Having seen hopes for Spain from France, Germany, Captain Philipp Lahm said the owners "are still the reference point" for others, while welcoming the continuous improvement of its own equipment.
Only four games remain in the UEFA EURO 2012 and the potential semifinalists all have done an admirable job so far, captain of Germany Philipp Lahm believes that "Spain is still the team to beat."
Some have suggested that Spain performances in Poland and Ukraine have lacked a little in terms of a surprise, but the left back Lahm mightily impressed with the Red screen their 2-0 win against France, a victory that set up a meeting Portugal. "They remain the benchmark," said 28-year-old in a press conference Sunday.
As a defender, Lahm has been paying particular attention to the high tempo pressing game Spain deployed to retrieve the ball on the rare occasions when they have possession. "It's amazing how well they work against the ball and keep the opposition away from your goal," said the Bayern Munich man on the losing team against Spain at Euro 2008 final and the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2010. "The way players are deployed all over the place and put pressure on the opposing team is amazing. France does not keep the ball for more than a few seconds at best."
However, while acknowledging Lahm incredible level of consistency of Spain - "who have proven themselves time and again in recent years" - was quick to highlight the achievements of Germany itself. "Calling from another semi-final we have reaped the reward for our hard work," he said. "" We have begun to hit the big nations and is the biggest indicator of progress you can achieve. "We worked well in defense and we have strong players technically sound and can always score."
With the favorites of many people in Germany for the title before the tournament began, Lahm said that "the pressure is still there, although we have reached the semifinals," adding:. "Small things separate the great teams that are now there was no guarantee that we would get that far, but want to stay here until the end, until the end."
Only four games remain in the UEFA EURO 2012 and the potential semifinalists all have done an admirable job so far, captain of Germany Philipp Lahm believes that "Spain is still the team to beat."
Some have suggested that Spain performances in Poland and Ukraine have lacked a little in terms of a surprise, but the left back Lahm mightily impressed with the Red screen their 2-0 win against France, a victory that set up a meeting Portugal. "They remain the benchmark," said 28-year-old in a press conference Sunday.
As a defender, Lahm has been paying particular attention to the high tempo pressing game Spain deployed to retrieve the ball on the rare occasions when they have possession. "It's amazing how well they work against the ball and keep the opposition away from your goal," said the Bayern Munich man on the losing team against Spain at Euro 2008 final and the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2010. "The way players are deployed all over the place and put pressure on the opposing team is amazing. France does not keep the ball for more than a few seconds at best."
However, while acknowledging Lahm incredible level of consistency of Spain - "who have proven themselves time and again in recent years" - was quick to highlight the achievements of Germany itself. "Calling from another semi-final we have reaped the reward for our hard work," he said. "" We have begun to hit the big nations and is the biggest indicator of progress you can achieve. "We worked well in defense and we have strong players technically sound and can always score."
With the favorites of many people in Germany for the title before the tournament began, Lahm said that "the pressure is still there, although we have reached the semifinals," adding:. "Small things separate the great teams that are now there was no guarantee that we would get that far, but want to stay here until the end, until the end."
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