On Sunday, with millions of viewers watching across the world, Spain’s National Team claimed their second straight European Final Championship and made history in the process. Victors of the title in 2008, the team won in a dominating fashion over their opposition in the Italian National Team by a score of 4-0. The result set the record for the highest scoring game in Euro finals history. But that was not the only piece history they wrote by winning the championship; Spain also became the first team ever to consecutively win three major soccer tournament titles in a row. They won back-to-back European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.
Four different Spanish players scored goals. David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres, and Juan Mata all found the back of the net. Torres became the first player to ever score goals in two different Euro finals.
Spain plays with such ease through their passing game—called “tiki taka”—which is infamously known by its opposition and what could be described as a slow, painful death. The team constantly dominates possession in any game in which they play and other teams wear out trying to break up the passes that Spain can so innately lace together. And in the 2012 Euro final, this was no different. The passing game of one of the best teams ever to walk on the pitch, if not the best ever, simply tore the Italian side apart. Perfectly threaded passes and runs out of the back ended with a 2-0 lead at halftime and an eventual 4-0 lead after 90 minutes. It's no doubt that the better team won.
