Euro 2012 Bracket: Dominant Teams That Are Finals Worthy

Spain, Germany and Italy are all worthy of going to the finals at Euro 2012.

These three sides have been great so far through this epic tournament, and now that they've found themselves out of group stage and into the elimination rounds, they get closer to the end of the line with each and every passing day.

Each of these squads will have to be on top of their respective games if they want to make a finals run, but all of them have the ability.

Here's a breakdown of each of these finals-worthy teams:

Spain

It's going to be tough for anybody to beat Spain, so out of respect we have to start with them. This squad is dominant at every position on the field, but what makes them really dangerous is how deep they are.

Firepower is the name of the game for Spain. They just have a ton of talented players that can find the back of the net. Whether it's Xabi Alonso, who scored two goals against France in the quarterfinals, star midfielder Cesc Fabregas or star striker Fernando Torres off the bench, this is a team that can make you pay in a plethora of different ways.

They haven't lost a game yet in this tournament—only suffering a draw to Italy in round one—and have outscored their opponents 8-1. Oh yeah, they can play great defense too.

This team could be unstoppable.

Germany

Germany can put up goals, but what makes them so dangerous is their stellar defense and goalkeeping.

They haven't lost a game yet at Euro 2012 and may have enough talent, intensity and heart to match up well with a high-powered team like Spain.

This is a team that shut out Portugal, held Netherlands and Denmark to only one goal each and scored three goals in the second half against Greece to advance out of the quarterfinals and into the semi's.

Striker Mario Gomez is one of the best in the tournament with three goals so far, and Manuel Neuer has a very active and brave defense in front of him.

The combination of defensive prowess and offensive ability makes this Germany team a finals contender.

Italy

Italy needs to prove me right for putting them on this list, and they can do so by beating England in the quarterfinals. This is a talented group spearheaded by midfielder Andre Pirlo, who has one goal and two assists on the tournament, and star goal keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has only let in two goals so far.

Italy really becomes dangerous when it can get optimum play and focus out of superstar striker Mario Balotelli, who has scored one goal so far.

If Italy gets good focus out of Balotelli and continues its strong play, it is very hard to stop. Remember, this is the same team that forced Spain into a draw in the first game.

I believe their talent and goalie play alone allows them to be on this list, but they'll prove they can stay on it with a win today against a talented England squad at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Check out the Euro 2012 Bracket right here.