Martin Rose/Getty Images Euro 2012 is eight matches old, with all 16 teams playing once each.
That means it's time to assess the field. So, who were the best players of the opening round of group matches?
The opening eight matches of Euro 2012 generated plenty of heroes and villains—and one fairytale.
Here is my All-Star XI through the first round of Euro Championship group matches.
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Przemyslaw Tyton etched his name into European Championship lore with a memorable penalty save for co-hosts Poland in the tournament opener against Greece on Friday.
With starting keeper Wojciech Szczesny sent off for a foul in the box, Tyton entered the game cold and faced Giorgos Karagounis in a one-on-one penalty duel.
Undaunted, Tyton dived to his left and saved low to keep Poland level at 1-1. The match ended with the same score, and Poland had Tyton to thank.
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Vicente del Bosque made international headlines with the six midfielders—and no true forwards—he selected for Spain's starting lineup against Italy on Sunday.
Daniele De Rossi then raised eyebrows for his performances in the middle of Italy's defense. Normally a midfielder, De Rossi moved into the back line to add stability for the Italians against Spain's vaunted passing game.
The switch paid dividends, with Spain largely struggling to break down the Azzuri defense.
De Rossi was literally in the middle of it all, anchoring a daring three-man back line.
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Denmark sprung the upset of the opening round, blanking the Netherlands 1-0 on Saturday.
The high-powered Dutch had been expected to play flowing, stylish, attacking football, but the Danish defense frustrated their more illustrious opponents throughout.
In fairness, Holland wasted multiple chances, and the referee failed to spot a handball in the Denmark box late in the second half.
But by the end of the game, Daniel Agger and his Danish defense had the Dutch completely under wraps.
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The inclusion of Mats Hummels in Joachim Löw's starting lineup was a bit of a surprise. Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker, who is still regaining full fitness following a long injury layoff, had been expected by most to start.
Hummels, however, repaid his manager's faith with a towering performance in the middle of Germany's defense against Portugal.
Strong in the air and assured in passing (88.7 percent according to WhoScored.com), the Borussia Dortmund man underlined his qualifications to be Holger Badstuber's partner in central defense.
Don't be surprised if Hummels remains in the starting lineup for some time.
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Spain's passing midfielders frequently earn praise—deservedly so—but Italy's Andrea Pirlo was the best player on the pitch Sunday.
In fact, with his silky passing, perfect spatial awareness and flawless linking of offense and defense, Pirlo would have been an ideal fit in Spain's lineup.
There's almost no higher praise for the little midfield maestro.
Here's a try, though: Pirlo's perfectly weighted final pass ahead of Antonio Di Natale's opening goal was a thing of pure beauty.
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Samir Nasri was probably France's best, most dangerous player during the first half Monday against England. Karim Benzema might have taken that honor in the second half.
Neither played well from start to finish. Franck Ribery did.
Over the years, we've almost come to take Ribery's darting runs and dangerous dribbles for granted. England most certainly did not.
Ribery terrorized the right side of England's defense nearly every time he touched the ball, and he almost even managed to convince the ref that he'd taken an elbow to the face with a typically theatrical session of writhing and rolling on the pitch.
All in all, it was exactly the type of performance you'd expect from the mercurial French rogue.
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Wearing the captain's armband once again, Steven Gerrard played a vital role in England's 1-1 draw with France.
The 32-year-old Liverpool midfielder created England's goal with a gorgeous first-half free kick.
And the rest of the time, he helped England keep the better, more talented, more dangerous French team at bay.
Playing much deeper than customary, Gerrard was England's man of the match.
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As ever with Andrei Arshavin, even the good comes with questions.
Can he play like this the whole tournament? Or will he revert to the form that saw him banished from Arsenal back to Zenit St. Petersburg over the winter?
Most vexing, for opposing defenses at least, is this one: Is he a midfielder or a forward?
Arshavin turned in a vintage performance for Russia against the Czechs on Friday, linking up play, spraying passes across the field and setting up two goals in a 4-1 victory.
Arsenal fans will wonder where all that was during the past club season. Russian fans will just smile and hope their captain continues to play his best at the right time.
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Russia posted the most impressive win of the opening fixtures, and 21-year-old midfielder/forward Alan Dzagoev was perhaps the Russians' most impressive player versus the Czech Republic.
Making his Euro debut, Dzagoev scored twice and earned man-of-the-match honors. He opened the scoring in the 15th minute, latching onto a rebound and driving home a low shot at the far post.
With Russia leading 2-1 midway through the second half, he sealed the victory with his second strike, set up by Roman Pavlyuchenko.
It was more than just scoring, though.
Like Arshavin, Dzagoev played almost a hybrid midfield/forward role, and he never stopped moving in the final third. Constantly creating danger for himself and his teammates, Dzagoev displayed a potent understanding with Andrei Arshavin.
Russia's progress in this tournament could depend on how potent that combination remains.
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Croatia produced three goals Sunday against Ireland, and two came courtesy of Mario Mandzukic's head.
The 6'1" forward caught Irish keeper Shay Given off guard with a long header in the third minute, giving Croatia a dream start.
Three minutes into the second half, he struck again, this time powering an angled header off the bar, off Given's head and into the net.
As the focus of Croatia's attack, Mandzukic could be a player to watch at this tournament—especially if Slaven Bilic's team advances past the group stage.
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Ukraine's first European Championship match turned into a fairytale, thanks to legendary 35-year-old striker Andriy Shevchenko.
Shevchenko, the 2004 Ballon d'Or winner, is clearly not the player he once was. But that didn't matter Monday.
When he equalized for co-hosts Ukraine against Sweden in the second half Monday, Kiev really seemed to be on the verge of exploding.
It wasn't hard to see why.
Paul Carr @PCarrESPN
At 35 years & 256 days, Shevchenko is oldest player to score a EURO goal FROM OPEN PLAY.
Later, of course, Shevchenko became the oldest player to score twice in a European Championship match, and Ukraine went on to a surprising 2-1 win over the Swedes in their Euro Cup debut.
Shevchenko left the pitch with about 10 minutes left, and if you didn't enjoy the spectacle, that's no problem. You just don't like football.
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Here's my All-Star XI through the first round of group matches.
The formation is a 3-4-3, unless you want to consider Alan Dzagoev an attacking midfielder.
Przemyslaw Tyton (Poland); Daniele De Rossi (Italy), Daniel Agger (Denmark), Mats Hummels (Germany); Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribery (France), Steven Gerrard (England), Andrei Arshavin (Russia); Alan Dzagoev (Russia), Mario Mandzukic (Croatia), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine).
Now it's your turn, readers. Who would make your All-Star XI? Let me know in the comments, or send me a tweet.
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