Earning the (re) cap: A Dutch treat

Photo: Dutch players celebrate a goal against France. (Photo from Unprofessional Foul).

Highlights and lowlights from Day Seven of the European Championships...

Match XIII: Italy 1, Romania 1

Not a particularly inspiring performance from the Italians. I thought they'd bounce back harder after getting thumped by the Netherlands, but they didn't look fired up at all, even after the massive lineup changes manager Roberto Donadoni brought in at the start of the match. Full credit to Romania again: they played excellent defence, and could have taken all three points if Gianluigi Buffon hadn't made a brilliant save off of Adrian Mutu's penalty. Still, the tie was probably a fair result, as Italian striker Luca Toni had a goal called back due to an offside.

Romania is now in prime position to qualify from the Group of Death, a result few (including myself) envisioned at the start. If they win their final match against the Netherlands (who will probably be resting their stars), they're automatically through. If they draw or lose, they still have a good shot at advancing depending on what happens between France and Italy.

Related: Stephen Brunt's column on the match [The Globe and Mail].

Match XIV: The Netherlands 4, France 1

A very impressive showing from the Dutch. They continued their brilliant offensive play and handily clobbered the French in a game that was beautiful to watch. As John Doyle points out in his column [The Globe and Mail], this Dutch team has taken the old "Total Football" style where players fluidly shift between positions and adapted it for the skills of their own players, never an easy thing to do. Remember that "Total Football" isn't foolproof, though, and it's never won a World Cup or European Championship: the 1974 and 1978 Dutch teams that used it came up short in the final, and the only Dutch victory to date came in the 1988 European Championships, where they played great attacking football, but not really the "Total Football" style.

Take nothing away from the Netherlands, though. As Mike Cardillo writes over at That's On Point, their performance to date has been nothing short of spectacular.

"Brilliant Oranje? Clockwork Oranje? Total Voetbal? Say whatever hyperbole you want, the Dutch have just chumpatized the last two World Cup finalists by an aggregate 7-1. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better back-to-back performances in an international tournament group play in a long time."

Indeed, but it remains to be seen how those group play performances translate into the knockout stage.

Coming up next:

Match XV: Sweden vs. Spain (Kick-off: 12:00 ET)

This should be an interesting fight for control of Group D. Spain destroyed a good Russian side in their opener, while Sweden just edged out the underwhelming Greeks. Spain's attacking flourishes should be enough to see them triumph, but Sweden can hit the net too with the likes of Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front. Expect plenty of goals.

Prediction: Spain 3, Sweden 1

Match XVI: Greece vs. Russia (Kick-off: 2:45 ET)
And here we have the polar opposite, two defensive teams clashing. Both are coming off a loss, though, which might give them more motivation to go for the win than normal. I thought Greece would be better than they've shown so far, but they didn't give me anything to get excited about in their first match, so I'm taking the Russians here.

Prediction: Russia 1, Greece 0.

Related tournament pieces:
- Fox Soccer Channel analyst Bobby McMahon has the usual greatness on his blog.
- The usual quality stuff from the Globe cast [On Soccer].
- Duane's recap [Out of Left Field].

Earning the (re) cap: The Croatian surge

Photo: Croatia's Ivica Olic (right) celebrates with teammate Luka Modric after scoring his team's second goal against Germany Thursday. (Photo from The Daily Mail).

Breaking down Day Six of the European Championships...

Match XI: Croatia 2, Germany 1

A reasonably shocking defeat for the Germans, given their marvelous form against Poland and Croatia's struggles against Austria. Still, Croatia is a strong side, and one many thought could cause an upset or two coming in. Fortunately for the Germans, the draw between Austria and Poland means they're still in prime position to advance: they only require a draw against the Austrians to advance. Unfortunately for them, Croatia's already clinched Group B (the first tie-breaker is head-to-head results), so it looks like they're slotted in to face Portugal in the quarter-finals. That will certainly be an interesting match.

Related:
- "Germany does some soul-searching" (The Associated Press, via The Globe and Mail).

Match XII: Poland 1, Austria 1

This turned out to be a pretty decent clash, with both sides going for it. Austria had most of the early chances, but Poland's Brazilian import Roger Guerreiro then scored on a counterattack that may have been offside, and it looked like the hosts would be doomed to play well without a result again. Fortunately for them, things changed in extra time when Poland's Mariusz Lewandowski dragged down Sebastian Proedl in the box and English referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot. 38-year-old Ivica Vastic stepped up and converted the penalty, making him the oldest player ever to score in the European championships. It will likely mean everything and nothing at the same time: yes, Austria will probably bow out against the Germans in their next match, but they proved that they deserve to be on the same pitch as these other teams, something even their fans doubted before the tournament. Their country has much to be proud of, even if their team doesn't advance further.

Related:
- John Doyle's column on the game [The Globe and Mail]
- UEFA supports Webb's decision to award the penalty [Reuters via The Globe and Mail]
- Duane's thoughts on the match [Out of Left Field]

On tap today:

Match XIII: Italy vs. Romania (Kick-off: 12:00 p.m. ET)

This should be another good one. Italy will be looking to rebound after their 3-0 loss to the Netherlands, while the Romanians will try to shut them down defensively the way they neutralized France. Interestingly, according to Gerry Dobson on the pre-game show, Italy have the oldest team in the tournament (average age: 31 years, 52 days). It could be close, but my prediction is for offence to beat defence.

Prediction: Italy 2, Romania 1

Match XIV: France vs. the Netherlands (Kick-off: 2:45 p.m. ET)
Can the Dutch maintain their winning brand of offensive football against the tough French defence? Does France have more left in the tank than they've shown so far? These, and other burning questions, will be answered on the pitch.

Prediction: The Netherlands 2, France 1

Related tournament pieces:
- Mike's thoughts on the diving going on [The view from the Woods]
- Amrit's take on the tournament so far. [There Is No Original Name For This Sports Blog]
- A preview of today's matches [Soccer By Ives].
- All the usual greatness over at On Soccer [The Globe and Mail]
- Stephen Brunt [The Globe and Mail], Cathal Kelly [The Toronto Star] and Morris Dalla Costa [SLAM! Sports] weigh in on the Italian press conference yesterday.
- David Hirshey and Roger Bennett with their always-interesting take over at ESPN's Page 2 [Two-Footed Tackle]
- Cathal Kelly's usual hilarious tales over on his blog [Star Sports Blog]
- Vastic's goal for Austria won him a lifetime supply of free beer [ESPN Soccernet]. If you can't win the whole tournament, that's a pretty sweet consolation prize!

Earning the (re) cap: A big win for the Dutch

Photo: Dutch striker Robin van Persie comes on for Ruud Van Nistlerooy (photo from The Malta Times).



Breaking down Day 3 of the Euro 2008 championships...

Match V: France 0, Romania 0

I was expecting much better from this one. Instead of going for a win, both teams played not to lose and generated remarkably little in the way of offense. That's perhaps understandable from the Romanian side, as they were the underdogs, but it was disappointing to see from the French. There were some strong individual performances from the likes of Franck Ribery, Claude Makelele, Lilian Thuram and Karin Benzema, but on the whole, it wasn't a good day for the Tricolour (yes, there are more teams with that nickname than just Queen's). Consider these quotes from Makelele on the Euro website:

"Claude Makelele conceded that France 'should have taken the three points' as he took the Carlsberg Man of the Match award following Monday's 0-0 draw with Romania in Zurich.
The 35-year-old defensive midfielder shone on a day notable for fine defending in the Group C opener at the Letzigrund Stadion, but he could not hide his disappointment after Raymond Domenech's side drew a blank. 'They are very compact and defensive,' he said of Romania. 'They defend together as a block and it is hard to find the space between their defenders. We worked all week long on this. It is a pity because we should have taken the three points but it is not over. We need to get the points against the Netherlands and Italy now. It will be very hard but we need to beat them and score goals against those two teams.'"

Indeed. France will have to improve dramatically if they want to get out of the group: the Netherlands squad is in fine form, and the Italians will be fired up after their loss today. Romania can never be ruled out as well, as the French now know.

Related:


Match VI: The Netherlands 3, Italy 0

This was a very impressive performance from the Dutch, who played attacking football all day long and generated tons of scoring chances. Yes, the first goal (when Ruud Van Nistlerooy snuck in behind the defence and fired home) was controversial due to a potential offside, but it appears the officials made the correct decision in the end due to the presence of an Italian player who pulled himself off the pitch behind the goal line with an injury. Austrian referees' commission chairman Gerhard Kapl backed the call, and Duane has the relevant FIFA rule posted, which seems to indicate that the refs got it right. In any case, it didn't particuarly matter: the Dutch were the superior side throughout the match, and they scored two more beautiful goals to seal the deal. They're looking very good to advance out of the Group of Death. The same can't be said for Italy, who didn't look anything like the side that triumphed at the last World Cup. Perhaps they miss Fabio Cannavaro more than everyone expected.

Related: Stephen Brunt's column on the match [The Globe and Mail].

Today's matches:

Match VII: Spain vs. Russia (Kick-off: 12:00 ET)

This should be a pretty good one. In Spain, you have the incredibly talented but perennially underachieving side. Russia's cast is less impressive individually, but they have technical wizard Guus Hiddink as a manager and they have a strong team cohesion. I think Spain will take this, but not without a fight.

Prediction: Spain 2, Russia 1

Related: John Doyle's column on why the Russians might be due for an upset [The Globe and Mail].


Match VIII: Sweden vs. Greece

Another good clash. Despite being defending champions, the Greeks have been almost written off. Sure, people are ready for them now, but they still have a great defence and a punishing counterattack. Sweden is also a good side and will give the Greeks a run for their money, but I'm sticking with the champs here.

Prediction: Sweden 0, Greece 1

Earning the (re) cap: Germans and Croats triumph

Photo: Lukas Podolski, who scored twice for Germany against Poland (Photo from soccerati.net)

Breaking down Day 2 of the Euro 2008 Championships...


Match III: Croatia 1, Austria 0

I didn't get the chance to watch this one live, as I was watching the Jays finally snap their losing skid. Still, I caught up with the details afterwards, and according to reputable authorities such as the Globe's John Doyle, the Austrians surprisingly gave the Croats all they could handle. In the end, the only difference between the sides was a fourth-minute penalty kick. Croatia did well for the first half, but the Austrians rallied and were the dominant side for much of the rest of the contest. Really, the only reason this finished 1-0 was Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa, who was recognized for his superb play with the award of Man of the Match. As Doyle points out, this not only shows that the Austrians (ranked 92nd in the world going in, beneath Iceland, Qatar, Mozambique and Armenia and a whopping 77 places behind the Croats) are much better than expected, it also suggests that the Croats may not be the giant-killer everyone had predicted. It will be interesting to see how both sides do in their next match: Austria may be able to achieve a decent result against a demoralized Poland, while the Croats will have their plate full against the in-form Germans.

Related: John Doyle's column on the game [The Globe and Mail]

Match IV: Germany 2, Poland 0

I saw most of this one live, and I'm quite glad I did. The Poles put in a valiant effort and created several good chances, but they really weren't a match for an impressive German side that looked quite capable of living up to the hype surrounding it. Michael Ballack was his ever-dangerous self in midfield, Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez constantly threatened in attack, Bastian Schweinsteiger made some crucial runs and even Jens Lehmann looked to be in fine form. Oh, and how about that Lukas Podolski? Many thought he'd been going downhill since his FIFA Young Player award at the 2006 World Cup, and he wasn't even in his natural position, shifted from striker to the left wing. He silenced the critics with a brace of goals against the country of his birth (his family moved to Germany shortly after he was born), both particularly well-struck. The second one was a real cracker: a cross from Schweinsteiger found Klose in the box, but he mishit it and the ball looped its way over to Podolski, who smashed a thunderous left-footed volley into the netting and secured his Man of the Match title as a result. All in all, a great performance from the Germans, and a debut that should strike fear into the hearts of the other teams in the competition. Yes, there's a long way to go, and Germany will eventually draw tougher sides, but they looked absolutely capable of lifting the trophy with this win.

Related:
- The Associated Press game recap [The Globe and Mail]
- Another take on the game [ESPN Soccernet]
- Stephen Brunt was very impressed with the Germans [On Soccer]. As he writes, "But they just keep on running, they have a remarkable work-rate, they know what they're going to do with the ball before they get it, they're beautifully organized, and in this tournament, it's going to take an awfully good team to beat the Germans." My pick of them to win it all is looking good so far.
- Cathal Kelly is accepting all bets against Germany [Star Sports Blog].
- John Doyle describes the German side as "awesome".
- Graham Wood has an interesting story on the Euro 2008 website about Podolski's conflicting feelings over scoring against Poland.

Today's matches:

Match V: Romania vs. France (Group C, kick-off at 12:00 p.m. ET)
Well, the Group of Death gets underway with what should be a very interesting match. Romania's currently the dangerous outsider in that group, whereas France has a solid team with plenty of experience: the question for them is if their older players still have enough gas in the tank. This game should be pretty crucial: France will be eager to take full points, given that they still have to play the Netherlands and Italy, while Romania will be eager to prove that they belong in the group. If they pull off the upset, it will make Group C even more interesting. France should be able to take this, though.

Prediction: France 2, Romania 1

Match VI: Italy vs. the Netherlands (Group C, kick-off at 2:45 p.m. ET)
This is the first match of the tournament between two sides that most consider true contenders, and as such, it should be fantastic. Both sides are missing key players, though: for Italy, it's 2006 World Cup MVP Fabio Cannavaro (out for the tournament with a) and defender Cr, while the Dutch will be without star wingers Arjen Robben (groin) and Ryan Babel. The Dutch will also likely miss Robin Van Persie and Mario Melchiot due to their own injuries. They apparently plan to use Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt instead of Robben, which Bergkamp of Drunk Jays Fans compared to using David Eckstein as a "replacement" for Scott Rolen (for the non-Jays fans, think not-so-good for good: Georges Laraque replacing Sid the Kid, Curtis Sanford in for Roberto Luongo or Brian Scalabrine in for Paul Pierce). It will be interesting to see how both sides react to such key losses.

Prediction: Italy 1, Netherlands 0

Record so far: 2-0 (results), no scores exact

Other tournament pieces of interest:
- Stephen Brunt's column on the detached nature of Swiss fans [The Globe and Mail]
- Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press has an interesting piece on the on-pitch rivalry between Germany and Poland
- Cathal Kelly's column on how international matches are less violent these days [Toronto Star]
- Kelly has quite the story on his Star blog about an Eastern European journalist and his bag [Star Sports Blog]
- Duane Rollins on how Canadian media are now taking the tournament seriously [Out of Left Field].

European Championships set to kick off

Photo: The Euro 2008 Trophy (Photo by Petros Giannakouris, Associated Press, via Daylife.com)

Well, one of the greatest tournaments for any (European) football fan is set to kick off tomorrow, as 16 teams from all over take to the pitches in Austria and Switzerland for the 2008 European Championships (popularly known as Euro 2008). Over at Out of Left Field, Duane makes the argument that this tournament’s superior to the World Cup. I don’t agree for a couple reasons: first, any tournament that doesn’t include the likes of Brazil and Argentina is a step down in my books, and second, it’s much more fun to see sides from all over the world competing than merely those from around Europe. He also suggests that the weaker teams in European tournaments are usually better than those in the World Cup. As he writes:

"The World Cup is sexier. It’s a World Cup, after all. And, it must be said that the samba beat of a Brazil doesn’t hurt either. But, the hardcore soccer fan understands that the European championship is the better tournament. Ask England how difficult it is to even qualify. As Greece if upsets ever happen. There are no Saudi Arabias in the draw. Ever game is contested and you never know who is going to emerge on top. To borrow a cliché, the World Cup is sizzle. The Euros are steak."

This is an interesting point: I don’t completely agree, as there are some pretty bad teams in the European championships too (cough, Austria, cough), but I think the majority of the teams in the Euros are probably better than the majority of the teams in the World Cup. There's also a great deal of parity: as the Globe and Mail's Ben Knight and John Doyle each point out, almost anyone could win this.

That isn't necessarily a good thing, though: just look at the NHL for the marvelous television that parity brings. When teams are confident of a victory in hockey, they tend to play a more free-wheeling, offensive game that's a delight to watch. When it's going to be close, they often buckle down, bring out the old neutral-zone trap and defend, defend, defend, hoping to get a break and win 1-0. Similar things often happen in soccer, as many sides become more conservative when faced with a tough opponent. The counter-attack becomes in vogue, along with extra holding midfielders clogging up the middle of the park in a soccer version of the trap and a lone striker hoping for a lucky bounce up front. European teams also tend to be much more defensive-minded than the Brazils, Argentinas and Mexicos of this world, leading to even better chances of them settling for defensive shells in close matches.

Many great games have been close or even low-scoring, however, and I'm not saying that there can't or won't be good soccer matches at this tournament, as I expect the opposite. The point is, parity alone is not sufficient grounds to sell a tournament. The European Championships are fantastic soccer, and they should be enjoyed on their own merits, which are more than ample. It's fine to prefer one tournament to the other, but in the end, the question is moot, as they take place two years apart. I'm a confirmed World Cup fan, but I'm still incredibly excited for this year's tournament, and I'll be watching as many games as possible.

As mentioned above, the parity of this tournament makes it bloody hard to predict anything. There are many contenders with the potential to take home the trophy, including France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal. All of them have glaring flaws, though: France's squad continues to age, Spain will undoubtedly pull a Spain and choke so desperately they require the Heimlich Maneuver, Italy's team is also getting old, and they're without their best player in Fabio Cannavaro, the Dutch have some defensive issues and also never seem to pull it together on the big stage, and Portugal can only have Cristiano Ronaldo carry them so far.

Thus, I'm going to go with my cultural heritage and pick the Germans to win it all (and even the oddsmakers agree with me)! There's a lot to like about this team, including the in-form Michael Ballack (now with Premier League experience!), the young talents of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski and the embarrassment of riches up front, including Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez, Podolski, Kevin Kuranyi and Oliver Neuville. They're coming off a solid third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, and their fortunate place in the draw leaves them with an easy group (Austria, Poland and Croatia). They also won't have to face any of France, Italy, the Netherlands or Spain until the final, given the way the draw's set up. The only team I can see derailing them on their path to the final is Portugal, but in the end, Germany's strong team play should triumph over Cristiano Ronaldo and his supporting cast. They've also won the tournament three times, more than any other nation, and two of those wins were with only half the country! In the end, it may very well be Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles once more. As former England captain Gary Lineker famously said, "Football is a game played by 22 players, and in the end, Germany wins."

Related:
- Stephen Brunt's excellent column on how the host nations may fall short.
- Brunt and Ben Knight have lots more at the Globe's On Soccer blog.
- Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star has some very interesting stories about his time covering the tournament so far on his blog there: he also has a good column about some of the weaknesses the best teams have.
- Duane Rollins has some great tournament coverage at Out of Left Field.
- Mike Cardillo has an excellent preview over at Deadspin .
- David Hirshey picks Spain to win it all in his final column as Deadspin's soccer closer.
- Hirshey has a nice preview of the tournament (co-written with author Roger Bennett) over at his new gig at ESPN.com.
- The Poles are already taking Photoshopping to new extremes in anticipation of Sunday's clash with Germany: their tabloids have manager Leo Beenhakker holding the severed heads of Michael Ballack and Germany manager Joachim Low (Via the excellent World Cup Blog, which also incorporated a nice Fawlty Towers reference).