Germany 0 – 1 Spain
It’s not been Michael Ballack’s year has it? Pipped for the Premiership title, pipped for the Carling Cup, pipped for the Champions League, and he was even pipped by Drogba for taking that free-kick in front of all those people.
Last night he was pipped for the European Championship 2008 and when he tried the one thing that was left, he still didn’t quite get close to the master Zidane. Ballack swore, argued, spoiled, fouled, was in the face of the referee and linesmen and even tried the ZZ kiss. Sadly for him he came off second-best even in this, and although he was sent from the pitch as a result, this was only because he had made a mess of his shirt and they thought his mother wouldn’t want him to be seen out in it. I suppose he could point to the fact that he was “sent off” twice to ZZ’s one but like the German team as a whole, when it came down to it, he didn’t quite cut it.
But if Ballack suffered, that was as nothing compared with how Löw must have felt when he realised that he would have to pick Mertesacker & Metzelder again and pretty early into the match he must have wished he was again up in the coporate box puffing away out of sight. M&M had the speed and agility of a couple of blue whales and I suspect that even Shamu can pass a football more accurately. When Herr Löw realised that Klose up front, a man for whom the tag “journeyman” couldn’t have been more apt had it been writ broad across his shoulder, was living down to his ability, he must have cried inside as he glanced behind him to the bench and saw Gomez and Kuranyi. The latter at least had cool facial hair and so he duly got the nod only to think he had been picked for the Spaniards, so much time did he spend in his own territory. No wonder the manager was on his knees for much of the match.
All of which is not to take anything away from a Spanish team who were to good on the night, as they had been too good for the last few weeks. Rather it is more to delay the time when I have to retract all the quips about early taxis, choking, etc, etc which has been my stock in trade since these blogs began. Spain flattered and then deceived only in as much as the kept their beautiful football going right to the end. If there was an injustice last night then it was that the final scoreline was so close and I feel for those predictors who assumed, rightly that they would score more. They deserved to.
So Gary Lineker will have to get his bods to think of another smirking line; “Football’s a simple game,” he once said, “22 men kick a ball around for 90 minutes and then the Germans win” is no longer apt and Germany, England, Italy and France will have to take note.

In the title chase that matters, Rana really should have gone with his heart rather than his head as he came up short to long-time leader and eventual winner Liam. Liam continues the run of incoming managers winning the predict-a-score competition after DaveR won the last Euros. Ok a run of two is as much of a run as Germany managed in the tournament, but it’s a run nonetheless and one that England wish they could achieve. So congratulations to Liam and a bottle of something will find it’s way to you soonish.
At the bottom, Terry Ann and Nick all failed to beat Norm but at least they had the excuse that they didn’t get their predictions in. Gail, Jayne, Les, MikeB, Butch, Uwe and Janet had no such excuse and I can give them the website of a good random number generator for next time if they want to ask me.
Janet reverted to type this time around and now holds the Cupid record for coming bottom. Again a run of two is not much but worth a mention nonetheless and the traditional wooden spoon will be presented to you, soonish.
So that the lot. It’s over and while many thought it would be impossible to enjoy a tournament without the English, I’ve enjoyed it and wonder if the two are connected. I’ve also enjoyed writing the blog and watching you all struggle to get any points in what was unpredictably, as many of you found out, an unpredictable tournament.

Thanks for entering and contributing to such a good cause. And thanks for reading.