Windmills Of Your Mind: Spain and Italy qualify

Spain 1 Croatia 0

Italy 2 Ireland 0

Circles in circles, wheels within wheels, leagues within leagues. As the images unwind, what you come to find is a new impenetrable UEFA goal difference calculator which made following Group C feel like Sudoku. 

Rather than give priority to goals For vs goals Against, the system sent teams level on points spiralling into some Mini-League of the Mind, giving preference to results of games between the concerned teams only (I think).    

The method made some kind sense in Group A, even if it did put out Russia by mistake, and it added spice to the Group of Death by offering up the possibility of sending the imperious Germans home for reasons that were never made clear. This time round I simply didn’t have a clue what was happening.

With Italy 1-0 up against Ireland, Croatia were heading out (I think). Yet they needed only a goal against an underwhelming Spain to qualify and throw the group into chaos.

Despite Croatia battling cleverly during the second half, thanks in part to the skills of Luka Modric, Spain’s Jesus Navas eventually made them pay for missing an earlier golden chance with a late goal. That was it wasn’t it? No. Croatia still needed only a goal to qualify and throw the group into chaos (I think). Meanwhile, a goal by either Italy or Ireland would send them both home, relegate Sheffield Wednesday, and set in motion the Omaha beach landing.   

Defeating Spain, a Quixotic quest.

Spain dominated possession as usual, but created no firm chances until the finale. Teams facing the prospect of playing Spain in the next round may believe that the Spaniards can be contained, if not overcome. They badly missed David Villa, a reliable goalscoring threat, though you wouldn’t have known it if you’d listened to Simon Brotherton on the BBC,  who referred to David Silva as Villa repeatedly throughout the match.

Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, England’s own Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, believe they can win the whole tournament, so presumably they reckon on defeating Spain, who England could well face in the quarter final should they progress.

This typically quixotic challenge from the English would require a defence packed with tireless banderilleros, but Spain showed a brief vulnerability to the fast counter last night, and to their advantage England do have the players with enough speed in attack, if they ever get out of their own half. Taking on Spain might not be all vainly tilting at Spanish windmills.

The most likely result, however, would be an excruciating 1-0 to Spain. Xavi and co flashing their red capes and passing the ball through the English for 90 minutes to cheers of “olé”. Rooney, Parker and Gerrard left red faced and snorting, waiting for the lances to fall.