podolski

of the 8 teams i have watched so far, germany, despite their defensive frailties, have been the best team so far.

lukas podolski is the name tonight. celebrated his birthday 4 days ago, started on the left flank against his country of birth, and ended the night with two goals. and no excessive celebrations, calm and down-to-earth at the post-match interviews. as always. i think his time at bayern has taught him a bit about keeping his feet on the ground.

putting a forward on the flank is always a risky move, but when it works, it is a stroke of tactical genius. and lukas podolski has made it work simply with his work rate. he was not just a threat in attack, but worked very hard to break down the polish attacks. it was indeed a complete display from him.

20 years ago, marco van basten rose to the occasion and lit up the Euros, growing from strength to strength and ultimately capping it off with that wonderful volley against ussr in the final.

i think there are a few players who can follow in his footsteps, even if, if you remember the names i have put up in my dream team, they weren't mentioned there, because i wasn't sure if they would get the chance to show what they could.

the players are: lukas podolski, robin van persie, arjen robben, rafael van der vaart, david villa, franck ribery and karim benzema.

and on this list, one name is glaringly absent.

this tournament, in my humblest opinion will not belong to him.