Reigning world and Euro champions Spain bid to capture historic treble

Defending champions Spain beat Portugal 4-2 on penalties after their Euro 2012 semifinal finished 0-0 after extra-time here on Wednesday.

After an attritional game finished 0-0 following extra time, Cesc Fabregas swept home the winning spot-kick to put Spain in the final.

Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho both saw their opening penalties saved, but Portugal blinked first when Zenit Saint-Petersburg centre-back Bruno Alves slammed his side's fourth penalty against the crossbar.

Fabregas stepped up and, just as he had done in the penalty shootout win over Italy in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, the Barcelona man held his nerve, steering the ball into the bottom-left corner to send Portugal home.

Reigning world and European champions Spain, who are bidding to become the first team in history to win three major competitions in a row, will face either Italy or Germany in Sunday's final in Kiev.

It was a deeply disappointing end to the tournament for Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had threatened to fire his side into only their second major final but who did not even get a chance to have his say in the shoot-out.

A surprise inclusion in Spain's starting line-up, Alvaro Negredo was at the source of the game's first chance, with Alvaro Arbeloa side-footing over after the Sevilla striker was crowded out in the Portuguese area.

Portugal's match-winner against both the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, Ronaldo was a spectator in the first 10 minutes, but gradually his influence grew.

After fluffing a free-kick into the base of the wall from a tight angle on the left, he lashed a half-volley high over the crossbar from the edge of the area and then drilled a left-shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

As in the quarter-final win against France, Spain struggled to find holes in their opponent's defence, and it was a surprise to see Alonso club a long ball forward in the 29th minute.

It produced a sight of goal, however, with Andres Iniesta bending a shot narrowly over the bar after Negredo had chased down Alonso's pass, held off Fabio Coentrao, and worked the ball back to the edge of the area.

The snap in Portugal's tackles was helping them establish a presence in the Spanish half and with Negredo failing to provide enough of an outlet for Spain, it was no surprise to see him replaced by Fabregas early in the second half.

Ronaldo had a fine opportunity to snatch a winner in the last minute of normal time but he could only shoot over from Raul Meireles' pass, prompting mocking cries of 'Messi! Messi!' from the Spain fans.

I asked the ball to ‘make history’: Fabgregas
Meanwhile, Fabregas today revealed that he asked the ball to “make history” before striking the decisive penalty that took Spain to an unprecedented third major final in a row.

The former Arsenal midfielder, who leapt on top of keeper and captain Iker Casillas after his successful spotkick (below), said: “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 had the feeling that there would be penalties. I wanted to take one if we had this opportunity. To be honest, I am very excited.” Casillas added: “We’ve made history already and we are still making it.

We hope people remember that forever. Because it is unique what we are achieving. Penalties are a lottery. I had the intuition in that penalty for Portugal and I stopped it, which was the best we could get.

“We were tired in the game and that counts.
“Now we have another day to rest and let’s see what happens in the final.”

Portugal’s penalty plan backfires
“There was some confusion with Bruno Alves and with Nani, then Bruno took the penalty... and it was decisive”, Paulo Bento.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento said his side had planned their penalty shoot-out strategy - and Cristiano Ronaldo was down to take the fifth spot-kick.

Reigning champions Spain beat the Portuguese 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw, meaning Ronaldo did not have a chance to step up. “We had this plan,” the 43-year-old coach admitted after the semi-final.

“If it would have been 4-4 and he would have taken the last penalty, we would be talking in a different way.”

Alves’s penalty miss was all the more acute as the defender had appeared set to take the preceding spot-kick before midfielder Nani rushed to intercept his team-mate. Manchester United winger Nani scored his attempt but, following Alves’s miss, Bento was left to regret the mix-up.

“There was some confusion with Bruno Alves and with Nani, then Bruno took the penalty... and it was decisive,” the coach said. “Penalties could have been an advantage for us.”

The former Portugal international was left reflecting on a tournament that he regarded as a success, despite Wednesday’s semi-final elimination. “In my opinion we have played a very good tournament,” he said. “If you don’t have this little bit of luck then you miss it. We didn’t have much luck in this game.”

Ronaldo lays blame on coach for spot of bother
Cristiano Ronaldo today denied he was to blame for Portugal’s Euro 2012 exit and said it was coach Paulo Bento’s decision for him to go last in last night’s shootout.

The Real Madrid forward watched in dismay as Cesc Fabregas stroked home Spain’s fifth penalty to win the semi-final in Donetsk without having had his chance from the spot.

Ronaldo was due to take Portugal’s final penalty but was left cursing in the centre circle as Spain celebrated booking a place in Sunday’s final against either Germany or Italy.

However, today, Ronaldo hit back, saying: “The coach is the one to pick penalty takers and I was the fifth, if it was my call I would be the first.

“I did my best as I always do, so I’m satisfied with what I have done for the team. We have to be proud because we did what we had to do. We played well and we deserved to be in the final. I think it was a very successful European Championship [for Portugal].

“We did well, we were among the best four teams at the tournament and we didn’t win because we didn’t have luck but penalties are like that.

We have to be proud but the truth is that we are a bit frustrated because we knew that we could reach the final.”