Germans overpower Portugal once again

Different year, same result.

Germany, who have now won ten of their 12 knockout round games played in the European Championship, rolled over Portugal 3-2 in an enthralling and at times devastating performance today in Basel.
This was an assured performance from the Germans, who last met — and beat — Portugal by almost the same scoreline in the 2006 World Cup third place match.

Led by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who scored a goal and assisted the other two, Germany was relentless, controlling the tempo and flow of the game with ease and silencing Portugal's biggest guns. In fact, Schweinsteiger's work killed the game off after only an hour, and while sub Helder Postiga's late goal gave the Portuguese a final burst, there was little suspense about who the winner would prove to be.

For Portugal, tonight's result in the driving rain that has been the hallmark of this tournament, will mean yet another year without a prize. Ultimately, it also must mean some serious heart-searching. This was arguably the strongest team they had fielded since the heady days of Eusebio and a much smaller international game.

But despite the glitz of Cristiano Ronaldo and the smoothness of Deco and Simao, once more Portugal fell short because they allowed their stars to be isolated and their weaknesses to be exposed.

Germans overpower Portugal once again....