Portugal come up short as Spain edge semi-final clash

With many touting Spain as favourites to retain their European crown this summer prior to the tournament, it was perhaps no surprise when they confirmed their place in the semi-finals. Their opponents, Iberian neighbours and ever-unpredictable Portugal, were in no mood to roll over, though. On the back of their successful group stage campaign, progressing at the expense of the refreshingly positive Danes and a disappointing Netherlands side, the Spaniards had a game on their hands.

Cristiano Ronaldo, previously criticised for his lack of performances on the international stage, went in to the game brimming with confidence, having scored three goals and struck the woodwork four times already. Add to that the growing stature of the midfield trio of Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso, with Nani an outlet on the flanks, Portugal had grounds for optimism.

Official Tournament Match Ball — £82 worth of polyurethane and leather

The Euro 2012 Match Ball in all its leathery glory.

So, this is the official match ball to be used for the duration of the tournament this Summer. A splendidly….. unique and spherical effort by German giants adidas, this ball has been billed as the next best thing as far as, in the words of my father, kicking a hunk of leather around a football pitch is concerned.

Featuring “the highest-quality materials” and with “the highest FIFA rating”, adidas clearly aren’t pulling any punches with this incarnation, with the ball having jumped through all the necessary hoops of such tests as weight, water uptake, shape and size retention in the high-pressure test labs of their Herzogenaurach headquarters.