Saturday, June 30, 2012

Krystle Dsouza, Sanaya Irani, Rati Pandey and Sanjeeda Sheikh

Gear up for the Eleventh Indian Telly Awards which will air this Saturday on Colors (30 June 2012) at 7pm. In case you miss, which you must not, you can catch the repeat telecast on 1 July at 1 pm.

We have already written about Ram and Ronit’s kissing scene, and now here’s some exclusive dope on the four hotties from the TV industry coming together to blow off your minds.

Yes, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Krystle Dsouza, Rati Pandey and Sanaya Irani came together at one platform to perform on a theme which was symbolic of four elements of nature, namely, air, earth, water and fire.

Rati looked fiery in the fire act, while Krystle looked a water nymph in the water act. Furthermore, Sanjeeda and Sanaya looked stunning in the air and earth acts, respectively.

Talking on her performance, Krystle said, “I was petrified a lot. I am actually scared of heights and when I was at the fountain top, I was getting jitters. Pipes were there on my fingers, on my back and water oozed out from everywhere. I got entirely drenched. It was a great experience overall and Geeta maam (choreographer Geeta Kapur) and her crew did a great job. I did not get much time to rehearse and was also unwell on the day of shoot, but I gave my cent percent. The concept was really amazing and I will cherish the experience all my life. I am excited to watch it on screen this Saturday.”

On the other hand, Sanjeeda shared, “I was doing swings in the air and the height was a great one. I was scared but I managed to pull it off as I love dancing. I have done so many shows with Geeta maam and she knows what my body is like so she balanced my act really well.”

She continued, “I want to watch the show. I have an off tomorrow, so I will tell the production people (of her show Piya Ka Ghar on Sahara) to shoot my chunks tomorrow so that I can watch the awards on Saturday.”

Rati and Sanaya remained busy shooting but we will soon get in touch with them.

Don’t forget to tune in to Colors to watch the Eleventh Indian Telly Awards on 30 June 2012 at 7pm.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

147365231_crop_exact Michael Regan/Getty Images

Euro 2012—Semifinal, National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland.

GERMANY 0-2 ITALY (HT)

Goals: Balotelli (Italy) 20', 36'

Lineups

Germany: Neuer, Hummels, Badstuber, Lahm, Boateng, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Kroos, Podolski, Gomez

Italy: Buffon, Chiellini, Balzaretti, Barzagli, Bonucci, Marchisio, De Rossi, Montolivo, Pirlo, Balotelli, Cassano

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3:35 PM ET
Michael Regan/Getty Images

45+1'—HALFTIME! The referee blows and Italy go into the break with an advantage few expected before kick-off. They lead 2-0 through a Mario Balotelli double and Germany have thus far found no answers. If the final ends up being Italy v Spain, am I allowed to say "I told you so"?

3:30 PM ET

43'—Badstuber with a firm challenge on Cassano and he leaves the Italy striker writhing on the deck. Cassano looks like he'll be ok to continue.

3:28 PM ET

39'—Pictures come in of a Germany fan already in tears. This is not the way they expected this game to go, that's for sure. Italy have been superb. Germany need to reinvent themselves for the second half to stand any chance of coming back into it.

3:25 PM ET
Joern Pollex/Getty Images

36'—SUPER MARIO DOES IT AGAIN!!!! Montolivo's raking long-range pass releases Balotelli clean on goal. He composes himself and smashes a brilliant finish into the top corner to make it ITALY 2-0 GERMANY!!!!

3:23 PM ET

35'—CHANCE FOR ITALY! Cassano does well to control the ball on Italy's left. He holds it up and eventually plays in Montolivo for a shot on goal, but the midfielder hesitates and gets caught in the box. At the other end Buffon denies Khedira's fizzing effort.

3:21 PM ET

34'—Boateng skips over a tackle and whips over a fine cross from the right. Podolski looks destined to make it 1-1, but Balzaretti gets there first to deny him with an excellent block.

3:19 PM ET

32'—STATS: Germany have had 51 percent of the possession so far, according to UEFA. They've also had five attempts to Italy's three. We all know the one number that counts of course.

3:16 PM ET

29'—Ozil to Kroos, who tries to play in Gomez for a run on goal. But the striker isn't alert to the chance and gets caught wrong-footed. All a little bit rusty from Germany so far.

3:14 PM ET

27'—Gomez finds Ozil on the edge of the box. The Real Madrid man tries to shape a shot past Buffon, but his effort is tame and Buffon gathers with ease.

3:11 PM ET
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

25'—Boateng's cross finds Gomez, but the Bayern striker's glancing header drifts well wide.

3:10 PM ET

23'—Italy deserve to be ahead. They've been the more threatening side going forward and made the better chances. Germany aren't quite firing yet.

3:08 PM ET

20'—GOAL MARIO!!!!!! Italy lead and it's Mario Balotelli, who else, with the goal. Cassano wriggles to find space on the left and picks out Balotelli with a superb cross. The Manchester City man is up early and heads confidently past Neuer to put Italy 1-0 up!

3:06 PM ET

18'—Cassano's turn to strike one. His curling effort from 30 yards is headed for the corner, but not traveling fast enough to unduly trouble Neuer. Good spell for Italy.

3:05 PM ET

17'—Good play from Italy, who patiently build to the edge of Germany's box. Montolivo takes the chance to shoot and draws a low save from Neuer, away to his right.

3:03 PM ET

15'—Pirlo very deep so far for Italy and it's Germany who appear to be having the better of midfield. Balotelli is a little isolated up front for the Italians too.

3:01 PM ET

12'—BOTH SIDES OF BUFFON! Just seconds after unconvincingly palming away a cross, Buffon is forced into action to dive full stretch and push away a rasping shot from Kroos. Italy looking a touch shaky at the back here.

2:59 PM ET

12'—De Rossi's long ball finds Balotelli superbly, but the striker is immediately wrapped up by two German defenders. Very tight so far. Both teams are feeling each other out.

2:57 PM ET
Michael Steele/Getty Images

9'—Pirlo takes on Badstuber at the edge of the box, but he can't get a shot away.

2:56 PM ET

9'—Podolski tries to send Gomez away down the left, but his pass is too strong. Neither side has found a decent final ball yet.

2:53 PM ET

5'—BUFFON MISTAKE! The veteran Italian 'keeper misreads a corner and Hummels has a chance to score from close-range. His effort is cleared off the line and Italy escape.

2:51 PM ET
Alex Grimm/Getty Images

4'—Montolivo tries to play in Balotelli, but Neuer is sharp to react and comes out to claim the ball before Super Mario can get close to it. Even start so far.

2:49 PM ET

2'—Balzaretti gives away possession cheaply and Germany have a chance to cross from the left. Schweinsteiger's ball is too high for Gomez in the box.

2:47 PM ET

1'—And we're away. Both sides are in their iconic colors—Italy in blue shirts and white shorts, Germany in white shirts with black shorts. Tremendous atmosphere inside the National Stadium.

2:38 PM ET

A lot of talk tonight about Italy's record against Germany. The Italians have NEVER lost to Germany in a competitive match. With that thought, out come to the players to a rapturous reception in Warsaw.

2:03 PM ET

Here's where the action will unfold tonight...

2:02 PM ET

Here's how both sides reached the semis:

GERMANY

Group B: Germany 1-0 Portugal

Group B: Netherlands 1-2 Germany

Group B: Denmark 1-2 Germany

Quarterfinal: Germany 4-2 Greece

ITALY

Group C: Spain 1-1 Italy

Group C: Italy 1-1 Croatia

Group C: Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland

Quarterfinal: England 0-0 Italy (Italy won 4-2 on pens)

1:48 PM ET
Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Balotelli starts again for Italy, who make just one change from the starting XI that faced England. Giorgio Chiellini has recovered from his hamstring injury and will replace Ignazio Abate in defense.

1:44 PM ET
Joern Pollex/Getty Images

The teams are in. It's Mario Gomez who starts up front for Germany, with Miroslav Klose dropping back to the bench. Lukas Podolski is also back in the starting lineup. No Thomas Muller or Marco Reus though. It's Toni Kroos who gets the nod to play alongside Ozil and Podolski.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

147224748_crop_exact

Euro 2012—Semifinal 1, Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine

Portugal 0-0 Spain (after extra time)

Spain win penalty shootout 4-2

LINEUPS

Portugal: Rui Patricio; Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrão, João Pereira; Miguel Veloso (Custodio 105'), João Moutinho, Raul Meireles; Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo Hugo Almeida (Nelson Oliveira 81').

Spain: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Álvaro Arbeloa; Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi (Pedro 87'); Andrés Iniesta, David Silva (Jesus Navas 60'); Álvaro Negredo (Cesc Fabregas 54').

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5:31 PM ET

Back in the studio, Michael Ballack says Cristiano Ronaldo should have gone first—to give his team a good start.

I agree with him, but it doesn't matter. Spain have won, and they'll get to defend their title in Sunday's final.

Will they play Germany or Italy? We'll find out tomorrow.

5:28 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

PENALTY SHOOTOUT

Spain win the penalty shootout 4-2, and the difference was Cesc Fabregas' shot off the post and into the net.

Portugal must be devastated, and Cristiano Ronaldo must be kicking himself for not taking a penalty sooner.

5:27 PM ET

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't get to take a penalty.

Oh dear.

5:26 PM ET

FABREGAS—GOAL!

Cesc Fabregas scores off the post to his left. Spain win and head to the final!

5:26 PM ET

ALVES—MISS!

Bruno Alves hits the bar and it rolls out.

Spain lead 3-2 through four rounds. Cristiano Ronaldo might not take a shot!

5:25 PM ET

RAMOS—GOAL!

Spain defender Sergio Ramos channels Andrea Pirlo and scores with a Panenka kick down the middle.

5:24 PM ET

NANI—GOAL!

Nani replaces Bruno Alves at the last moment, hesitates on his run-up and skies his kick into the roof of the net on the left side.

It's 2-2 through three rounds.

5:24 PM ET

PIQUE—GOAL

Spain defender Gerard Pique scores with a shot to his left. Rui Patricio nearly got to that one.

5:23 PM ET

PEPE—GOAL!

Portugal defender Pepe takes a long run-up and finishes low and to the left.

Good penalty.

It's 1-1 through two rounds.

5:22 PM ET

INIESTA—GOAL!

Andres Iniesta scores with a low shot to his right.

5:21 PM ET

MOUTINHO—SAVED!

Portugal's Joao Moutinho takes several ridiculous run-up steps, shoots left and sees his kick saved easily.

5:21 PM ET

ALONSO—SAVE!

Spain's Xabi Alonso takes the first penalty…

…and it's saved! Alonso went right and Rui Patricio kept it out!

5:20 PM ET

Ronaldo whispers a few instructions in the ear of Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Will that do anything?

5:14 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

PENALTIES

Both teams will take five penalties, alternating one at a time.

If we're tied after that, we got to sudden death.

5:14 PM ET

ET: 20'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Jesus Navas frees Alvaro Arbeloa on the right. Arbeloa crosses back to the middle, but Portugal's defense heads the ball away.

That's the last attack. There's the final whistle.

We're going to penalties.

5:13 PM ET

ET: 19'—PENALTY?

Pedro falls down in the Portugal box, but there's no call from the ref.

Seemed like Pedro was looking for the foul a bit too much there.

5:11 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

ET: 27'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Quick passing and movement from Spain along the edge of the Portugal box.

It's all looking good until the linesman raises his flag for offside.

Again, where has this been from Spain?

5:09 PM ET

ET: 25'—FOUL!

Cesc Fabregas tumbles in the Portugal box, and the ref blows his whistle…

…for a foul against Fabregas.

5:08 PM ET

ET: 24'—CHANCE!

Pedro slips behind the Portugal defense but three defenders catch up and take the ball away from him.

Where was all this from Spain before?

5:07 PM ET

ET: 23'—CARD

Xabi Alonso hacks down Cristiano Ronaldo and receives a yellow card.

That was a purely tactical foul. He wasn't letting Ronaldo past him there.

5:06 PM ET

ET: 23'—PORTUGAL SUB

Raul Meireles leaves the match, taking at least 10 minutes to walk off the pitch.

Silvestre Varela replaces him.

5:05 PM ET

ET: 21'—CHANCE!

Spain's Jesus Navas forces a save from Rui Patricio with a low shot at the back post.

Pepe touches the ball right before the Portugal keeper collects it, but it's not a foul back-pass. At least not at this point in the match.

5:03 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

ET: 20'—SHOT!

Cesc Fabregas has a go from long distance, but it's blocked and Portugal keeper Rui Patricio collects easily.

5:01 PM ET

ET: 17'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Fabio Coentrao breaks down the left side and tries to pick out Cristiano Ronaldo with a cross.

Spain's defense gets the ball away.

4:59 PM ET

ET: 16'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal restart the match.

During the short break, Custodio came on for Portugal, replacing Miguel Veloso.

It just struck midnight in Donetsk.

4:58 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

HALF

There's the whistle. 15 more minutes of this?

Yikes.

At least Spain opened it up a bit near the end of that half.

4:57 PM ET

ET: 15'—SHOT!

Sergio Ramos takes a shot from the free kick, and it's just over the bar!

Great effort!

4:57 PM ET

ET: 15'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain finding much more space now. They win a free kick on the left side pretty far outside the box.

4:54 PM ET
Alex Grimm/Getty Images

ET: 14'—CHANCE!

Rui Patricio saves from Andres Iniesta inside the box!

4:53 PM ET

ET: 13'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain take the second corner short too, and it comes to nothing at all.

Portugal try to counter, but nothing doing there, either.

Snooze.

4:53 PM ET

ET: 12'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Corner for Spain. They take it short, and Navas' shot is deflected out for another corner.

4:49 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

ET: 8'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pique wins a one-on-one duel with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Impressive defending, but I'd like to see some impressive attacking.

4:49 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Agreed, 100 percent:

4:47 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Heh:

4:47 PM ET

ET: 6'—SHOT!

Bruno Alves blocks a low shot by Andres Iniesta from outside the box.

Nice defending there.

4:46 PM ET

ET: 5'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ian and Macca bemoan the abundance of empty seats in the stadium and the "flat" atmosphere.

Donetsk is a difficult location for much of Europe's population to reach.

4:44 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

ET: 3'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Oliveira puts a knee in Sergio Busquets' back accidentally.

Busquets rolls on the ground. He'll be fine.

4:41 PM ET

EXTRA TIME: 1'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain kick off…

4:39 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

From Twitter:

And:

Anybody agree with this next one? Anyone at all?

4:37 PM ET

EXTRA TIME

We'll now have two 15-minute periods of extra time. There is no golden goal, meaning that if a goal is scored, the teams will still play all 30 minutes of extra time.

If the score is still tied after that, it's down to penalties.

4:36 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

FULL TIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

There's the whistle. We're going to extra time.

Spain haven't been their normal flowing selves. Portugal and Ronaldo missed a golden chance right at the end of regular time.

What will happen next?

4:35 PM ET

90+3

Miguel Veloso receives a yellow card for a studs-up foul.

4:34 PM ET

90+2

Corner for Spain. Xabi Alonso takes it…

…and it's over everyone. Spain play the ball all the way back to Iker Casillas.

4:33 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

90'—PORTUGAL CHANCE!

Portugal counter quickly after a Spain free kick.

The chance falls to Ronaldo on the left, and he slices a shot way off target.

That's disappointing from Ronaldo.

4:31 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

89'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

We're heading toward stoppage time fast. Neither team looks especially interested in pushing for a goal.

4:29 PM ET

87'—SPAIN SUB

Xavi leaves the match. Pedro comes on.

When Xavi comes off, you know he must be tired. He's been a steady presence in Spain's lineup for years.

4:28 PM ET

86'—CARD

Bruno Alves of Portugal receves a yellow card for a foul on Cesc.

4:26 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

84'—SHOT!

Cristiano Ronaldo takes the second free kick, this time from about 25 yards…

…and he lifts it over the bar again.

4:26 PM ET

83'—CARD!

Ronaldo takes a shot on goal, and it hits Arbeloa in the wall. Arbeloa receives a yellow card for a handball.

Another free kick.

4:25 PM ET

82'—FREE KICK

Xabi Alonso fouls Cristiano Ronaldo on the left side, about 35 yards out.

Will he shoot from here?

4:23 PM ET

81'—PORTUGAL SUB

Hugo Almeida leaves the game.

20-year-old Nelson Oliveira comes on.

4:22 PM ET

80'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Free kick for Portugal on the right. The ball is curled straight at Iker Casillas.

Portugal's free kick takers haven't been good enough today, and that includes Ronaldo.

4:19 PM ET
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

76'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The Portuguese have a promising attack and Nani finds himself with space on the right for a moment.

But the pass is behind him and Spain's defense catches up.

4:17 PM ET

75'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Still no score, and it's getting a bit chippy out there.

Spain passing the ball aimlessly at the moment. Their movement is uncharacteristically slow.

Remember, you can tweet me your views @MikeCummings37

If you're not seeing embedded tweets here, reload your browser. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

4:15 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

73'—SHOT!

Ronaldo gets his shot to dip, but it still flies over the bar.

Not a bad effort.

4:14 PM ET

72'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Cristiano Ronaldo draws a foul outside the box. He'll have a free kick about 30 yards out, somewhat close to the middle.

4:12 PM ET

70'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Just 20 minutes left and it's still scoreless.

Who will make the breakthrough? Will anyone make the breakthrough?

4:11 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

I believe Karl is right:

4:10 PM ET

67'—SHOT!

Xavi shoots straight at the keeper from long distance. Portugal looked a bit stretched for once.

Cesc Fabregas was open. Maybe Xavi should have laid off the ball.

4:07 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

65'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The free kick is headed out authoritatively.

Corner to Spain, and it's headed away too.

4:07 PM ET

64'—CARD!

Joao Pereira brings down Cesc Fabregas along the edge of the box on the left side.

Fabregas would have been through on goal otherwise. Good foul to give up.

Free kick for Spain in a dangerous spot.

4:05 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Yep, this is about right:

4:03 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

61'—CARD!

Pepe clatters into Xabi Alonso's back with a high knee. He earns a yellow for his trouble.

Surprisingly, that's Pepe's first card of the tournament.

Xabi Alonso looks shaken up.

4:03 PM ET

60'—SPAIN SUP

Jesus Navas replaces David Silva.

That must mean Spain's players are really tired.

4:02 PM ET

60'—CARD!

Sergio Busquets receives a yellow card for complaining about Cristiano Ronaldo.

Looks like Busquets wanted a yellow card for Ronaldo, who had tumbled in the box under Sergio Ramos' challenge.

Good call by the ref.

4:01 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

59'—SHOT!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Almeida play a one-two down the left, and Almeida runs on goal before shooting high and wide of the near post.

3:59 PM ET

57'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Nani takes a corner for Portugal…

… and it's poor. They'll have to do better than that to beat Spain.

Moments later, Hugo Almeida hits a shot well over the bar after another lost possession by Spain.

3:58 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

For a substitution, we've just seen a surprisingly large amount of activity generated on Twitter.

And:

And:

3:56 PM ET

54'—SUB!

Alvaro Negredo leaves the match. Cesc Fabregas comes on for Spain.

Why not make that change at halftime?

3:55 PM ET
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

53'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Now Joao Pereira has his cross deflected out for a corner.

That was set up by Joao Moutinho, who has been good once again.

3:53 PM ET

51'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pereira heads the ball out for a corner after a nice cross by Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa.

3:51 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

49'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Rumors of Spain's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Spaniards just strung together about 371 consecutive passes over the last two minutes.

Didn't lead to anything though.

3:48 PM ET

46'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal restart the match. No goals so far, but I figure we'll see at least one this half.

No changes at the half.

3:37 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

HALFTIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain had only 56 percent of the possession in the first half. That's not their normal dominating amount of, say, 65 percent or more.

Portugal's midfielders and defenders seem to be swarming to the ball in numbers, but the twist is that they're doing it while the ball is in transit from one Spanish player to another.

The strategy seems to be working, but Spain's players also look tired. They've been more careless with their passes than I can ever remember.

More than anything, though, the consensus seems to be that Portugal's players and coaches aren't afraid of Spain.

So what will happen in the second half?

3:35 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

From Twitter:

And:

And:

3:33 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

HALFTIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

There's the halftime whistle. Neither side scored in the first half, nor were there many clear chances.

But it's interesting to see how Portugal's players are holding their own. Spain don't look like the same team that's dominated Europe and the world for the past four years.

Back in a moment with tweets and a few more thoughts.

3:31 PM ET

45'—CARD!

Fabio Coentrao receives a yellow card. No one seems to know why.

3:31 PM ET

45'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Almost halftime. Not many chances yet, but this has been a fascinating game.

3:29 PM ET

43'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain lose possession again in the midfield. Is this a different team than the one that played the first four games?

Anyway, Tweeps are starting to turn on Spain striker Alvaro Negredo:

And:

3:26 PM ET

41'—CARD!

Spain lose possession again, and Portugal counter.

Sergio Ramos takes out Ronaldo in the midfield and earns a yellow card for it.

He should have drawn a yellow for his challenge on Nani too.

3:24 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

38'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain's David Silva angles through the midfield and runs toward goal, but instead of shooting, he tries to lay off for Iniesta.

Should have shot.

3:22 PM ET

36'—INJURY

Nani is lying on the pitch and receiving attention after running into the back of Sergio Ramos.

Prediction: In two minutes, he'll be running like nothing was ever wrong.

3:20 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

35'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

More tiki-taka passing from Spain, but this time they let the ball go out without any pressure from Portugal.

Spain's players look tired.

3:18 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Totally agree:

3:17 PM ET

31'—RONALDO SHOT!

Ronaldo shoots just wide of the near post from just outside the box.

Again, the chance came after Portugal took possession off Spain.

His first touch really created that opportunity, though.

3:16 PM ET

30'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN

Nani bursts through Spain's midfield with a charging dribble, but the ref calls him back…

… for a foul on Spain.

What was that, ref? Way to let Portugal play the advantage.

3:15 PM ET

29'—SPAIN CHANCE!

Andres Iniesta curls a shot just over the bar!

The move started as Alvaro Negredo tracked down a speculative long ball from Xabi Alonso.

3:13 PM ET
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

27'—PENALTY?

Spain's Sergio Ramos chests down a pass in his own box. The Portuguese fans want a penalty, but it looks like the ref made the right call.

3:13 PM ET

26'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal intercept a Spain pass and start a counter. Pique heads it away, but Portugal's attacks are becoming more dangerous.

It looks like Portugal's players are swarming Spain's midfielders as a pass comes to them. With their back turned to the defenders, the Spanish players don't have lots of time on the ball.

The strategy is working right now.

3:10 PM ET

24'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Cristiano Ronaldo runs onto a loose ball, turns and shoots in one smooth motion.

But the shot rockets way over the bar.

3:09 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Click the link and you'll agree:

3:08 PM ET

22'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ian and Macca debate the bore-factor of Spain's pass-happy style.

Meanwhile, Spain keep passing.

3:06 PM ET

20'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Nani bursts free down the right and beats Sergio Ramos, whose hip check sends Nani to the ground.

Looked like a clear foul to me, but no call from the ref.

3:02 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

17'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ronaldo slams his free kick into the wall.

Disappointing.

3:02 PM ET

16'—FOUL!

Cristiano Ronaldo tumbles under a challenge just outside the box.

Free kick for Portugal on the left side in a very dangerous spot.

3:00 PM ET

14'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Fabio Coentrao tries to pick out Cristiano Ronaldo with a long ball over the top, but it's a bit too long.

Here's a tweet only an Englishman could come up with so early in the match:

2:59 PM ET

13'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ronaldo bursts down the left, outruns a few defenders and crosses back to the middle.

Iker Casillas is on hand to collect it, but it wasn't easy.

If you're wondering why the atmosphere inside the Donbass Arena sounds so quiet, it's because there are so few fans there. Not good news for UEFA.

2:56 PM ET
Handout/Getty Images

10'—SHOT!

Andres Iniesta has a go from outside the box on the left side.

It's way over the bar.

2:55 PM ET

9'—SPAIN CHANCE!

Arbeloa shoots over the bar!

Iniesta starts the move with a surging dribble into the box. After Portugal's defense intervened, the loose ball fell to Arbeloa.

2:53 PM ET

7'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Passing, passing, passing and more passing by Spain.

This could go on for several minutes.

2:50 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

4'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pepe shuts down an attempted long-range pass to Negredo, the lone Spanish striker tonight.

2:48 PM ET

3'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Here's the second corner for Portugal.

Meireles takes it from the left, and Iker Casillas collects the ball out of the air.

Decent start for Portugal.

2:48 PM ET

2'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

A Spain clearances goes only as far as Miguel Veloso, whose long-distance shot is deflected out for a corner.

Veloso takes the corner, and Iker Casillas palms the ball out for another.

2:46 PM ET

1'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The game is under way! Spain do the honors…

Portugal wearing their all-white away kits. Spain in their traditional red shirts and blue shorts.

2:43 PM ET

Pre-match

Anthems over. Captains to meet at midfield after delivering messages about respect, unity and diversity.

Here's a tweet from inside the stadium.

Lots of empty seats.

2:38 PM ET

Pre-match

The teams emerge from the tunnel. Ian and Macca finally take over the microphone.

Time for national anthems now. Have goosebumps yet?

2:36 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

Reading material

Need some last-minute pregame reading material?

B/R's Dan Levy says Cristiano Ronaldo has a point to prove today.

2:29 PM ET

Pre-match

About 15 minutes until kickoff. Anybody want to hazard a guess for today's final score?

Can Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal knock off Spain?

2:20 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

A couple more fun facts:

And:

2:10 PM ET
Lars Baron/Getty Images

Pre-match

Anyone remember that 4-0 Portugal win over Spain in November 2010?

It was only a friendly, yes, but that was still a shocking result.

Highlights of the match can be found here.

2:07 PM ET

Pre-match

The ESPN telecast has begun in America. The studio guys love Vicente del Bosque's decision to bring Alvaro Negredo into Spain's starting lineup.

Will it work? We'll see.

1:58 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

A couple cool stats from Opta:

And:

1:50 PM ET
Handout/Getty Images

Road to the semis

Here's how both teams got to today's semifinal.

Portugal (second in Group B):

Germany 1-0 Portugal

Denmark 2-3 Portugal

Portugal 2-1 Netherlands

Quarterfinal 1: Czech Republic 0-1 Portugal

Spain (Group C winners)

Spain 1-1 Italy

Spain 4-0 Republic of Ireland

Croatia 0-1 Spain

Quarterfinal 3: Spain 2-0 France

1:45 PM ET
Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Pre-match

A couple of notes to make about the starting lineups.

Alvaro Negredo starts in the Spanish attack ahead of Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres. This is the first start of Euro 2012 for the Sevilla forward.

For Portugal, Hugo Almeida starts in place of the injured Helder Postiga.

1:39 PM ET

Lineups

Portugal's starting XI, courtesy of Fox Soccer:

1:38 PM ET

Lineups

Spain's starting XI, via Fox Soccer:

Updates will load automatically - no need to refresh.

5:28 PM ET

PENALTY SHOOTOUT

Spain win the penalty shootout 4-2, and the difference was Cesc Fabregas' shot off the post and into the net.

Portugal must be devastated, and Cristiano Ronaldo must be kicking himself for not taking a penalty sooner.

5:27 PM ET

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't get to take a penalty.

Oh dear.

5:26 PM ET

FABREGAS—GOAL!

Cesc Fabregas scores off the post to his left. Spain win and head to the final!

5:26 PM ET

ALVES—MISS!

Bruno Alves hits the bar and it rolls out.

Spain lead 3-2 through four rounds. Cristiano Ronaldo might not take a shot!

5:25 PM ET

RAMOS—GOAL!

Spain defender Sergio Ramos channels Andrea Pirlo and scores with a Panenka kick down the middle.

5:24 PM ET

NANI—GOAL!

Nani replaces Bruno Alves at the last moment, hesitates on his run-up and skies his kick into the roof of the net on the left side.

It's 2-2 through three rounds.

5:24 PM ET

PIQUE—GOAL

Spain defender Gerard Pique scores with a shot to his left. Rui Patricio nearly got to that one.

5:23 PM ET

PEPE—GOAL!

Portugal defender Pepe takes a long run-up and finishes low and to the left.

Good penalty.

It's 1-1 through two rounds.

5:22 PM ET

INIESTA—GOAL!

Andres Iniesta scores with a low shot to his right.

5:21 PM ET

MOUTINHO—SAVED!

Portugal's Joao Moutinho takes several ridiculous run-up steps, shoots left and sees his kick saved easily.

5:21 PM ET

ALONSO—SAVE!

Spain's Xabi Alonso takes the first penalty…

…and it's saved! Alonso went right and Rui Patricio kept it out!

5:20 PM ET

Ronaldo whispers a few instructions in the ear of Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Will that do anything?

5:14 PM ET

PENALTIES

Both teams will take five penalties, alternating one at a time.

If we're tied after that, we got to sudden death.

5:14 PM ET

ET: 20'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Jesus Navas frees Alvaro Arbeloa on the right. Arbeloa crosses back to the middle, but Portugal's defense heads the ball away.

That's the last attack. There's the final whistle.

We're going to penalties.

5:13 PM ET

ET: 19'—PENALTY?

Pedro falls down in the Portugal box, but there's no call from the ref.

Seemed like Pedro was looking for the foul a bit too much there.

5:11 PM ET

ET: 27'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Quick passing and movement from Spain along the edge of the Portugal box.

It's all looking good until the linesman raises his flag for offside.

Again, where has this been from Spain?

5:09 PM ET

ET: 25'—FOUL!

Cesc Fabregas tumbles in the Portugal box, and the ref blows his whistle…

…for a foul against Fabregas.

5:08 PM ET

ET: 24'—CHANCE!

Pedro slips behind the Portugal defense but three defenders catch up and take the ball away from him.

Where was all this from Spain before?

5:07 PM ET

ET: 23'—CARD

Xabi Alonso hacks down Cristiano Ronaldo and receives a yellow card.

That was a purely tactical foul. He wasn't letting Ronaldo past him there.

5:06 PM ET

ET: 23'—PORTUGAL SUB

Raul Meireles leaves the match, taking at least 10 minutes to walk off the pitch.

Silvestre Varela replaces him.

5:05 PM ET

ET: 21'—CHANCE!

Spain's Jesus Navas forces a save from Rui Patricio with a low shot at the back post.

Pepe touches the ball right before the Portugal keeper collects it, but it's not a foul back-pass. At least not at this point in the match.

5:03 PM ET

ET: 20'—SHOT!

Cesc Fabregas has a go from long distance, but it's blocked and Portugal keeper Rui Patricio collects easily.

5:01 PM ET

ET: 17'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Fabio Coentrao breaks down the left side and tries to pick out Cristiano Ronaldo with a cross.

Spain's defense gets the ball away.

4:59 PM ET

ET: 16'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal restart the match.

During the short break, Custodio came on for Portugal, replacing Miguel Veloso.

It just struck midnight in Donetsk.

4:58 PM ET

HALF

There's the whistle. 15 more minutes of this?

Yikes.

At least Spain opened it up a bit near the end of that half.

4:57 PM ET

ET: 15'—SHOT!

Sergio Ramos takes a shot from the free kick, and it's just over the bar!

Great effort!

4:57 PM ET

ET: 15'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain finding much more space now. They win a free kick on the left side pretty far outside the box.

4:54 PM ET

ET: 14'—CHANCE!

Rui Patricio saves from Andres Iniesta inside the box!

4:53 PM ET

ET: 13'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain take the second corner short too, and it comes to nothing at all.

Portugal try to counter, but nothing doing there, either.

Snooze.

4:53 PM ET

ET: 12'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Corner for Spain. They take it short, and Navas' shot is deflected out for another corner.

4:49 PM ET

ET: 8'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pique wins a one-on-one duel with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Impressive defending, but I'd like to see some impressive attacking.

4:49 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Agreed, 100 percent:

4:47 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Heh:

4:47 PM ET

ET: 6'—SHOT!

Bruno Alves blocks a low shot by Andres Iniesta from outside the box.

Nice defending there.

4:46 PM ET

ET: 5'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ian and Macca bemoan the abundance of empty seats in the stadium and the "flat" atmosphere.

Donetsk is a difficult location for much of Europe's population to reach.

4:44 PM ET

ET: 3'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Oliveira puts a knee in Sergio Busquets' back accidentally.

Busquets rolls on the ground. He'll be fine.

4:41 PM ET

EXTRA TIME: 1'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain kick off…

4:39 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

From Twitter:

And:

Anybody agree with this next one? Anyone at all?

4:37 PM ET

EXTRA TIME

We'll now have two 15-minute periods of extra time. There is no golden goal, meaning that if a goal is scored, the teams will still play all 30 minutes of extra time.

If the score is still tied after that, it's down to penalties.

4:36 PM ET

FULL TIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

There's the whistle. We're going to extra time.

Spain haven't been their normal flowing selves. Portugal and Ronaldo missed a golden chance right at the end of regular time.

What will happen next?

4:35 PM ET

90+3

Miguel Veloso receives a yellow card for a studs-up foul.

4:34 PM ET

90+2

Corner for Spain. Xabi Alonso takes it…

…and it's over everyone. Spain play the ball all the way back to Iker Casillas.

4:33 PM ET

90'—PORTUGAL CHANCE!

Portugal counter quickly after a Spain free kick.

The chance falls to Ronaldo on the left, and he slices a shot way off target.

That's disappointing from Ronaldo.

4:31 PM ET

89'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

We're heading toward stoppage time fast. Neither team looks especially interested in pushing for a goal.

4:29 PM ET

87'—SPAIN SUB

Xavi leaves the match. Pedro comes on.

When Xavi comes off, you know he must be tired. He's been a steady presence in Spain's lineup for years.

4:28 PM ET

86'—CARD

Bruno Alves of Portugal receves a yellow card for a foul on Cesc.

4:26 PM ET

84'—SHOT!

Cristiano Ronaldo takes the second free kick, this time from about 25 yards…

…and he lifts it over the bar again.

4:26 PM ET

83'—CARD!

Ronaldo takes a shot on goal, and it hits Arbeloa in the wall. Arbeloa receives a yellow card for a handball.

Another free kick.

4:25 PM ET

82'—FREE KICK

Xabi Alonso fouls Cristiano Ronaldo on the left side, about 35 yards out.

Will he shoot from here?

4:23 PM ET

81'—PORTUGAL SUB

Hugo Almeida leaves the game.

20-year-old Nelson Oliveira comes on.

4:22 PM ET

80'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Free kick for Portugal on the right. The ball is curled straight at Iker Casillas.

Portugal's free kick takers haven't been good enough today, and that includes Ronaldo.

4:19 PM ET

76'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The Portuguese have a promising attack and Nani finds himself with space on the right for a moment.

But the pass is behind him and Spain's defense catches up.

4:17 PM ET

75'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Still no score, and it's getting a bit chippy out there.

Spain passing the ball aimlessly at the moment. Their movement is uncharacteristically slow.

Remember, you can tweet me your views @MikeCummings37

If you're not seeing embedded tweets here, reload your browser. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

4:15 PM ET

73'—SHOT!

Ronaldo gets his shot to dip, but it still flies over the bar.

Not a bad effort.

4:14 PM ET

72'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Cristiano Ronaldo draws a foul outside the box. He'll have a free kick about 30 yards out, somewhat close to the middle.

4:12 PM ET

70'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Just 20 minutes left and it's still scoreless.

Who will make the breakthrough? Will anyone make the breakthrough?

4:11 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

I believe Karl is right:

4:10 PM ET

67'—SHOT!

Xavi shoots straight at the keeper from long distance. Portugal looked a bit stretched for once.

Cesc Fabregas was open. Maybe Xavi should have laid off the ball.

4:07 PM ET

65'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The free kick is headed out authoritatively.

Corner to Spain, and it's headed away too.

4:07 PM ET

64'—CARD!

Joao Pereira brings down Cesc Fabregas along the edge of the box on the left side.

Fabregas would have been through on goal otherwise. Good foul to give up.

Free kick for Spain in a dangerous spot.

4:05 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Yep, this is about right:

4:03 PM ET

61'—CARD!

Pepe clatters into Xabi Alonso's back with a high knee. He earns a yellow for his trouble.

Surprisingly, that's Pepe's first card of the tournament.

Xabi Alonso looks shaken up.

4:03 PM ET

60'—SPAIN SUP

Jesus Navas replaces David Silva.

That must mean Spain's players are really tired.

4:02 PM ET

60'—CARD!

Sergio Busquets receives a yellow card for complaining about Cristiano Ronaldo.

Looks like Busquets wanted a yellow card for Ronaldo, who had tumbled in the box under Sergio Ramos' challenge.

Good call by the ref.

4:01 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

59'—SHOT!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Almeida play a one-two down the left, and Almeida runs on goal before shooting high and wide of the near post.

3:59 PM ET

57'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Nani takes a corner for Portugal…

… and it's poor. They'll have to do better than that to beat Spain.

Moments later, Hugo Almeida hits a shot well over the bar after another lost possession by Spain.

3:58 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

For a substitution, we've just seen a surprisingly large amount of activity generated on Twitter.

And:

And:

3:56 PM ET

54'—SUB!

Alvaro Negredo leaves the match. Cesc Fabregas comes on for Spain.

Why not make that change at halftime?

3:55 PM ET
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

53'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Now Joao Pereira has his cross deflected out for a corner.

That was set up by Joao Moutinho, who has been good once again.

3:53 PM ET

51'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pereira heads the ball out for a corner after a nice cross by Spain's Alvaro Arbeloa.

3:51 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

49'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Rumors of Spain's demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Spaniards just strung together about 371 consecutive passes over the last two minutes.

Didn't lead to anything though.

3:48 PM ET

46'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal restart the match. No goals so far, but I figure we'll see at least one this half.

No changes at the half.

3:37 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

HALFTIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain had only 56 percent of the possession in the first half. That's not their normal dominating amount of, say, 65 percent or more.

Portugal's midfielders and defenders seem to be swarming to the ball in numbers, but the twist is that they're doing it while the ball is in transit from one Spanish player to another.

The strategy seems to be working, but Spain's players also look tired. They've been more careless with their passes than I can ever remember.

More than anything, though, the consensus seems to be that Portugal's players and coaches aren't afraid of Spain.

So what will happen in the second half?

3:35 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

From Twitter:

And:

And:

3:33 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

HALFTIME: PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

There's the halftime whistle. Neither side scored in the first half, nor were there many clear chances.

But it's interesting to see how Portugal's players are holding their own. Spain don't look like the same team that's dominated Europe and the world for the past four years.

Back in a moment with tweets and a few more thoughts.

3:31 PM ET

45'—CARD!

Fabio Coentrao receives a yellow card. No one seems to know why.

3:31 PM ET

45'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Almost halftime. Not many chances yet, but this has been a fascinating game.

3:29 PM ET

43'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain lose possession again in the midfield. Is this a different team than the one that played the first four games?

Anyway, Tweeps are starting to turn on Spain striker Alvaro Negredo:

And:

3:26 PM ET

41'—CARD!

Spain lose possession again, and Portugal counter.

Sergio Ramos takes out Ronaldo in the midfield and earns a yellow card for it.

He should have drawn a yellow for his challenge on Nani too.

3:24 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

38'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Spain's David Silva angles through the midfield and runs toward goal, but instead of shooting, he tries to lay off for Iniesta.

Should have shot.

3:22 PM ET

36'—INJURY

Nani is lying on the pitch and receiving attention after running into the back of Sergio Ramos.

Prediction: In two minutes, he'll be running like nothing was ever wrong.

3:20 PM ET
Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

35'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

More tiki-taka passing from Spain, but this time they let the ball go out without any pressure from Portugal.

Spain's players look tired.

3:18 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Totally agree:

3:17 PM ET

31'—RONALDO SHOT!

Ronaldo shoots just wide of the near post from just outside the box.

Again, the chance came after Portugal took possession off Spain.

His first touch really created that opportunity, though.

3:16 PM ET

30'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN

Nani bursts through Spain's midfield with a charging dribble, but the ref calls him back…

… for a foul on Spain.

What was that, ref? Way to let Portugal play the advantage.

3:15 PM ET

29'—SPAIN CHANCE!

Andres Iniesta curls a shot just over the bar!

The move started as Alvaro Negredo tracked down a speculative long ball from Xabi Alonso.

3:13 PM ET
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

27'—PENALTY?

Spain's Sergio Ramos chests down a pass in his own box. The Portuguese fans want a penalty, but it looks like the ref made the right call.

3:13 PM ET

26'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Portugal intercept a Spain pass and start a counter. Pique heads it away, but Portugal's attacks are becoming more dangerous.

It looks like Portugal's players are swarming Spain's midfielders as a pass comes to them. With their back turned to the defenders, the Spanish players don't have lots of time on the ball.

The strategy is working right now.

3:10 PM ET

24'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Cristiano Ronaldo runs onto a loose ball, turns and shoots in one smooth motion.

But the shot rockets way over the bar.

3:09 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

Click the link and you'll agree:

3:08 PM ET

22'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ian and Macca debate the bore-factor of Spain's pass-happy style.

Meanwhile, Spain keep passing.

3:06 PM ET

20'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Nani bursts free down the right and beats Sergio Ramos, whose hip check sends Nani to the ground.

Looked like a clear foul to me, but no call from the ref.

3:02 PM ET
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

17'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ronaldo slams his free kick into the wall.

Disappointing.

3:02 PM ET

16'—FOUL!

Cristiano Ronaldo tumbles under a challenge just outside the box.

Free kick for Portugal on the left side in a very dangerous spot.

3:00 PM ET

14'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Fabio Coentrao tries to pick out Cristiano Ronaldo with a long ball over the top, but it's a bit too long.

Here's a tweet only an Englishman could come up with so early in the match:

2:59 PM ET

13'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Ronaldo bursts down the left, outruns a few defenders and crosses back to the middle.

Iker Casillas is on hand to collect it, but it wasn't easy.

If you're wondering why the atmosphere inside the Donbass Arena sounds so quiet, it's because there are so few fans there. Not good news for UEFA.

2:56 PM ET
Handout/Getty Images

10'—SHOT!

Andres Iniesta has a go from outside the box on the left side.

It's way over the bar.

2:55 PM ET

9'—SPAIN CHANCE!

Arbeloa shoots over the bar!

Iniesta starts the move with a surging dribble into the box. After Portugal's defense intervened, the loose ball fell to Arbeloa.

2:53 PM ET

7'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Passing, passing, passing and more passing by Spain.

This could go on for several minutes.

2:50 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

4'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Pepe shuts down an attempted long-range pass to Negredo, the lone Spanish striker tonight.

2:48 PM ET

3'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

Here's the second corner for Portugal.

Meireles takes it from the left, and Iker Casillas collects the ball out of the air.

Decent start for Portugal.

2:48 PM ET

2'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

A Spain clearances goes only as far as Miguel Veloso, whose long-distance shot is deflected out for a corner.

Veloso takes the corner, and Iker Casillas palms the ball out for another.

2:46 PM ET

1'—PORTUGAL 0, SPAIN 0

The game is under way! Spain do the honors…

Portugal wearing their all-white away kits. Spain in their traditional red shirts and blue shorts.

2:43 PM ET

Pre-match

Anthems over. Captains to meet at midfield after delivering messages about respect, unity and diversity.

Here's a tweet from inside the stadium.

Lots of empty seats.

2:38 PM ET

Pre-match

The teams emerge from the tunnel. Ian and Macca finally take over the microphone.

Time for national anthems now. Have goosebumps yet?

2:36 PM ET
Martin Rose/Getty Images

Reading material

Need some last-minute pregame reading material?

B/R's Dan Levy says Cristiano Ronaldo has a point to prove today.

2:29 PM ET

Pre-match

About 15 minutes until kickoff. Anybody want to hazard a guess for today's final score?

Can Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal knock off Spain?

2:20 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

A couple more fun facts:

And:

2:10 PM ET
Lars Baron/Getty Images

Pre-match

Anyone remember that 4-0 Portugal win over Spain in November 2010?

It was only a friendly, yes, but that was still a shocking result.

Highlights of the match can be found here.

2:07 PM ET

Pre-match

The ESPN telecast has begun in America. The studio guys love Vicente del Bosque's decision to bring Alvaro Negredo into Spain's starting lineup.

Will it work? We'll see.

1:58 PM ET

Tweet, Tweet

A couple cool stats from Opta:

And:

1:50 PM ET
Handout/Getty Images

Road to the semis

Here's how both teams got to today's semifinal.

Portugal (second in Group B):

Germany 1-0 Portugal

Denmark 2-3 Portugal

Portugal 2-1 Netherlands

Quarterfinal 1: Czech Republic 0-1 Portugal

Spain (Group C winners)

Spain 1-1 Italy

Spain 4-0 Republic of Ireland

Croatia 0-1 Spain

Quarterfinal 3: Spain 2-0 France

1:45 PM ET
Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Pre-match

A couple of notes to make about the starting lineups.

Alvaro Negredo starts in the Spanish attack ahead of Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres. This is the first start of Euro 2012 for the Sevilla forward.

For Portugal, Hugo Almeida starts in place of the injured Helder Postiga.

1:39 PM ET

Lineups

Portugal's starting XI, courtesy of Fox Soccer:

1:38 PM ET

Lineups

Spain's starting XI, via Fox Soccer: