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Vitinha: The Portuguese Midfield Maestro
From Bruno Fernandes to Bernardo Silva to João Palhinha, Portugal have produced a treasure trove of elite midfielders in recent years, and the latest one to emerge as a world-class footballer is Vítor ‘Vitinha’ Ferreira. At 24 years of age, he has established himself as one of the finest central midfielders on the continent, and…
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Christoph Baumgartner: The Versatile Midfield Maestro
Austria started their Euro 2024 campaign with a game against France. France began the match in a 4-2-3-1 shape and were attacking right from the word go. Austria started with a 4-4-2 shape and deployed a good press as expected from a side managed by Ralf Rangnick, as Christoph Baumgartner accompanied Michael Gregoritsch in the…
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Fabian Ruiz – Spain’s Secret Weapon in Euro 2024
Coming into the 2024 European Championship, there was much discourse about the exciting Spanish wingers – Barcelona’s 17-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal and Athletic Club’s electric forward Nico Williams. And rightfully so – as evidenced by the opening goal in the final against England, where the two combined to give their nation a brief lead. …
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Remo Freuler: Bologna’s Swiss Midfield General
Switzerland have delivered yet another valiant performance in the Euros, reaching the quarterfinals for the second straight tournament and nearly topping their group, only to concede a late equaliser to Germany’s Niklas Fulkrug. Built on a wealth of experience featuring Xherdan Shaqiri, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez and Yann Sommer, the Swiss held their nerve against…
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Fabian Ruiz: Spain’s Lanky Midfield Magician
It’s sunny in Los Palacios y Villafranca, a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. There are trees shading you from the sun, but it suffices for people in the park. The population of this city is roughly 36,000, yet its the home to Jesus Navas, the only surviving member of Spain’s golden generation,…
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Jaka Bijol: Slovenia’s Modern Center Back
Slovenia returned to the Euros for the second time in the nation’s history, ending a 24-year drought from the competition. The Dragons picked up four draws from four matches against Denmark, Serbia, England and Portugal, coming within inches of a quarterfinals berth only to be denied on penalties by the impenetrable Diogo Costa in goal,…
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Dani Vivian: The Athletic Defender Poised for Euro Glory
Telling non-football fans that Athletic Club are the only top flight team at Europe’s top level that exclusively employ players from their region of Spain is a favorite pastime of soccer bros here in the United States. I am personally guilty of this. My guess is that if you clicked on an article about Dani…
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Spain vs. England: Analyzing The Biggest Keys for Both Sides
A thrilling Euro 2024 will conclude on Sunday when the victors are crowned after the penultimate showdown in Berlin. Spain and England took different paths to the final but reached the same destination – one step away from European glory. In this comprehensive article, we will tactically preview the game using a different method.…
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The Biggest Controversies in the History of the Euros
We all love a good footballing controversy, don’t we? Except of course when the controversy involves your team losing out on something. Famously invented by and named after Andrea Del Contro Verso, a Florentine donkey merchant in 1526, controversies have usually found their place in World Cup folklore. From the fat Italian dictator arranging…
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The Gareth Southgate Show: Paradoxical and Yet Successful
Gareth Southgate is a name which brings about vitriol and begrudging respect across the shores of England. Many utter his name with disrespect and disdain, cursing him for not maximising the abundance of talent he has at his disposal and producing objectively turgid performances, especially at these Euros. But there is a silent majority,…
