Euro 2012: Who will top Group A?

Here we go soccer fans! Europeans and non-Euros will be watching this international competition unfold seeing that it is arguably the most challenging and exciting tournament in soccer and it kicks off June 8. I believe the Euro is the hardest tournament to win because there are only 16 teams that will be a part of it. Out of these 16 contenders, I would say they are the best 13 of the top 18 teams in the world. There are no African teams, no Asian teams; none of the normally easy-to-beat teams you would find in the World Cup. All of these groups are expected to be very tough indeed. I will be offering my thoughts about each group as well as my predictions as to which nations will qualify for the knockout phase. Feel free to drop a few lines of commentary below. I welcome any and all thoughts.

Group A – Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Poland

The Czech Republic finished second in their qualification group, 14 points behind cup-holders Spain who ended with 24 points, edging Scotland by only one point, and then eliminated Montenegro in the playoff to finally qualify. Once a powerhouse in 2004 with the likes of Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky, the Czechs have struggled to produce any real talent since the departures of these stars. Now, they will rely heavily on Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Czech who is fresh from Champions League victory with Chelsea, Arsenal star Tomas Rosicky, and Jaroslav Plasil currently at Bordeaux to at least finish in a respectable place. The above mentioned names are not of the same calibre and to win this tournament, players like the former are desperately needed. The Czechs need a leader who will take them to victory. Unfortunately this time around, they only have those who will lead them out of the tourney. Slim chance for the Czechs this year.

Greece surprised everyone in 2004 when they opened the Euro competition with a win over hosts Portugal and then ended with the most important victory again defeating Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. in the final. The Greeks qualified first in Group F, two points ahead of runner-up Croatia, and also went undefeated throughout the qualifying round. The defence was stellar only conceding five goals which is an asset going into the final stages. For Greece to go far in this tournament, they will need to play as a unit just like in 2004 in Portugal. That year though, they had a more experienced side. This time, not much has changed for the Greeks so they still stand a chance of making it through. Look for Greece to pull some upsets.

Four years ago, Russia was the surprise team at the Euro championships with a young squad. Not many picked the Russians to make it out of their group with Spain, Greece, and Sweden. Russia ended up losing the very first game 4-1 to the Spaniards, but followed up with two consecutive victories over the other two contenders which placed the Russians in second. They then went on to defeat the Netherlands in the quarterfinals who were heavily favoured to win Euro 2008. Russia then lost in the semi-finals to eventual victors, Spain, 3-0. In qualifying, they topped Group B convincingly with 17 goals scored and only leaked four goals against. They continue to surprise teams with a quick-pace attack and disciplined defending. Russia does not lack experience as well with Dick Advocaat as head coach and with proficient players such as playmaker Andrey Arshavin, top-notch striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, strong defender Yuri Zhirkov, and ‘keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev. The Russians may very well surprise everyone again.

Poland did not have to qualify for this tournament since it is a co-host nation. This could be detrimental to their chances of qualifying as the Poles have not played competitively in two years. Therefore, not much is known about Poland at this time and it is very difficult to pinpoint their expectations. Usually in these competitions, the host nation tends to get out of the group phase, but I really don’t see that happening here. The Greeks, Russians, and even the Czechs will prove to be too heavy to handle.

My predictions for Group A:

1) Russia

2) Greece

3) Czech Republic

4) Poland

Check back tomorrow for analysis of Group B…

… and that is the Last Word.

Please feel free to leave comments below.