In the last of my four posts on the Euro 2012 Group Stage, we have England, France, Ukraine, and Sweden in Group D. England and France have always been known for disappointment at the international stage, Ukraine has a home crowd to impress, and Sweden carries plenty of momentum into the finals.
We begin with grand old England. No nation's national team creates the headlines quite like England does. From the sacking of Fabio Capello over the winter, to the search for and eventual appointment of Roy Hodgson as boss for Euro, John Terry's loss of the captaincy, and all the way to Wayne Rooney's two game ban to open the tournament, English football has been sort of a soap opera of late.
Without Rooney, the burden to score falls mainly on his Manchester United teammate Ashley Young and his skill down the wing will be important to set up Andy Carrol. After the many follies with goalkeeping during the last World Cup, there should be a huge spotlight on goalkeeper Joe Hart. Youth could end up playing a role for the Three Lions, as young Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain figures could see some time after starting against the French.
Speaking of the French, they have a lot to prove after being non-existent at the World Cup two years ago and in Euro 2008 before that. France is a nation with all the talent in the world, but literally nothing to show for it. They changed managers during qualifying for this year's European finals, and hope that can wend some of the dissent within the squad.
Their leading striker is Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid front man has improved greatly while playing for the Spanish champions. He is supported on the outside by Chelsea's Florent Malouda and the technically gifted Samir Nasri of Manchester City. Patrice Evra and Phillipe Mexes provide stability in back. France really has no excuse for not qualifying for the quarterfinals this year, what with their draw this year.
Ukraine faces a much more uphill battle than their Polish co-hosts. They got an opening round win against the Swedes, but still have to face the likes of England and France. They qualified for their first Euro solely because they were hosts. No way they make it without that virtue.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk of Bayern Munich is the team's leader and standout player. Look for him to do the bulk of the work in the middle of the pitch. Former AC Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko, now with Dynamo Kiev, will receive Tymoshchuck's feeds in striker position. The experienced forward is Ukraine's biggest offensive threat. Overall, Poland's chances with the home crowd are better.
The Swedes were downed in stunning fashion in the opening game against Ukraine, which will likely be a major setback in any attempt at advancement. I would have picked them to finish third before the defeat. Sweden still have the potential to knock off England or France in a shocker.
Despite doing better in qualifying without him, AC Milan attacker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Sweden's top player. Kim Kallstrom will be the leader in the midfield, he has a larger responsibility in transition with Sweden abandoning the 4-4-2 formation. The loss to Ukraine really hurts Sweden's chances of advancement, but and upset of one of the big guys will still put them through.
This group, while still fairly predictable, holds the possibility for an upset. Ukraine's win sets up a couple crucial matches with England and France. The draw between the two large sides puts pressure on them to win out the group, if they can.
Predicted order of finish:
England
France
Sweden
Ukraine
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Euro 2012 Preview: Group C
Groups C and D feature more predictable finishes than their A and B counterparts. While those groups left plenty of room for debate, it isn't too hard to pick out a pair of teams to advance from the other two divisions, even despite a couple team's reputations.
Group C features defending champions Spain, continental power Italy, and the lower likes of Croatia and Ireland.
Spain might have the second most powerful side in the tournament. Only Germany has more pure talent. When you have a player like Cesc Fabregas coming off the bench, you know your team must be good. Spain is no stranger to international success as of late. They hoisted the 2010 World Cup and won the last European Championship.
Spain have always played a very attractive style of football. They favor a quick passing game and have plenty of skill to dissect any defense. Barcelona's Andres Iniesta might be the most skilled of them all. Chelsea's Fernando Torres could play a big part in the squad's success. Not only has he been accused of racism and other attitude issues, but he fills the shoes of David Villa, who is still out after suffering a gruesome knee injury midway through the La Liga season.
The 2006 World Cup winners, Italy brings another strong side into the Euro and have a plenty favorable draw that should see them into the quarterfinals. They are not really title contenders, but they are more than capable of upsetting another team's hopes past the group stage.
They will rely heavily on the captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. He has the experience and talent to lead anyone along. He is one of the best keepers the world has right now, and he should make life difficult for opposing strikers. Mario Ballotelli, Manchester City's controversial and outgoing striker, is the main man up front. Italy's team is sort of in a state of flux. Success can doi well for their manager, Caesare Prandelli, but a disappointing early exit can lead to major changes to a once formidable side.
Croatia could be the team that creates havoc in the plan's of Italy or Spain. A win against Ireland in the opening game already puts the pressure on the favorites. While they aren't the same side that finished third in the 1998 World Cup, they could make for an interesting Group C wrecking ball.
They are lead by a couple of Premier League attacking players, beginning with Tottenham's Luka Modric. He aims to bring his success with London's third best team into the major international stage. Everton's Nikica Jelavic provides their main scoring threat. The biggest problem that the Croatians will face is the inability to score. While they netted three against Ireland, a high profile keeper like Buffon or Spain's stronger back line could keep them off the score sheet.
Finally, we have Ireland, one of the weaker sides of the tournament. Indeed, an escape from Group C would be nearly miraculous. This is their first appearance at the European Championship since 1988, where they failed to get out of the group stage.
Ireland will have to play very defensively in order to win. Goalkeeper Shay Given is their most experienced player, and he is good at what he does. Irish captain, and LA Galaxy standout, Robbie Keane brings a strong attacking presence as well as a name familiar to American soccer fans. He led the side with seven goals in qualifying.
I said Group C looked quite predictable, and I still believe that Italy and Spain will take care of the group. The interesting storyline will be if Croatia, coming off an opening win against Ireland, can poach some points from the favorites.
Predicted order of finish:
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Ireland
Group C features defending champions Spain, continental power Italy, and the lower likes of Croatia and Ireland.
Spain might have the second most powerful side in the tournament. Only Germany has more pure talent. When you have a player like Cesc Fabregas coming off the bench, you know your team must be good. Spain is no stranger to international success as of late. They hoisted the 2010 World Cup and won the last European Championship.
Spain have always played a very attractive style of football. They favor a quick passing game and have plenty of skill to dissect any defense. Barcelona's Andres Iniesta might be the most skilled of them all. Chelsea's Fernando Torres could play a big part in the squad's success. Not only has he been accused of racism and other attitude issues, but he fills the shoes of David Villa, who is still out after suffering a gruesome knee injury midway through the La Liga season.
The 2006 World Cup winners, Italy brings another strong side into the Euro and have a plenty favorable draw that should see them into the quarterfinals. They are not really title contenders, but they are more than capable of upsetting another team's hopes past the group stage.
They will rely heavily on the captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. He has the experience and talent to lead anyone along. He is one of the best keepers the world has right now, and he should make life difficult for opposing strikers. Mario Ballotelli, Manchester City's controversial and outgoing striker, is the main man up front. Italy's team is sort of in a state of flux. Success can doi well for their manager, Caesare Prandelli, but a disappointing early exit can lead to major changes to a once formidable side.
Croatia could be the team that creates havoc in the plan's of Italy or Spain. A win against Ireland in the opening game already puts the pressure on the favorites. While they aren't the same side that finished third in the 1998 World Cup, they could make for an interesting Group C wrecking ball.
They are lead by a couple of Premier League attacking players, beginning with Tottenham's Luka Modric. He aims to bring his success with London's third best team into the major international stage. Everton's Nikica Jelavic provides their main scoring threat. The biggest problem that the Croatians will face is the inability to score. While they netted three against Ireland, a high profile keeper like Buffon or Spain's stronger back line could keep them off the score sheet.
Finally, we have Ireland, one of the weaker sides of the tournament. Indeed, an escape from Group C would be nearly miraculous. This is their first appearance at the European Championship since 1988, where they failed to get out of the group stage.
Ireland will have to play very defensively in order to win. Goalkeeper Shay Given is their most experienced player, and he is good at what he does. Irish captain, and LA Galaxy standout, Robbie Keane brings a strong attacking presence as well as a name familiar to American soccer fans. He led the side with seven goals in qualifying.
I said Group C looked quite predictable, and I still believe that Italy and Spain will take care of the group. The interesting storyline will be if Croatia, coming off an opening win against Ireland, can poach some points from the favorites.
Predicted order of finish:
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Ireland
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Euro 2012 Preview: Group B
Group B is, by far, Euro 2012's group of death. The four nations in this group all have the potential to win the whole thing should they escape this most difficult of opening challenges.
Germany, Denmark, Portugal, and the Netherlands all feature plenty of star power. Even a casual American soccer fan will recognize a handful of names on these four rosters.
If yesterday's Group A was a batch of sides looking to prove their worth, today's slate of matches features teams looking to maintain their status as Europe's near elite.
We begin with the much heralded Germans. Rarely has there been a side with as much rightly deserved praise that has failed to win a major tournament in recent years. Indeed, they have been bounced in back to back World Cup semi-finals and have not tasted European glory since 1996 in England.
A strong team with much to prove, Germany is led by a generous mix of youth and experience. Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil are the prime young firepower while the experienced Bastian Schweinsteiger is the senior man in the midfield. And we certainly cannot dismiss new Arsenal signee Lukas Podolski up front. It's a shame that a player of Mario Gotze's caliber will have to settle on being a substitue on Europe's top ranked squad. If there is a weakness, it lies in Germany's back four. Something that figures to be a common theme in this group.
If there is a team to feel sorry for in thoa tournament it has to be Denmark. They are such a young, energetic side with plenty of upside, but they seem to have gotten hosed in terms of their draw.
The ever confident Nicklas Bendtner has enjoyed a great deal of international success, despite being limited throughout his club career. He figures to be Denmark's main scoring threat. Behind him and lost in the highlights of Gotze, and other young Central European stars, is Christian Eriksen, Denmark's prized youngster and Ajax star. Had the Danes drew into the weaker Group A, I would more than fancy their chances of cruising to the quarterfinals, however, this side might have to fight their way to even one win in this mammoth division.
When you think of Portuguese football, you think of the ever showy Cristiano Ronaldo. He is, indeed, the undisputed superstar of the team. He more than stood out during Real Madrid's La Liga winning season and now Portugal's hopes in Poland and Ukraine rest firmly on him.
Not that he will be working alone, mind you. Mamchester United youngster Nani has a lot to prove on the European stage. Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammates Pepe and Fabio Coentrao bring plenty of chemistry with the Portuguese superstar. While these supporting players will help, should something happen to their main man, Portugal will undoubtedly be sunk.
Finally, the World Cup runners up, the Netherlands. The Dutch would love nothing more than to carry over their success from South Africa into this year's European Championships. They face a difficult road to glory, however, as one mistake can be enough to keep them out of the quarters.
This should be a fun, high scoring group to watch. Every team boasts a wealth of attacking talent, leaving weak points in back. My prediction for the group phase is that Group B will have the most goals scored. While no clear front runners exist, I expect Germany to handle the field and move on with the Dutch clocking in as a close second. Not much has to go wrong for those two to see Portugal or Denmark sqieal into a second place finish and a spot in the quarterfinals, though.
Predicted order of finish:
Germany
Netherlands
Portugal
Denmark
Germany, Denmark, Portugal, and the Netherlands all feature plenty of star power. Even a casual American soccer fan will recognize a handful of names on these four rosters.
If yesterday's Group A was a batch of sides looking to prove their worth, today's slate of matches features teams looking to maintain their status as Europe's near elite.
We begin with the much heralded Germans. Rarely has there been a side with as much rightly deserved praise that has failed to win a major tournament in recent years. Indeed, they have been bounced in back to back World Cup semi-finals and have not tasted European glory since 1996 in England.
A strong team with much to prove, Germany is led by a generous mix of youth and experience. Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil are the prime young firepower while the experienced Bastian Schweinsteiger is the senior man in the midfield. And we certainly cannot dismiss new Arsenal signee Lukas Podolski up front. It's a shame that a player of Mario Gotze's caliber will have to settle on being a substitue on Europe's top ranked squad. If there is a weakness, it lies in Germany's back four. Something that figures to be a common theme in this group.
If there is a team to feel sorry for in thoa tournament it has to be Denmark. They are such a young, energetic side with plenty of upside, but they seem to have gotten hosed in terms of their draw.
The ever confident Nicklas Bendtner has enjoyed a great deal of international success, despite being limited throughout his club career. He figures to be Denmark's main scoring threat. Behind him and lost in the highlights of Gotze, and other young Central European stars, is Christian Eriksen, Denmark's prized youngster and Ajax star. Had the Danes drew into the weaker Group A, I would more than fancy their chances of cruising to the quarterfinals, however, this side might have to fight their way to even one win in this mammoth division.
When you think of Portuguese football, you think of the ever showy Cristiano Ronaldo. He is, indeed, the undisputed superstar of the team. He more than stood out during Real Madrid's La Liga winning season and now Portugal's hopes in Poland and Ukraine rest firmly on him.
Not that he will be working alone, mind you. Mamchester United youngster Nani has a lot to prove on the European stage. Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammates Pepe and Fabio Coentrao bring plenty of chemistry with the Portuguese superstar. While these supporting players will help, should something happen to their main man, Portugal will undoubtedly be sunk.
Finally, the World Cup runners up, the Netherlands. The Dutch would love nothing more than to carry over their success from South Africa into this year's European Championships. They face a difficult road to glory, however, as one mistake can be enough to keep them out of the quarters.
This should be a fun, high scoring group to watch. Every team boasts a wealth of attacking talent, leaving weak points in back. My prediction for the group phase is that Group B will have the most goals scored. While no clear front runners exist, I expect Germany to handle the field and move on with the Dutch clocking in as a close second. Not much has to go wrong for those two to see Portugal or Denmark sqieal into a second place finish and a spot in the quarterfinals, though.
Predicted order of finish:
Germany
Netherlands
Portugal
Denmark
Friday, June 8, 2012
EURO 2012 Preview: Group A
Group B (Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark) is the true group of death in this tournament, but Group A's Poland, Greece, Russia, and the Czech Republic can be called the same thing, only with much lower caliber teams. It's the only other group that, when you look at the competitors, you can't pick out two obvious qualifiers to the quarterfinals.
Greece was the only team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and they only won one match and failed to escape the group stage. The shocking winners of the 2004 tournament don't expect to see such a shocking showing, but I do fancy their chances of making the quarterfinals. They have shown a lot of fight against Poland so far in the opener, scoring with ten men, and drawing a penalty and red card on Polish keeper Wojciech Szcezeny.
Greek captain Giorgos Karagounis has played with some of Europe's highest profile clubs, and the 35 year old brings a wealth of experience to the Greek side.
Speaking of Poland, they started off strong in the opener, but have really collapsed in the second half in front of the home crowd. They have lost their star goalkeeper, Szcezeny, for the remainder of this one and for Tuesday's match against the Russians. While only qualifying by virtue of being co-hosts, they have the lowest FIFA ranking of the group and have never won a match at the EURO. Home support can go a long way, however, in getting Poland past the group stages and into the quarterfinals.
Striker Robert Lewandowski brigns much European league success after helping Borussia Dortmun win the Bundesliga in back-to-back seasons. Captain Jakub Blaszczykowski has also done well in the German domestic league.
The Russians probably have the strongest side of the group. Despite my dislike for their captain, Andrey Arshavin, he is still a skilled attacking midfielder outside of the Premier League. Igor Akinfeev is one of the world's best, and under appreciated, goalkeepers. The 2008 semi-finalists will be on the road for redemption following their failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2010.
Finally, the Czech Republic barely managed to qualify for the tournament. They had to get past Montenegro on a playoff to make it in. They are led by troubled managed Michal Bilek, who has been nothing short of vilified by the Czech faithful. Despite cries for his departure, he leads the Czechs into another EURO campaign. They were semi-finalists in 2004, but have fallen far from that.
Captain Tomas Rocisky enjoyed a breakout campaign at Arsenal this winter, and "The Little Mozart" hopes to carry that success over into the summer. Petr Cech made a name for himself at the Champions League Final by leading Chelsea to victory in penalties. Michael Kadlac provides a rare scoring threat on set pieces from the back four.
Overall, this group figures to be the most interesting of the four. Sure, Group B has all the firepower, but this one has a plethora of nations looking to prove themselves after past failures. I like the skill of Russia to win the group, and I figure Poland will use the home crowd support to squeak past the Greeks into the quarterfinals. The Czechs will be left out in the cold, unfortunately.
Predicted order of finish:
Russia
Poland
Greece
Czech Republic
Greece was the only team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and they only won one match and failed to escape the group stage. The shocking winners of the 2004 tournament don't expect to see such a shocking showing, but I do fancy their chances of making the quarterfinals. They have shown a lot of fight against Poland so far in the opener, scoring with ten men, and drawing a penalty and red card on Polish keeper Wojciech Szcezeny.
Greek captain Giorgos Karagounis has played with some of Europe's highest profile clubs, and the 35 year old brings a wealth of experience to the Greek side.
Speaking of Poland, they started off strong in the opener, but have really collapsed in the second half in front of the home crowd. They have lost their star goalkeeper, Szcezeny, for the remainder of this one and for Tuesday's match against the Russians. While only qualifying by virtue of being co-hosts, they have the lowest FIFA ranking of the group and have never won a match at the EURO. Home support can go a long way, however, in getting Poland past the group stages and into the quarterfinals.
Striker Robert Lewandowski brigns much European league success after helping Borussia Dortmun win the Bundesliga in back-to-back seasons. Captain Jakub Blaszczykowski has also done well in the German domestic league.
The Russians probably have the strongest side of the group. Despite my dislike for their captain, Andrey Arshavin, he is still a skilled attacking midfielder outside of the Premier League. Igor Akinfeev is one of the world's best, and under appreciated, goalkeepers. The 2008 semi-finalists will be on the road for redemption following their failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2010.
Finally, the Czech Republic barely managed to qualify for the tournament. They had to get past Montenegro on a playoff to make it in. They are led by troubled managed Michal Bilek, who has been nothing short of vilified by the Czech faithful. Despite cries for his departure, he leads the Czechs into another EURO campaign. They were semi-finalists in 2004, but have fallen far from that.
Captain Tomas Rocisky enjoyed a breakout campaign at Arsenal this winter, and "The Little Mozart" hopes to carry that success over into the summer. Petr Cech made a name for himself at the Champions League Final by leading Chelsea to victory in penalties. Michael Kadlac provides a rare scoring threat on set pieces from the back four.
Overall, this group figures to be the most interesting of the four. Sure, Group B has all the firepower, but this one has a plethora of nations looking to prove themselves after past failures. I like the skill of Russia to win the group, and I figure Poland will use the home crowd support to squeak past the Greeks into the quarterfinals. The Czechs will be left out in the cold, unfortunately.
Predicted order of finish:
Russia
Poland
Greece
Czech Republic
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