I watched Greece at the 2012 Euro Cup and just watched their qualifier at home against Lechinstein. I will analayze the Greece team: Pro * Solid defensive lines * Good ball composure * Sampras has a wide frame, solid ball control and play making ability Con * Very limited on offense Further take Greece has a solid shot at making the 2014 WC. Their patience gives them a fair shot at making the second round. But, if I were an opponent, I would hope that the one or two Euro teams in my group was Greece. As long as you adequately game plan for Sampras and are patient on your offensive attack, then your odds of success are great.
^this is all true. if a team can score 2 or more goals 3+ Greece doesnt have a chance to win their goals come from set pieces, counter attacks and the random high pressure mistake if they want to auto-qualify, they need wins and a loss by Bosnia.H if not, then they go to the H/A playoff vs another 2nd placed team friends from Greece have said, they are NOT happy with all the older players getting all the playing time they want to see some new younger players get chances another complaint, they dont agree with alot of the players selected for the national team, happen to play on the club team Olympiacos. there has been match fixing and a fan bius towards Olymp. for being the top team in Greece for 20 years, creating an imbalance for the rest of the league. that is, those who are not Olympiacos fans
A youth infusion could benefit Greece. But, for my money they are among the biggest over-achievers due to their great discipline. So, perhaps the coach is weary of throwing in a wild card that may more likely work against you. I don't follow Greece club soccer to comment on the rest; but I'll take what you say about Olymp. as truth. Corruption in Greece led to an economic collapse; I'd assume that such things were prevalent in the footballing community too. I probably like this Bosnia team more because I think they're in the midst of their golden generation and I want to see how far they can go. But, if Greece goes to the WC, I think they're interesting from the standpoint that they're unique. Sampras could potentially even have himself a Forlan-esque WC. The US used to be somewhat like Greece. They liked to pack it in on defense and look for their spots on offense. The concept can reap a lot of success; but usually without a strong offensive punch, you eventually hit that buzz saw, and then all the sudden 0-1 in an elimination game can seem like a mountain to climb on tired legs.
The problem with our team is that there hasn't been an evolution. We've hit a plateau. We need a fresh approach.