European Soccer Championships

[giantsfanmike]

It starts next Saturday. I'm sure there will be other people on here with at least a small interest in it.

I'm picking Germany to win as they seem the most consistent of the top teams. Would like to see Spain win as they have underachieved badly at the Major tournaments in recent years. Greece aren't as good as Croatia and the fact they won the last tournament shows its more open than most think.

My outside bet is Croatia at 12/1. They totally dominated England in qualifying and they always overperform. Plus they have a fairly easy group outside on Germany. They shouldn't have many problems disposing of Poland and Austria.

Group A:

Switzerland
Turkey
Czech Republic
Portugal

Prediction: Czechs and Portugal to advance. However Turkey are a decent team and Switzerland have home advantage which ALWAYS helps

Group B:

Germany
Croatia
Poland
Austria

Prediction: Germany and Croatia advance without problems. Austria would definitely not have qualified if they didn't host it.

Group C:

Holland
Italy
France
Romania

Prediction: Italy and France through. I think there is the potential for a slip-up in this group though. France are inconsistent and Romania finished above Holland in the same qualifying group.

Group D:

Spain
Sweden
Russia
Greece

Prediction: Spain and Sweden through. I don't rate Russia or Greece a great deal.

[Tango]

No way we gonna win.
man
everyone over here is so excited about the championship and the team is geetin hyped.

tuesday we played 2:2 against BElarus today we beat Serbia 2:1 but played like crab.


our forwards are great. offensive midfield too but the defensemidfield and the central defenders arent at 100 % .

its gonna be really difficult for us to go all the way

i mean i want germany to win soo bad but i jsut dont believe in it.

my guess is: France or Switzerland

[Leo Fender]

Group A:

Switzerland
Turkey
Czech Republic
Portugal

Prediction: Should be the Czechs and Portugal who go through, Turkey is the outsider and I don't think that Swtizerland is good enough to challenge them.

Group B:

Germany
Croatia
Poland
Austria

Prediction: Germany and Croatia advance. Look out for poland though.

Group C:

Holland
Italy
France
Romania

Prediction: This group can go either way. Let's go out on a limb and say that italy slip up and Holland and France go through

Group D:

Spain
Sweden
Russia
Greece

Prediction: I'd really like for Sweden to advance, but I think it will be hard. Spain will win the group (and then lose in the quarter finals, they never live up to the expectations). All the three other countries will battle for the second place. Sweden's got a chance if everyone is healthy (which they seldom are), Greece's got a good defense and Russia's got one of the best coaches in the World in Guus Hiddink.

I think Croatia will win the tournament.

[Woodrift]

Wow, a bold statement going for croatia. As an England fan I am quite bitter that they embaressed us...twice...but seriously doubt they'll make any headway in the tournament. They should advance from their group, though the home nation always plays better than they should - ie Greece, South Korea etc. - so the match with austria will be crucial. I do think their keeper -pletikosa(?) will emerge as a world class talent though.

I was quietly confident that Czech Republic would do well, but rosicksy is out now so I have a feeling the winner from the group of death - Group C - will win it. I've got a hunch that Netherlands are gonna do well personally...

Germany vs Netherlands Final!

Anyone else doing the McDonalds Fantasy Football (soccer) thing??

[Woodrift]

One day to go....

[Vbsiena]

First American poster in this thread!

[garrysingh123]

GOOO GREEEEEECCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEE, i like spain and czech republic aswell

[Tango]

Czech beat Switzerland 1- 0 but they didnt deserve the win

Alex Frei from Switzerland got hurt really bad in the 43th minute.
that sucks for him and his team

[Leo Fender]

YEah, it was rather a dull game. Now it's time to watch Turkey against Portugal. Looking forward to seeing Ronaldo.

[McNulty]

Yeah I was really pulling for the Swiss. That first handball should have been a penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo will be brilliant, but this is 21st century soccer and he isn't Platini, Pele or Maradona so he won't be able to carry the team on his own. Deco has to regain his form from a couple years ago and Nuno Gomes, or whoever they play as a central striker, needs to have success for this team to go deep.

Italy all the way. They are the best "team" in the tournament, and that's what it's gonna take to win. Luca Toni is the best goal-scorer in the world at present, and with the best defender and best goalkeeper in the world in Nesta and Buffon Italia is primed and ready for victory. It breaks my heart not too see Francesco "Il Bobo" Totti in the Italian fold but there is enough creative quality in the midfield with Andrea Pirlo.

[giantsfanmike]

The Switzerland game was terrible. Portugal game better and they should be a contender in this tournament.

[Woodrift]

Yeah portugal look really really good. Could this be their year?? Looking forward to seeing Germany tonight...The swiss game was pretty bad but I have cech in my fantasy football team, lol

[Woodrift]

germany are pretty crap...except podolski and ballack

[Tango]

germany are pretty crap...except podolski and ballack

are you retarded??

Klose played great with 1 and a half assist.

frings played great

fritz won every sprint and had a lot of good crosses

lahm played awesome

mertesacker and metzelder had good games too

schweinsteiger played good to after he came in

hitzelsberger had a great shot and great poise

lehmann had one little mistake and then a great game.....
germany played great

you saw that they were dominating poland and then got unconcentrated so poland became better but a soon as germany played serious again poland couldnt do ****


germany will win it all

and i m sorry that you have no clue about soccer

EDIT: You are living in London. Still angry about the english team suckin it up and germany beating yall?

[Woodrift]

Lol! a bit defensive because your team could only just beat Poland?? Thats Poland whoa re currently behind israel, ivory coast and egypt in the rankings?
Germany will win F.A. Your defenders are actually incapable of playing football - jansen who i actually think is a good player was rubbish! - and their flaws will be shown up, maybe as early as the croatia match. You wont make it past the next stage against a higher tier team BASED on the way you played yesterday. And as for the 'jibe' about england, where did that come from??! Defensive fool! Lets stick to talking about the euros hey, not who managed to mess up and not get in!