Euro 2012: After the first round
So, eight games have already gone by, and I guess that all of us football lovers have already gotten a taste and a sample of what the rivals to beat in this Euro might be, plus a taste of good football. I have to admit, I'm a bit worried... but let's move on to my opinions about the games before going to my personal worries.
First of all, we have Poland and Greece. Both are spirited, and may become surprising. Of course, Poland has to keep its guard up, being the co-host. As for Greece... well, could they pull a 2004 again? However, I'm not sure how Poland will react to the loss of goalkeeper Szczesny. Will the second choice goalie live up to expectations?
Russia, for their part, have always been menacing; if not, Euro 2008 should be enough to remind us of their power. Even if Arshavin seems not to be working as he should, they still have a swift forward in Pavlyuchenko; plus, the fact they tend to go forward all the time, not letting their opponent take a breather. Most likely, the best team until now.
However, the Czech Republic is a sad matter. I remember them in 2004, when they played heroically, beautiful football, that could outmatch anyone. Petr Cech was a youngster there, but he was, even then, hailed as one of the best goalies to come. At least, he lived up to those expectations. There was also a certain Milan Baros, who was, back then, a goal machine: he was the Golden Boot back then, and greatly feared. We cannot miss Tomas Rosicky, solid, quick, even fast for assists. Those guys are still there, but they are not the shadow of what they used to be when they fought alongside Pavel Nedved. It's sad to see a team I admired so much hasn't been able to recover its level after eight years. Sad memories of 2006 washing by.
Then comes Group B. Look: Denmark is Chelsea. They know their group is hard, and they're going to stand like a wall. I'll talk about the sweet losers later.
For their part, Germany and Portugal do look strong, yes; but (should I say fortunately?) they also seem to be lacking something. Germany did not step on the pitch like the unbeatable tyrant it always is: instead, it had a hard time breaking through the Portuguese defenses. And, even then, Lukas Podolski was not as murderous as he always is. Mario Gomez, for his part, has always been quite irregular. As for the rivals, they do have a very strong defense, but Cristiano Ronaldo seems out of place, looking as if he's much more used to Real Madrid than his countrymen. In conclusion, they do not seem as complete as other tournaments (though, Low could try a Klose-Podolski forward again, and God knows how would that turn out).
Now I move on to Group C. There, we have Italy and Spain first of all. Now, perhaps I'm showing my soft spots here because Italy is mostly composed of Juve players, but I do see an Italy that, even though it may be weaker because they don't use catenaccio that much, can put on a better show and yet manage to be strong. De Rossi stays put in the back, the rest can move forward and not bore us to death. The same with Spain, even though I suspect these guys, Barfa guys mainly, don't bore us to death because they're missing Puyol and Villa. Anyways, they live up to their "tough" status.
Croatia... these guys are tricky. They seem to be pretty strong and determined, but a closer look shows perhaps Ireland was just too unlucky and too easy. Slaven Bilic is not fully convinced of his team, and neither am I. I'm sure they won't be able to put up a fight with Italy or Spain unless something changes.
Ireland, for their part, were unlucky. An offside goal, and even a celebration that threw Trappatoni head over heels, literally. Andrews is a good player, but, unfortunately, it seems their luck will not change. Oh well, you know the saying: "Expect everything, and the unexpected never happens". Could luck smile for the leprechauns?
Now on to the last group, D. We have some other tough guys there, France and England. Now, they seem to be rather similar in forces, but due to different reasons. England is careful because they're a team that's lacking both Lamps and Roo; that's why they might seem mediocre, but they are just cautious. For their part, France have Nasri and Benzema, but they look like a team that's still finding their footing after what Domenech did to them. Both could be a surprise; yet, I don't see them getting to the final.
Sweden, for its part, is just doing it wrong. The team seems to rely too much on Zlatan for quick goals and solutions. However, leaving it to Zlatan will most certainly result on them being predictable. And their next rivals are tough, and I'm sure that in spite of what they're lacking, they will read Ibra like a book.
And that's what Ukraine did. They also rely a lot on a star, Shevchenko, the forgotten prodigy. But let's face it: Ukraine do it because they don't have another great player to rely on. And yet, I think everyone, including Sweden and me, underestimated the ex-Chelsea and Milan. He scored two goals with absolute class, and turned things around. If they keep on with this heart and Shevchenko leading the way fiercely, much younger than that now, they might give someone a scare.
Now... to talk about the Dutchies. I was, of course, brokenhearted to see them lose. I was not angry; I was disheartened at the failed tries, at how they just rammed on forward, looking for a chance and being unable to find it. And now, I'm insecure. Holland, let's face it, has a striking forward, and one of the best midfields ever, but there's no defense. Mathijsen is out, and Heitinga alone is not enough. Van der Wiel is quick, but, to me, he's far from being the best choice. The same with Maarten. In Roma, he showed he's still lacking the safety Edwin had. These, and the bad luck streak, are what's got me worried.
So, maybe, the Netherlands have to go for the surprise factor. Attack mercilessly, don't let your rivals see what got them. And, anyways, the 1988 superstition is around. That year, Holland lost against Bulgaria in the pre-Euro matches. They also had a tough group to face, with the USSR, England, and Ireland. They lost their first game against the USSR, but they lived on. And they won, Marco van Basten leading the way.
So... perhaps there's no need to be afraid, but hopeful...?
I still love you big, guys.
First of all, we have Poland and Greece. Both are spirited, and may become surprising. Of course, Poland has to keep its guard up, being the co-host. As for Greece... well, could they pull a 2004 again? However, I'm not sure how Poland will react to the loss of goalkeeper Szczesny. Will the second choice goalie live up to expectations?
Russia, for their part, have always been menacing; if not, Euro 2008 should be enough to remind us of their power. Even if Arshavin seems not to be working as he should, they still have a swift forward in Pavlyuchenko; plus, the fact they tend to go forward all the time, not letting their opponent take a breather. Most likely, the best team until now.
However, the Czech Republic is a sad matter. I remember them in 2004, when they played heroically, beautiful football, that could outmatch anyone. Petr Cech was a youngster there, but he was, even then, hailed as one of the best goalies to come. At least, he lived up to those expectations. There was also a certain Milan Baros, who was, back then, a goal machine: he was the Golden Boot back then, and greatly feared. We cannot miss Tomas Rosicky, solid, quick, even fast for assists. Those guys are still there, but they are not the shadow of what they used to be when they fought alongside Pavel Nedved. It's sad to see a team I admired so much hasn't been able to recover its level after eight years. Sad memories of 2006 washing by.
Then comes Group B. Look: Denmark is Chelsea. They know their group is hard, and they're going to stand like a wall. I'll talk about the sweet losers later.
For their part, Germany and Portugal do look strong, yes; but (should I say fortunately?) they also seem to be lacking something. Germany did not step on the pitch like the unbeatable tyrant it always is: instead, it had a hard time breaking through the Portuguese defenses. And, even then, Lukas Podolski was not as murderous as he always is. Mario Gomez, for his part, has always been quite irregular. As for the rivals, they do have a very strong defense, but Cristiano Ronaldo seems out of place, looking as if he's much more used to Real Madrid than his countrymen. In conclusion, they do not seem as complete as other tournaments (though, Low could try a Klose-Podolski forward again, and God knows how would that turn out).
Now I move on to Group C. There, we have Italy and Spain first of all. Now, perhaps I'm showing my soft spots here because Italy is mostly composed of Juve players, but I do see an Italy that, even though it may be weaker because they don't use catenaccio that much, can put on a better show and yet manage to be strong. De Rossi stays put in the back, the rest can move forward and not bore us to death. The same with Spain, even though I suspect these guys, Barfa guys mainly, don't bore us to death because they're missing Puyol and Villa. Anyways, they live up to their "tough" status.
Croatia... these guys are tricky. They seem to be pretty strong and determined, but a closer look shows perhaps Ireland was just too unlucky and too easy. Slaven Bilic is not fully convinced of his team, and neither am I. I'm sure they won't be able to put up a fight with Italy or Spain unless something changes.
Ireland, for their part, were unlucky. An offside goal, and even a celebration that threw Trappatoni head over heels, literally. Andrews is a good player, but, unfortunately, it seems their luck will not change. Oh well, you know the saying: "Expect everything, and the unexpected never happens". Could luck smile for the leprechauns?
Now on to the last group, D. We have some other tough guys there, France and England. Now, they seem to be rather similar in forces, but due to different reasons. England is careful because they're a team that's lacking both Lamps and Roo; that's why they might seem mediocre, but they are just cautious. For their part, France have Nasri and Benzema, but they look like a team that's still finding their footing after what Domenech did to them. Both could be a surprise; yet, I don't see them getting to the final.
Sweden, for its part, is just doing it wrong. The team seems to rely too much on Zlatan for quick goals and solutions. However, leaving it to Zlatan will most certainly result on them being predictable. And their next rivals are tough, and I'm sure that in spite of what they're lacking, they will read Ibra like a book.
And that's what Ukraine did. They also rely a lot on a star, Shevchenko, the forgotten prodigy. But let's face it: Ukraine do it because they don't have another great player to rely on. And yet, I think everyone, including Sweden and me, underestimated the ex-Chelsea and Milan. He scored two goals with absolute class, and turned things around. If they keep on with this heart and Shevchenko leading the way fiercely, much younger than that now, they might give someone a scare.
Now... to talk about the Dutchies. I was, of course, brokenhearted to see them lose. I was not angry; I was disheartened at the failed tries, at how they just rammed on forward, looking for a chance and being unable to find it. And now, I'm insecure. Holland, let's face it, has a striking forward, and one of the best midfields ever, but there's no defense. Mathijsen is out, and Heitinga alone is not enough. Van der Wiel is quick, but, to me, he's far from being the best choice. The same with Maarten. In Roma, he showed he's still lacking the safety Edwin had. These, and the bad luck streak, are what's got me worried.
So, maybe, the Netherlands have to go for the surprise factor. Attack mercilessly, don't let your rivals see what got them. And, anyways, the 1988 superstition is around. That year, Holland lost against Bulgaria in the pre-Euro matches. They also had a tough group to face, with the USSR, England, and Ireland. They lost their first game against the USSR, but they lived on. And they won, Marco van Basten leading the way.
So... perhaps there's no need to be afraid, but hopeful...?
I still love you big, guys.