European Championship Quarter Final Preview
June 18, 2008
The Quarter Finals of the European Championships starts tomorrow; here is how I think it will turn out:
Thursday, June, 19th
Germany vs. Portugal
The game: Look for Germany to win a close one, even though the Portuguese have looked unstoppable at times. The Germans have hit their stride and will be tough to beat.
The pick: Germany
The Score: 3-2
Friday, June, 20th
Croatia vs. Turkey
The Game: Coming off a stunning upset against the Czechs, Turkey appears poised to make some noise. However, Croatia looks to continue their solid play against the overmatched Turks.
The Pick: Croatia
The Score: 3-0
Saturday, June, 21st
Netherlands vs. Russia
The Game: The well rested boys in orange should easily beat this Russian squad. They have been the class of the tournament so far and Russia will likely be eliminated.
The Pick: Netherlands
The Score: 2-0
Sunday, June, 22nd
Spain vs. Italy
The Game: On paper this looks like a very tight battle, as both nations boast some of soccer’s biggest stars. Even with Italy missing two of their top midfielders in Pirlo and Gattuso, the Italians should take this one.
The Pick: Italy
The Score: 2-1
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We are now set for the elimination round of the Euro tournament. Time for minute to minute drama, where every save is crucial, and every turn of the ball can bring joy or heart ache to millions of fans across the world. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the nail biting drama of the penalty shoot-outs. Are you ready?
I have a few comments for the blog above:
Germany vs. Portugal
How can you say that Germany has hit their stride? They dominated Poland in their first game of the tournament and looked unstoppable. They then went on to lose to an inspired Croatia squad, and had a less than impressive 1-0 win against quite possibly the weakest team in the tournament Austria in order to even reach the quarters.
I think the German’s may be in for a tough time against a Portugal team that is desperate to bring their country some hardware, and relieve their fans of the heart ache from 2004. Portugal beat both Turkey and the Czech’s and scored 5 goals in those two games, while only conceding 1.
I have to agree with DanD on the result though. The German’s know how to win big games, and Portugal often fails to show up. A 3-2 scoreline may be asking much, but it sure would make for some exciting footy and both teams have the explosive offensive power to make it happen.
Croatia vs. Turkey
I have to agree with DanD on this one, and give the edge to Croatia. I am not sure how you can justify that Croatia will beat Turkey 3-0 though? Turkey is a defensive team that will not allow Croatia many chances at goal. Remember this is a Turkey team that orchestrated one of the greatest come from behind victories in Euro cup history, and I believe they will take this momentum into this do or die battle.
How can you justify Croatia scoring 3 goals in the game, when they have scored a combined 4 goals in the 3 round robin games?
This game will be decided by one goal from Croatia’s Ivan Klasnić. There is a possibility that Turkey will find a late equalizer, and then I believe we will see our first shoot-out of the tournament.
Holland vs. Russia
No argument here, Holland has been the most impressive team thus far. They walked through the “group of death” defeating both Italy and France by 3 goal margins.
Look for Russia to play with 10 men behind the ball at all times and try to counter-attack the speedy Dutch. Russia will look to score off set-pieces or a Dutch mistake, but it will take more than 1 goal to beat this orange storm.
Spain vs. Italy
Probably the most anticipated game of the quarters. Spain was an early favorite to win this year’s Euro and have had some impressive wins thus far. Torres will be a hand full for an Italian defense that has looked suspect at times.
The world champions seem to always find a way to squeeze through. Know I know why Italian men are all bald! Look for the Italians to show their class and play a much more compact, organized style of soccer on Sunday; much like the quality we saw in 2006. Toni has been a menace for all defenses he has faced, and I believe he will be rewarded with his first goal of the tournament in this powerhouse affair.
This game is just too close to call. I believe both teams will take a 1-1 score line to extra-time, and if Spain does not score, Italy will win on muster penalties.