Euro 2008: Breaking Down The Final

We are finally there.  After 20 days of fantastic football and stellar story lines it all comes down to tonight.

For years Spain has been marked as the team that couldn't win the big game and were perennial underachievers.  But with wins over Italy and Russia La Furia Roja has shown a new side—a winning side.

Germany, in the way they always seem to, have fought back after a tough loss,
shaky goalkeeping, and porous defense.  But it doesn't seem to matter with the Germans.

No matter what is thrown at them in the tournament, they always seem to find a way to make it work.  That is the German MO; do what we must.

Here is a breakdown of a clash of the titans:

Players to watch:

Germany

Lukas Podolski.  The striker-turned-left winger, is the engine that drives the German attack.  He has scored three goals thus far in the tournament but has been much more dangerous streaking down the flank and feeding crosses into the box.

Spain

Cesc Fabregas.  He will replace the tournaments leading scorer, David Villa, in the starting lineup.  Those are bog shoes to fill but if anyone can do it, it is Cesc.  The 21-year-old Arsenal star will look to feed his precision passes through the holes in the porous German defense to striker Fernando Torres.

Prediction:

It takes a lot of strength as a Spanish fan to pick them to win, but I feel that that they are the best team. Now, sure, the best team doesn't always win.

As hard as it is to do I am going to pick Spain.  The game will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination and I see it going into extra time—if not possibly penalties.

Spain will eventually come out on top 3-2 with goals from Torres, David Silva, and Segio Ramos.  Germany will get goals from Michael Ballack and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

This is shaping up to be one hell of a game.  Sit back and enjoy.