The first 12 days and 24 games of EURO 2012 have brought glorious goals, memorable matches and fantastic fightbacks as the field was halved from 16 to eight. Only the weather has failed to play ball but the contrast between blazing sun and thunderstorms has merely added to the drama
As many as 60 goals were scored in 24 first round matches. 57 goals were scored in the 24 first round matches four years ago in Austria and Switzerland. The 26 goals were scored in the first half, already one more than four years ago.
This is the first group stage in European Championship tournament history that has had no goalless draws. A new record of headed goals was also set. A total number of 17 goals were scored by header in this championship in the first round. The Netherlands had never lost more than one group stage match at European Championship before they lost all three here. Portugal’s Helder Postiga and Cristiano Ronaldo and Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined a list of only seven players to score at three European Championships, after Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Vladimir Šmicer (Czech Republic), Nuno Gomes (Portugal), Thierry Henry (France). Petr Jiracek equalled the mark for the third fastest-ever goal in European Championship finals history by scoring Czech Republic’s first goal in two minutes and 14 second against Greece at Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland on Tuesday night (June 12).
It was also the fastest goal in Euro 2012, 24 seconds faster than Mario Mandzukic for Croatia against Republic of Ireland at Municipal Stadium, Poznan, Poland on Sunday night (June 10)
Petr Jiracek’s goal was the joint third fastest goal in European Championship history, equalling England’s Alan Shearer (vs Germany in 1996). Greece also conceded the fastest one, 1 minute and 7 seconds by Russia Dmitri Kirichenko at Euro 2004.Vaclav Pilar scored the second goal in the sixth minute of the match. This was the fastest ever 2-0 lead in a Europran Cup match. The previous record was Netherlands vs Germany at Euro 1992 when the Dutch led 2-0 after 15 minutes in 3-1 victory. Spain completed 810 passes against Ireland, a new mark in a European Championship match with Xavi Hernandez alone contributing a record 127. Their opponents managed 198.
SOME FACTS AND FIGURES AFTER 1st ROUND:
Total matches: 24, Decided: 19, Draws: 5, Goals scored: 60 (26 in first and 24 in the second half), Biggest win: 4-0 Spain beat Ireland, Most goals in a match: 4-1 Russia beat Czech Republic, 3-2 Portugal beat Denmark, 3-2 England beat Sweden
Least goals in a match:
1-0 Denmark beat Netherlands
1-0 Germany beat Portugal
1-0 Czech Republic beat Poland
1-0 Greece beat Russia
1-0 Spain beat Croatia
1-0 England beat Ukraine
Highest scorer: 3 Mario Gomez (Germany)
3 Alan Dzagoev (Russia)
3 Mario Mandzukic (Croatia)
No of players scored: 60 (3 scored 3, 9 scored 2 and 33 scored one,including 1 own goal)
Fastest goal: 2 minutes 14 seconds by Petr Jiracek (Czech Republic) v Greece
No of fouls Committed: 14 in 239 minutes by Milan Baros (Czech Republic)
11 in 270 minutes by Mario Mandzukic (Croatia)
10 in 269 minutes by Keith Andrews (Ireland)
Red Cards: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greece)
Wojciech Szczesny (Poland)
