments is the emergence of young stars who may not have been known on a global scale, and this midfielder, whose game-winning goal lifted Turkey to a 2-1 win against Switzerland in Group B, fits the bill perfectly.

He followed that performance with equally impressive ones for a player so young. At his club Galatasaray, people have compared him to club legend, Gheorghe Hagi, and if Arda can attain half the results the Romanian managed, he will certainly have an illustrious career. Then, when people ask where you first saw him, you can proudly spout: Euro 2008.