Euro 2008: Man of the match, June 26
CESC FABREGAS, SPAIN. Fabregas was superb from the moment he came on after 34 minutes in Thursday's 3-0 victory over Russia. He turned the game by craftily unlocking the Russian defense and is now almost certain to start in the final on Sunday.
WHAT WE LEARNED THURSDAY
1. That Spain owes much to David Villa but can cope without him. Villa was spectacular in the early part of the tournament and was the catalyst behind his team's surge through Group D. He will miss the final through injury, but the way the team coped -- thanks to Fabregas -- was thoroughly impressive and means the Spanish will hold no fear ahead of the final.
2. That Andrei Arshavin is human. The Russian midfielder's performances against Sweden and Holland created an aura of mystique around him, but he was well contained in the semifinal. Luis Aragones was encouraged to use Fabregas in a man-marking role by two members of his staff, but he eventually settled on Marcos Senna -- who did not let him down.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM THE FINAL
1. A better Germany performance. Coach Joachim Loew and several players admitted they were fortunate to emerge from their semifinal with Turkey and know that much, much more will be needed against Spain.
2. For the Spanish to hold their nerve. They have crumbled when faced with the big occasion in the past. But for the sake of giving this fantastic tournament an appropriate sendoff, let's hope both teams are in full flow.
