Marquee names misfired and others stepped up from the chorus line to star. This was a central theme in the story of , all the way through to Sunday's final, which saw prevail 2-1 over after a late goal from substitute . Goals were well down on the previous edition, which featured 142, as this summer saw 117.
Is it down to player fatigue, given the number of games that stars play these days? Is it a return to risk-averse "fear football?" Or has the lost art of proper defending been rediscovered to great effect? Despite the decrease in goals, there has been plenty of drama, with much of it in the closing moments of matches, as typified by ' great finish to send to the final over . It was also a tournament that produced the fastest Euros goal ( , 23 seconds, for vs. ) as well as the oldest scorer ( , vs.
Italy) and the youngest ( , vs. ). So, without further ado, here are my Best XI and my Most Disappointing XI on display in Germany this summer.
BEST XI The 23-year-old, who plays his club football for , pulled off a string of wonderful saves to ensure his team of underdogs beat and reached the knockout stages against all odds. His performances are certain to have alerted big clubs to his talent. It's not his favoured position (he prefers centre-back), but the star was rock steady there for an otherwise disappointing France -- even when confronted by Spain's electric in the semifinal.
He's a defender who wants to defend. You wouldn't argue with him ..
. even on the phone. Rugged, .
