'Boring' Spain march on

Spain face Portugal in the first semi-final of Euro 2012 and the build-up has been reduced to whether Ronaldo can beat Spain single handedly and whether Spain would change their approach after being labelled 'boring'.

Both statements are founded in ridiculous hyperbole and have reduced the amount of interesting journalism undertaken in the (English) mainstream press. CR7 has had quite a good tournament; scoring in five successive tournaments for Portugal isn't bad, but to suggest that the rest of the Portugal side are a side show waiting for Ronaldo to rescue them is to ignore the depth of experience in the side.

Other than Miguel Veloso, the indifferent Raul Merieles and the absence of a out-and-out striker, Portugal have one of the form teams in the tournament and they have an enormous amount of continental experience. Pepe and Bruno Alves have looked imperious at the back, while the two full-backs are amongst the most dangerous in Europe. Joao Moutinho has been superb and with two seasons under his belt at Porto looks like fulfilling his early promise. Nani came to Poland and Ukraine on the back of a poor league season but has impressed thus far.

Ronaldo has found some form at Euro 2012, taking 30 shots will help, but to suggest that Portugal are a weak team without him is foolish. The have shown enough to indicate that they will give Spain their toughest test at Euro 2012 and the Portuguese looked close to matching Germany, despite showing them too much respect in the 1-0 defeat.

After posting eight goals in their first four games, only behind Germany with nine, people seem to have got it in for Spain and the 'boring' tika-taka football that they've produced this tournament. After conceding just one goal in games against Italy, Croatia and France the Spanish squad have genuinely had to answer questions about their playing style and whether they would change it.

That the whole world was fawning over tika-tak football two (and four) years ago has been conveniently forgotten, and Xabi Alonso and Andreas Iniesta have had to declare in press-conferences that Spain would be sticking to their principles and passing philosophy.

Guillem Balague alluded to the extraordinary scrutiny and pressure that Spain are under and it seems to be fashionable to pick holes in the Spanish at present. The Chelsea Champions League win falsely reinforced a notion that playing ultra defensively will regularly defeat a passing machine and this has contributed to a footballing culture more happy to critique possession football.

Chelsea's win was down to some extraordinary luck in at least three of their European ties and was supposed to be based on the model that Inter perfected in 2010. The main difference being that Inter produced a masterclass in defending, so good it is unlikely to be matched, whereas Chelsea rode their luck and thumped it up to man-mountain Drogba. To defend that well, to a man, and eliminate Barcelona will happen 1 in 10 matches and Inter also rode their luck regarding Bojan's legitimate goal.

To contend that Spain need to change their approach is an absurd statement and from where I'm sitting their football this tournament has been superb. I can count two clear chances that they have conceded in four whole matches; the Di Natale goal and Rakitic chance v Croatia. Both were created on the counter and required two pieces of excellent individual skill, a step over and perfect pass from Pirlo and a mazy run and outside of the boot cross from Modric to come close to breaking Spain down.

As part of tika-taka football Spain will monopolise the ball and unless they come up against a foolhardy side, they will have to break down three walls of opposition players, quite a challenge. By keeping the ball for longer and playing less openly Spain are protecting Sergio Ramos and Gerrard Pique, which is a raw partnership and less stable than a Pique and Puyol or Puyol and Marchena.

The Spanish have now gone eight knock-out games without conceding a goal, which is normally a great way of progressing at competitions. Spain are not here to play entertaining football and put on a show for the public. They come to Poland and Ukraine looking to be the first side to win three successive tournaments and based on their form and resilient displays so far, look favourites to do that.