If you want to see the cool designs that Prodigy did, check it out on this link. The Uncommon One: Euro Cup 2012 Preview
I'm getting right into it today with no prelude or rant about my life. This is the official Euro Cup 2012 preview from me with full predictions and previews for each team. I know many Croatians that are always wondering since I love the sport so much, why don't you talk about it more? I know I should discuss about it more and hopefully I'll do more after the Euro Cup into the domestic league seasons. I just want to remind people that soccer (football for international readers) is actually my 4th favorite sport which might annoy me. That doesn't mean I dislike it, I do love it a lot but football, basketball, and UFC come before it in my interests. Luckily for soccer, everything is played in Europe and it never interferes with any of those great events due to time zones. I'm really excited for the Euro Cup mainly because my main national team Croatia qualified for a tournament after missing the World Cup 2010. I'd still watch it regardless if they make it or not but now I'm emotionally invested in it. I could actually get really emotional about it even though I do like Germany, Holland, and England. They aren't Croatia though, a national team that I'm constantly debating about or getting emotional about over at CroatiaSports.com. That makes the tournament even more special. I've waited for this tournament since October 14th 2009 when Croatia was officially out of the World Cup qualification stage. It has been an emotional roller coaster but I'm thankful that my team is here.
The breakdown of my preview will consist of group predictions with team previews and players to watch. You probably know all about the stars already, so I'm going to give you a player to keep an eye on that might already be a star but not the main star. Then when I'm done breaking down each team in the group, I'll post my predictions of each game within the group below to explain why I picked the teams in order for proof. Then I'll discuss the knockout stages then eventually the final. I'll also make my team of the tournament predictions and player of the tournament. I'm not discussing possible busts or my bust picks because that's a waste of time. You'll know from my predictions who turns out to be a bust. I'm only predicting the logical things and giving you the proper information with my honest opinion. I'll talk some basketball at the end because the conference finals are going on and it needs to be covered. I'm not going to cover a lot of it because Friday is usually basketball day. That's only fair, now lets get into it.
I want to give a special shout out to Joe Craven for making me these awesome group signatures for the preview. He is an excellent artist with his creativity and ideas with the signatures. He did it for each group and I couldn't thank him enough for it. His twitter handle is ProdigyENG if you want to add him. He comes from Manchester England and even though they may not have major expectations, he's absolutely pumped to see England. He is a Manchester United fan if any of you are wondering so he supports the good guys (to me) in the war between United and City. Sorry City fans, you guys are in the category with the Heat as likely glory hunter fans. I'm hoping a few City fans were still rooting for them when guys like Stephen Ireland and Claudio Reyna were running the midfield.
Group A
Cech looks proud, Karagounis is ready to riot, Arshavin looks concerned, and Blaszcyzkowski is ready to represent the country right.
I've only been following the sport since 2006 so feel free to tell me a weaker group, but this has to be the weakest group ever in any major international tournament. When I was watching the draw, I couldn't believe my eyes how weak it was when Greece was picked. Then it got even worse when Russia was selected as the last team. Russia is a good team, but they're not on the level of Italy, England, or Holland which were the other possible teams in Pot 2 for the draw. This group is very wide open but it has to annoy fans that a weak team will be going through in this group in 2nd place while a team possibly like Portugal or Croatia or Sweden will come in 3rd and be eliminated in group stage. This sport was never always kind to the quality teams, so just like most people I've moved on from being annoyed. Instead this is a wide open group after 1st place where anything can happen.
1. Russia (7 points)- Russia was my sleeper team going into the Euro Cup but that has now ended with how everything has been drawn. They could make a run to the semifinals even it will be a much smoother path to the quarterfinals. Russia is clearly head and shoulders better than any team in their group with the quality of players. Even though most of their players in Russia, this team has played with each other for years now and always puts up quality performances. It was a fluke that they didn't make it to the World Cup in 2010 due to a few underperforming players and Slovenia putting eight men in the back to defend their goal. The team is recharged with captain Andrei Arshavin leading the way for Russia. I know that he has underperformed for Arsenal since signing for them but he's always been in top form for Russia when they played. The one issue with Russia is that they get frustrated too easily after missing too many chances which leads to a fluke goal. It happened against Slovakia and Ireland in qualifiers where they either let in a fluke goal or let a team back in the game due to being sloppy. If they get players like Roman Pavylunchenko and Pavel Pogrebnyak scoring, this team will be tough to stop. When Russia is playing at their pace by creating chances and spreading the field, the defense will stay composed and they'll normally win. Igor Akinfeev doesn't get the credit he deserves as a goal keeper. He's highly underrated and has made critical saves for Russia especially during their dream run to the semifinals in Euro 2008. The key for them in this group is to stay composed and take care of business early in the game to stay away from possibly playing themselves out a game. With teams like Czech Republic, Poland, and Greece they'll be times that they'll deal with seven to eight guys in the area where they're trying to score. They'll just have to pick their spots with their big strikers and creative backs like Yuri Zhirkov. I'll be shocked if they don't win this group because they are an older team and more mature compared to the lapses that happened in the past few years.
Player to watch: Pavel Pogrebnyak made his debut in the English Premier League in January for Fulham and became a huge hit. If it wasn't Nikica Jelavic making a splash at Everton, he would have gotten more recognition for his goal scoring pace at Fulham. Pogrebynak was always overshadowed by Arshavin and Pavylunchenko because he never played in England while both players were playing at top clubs in Arsenal and Tottenham. Now that Pavylunchenko is back in Russia while Arshavin's play has declined, Pogrebynak has been highly talked about across Europe. I'm expecting to start for Russia although that might not be the case if they prefer Pavylunchenko but I'm expecting him to make an impact. He hasn't performed that good on the international stage with just two goals in the qualification stages but I'm expecting him to step up for a team that struggles to score at times when teams like to bunker in front of goal.
2. Greece (5 points)- It shocks me to pick Greece coming out of group stage but they're my team to take the opportunity to make it out of a weak group. Even though their style is considered boring and a disgrace to the sport, it can be successful. They showed that by beating Croatia 2-0 to win there qualifying group. They don't pride themselves on winning the game with style, its about winning the game whether its by set pieces or crosses. They won't thrill you with possible through balls or long shots outside the box either so this isn't the team to watch if your new to the sport. The phrase "When I watch soccer, I fall asleep" applies to the Greeks if you are looking for a team in the tournament. Yet in a group where most teams will struggle to score, the Greeks will thrive on that. Greece does have some firepower from their striker position with Gekas and Samaras. Samaras can be considered overrated with his poor career stats of just seven goals in 54 appearances for Greece. Gekas is considered there scoring machine with 21 goals in 58 appearances which is pretty impressive. Gekas actually retired at one point during qualifiers but came back after a year admitting to his mistake. That is good news for Greece because he's their only reliable scorer. Giorgios Karagounis is the captain who is considered one of the most rugged players across the world. He's a no holds barred defensive midfielder who takes chances at any tackle he can get. It seems like the perfect captain for a team that prides themselves on making sure they don't allow any goals. The Greeks don't have much star power and most of them play in their home nation similar to the Russians. They are a very united team that picks their spots when they want to counter. I'm not sure if they'll open up their attack against teams like Poland and Czech Republic who doesn't have much goal scoring threats. Then again, why would they mess with a system that got them to the tournament? You know they'll play like that against Russia who can score three goals in a matter of twenty minutes but I'm not sure about the other two teams. They'll be tough to crack defensively and that will lead them to a scrappy win. That will be enough in this group where grittiness and effort exceeds actual talent.
Player to watch: I'm Croatian so that obviously means I've seen Greece play twice over the past two years. Vasilis Torosidis is a right back that really stood out to me. He's a very hard nosed player but he knows how to dribble the ball and push it like how a right back should be. He was a problem for Croatia at times especially holding down the left side of the field where Croatia produced little to no crosses. I haven't forgotten his performance in 2010 when he got high kicked in the face by a player on Nigeria which should have knocked him out for the game. Instead he came back on and scored the winning goal off a header to give Greece a 2-1 win in the 2010 World Cup. I'm expecting Torosidis to continue to grow for Greece as a player that can be a future captain but can actually play in a top league across Europe like England,Italy, Germany, or Spain.
3. Poland (2 points)- I'm interested to see Poland play after seeing Borussia Dortmund play this season several times. Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszcyzkowski have brought optimism to Poland by playing major roles in Dortmund's success of retaining first place in the German league. It has been some dull years for Poland recently including failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2010. They have struggled to create stars after players like Smoarlek and Guerrero flopped on the national team. Now with two players playing pivotal roles especially Lewandowski with 22 goals in the German league, their has to be some more optimism for Poland. Since they are co-hosting the Euro Cup, their was already energy but now fans should be even more excited with the emergence of both players. The Polish team in general is looking better than it has in the past with half the roster playing abroad Europe. Another rising star for Poland has to be Wojciech Szczesny who has finally locked down the starting role for Arsenal. He is still prone to mistakes but at age 22, he has played at a terrific form. He's been called upon to make some big saves for Arsenal and will be called upon to the same. He has big shoes to fill with long time Polish goalkeeper Arthur Boruc retiring from international play. Most people knew how talented Boruc was from tournaments and his play in Champions league for Celtic years ago so the pressure is on for Szczesny to perform. Poland still has some holes across their lineup with a questionable defense and lack of wing play. That will hurt them against teams that have strong backs like Russia and Czech Republic or teams that like to put eight guys in the back like Greece. They might out play teams in spurts but without a certain lineup that can't control possession for a long period of time, they'll struggle. You might see a successful counter attack on an occasion, but Poland doesn't have enough to escape even a weak group. They'll be competitive which wasn't expected at first in the tournament but now with the groups out and a few players stepping up in star roles, they'll be a problem in this group and takes points away from a few teams.
Player to watch: Due to lack of relevant player and star power, I can't really give you a player that is under the radar to watch. I'd keep an eye on Szczesny who has a really bright future. He bailed out Arsenal on more than one occasion this year and will be called upon to do the same for Poland. I look forward to seeing him with a full stadium behind him. Hopefully he'll get more support than I'm already envisioning him getting against a team like Russia. There are many things that will have to go right for Poland to make the knockout stages than just Szczesny performing but he's someone that everyone will be keeping close on to see if his club excellence can translate to national team success.
4. Czech Republic (1 point)- The golden age for the Czechs have passed them ever since 2006. The cracks showed in 2008 that their golden age of players were finished after blowing a 2-0 lead in a matter of 20 minutes against Turkey in the Euro Cup 2008. After failing to make the World Cup in 2010, they somehow fought their way into making it to the Euros. Despite having the lowest points out of any playoff team, Czech Republic beat a very improved Montenegro team twice in the playoffs. You can't say they didn't deserve to make it after beating a quality side like Montenegro but it doesn't change the fact that they are among the weakest teams in the Euro Cup. The only remaining players from their dominance in the mid 2000's have to be just Milan Baros, Petr Cech, and Tomas Rosicky. The only benefit for the Czechs is drawing a group that doesn't have much star power. They have a chance to turn some heads and possibly win a game. I don't see that happening but they won't be completely overmatched with their lack of offense or questionable defense. They still have one of the best goalies in the world in Petr Cech and Rosicky is coming off a great 2nd half of the season with Arsenal. Rosicky has been struggling the past few seasons with injury and performance but he really played well in for Arsenal which led to them getting 3rd place. The major issue with the Czechs is they don't have much goal scoring threats. Milan Baros is long gone from his days of scoring hat tricks against any team while no young players have really stood out from the forward position. The Czechs have a solid central midfielder with Tomas Hubschman and Jarsoslav Plasil holding down the central midfielder with their veteran performance. They did a terrific job harassing the Montenegro offense and really shutting them down from scoring in both games. Even with a questionable defense, they know how to harass free flowing players without having to put eight men in the box. This group is going to be physical and the Czechs have no problem playing like that. They have hope which is what I've said about every team and will be a common theme for every team not named Russia in this group. That being said, they have the least chance to make enough noise due to lack of being strong in one aspect of the game. They are just decent in a few areas and below average in other areas. It's not going to be a memorable cup for the Czechs.
Player to watch: Michal Kadlec is a player that I've been waiting to talk about. He's been arguably the leader in a skill position for the Czechs throughout the group stage. He scored four goals for the Czechs in the qualifying stage including a huge penalty to get them in the playoffs by tying Scotland away from home. He plays for Bayer Leverkusen where he played a huge part in their run in Champions League. He goes very unnoticed playing with a national team that doesn't get much publicity but he's making a reputation to being one of the best left backs in Europe. He's not afraid to take penalties and knows how to deliver quality crosses consistently. I'm interested to see how he steps up against decent competition in the Euros (didn't say elite because the group was weak). The Czechs need players to step up if they want to make a shocking appearance in the quarterfinals and he's a player that qualifies as one. For a team that lacks creativity, he brings it to the table from how much he attacks on his side then hustles back defensively.
Results
My prediction for the results in the group will be here after I preview each team.
Poland 1 Greece 1- It will be a very physical contest but in the end, Greeks score a late goal to spoil the party.
Russia 2 Czech Republic 0- Russia makes a statement early and should win by more. Cech bails the Czechs out from complete embarrassment.
Greece 1 Czech Republic 0- The Greeks somehow keep grinding out results by sneaking away with a win thanks to set pieces.
Russia 3 Poland 1- It could be worse but since Poland's strength is goal keeping, Russia misses a few chances but they make a huge statement here with a big win.
Russia 1 Greece 1- A frustrating game for both teams which will have someone sent off. This game will get heated and it will end in a deadlock but Russia still wins the group since they only needed a tie.
Poland 2 Czech Republic 2- Both teams are just playing for pride which means a very open game. Czechs don't get shut out in the tournament and earn a tie.
Group B
Ronaldo is looking for answers as usual, Van Perisie is pumped, Neuer looks anxious, and Agger is a proud singer to his nation's anthem.
Now I can finally start having some fun discussing this. No offense to the nations in Group A but that group is tough to talk about. We now get into the Group Of Death with three of the arguably top seven nations in Europe along with a very underrated Denmark team. I'm very excited to see the two top title contenders in Germany and Holland face off in group stage. I'm a huge fan of both teams and think their major threats to finally dethrone Spain from winning the cup. Portugal is always a dark horse to do something with their skilled players across the lineup but they always seem to have some sort of problems headed into every tournament. This one is no different but they always remain dangerous. Then you have Denmark who is very under appreciated by many even though they have done better than Portugal in the last two qualification groups where both teams were in the same group and Denmark won the groups. I'm really excited for this group and I want to make sure to catch every game.
1, Germany ( 7 points)- Germany is being considered as one of the tournament favorites which shouldn't surprise anyone. This team has talent through every position on their roster which makes them a tough team to stop. After goal keeping issues for the past few years, they finally found their new star in Manuel Neuer. He's just hitting his prime at 26 and could become Germany's new version of Oliver Kahn. That's a tall task of expectations to live up to but Neuer continues to grow into the world class core of goal keepers. Germany's most commonly known for as their array of goal scorers and creators. It seems like the list never ends with this team. The midfielder is fantastic with players like Ozil, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Kroos, and Khedria. They have the defensive midfielder presence in Khedria who has taken the role that the great Michael Ballack used to do for Germany. He doesn't have the same offensive skills like Ballack but he's a proven midfielder that will harass the opposing team's attacking midfielder. Then you have creators like Ozil and Schweinsteiger that really open things up for Germany. With the talent that Germany has, they are always a threat to score three to four goals a game. The team is so deep then when you get to proven goal scorers like Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez, it becomes scary when you have to play to play them. Even with Croatia's upset victory 2-1 which I'm still shocked that happened in 2008, Germany was the number one team that I wanted to avoid playing because the offensive depth is absurd. They could also bring Miroslav Klose off the bench who may be aging but he's always a threat as a proven goal scorer. Mario Gotze is another player that people are rating very highly across Germany as another huge prospect. He had a big year in Borussia Dortmund and has many elite clubs across Europe looking at him. The one question about Germany is probably their defense even though it has grown over the years. It used to be a bigger liability in the past two cups, but I think it has improved a bit. They are still young but most of them are coming off playing in major champions league games and in the World Cup 2012. Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng are two players that I'm looking to see step up in the central defense through out the tournament. I know Mertesacker is known to be a common start for Germany but I'm not sure how he'll do against quick paced teams like Holland and Portugal. They may want to look for more athletic defenders than tall imposing defenders. With Neuer in the back, I think Germany won't become that much of a liability in defense but it could be a problem. When you need to hide an average defense that may be still too young, its always great to have a talented offense. Other than Holland, there is no argument about who has the best offense in Europe which is Germany. This is a tough group and Germany tends to slip up at times in group play. They won't get the perfect nine points but they'll come in 1st place.
Player to watch: He's another player that people consider to be a huge star but I'm waiting to see him score in a major tournament. Germany has played in plenty of tournament games in the past two major cups but I've yet to see Mario Gomez score. Gomez is coming off another terrific year for Bayern Munich scoring at will at times in league play and Champions League. Right now he's most remembered for the awful display he had against Chelsea. He over shot several times and didn't step up when Munich needed him which is a common theme in big games. While he has an impressive 22 goals in 52 appearances, I'm sure many German fans want to see him step up in a major tournament. Gomez will be watched closely by most people because he's gaining a reputation for not performing for Germany on the big stage.
2. Holland ( 7 points low goal differential puts them in 2nd place)- Another team that has title aspirations has to be the Dutch just like every tournament since I've been watching. The Dutch are the only team in the tournament that can match Germany pound for pound in offensive talent. They have arguably the best striker in Europe right now in Robin Van Perisie who at times single handily won games for Arsenal this season. People have been waiting for him to fully breakout and not get the injury that he always seems to get every season, this was the season that happened. He's on a tear right now and I don't see him stopping anytime soon. Dirk Kuyt and Klass Jan-Huntelaar round out the group of quality strikers even though they tend to struggle on international stage. Huntelaar has been a proven scorer in qualifiers but he's yet to really break out due to Holland's formation structure. That could change this tournament but Holland still has loads of options to play. The midfield is still deep with Snejider, Robben, Van Der Vaart, De Jong, and Van Bommel rounding it out. The lack of wingers could be a concern with only Robben being a true winger but they should be able to settle something out. Kuyt could be an option on the wing or possibly Van Der Vaart. They are going to produce offensively regardless of who plays because of how much quality they truly have. It will just be a formation decision on who to start but they'll get their goals. Snejider, Robben, Van Perisie, and Van Bommel are only guys that I can truly say that will definitely get starting roles until they get hurt or go on a run of poor form. The main questions for Holland are in the back which consist of lack of consistency. Unlike Germany they don't have much star power and don't have a leader in the back like a Phillip Lahm. They have veterans like Heitinga and Van Der Wiel who are proven but they some questions in rotation purposes. This is the first tournament without Dutch legend Gio Van Bronckhorst who was a mainstay at left back for years with Holland. Their might be some growing pains but their in the same boat with Germany that offensive talent and controlling possession will exceed defensive issues for at least the group stage. Maarten Stekelenburg continues to grow and will be more confident than in 2010 when he was being questioned after Edwin Van Der Sar retired. They were drawn in a tough group but Holland will escape with some problems but they will be aided with an easy draw into the quarterfinals.
Player to watch: Arjen Robben would be a good choice but people already know about him and will watch him. I'm looking to see how Gregory Van Der Wiel steps up for a Dutch defense that isn't as strong as the past years. He's a right back that continues to grow and being linked to big clubs such as Chelsea. Right backs play a massive role in cups and this will be no different with Van Der Wiel playing a part in attacks while defending against the likes of Ronaldo and Podolski in group stage. He will be called upon a lot especially with all the praise he's received the past two years. Many players boost their stock for a big money transfer to an elite club through these tournaments. I'm interested to see if he can do that for someone that hasn't been seen much since he's been playing at Ajax.
3. Portugal (3 points)- It may seem a bit harsh but this is an awful matchup for Portugal. This team is considered to be dangerous and can play with anyone, but that reputation is far fetched these days. This is a troubled team that has lost some veteran players on the squad due to questionable management. Portugal has had trouble with managers over the past two days which has led to players like Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Boswinga retiring from international football. They are two players that play at a high level still and have been playing on the team for years. It's a huge lost losing two key defenders especially with a lack of a dominant goal keeping and a lack of a true striker. Ever since the great Pauleta retired, Portugal has yet to find a true striker (Ronaldo and Nani aren't true strikers). Portugal relies on strikers that are starting to decline such as Hugo Almeida and Heider Postiga who have never been that great to begin with. Many questions consist around this Portugese team but they'll always have a great midfield. The star power of Cristiano Ronaldo is always a huge factor and he'll be the main catalyst to see how Portugal can last with the great teams in their group. What I'm concerned about is that Ronaldo tends to struggle for the national team and it makes me question why Portugal couldn't win a group where they were considered the best team but had to struggle just to make it in 2nd place over Norway. The midfield will have to control the pace of the game and be the playmakers. Nani is always dangerous on the wing but can be inconsistent at times along with Raul Miereles who plays tough but can struggle with his touch. They have weapons that can score from outside the box or score on a terrific individual effort but like we all know, this sport is a team game and Portugal is going to struggle against the elite. The strikers are below average and Eduardo is a question mark at best in net. He plays in his respective home league which shows that he isn't good enough to play across Europe. He could prove me wrong but against teams like Germany and Holland, I highly doubt he can save everything two power house offenses can give them. Portugal's defense has some quality and I would say better than Hollands for that matter. Pepe continues to prove although he'll have to watch it with his hot head tendencies. He has a history of red cards and getting sent off in this group will become deadly to any hopes of making the quarterfinals. Bruno Alves is a mainstay in the back and usually reliable while Fabio Coentrao is one player that is an absolute stud in the back for Portugal. He was one of the few players that stood out to me in the World Cup 2010 for Portugal which got him a deal with Real Madrid. I don't think Portugal is going to make it out the group which is what most people are thinking. They are a declining team compared to their prominence in 2006 to 2008 where they were considered one of the top five teams in Europe. They are struggling to get more young stars on their team and management issues will have this team in a flux. Ronaldo will have his shining moments but I can't see their fringe defense last against two of the most prolific offenses in Europe.
Player to watch- Fabio Coentrao might be my favorite left back to watch in the world. Left back is considered a forgotten position by many because you see the right backs getting more recognition and stars being made. Leighton Baines, Benoit Assou Ekotto, and Ashley Cole are left backs that always seem to impress me but Coentrao is right up there with my favorites. That is isn't the best left backs in the world list instead it's my personal preferences. Coentrao is a skilled attacker who loves to push up the wings with his pace and technical ability. He can be a serious problem for a right back especially since they have the left winger to also deal with who is likely Nani. Portugal can be a major handful on the right side which makes the right winger do plenty of defending than he should be doing. Coentrao is an absolute handful and is one of the few Portugal players that teams should seriously worry about. He may be a star for playing at Real Madrid but he doesn't get the recognition he deserves compared to Ronaldo, Nani, and Pepe. He deserves more praise and hopefully another big tournament will make people recognize him as one of the best left backs in the world.
4. Denmark (0 points)- They deserve a lot more respect than they get from people. They win their group over Portugal yet draw a fourth seed pot in the draw? That doesn't make much sense then they end up in the group of death. It's a shame that they are going to lose all three games including to the team that they have outplayed for a few years now. I just think star power is so crucial in the Euro Cup and they don't have anyone to depend on for that. Nicklas Bendther always shows flashes of talent but more times than not, he leaves you shaking your head wondering how did Arsenal sign him. He's the only striker that is known across Europe and he'll have to deal with long stretches of time not touching the ball due to the simple fact that the midfields in this group are far superior to Denmark. The main talk for Denmark is highly rated prospect Christian Eriksen making his debut in a major tournament. Eriksen is considered one of the highest rated prospects across Europe who had done so much for Ajax in the past few years. Denmark isn't known to have many stars in the past few years but to have a player like Eriksen coming up has to create some buzz in a tough situation. Denmark is a physical team that isn't afraid to play against the best like you saw against Holland two years ago. They could frustrate teams and won't get completely dominated because of their tendency to play more defensively but to always out hustle teams as well. They have leaders defensively in Daniel Agger who was one of the few bright spots for Liverpool and Simon Kjaer who is always a pain to play against because he's very physical and never afraid to pick up a foul from what I've seen from him at Roma. The one interesting part about Denmark is the goalie situation which is unsettled right now. They have Anders Lindegaard who is the backup in Manchester United while Kasper Schmeichel who is the son of legendary goal keeper Peter Schmeichel. I lean towards Schmeichel starting in net but it could go down to either guy who will have a lot to prove with the recognition of their name or club they play for. This is a team that completely deserves to make the tournament but they'll make their fans regret making it to the tournament when they lose each game regardless of how hard they try. It's going to be a struggle but hopefully some new stars emerge like Eriksen and whoever plays goalie.
Player to watch- Christian Eriksen may get a lot of hype for the tournament but he's still my pick here. I've never seen him play yet and he has me excited to see if he can create some offense for a team that lacks it in Denmark. He's going to be going up against tough midfielders like Nigel De Jong, Sami Khedria, and Raul Miereles in terms of central midfielders. Those three players are stern tests for a young player like him so he'll be tested early. Many things will depend on him for Denmark and with the lack of players around him, how will he react is the main question.
Results
Holland 2 Denmark 1- Denmark frustrates Holland through out the game including drawing a penalty at one point. They hold on for a close win with Denmark really pressing through out the game after a bad first half.
Germany 4 Portugal 2- Who's ready for some goals? Germany shows the world how great their offense is by exposing Portugal into pieces. Portugal gets some cheap goals in but in the end, it's 2008 all over again with a Germany win.
Portugal 2 Denmark 1- Portugal bounces back but once again Denmark is around. I was really close for giving this a tie but with Ronaldo and Nani, they can draw penalties regardless if it's a dive or not. The craftiness of Portugal gets them a win.
Germany 2 Holland 2- The battle of the greats happens with an absolute classic and my pick to be match of the group stage. I expect a lot of shots on both nets with Holland breaking through in the end to get a critical point. Neuer is the better goal keeper but he'll get caught off guard at one point with the dynamic Dutch offense.
Holland 3 Portugal 1- Portugal can't hang with the Dutch in this one with Holland firing on all cylinders. Portugal's weak defense cost them here although they'll get an insurance goal because Holland always seems to slip up at some point. They will have to take 2nd because their goal differential isn't as good as Germany.
Germany 3 Denmark 0- Denmark gets dominated through out the game because Germany knows a win gets them a group win. They also get to avoid Russia who could be a possible problem in the quarterfinals. Germany capitalizes on playing Greece and they'll play a very efficient game by taking several shots on Denmark with some chances finally going in. They may need Kasper to play like his dad in this one for Denmark to stand a chance.
Group C
Keane looks like a proud leader, Buffon is practicing his face for court, Pique is barking out orders, and Modric is on the move like usual.
This is a very unique group despite the one obvious winner in the group. The defending champions Spain are the main team of the group and the heavy favorite to win the group. Despite a few injuries to David Villa and Puyol which will hurt the team, their still isn't any debate that Spain will fall off. This is a team full of talent that will still control possession most of the game and play incredible defense. Now the 2nd place spot is an instant toss up. Italy seems favored despite their recent scandal amongst their domestic league. They are still a deep team with loads of young talent coming up and still have trusty veterans like Pirlo. They seem like the favorite but people still see Croatia as a sleeper. I've mentioned that I'm mostly Croatian and I'm a huge fan even though I'm not high on them. They have some major flaws that could come back to haunt them which makes me hesitant to believe they can overtake Italy. I think they have a shot because of their wealth of talent in the midfield and striker position but can the shaky defense hold up? Croatia tends to step up when it matters most when their backs are against the wall like in Istanbul against Turkey last November. Ireland is the other team in the group that its in their first tournament since World Cup 2002. They seem just happy to be here but I'm not going to completely rule them out. They are a gritty team and could compete for second with two possible underachievers in front of them. It seems highly unlikely but if Ireland shows energy and out hustle both teams then they could shock the world.
1. Spain ( 7 points)- They aren't as dominant as they were in 2008 and 2010 but this is still one of the favorites to win the tournament. The team is still relatively deep at midfield which is key to every team in the tournament. The midfield is where things happen and Spain's midfield is absolutely loaded with tremendous talent. With the lack of striker talent, I'm expecting them to play with five midfielders. They have so much talent that one top player will have to sit on the bench similar to 2010 with Csec Fabregas. I think that player will be Juan Mata this year only because he's still relatively young and not as proven as the other players I've mentioned. David Silva has become one of the best players in the premiership and should be a player that they must start. You know Xavi, Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso are all players that will be starting. Cesc Fabregas would be my choice to play even though I'm not sure what they'll do on the right wing but Spain will have Sergio Ramos run that right wing so they shouldn't be that concerned. I can't see Juan Mata starting yet even though he's been impressive at Chelsea and should get his chances to shine at some point in the tournament. The midfield depth is scary for Spain and that's what makes them better than just about every team in the world. They control possession and play the game so smoothly along with being patient waiting for their time to strike. The other strong point that makes Spain a contender to repeat is Iker Casillas playing at a high level. Casillas has really performed well in the past two tournaments and I'd expect a third straight after the year he had for Real Madrid. The issues with Spain going forward are injuries with key injuries to David Villa and Carlos Puyol. Villa is the only proven striker that has played consistently for the past few years and has scored on the big stage. He's a major loss for Spain going forward while Carlos Puyol may be declining, he's still a part of that dominant Spain defense that we've seen. Spain may have some questions defensively even though their led by Pique who might be the best center back in the world (debatable but he's in top three at least). Sergio Ramos is still playing at a high level and is always a threat going down the wings. What impresses me about Spain is how young their players still are with Ramos only 26 years old and Pique only 25 years old. It seems like these guys have been playing for eight years yet their still barley hitting their prime now which is scary. I would assume that Sergio Busquets would be taking over Puyol's spot who isn't a bad replacement but he's undersized so that could be an issue against tall strikers that Croatia and Italy have. The other issue with Spain is the lack of a trustworthy striker. Pedro is coming off a subpar year while some would consider that Fernando Torres is lucky to even be on the team. Fernando Llorente could be someone that Spain could start who's been consistent all year even though he hasn't really played much in a major tournament yet.
Player to watch: I'm going to pick someone that I know that will get his chances. I'd pick Llorente but I don't know how Spain is going to use him so I don't want to pick him. With the stars all across the midfield, I'm still going to keep my eye on David Silva. Even if he's a huge star, he gets forgotten about in a midfield with Barcelona or Real Madrid stars. He's the one out cast that plays in Manchester but he's starting to become possibly better then all of them. His skill, speed, and technique are all world class with his tendency to get by any defender is fun to watch. He's a handful for any right back and he never stops running which is always a problem. He's very undersized but with his craft, it's going to be tough for a right back to leave a game without being carded once. I'm sure most people know Silva but I want people to still keep on eye on him and don't forget him despite all the brilliance from Spain's Real Madrid and Barcelona connection in the midfield.
2. Italy ( 5 points)- I'm pretty sure that there is no other team going through a legit crisis like Italy is right now. People can debate that England suffering three injures is big but Italy is going through a league scandal that could hit teams hard. The coach doesn't really care to be in Euro 2012 after what's going on so I'm really questioning this team. That being said, I think they'll battle it out. It seems like a risky pick but Italy still possesses some great talent. After missing World Cup in 2010, Buffon is back in a vengeance and to show the world why he's the best goalie in Europe still. I'm looking forward to see him although if he wants to take a game off against Croatia, that would be lovely (no more fan based talking!). The issue with Italy is that I can't really predict who's going to start for this team. The team is filled with lots of young players and since I don't watch Serie A that much, I'm struggling to judge a few of these names. I've seen some from Champions league but this is a confusing team. The defense doesn't have many of the veterans anymore although Giorgio Chiellini is a fantastic defender. I'm not sure where he'll play either at center back or left back but either way he's one dependable player that will deliver for Italy. They have young players like Abate and Bonucci that I've seen play before even though their still young. This is a questionable defense for Italy but they're aided by a top three goalie in Europe. This is also a group that doesn't have any strong offensive teams that will score three goals on you. Spain is terrific but they'll struggle to score more than two goals without any true consistent striker. This is the last tournament for Pirlo probably which is a shame because he's one of the best central midfielders I've ever watched. He's still proving to be a handful for most teams and should be going all out since this is his last tournament likely at age 33. The central midfield will be a strength with Pirlo and De Rossi playing with each other even though De Rossi has a history of underperforming in major cups whether it's getting sent off or not making an impact. I'm not sure who is going to be the wings for Italy or if they'll do some formation which doesn't consist of much wing play. This is a very under the radar Italy team I'm looking at it which either leaves me under prepared on knowing what is going on with the team or they'll really struggle in this tournament. The make or break for Italy in the group has to be their strikers that are either too old, too controversial, or both. I'm expecting the main three strikers to be in the mix to start are Di Natalie, Balotelli, and Cassano. Di Natalie is a proven goal scorer in league play but he's been in three cups now that I've yet to see him do much. He ends up playing in the first game then gets benched the rest of the tournament or rarely used. He's on a short leash if he starts the first game with either Cassano or Balotelli waiting. I'm expecting Cassano to start first game because he's rated highly in Italy and he could be a major difference maker. People always call him the player that could change a game even though he never seems to do that when I watch him. Antonio Cassano is no stranger to controversy so he'll be another player to watch out for if he gets into any trouble. Both players will have to keep performing because with the media and possible upside to the switch, I think will see Mario Balotelli sooner rather than later in the tournament. Everyone knows him as the prima donna but its clear he's very talented and for a desperate Italy team, they'll be insane not to try him out whether its against Spain or Croatia. I can't see them going the first two games without using him. This isn't a great Italy team, but they got a favorable draw and will just get into the quarterfinals over Croatia.
Player to watch- I'm interested to see how the Italy defense looks so I'm going with Ignazio Abate. He currently plays for Milan for any people that don't care about Serie A (wait most people don't!). I've seen him in Champions League though since Milan is one of the few Italian teams that know how to win in Europe. He's a nice prospect to have and I'd be shocked if he didn't get at least playing time in the tournament or even start. He's tall and quick for a right back that has some shoes to fill after the great Gianluca Zambrotta retired from international play. I've seen Abate make some great runs as a back and he's getting a reputation for that but his defensive is something that I'm going to look into. It would be interesting to see him try to defend David Silva which is a tall task for someone who has only two caps in international play. He's young but out of all the defenders that can play right back, he seems most suited. My Italian friends would probably know more, I should have got them to do this one for me and I'd buy them a three pack for their work.
3. Croatia ( 4 points)- I go from a country that I thought I knew more about to the team that I so passionately love. I'm such a fan of them that they aren't even getting past group stage. It's a shame even though I watch every game of this team and keep up with every player in the squad weekly. I'm interested to see how this Croatia team performs because I have zero expectations for even though if they lose to Ireland, that's really awful. In 2006 to 2008, Croatia was considered one of the next up and coming great teams after beating England twice in qualifying and beating Germany in group stage. Since that year, Croatia doesn't have any quality win although beating Turkey 3-0 is pretty impressive. Croatia isn't the same team from four years ago and that showed by not qualifying for the World Cup in 2010. They still haven't found a player that can replace Nico Kovac in terms of leadership and positioning. Darijo Srna has been a poor captain for Croatia despite all the praise he gets. He's been consistently flopping on plays and had several poor performances in qualifying. Croatia hasn't found a defensive midfielder that is anywhere near the level that Nico Kovac plays on. He has left a huge hole on the team after his retirement and it has left me wondering about this team going forward. They are in the big tournament which is a huge sign of relief and this isn't a group that is overwhelming. Croatia does have some fire power offensively with Luka Modric leading the way. I'm sure everyone knows that Modric is Croatia's engine and he'll be the catalyst to how games usually go for Croatia. Croatia's main strength is the midfield with an array of options between Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, and Niko Kranjcar. My guess is that Rakitic will start the first game but either of these guys can step up and play a huge role in Croatia's offense. Perisic seems to be the player with the most potential after a nice year in limited opportunities for Borussia Dortmund. Croatia also has some weapons at the striker position with Nikica Jelavic becoming a huge hit at Everton and possibly be the guy that steps up for Croatia at a position that has been lacking for a while. Eduardo has recently began to step up in the past few friendlies and could warrant a start in the tournament. Croatia has their weapons that could lead them to a possible upset in Italy but their flaws really stick out. They have been hit with injuries with Dejan Lovern and Ivica Olic which hurts the defense back line and striker depth. The main reason why Croatia will bow out early is because their defense is even in worse shape than Italy. Other than Vedran Corluka who has really stepped up in the past few years for Croatia, their isn't one defender that I can say that could play on a level like this. I'm not sure if Danijel Pranjic will get the start at left back but based on his lack of size and below average defense, I think they would go with Ivan Strinic at first who hasn't been tested on the big international stage. Croatia's defense is in absolute shambles and it makes me fear for them even if the midfield ends up controlling possession a lot. Stipe Pletikosa is underrated as a goalie and doesn't get much recognition but it will be the lack of defense that causes Croatia to bow out early. Hopefully no Croatians choke me out after this prediction, but I could be wrong because knowing Croatia they always tend to play better when their against teams that are on their level.
Player to watch- He may not start at first but Ivan Perisic is someone that will be seen in the Euro Cup on more than one occasion. Even though he has been left on the bench several times for Dortmund this year, he has made his season off scoring as a sub. Who could forget that goal he had against Arsenal that was an absolute blast off a corner kick? Perisic is a great prospect for a 22 year old and could even start against Ireland in the first game. He's quick and shows an unlimited amount of range with his left foot. With the lack of quickness that Croatia plays with, I could see him eventually starting and making a major impact. He plays for the German champions and gets playing time for them for a reason, keep an eye on him because he might be the next huge star for Croatia right next to Luka Modric.
4. Ireland ( 0 points)- It seems harsh but Ireland just doesn't have enough to even get a point. They haven't made a tournament since 2002 and most of their players aren't considered major stars across Europe. I have watched a few Ireland games in qualifiers and they don't jump out to you as a team that can possibly upset a team. They aren't very technical and seem to rely on the long ball for their ways to score. They are a team that has played together for a while though and don't have many injury issues compared to other teams. This is also a nice draw for them with a chance at 2nd place. They showed in past qualifiers that they can play with Italy by drawing them twice. I'm not ruling them out as complete push overs but I just think they'll be overwhelmed. Robbie Keane continues to play on but can he muster up anything against big competition? Shane Long continues to improve and could make an impact but other than that players like Kevin Doyle and Simon Cox don't exactly strike fear to people's eyes. The midfield is considered the strong point of the team with a mixture of trusty veterans like Damien Duff and Stephen Hunt but prospects like James McClean and Darron Gibson could shine. They have a variety of players to use for creativity and long distance shooting. Aiden McGeady is probably the most likely to create something big for Ireland if they muster up a few goals in the tournament. He's inconsistent at times but he shows the most technical skill out of anyone on Ireland. He can be a threat along with Duff who may be aging but can be a threat. What makes this team so intriguing though has to be the fact that they have so many veterans that have been waiting for this. They have struggled for so long not making any major tournament then they got robbed last qualification stage against France to get in the World Cup. You have to be happy to see players like Keane, Duff, Richard Dunne, and Shay Given to finally be playing in this tournament because this is likely the only tournament they'll play in due to age. It makes them a fan favorite but heart can only get you so far. Ireland has a very underrated goalie in Shay Given who may not play at a major club anymore but he's still someone that can be relied upon. The defense is getting older and doesn't seem to be getting any new young prospects coming up. It could be a problem with veterans like O'Shea and Dunne going up against quicker forwards that can move. They are very physical and prone to give up penalties when beaten. If I'm a fan of Ireland, they just need to keep a positive mindset on the tournament. They are finally here and whatever happens will happen. It may sound lame and corny, but that's the truth because after a long ten year wait anything will be suitable here. I don't think they'll go home with any points but they could sneak in a win over two teams that are known for underachieving the past few years in Italy and Croatia.
Player to watch- Shane Long is a player that I already mentioned but he deserves to be a guy that should be watched more. I've seen Shane play numerous times at first in the 2nd division of England where he absolutely dominated while playing for Reading. He made the jump to the 1st division where he plays for West Brom now and had a pretty decent season. In 32 appearances, he had 8 goals which isn't great but it shows that he has promise. He had some injury problems at times and it looked like he hit a wall during the season but Long is always on the attack. He's got a nice touch on the ball and has a striker's mentality to score anywhere. He may not start against Croatia but after seeing the Keane and Doyle combination, I'm sure Long will get his chance to shine.
Results
Spain 1 Italy 1- This is a risky pick especially with how Italy has been lately. I think they dig down deep and somehow muster up a tie. Buffon shows the world that he's still among the elite by making several saves down the stretch.
Croatia 2 Ireland 1- Ireland will be a pain through out the game especially with Croatia having the tendency of not showing enough energy or effort. Croatia will pull out the win and I can celebrate for a few days that my team is in first place.
Italy 2 Croatia 2- Another risky pick that can easily come back and totally make me look like a fool. Both defenses are pretty flawed while both teams have several weapons offensively. Just because I have the worst luck with teams in 2012 and Croatia always seems to crack at worst times, Italy will get a goal late in the game to get a critical point.
Spain 3 Ireland 0- It could be less but I think Spain's passing will leave Ireland in complete shambles. Spain is simply too skilled not to control this game and make Ireland look completely overmatched.
Italy 3 Ireland 1- With their backs against the wall, Italy explodes and gets into the knockout stages. It could be Balotelli time or if Pirlo's passing leaves Ireland lost.
Spain 2 Croatia 0- It could be more especially with how poor Croatia's defense is but Croatia's midfield will do a little better. Plus Spain will be mostly controlling possession at the end of the game. They know they'll come in 1st and won't feel the need to score more goals. They aren't Holland or Germany when it comes to that.
Group D
Tymoshchuk is focused, Hart is modeling for the cameras, Evra is angry as usual, and Ibrahimovic makes his one of 365 funny faces that he possess.
This group is very versatile with the amount of injuries, unpredictability, and issues that surround the teams. France is considered the favorite in the group which shouldn't surprise anyone. This is a team with loads of talent that can really catch people off guard. When people think of France, they think of the embarrassment of World Cup 2010 when they couldn't win a game and they left their manager during practice. This is a new France team and this is my dark horse to win the entire tournament with their talent. Ukraine is the other co-host in the tournament that is in the group but will have their work cut out for them. They haven't played in a major tournament since World Cup 2006 and their team has declined since then. Its safe to say that they'll have major problems in this group that is considered deep. The battle for 2nd place is between England and Sweden. France may fall off but I'm pretty confident that they'll rule the group. Sweden is coming into this tournament with full of momentum since it's their first tournament since 2008. They don't have a deep team like it was in 2006 that was considered the golden age for Sweden but they still have talent around the team such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. England is coming into this tournament banged up with three players out with injuries. Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, and Gary Cahill have been ruled out as those three men could have been named starters. The losses have started to really stock on England who doesn't have Wayne Rooney for the first two games. The Spain England game is going to likely leave the most impact on this group around the top to get to the knockout stages.
1. France ( 9 points)- France winning three straight is a stretch but I have high hopes for this team. They could slip up at some point but I have faith that they'll really get after teams. France did have some injuries come up defensively that does hurt. Barcay Sagna is one of the top right backs in the world and it's a shame he'll miss the tournament. He's a huge part to France's defense luckily they don't face any major left wingers in this round (Ashley Young might shut me up). The defense may be a bit weaker but I'm fairly confident that they can hold up. Patrice Evra remains to be one of the top left backs in the world while Mexes and Rami are a nice duo. France defense is far from dominant especially with a hole at right back but their more than capable of holding their own in a group where only one striker is going to be a problem (Rooney will be out against France). Hugo Lloris continues to develop into a top goalie after problems earlier in his career. He's starting to become a goalie that they can rely on that could bail them out when shots start coming in constantly. France has a solid back line which isn't that special but it can provide cover up when their offense isn't firing on all cylinders. France's offense is what will make this team go. Karim Benzema was harshly not called up for World Cup 2010 along with Samir Nasri. France was an absolute disaster in 2010 as a whole but those two guys stand out to me. These are two world class players that I would be confident in playing with against any team in the world. How those two didn't get called up was beyond me, but I expect both guys to be really fired up when they play. Benzema is starting to become one of the fearsome strikers in the world while Nasri may be coming off a subpar year but he can turn it up in an instant. Then they have a midfield with the likes of Ribery, Malouda, and M'Vila. M'Vila is unknown right now but he's expected to have a big tournament. France doesn't have the star studded cast like they did in 2006 but this team is still full of quality that believes in themselves and their manager in Blanc. I haven't brought up much about managers yet but Blanc is someone that has made the team better. The team actually likes him and I don't think will need to worry about a possible hold up when practice starts. They are a dark horse to win it all if their stars play even better and they don't make silly fouls. They have some hot heads on the team like Mexes and Ribery that could easily destroy a game. If they can play discipline and their stars can play like they played through most of qualifiers, France will breeze by this group.
Player to watch- Adil Rami is someone that is developing into a different center back than most center backs are. He's not the imposing physical player that will throw his body around to make sure that there is no threat of a goal coming. He reminds me more of a back with his speed and intelligence to make smart tackles to clear the danger away. I'm interested to see how Rami pushes up at times because he likes making runs into the box a few times a game. He's got a very good shot for a defender and could be utilized in some set plays. With some uncertainty in defense, I look for him to step up and lead France to a possible run all the way to winning the final. The team is that good but they'll need their defense to step up after a few miscues in qualifying.
England ( 4 points)- Italy makes headlines about scandals and actual legal problems, while England makes headlines for players swapping in every other day. It has been a roller coaster ride for England even though they won there qualifying group. It didn't seem like long ago that people had title aspirations for England. It may sound far fetched but England were playing great and fans started to believe that the World Cup 2010 disappointment was behind him. That all changed once Wayne Rooney decided to pull a typical Wayne Rooney move and had to kick a Montenegrin goalkeeper. It led to a two match suspension for Rooney that leaves England short on quality striking options. Some may not consider this a shock but I didn't see Fabio Capello being sacked coming. What manager gets sacked after leading their national team to the Euro Cup through group stage? It was very bizarre to me although I think they envisioned that Harry Redknapp would take the job instantly. That didn't happen so now they are stuck with Roy Hodgson who I'm skeptical about. We've seen him do great work at small clubs like West Brom and Fulham but he failed at Liverpool in a massive way (then again who doesn't fail at Liverpool these days). England still has loads of talent and I think they'll slide through in the group stage even with the challenging group. Joe Hart continues to develop into an elite goal keeper and he'll bail England out at times during the cup. The defense is pretty questionable especially with Gary Cahill injured. It will be up to veterans like Ashley Cole and John Terry who are usually very dependable to lead by example. I'm not sure who will start beside Terry but my pick would be Phil Jagielka who I always rated as someone that should get more praise than he should. He's less prone to mistakes compared to Lescott and he's more discipline than Phil Jones who can be very reckless. The midfield has taken a massive hit through friendlies with Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard. I'm not a fan of either player but Barry is coming off a very good season and Lampard still can play a pivotal role in England's success. With those two out, it looks the central midfield will consist of captain Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker. England fans should be pleased with that duo because you will have two hard working men that have proven that they can play with the best in the world on a weekly basis. Both players also don't have much time left and it could be their last international tournament. I would assume that Walcott and Young would be the wingers but I'm not ruling out Alex Chamberlain yet. He may be too young but he's shown lots of promise this past season for Arsenal. We could see an appearance from him eventually but my safe bet is that Walcott and Young who give England plenty of speed and creativity on the wings would be the starters. The situation at the striker position is very shaky right now and I'm not sure where England's leaning towards. I'd say that Danny Welbeck will definitely start while Wayne Rooney is out but who do you put next to him? Jermain Defoe could be an option but England never seems to be too high on Defoe. Andy Carroll is another option but that seems laughable to think he would start first game after the horrendous season he had. They could try out Chamberlain behind Welbeck but that seems to be too much inexperience to go up against quality teams like France and Sweden. This is England's major problem which is why they'll only get a point out of the first two games. The lack of strikers really hurt them from making any push to first place which will leave them struggling to get 2nd place then to play Spain. England won't be contending for any run to win Euro Cup but their best hopes is to make the quarterfinals and develop new stars. They may be lacking a true strength on the team except goal keeping but they'll find a way to grind out a draw against Sweden then completely annihilate Ukraine when Rooney returns.
Player to watch- Theo Walcott is a strange pick here but to me he's under the radar. I'm not that high on Walcott but I can't forget how he didn't make the cut for World Cup 2010. It hit him hard according to interviews and now he's finally here playing at a major tournament. He's not coming off a great season but he's clearly good enough to start for England due to these circumstances. I would expect him to be fired up playing in his first tournament after being snubbed in 2010 after coming off a great season for Arsenal. With the lack of England's striking options, I'm looking to see him take some long distance shots and making long runs to possibly draw a penalty. It will be a struggle at times for England to put together any kind of offense which will lead to players like Walcott and Ashley Young to go on long runs with their speed to create some sort of chance.
3. Sweden (4 points low goal differential puts them in 3rd place)- Sweden comes into the tournament as a possible dark horse candidate. They are back in a major tournament for the first time since Euro 2008 with a similar team. They were flying under the radar during qualifiers despite scoring at a consistent level. Despite coming in 2nd place, they got an automatic spot in the Euros because they had the most points than anyone that came in 2nd place. They got a decent draw with this group and could cause some damage. The golden age of Sweden passed around 2008 similar to the Czechs except Sweden still has their major star and he actually could play the field. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still one of the most feared strikers in the game and is the main star for Sweden. He can do it all with his technical ability and athleticism to muster up any shot or pass even with two defenders on him. He's an all world talent that takes a lot out of you to defend when he's on. Sometimes he can be frustrated and lose his focus but in a tournament like this, I heavily doubt it in circumstances like that. People criticize Zlatan for not performing well in stretches such as going goal less for two years for Sweden. Its difficult to judge him at times but he's still an all world striker that can take over a game in an instant with his technique. A possible up and comer next to him is Ola Toivonen could be the next star striker for Sweden. He has taken over the Dutch league over the past year and is being rated highly as someone that is ready to play in a major league in Europe. This tournament would be the start of that where we saw players like Arshavin get big contracts after great performances in Euro 2008. I haven't seen Ola play that much yet but he's someone that can create even more problems. The midfield is a question mark with only Kim Kailstrom and Sebastian Larsson being the only proven players. Kailstrom is a no nonsense central midfielder that always tends to be the guy in the middle of everything for Sweden. After a few disappointing seasons, Larsson had a good season at Sunderland and really getting his confidence back that made him a player to look out for. Sweden is going to need Larsson to deliver terrific crosses and his set piece skill to give Sweden a boost in a midfield that is lacking of skilled players. The defense is average but it has a strong leader in Olof Melberg who is playing in his last tournament. He's prone to being sloppy and fouling too much but he's the type of leader that Sweden needs going forward and has been with the team for eight years now. Sweden's goal keeping situation isn't that great with Andreas Iskasson still holding down the fort. He's been with Sweden for years now but he's never shown anything that makes me think of him being a world class goalie. He's dependable but isn't someone that you can call upon to make over eight saves. Sweden may have some blue chip prospects that could shine but they seem too flawed to beat France or a weakened England team. They could prove me wrong by scoring four on Ukraine and winning in goal differential but they don't strike me as a team that will step up. You need a good midfield to beat the best and Sweden clearly has holes in their midfield.
Player to watch- Martin Olsson may look like a skinny pushover on a team that's now relegated in Blackburn Rovers but he can be a problem. Olsson is a threat that goes on runs that catch people off guard because he's so lanky that you would think that he be more concerned defending because of his lack of being physical. Instead he uses his pace to create something and it has given Sweden a major boost. In just eight appearances for Sweden, he has already two goals including two goals against Bosnia in a friendly. In a season where nothing went right for Blackburn, Olsson was a bright spot with his runs and passing ability. His shooting lets him down sometimes but he's always a threat with his craftiness that gives Sweden a much needed boost on that left wing where nobody has really taken that role. With Sebastian Larsson making runs down the right side, it will be up to Olsson to make runs down the left side with his pace. He's still inexperienced with a big game atmosphere like this but he can explode at any moment.
4. Ukraine ( 0 points)- The co hosts will have a tough time in this tournament with a tough group ahead of them. Unlike the other co host Poland, this team is struggling to build new stars and there hanging on to what they have left. This is their first tournament since World Cup in 2006 and they have loads of issue. Due to most players on their roster playing in the Ukrainian league, a major rivalry has set the roster apart. The major teams in Ukraine known as Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev were in a heated rivalry which has left an already heated rivalry going even further. Most players on the roster are from both teams which has led to possible chemistry concerns. The main captain of the team and Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko will have to do his best to calm his team down and be ready to make his country proud hosting the Euro Cup. Ukraine has problems all across the board but with Shevchenko leading the way in his last tournament, I have a feeling that he'll have one great moment with a classic goal. Even though his days of being one of the most feared strikers have past him, he's still the biggest treat. Andiy Voronin is the other known striker but he's also simmering down at age 32. Ukraine knows that their stars are slowly fading away which makes them completely different from other co host Poland. They may not have any expectations but players that have been here for years especially those who were on that wild 2006 World Cup run when they made the quarterfinals know that anything can happen. They may be old but Ukraine possess a decent attack with those main strikers and a rock solid central midfielder led by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk. He does play center back for Munich but he has the dribbling and passing qualities to succeed as an all around central midfielder. Andriy Yarmolenko is someone that could shine for Ukraine as a winger who has scored eight times in just twenty appearances for Ukraine. He's being considered as a future star and someone that will leave the Ukrainian league soon enough. The issue with Ukraine is their defense and goal keeper situation. Ukraine hasn't given any indication who will start in keeper and have looked into the friendlies to settle it. It has gotten to the point where they have called up a nine teen year old to possible start in Maskym Koval. When you don't have a stable goalie situation, it will be a massive problem to go anywhere in the tournament. The defense is filled with no nonsense defenders but they're inexperienced with no major tournament experience under them. It's going to be a struggle for a team that lacks speed going up against England and France that move so quickly with passing movement. It won't really help about how physical they are or how strong defensively they are. They may stay competitive for a bit by doing eight in the back tactics but in the end, it will be a forgettable experience on the field.
Player to watch- With the lack of well known stars on the team, its hard to choose from this team. I'm mostly going to look out for Andriy Yamolenko who I've mentioned above but is really being looked at as a player who can turn into a star across Europe. He's your prototypical left winger that can put a good cross in and can beat you off the dribble. He's only 22 years old so he has lots of room for improvement although this could be his last tournament for a while based on how the roster is unfolding for Ukraine. If Ukraine is going to get a spark from someone other than the two main strikers or Tymoshchuk, look for Yamolekno to be the guy.
Results
France 2 England 0- This game won't be pretty for England fans to watch. The defense stays composed through most of it but eventually France dominates possession and wins this one with not too many problems. The lack of strikers really starts to show for England.
Sweden 2 Ukraine 1- Sweden lack of speedy wingers hurts them due to Ukraine's ability to play physical. Shevchenko gets his moment of glory scoring for Ukraine in a special moment.
France 3 Ukraine 0- This game isn't anywhere close to competitive with France firing on all cylinders. Ukraine's goalie problems are even more exposed in this game as well
Sweden 1 England 1- Joe Hart saves England from possible elimination and gets England in a crucial point. Gerrard scores as usual in a major tournament to give England momentum with Rooney coming back.
France 3 Sweden 1- France still needs a win to avoid Spain in the next round. Sweden's average defense is exposed by the excellence of Ribery, Nasri, and Benzema. France rolls into the next round after three great games.
England 4 Ukraine 1- Wayne Rooney comes back in a big way with a brace of his own. Chamberlain makes an appearance and scores a goal of his own along with Welbeck. England gets into the knock out stages with an emphatic win over Ukraine.
Knockout Stages
Its time now for the knock out stages where I'll be predicting the rest of the tournament. The format is different from past Euro Cups when it comes to the semifinals. The winner of the 1st place in Group A vs 2nd place in Group B will be facing the winner of 1st place in Group C vs 2nd place in Group D. It used to be playing against the winner of the 1st place in Group B vs 2nd place in Group A but UEFA wanted to avoid doing possible rematches until the final. I like the decision and it makes it more interesting.
Quarterfinals
Holland 3 Russia 1- A rematch from Euro 2008 quarterfinals but it will be a different out come. After Russia's 3-1 upset over Holland, that victory really put Russia as a possible powerhouse in the future. That didn't happen and the upset won't happen again. Russia misses some good chances which leads to Holland converting some chances. I expect Van Perisie to score from outside the box to really set the tone for Holland to get to the semifinals.
Germany 3 Greece 0- It may be the biggest mis match of all time. The Greek wall of eight players in the box will be destroyed eventually. Someone will be sent off in the 2nd half and things will break down. It may seem like a lot to score three goals on Greece, but if anyone can do it then it has to be Germany.
Spain 2 England 0- I think this will be another game where someone on England will be sent off. This game will be very intense with both goal keepers making terrific saves. England will eventually get too over aggressive and will get beat on the counter attack. Torres will get a cheap one near the end to stick it to England some more.
France 2 Italy 0- Its a shame that none of these games will really be an extra time classic. Spain versus England will probably be the best in terms of competitiveness. Italy will be completely over matched but I expect a game where Buffon really shines. The trend about the quarterfinals will be great goalkeeping and people getting sent off. Italy seems the most prone to be playing with ten men for a long stretch of time with Balotelli and Cassano playing striker. France easily takes this game in the end to move on.
Semifinals
Holland 2 Spain 1- The epic rematch from the World Cup final will end in a different tune. Holland wins in extra time with Snejider being the long lost hero. After an abysmal year for Inter Milan as a team, he comes through in the clutch with a goal that ends the four year streak of Spain being the kings. The loss of David Villa is finally shown after Spain misses several chances after scoring early.
Germany 3 France 1- France gets a tough matchup here against the best offense in Europe and it doesn't end well. France has questions defensively and they'll get exposed by a team like Germany. Ozil has a huge game while Mario Gomez continues his great scoring streak. Podolski will likely add on to his tally of goals. France is still a young team and will continue to develop heading into the World Cup in 2014.
Finals
Germany 3 Holland 1- A rematch from group stage where it ended in tie, now ends in clear defeat for Holland. I know scoring three goals in a final is rare but Germany's offense will go down as one of the greatest tournament teams in history. They have too many weapons that will be stopped and Holland's fragile defense will be exposed completely. Even though with Van Bommel and De Jong harassing Ozil, they will have to do even more to stop the wingers. After sixteen years, Germany finally wins a major tournament. They are coming into this as the favorites and they are leaving as the deserving winner.
All hail the kings of Europe!
Team Of The Tournament
The last part I'm doing for my full Euro Cup preview is my picks to make the team tournament. I'm picking the best 11 in their respective positions along with picks to have most goals of the tournament and MVP of the tournament.
G, Iker Casillas- Joe Hart would have been my pick but Casillas goes further and has another strong tournament.
LB. Philipe Lahm- A very dependable right back that is always in the heart of the attacks. He may be undersized but this is his best tournament yet.
CB. Gerrard Pique- A dominant defender that will only get better as his young age. If Villa was playing, they may have very well won the tournament again.
CB. Giorgio Chellini- He'll make several last ditch tackles this tournament. He's an absolute rock in the back for Italy.
RB. Sergio Ramos- Spain's defense is similar to Germany's offense in terms of how good they really are. Ramos is another player that is going to step up.
LM. David Silva- With Xavi and Iniesta starting to get older, he'll step up and play a bigger role in Spain's success.
CM. Mesut Ozil- The most powerful offense needs to have the most creative piece to it on the team. He'll also win MVP of the tournament.
CM. Wesley Sneijder- After a subpar year, everyone will remember who he is again after the tournament.
RM. Arjen Robben- He'll still be the guy that can't win the big game, but that doesn't mean he'll stop playing well in any other games.
ST. Mario Gomez- This will finally be the tournament he breaks out. He won't win most goals of the tournament but the critics will get off his case about not performing on the national stage.
ST. Robin Van Perisie- He'll win golden boot with the most goals in the tournament. He's on another level right now.
I'm getting right into it today with no prelude or rant about my life. This is the official Euro Cup 2012 preview from me with full predictions and previews for each team. I know many Croatians that are always wondering since I love the sport so much, why don't you talk about it more? I know I should discuss about it more and hopefully I'll do more after the Euro Cup into the domestic league seasons. I just want to remind people that soccer (football for international readers) is actually my 4th favorite sport which might annoy me. That doesn't mean I dislike it, I do love it a lot but football, basketball, and UFC come before it in my interests. Luckily for soccer, everything is played in Europe and it never interferes with any of those great events due to time zones. I'm really excited for the Euro Cup mainly because my main national team Croatia qualified for a tournament after missing the World Cup 2010. I'd still watch it regardless if they make it or not but now I'm emotionally invested in it. I could actually get really emotional about it even though I do like Germany, Holland, and England. They aren't Croatia though, a national team that I'm constantly debating about or getting emotional about over at CroatiaSports.com. That makes the tournament even more special. I've waited for this tournament since October 14th 2009 when Croatia was officially out of the World Cup qualification stage. It has been an emotional roller coaster but I'm thankful that my team is here.
The breakdown of my preview will consist of group predictions with team previews and players to watch. You probably know all about the stars already, so I'm going to give you a player to keep an eye on that might already be a star but not the main star. Then when I'm done breaking down each team in the group, I'll post my predictions of each game within the group below to explain why I picked the teams in order for proof. Then I'll discuss the knockout stages then eventually the final. I'll also make my team of the tournament predictions and player of the tournament. I'm not discussing possible busts or my bust picks because that's a waste of time. You'll know from my predictions who turns out to be a bust. I'm only predicting the logical things and giving you the proper information with my honest opinion. I'll talk some basketball at the end because the conference finals are going on and it needs to be covered. I'm not going to cover a lot of it because Friday is usually basketball day. That's only fair, now lets get into it.
I want to give a special shout out to Joe Craven for making me these awesome group signatures for the preview. He is an excellent artist with his creativity and ideas with the signatures. He did it for each group and I couldn't thank him enough for it. His twitter handle is ProdigyENG if you want to add him. He comes from Manchester England and even though they may not have major expectations, he's absolutely pumped to see England. He is a Manchester United fan if any of you are wondering so he supports the good guys (to me) in the war between United and City. Sorry City fans, you guys are in the category with the Heat as likely glory hunter fans. I'm hoping a few City fans were still rooting for them when guys like Stephen Ireland and Claudio Reyna were running the midfield.
Group A
Cech looks proud, Karagounis is ready to riot, Arshavin looks concerned, and Blaszcyzkowski is ready to represent the country right.
I've only been following the sport since 2006 so feel free to tell me a weaker group, but this has to be the weakest group ever in any major international tournament. When I was watching the draw, I couldn't believe my eyes how weak it was when Greece was picked. Then it got even worse when Russia was selected as the last team. Russia is a good team, but they're not on the level of Italy, England, or Holland which were the other possible teams in Pot 2 for the draw. This group is very wide open but it has to annoy fans that a weak team will be going through in this group in 2nd place while a team possibly like Portugal or Croatia or Sweden will come in 3rd and be eliminated in group stage. This sport was never always kind to the quality teams, so just like most people I've moved on from being annoyed. Instead this is a wide open group after 1st place where anything can happen.
1. Russia (7 points)- Russia was my sleeper team going into the Euro Cup but that has now ended with how everything has been drawn. They could make a run to the semifinals even it will be a much smoother path to the quarterfinals. Russia is clearly head and shoulders better than any team in their group with the quality of players. Even though most of their players in Russia, this team has played with each other for years now and always puts up quality performances. It was a fluke that they didn't make it to the World Cup in 2010 due to a few underperforming players and Slovenia putting eight men in the back to defend their goal. The team is recharged with captain Andrei Arshavin leading the way for Russia. I know that he has underperformed for Arsenal since signing for them but he's always been in top form for Russia when they played. The one issue with Russia is that they get frustrated too easily after missing too many chances which leads to a fluke goal. It happened against Slovakia and Ireland in qualifiers where they either let in a fluke goal or let a team back in the game due to being sloppy. If they get players like Roman Pavylunchenko and Pavel Pogrebnyak scoring, this team will be tough to stop. When Russia is playing at their pace by creating chances and spreading the field, the defense will stay composed and they'll normally win. Igor Akinfeev doesn't get the credit he deserves as a goal keeper. He's highly underrated and has made critical saves for Russia especially during their dream run to the semifinals in Euro 2008. The key for them in this group is to stay composed and take care of business early in the game to stay away from possibly playing themselves out a game. With teams like Czech Republic, Poland, and Greece they'll be times that they'll deal with seven to eight guys in the area where they're trying to score. They'll just have to pick their spots with their big strikers and creative backs like Yuri Zhirkov. I'll be shocked if they don't win this group because they are an older team and more mature compared to the lapses that happened in the past few years.
Player to watch: Pavel Pogrebnyak made his debut in the English Premier League in January for Fulham and became a huge hit. If it wasn't Nikica Jelavic making a splash at Everton, he would have gotten more recognition for his goal scoring pace at Fulham. Pogrebynak was always overshadowed by Arshavin and Pavylunchenko because he never played in England while both players were playing at top clubs in Arsenal and Tottenham. Now that Pavylunchenko is back in Russia while Arshavin's play has declined, Pogrebynak has been highly talked about across Europe. I'm expecting to start for Russia although that might not be the case if they prefer Pavylunchenko but I'm expecting him to make an impact. He hasn't performed that good on the international stage with just two goals in the qualification stages but I'm expecting him to step up for a team that struggles to score at times when teams like to bunker in front of goal.
2. Greece (5 points)- It shocks me to pick Greece coming out of group stage but they're my team to take the opportunity to make it out of a weak group. Even though their style is considered boring and a disgrace to the sport, it can be successful. They showed that by beating Croatia 2-0 to win there qualifying group. They don't pride themselves on winning the game with style, its about winning the game whether its by set pieces or crosses. They won't thrill you with possible through balls or long shots outside the box either so this isn't the team to watch if your new to the sport. The phrase "When I watch soccer, I fall asleep" applies to the Greeks if you are looking for a team in the tournament. Yet in a group where most teams will struggle to score, the Greeks will thrive on that. Greece does have some firepower from their striker position with Gekas and Samaras. Samaras can be considered overrated with his poor career stats of just seven goals in 54 appearances for Greece. Gekas is considered there scoring machine with 21 goals in 58 appearances which is pretty impressive. Gekas actually retired at one point during qualifiers but came back after a year admitting to his mistake. That is good news for Greece because he's their only reliable scorer. Giorgios Karagounis is the captain who is considered one of the most rugged players across the world. He's a no holds barred defensive midfielder who takes chances at any tackle he can get. It seems like the perfect captain for a team that prides themselves on making sure they don't allow any goals. The Greeks don't have much star power and most of them play in their home nation similar to the Russians. They are a very united team that picks their spots when they want to counter. I'm not sure if they'll open up their attack against teams like Poland and Czech Republic who doesn't have much goal scoring threats. Then again, why would they mess with a system that got them to the tournament? You know they'll play like that against Russia who can score three goals in a matter of twenty minutes but I'm not sure about the other two teams. They'll be tough to crack defensively and that will lead them to a scrappy win. That will be enough in this group where grittiness and effort exceeds actual talent.
Player to watch: I'm Croatian so that obviously means I've seen Greece play twice over the past two years. Vasilis Torosidis is a right back that really stood out to me. He's a very hard nosed player but he knows how to dribble the ball and push it like how a right back should be. He was a problem for Croatia at times especially holding down the left side of the field where Croatia produced little to no crosses. I haven't forgotten his performance in 2010 when he got high kicked in the face by a player on Nigeria which should have knocked him out for the game. Instead he came back on and scored the winning goal off a header to give Greece a 2-1 win in the 2010 World Cup. I'm expecting Torosidis to continue to grow for Greece as a player that can be a future captain but can actually play in a top league across Europe like England,Italy, Germany, or Spain.
3. Poland (2 points)- I'm interested to see Poland play after seeing Borussia Dortmund play this season several times. Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszcyzkowski have brought optimism to Poland by playing major roles in Dortmund's success of retaining first place in the German league. It has been some dull years for Poland recently including failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2010. They have struggled to create stars after players like Smoarlek and Guerrero flopped on the national team. Now with two players playing pivotal roles especially Lewandowski with 22 goals in the German league, their has to be some more optimism for Poland. Since they are co-hosting the Euro Cup, their was already energy but now fans should be even more excited with the emergence of both players. The Polish team in general is looking better than it has in the past with half the roster playing abroad Europe. Another rising star for Poland has to be Wojciech Szczesny who has finally locked down the starting role for Arsenal. He is still prone to mistakes but at age 22, he has played at a terrific form. He's been called upon to make some big saves for Arsenal and will be called upon to the same. He has big shoes to fill with long time Polish goalkeeper Arthur Boruc retiring from international play. Most people knew how talented Boruc was from tournaments and his play in Champions league for Celtic years ago so the pressure is on for Szczesny to perform. Poland still has some holes across their lineup with a questionable defense and lack of wing play. That will hurt them against teams that have strong backs like Russia and Czech Republic or teams that like to put eight guys in the back like Greece. They might out play teams in spurts but without a certain lineup that can't control possession for a long period of time, they'll struggle. You might see a successful counter attack on an occasion, but Poland doesn't have enough to escape even a weak group. They'll be competitive which wasn't expected at first in the tournament but now with the groups out and a few players stepping up in star roles, they'll be a problem in this group and takes points away from a few teams.
Player to watch: Due to lack of relevant player and star power, I can't really give you a player that is under the radar to watch. I'd keep an eye on Szczesny who has a really bright future. He bailed out Arsenal on more than one occasion this year and will be called upon to do the same for Poland. I look forward to seeing him with a full stadium behind him. Hopefully he'll get more support than I'm already envisioning him getting against a team like Russia. There are many things that will have to go right for Poland to make the knockout stages than just Szczesny performing but he's someone that everyone will be keeping close on to see if his club excellence can translate to national team success.
4. Czech Republic (1 point)- The golden age for the Czechs have passed them ever since 2006. The cracks showed in 2008 that their golden age of players were finished after blowing a 2-0 lead in a matter of 20 minutes against Turkey in the Euro Cup 2008. After failing to make the World Cup in 2010, they somehow fought their way into making it to the Euros. Despite having the lowest points out of any playoff team, Czech Republic beat a very improved Montenegro team twice in the playoffs. You can't say they didn't deserve to make it after beating a quality side like Montenegro but it doesn't change the fact that they are among the weakest teams in the Euro Cup. The only remaining players from their dominance in the mid 2000's have to be just Milan Baros, Petr Cech, and Tomas Rosicky. The only benefit for the Czechs is drawing a group that doesn't have much star power. They have a chance to turn some heads and possibly win a game. I don't see that happening but they won't be completely overmatched with their lack of offense or questionable defense. They still have one of the best goalies in the world in Petr Cech and Rosicky is coming off a great 2nd half of the season with Arsenal. Rosicky has been struggling the past few seasons with injury and performance but he really played well in for Arsenal which led to them getting 3rd place. The major issue with the Czechs is they don't have much goal scoring threats. Milan Baros is long gone from his days of scoring hat tricks against any team while no young players have really stood out from the forward position. The Czechs have a solid central midfielder with Tomas Hubschman and Jarsoslav Plasil holding down the central midfielder with their veteran performance. They did a terrific job harassing the Montenegro offense and really shutting them down from scoring in both games. Even with a questionable defense, they know how to harass free flowing players without having to put eight men in the box. This group is going to be physical and the Czechs have no problem playing like that. They have hope which is what I've said about every team and will be a common theme for every team not named Russia in this group. That being said, they have the least chance to make enough noise due to lack of being strong in one aspect of the game. They are just decent in a few areas and below average in other areas. It's not going to be a memorable cup for the Czechs.
Player to watch: Michal Kadlec is a player that I've been waiting to talk about. He's been arguably the leader in a skill position for the Czechs throughout the group stage. He scored four goals for the Czechs in the qualifying stage including a huge penalty to get them in the playoffs by tying Scotland away from home. He plays for Bayer Leverkusen where he played a huge part in their run in Champions League. He goes very unnoticed playing with a national team that doesn't get much publicity but he's making a reputation to being one of the best left backs in Europe. He's not afraid to take penalties and knows how to deliver quality crosses consistently. I'm interested to see how he steps up against decent competition in the Euros (didn't say elite because the group was weak). The Czechs need players to step up if they want to make a shocking appearance in the quarterfinals and he's a player that qualifies as one. For a team that lacks creativity, he brings it to the table from how much he attacks on his side then hustles back defensively.
Results
My prediction for the results in the group will be here after I preview each team.
Poland 1 Greece 1- It will be a very physical contest but in the end, Greeks score a late goal to spoil the party.
Russia 2 Czech Republic 0- Russia makes a statement early and should win by more. Cech bails the Czechs out from complete embarrassment.
Greece 1 Czech Republic 0- The Greeks somehow keep grinding out results by sneaking away with a win thanks to set pieces.
Russia 3 Poland 1- It could be worse but since Poland's strength is goal keeping, Russia misses a few chances but they make a huge statement here with a big win.
Russia 1 Greece 1- A frustrating game for both teams which will have someone sent off. This game will get heated and it will end in a deadlock but Russia still wins the group since they only needed a tie.
Poland 2 Czech Republic 2- Both teams are just playing for pride which means a very open game. Czechs don't get shut out in the tournament and earn a tie.
Group B
Ronaldo is looking for answers as usual, Van Perisie is pumped, Neuer looks anxious, and Agger is a proud singer to his nation's anthem.
Now I can finally start having some fun discussing this. No offense to the nations in Group A but that group is tough to talk about. We now get into the Group Of Death with three of the arguably top seven nations in Europe along with a very underrated Denmark team. I'm very excited to see the two top title contenders in Germany and Holland face off in group stage. I'm a huge fan of both teams and think their major threats to finally dethrone Spain from winning the cup. Portugal is always a dark horse to do something with their skilled players across the lineup but they always seem to have some sort of problems headed into every tournament. This one is no different but they always remain dangerous. Then you have Denmark who is very under appreciated by many even though they have done better than Portugal in the last two qualification groups where both teams were in the same group and Denmark won the groups. I'm really excited for this group and I want to make sure to catch every game.
1, Germany ( 7 points)- Germany is being considered as one of the tournament favorites which shouldn't surprise anyone. This team has talent through every position on their roster which makes them a tough team to stop. After goal keeping issues for the past few years, they finally found their new star in Manuel Neuer. He's just hitting his prime at 26 and could become Germany's new version of Oliver Kahn. That's a tall task of expectations to live up to but Neuer continues to grow into the world class core of goal keepers. Germany's most commonly known for as their array of goal scorers and creators. It seems like the list never ends with this team. The midfielder is fantastic with players like Ozil, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Kroos, and Khedria. They have the defensive midfielder presence in Khedria who has taken the role that the great Michael Ballack used to do for Germany. He doesn't have the same offensive skills like Ballack but he's a proven midfielder that will harass the opposing team's attacking midfielder. Then you have creators like Ozil and Schweinsteiger that really open things up for Germany. With the talent that Germany has, they are always a threat to score three to four goals a game. The team is so deep then when you get to proven goal scorers like Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez, it becomes scary when you have to play to play them. Even with Croatia's upset victory 2-1 which I'm still shocked that happened in 2008, Germany was the number one team that I wanted to avoid playing because the offensive depth is absurd. They could also bring Miroslav Klose off the bench who may be aging but he's always a threat as a proven goal scorer. Mario Gotze is another player that people are rating very highly across Germany as another huge prospect. He had a big year in Borussia Dortmund and has many elite clubs across Europe looking at him. The one question about Germany is probably their defense even though it has grown over the years. It used to be a bigger liability in the past two cups, but I think it has improved a bit. They are still young but most of them are coming off playing in major champions league games and in the World Cup 2012. Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng are two players that I'm looking to see step up in the central defense through out the tournament. I know Mertesacker is known to be a common start for Germany but I'm not sure how he'll do against quick paced teams like Holland and Portugal. They may want to look for more athletic defenders than tall imposing defenders. With Neuer in the back, I think Germany won't become that much of a liability in defense but it could be a problem. When you need to hide an average defense that may be still too young, its always great to have a talented offense. Other than Holland, there is no argument about who has the best offense in Europe which is Germany. This is a tough group and Germany tends to slip up at times in group play. They won't get the perfect nine points but they'll come in 1st place.
Player to watch: He's another player that people consider to be a huge star but I'm waiting to see him score in a major tournament. Germany has played in plenty of tournament games in the past two major cups but I've yet to see Mario Gomez score. Gomez is coming off another terrific year for Bayern Munich scoring at will at times in league play and Champions League. Right now he's most remembered for the awful display he had against Chelsea. He over shot several times and didn't step up when Munich needed him which is a common theme in big games. While he has an impressive 22 goals in 52 appearances, I'm sure many German fans want to see him step up in a major tournament. Gomez will be watched closely by most people because he's gaining a reputation for not performing for Germany on the big stage.
2. Holland ( 7 points low goal differential puts them in 2nd place)- Another team that has title aspirations has to be the Dutch just like every tournament since I've been watching. The Dutch are the only team in the tournament that can match Germany pound for pound in offensive talent. They have arguably the best striker in Europe right now in Robin Van Perisie who at times single handily won games for Arsenal this season. People have been waiting for him to fully breakout and not get the injury that he always seems to get every season, this was the season that happened. He's on a tear right now and I don't see him stopping anytime soon. Dirk Kuyt and Klass Jan-Huntelaar round out the group of quality strikers even though they tend to struggle on international stage. Huntelaar has been a proven scorer in qualifiers but he's yet to really break out due to Holland's formation structure. That could change this tournament but Holland still has loads of options to play. The midfield is still deep with Snejider, Robben, Van Der Vaart, De Jong, and Van Bommel rounding it out. The lack of wingers could be a concern with only Robben being a true winger but they should be able to settle something out. Kuyt could be an option on the wing or possibly Van Der Vaart. They are going to produce offensively regardless of who plays because of how much quality they truly have. It will just be a formation decision on who to start but they'll get their goals. Snejider, Robben, Van Perisie, and Van Bommel are only guys that I can truly say that will definitely get starting roles until they get hurt or go on a run of poor form. The main questions for Holland are in the back which consist of lack of consistency. Unlike Germany they don't have much star power and don't have a leader in the back like a Phillip Lahm. They have veterans like Heitinga and Van Der Wiel who are proven but they some questions in rotation purposes. This is the first tournament without Dutch legend Gio Van Bronckhorst who was a mainstay at left back for years with Holland. Their might be some growing pains but their in the same boat with Germany that offensive talent and controlling possession will exceed defensive issues for at least the group stage. Maarten Stekelenburg continues to grow and will be more confident than in 2010 when he was being questioned after Edwin Van Der Sar retired. They were drawn in a tough group but Holland will escape with some problems but they will be aided with an easy draw into the quarterfinals.
Player to watch: Arjen Robben would be a good choice but people already know about him and will watch him. I'm looking to see how Gregory Van Der Wiel steps up for a Dutch defense that isn't as strong as the past years. He's a right back that continues to grow and being linked to big clubs such as Chelsea. Right backs play a massive role in cups and this will be no different with Van Der Wiel playing a part in attacks while defending against the likes of Ronaldo and Podolski in group stage. He will be called upon a lot especially with all the praise he's received the past two years. Many players boost their stock for a big money transfer to an elite club through these tournaments. I'm interested to see if he can do that for someone that hasn't been seen much since he's been playing at Ajax.
3. Portugal (3 points)- It may seem a bit harsh but this is an awful matchup for Portugal. This team is considered to be dangerous and can play with anyone, but that reputation is far fetched these days. This is a troubled team that has lost some veteran players on the squad due to questionable management. Portugal has had trouble with managers over the past two days which has led to players like Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Boswinga retiring from international football. They are two players that play at a high level still and have been playing on the team for years. It's a huge lost losing two key defenders especially with a lack of a dominant goal keeping and a lack of a true striker. Ever since the great Pauleta retired, Portugal has yet to find a true striker (Ronaldo and Nani aren't true strikers). Portugal relies on strikers that are starting to decline such as Hugo Almeida and Heider Postiga who have never been that great to begin with. Many questions consist around this Portugese team but they'll always have a great midfield. The star power of Cristiano Ronaldo is always a huge factor and he'll be the main catalyst to see how Portugal can last with the great teams in their group. What I'm concerned about is that Ronaldo tends to struggle for the national team and it makes me question why Portugal couldn't win a group where they were considered the best team but had to struggle just to make it in 2nd place over Norway. The midfield will have to control the pace of the game and be the playmakers. Nani is always dangerous on the wing but can be inconsistent at times along with Raul Miereles who plays tough but can struggle with his touch. They have weapons that can score from outside the box or score on a terrific individual effort but like we all know, this sport is a team game and Portugal is going to struggle against the elite. The strikers are below average and Eduardo is a question mark at best in net. He plays in his respective home league which shows that he isn't good enough to play across Europe. He could prove me wrong but against teams like Germany and Holland, I highly doubt he can save everything two power house offenses can give them. Portugal's defense has some quality and I would say better than Hollands for that matter. Pepe continues to prove although he'll have to watch it with his hot head tendencies. He has a history of red cards and getting sent off in this group will become deadly to any hopes of making the quarterfinals. Bruno Alves is a mainstay in the back and usually reliable while Fabio Coentrao is one player that is an absolute stud in the back for Portugal. He was one of the few players that stood out to me in the World Cup 2010 for Portugal which got him a deal with Real Madrid. I don't think Portugal is going to make it out the group which is what most people are thinking. They are a declining team compared to their prominence in 2006 to 2008 where they were considered one of the top five teams in Europe. They are struggling to get more young stars on their team and management issues will have this team in a flux. Ronaldo will have his shining moments but I can't see their fringe defense last against two of the most prolific offenses in Europe.
Player to watch- Fabio Coentrao might be my favorite left back to watch in the world. Left back is considered a forgotten position by many because you see the right backs getting more recognition and stars being made. Leighton Baines, Benoit Assou Ekotto, and Ashley Cole are left backs that always seem to impress me but Coentrao is right up there with my favorites. That is isn't the best left backs in the world list instead it's my personal preferences. Coentrao is a skilled attacker who loves to push up the wings with his pace and technical ability. He can be a serious problem for a right back especially since they have the left winger to also deal with who is likely Nani. Portugal can be a major handful on the right side which makes the right winger do plenty of defending than he should be doing. Coentrao is an absolute handful and is one of the few Portugal players that teams should seriously worry about. He may be a star for playing at Real Madrid but he doesn't get the recognition he deserves compared to Ronaldo, Nani, and Pepe. He deserves more praise and hopefully another big tournament will make people recognize him as one of the best left backs in the world.
4. Denmark (0 points)- They deserve a lot more respect than they get from people. They win their group over Portugal yet draw a fourth seed pot in the draw? That doesn't make much sense then they end up in the group of death. It's a shame that they are going to lose all three games including to the team that they have outplayed for a few years now. I just think star power is so crucial in the Euro Cup and they don't have anyone to depend on for that. Nicklas Bendther always shows flashes of talent but more times than not, he leaves you shaking your head wondering how did Arsenal sign him. He's the only striker that is known across Europe and he'll have to deal with long stretches of time not touching the ball due to the simple fact that the midfields in this group are far superior to Denmark. The main talk for Denmark is highly rated prospect Christian Eriksen making his debut in a major tournament. Eriksen is considered one of the highest rated prospects across Europe who had done so much for Ajax in the past few years. Denmark isn't known to have many stars in the past few years but to have a player like Eriksen coming up has to create some buzz in a tough situation. Denmark is a physical team that isn't afraid to play against the best like you saw against Holland two years ago. They could frustrate teams and won't get completely dominated because of their tendency to play more defensively but to always out hustle teams as well. They have leaders defensively in Daniel Agger who was one of the few bright spots for Liverpool and Simon Kjaer who is always a pain to play against because he's very physical and never afraid to pick up a foul from what I've seen from him at Roma. The one interesting part about Denmark is the goalie situation which is unsettled right now. They have Anders Lindegaard who is the backup in Manchester United while Kasper Schmeichel who is the son of legendary goal keeper Peter Schmeichel. I lean towards Schmeichel starting in net but it could go down to either guy who will have a lot to prove with the recognition of their name or club they play for. This is a team that completely deserves to make the tournament but they'll make their fans regret making it to the tournament when they lose each game regardless of how hard they try. It's going to be a struggle but hopefully some new stars emerge like Eriksen and whoever plays goalie.
Player to watch- Christian Eriksen may get a lot of hype for the tournament but he's still my pick here. I've never seen him play yet and he has me excited to see if he can create some offense for a team that lacks it in Denmark. He's going to be going up against tough midfielders like Nigel De Jong, Sami Khedria, and Raul Miereles in terms of central midfielders. Those three players are stern tests for a young player like him so he'll be tested early. Many things will depend on him for Denmark and with the lack of players around him, how will he react is the main question.
Results
Holland 2 Denmark 1- Denmark frustrates Holland through out the game including drawing a penalty at one point. They hold on for a close win with Denmark really pressing through out the game after a bad first half.
Germany 4 Portugal 2- Who's ready for some goals? Germany shows the world how great their offense is by exposing Portugal into pieces. Portugal gets some cheap goals in but in the end, it's 2008 all over again with a Germany win.
Portugal 2 Denmark 1- Portugal bounces back but once again Denmark is around. I was really close for giving this a tie but with Ronaldo and Nani, they can draw penalties regardless if it's a dive or not. The craftiness of Portugal gets them a win.
Germany 2 Holland 2- The battle of the greats happens with an absolute classic and my pick to be match of the group stage. I expect a lot of shots on both nets with Holland breaking through in the end to get a critical point. Neuer is the better goal keeper but he'll get caught off guard at one point with the dynamic Dutch offense.
Holland 3 Portugal 1- Portugal can't hang with the Dutch in this one with Holland firing on all cylinders. Portugal's weak defense cost them here although they'll get an insurance goal because Holland always seems to slip up at some point. They will have to take 2nd because their goal differential isn't as good as Germany.
Germany 3 Denmark 0- Denmark gets dominated through out the game because Germany knows a win gets them a group win. They also get to avoid Russia who could be a possible problem in the quarterfinals. Germany capitalizes on playing Greece and they'll play a very efficient game by taking several shots on Denmark with some chances finally going in. They may need Kasper to play like his dad in this one for Denmark to stand a chance.
Group C
Keane looks like a proud leader, Buffon is practicing his face for court, Pique is barking out orders, and Modric is on the move like usual.
This is a very unique group despite the one obvious winner in the group. The defending champions Spain are the main team of the group and the heavy favorite to win the group. Despite a few injuries to David Villa and Puyol which will hurt the team, their still isn't any debate that Spain will fall off. This is a team full of talent that will still control possession most of the game and play incredible defense. Now the 2nd place spot is an instant toss up. Italy seems favored despite their recent scandal amongst their domestic league. They are still a deep team with loads of young talent coming up and still have trusty veterans like Pirlo. They seem like the favorite but people still see Croatia as a sleeper. I've mentioned that I'm mostly Croatian and I'm a huge fan even though I'm not high on them. They have some major flaws that could come back to haunt them which makes me hesitant to believe they can overtake Italy. I think they have a shot because of their wealth of talent in the midfield and striker position but can the shaky defense hold up? Croatia tends to step up when it matters most when their backs are against the wall like in Istanbul against Turkey last November. Ireland is the other team in the group that its in their first tournament since World Cup 2002. They seem just happy to be here but I'm not going to completely rule them out. They are a gritty team and could compete for second with two possible underachievers in front of them. It seems highly unlikely but if Ireland shows energy and out hustle both teams then they could shock the world.
1. Spain ( 7 points)- They aren't as dominant as they were in 2008 and 2010 but this is still one of the favorites to win the tournament. The team is still relatively deep at midfield which is key to every team in the tournament. The midfield is where things happen and Spain's midfield is absolutely loaded with tremendous talent. With the lack of striker talent, I'm expecting them to play with five midfielders. They have so much talent that one top player will have to sit on the bench similar to 2010 with Csec Fabregas. I think that player will be Juan Mata this year only because he's still relatively young and not as proven as the other players I've mentioned. David Silva has become one of the best players in the premiership and should be a player that they must start. You know Xavi, Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso are all players that will be starting. Cesc Fabregas would be my choice to play even though I'm not sure what they'll do on the right wing but Spain will have Sergio Ramos run that right wing so they shouldn't be that concerned. I can't see Juan Mata starting yet even though he's been impressive at Chelsea and should get his chances to shine at some point in the tournament. The midfield depth is scary for Spain and that's what makes them better than just about every team in the world. They control possession and play the game so smoothly along with being patient waiting for their time to strike. The other strong point that makes Spain a contender to repeat is Iker Casillas playing at a high level. Casillas has really performed well in the past two tournaments and I'd expect a third straight after the year he had for Real Madrid. The issues with Spain going forward are injuries with key injuries to David Villa and Carlos Puyol. Villa is the only proven striker that has played consistently for the past few years and has scored on the big stage. He's a major loss for Spain going forward while Carlos Puyol may be declining, he's still a part of that dominant Spain defense that we've seen. Spain may have some questions defensively even though their led by Pique who might be the best center back in the world (debatable but he's in top three at least). Sergio Ramos is still playing at a high level and is always a threat going down the wings. What impresses me about Spain is how young their players still are with Ramos only 26 years old and Pique only 25 years old. It seems like these guys have been playing for eight years yet their still barley hitting their prime now which is scary. I would assume that Sergio Busquets would be taking over Puyol's spot who isn't a bad replacement but he's undersized so that could be an issue against tall strikers that Croatia and Italy have. The other issue with Spain is the lack of a trustworthy striker. Pedro is coming off a subpar year while some would consider that Fernando Torres is lucky to even be on the team. Fernando Llorente could be someone that Spain could start who's been consistent all year even though he hasn't really played much in a major tournament yet.
Player to watch: I'm going to pick someone that I know that will get his chances. I'd pick Llorente but I don't know how Spain is going to use him so I don't want to pick him. With the stars all across the midfield, I'm still going to keep my eye on David Silva. Even if he's a huge star, he gets forgotten about in a midfield with Barcelona or Real Madrid stars. He's the one out cast that plays in Manchester but he's starting to become possibly better then all of them. His skill, speed, and technique are all world class with his tendency to get by any defender is fun to watch. He's a handful for any right back and he never stops running which is always a problem. He's very undersized but with his craft, it's going to be tough for a right back to leave a game without being carded once. I'm sure most people know Silva but I want people to still keep on eye on him and don't forget him despite all the brilliance from Spain's Real Madrid and Barcelona connection in the midfield.
2. Italy ( 5 points)- I'm pretty sure that there is no other team going through a legit crisis like Italy is right now. People can debate that England suffering three injures is big but Italy is going through a league scandal that could hit teams hard. The coach doesn't really care to be in Euro 2012 after what's going on so I'm really questioning this team. That being said, I think they'll battle it out. It seems like a risky pick but Italy still possesses some great talent. After missing World Cup in 2010, Buffon is back in a vengeance and to show the world why he's the best goalie in Europe still. I'm looking forward to see him although if he wants to take a game off against Croatia, that would be lovely (no more fan based talking!). The issue with Italy is that I can't really predict who's going to start for this team. The team is filled with lots of young players and since I don't watch Serie A that much, I'm struggling to judge a few of these names. I've seen some from Champions league but this is a confusing team. The defense doesn't have many of the veterans anymore although Giorgio Chiellini is a fantastic defender. I'm not sure where he'll play either at center back or left back but either way he's one dependable player that will deliver for Italy. They have young players like Abate and Bonucci that I've seen play before even though their still young. This is a questionable defense for Italy but they're aided by a top three goalie in Europe. This is also a group that doesn't have any strong offensive teams that will score three goals on you. Spain is terrific but they'll struggle to score more than two goals without any true consistent striker. This is the last tournament for Pirlo probably which is a shame because he's one of the best central midfielders I've ever watched. He's still proving to be a handful for most teams and should be going all out since this is his last tournament likely at age 33. The central midfield will be a strength with Pirlo and De Rossi playing with each other even though De Rossi has a history of underperforming in major cups whether it's getting sent off or not making an impact. I'm not sure who is going to be the wings for Italy or if they'll do some formation which doesn't consist of much wing play. This is a very under the radar Italy team I'm looking at it which either leaves me under prepared on knowing what is going on with the team or they'll really struggle in this tournament. The make or break for Italy in the group has to be their strikers that are either too old, too controversial, or both. I'm expecting the main three strikers to be in the mix to start are Di Natalie, Balotelli, and Cassano. Di Natalie is a proven goal scorer in league play but he's been in three cups now that I've yet to see him do much. He ends up playing in the first game then gets benched the rest of the tournament or rarely used. He's on a short leash if he starts the first game with either Cassano or Balotelli waiting. I'm expecting Cassano to start first game because he's rated highly in Italy and he could be a major difference maker. People always call him the player that could change a game even though he never seems to do that when I watch him. Antonio Cassano is no stranger to controversy so he'll be another player to watch out for if he gets into any trouble. Both players will have to keep performing because with the media and possible upside to the switch, I think will see Mario Balotelli sooner rather than later in the tournament. Everyone knows him as the prima donna but its clear he's very talented and for a desperate Italy team, they'll be insane not to try him out whether its against Spain or Croatia. I can't see them going the first two games without using him. This isn't a great Italy team, but they got a favorable draw and will just get into the quarterfinals over Croatia.
Player to watch- I'm interested to see how the Italy defense looks so I'm going with Ignazio Abate. He currently plays for Milan for any people that don't care about Serie A (wait most people don't!). I've seen him in Champions League though since Milan is one of the few Italian teams that know how to win in Europe. He's a nice prospect to have and I'd be shocked if he didn't get at least playing time in the tournament or even start. He's tall and quick for a right back that has some shoes to fill after the great Gianluca Zambrotta retired from international play. I've seen Abate make some great runs as a back and he's getting a reputation for that but his defensive is something that I'm going to look into. It would be interesting to see him try to defend David Silva which is a tall task for someone who has only two caps in international play. He's young but out of all the defenders that can play right back, he seems most suited. My Italian friends would probably know more, I should have got them to do this one for me and I'd buy them a three pack for their work.
3. Croatia ( 4 points)- I go from a country that I thought I knew more about to the team that I so passionately love. I'm such a fan of them that they aren't even getting past group stage. It's a shame even though I watch every game of this team and keep up with every player in the squad weekly. I'm interested to see how this Croatia team performs because I have zero expectations for even though if they lose to Ireland, that's really awful. In 2006 to 2008, Croatia was considered one of the next up and coming great teams after beating England twice in qualifying and beating Germany in group stage. Since that year, Croatia doesn't have any quality win although beating Turkey 3-0 is pretty impressive. Croatia isn't the same team from four years ago and that showed by not qualifying for the World Cup in 2010. They still haven't found a player that can replace Nico Kovac in terms of leadership and positioning. Darijo Srna has been a poor captain for Croatia despite all the praise he gets. He's been consistently flopping on plays and had several poor performances in qualifying. Croatia hasn't found a defensive midfielder that is anywhere near the level that Nico Kovac plays on. He has left a huge hole on the team after his retirement and it has left me wondering about this team going forward. They are in the big tournament which is a huge sign of relief and this isn't a group that is overwhelming. Croatia does have some fire power offensively with Luka Modric leading the way. I'm sure everyone knows that Modric is Croatia's engine and he'll be the catalyst to how games usually go for Croatia. Croatia's main strength is the midfield with an array of options between Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, and Niko Kranjcar. My guess is that Rakitic will start the first game but either of these guys can step up and play a huge role in Croatia's offense. Perisic seems to be the player with the most potential after a nice year in limited opportunities for Borussia Dortmund. Croatia also has some weapons at the striker position with Nikica Jelavic becoming a huge hit at Everton and possibly be the guy that steps up for Croatia at a position that has been lacking for a while. Eduardo has recently began to step up in the past few friendlies and could warrant a start in the tournament. Croatia has their weapons that could lead them to a possible upset in Italy but their flaws really stick out. They have been hit with injuries with Dejan Lovern and Ivica Olic which hurts the defense back line and striker depth. The main reason why Croatia will bow out early is because their defense is even in worse shape than Italy. Other than Vedran Corluka who has really stepped up in the past few years for Croatia, their isn't one defender that I can say that could play on a level like this. I'm not sure if Danijel Pranjic will get the start at left back but based on his lack of size and below average defense, I think they would go with Ivan Strinic at first who hasn't been tested on the big international stage. Croatia's defense is in absolute shambles and it makes me fear for them even if the midfield ends up controlling possession a lot. Stipe Pletikosa is underrated as a goalie and doesn't get much recognition but it will be the lack of defense that causes Croatia to bow out early. Hopefully no Croatians choke me out after this prediction, but I could be wrong because knowing Croatia they always tend to play better when their against teams that are on their level.
Player to watch- He may not start at first but Ivan Perisic is someone that will be seen in the Euro Cup on more than one occasion. Even though he has been left on the bench several times for Dortmund this year, he has made his season off scoring as a sub. Who could forget that goal he had against Arsenal that was an absolute blast off a corner kick? Perisic is a great prospect for a 22 year old and could even start against Ireland in the first game. He's quick and shows an unlimited amount of range with his left foot. With the lack of quickness that Croatia plays with, I could see him eventually starting and making a major impact. He plays for the German champions and gets playing time for them for a reason, keep an eye on him because he might be the next huge star for Croatia right next to Luka Modric.
4. Ireland ( 0 points)- It seems harsh but Ireland just doesn't have enough to even get a point. They haven't made a tournament since 2002 and most of their players aren't considered major stars across Europe. I have watched a few Ireland games in qualifiers and they don't jump out to you as a team that can possibly upset a team. They aren't very technical and seem to rely on the long ball for their ways to score. They are a team that has played together for a while though and don't have many injury issues compared to other teams. This is also a nice draw for them with a chance at 2nd place. They showed in past qualifiers that they can play with Italy by drawing them twice. I'm not ruling them out as complete push overs but I just think they'll be overwhelmed. Robbie Keane continues to play on but can he muster up anything against big competition? Shane Long continues to improve and could make an impact but other than that players like Kevin Doyle and Simon Cox don't exactly strike fear to people's eyes. The midfield is considered the strong point of the team with a mixture of trusty veterans like Damien Duff and Stephen Hunt but prospects like James McClean and Darron Gibson could shine. They have a variety of players to use for creativity and long distance shooting. Aiden McGeady is probably the most likely to create something big for Ireland if they muster up a few goals in the tournament. He's inconsistent at times but he shows the most technical skill out of anyone on Ireland. He can be a threat along with Duff who may be aging but can be a threat. What makes this team so intriguing though has to be the fact that they have so many veterans that have been waiting for this. They have struggled for so long not making any major tournament then they got robbed last qualification stage against France to get in the World Cup. You have to be happy to see players like Keane, Duff, Richard Dunne, and Shay Given to finally be playing in this tournament because this is likely the only tournament they'll play in due to age. It makes them a fan favorite but heart can only get you so far. Ireland has a very underrated goalie in Shay Given who may not play at a major club anymore but he's still someone that can be relied upon. The defense is getting older and doesn't seem to be getting any new young prospects coming up. It could be a problem with veterans like O'Shea and Dunne going up against quicker forwards that can move. They are very physical and prone to give up penalties when beaten. If I'm a fan of Ireland, they just need to keep a positive mindset on the tournament. They are finally here and whatever happens will happen. It may sound lame and corny, but that's the truth because after a long ten year wait anything will be suitable here. I don't think they'll go home with any points but they could sneak in a win over two teams that are known for underachieving the past few years in Italy and Croatia.
Player to watch- Shane Long is a player that I already mentioned but he deserves to be a guy that should be watched more. I've seen Shane play numerous times at first in the 2nd division of England where he absolutely dominated while playing for Reading. He made the jump to the 1st division where he plays for West Brom now and had a pretty decent season. In 32 appearances, he had 8 goals which isn't great but it shows that he has promise. He had some injury problems at times and it looked like he hit a wall during the season but Long is always on the attack. He's got a nice touch on the ball and has a striker's mentality to score anywhere. He may not start against Croatia but after seeing the Keane and Doyle combination, I'm sure Long will get his chance to shine.
Results
Spain 1 Italy 1- This is a risky pick especially with how Italy has been lately. I think they dig down deep and somehow muster up a tie. Buffon shows the world that he's still among the elite by making several saves down the stretch.
Croatia 2 Ireland 1- Ireland will be a pain through out the game especially with Croatia having the tendency of not showing enough energy or effort. Croatia will pull out the win and I can celebrate for a few days that my team is in first place.
Italy 2 Croatia 2- Another risky pick that can easily come back and totally make me look like a fool. Both defenses are pretty flawed while both teams have several weapons offensively. Just because I have the worst luck with teams in 2012 and Croatia always seems to crack at worst times, Italy will get a goal late in the game to get a critical point.
Spain 3 Ireland 0- It could be less but I think Spain's passing will leave Ireland in complete shambles. Spain is simply too skilled not to control this game and make Ireland look completely overmatched.
Italy 3 Ireland 1- With their backs against the wall, Italy explodes and gets into the knockout stages. It could be Balotelli time or if Pirlo's passing leaves Ireland lost.
Spain 2 Croatia 0- It could be more especially with how poor Croatia's defense is but Croatia's midfield will do a little better. Plus Spain will be mostly controlling possession at the end of the game. They know they'll come in 1st and won't feel the need to score more goals. They aren't Holland or Germany when it comes to that.
Group D
Tymoshchuk is focused, Hart is modeling for the cameras, Evra is angry as usual, and Ibrahimovic makes his one of 365 funny faces that he possess.
This group is very versatile with the amount of injuries, unpredictability, and issues that surround the teams. France is considered the favorite in the group which shouldn't surprise anyone. This is a team with loads of talent that can really catch people off guard. When people think of France, they think of the embarrassment of World Cup 2010 when they couldn't win a game and they left their manager during practice. This is a new France team and this is my dark horse to win the entire tournament with their talent. Ukraine is the other co-host in the tournament that is in the group but will have their work cut out for them. They haven't played in a major tournament since World Cup 2006 and their team has declined since then. Its safe to say that they'll have major problems in this group that is considered deep. The battle for 2nd place is between England and Sweden. France may fall off but I'm pretty confident that they'll rule the group. Sweden is coming into this tournament with full of momentum since it's their first tournament since 2008. They don't have a deep team like it was in 2006 that was considered the golden age for Sweden but they still have talent around the team such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. England is coming into this tournament banged up with three players out with injuries. Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, and Gary Cahill have been ruled out as those three men could have been named starters. The losses have started to really stock on England who doesn't have Wayne Rooney for the first two games. The Spain England game is going to likely leave the most impact on this group around the top to get to the knockout stages.
1. France ( 9 points)- France winning three straight is a stretch but I have high hopes for this team. They could slip up at some point but I have faith that they'll really get after teams. France did have some injuries come up defensively that does hurt. Barcay Sagna is one of the top right backs in the world and it's a shame he'll miss the tournament. He's a huge part to France's defense luckily they don't face any major left wingers in this round (Ashley Young might shut me up). The defense may be a bit weaker but I'm fairly confident that they can hold up. Patrice Evra remains to be one of the top left backs in the world while Mexes and Rami are a nice duo. France defense is far from dominant especially with a hole at right back but their more than capable of holding their own in a group where only one striker is going to be a problem (Rooney will be out against France). Hugo Lloris continues to develop into a top goalie after problems earlier in his career. He's starting to become a goalie that they can rely on that could bail them out when shots start coming in constantly. France has a solid back line which isn't that special but it can provide cover up when their offense isn't firing on all cylinders. France's offense is what will make this team go. Karim Benzema was harshly not called up for World Cup 2010 along with Samir Nasri. France was an absolute disaster in 2010 as a whole but those two guys stand out to me. These are two world class players that I would be confident in playing with against any team in the world. How those two didn't get called up was beyond me, but I expect both guys to be really fired up when they play. Benzema is starting to become one of the fearsome strikers in the world while Nasri may be coming off a subpar year but he can turn it up in an instant. Then they have a midfield with the likes of Ribery, Malouda, and M'Vila. M'Vila is unknown right now but he's expected to have a big tournament. France doesn't have the star studded cast like they did in 2006 but this team is still full of quality that believes in themselves and their manager in Blanc. I haven't brought up much about managers yet but Blanc is someone that has made the team better. The team actually likes him and I don't think will need to worry about a possible hold up when practice starts. They are a dark horse to win it all if their stars play even better and they don't make silly fouls. They have some hot heads on the team like Mexes and Ribery that could easily destroy a game. If they can play discipline and their stars can play like they played through most of qualifiers, France will breeze by this group.
Player to watch- Adil Rami is someone that is developing into a different center back than most center backs are. He's not the imposing physical player that will throw his body around to make sure that there is no threat of a goal coming. He reminds me more of a back with his speed and intelligence to make smart tackles to clear the danger away. I'm interested to see how Rami pushes up at times because he likes making runs into the box a few times a game. He's got a very good shot for a defender and could be utilized in some set plays. With some uncertainty in defense, I look for him to step up and lead France to a possible run all the way to winning the final. The team is that good but they'll need their defense to step up after a few miscues in qualifying.
England ( 4 points)- Italy makes headlines about scandals and actual legal problems, while England makes headlines for players swapping in every other day. It has been a roller coaster ride for England even though they won there qualifying group. It didn't seem like long ago that people had title aspirations for England. It may sound far fetched but England were playing great and fans started to believe that the World Cup 2010 disappointment was behind him. That all changed once Wayne Rooney decided to pull a typical Wayne Rooney move and had to kick a Montenegrin goalkeeper. It led to a two match suspension for Rooney that leaves England short on quality striking options. Some may not consider this a shock but I didn't see Fabio Capello being sacked coming. What manager gets sacked after leading their national team to the Euro Cup through group stage? It was very bizarre to me although I think they envisioned that Harry Redknapp would take the job instantly. That didn't happen so now they are stuck with Roy Hodgson who I'm skeptical about. We've seen him do great work at small clubs like West Brom and Fulham but he failed at Liverpool in a massive way (then again who doesn't fail at Liverpool these days). England still has loads of talent and I think they'll slide through in the group stage even with the challenging group. Joe Hart continues to develop into an elite goal keeper and he'll bail England out at times during the cup. The defense is pretty questionable especially with Gary Cahill injured. It will be up to veterans like Ashley Cole and John Terry who are usually very dependable to lead by example. I'm not sure who will start beside Terry but my pick would be Phil Jagielka who I always rated as someone that should get more praise than he should. He's less prone to mistakes compared to Lescott and he's more discipline than Phil Jones who can be very reckless. The midfield has taken a massive hit through friendlies with Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard. I'm not a fan of either player but Barry is coming off a very good season and Lampard still can play a pivotal role in England's success. With those two out, it looks the central midfield will consist of captain Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker. England fans should be pleased with that duo because you will have two hard working men that have proven that they can play with the best in the world on a weekly basis. Both players also don't have much time left and it could be their last international tournament. I would assume that Walcott and Young would be the wingers but I'm not ruling out Alex Chamberlain yet. He may be too young but he's shown lots of promise this past season for Arsenal. We could see an appearance from him eventually but my safe bet is that Walcott and Young who give England plenty of speed and creativity on the wings would be the starters. The situation at the striker position is very shaky right now and I'm not sure where England's leaning towards. I'd say that Danny Welbeck will definitely start while Wayne Rooney is out but who do you put next to him? Jermain Defoe could be an option but England never seems to be too high on Defoe. Andy Carroll is another option but that seems laughable to think he would start first game after the horrendous season he had. They could try out Chamberlain behind Welbeck but that seems to be too much inexperience to go up against quality teams like France and Sweden. This is England's major problem which is why they'll only get a point out of the first two games. The lack of strikers really hurt them from making any push to first place which will leave them struggling to get 2nd place then to play Spain. England won't be contending for any run to win Euro Cup but their best hopes is to make the quarterfinals and develop new stars. They may be lacking a true strength on the team except goal keeping but they'll find a way to grind out a draw against Sweden then completely annihilate Ukraine when Rooney returns.
Player to watch- Theo Walcott is a strange pick here but to me he's under the radar. I'm not that high on Walcott but I can't forget how he didn't make the cut for World Cup 2010. It hit him hard according to interviews and now he's finally here playing at a major tournament. He's not coming off a great season but he's clearly good enough to start for England due to these circumstances. I would expect him to be fired up playing in his first tournament after being snubbed in 2010 after coming off a great season for Arsenal. With the lack of England's striking options, I'm looking to see him take some long distance shots and making long runs to possibly draw a penalty. It will be a struggle at times for England to put together any kind of offense which will lead to players like Walcott and Ashley Young to go on long runs with their speed to create some sort of chance.
3. Sweden (4 points low goal differential puts them in 3rd place)- Sweden comes into the tournament as a possible dark horse candidate. They are back in a major tournament for the first time since Euro 2008 with a similar team. They were flying under the radar during qualifiers despite scoring at a consistent level. Despite coming in 2nd place, they got an automatic spot in the Euros because they had the most points than anyone that came in 2nd place. They got a decent draw with this group and could cause some damage. The golden age of Sweden passed around 2008 similar to the Czechs except Sweden still has their major star and he actually could play the field. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still one of the most feared strikers in the game and is the main star for Sweden. He can do it all with his technical ability and athleticism to muster up any shot or pass even with two defenders on him. He's an all world talent that takes a lot out of you to defend when he's on. Sometimes he can be frustrated and lose his focus but in a tournament like this, I heavily doubt it in circumstances like that. People criticize Zlatan for not performing well in stretches such as going goal less for two years for Sweden. Its difficult to judge him at times but he's still an all world striker that can take over a game in an instant with his technique. A possible up and comer next to him is Ola Toivonen could be the next star striker for Sweden. He has taken over the Dutch league over the past year and is being rated highly as someone that is ready to play in a major league in Europe. This tournament would be the start of that where we saw players like Arshavin get big contracts after great performances in Euro 2008. I haven't seen Ola play that much yet but he's someone that can create even more problems. The midfield is a question mark with only Kim Kailstrom and Sebastian Larsson being the only proven players. Kailstrom is a no nonsense central midfielder that always tends to be the guy in the middle of everything for Sweden. After a few disappointing seasons, Larsson had a good season at Sunderland and really getting his confidence back that made him a player to look out for. Sweden is going to need Larsson to deliver terrific crosses and his set piece skill to give Sweden a boost in a midfield that is lacking of skilled players. The defense is average but it has a strong leader in Olof Melberg who is playing in his last tournament. He's prone to being sloppy and fouling too much but he's the type of leader that Sweden needs going forward and has been with the team for eight years now. Sweden's goal keeping situation isn't that great with Andreas Iskasson still holding down the fort. He's been with Sweden for years now but he's never shown anything that makes me think of him being a world class goalie. He's dependable but isn't someone that you can call upon to make over eight saves. Sweden may have some blue chip prospects that could shine but they seem too flawed to beat France or a weakened England team. They could prove me wrong by scoring four on Ukraine and winning in goal differential but they don't strike me as a team that will step up. You need a good midfield to beat the best and Sweden clearly has holes in their midfield.
Player to watch- Martin Olsson may look like a skinny pushover on a team that's now relegated in Blackburn Rovers but he can be a problem. Olsson is a threat that goes on runs that catch people off guard because he's so lanky that you would think that he be more concerned defending because of his lack of being physical. Instead he uses his pace to create something and it has given Sweden a major boost. In just eight appearances for Sweden, he has already two goals including two goals against Bosnia in a friendly. In a season where nothing went right for Blackburn, Olsson was a bright spot with his runs and passing ability. His shooting lets him down sometimes but he's always a threat with his craftiness that gives Sweden a much needed boost on that left wing where nobody has really taken that role. With Sebastian Larsson making runs down the right side, it will be up to Olsson to make runs down the left side with his pace. He's still inexperienced with a big game atmosphere like this but he can explode at any moment.
4. Ukraine ( 0 points)- The co hosts will have a tough time in this tournament with a tough group ahead of them. Unlike the other co host Poland, this team is struggling to build new stars and there hanging on to what they have left. This is their first tournament since World Cup in 2006 and they have loads of issue. Due to most players on their roster playing in the Ukrainian league, a major rivalry has set the roster apart. The major teams in Ukraine known as Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev were in a heated rivalry which has left an already heated rivalry going even further. Most players on the roster are from both teams which has led to possible chemistry concerns. The main captain of the team and Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko will have to do his best to calm his team down and be ready to make his country proud hosting the Euro Cup. Ukraine has problems all across the board but with Shevchenko leading the way in his last tournament, I have a feeling that he'll have one great moment with a classic goal. Even though his days of being one of the most feared strikers have past him, he's still the biggest treat. Andiy Voronin is the other known striker but he's also simmering down at age 32. Ukraine knows that their stars are slowly fading away which makes them completely different from other co host Poland. They may not have any expectations but players that have been here for years especially those who were on that wild 2006 World Cup run when they made the quarterfinals know that anything can happen. They may be old but Ukraine possess a decent attack with those main strikers and a rock solid central midfielder led by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk. He does play center back for Munich but he has the dribbling and passing qualities to succeed as an all around central midfielder. Andriy Yarmolenko is someone that could shine for Ukraine as a winger who has scored eight times in just twenty appearances for Ukraine. He's being considered as a future star and someone that will leave the Ukrainian league soon enough. The issue with Ukraine is their defense and goal keeper situation. Ukraine hasn't given any indication who will start in keeper and have looked into the friendlies to settle it. It has gotten to the point where they have called up a nine teen year old to possible start in Maskym Koval. When you don't have a stable goalie situation, it will be a massive problem to go anywhere in the tournament. The defense is filled with no nonsense defenders but they're inexperienced with no major tournament experience under them. It's going to be a struggle for a team that lacks speed going up against England and France that move so quickly with passing movement. It won't really help about how physical they are or how strong defensively they are. They may stay competitive for a bit by doing eight in the back tactics but in the end, it will be a forgettable experience on the field.
Player to watch- With the lack of well known stars on the team, its hard to choose from this team. I'm mostly going to look out for Andriy Yamolenko who I've mentioned above but is really being looked at as a player who can turn into a star across Europe. He's your prototypical left winger that can put a good cross in and can beat you off the dribble. He's only 22 years old so he has lots of room for improvement although this could be his last tournament for a while based on how the roster is unfolding for Ukraine. If Ukraine is going to get a spark from someone other than the two main strikers or Tymoshchuk, look for Yamolekno to be the guy.
Results
France 2 England 0- This game won't be pretty for England fans to watch. The defense stays composed through most of it but eventually France dominates possession and wins this one with not too many problems. The lack of strikers really starts to show for England.
Sweden 2 Ukraine 1- Sweden lack of speedy wingers hurts them due to Ukraine's ability to play physical. Shevchenko gets his moment of glory scoring for Ukraine in a special moment.
France 3 Ukraine 0- This game isn't anywhere close to competitive with France firing on all cylinders. Ukraine's goalie problems are even more exposed in this game as well
Sweden 1 England 1- Joe Hart saves England from possible elimination and gets England in a crucial point. Gerrard scores as usual in a major tournament to give England momentum with Rooney coming back.
France 3 Sweden 1- France still needs a win to avoid Spain in the next round. Sweden's average defense is exposed by the excellence of Ribery, Nasri, and Benzema. France rolls into the next round after three great games.
England 4 Ukraine 1- Wayne Rooney comes back in a big way with a brace of his own. Chamberlain makes an appearance and scores a goal of his own along with Welbeck. England gets into the knock out stages with an emphatic win over Ukraine.
Knockout Stages
Its time now for the knock out stages where I'll be predicting the rest of the tournament. The format is different from past Euro Cups when it comes to the semifinals. The winner of the 1st place in Group A vs 2nd place in Group B will be facing the winner of 1st place in Group C vs 2nd place in Group D. It used to be playing against the winner of the 1st place in Group B vs 2nd place in Group A but UEFA wanted to avoid doing possible rematches until the final. I like the decision and it makes it more interesting.
Quarterfinals
Holland 3 Russia 1- A rematch from Euro 2008 quarterfinals but it will be a different out come. After Russia's 3-1 upset over Holland, that victory really put Russia as a possible powerhouse in the future. That didn't happen and the upset won't happen again. Russia misses some good chances which leads to Holland converting some chances. I expect Van Perisie to score from outside the box to really set the tone for Holland to get to the semifinals.
Germany 3 Greece 0- It may be the biggest mis match of all time. The Greek wall of eight players in the box will be destroyed eventually. Someone will be sent off in the 2nd half and things will break down. It may seem like a lot to score three goals on Greece, but if anyone can do it then it has to be Germany.
Spain 2 England 0- I think this will be another game where someone on England will be sent off. This game will be very intense with both goal keepers making terrific saves. England will eventually get too over aggressive and will get beat on the counter attack. Torres will get a cheap one near the end to stick it to England some more.
France 2 Italy 0- Its a shame that none of these games will really be an extra time classic. Spain versus England will probably be the best in terms of competitiveness. Italy will be completely over matched but I expect a game where Buffon really shines. The trend about the quarterfinals will be great goalkeeping and people getting sent off. Italy seems the most prone to be playing with ten men for a long stretch of time with Balotelli and Cassano playing striker. France easily takes this game in the end to move on.
Semifinals
Holland 2 Spain 1- The epic rematch from the World Cup final will end in a different tune. Holland wins in extra time with Snejider being the long lost hero. After an abysmal year for Inter Milan as a team, he comes through in the clutch with a goal that ends the four year streak of Spain being the kings. The loss of David Villa is finally shown after Spain misses several chances after scoring early.
Germany 3 France 1- France gets a tough matchup here against the best offense in Europe and it doesn't end well. France has questions defensively and they'll get exposed by a team like Germany. Ozil has a huge game while Mario Gomez continues his great scoring streak. Podolski will likely add on to his tally of goals. France is still a young team and will continue to develop heading into the World Cup in 2014.
Finals
Germany 3 Holland 1- A rematch from group stage where it ended in tie, now ends in clear defeat for Holland. I know scoring three goals in a final is rare but Germany's offense will go down as one of the greatest tournament teams in history. They have too many weapons that will be stopped and Holland's fragile defense will be exposed completely. Even though with Van Bommel and De Jong harassing Ozil, they will have to do even more to stop the wingers. After sixteen years, Germany finally wins a major tournament. They are coming into this as the favorites and they are leaving as the deserving winner.
All hail the kings of Europe!
Team Of The Tournament
The last part I'm doing for my full Euro Cup preview is my picks to make the team tournament. I'm picking the best 11 in their respective positions along with picks to have most goals of the tournament and MVP of the tournament.
G, Iker Casillas- Joe Hart would have been my pick but Casillas goes further and has another strong tournament.
LB. Philipe Lahm- A very dependable right back that is always in the heart of the attacks. He may be undersized but this is his best tournament yet.
CB. Gerrard Pique- A dominant defender that will only get better as his young age. If Villa was playing, they may have very well won the tournament again.
CB. Giorgio Chellini- He'll make several last ditch tackles this tournament. He's an absolute rock in the back for Italy.
RB. Sergio Ramos- Spain's defense is similar to Germany's offense in terms of how good they really are. Ramos is another player that is going to step up.
LM. David Silva- With Xavi and Iniesta starting to get older, he'll step up and play a bigger role in Spain's success.
CM. Mesut Ozil- The most powerful offense needs to have the most creative piece to it on the team. He'll also win MVP of the tournament.
CM. Wesley Sneijder- After a subpar year, everyone will remember who he is again after the tournament.
RM. Arjen Robben- He'll still be the guy that can't win the big game, but that doesn't mean he'll stop playing well in any other games.
ST. Mario Gomez- This will finally be the tournament he breaks out. He won't win most goals of the tournament but the critics will get off his case about not performing on the national stage.
ST. Robin Van Perisie- He'll win golden boot with the most goals in the tournament. He's on another level right now.
