Spain ousts Portugal, reaches Euro final
DONETSK, Ukraine - Still not pretty to watch, still just as effective.
Spain again failed to dazzle at the European Championship on Wednesday yet still advanced to its third straight major tournament final, beating Portugal 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw after extra time.
"We're playing better in defense than what the characteristics of our players would suggest," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. "That's what earns victories."
After earning plaudits for the eye-catching passing that helped Spain win titles at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, this year's team is struggling to create scoring chances. Against Portugal, the defending champions managed only one quality shot in regulation time.
It didn't matter, though, because the Spanish still came through when it mattered. Cesc Fabregas, who came on as a substitute in the second half, scored the deciding penalty kick after Portugal's Bruno Alves hit the crossbar moments earlier.
"I played poorly, but the team worked really hard," Fabregas said. "I had this intuition that we could advance if we went to penalties and that's what we did."
Spain will next face either Germany or Italy on Sunday in Kiev, Ukraine.
"Being in another final is a miracle," Fabregas said. "It's really incredible."
Cristiano Ronaldo had several chances for Portugal, but he sent three shots over the crossbar as his team held its own for the entire match. The Real Madrid star, who came alive with three goals in his last two matches at the tournament, did not take a penalty in the shootout.
"Our players trained and were prepared for a situation like this," Portugal coach Paulo Bento said. "We didn't have much luck."
Ronaldo asked to be the last to go, potentially as the match-winner for a third straight game at Euro 2012, but it never got that far.
"It's just a question that I speak with the coach and he said to me, 'You want a kick?' and I said, 'Yes, in the fifth,' " Ronaldo told reporters. "We missed two penalties so it's frustration."
After an often dour opening 90 minutes, the match livened up in the 30 minutes of extra time.
Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta forced Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio into a superb save in the 103rd minute. Iniesta drifted into the penalty area, then held his head in disbelief as Patricio reacted to get a strong hand on his shot after Jordi Alba cut the ball back toward the penalty spot.
Patricio also denied substitute Jesus Navas in the 111th minute.
"Both teams were stronger in defense in the first 90 minutes, but that balance was broken in extra time," del Bosque said.
In the shootout, Xabi Alonso had the first attempt saved by Patricio before Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas stopped Joao Moutinho's shot. Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos then scored for Spain - Ramos on an audacious soft chip - while Pepe and Nani answered for Portugal.
"The first one wasn't so lucky, and then we scored the rest of them," Casillas said. "Yes, we really were lucky. Everything is about luck sometimes."
GERMANY-ITALY semifinal clash stirs memoRIES OF 2006
WARSAW, Poland - It seems like 2006 all over again.
Just like in the World Cup semifinals six years ago, Germany is the favorite entering today's European Championship semifinal match against a surprising Italy squad that is building momentum and maintaining focus despite a domestic match-fixing scandal.
Both teams like to attack, setting up a tantalizing game.
"At this point, the squads that win are the ones that advance their defensive lines and that have the courage to attack," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "Some of these guys are just starting to realize the extraordinary things they're capable of."
Adding to the luster is that Germany-Italy matches have often produced the extraordinary - and Italy has never lost to Germany at a major tournament in seven previous meetings.
The 4-3 Italy win in the 1970 semifinals in Mexico City is still remembered as one of the greatest World Cup matches, and Italy's 2-0 win in extra time six years ago is also part of Azzurri lore.
Veteran Germany forward Miroslav Klose, who just concluded his first season with the Italian club Lazio, attributed his country's troubles in the series to tenseness ahead of big matches.
"The Italians are more easygoing about things," Klose said. "It could be a small advantage for them ahead of such a match."
In 2006, Italy was also involved in a match-fixing scandal much like the betting problems affecting the squad today, and beating host Germany in the cauldron that is the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund seemed like an impossible task.
"We've improved enormously since 2006," veteran German striker Lukas Podolski said. "We have a completely different philosophy and a different team. The Italians know this, too."
Of the four semifinalists, Germany is the only squad with a perfect record, having cruised through a group featuring the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark, then pushing aside Greece 4-2 in the quarterfinals. Italy beat England in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
