Euro Draw 2008 Dec. 2

[england66]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??

[Smoga]

I can't help but think that if we had a second round robin phase at the 2006 WC like we did back in the seventies, Italy would not have made it to the finals. But what is better: fairness, or drama? The single elimination format after the group phase certainly makes the WC much more dramatic, but also less able to determine the best team.

But I disgree that the US team that Italy struggled against was "second rate". They were, certaily, third rate or worse in the Czech game, but against Italy (and I just rewatched that game recently), they played very well, up to their full potential.

[Schwalker]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??


Well, yes...There have been tournaments we didn´t win you know :D

[Smoga]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??

This is true. The only group close to the "group of death" that I can think of was in the 1958 WC: Germany, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Northern Ireland. The 1966 one with Argentina, Spain and Switzerland was no too bad either.

[england66]

Well, yes...There have been tournaments we didn´t win you know :D

The Germans just seem to get incredibly lucky in the draw....in 2002 they somehow managed to get through to the final without beating a single european team along the way...and the euro teams were nearly 1/2 the field. In fact the only decent team they played was Brazil in the final.....having got through Saudi Arabia,Ireland,Cameroon,Paraquay,USA and S. Korea.....

[Hrvat]

If there is such a thing, this is a very good draw for Croatia. Playing in Klagenfurt and Vienna is also great news, expect a Croatian invasion (I guess it will be no different with Germans and Poles...). Too bad about the small capacity of the Klagenfurt stadium.

I definitely expect Croatia to make the second round.

[Cris 09]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??

Maybe these aren't all the official "Group of Death" groups but certanly no easy task. In the last two, Germany didn't even make it out of the group stages.

1988
West Germany
Italy
Spain
Denmark

1992
Netherlands
Germany
Scotland
CIS
(Italy didn't even qualify so all in all not an easy group)

1996
Germany
Czech Republic
Italy
Russia
(Czechs were a fianlist)

2000
Portugal
Romania
England
Germany

2004
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Germany
Latvia
(Dark horse Latvia actually tied Germany)

[Schwalker]

Euro 1996...Germany. Czechs, Italy and Russia

Euro 2000...Germany, England, Portugal and Romania

[Sagy]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??

This is true. The only group close to the "group of death" that I can think of was in the 1958 WC: Germany, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Northern Ireland. The 1966 one with Argentina, Spain and Switzerland was no too bad either.

What about Euro 2000, with Portugal, Romania and England? Euro 2004 with Czech Republic and Netherlands (two 1/2 finalists) was also a tough 1st round group. The Euro 1996 group with Czech Republic, Italy and Russia (two finalist) was the best group of the tournament.

Arguably this is the first time since the Euro changed to 16 teams finals that Germany didn't get the tough group. There is a reasonable argument to be made that in 1996 and 2000 Germany was in the Group of Death.

[Smoga]

If there is such a thing, this is a very good draw for Croatia. Playing in Klagenfurt and Vienna is also great news, expect a Croatian invasion (I guess it will be no different with Germans and Poles...). Too bad about the small capacity of the Klagenfurt stadium.

I definitely expect Croatia to make the second round.

Strange group, most Polish fans feel that it was the best draw possible, especially having Croatia and Austria in there, widely considered (in Poland) the weakest teams from pots one and three. And Austrians seem to fancy their chances as well. I can't wait to see how this group turns out!

[england66]

What about Euro 2000, with Portugal, Romania and England? Euro 2004 with Czech Republic and Netherlands (two 1/2 finalists)..


But thats just it....they didn't get through either group.

[Sagy]

Do the Germans EVER get a tough group...?? have they EVER been in a group of death..??

But thats just it....they didn't get through either group.

But your question was if they "EVER get a tough group" not if they go though.

As far as going through, sometime they do, and sometimes they don't.

[Cris 09]

But thats just it....they didn't get through either group.

So that means it's no longer "The Group of Death"??? :rolleyes:

[FNU]

I wonder how that 2006 game had ended if Italy had had to beat Argentina in extra-time and a penalty shoot-out while Germany had strolled to an easy victory against Ukraine. The outcome would probably have been slightly different, also considering that Italy needed 118 minutes to score against Germany, who at that point had 238 minutes of World Cup football in their bones against two of the strongest national sides.
Is this the 2006 excuses thread? lol Should of, Could of, didn't. You beat Arg. on PKs with a cheat sheet, then you lose in a stadium you've never lost before. Bad karma my friend. And what if Italy did go your route? Well, the WC Final was pretty much that scenario, how did it end?

And considering head to head, let's not count friendlies because they really don't matter but only for bragging rights. In a major tournament, Germany has never beaten us. That is the monkey on the back.

[Cris 09]

But your question was if they "EVER get a tough group" not if they go though.

As far as going through, sometime they do, and sometimes they don't.

Exaclty, just like England when it comes to actually qualifying! Somtimes they do, sometimes they don't!

[FNU]

Well i don't want to get into all that at all - merely pointing out that the wonderful Italian team of 2006 was actually not all that wonderful - and certainly not clearly better than Germany
So beating the HOST NATIONAL TEAM in a stadium they've NEVER LOST isn't good enough to say one team was better than the other? lol C'mon now, bias or not, you can't deny Italy's quality from 2006. How many goals did Italy allow from their opponents in the tournament? How many different Italian players scored a goal? And the US was not a 2nd rate team at the time, they just didn't have any luck. Let's not forget 2002 and how the "mighty" Germany had to beat the US...

[gethomas3]

So beating the HOST NATIONAL TEAM in a stadium they've NEVER LOST isn't good enough to say one team was better than the other? lol C'mon now, bias or not, you can't deny Italy's quality from 2006. How many goals did Italy allow from their opponents in the tournament? How many different Italian players scored a goal? And the US was not a 2nd rate team at the time, they just didn't have any luck. Let's not forget 2002 and how the "mighty" Germany had to beat the US...

LOL Repped!!!

I couldn't believe it, either! Germany getting dominated by the Americans, a country that thinks the sport is boring...sad...

[FNU]

LOL Repped!!!

I couldn't believe it, either! Germany getting dominated by the Americans, a country that thinks the sport is boring...sad...
It was more than that. All this talk of Italy cheating Australia, when Frings was playing GK in that game against the US. The past is past...let's move on.

[Borussia]

Would you please stop this boring & childish "I'm better than you" discussion in this thread? :rolleyes: Thanx!

The topic is the EC 2008 draw and not the history duels between countries that aren't even in the same group...

[dav13dav13]

Kick this thread up so it would be on the front page and that way you would hear more opinions about this topic