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Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament: Casillas, Silva & Iniesta confirm Spanish dominance
Jul 2, 2012 11:30:00 AM
Vicente del Bosque's side may began the summer slowly, but eventually secured their second consecutive European Championship courtesy of some star contributors
It's all over, after three weeks of some of the highest calibre football, Euro 2012 has ended in dramatic fashion with Spain lifting the trophy. Goal.com selects the standout players, with the champions securing five places in our esteemed line-up.Starting in goal, Iker Casillas only let in a single strike throughout the entire tournament, conceding in the opener versus Italy and remaining unbeaten the rest of the way. He also came up with a decisive stop in the semi-final penalty shoot-out against Portugal.
Moving to the defence, Vasilis Torosidis was rampant down the right for surprise-package Greece. Pepe was an ever-steady and daunting presence for a Portugal side that can be considered unlucky losers at the last-four stage. Gerard Pique was criticised for an inconsistent campaign with Barcelona, but stepped up to prove immense for La Roja. His team-mate Jordi Alba's marauding runs led to many chances and he converted his first-ever international goal in the final.
In midfield, Sami Khedira showed how much he is improving as an all-round player with dynamic performances alongside a subdued Bastian Schweinsteiger. Meanwhile, Andrea Pirlo brought his fine Juventus form with him, with excellent passing, set-pieces, and a 'Panenka' penalty as a bonus. His team-mate Daniele De Rossi, was almost everywhere, literally, as he started out in defence and then moved into his regular midfield role with more energy and drive than anyone else at Euro 2012.
Andres Iniesta's incisive runs and quick touches kept Spain's tiki-taka football flowing as they controlled matches, including the final, in brilliant but composed fashion, and David Silva was sensational with two goals during the campaign, including a superb headed opener in the Kiev final, as well as three assists.
Finally, after a mediocre start, Cristiano Ronaldo exploded into action with two match-winning performances against Netherlands and Czech Republic.
| CASILLAS |
| Avg Rating: 3.08 |
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| SPAIN |
| Games: 6 Conceded: 1 |
| TOROSIDIS | PEPE | PIQUE |
JORDI ALBA |
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| Avg Rating: 2.75 | Avg Rating: 3.40 | Avg Rating: 3.00 |
Avg Rating: 3.17 |
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| GREECE |
PORTUGAL | SPAIN | SPAIN |
| Games: 4 Goals: 0 |
Games: 5 Goals: 1 |
Games: 6 Goals: 0 |
Games: 6 Goals: 1 |
| KHEDIRA |
PIRLO | DE ROSSI |
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| Avg Rating: 3.40 | Avg Rating: 3.33 |
Avg Rating: 3.25 |
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| GERMANY | ITALY | ITALY |
| Games: 5 Goals: 1 |
Games: 6 Goals: 1 |
Games: 6 Goals: 0 |
| INIESTA |
SILVA |
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| Avg Rating: 3.58 |
Avg Rating: 3.00 |
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| SPAIN | SPAIN |
| Games: 6 Goals: 0 |
Games: 6 Goals: 2 |
| RONALDO |
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| Avg Rating: 3.20 |
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| PORTUGAL |
| Games: 5 Goals: 3 |
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