More Opinion

• Ben Rycroft Spain most influential team of modern age Is Spain the greatest of all time? Who can say. What is clear though is that they are the most influential of the modern age. Posted: Sunday, July 1, 2012 | 07:52 PM
• Nigel Reed History beckons for Italy, Spain in Euro final It is almost certainly too close to call. They know each other well - perhaps too well - for the final of Euro 2012 to be a classic, but both Spain and Italy are aware history beckons in Kiev Sunday afternoon (2:45 p.m. ET).  Posted: Friday, June 29, 2012 | 02:56 PM
• Ben Rycroft The 2 sides of Mario Balotelli Much is made of the contrast between Mario Balotelli the man and Mario Balotelli the footballer. His story is a familiar one - young, talented and full of promise, if only he could keep his head on straight, he would go far. Posted: Thursday, June 28, 2012 | 08:12 PM
• Ben Rycroft Portugal pushes Spain to the limit In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who had been at the forefront of Portugal's attack all tournament, stood alone looking to the heavens asking: why? Posted: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 | 08:20 PM
• Ben Rycroft Another England loss has familiar mantra After punching above their weight for most of the tournament by playing a boring, structured game, England bows out of a major competition by, let's say, losing in penalties. Posted: Sunday, June 24, 2012 | 07:55 PM
• Nigel Reed Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo silencing the critics A man so supremely talented and yet so regularly chastised for failing to show up for national service has, at last, quieted the cynics. Cristiano Ronaldo has led his country into the final four and has fans believing he can propel Portugal into the Promised Land. Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2012 | 08:47 PM
• Ben Rycroft Soccer in need of goal-line technology Incident after incident at major tournaments have made it clear that there is a need for goal-line technology in soccer, and on Tuesday, Ukraine found that out the hard way against England. Posted: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 | 09:31 PM
• Ben Rycroft Ronaldo helps Group of Death claim the Netherlands As it always is with the Group of Death, one of the tall trees of world football gets cut down. And on a day when all the teams in Group B were equipped with an axe - that they could either behead another or get their own lopped off - it was ultimately the Netherlands who lay down theirs and one embattled Portuguese player who came out swinging. Posted: Sunday, June 17, 2012 | 10:03 PM
• Ben Rycroft UEFA flexing its muscle against racism Despite the growing problems, UEFA should be given credit for tackling racial incidents during the European championships head on. Posted: Friday, June 15, 2012 | 06:57 PM
• Nigel Reed Germans in gear as Dutch despair The Group of Death is living up to its billing. Dutch heads are on the chopping block following their second successive defeat - a sheer drop from which no nation has survived in tournament history. Posted: Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 12:02 AM
• Tony Care Has enigmatic German striker Mario Gomez come of age? Germany forward Mario Gomez has been a dominant forces thus far in the European championship. But with past failures surrounding the talented striker, can Gomez come through when it matters most? Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 | 07:54 PM
• Ben Rycroft Defensive game won't take England far at Euro England was perfectly content to sit eight men across the top of the box against France and counter attack when they saw the opportunity. However, those tactics won't work when they come up against the more technically proficient clubs like Germany, Spain and the like. Posted: Monday, June 11, 2012 | 06:19 PM
• Nigel Reed Spain tested by rejuvenated Italy Now we know. Spain's sharp edge is absent and being missed. Four years ago Fernando Torres' goal won it all. Two years ago David Villa led Spain to the top of the world. We have known for some time Villa would not be involved because of a broken leg. We've also known Torres is simply not the clinical goal poacher he once was. Posted: Sunday, June 10, 2012 | 06:40 PM
• Ben Rycroft Distractions hit England, Italy ahead of Euro 2012 It takes just one miss, one flub, one moment of wandering concentration and a country's tournament can be over at the European Cup. In a competition so close, one that has proven time and time again that anything can happen - anyone can be bounced - that managers, players and UEFA still entertain the dangers of distraction can be baffling. Posted: Thursday, June 7, 2012 | 12:03 PM
• Nigel Reed Euro 2012: Contenders and pretenders If you are of Spanish, Dutch or German descent - congratulations! These three, from a field of 16, are surely the only nations which can entertain realistic hopes of Euro glory. Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 | 12:00 PM
• Ben Rycroft 10 players who can be difference makers at Euro 2012 These aren't the top 10 players at Euro 2012 but rather 10 players who can make a difference for their country in the opening round at this tournament. Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 | 01:10 AM
• Nigel Reed Ghost goals have got to go It is coming and it will change the game. Until its arrival, goal-line technology, like hindsight and the IT guy at work, is never around when you need it. Posted: Monday, April 16, 2012 | 02:28 PM
• Nigel Reed Racism: Soccer's new fashion? It is abhorrent. It is degrading and demoralizing. Racial abuse has no place in modern society or any other society for that matter. It is not cool, clever or humorous. It is simply unacceptable. But is racism becoming soccer's latest fashion? Posted: Monday, February 20, 2012 | 10:15 AM