Euro 2008

For soccer enthusiasts June could not come soon enough. The excitement that the Championship brings is matched only by the world cup. Falling in between world cups every four years, the Euro 2008 showcases 16 of the continent’s best countries. This year, both Austria and Switzerland qualified automatically as hosts leaving 14 spots open for the rest of Europe. After trimming down the number of countries to 50 after a preliminary qualification teams were split into 7 groups with the top 2 from each group moving on to the championships. The most notable absence from this year’s tournament is England who failed to qualify after squandering their lead twice to Croatia on the final matchday. The 16 teams are split into 4 groups of 4, with the top 2 advancing from each group to play in a single elimination style tournament, culminating on June 29th in Vienna. Here are how the groups break down.

Group A
Portugal- Runners up as hosts in 2004, Portugal find themselves in a tricky group. They have more than enough firepower to handle any team in the world, but their worst enemy is often themselves as their superstars have been known to look out of sync with each other. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Ricardo Quaresma (Porto FC), Simao (Atletico Madrid), and Deco (Barcelona FC) provide the attacking flair, while Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea FC) and Miguel (Valencia FC) have plenty of experience at the back. If they play together and find enough room on the field for everyone, they have a considerable chance to repeat their run to the finals as hosts in 2004 and maybe even take it to the next step.

Man to Watch:
Ronaldo - No doubt, all eyes will be on the 24 year old, who is currently on top of the soccer world, after winning the Champions League, and netting 42 goals in all competitions this season. He had an impressive international debut at Euro 2004 but then he was only a boy. He returns a man, possessing one of the deadliest free kicks in history and hoping to cap off a dream season with Euro success.

Czech Republic - The Czechs were the consensus best team and unlucky not to win this tournament in 2004, bowing out to Cinderellas Greece in the semi-finals. There are some serious pieces missing from that team and there are questions as to where the goals will come from. That being said, they are still an intriguing team, full of experience and talent. They also possess one of the best goalkeepers of the world in sure-handed Petr Cech (Chelsea FC). If the Czechs can find goals, they could make another run to the semis.

MTW:
Jan Koller - With the absence of midfield playmakers Tomas Rosicky (injury), and Pavel Nedved (retirement), much of the offensive pressure falls on the shoulders of Koller. As their most reliable scoring threat, he will need to score along with strike partner Milan Baros who will look to recapture his Euro 2004 form.

Turkey- There must be a bit of uncertainty in the Turkish camp coming into this tournament. They barely qualified finishing only one point ahead of Norway, and their highest profile player, Hamit Altintop of Bayern Munich is likely out due to injury. This is a dangerous team no doubt, but their lack of consistency and ability to defend suggest that it would not be wise to count on the repeat success of their third place finish in the 2002 World Cup.
MTW:
Belozoglu Emre- The midfielder is a force to be reckoned with at only 5’7”. Inexplicably out of favor at Newcastle, he wields one of the most dangerous left foots around and will look to link up with fellow playmaker Nihat of Villareal to jumpstart the Turkish team.

Switzerland – They did not concede a goal in the 2006 world cup, and were only sent out on penalties. There is bad blood between the Swiss and Turkish teams inlue of their brawl after the playoff for the last spot for the 2006 World Cup. Whether or not the Swiss will be able to harness their home field advantage will depend on their ability to score, or lack thereof. Alexander Frei is their lone striker with international experience and the tall task to find the net against superior opposition will be his.
MTW:
Tranquillo Barnetta- The Bayern Leverkeusen midfielder’s game is as smooth as his name. He came on to the international scene at the World Cup and was nominated for the tournament’s best young player award. He will need to bring everything he has to the table if the Swiss are going to have any chance of moving out of this complicated group.


Group B

Germany- It isn’t difficult to find reasons to dislike this German team. (American fans will remember the U.S.’s cruel exit out of the 2002 World Cup against Germany) For the second straight major tournament the Germans have seemingly lucked out again and find themselves in the softest group of the competition and are the odds on favorite to capture the trophy because of this. If they can get past Croatia, they should enjoy a relatively smooth ride to the quarterfinals, and from there it is anyone’s tournament to win.
MTW:
Michael Ballack- After missing most of the first half of the season due to injury, Ballack hit his stride and played a large part in Chelsea’s resurgence and push to the Champions League final. The midfielder is the heart and soul of the German team and his teammates will feed off of his energy.

Croatia- The Croats proved their medal in capturing that famous draw at the Wembley which prevented England from participating in the tournament. They have plenty of attacking options even without Arsenal striker Eduardo who suffered that horrific broken leg this February. Niko Kranjar and Ivan Rakitic are two players who will have to produce in the final third, because they will likely give up goals as their defense has been known to be suspect.
MTW:
Luka Modric - Fresh off his £16.5m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, the midfielder will look to impress and justify his hefty price tag with his skills on the ball. If Modric and their other stars get off to a good start, their momentum and confidence could carry them deep into the tournament.

Poland- It’s difficult to believe that Poland has never qualified for a European championship considering their prominence in the World Cup, but none the less this is their first trip and they are excited to be here. But their players will quickly realize that they probably will not have a better opportunity to reach the quarterfinals for many years to come than this year. Assuming they can handle Austria, they would only need to win one of their other two games to assure progression. If Poland play with the discipline that got them here, they just might be able to pull that off.
MTW:
Ebi Smolarek- He may not be a Ronaldinho, but the striker is as close a thing to a star that Poland have to offer, and the Racing Santander (Spain) striker apparently knows where the net is grabbing 9 goals in qualifiers. .

Austria- Many are questioning whether the Austrians even belong in this showcase of world class soccer. They have never qualified for the championships on their own and they come into Euro 2008 with a FIFA ranking of over 100 and have won only 1 of their last 14 friendlies. Their main goal will be to avoid any blowout defeats, but they could not be in a better group to potentially shock the continent.
MTW:
Sebastian Prodl- The 21 year-old center back has just signed a deal that will move him to Germany’s Werder Bremen in the fall. He lead the U20 national team to the semi-finals in last summers U20 World Cup in Canada, and was the only Austrian named to the all-tournament team. His future looks bright, but the same outlook cannot be shared for his country’s chances in this tournament.

Group C

Romania- Despite most critics not giving them a chance, the attitude in the Romanian camp has been confident in the build up to these championships. They should be familiar with their Dutch groupmates whom they beat and tied in qualifying, and that only leaves giants France and Italy for them to deal with. In any other group, they would have to be seriously considered, and they still must be, as any one of these four teams is capable of beating another on any given day.
MTW:
Adrian Mutu - After a nightmarish stint at Chelsea, the forward has settled in nicely at Fiorentina, and has enjoyed a fine season scoring a few fantastic goals in the UEFA cup and helping them guarantee Champions League football for the club next season. Romania will need him to be in top form to have a chance to advance.

France- France has been known to start slow, something they can ill-afford to do in this tournament. But if they get going they are extremely difficult to overcome as they have not lost a game in which they take the lead in under Coach Raymond Domenech since 2002. The loss of captain Zinadine Zidane is obviously a blow, but they have enough talented players with the proper experience to persevere through this monster of a group.
MTW:
Franck Ribery - he's quietly emerged as one of the games’ most exciting players, albeit out of the international limelight, playing for Bayern Munich in Germany. His tireless running and ingenuity on the ball make him a joy to watch. France will need all Ribery can give them to win their second Euro crown in the decade.

Holland- Champions in 1988, the clockwork Orange are no stranger to European success. But team selection has always been an issue under coach Marco Van Basten, and this year's squad is most notably missing 32 year old journeyman Clarence Seedorf. What the Dutch lack in defense they make up for in the attacking third with the world class talents of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder (both Real Madrid), and Robin Van Persie (Arsenal). They have reached the semi finals in the past two tournaments, but it will take a tremendous team effort for them to escape this group of death and end their twenty year drought.
MTW:
Ruud Van Nistelrooy – Ruud had an impressive tournament four years ago, and coming off his second consecutive La Liga title at Real Madrid, he looks poised to have another big tournament. After finally mending the fence with Van Basten, Van Nistelrooy should be able to do what he does best and solidify his status as the world’s best goal-poacher.

Italy- Coming off their world cup glory two summers ago, they have to be considered one of the favorites. Always under composure, the Italians are incredibly frustrating to play against because breaking them down is close to impossible. With every game in this group almost being an elimination game in itself, the Italians will need to win the early games in order to avoid the same fate they suffered in 2004 where they were unbeaten but did not progress out of the group stage. If they have a weakness it has to be up front. Despite his domestic success in Germany and Italy, Luca Toni hasn’t scored in many big games in his relatively young international career.
MTW:
Andrea Pirlo - The man who pulls all the strings for the Italians, Pirlo is one of the world’s best passers. Always creating space and time for himself he seems to never make a wrong decision or lose the ball. He also is dangerous from set pieces where the Italians have been known to punish napping opponents. This team is so deep, experienced, and well-rounded that it is difficult to imagine them not progressing, but if there was ever a group to bring them down, this is it.

Group D

Spain- Experts are tipping the Spanish team to pull it all together this year, and why shouldn’t they? Spain are overflowing with talent, they posses arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in Iker Casillas, endless offensive options, and their defense is anchored by Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol and rising star Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid). But like their Iberian neighbors their biggest opponent may be in-between their ears.
MTW:
Xavi - He may not be as heralded as some of his teammates for club (Barcelona FC) and country alike. But time and time again Xavi is the man behind his team’s success. His ability to pick out the pass to set the likes of David Villa and Fernando Torres through on goal will be necessary for Spanish success. Fabregas, Silva, and Iniesta will be counted on as well in the midfield.

Greece- Imagine if George Mason had won the NCAAs, and not just made the final four. This was about the magnitude of the shock that came with the Greek triumph in 2004. The world is now wary of their footballing prowess. On paper, they don’t look to be much, but what they lack in superstars, they make up for in intangibles. They have two vital qualities of a great team: great defense and timely offense. Their only weakness may be in-between the posts, as 36 year-old and counting goalkeeper Nikopolidis (Olympiacos) must have lost a step since the last tournament.
MTW:
Angelos Charisteas- The Nurenburg striker was instrumental in the 2004 tournament and scored the game winning goal in the final. Europe should now be wary of him and the threat that the Greeks present. It will most likely take two wins to escape this group, and they will need his ability to find goals in the box.
Russia – Make no mistake, Russia deserve to be here. They accomplished what England could not, and they are eager to make a splash on the European scene, and distinguish themselves from the USSR teams of the past. They have a coach who many consider to be the best in the world in journeyman Gus Hiddink, who has a remarkable track record in big tournaments in the last 20 years.
MTW
Andrei Arshavin- He’s the best of the six players from the Zenit St. Petersburg squad who absolutely tore through the UEFA cup competition leaving Bayern Munich and Rangers in their wake. He will miss the first two games due to suspension however, and will have to make his mark against Sweden in a likely decisive game.

Sweden- The Swedes will look to build on their quarterfinal appearance in 2004 and add to their relatively brief history in the competition. They have a wealth of experienced players Olof Mellberg (Juventus), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon), Freddie Ljunberg (West Ham United) and Henrik Larsson (Helsingborgs IF).
MTW:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic- The Randy Moss of European soccer: incomparable skills, but questionable temprament. Despite his success at Inter Milan in Italy, he did not score a single goal in qualifying nor at the World Cup in 2006. The Swedes will only go as far as the naturalized Croat will take them, and with second place seemingly up for grabs in this group, he could be the difference.

Predictions
This may be one of the hardest tournaments to predict in all of sports. There are nine or ten countries with a legitimate chance to win the title. I’ll make myself look foolish none the less.

Quarters:
Portugal over Croatia
Germany over Czech Republic
Spain over Holland
Greece over France

Semis
Greece over Spain
Germany over Portugal

Final-
Germany over Greece