Who will win euro 2012?

The thing is that they won't change their style of play, they'll still play the same way only that in the kind of game that you're talking about, there won't be up to 7 players defending inside the box so it will even be easier for them to score.

 

I dont think you realize playing attack against us, is beneficial for us. It won't be a dissanvantage. It's better that they defend. Again, Italy are experts on this.

 

You are only seeing one half of the matter. Obviously it will be easier for Spain to score, but that will also be true for their opponent. If they choose to really attack, they'll have more chances as well, and if that opponent is Germany or Holland, i don't see why Spain would necessarily end with more goals.

I agree it's better for Italy to defend against you, but that's different. That's what they do against every team, that's how they won their world cups. As you say, they know how to win a match by defending. But teams like Germany and Holland whose defence isn't their main strength shouldn't try doing it.

 

Friends and foes, animals and human beings, soon it's time for the biggest battle this year right before we have to fight the inevitable armageddon.
Brutal matches are guaranteed and I'm ready

The most important thing is that all the teams are doing everything they can and play with their hearts and well feet ^^
I am ready for the Euro!

 

Because they'll have the ball more often and they're better at keeping the ball more than any other team.
You need to understand that most teams end up playing very defensively against spain (and barca) because they don't see much of the ball to attack as much as they want, and they just end up chasing shadows without even realising it and hoping to just get occasions to hit back on counter attack.

 

rojadirecta - Over the last couple of pages you've been pretty much spot on, but seriously, tone it down a little!!

 

Having the ball more often doesn't necessarily mean more goals, and Spain is by the way a good example of that. And yes i understand some teams are forced to play defensively because of how the game turns out. If they just can't attack, then so be it. What is stupid is when a team chooses not to attack from the start, like Germany the last two times. Their behaviour was an insult to their football and they clearly lacked the confidence and the spirit they'd have needed to win.

 

All I can say is I'm rdy for the Euro, who else?
Amazing wild fights for real men, brutal and spectacular.

 

Yes, first Espana, and secondly Germany, are clear favourites, with Holland as very strong team. But what does history tell us?

Since the Euros went to the 16-team format in 1996, seeded teams have not done well overall, compared to the World Cup. For seeded sides reaching the semi-finals:

2008: none
2004: POR, CZE
2000: NED
1996: ENG, GER

Only Germany have won the competition, and Portugal reached the final as a host.

Both Netherlands and Espana are seeded this time in 2012; let's see how far they go. (Poland and the Ukraine, the other seeds, are relatively weak, as we all know.)

 

Gourcuff has no chance of going to the euros with the french team

Malouda has lost his starting spot in the NT, most people in the country are even calling for him not to be selected because he doesn't play very often for chelsea, but most of all he hasn't really performed well for the french team in years.

Cliche doesn't get called up by Blanc, but he might have a chance now that Abidal isn't going to the euros. It's between him and Jeremy Mathieu, and Blanc seems to prefer Mathieu.

 

I think Spain's main problem will be lack of motivation. Remember what happened to France in WC2002? The French players went to Korea having already acheived everything a player could dream of. I think this could be Spain's downfall as well, aside from the fact that they lack any world-class striker up front (unless, by some miracle, Torres can find his form in the coming 2 months).

If I were Del Bosque, I would recall Raul Gonzalez. His experience and mere presence on the pitch could have a positive effect on the team.

That said, I see Spain as the underdogs this time, and could very well be upset by Ireland. The Irish are always a tough nut to crack when it comes to the finals. The yalways manage to make it to the knockout stage. As for Italy, they will have far more fire and passion this time around.

Here is my prediction for Group C:

1st: Italy
2nd: Spain or Ireland
3rd: Spain or Ireland
4th: Croatia

As for the number 1 contender for the trophy, I would have to say the Dutch. I think Holland's time has come.

Peace...

 

great tip. ireland to beat spain. smart man, must have watched a lot of football in your time. plus of course, all italy need is a little fire and passion to turn round their post 2006 slump towards complete irrelevance.

 

Holland Germany France Portugal

final four

 

Holland, Germany and Portugal are all in the same group...only 2 can advance out of the group stages. So that Final Four is not possible.

 

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I don't know about you guys, but for some reason I have a feeling that Italy won't go very far this summer nor will portugal.

Here are my prediction for this summer:

Group A : 1. Russia 2. Poland 3. Republic Czech , 4. Greece (Poland could cause a surprise in my opinion)
Group B : 1. Germany, 2. Netherland 3. Denmark 4. Portugal
Group C: 1. Spain 2. Croatia 3. Italy 4. Ireland
Group D: 1. England 2. France 3. Sweden 4. Ukraine ( Ukraine with the home advantage just does not have what it takes in my opinion.)

Either way, right or not, this should be a great tournament

 

I just know and Im one hundred percent sure that if croatia beats ireland in the first match that they will qualify to the semi finals. If they loose or draw theyre out in the group stage. modric, perisic, srna, rakitic and jelavic are takisng us to the semis. yeeeeay

 

i think spain will win this cup. second maybe netherland

 

France will surprise everyone. I don't understand why they are not rated as one of the hot favorites. Their players are all stars in the best leagues in Europe. They have an excellent coach. And they have found a new team spirit and left the problems of the WC 2010 far behind.
With England, however, it will be the same as always. The media, who until now have been admirably restrained, will shed all inhibitions and build up expectations to a level where its weight will be too much for the English players to bear. I could see them losing against Ukraine, who are organized and hard to beat, and crash out in the group stage.

 

Germany has got this easy.

 

Actually the media are pretty much putting a death sentence on our players going into this tournament? It's only The Sun and other garbage papers that ever hype up our chances, but even then every country has papers like that who big up their team's chances. Why with England is there always this thought that we all expect us to win, when it's very much the opposite that's true? I think it was on Sky Sports but they did a fan poll and 50% expected us to get knocked out at the group stages, 85% expected us to go no further than the QF.

 

France shot - it probably is. England will fly around the world, that would play on the Euro. France will rest easy and is preparing for the games. Ukraine has huge problems with the defenders of + yesterday was seriously injured goalkeeper Shovkovskyi. Sweden has Zlatan. But to win the championship or the Netherlands or Germany

 

would be surprised if the winner weren't one of Netherlands, Germany and Spain ... those three are simply a head above the rest