Euro 2012

[Szumi]

Lol, Ronaldo.

[MJB]

Ronaldo not taking one is so odd.

He wanted the 'win it' pen, I assume.

Before the shoot-out started, the coach said something to Ronaldo and he mouthed something along the lines of "Okay". So I'm guessing the coach told him he was going to take #5.

[Summers]

Ronaldo not taking one is so odd.

He wanted the 'win it' pen, I assume.

Nature of the beast, but christ they need him over defenders taking pens.

Agree completely. I don't agree with the lads in the studio. I don't think you need your best taker to go first. But no latter than third.

[Sam]

So it looks like I'll be out on the streets on Sunday supporting Spain... this pains me.

[Baddar]

Ugh.

[GoN_]

I think it was to avoid that the best taker could miss early on. But he had to take that before Bruno Alves.

[gunnar hendershow]

Anytime you have the opportunity to use Bruno Alves over Ronaldo you have to do it.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Come on Germany or Italy demolish spain in the finals

If Spain play the way they did tonight I'd certainly fancy Germany over them for sure. Italy also dealt with them pretty comfortably in the group game, so I feel either will be very close.

Money still on Italy.

[Sam]

To be fair Alves' penalty wasn't dreadful, tad unlucky.

[GoN_]

Bruno Alves is not a bad taker, but you could see when Nani changed places in the previous penalty that he was happy not to go.

[Benjamin]

Poor Bruno.

On the other hand, LOL Ronaldo.

[Johnny Drama]

he didnt look too comfortable but the penalty wasn't awful

[GoN_]

he didnt look too comfortable but the penalty wasn't awful

That's pretty much it. He can take free kicks and penaltys, he has shown that before, specially in Porto, but you could see the guy was too nervous.

[IAceI]

Ronaldo not taking one is so odd.

He wanted the 'win it' pen, I assume.

Before the shoot-out started, the coach said something to Ronaldo and he mouthed something along the lines of "Okay". So I'm guessing the coach told him he was going to take #5.

Glad they did it in English for our sake.

[Matt]

Ronaldo was a dick there, even if it wasn't his decision to take #5 (I believe it probably was), why wasn't he stood with the rest of the team? He's the fucking captain... oh wait, he wanted to stand out so the camera would keep showing him.

[MJB]

Ronaldo not taking one is so odd.

He wanted the 'win it' pen, I assume.

Before the shoot-out started, the coach said something to Ronaldo and he mouthed something along the lines of "Okay". So I'm guessing the coach told him he was going to take #5.

Glad they did it in English for our sake.

But he did, honest.

[Jason Patricks]

We say okay in portuguese too FYI... And It was a good showing by the whole Portuguese team against the 2010 World and 2008 euro champs. Bruno Alves just got unlucky...

[Kaney]

I feel sorry for Ronaldo, he's been great in general this year overall and he deserved to at least take a shot in the pens, but I like Spain too so it's all good I suppose.

I am going with Germany overall though. Spain were really menacing in extra time, but they wont have that long to wake up against ze germans. Hoping Podolski and Gomez slaughter Italy, and then win an exciting but decisive finale.

[Lineker]

Cesc Fabregas has revealed he spoke to the ball and told it to "make history" before striking the penalty that took Spain into Sunday's Euro 2012 final.

The Barcelona midfielder scored the decisive fifth spot-kick as the defending world and European champions stayed on course for an unprecedented third successive tournament victory.

Fabregas had also scored the winning penalty when Spain beat Italy in a quarter-final shootout at Euro 2008.

"We had to make history," he said.

"I had a funny feeling about the penalties and I was thinking about them this afternoon.

"They told me initially to take the second one but I said 'no, give me the fifth' as I had this premonition.

"When I stepped up to take the penalty I said to the ball that we had to make history and it shouldn't let me down.

"I talked to the ball four years ago [when he scored the winning penalty against Italy] and it didn't let me down."

After scraping past Portugal 4-2, Fabregas said he did not have any preference about who Spain will meet in Sunday's final.

Germany play Italy in Thursday's second semi-final.

"I don't mind who we play. The most important thing is we are in the final. Whoever goes through it will be tough," added Fabregas, who was left out of the starting line-up against Portugal.

"It's very satisfying, it's a great victory for us. We have now reached three finals in four years, we can't believe it. It's amazing what football can bring you and hopefully we can be champions of Europe again in four days' time.

"I was just thinking that I couldn't let the country down and tried to be calm and score."

Fabregas admitted he had not been satisfied with his own performance but said his country's victory was the only thing that mattered.

"I played poorly, but the team worked really hard," Fabregas added. "I had this intuition that we could advance if we went to penalties and that's what we did. Being in another final is a miracle. It's really incredible."

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas admitted Spain's good fortune in prevailing after penalties.

"Yes, we really were lucky. Everything is about luck sometimes."

[IAceI]

What a loon.