Talk about marquee match-ups. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Michael Ballack. Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho vs. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. Portugal vs. Germany.
The Euro 2008 quarterfinals kick off today with one of the best match-ups of the round. Will a rested Portugal squad that looked extremely good in its first two matches be too much for a German squad that has yet to resemble the tournament favorites they were supposed to be when the Euros began?
Whether you will be watching on TV, or are stuck at work and unable to watch, please feel free to follow the match here. I will be doing a running commentary throughout so stay here for all your updates. Also feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below.
Enjoy the match and check out the running commentary after the jump.
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FINAL– German set pieces proved too much for Portugal, exposing Portugal’s weakness and sending them packing. Now Germany is one step away from the final and just might get a chance to avenge their lone loss of the tournament, against Croatia.
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FINAL- Germany 3, Portugal 2. It wasn’t easy but the Germans held on and eliminated Portugal.
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92nd minute– Portugal running out of time here. Germany is letting them have the ball but they can’t create.
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87th minute- GOAL PORTUGAL!!! Helder Postiga with a great header to make it 3-2. Uh oh.
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85th minute– Can Portugal find a goal? I definitely agree with Andy Gray’s assessment that Portugal is starving for a true center forward.
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79th minute– Wow, Podolski just blasted a long-range shot that missed wide by inches.
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77th minute– Kudos to Germany for defending so well as a team. From the forwards back, it has been a team effort to smother Portugal’s attackers.
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75th minute– Portugal has put in Postiga and Nani and the offense doesn’t look any more dangerous.
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62nd minute– Nice work by Ballack to get away with a pair of small shoves to the back of Paulo Ferreira to create space for the header.
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61st minute- GOAL GERMANY!!! And it’s Ballack with a header off a long free kick. Terrible set piece defending yet again.
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55th minute– The rain is pouring in Basle but the field appears to be holding up.
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51st minute– Hitzlsperger almost get a blast on goal but sends it way high instead. He’s dangerous any time he gets a shot.
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50th minute– And we’re back. Apologies for the delay. Germany has drawn two yellow cards this half as Portugal look like the livelier squad.
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45th minute– Ballack tries a sharp-angled shot that forces a Ricardo save. Here comes Portugal again. WOW, Ronaldo came so close. he missed by inches wide.
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44th minute– Portugal definitely has more life now and Germany had better be careful.
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40th minute- GOAL PORTUGAL. Gomes finishes off a Ronaldo rebound and we have a game again. Germany 2, Portugal 1.
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35th minute– Portugal looking for a penalty call but it was a weak attempt to draw a PK.
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33rd minute– Portugal is starting to press but can’t find the final touch.
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31st minute– Raul Meireles comes on for an injured Joao Moutinho.
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29th minute- Can Portugal respond to this one?
The first goal came courtesy of a beautiful ball in from Podolski. The second came on a floating free kick from Schweinsteiger as Portugal’s free kick defending was horrendous there.
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25th minute- GERMANY 2, Portugal 0. Klose heads home a long free kick just two minutes after Schweinsteiger opens the scoring. WOW.
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18th minute- Schweinsteiger with some nice moves to earn a corner. Corner is headed over.
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15th minute- Simao with a sharp-angled shot that Lehmann handles.
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14th minute- Portugal is starting to knock it around. Germany is definitely defending with numbers.
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12th minute- Germans have had the better of the play early as Portugal shakes the rust off.
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5th minute- Torsten Frings is out of the match with cracked ribs. I’m sure U.S. fans with good memories are in tears over that one.
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3rd minute- Podolski fouls Simao, no card.
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3rd minute- Ricardo runs out of the area to cut off a pass. He’s a bit confident isn’t he.
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2nd minute- We’re underway and the field in Basel looks a mess.
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PRE-GAME– No Torsten Frings for the Germans, who have also benched Mario Gomez. Tomas Hitzlsberger and Bastian Schweinsteiger are in the lineup today.