Kiev: Spain's talented midfielders answered weeks of criticism over boring play with a masterclass performance of attacking football that led it to a second straight European Championship.
Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva repaid coach Vicente del Bosque's trust in fielding a starting lineup without a traditional striker by pulling the strings in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Italy.
The four players were involved in nearly all four goals as Spain's quick-touch passing and slick combinations " termed "tiki taka" back home " helped the world champions win their third straight major title.
"Even without a traditional striker they still cause a hell of a lot of problems," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said from the Olympic Stadium....
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09:34 AM, Jul 02, 2012
Kiev: Faced with his best scoring chance, Mario Balotelli never even touched the ball. That's how little of an impact Italy's most talented striker had on Sunday's European Championship final. Spain did such a great job of shutting down Italy's attack in a 4-0 rout that Balotelli rarely even got the ball in a scoring position. At the final whistle, Balotelli stormed off the pitch in frustration " shoving aside...
09:21 AM, Jul 02, 2012
