GERMANY:

Coach: Joachim Loew

Had a hard act to follow in Jurgen Klinsmann, to whom he had been assistant, after Germany's surprisingly good 2006 World Cup where they exceeded wildest expectations by finishing third. The 48-year-old — who looks like a member of the Beatles with his pudding bowl hairstyle — has carried on the good work and been rewarded with a contract running till 2010. Handled the pressure well after the 2-1 defeat by Croatia and was credited with outthinking Luiz Felipe Scolari in the 3-2 defeat of Portugal in the quarterfinal — even though he had to grin and bear the match in a corporate box as he had been suspended for a game. Despite a modest club coaching career, one only has to listen to Klinsmann to understand his worth. 'He (Loew) was much more than just an assistant to me.'

Player: Bastian Schweinsteiger

Like Loew got up close and personal with German Chancellor Angela Merkel — the German coach having his hand shook by her on his ascent to the stands after being sent off in the final group match — during the 1-0 win over Austria as he was serving a one-match suspension for being sent off against Croatia. It certainly paid off as he revealed after the Portuguese match that his tour de force — scoring one and making the other two — was down to some matronly advice from Germany's leader. Despite a low key season for Bayern Munich, the 23-year-old looks to be running into top form, and with Michael Ballack being shackled more often than not he could prove to be the decisive factor in whether Germany lift the trophy for the fourth time.

Form:

Their form has been erratic, doing the job against the Poles, poor and outplayed against the Croats and efficient against Austria. However, they moved onto a different plane against the Portuguese, outmuscling, outthinking and outplaying their opponents, driving Cristiano Ronaldo out of the game, or rather once again disappearing when the going got tough in a big match. Very much against type but more building on the prototype created by Klinsmann, they play attractive attacking football with the ever sharp Miroslav Klose on the prowl in the box or fellow Pole Lukas Podolski also scenting the net.

TURKEY:

Coach: Fatih Terim

Will not have taken long for those who didn't know much about Turkish football to work out why Terim is known as 'The Emperor'. Dominates the technical area during the match, going from calm pussycat to a roaring tiger, but his tactical nous and his ability to motivate his players is beyond question. The 54-year-old former Galatasaray and AC Milan handler's achievement is all the greater for he has had to select from an ever dwindling bunch of players, even fewer for the semifinal. However, don't discount his being able to rouse the most out of his depleted side.

Player: Semih Senturk

Semih means 'saviour' and he has lived up to that in this tournament, scoring the last gasp equaliser against Croatia and an equaliser against co-hosts Switzerland. With so many of Turkey's creative forces such as Tuncay Sanli and Arda Turan out of the semifinal the onus really is going to fall on the 25-year-old Fenerbahce star's shoulders. There will be no more super-sub performances from him because he will have to start. However, Terim has great faith in him and thus far he has not failed him.

Form:

Outstanding form but only when they are behind, the preamble beforehand is not worth much of a look at. Have been depending on the statistics you care to believe been in front for a total of two to eight minutes during the whole tournament. Capable of some nice football but it is more their never say die spirit and passion that endears them to the neutral observer. More attractive to watch than the Greeks of 2004, but while passion can get you so far, it cannot overcome a lack of playing resources and now with their one truly world class player Nihat Kahveci out one has to fear that their dream journey will come to an end.

RUSSIA:

Coach: Guus Hiddink

'Golden Guus' 'Czar Guus' — the complimentary titles just keep on coming for the 61-year-old Dutch master coach. How England must have wished for some of his panache instead of the docile but urbane Swedish fare they were treated to for five years. Hiddink just seems to get better and better with age, wringing great performances out of either moderate players — as in the South Koreans — or giving talented players such as the young Russians the self-belief that they can do something on such a big stage even though their national side has not made much of an impact since the fall of the Soviet Union. All he needs now is to convert semifinal appearances into a final and who knows a well deserved trophy to set aside the European Cup he won as a coach in 1988 with PSV Eindhoven.

Player: Andrei Arshavin

Everyone had to wait for the entrance of Arshavin into these championships but it was certainy worth waiting for. The 27-year-old Zenit St Petersburg playmaker has bedazzled both opponents as well as spectators with his box of tricks and passing ability. Two goals have come from the man who says he prefers passing to scoring — just as well as his team-mates are masters at missing the target. Has put the so-called pre-tournament playmaker stars to shame with his no holds barred adventurous play and he is not afraid to tackle either. Russia's 'little jewel' has shone brightly so far and promises to glitter come tournament end. No wonder Arsenal are keen to secure him for what would be a bargain 10million pounds.

Form:

From 4-1 losers to Spain in their opening match to runaway 3-1 winners over previously unbeaten Holland in the quarterfinal, if it was a horse race there would be a stewards enquiry in the improvement in results. However, the Spain result is not the whole story for as in all their other matches the Russians also created chances aplenty without putting them away. And their defence also cracked, which it hasn't since but did give some cause for concern against the Dutch especially at set pieces. Delightful to watch, perhaps the nicest footballing side left in the competition, it would be perhaps too romantic a notion to think of them lifting the trophy next Sunday.

SPAIN:

Coach: Luis Aragones

Eccentric he may be, prone to what some consider injudicious outbursts about colours to coloured players, to chickens to what the stars — those in the sky not his players — foretell but the 69-year-old is a shrewd coach and thus far at Euro 2008 his selection policy has been hard to criticise. Leaving out icon Raul from the squad altogether raised many an eyebrow, but not anymore as David Villa has scored four goals already. Has them playing in a pleasing manner and they will not be as restricted against Russia as against the negative defensiveness of the Italians. He has already has earned a place in Spanish football history for taking them further than they have managed in 24 years. 'The Wise Man of Hortaleza' may just be the wisest of them all.

Player: David Silva

Villa and Fernando Torres may be the glamour boys up front, bagging the headlines, but in an attractive if small and lightweight midfield Silva has been especially eye-catching and it was noteworthy that it was Xavi and Andres Iniesta who were taken off early in the second-half. The 22-year-old Valencia star looks like the slightest breeze would bowl him over, so slight is he. However, he has a good eye for goal and is delightful on the ball, always probing and producing some deftly judged passes. Has potential to cause a somewhat suspect Russian defence several problems.

Form:

Started explosively against the Russians, then were perhaps a tad fortunate to edge the Swedes in the final minute of their group match as the stolid Scandinavians out-muscled them. They then disposed of the deposed titleholders Greece in facile fashion with their second choice side. Defence looks pretty solid, but the more agile and adventurous Russians could turn the central defensive duo of Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena inside out. Midfield is nice to watch and dainty on its feet, but a bit lightweight physically, though, Brazilian-born Marcos Senna gives it some much needed steel. Up front there are no worries with David Villa and probably Fernando Torres, though he has been substituted a couple of times by Aragones and once again on Sunday clearly disagreed with the coach, shaking his head as he left the pitch.

AFP

RSS
Digg
de.li.cious
facebook