[Salvy_Mic]

Turkey/Croatia is the kind of game that was otherwise average, but because of that last minute, will forever be etched in Euro Championship lore. I'll say this about the Turks though, they have a ton of heart. They simply don't know how to quit. Sometimes, that's enough to get farther than you would otherwise think, like Greece 4 years ago.

With that said, I don't think heart is enough to get past a large, physical, and disciplined German team that's starting to play at their best form with the new lineup they pulled out against Portugal. They'll play valiantly, but I think the Turks will lose.

The weekend brings nothing but great matches though. Netherlands/Russia should be fun to watch, and I can't wait for Spain/Italy. The Dutch should win against Russia. Both teams play a similar, free-flowing style, but the Dutch simply have more weapon and a security blanket named Edwin van der Sar.

I think Spain beats Italy and overcomes their major tournament demons finally. With Materazzi in bad form, Cannavaro injured, and Gattuso and Pirlo missing the next game due to yellow card suspensions, the Italians don't have the defense to stop either Villa or Torres for the Spanish. Then again, if Italy has one thing in abundance, it's experience and character. Even with the odds against them, Italy still has enough to give Spain hell.