This post is about the upcoming Euros, the Euro-2012 (football tournament) to be held in Poland and Ukraine. I have tried my best to analyze all the teams.
Poland gets my vote for the "Dark Horse" of the tournament.
This group may not have fancy teams like in Group B, but qualifying from this group is equally hard, if not more.
GROUP A
POLAND
One of the host nations. They have got a decent team, with the Borussia Dortmund trio of Pisczek, Kuba and Lewandowski and Arsenal's Szczesny the star players in the roster. Given that these star players have had a successful season, particularly the Dortmund trio - their confidence definitely would be sky high after featuring regularly and contributing immensely in the league & cup double winning season - and the fact that they are playing at home could make them the surprise package of this tournament. They also have a relatively easy group and have a really good chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. The group stage could also act as a good platform for the team to find their feet and gain confidence which, along with the home support, might be a defining factor if the Polish aim to go far in the tournament. One thing is for sure, if the Polish team is to impress in this tournament and should it manage to go far, it would be mainly down to Kuba and Lewandowski, and most of the credit should eventually fall at Jurgen Klopp's feet for developing them into dangerous footballers.
Poland gets my vote for the "Dark Horse" of the tournament.
GREECE
The Euro-2004 champions. That was achieved mainly due to the discipline instilled by and the tactical genius of Otto Rehhagel. Though there are stars like Samaras and the 2004-winner Karagounis, I don't fancy the current squad to make much of a difference this time.
I don't think they would get past the group stage.
RUSSIA
With this being probably the final appearance in a major tournament for Euro-08 stars of Russia which reached the semi-finals that year, this could act as a motivating factor for these players. These players still ooze quality and shouldn't be taken lightly. This could also be a breakthrough tournament for the young CSKA Moscow star Dzagoev, who definitely has the ability of carrying a team on his shoulders.
Though I don't think Russia would go far in the tournament, I think they would qualify for the knockout rounds.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Pavel Nedved is the name that comes to everyone's mind when you talk about Czech Republic. Arguably as great a player as Zidane and Figo during the early 2000's, he inspired Czech to a stylish, dominant, winning run to the semi-finals of Euro-04, only to be undone by cruel luck and defensive steel of Otto Rehhagel inspired Greece. Though few players of that era still remain - the Chelsea goalkeeper Cech, the Arsenal playmaker Rosicky and former Liverpool striker Barros - I still think they would miss out on qualifying for the knockout stages this time around. They would need their captain Rosicky to step up and turn in a Nedved like performance if they hope to go far in the tournament.
TO QUALIFY
In my opinion, the teams coming through this group would be Poland and Russia.
GROUP B
Clearly this group is the "Group Of Death", and promises exciting match ups early in the tournament.
NETHERLANDS
Yet another chance for this exciting group of players to win that elusive "major" trophy. They dominated the group stage in Euro-08, scoring 9 goals and conceding 1 in 3 matches, only to be beaten in the quarterfinals by the Guus Hiddink manned Russia, which had peaked at the right time, in added extra time. They proved their mettle once again in the recently concluded World Cup where they stormed into the finals, only to be beaten in added extra time by a very special group of players - arguably the greatest ever set of players - of Spain. They still have unfinished business left and would be looking to win a major trophy this time around which this current group of players deserve. Though they are blessed abundantly in attack, it is their defence which looks ordinary. Nigel De Jong - the defensive mid - must have a super tournament if the Dutch want to come out with flying colours.
DENMARK
With the captain Daniel Agger partnering Simon Kjaer in central defence and Anders Lindegaard as the goalkeeper behind them, their defence looks good. But in this group filled with attacking teams, this may not be enough for the unlucky Danes. Even with other stars like Nicklas Bendtner and the next big thing - Christian Eriksen - in the squad, it would be a tough ask for Denmark to make it to the knockout stages. They would be cursing their luck which pitted them in this group, and would be shedding tears when they see teams worse than them playing in the knockout stages. Unfortunately, even playing out of their skins may not be enough to see them through.
GERMANY
What can I say about them? The most exciting national team on this planet. Joachim Low has done an excellent job bringing in and blooding in youngsters, and it has paid off excellently as evidenced by their third spot clinching performance in 2010 World Cup which none expected. These youngsters have only become better over the past 2 years, and more have broken into the national squad. They play a 4-2-3-1 formation, and more importantly, not only do they have the right personnel to play that formation, but also many of the best ones. My goalkeeper of the year in Nueuer, an assured defence led by Hummels, wonderful playmakers in Schweinsteiger and Kroos, exciting attackers in Muller, Gotze, Podolski, Gomez and a host of other names, the striker who wakes up every 2 years for a month or so to deliver tremendously for his national team - Miroslav Klose - and goes back to sleep again, the fantabulous Ozil, surely they must be the favourites, isn't it?
The current king of football is Spain, but is this crowned prince's time nigh to dethrone the king? We'll find it out in a month.
PORTUGAL
The Cristian Ronaldo led Portugal has many stars like Nani, Meireles, Coentrao, Pepe, Moutinho etc. But, the sum of these parts has always been far lower than expected. If their superstars start gelling together and start working better as a team, they will be a threat to any team in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo himself is capable of creating some magical, match changing moments if there's no interference from his acclaimed colleagues.
I do not think they would change their habits, and predict that they will continue to underperform, and might even finish behind Denmark in the group stages just like they did in the qualifying.
TO QUALIFY
From this group, I predict Netherlands and Germany to go through.
GROUP C
This group may not have fancy teams like in Group B, but qualifying from this group is equally hard, if not more.
SPAIN
The World champions. The defending champions. They have almost the same squad as the World Cup winning one. They have the same coach, the same approach to the game, and the same personnel. Well, almost. We all know how important a cog David Villa was in that World Cup winning team. He was the one who used to bury the chances, and most of the times, created those chances himself. Though Fernando Llorente is not a bad replacement for Villa, you can't help but think Spain would definitely struggle without Villa.
The good news for Spain is the rise of David Silva. He can be an excellent creator-in-chief, and is also a good finisher. If used effectively, and if he's not out of form, we could expect him and Llorente to bear the goalscoring burden that Villa so effortlessly had handled.
Definitely one of the favourites to win the competition, I would be looking forward to see a Germany vs Spain matchup at some stage in the tournament.
ITALY
One of the traditional superpowers in world football along with Germany and Brazil, they do not quite look like one today. But neither did they look so in 2006 World Cup which they won. They do have a decent team this time around, but none of the defensive greats, or dangerous attackers that they had been blessed with in the last decade. The midfield looks strong with Pirlo, De Rossi, Montolivo and the upcoming Marchisio.
But much will rest on Cassano's shoulders. The erstwhile spoilt boy of Italian football has got his life back on track and this has clearly reflected in the beautiful football he has been playing for the last 2 years. I believe that Italy's chance of going far in the tournament lies in how well and consistently Cassano delivers.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
A decent team with many players playing in the mid table teams of EPL. The team which was "wrongly denied" a passage to the 2010 World Cup by the hand of Henry (they have none of my sympathy, though) have a chance to show they really are a team which needs to be taken seriously. With the famous Giovanni Trapattoni at the helm, they have showed a lot of consistency over the recent years. He has made them a team hard to beat, classic catenaccio style. And he has a dangerous man up front in his captain Robbie Keane.
This is a team which could upset the big guns, but cannot be a big gun themselves. I think they would get past the group stage only if Italy self destructs like they did in the World Cup and Croatia fail to find their feet in the tournament, but both of these occurring simultaneously seems unlikely.
CROATIA
A well balanced, strongish team with a young coach, Slaven Bilic, at the helm for the past 6 years. They had impressed everyone with their performance in the previous Euros, only to be defeated by the "Kings of snatching victory from jaws of defeat" - the Turkey team of 08 in the quarter finals. All that promise shown eventually faded, and they failed to qualify for the World Cup, and came second in their group in the Euro-12 qualifiers. But, they still have the same quality in their squad, the same group of players who had performed so well in Euro-08. They still have the ability and quality to go far in this tournament. Luka Modric will be the key player for them.
P.S : It is time again to irritate my brother by saying aloud the Croatian teamsheet again and again - he hates the ićes..
TO QUALIFY
This is as tricky a group as Group B and anything can happen, but my vote goes for Spain and Italy going through from this group.
GROUP D
UKRAINE
The co-hosts of this tournament, they used to be a good team few years ago. Captained by the 35 year old former Milan star Andriy Shevchenko, the current team looks like it does not belong to this tournament, and have gatecrashed here on the basis of being co-hosts. But, they could fancy themselves qualifying from this group, as only France can be considered to be a dangerous team here, and with a little luck, the rest are beatable.
I cannot see them even putting up a decent performance, let alone qualify to the knockout stages.
SWEDEN
They possess a decent team, and a match winner in Ibrahimovic. They also have other good players like Seb Larsson, Kallstrom, Elm, Martin Olsson who can provide enough support for Ibrahimovic. If Ibrahimovic can turn it up like he does regularly at club level, they could hope for a decent run in this Euros.
ENGLAND
They have an inept manager in Roy Hodgson, whose only "trick" is to play 8 or 9 man defence. Well, with a considerable dose of luck, this could actually work if they manage to qualify for the knockout rounds where the plan to avoid defeat can be effective, as demonstrated by the current Champions League winners Chelsea (arguably the most boring and the worst European Champions so far).
I think, and fervently hope, that England won't qualify for the knockout stages. To the large horde of England fans out there - I hope the boredom of watching your team play a punt-ball, hoof-ball game with an 8-0-2 formation won't scar you for life. Best of luck!!
FRANCE
After the ignominy and comedy of the 2010 World Cup, they have bounced back strongly - the victory over Germany at Bremen being the high point of this changed team so far. With the dangerous Benzema leading the attack, Nasri and Ribery supporting him, Cabaye and Diarra manning the midfield, and a decent defence of Rami, Koscielny, Clichy and Reveillere and Lloris guarding the post - they have a team which can beat any team in the world on their day. They have to be considered as one of the favourites this time around.
TO QUALIFY
I suspect this is going to be the most boring group of all, not least because it features England. As for the teams going through - France definitely will, and between England and Sweden, I think Sweden should qualify.
