Euro 2012 – the 14th European Championship for teams sanctioned by the UEFA – is scheduled to be played between 8th June and 1st July 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Spain are the current holders of the cup – they defeated Germany in the final in Austria / Switzerland version of the tournament in 2008.

The groups and the schedule of the Euro 2012 have been announced and the groups are as follows:

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Group B: Holland, Denmark, Germany, Portugal
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

You can see the team by team preview of Euro 2012 from a couple of weeks ago and here we’re covering the football gear to be used by the national teams in the tournament.

Before we look at what kits the players will be donning for the competition, lets look at the official Euro 2012 match ball:

adidas Tango 12

The official match ball that will be used for the duration of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine in the coming summers is the adidas Tango 12. It is a brand new ball inspired by the famous line of adidas Tango balls.

Here’s a picture of the ball. As soon as it is made available, we will have it up for grabs in the Soccerlens Store.

Official UEFA Euro 2012 Match Ball: adidas Tango 12
(Click to enlarge image)

All the football gear and kit manufacturers have lined up for the biggest tournament in Europe and they present to you the Euro 2012 shirts:

Croatia

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Czech Republic

Chelsea stopper Petr Cech, Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Galatasaray forward Milan Baros will probably be featuring for the last time in a major tournament and surely, they will all want to end their careers on a high.

Czech Republic will wear a Puma manufactured red shirt with white and blue details. They will be playing in Group A.

Czech Rep. Home Shirt

Click here to buy Czech Republic Euro 2012 home shirt.

Denmark

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

England

England captain John Terry came under much scrutiny before the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but this time around, things seems to be relatively smoother. Fabio Capello will be looking to exit the job with grace.

England are placed in Group D and will play their opening fixture against the French national team. The Three Lions will wear a plain white shirt, manufactured by Umbro.

England Home Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 home shirt.

They will wear navy blue away shirts with light blue collars.

England Away Shirt

Click here to buy England Euro 2012 away shirt.

France

France are also placed in Group D and they will play their opening fixture against England. The French squad is relatively younger blood from last time around. Karim Benzema is set to lead the attack as Franck Ribery will takeover the creative part.

Les Bleus will wear a Nike manufactured navy blue shirt. The only details on the shirt are the Nike swoosh and the team emblem.

France Home Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 home shirt.

The Frenchmen will wear a white away shirt with black horizontal stripes – kind of like the prisoners.

France Away Shirt

Click here to buy France Euro 2012 away shirt.

Germany

Euro 2008 finalists, Germany are seeded in Group B and it is the toughest group in this tournament. Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski will be looking to steal the show with sound backing from the rest of the squad. Joachim Low will be looking to leave previous disappointments behind.

Germans will wear a very attractive white shirt with diagonal black, red and yellow lines on the front and black adidas pin-stripes on the shoulder.

Germany Home Shirt

Click here to buy Germany Euro 2012 home shirt.

Greece

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Holland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Italy

Participating in Group C, Italy will open the tournament with a match against the world champions. Juventus’ fantastic shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon will look to play this tournament through as Daniele De Rossi and his midfield will have to take the pressure off of defence and supply Mario Balotelli up front.

Italy will wear the Puma manufactured blue shirt with a white collar containing details in the colours of the Italian flag.

Italy Home Shirt

Click here to buy Italy Euro 2012 home shirt.

Poland

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Portugal

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Republic of Ireland

LA Galaxy striker and national team captain Robbie Keane will look to lead Ireland to at least give a tough time to the giants of Group C. He will need all the expertise Shay Given, John O’Shea and Darron Gibson have to offer.

Ireland will wear a white away shirt with green details. The kits are manufactured by Umbro.

Rep. of Ireland Away Shirt

Click here to buy Republic of Ireland Euro 2012 away shirt.

Russia

Arsenal striker Andrie Arshavin will captain a Russia side out of which only four players ply their trade outside of the country. Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, Vfb Stuttgart forward Pavel Pogrebnyak and Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov are the three other players who play outside of Russian Premier League. Yuri Zhirkov’s services will also be available.

Russia will wear an adidas manufactured red shirt with a blue and white diagonal stripe going down the front.

Russia Home Shirt

Click here to buy Russia Euro 2012 home shirt.

Spain

Reigning world and European champions, Spain will play Euro 2012 in Group C. Since the triumph in the World Cup, the Spaniards haven’t been in top form but they should never be underestimated with the quality of the squad they possess.

Head coach Vicente del Bosque will be looking for a repeat performace from his team which features five Real Madrid players and eight Barcelona players. Another three Barca players have been called-up for the squad recently (Martin Montoya, Thiago Alcantara and Pedro).

Spain will wear a red jersey proudly featuring a single golden star above their team emblem. The kit is manufactured by adidas.

Spain Home Shirt

Click here to buy Spain Euro 2012 home shirt.

Sweden

Coming soon to the Soccerlens Store…

Ukraine

Andriy Shevchenko captains the Ukraine side and the former AC Milan and Chelsea striker will look to impress in front of his home crowd. Ukraine are in Group D and will face tough competition from Sweden, France and England.

They will wear an adidas manufactured yellow shirt with blue details.

Ukraine Home Shirt

Click here to buy Ukraine Euro 2012 home shirt.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Update: Groups Draw details and the official match ball of Euro 2012 added. Scroll down to view.

With the 16 teams competing in Euro 2012 now selected and the qualifying process complete, all eyes look to Poland and Ukraine as time ticks down. The seeding for the selection of the group stages has been completed also, with the draw for the pool stages happening in Kiev on December 3rd. English and Irish fans will look for a favourable draw, but both nations will know that the competition is packed with top teams.

Pot 1 consists of co-host Poland and Ukraine, world champions Spain and a technically gifted Netherlands side; most participants will be keen to draw the hosts rather than the other two powerhouses.

SPAIN

Spain’s mantle as the top team in the world has been slightly diminished of late, as poor results in friendlies against Spain and Costa Rica have tarnished the end of 2011 for La Roja. Vicente Del Bosque has a plethora of players to choose from however, with a strong base from Barcelona and Real Madrid making up the majority of the team.

The Spaniards midfield is still as menacing as ever, with Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso world class players that opponents will struggle to compete against; however Xavi is still Spain’s main man and will orchestrate long periods of possession for the world champions.

NETHERLANDS

Holland impressed during the qualifying rounds, and again must go into the tournament as one of the favourites. Bert van Marwijk’s men, similar to Spain, have had an under-par end to the year however, as the Oranje lost their last qualifying game to Sweden and were put to the sword by Germany in a recent friendly, losing 3-0.

Despite this the squad is full of talent and a number of young players are battling the established names for a place in the starting XI. Although their defence at times can be questioned, their attack cannot.

Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder will look to provide chances for red hot striker Robin van Persie. The Arsenal man is proving himself to be one of the top hitmen in Europe, and will look to fire his nation to glory.

POLAND

On of the downfalls of hosting a major tournament is the fact that you do not get to take part in qualification, and Polish fans will hope that Franciszek Smuda’s men do not suffer due to a lack of competitive fixtures. Solid performances in friendlies over the last 12 months have seen the host draw with Germany and beat the likes of Belarus and Hungary; the home crowd will also play a key part in their chances.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Robert Lewandowski was a key figure in the German club’s Bundesliga success last season, and will be counted on to get goals for the Eastern European side.

Poland are co-hosts.

UKRAINE

Ukraine have had inconsistent form over the last year, and with the glory days of Sergei Rebrov and Andriy Shevchenko over, Oleg Blokhin has had to look to the youth in his side.

Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko holds the weight of expectation on his shoulders, as the 22-year-old has shown the necessary promise to fill the boots of the generation before him.

Ukraine are co-hosts.

England find themselves in the second tier of the seeding, alongside old enemy and highly-fancied Germany; 2006 World Cup winners Italy and an unpredictable Russia team make up this quartet.

ENGLAND

England have been inconsistent over the qualifying rounds, and despite showing their quality at times can also lack creativity and the ability to break teams down. Fabio Capello will be buoyed on by an unbeaten qualifying campaign and friendly victories over Spain and Sweden, but will look for more from his team if they are to pose as realistic challengers.

Wayne Rooney’s absence in the pool stages will be a real blow for The Three Lions, and the Italian coach will be under pressure to find a replacement that can fire the side into the knockout rounds. Scott Parker has really matured over the last 12-18 months, and the Tottenham man could showcase the determination and will to win to inspire his team-mates; a North London central midfield partnership alongside Jack Wilshere could just prove the balance England needs.

GERMANY

Germany, as always when a major tournament rolls round, must be considered as serious contenders.

Joachim Low has comprised a squad with an enviable mix of experience and youth, and a flawless qualifying campaign proves testament to the side’s motivation to succeed.

The German side is packed full of quality, but playmakers Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze in particular have vital attributes in creating chances for sharpshooter Mario Gomez.

ITALY

Italy traditionally have blown hot and cold when it comes to international tournaments, and the Azzurri this time round have shown inconsistency and a lack of a real killer instinct in the qualifying rounds.

Cesare Prandelli has a football mad nation keen to recapture the glory days, and a wide ranging player base to choose from – however the side in blue will most likely adopt cautious tactics and look to win fixtures by the odd goal.

Mario Balotelli looks to have been given a real chance to start up front in the absence of Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano, and may lead the line alongside Juventus’ Alessandro Matri.

However the key man for Italy will be at the back, where Giorgio Chiellini will look to emulate great Italian central defenders of the past, and organise a stubborn rearguard upon which the midfield and attack can build upon.

RUSSIA

Dick Advocaat’s Russian side will fancy their chances of upsetting some of the bigger names, as the proximity of the tournament favours the Eastern European side. A solitary defeat in qualification has shown that Russia are an emerging superpower in the game, and they undoubtedly harbour a number of excellent players.

Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko are struggling currently at their North London clubs; the experienced duo will need to find their form to inspire a talented but not yet proven team.

The third pot is made up of four seasoned and competitive nations, as Portugal, Sweden, Croatia and Greece lie in wait. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahmovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are first rate players in supposed third rate teams, but none of the participants in this pot will be pushovers.

PORTUGAL

Portugal were beaten to the top of Group H by Denmark, but the Iberian nation powered past Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs to book their place at Europe’s top table. Coach Paulo Bento has ruffled some feathers since taking charge of the team, with veteran duo Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa retiring from international football after falling out with the former midfielder.

Despite the absence of the experienced pair, Portugal still have an abundance of quality, with the likes of Nani and Joao Moutinho sure to terrorise opposition defences. Their key man is obviously Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and if the 26-year-old  can replicate the form and goalscoring ability he shows for his club on the international stage, Portugal will take some beating.

SWEDEN

The Swedes have a technically gifted and balanced side, made from a mix of players playing in their homeland and the top European leagues. Erik Hamren’s side qualified as a top runner up in qualification, and had they not had Netherlands in their group may well have topped a pool.

Temperamental but clearly gifted Zlatan Ibrahimovic hold the nation’s destiny in his hands.

Although Ibra was ineffective in the recent game against England at Wembley, his club record tells a completely different story. It will be a long-shot, still, to believe that he can single-handedly take his nation all the way through the competition.

GREECE

The Euro 2004 champions look to have recovered form and showcased some excellent football in an unbeaten qualification process.

Fernando Santos’ squad still has some remnants from the triumphant side from seven years ago, which is complemented by exuberant youngsters breaking into the international fray.

PAOK striker Dimitris Salpingidis has learnt from some of the senior goal-getters in recent Greek history, and has the ability to cause opposition defences a headache.

CROATIA

Slaven Bilic’s men made the finals by comprehensively beating Turkey 3-0 in the playoffs, and should not be written off. The Croats follow Luka Modric’s direction, and the Tottenham playmaker has the ability to hurt any side in the world, whilst Bayern Munich attacker Ivica Olic will be keen to add to his tally of 15 international goals.

Modric’s club teammate Niko Kranjcar and Bolton Wanderers’ Ivan Klasnic will also be available for selection. Both of them last played for the national team in October against Latvia.

Finally, Republic of Ireland find themselves in the lowest tier of seeding for the tournament, but will have expected this. Giovanni Trapattoni’s men are bunched alongside an under-performing France, dark horses Czech Republic and Denmark.

FRANCE

France have not shown enough quality to make it into the top pots, and the French public will not be happy as being deemed as a fourth-tier side. A late goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina ensured Les Bleus automatic progression to the tournament, but their form in qualification was nothing to write home about.

Laurent Blanc is widely seen as the man to spark a renaissance, and the coach undoubtedly has talented players to call upon. Experienced international heads such as Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema will harbour most of the responsibility for leading their nation’s dreams – but look out for Sochaux playmaker Marvin Martin.

The starlet has rose to fame over the last 12 months, and his craft and guile has prompted many in the game to compare him to Zinedine Zidane; it could be Martin’s time to announce himself to the world game.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The Emerald Isle will be competing in the European championships for the first time since 1988, and a wave of expectancy has washed over the country since a 5-1 aggregate victory over Estonia ensured Ireland’s place at the finals.

Giovanni Trapattoni still relies on old heads Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Robbie Keane, but faith should be put in some of the younger players such as Aidan McGeady to compete at the highest level.

DENMARK

The Danes qualified for the tournament by topping Group H ahead of Portugal, and Morten Olsen’s men will go into the competition full of confidence.

If the Scandinavians can get off to a good start they will be a match for most, and in Christian Eriksen they have one of the brightest prospects in the world game. The Ajax midfielder will look to impress to force a transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, and has the energy and guile to win a game for Denmark.

CZECH REPUBLIC

It is fair to say that the Czech Republic are not the force that once saw them challenge for international tournaments in the 2000′s, but Michael Bilek’s men will still provide a tricky test to their opponents next year.

Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky captains the side and is a talisman for the nation, but the Czechs are going through a transitional period as a number of the under-21 players make the step up to the seniors.

However, still the elders of the team, like Milan Baros, carry the hopes of their nation.

So there you have it; although there is a lot of football to be played before Euro 2012 starts in earnest, most of the major players in the continent will have one eye on the finals. With the groups being drawn in the forthcoming weeks excitement over the tournament should build, as there are many nations that could realistically experience glory next year.

Groups

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic.
Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia.
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England.

Euro 2012 Schedule

Match schedule
All kick-offs CET, Ukrainian time is one hour ahead

Friday 8 June 2012
#1: POL v GRE, 18.00CET, Warsaw
#2: RUS v CZE, 20.45CET, Wroclaw

Saturday 9 June 2012
#3: NED v DEN, 18.00CET, Kharkiv
#4: GER v POR, 20.45CET, Lviv

Sunday 10 June 2012
#5: ESP v ITA, 18.00CET, Gdansk
#6: IRL v CRO, 20.45CET, Poznan

Monday 11 June 2012
#7: FRA v ENG, 18.00CET, Donetsk
#8: UKR v SWE, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Tuesday 12 June 2012
#9: GRE v CZE, 18.00CET, Wroclaw
#10: POL v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Wednesday 13 June 2012
#11: DEN v POR, 18.00CET, Lviv
#12: NED v GER, 20.45CET, Kharkiv

Thursday 14 June 2012
#13: ITA v CRO, 18.00CET, Poznan
#14: ESP v IRL, 20.45CET, Gdansk

Friday 15 June 2012
#15: SWE v ENG, 20.45CET, Kyiv
#16: UKR v FRA, 18.00CET, Donetsk

Saturday 16 June 2012
#17: CZE v POL, 20.45CET, Wroclaw
#18: GRE v RUS, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Sunday 17 June 2012
#19: POR v NED, 20.45CET, Kharkiv
#20: DEN v GER, 20.45CET, Lviv

Monday 18 June 2012
#21: CRO v ESP, 20.45CET, Gdansk
#22: ITA v IRL, 20.45CET, Poznan

Tuesday 19 June 2012
#23: ENG v UKR, 20.45CET, Donetsk
#24: SWE v FRA, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Wednesday 20 June 2012
No matches

Thursday 21 June 2012
#25: 1A v 2B, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Friday 22 June 2012
#26: 1B v 2A, 20.45CET, Gdansk

Saturday 23 June 2012
#27: 1C v 2D, 20.45CET, Donetsk

Sunday 24 June 2012
#28: 1D v 2C, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Monday 25 June 2012
No matches

Tuesday 26 June 2012
No matches

Wednesday 27 June 2012
#29: W#25 v W#27, 20.45CET, Donetsk

Thursday 28 June 2012
#30: W#26 v W#28, 20.45CET, Warsaw

Friday 29 June 2012
No matches

Saturday 30 June 2012
No matches

Sunday 1 July 2012
#31: W#29 v W#30, 20.45CET, Kyiv

Official Match Ball

In 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the adidas Jabulani caused a few problems for goalkeepers and out-field players because of its unique flight and all the new technical advancements. Adidas have now revealed the official Euro 2012 match ball and called it the adidas Tango 12.

Hoping that it will be more human than it’s predecessor, Tango 12 has been inspired by the famous line of adidas Tango balls. Here’s what the ball will look like:

Also see: Euro 2012 News | Euro 2012 Statistics | Euro 2012 Fixtures | Euro 2012 Football Gear.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The likes of Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and England have all booked their places in Euro 2012 already, but four tickets to the festivities in Poland and Ukraine still have yet to be punched.

That will be taken care of in the next week, with eight teams who finished second-best in their respective groups look to play their way in through the two-legged qualifying playoffs. There will no doubt be a great deal of online betting on all of the action, but there’s plenty to look forward to whether you’re a supporter of one of the teams involved or a neutral.

Bosnia-Herzegovina v. Portugal

Considering how close both of these teams came to qualifying for the tournament automatically and how tight this tie could be, one can only imagine the level of disappointment there will be for the team who comes out on the short end.

If it’s Bosnia, they’ll be left to ponder another playoff defeat against Portugal after having fallen to them 2-0 on aggregate in the 2010 World Cup playoffs. They also might rue a slow-ish start to qualifying, as they picked up only seven points from their first five matches before they went on a run of four wins in a row to keep their automatic qualification hopes alive going into their finale against France at the Stade de France. The biggest sting, however, might be from being unable to hold a late lead in that match, as they allowed France to equalize on a late Samir Nasri penalty and earn a 1-1 draw, which saw Les Bleus claim Group D by a single point.

If it’s Portugal, they’ll be kicking themselves for two early stumbles, a 4-4 home draw against Cyprus, in which they allowed an 89th-minute equalizer to a side who went on to pick up only one more point in qualifying, and a 1-0 defeat to Norway in Oslo. And they, like Bosnia, didn’t get the required result in their Group H finale, as they went down 2-1 in Copenhagen in Denmark, who claimed a surprising group win.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal have the edge in talent, with world-class stars in Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani leading the way. And Paulo Bento’s side also gets a significant boost with the return of Real Madrid defensive duo Fabio Coentrao and Pepe, who both missed the final two qualifiers, including that defeat to Denmark.

However, the fact that they lost both of their toughest away matches in qualifying is a real concern, as Bosnia won’t be easy to break down in the first leg on home soil. And while Portugal have superior quality and quality depth, Bosnia aren’t lacking. Manchester City man Edin Dzeko is in fantastic form, Miralem Pjanic has assists in each of his last four matches for Roma, and Hoffenheim duo Vedad Ibisevic and Sejad Salihovic are both fit again after missing extensive time this season through injury.

Czech Republic v. Montenegro

Neither the Czech Republic nor Montenegro were particularly impressive in qualifying, but mediocre as their qualifying runs might have been, one of them will be celebrating a place in Euro 2012 next week.

Montenegro, who finished second behind England in Group G, benefited from a fast start. They won each of their first three qualifiers, and after recording an impressive away draw against England, were already on 10 points halfway through qualifying. They would only pick up two more points in their final four qualifiers, but a come-from-behind 2-2 draw against England in their penultimate qualifier proved to be enough, as they edged out disappointing Switzerland by a point.

Group I was never in doubt, with European and world champions Spain rolling to a perfect 8-0-0 record, but the battle for second between the Czech Republic and Scotland went down to the final round of matches. The Czechs were up and down during qualifying, but they would finish two points ahead of Scotland, thanks to a 4-1 away romp in Lithuania in their finale.

Ultimately though, the real difference might have been a highly controversial 2-2 draw in Glasgow in September. In that match, the Czechs scored two late equalizers, the latter from the spot late in stoppage time after being awarded a penalty for what appeared to be (read: definitely was) a dive by Jan Rezek. That controversial penalty call in their favor was followed by a controversial penalty no-call that also went in their favor, when Scotland’s Christophe Berra went down in the box after a challenge by Roman Hubnik only to be booked for a dive.

But undeserved as some might consider it, it looks likely that the Czech Republic will be spending June in Poland and Ukraine. While this current side lacks the quality of some of its more highly-rated predecessors, they have the advantage over Montenegro in talent and experience.

Milan Baros & Tomas Rosicky

There is, however, a big question mark about keeper Petr Cech, who might miss Friday’s first leg in Prague after suffering a broken nose in Chelsea’s weekend win at Blackburn. Montenegro aren’t a particularly frightening team in attack, having scored only seven goals in qualifying, but Cech is undoubtedly one of the best keepers in the world, and his presence is a definite plus for the Czech Republic’s hopes.

He’s having a special mask created that could allow him to take part, but if he isn’t able to go, Hamburg keeper Jaroslav Drobny will get the starting nod.

Cech’s fitness could be a decisive factor in this matchup, as we likely won’t see too many goals over the two matches. Montenegro allowed only one goal in their first five qualifiers and seven total in eight matches, while the Czech Republic allowed only eight goals in eight matches, with six of those coming in three matches (the two against Scotland in Glasgow and four in their two matches against Spain).

Estonia v. Ireland

Ireland haven’t been to the European Championship since 1988, when they were eliminated in the group stage in their only appearance in the competition proper to date. They’ll be heavily favored to end that drought against Estonia, who are completely unfamiliar with being in this position, but you can be sure Ireland won‘t overlook the former minnows.

We’re accustomed to seeing Estonia near the bottom of the standings in any qualifying tournament, and it looked like their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign would end the same way after a 2-0 away defeat against super-minnows Faroe Islands in June left them on seven points with three matches remaining. Going into the September round of qualifiers, Estonia were fifth in Group C behind Italy, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, and Serbia.

Robbie Keane

A late 2-1 win in Slovenia ignited hope, and they then finished with two October wins against Northern Ireland, the latter a 2-1 win in Belfast that saw Estonia score two late goals to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Those three straight wins, combined with all the right results elsewhere, saw Estonia edge out Serbia by a point after Serbia lost in Slovenia in their finale.

But can they go one step further? Anything can happen, especially since Ireland, who finished two points behind Russia in Group B, are dealing with several selection issues. Shane Long and Liam Lawrence are missing from the squad due to injury, while John O’Shea (injury), Kevin Doyle (suspended), and Leon Best (child’s birth) will miss the first leg in Tallinn, and Shay Given, Richard Dunne, and Keith Fahey are both dealing with minor injuries.

Estonia also won three of their five away matches in qualifying, including an impressive 3-1 win over Serbia. And though they don’t have any stars (though midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev, who scored five goals in qualifying, is a real threat), they are a resilient bunch, with four of their qualifying wins (and their lone draw) coming by virtue of goals inside the final 20 minutes.

Still, you have to favor Ireland, who won’t be easy to break down defensively. They notched five clean sheets and allowed only seven goals in qualifying, with a 3-2 defeat to Russia in Dublin being the only match in which they allowed multiple goals. And in attack, Robbie Keane is fit again after an adductor injury suffered last month against Andorra sidelined him for a few weeks, and Doyle will be back for the second leg in Dublin.

Turkey v. Croatia

After a solid qualifying campaign, Croatia should feel confident going into their showdown with Turkey, who had a far bumpier path to the playoffs.

Croatia missed out on top spot in Group E, finishing two points behind Greece, with head-to-head results against Greece being their undoing. But they won seven of their ten qualifiers, and they were relatively tight at the back, allowing only seven goals.

Turkey edged out Belgium to finish a distant second behind Germany in Group A, and they only secured their place in the playoffs in their last qualifier, with a harder-than-expected 1-0 win over Azerbaijan in Istanbul, combined with Belgium‘s 3-1 defeat in Germany, sending Turkey through.

They notched only one away win in qualifying, that being a 3-0 win against eventual last-place finisher Kazakhstan in their group opener. There were also their struggles against Azerbaijan, as they scraped through on home soil and lost 1-0 in Baku, and they needed a late, late, late – and fortuitous – Arda Turan goal to beat Kazakhstan in Istanbul in September.

Guus Hiddink

Turkey will be without Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, who only made his return from a long-term injury layoff on Sunday, and he’ll certainly be missed. So, they’ll need Turan to be at his best to optimize their chances of success.

Croatia would fancy their own chances even if Sahin was available for Turkey, as Luka Modric is refocused and back at his best, and strikers Mario Mandzukic and Nikica Jelavic are both in excellent form at the moment. There also might be some added motivation for Croatia, who will be keen to replace the bitter memory of their heartbreaking Euro 2008 quarterfinal defeat to Turkey with a much, much happier one.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The qualifiers for the 2012 European Championships resume this weekend, with some crucial clashes for some of the continent’s strongest sides. Whilst England face Wales in a crunch Group G clash, and Denmark look to overcome rivals Norway in order to leapfrog Portugal in Group H, some of the other groups have thrown up a few intriguing matches in the next seven days.

So here are the top three match-ups that you will not want to miss:

3. Hungary v Netherlands – 25 March

These two nations are set to meet in two crunch qualifiers on March 25 and 29, with the former definitely looming as the most crucial of all the Group E fixtures. The Netherlands are undoubtedly one of the favourites for the tournament, and with one of the strongest squads in European football, it’s no surprise why. They have won all four of their qualifiers so far, including a crushing 4-1 win over Sweden. With three points separating them at the summit from Hungary though, both of their upcoming meetings will be crucial to booking their spot in the finals.

With a solid mix of youth and experience, the Hungarians have been one of the surprise packages in the qualifying rounds thus far. While it may be unlikely, a victory against the Dutch at home will see Hungary join them atop of the group, with five matches still to play. If they were to be defeated in both of their upcoming fixtures with the Dutch however, they can all but kiss away their chances of playing in next year’s finals.

2. Slovenia v Italy – 25 March

The 2006 world champions can all but assure themselves of progression to the finals with victory over their Slovenian hosts, who currently trail them in Group C by three points. Victory will see the Italians extend that to six, and with just five rounds of qualifying remaining after this one, the Azzurri will be well on their way to booking their tickets to Poland and the Ukraine. Italy will play three of those five matches at home, whilst they will travel to Serbia and minnows Faroe Islands in the other two.

Despite being without Daniele De Rossi and Mario Balotelli for the clash, Cesare Prandelli should be targeting maximum points in this one, against a side that were humbled by Northern Ireland at home in late 2010. However, the Slovenians were very convincing in the final home qualifier of 2010, accounting for the Faroes 5-1. Knowing that three points will see them join the Azzurri atop of the group, should provide them with enough motivation to take the game on, rather than sit back and play for a draw, making it an entertaining spectacle.

Also see: Why Italy will rejoin world’s best football nations under Cesare Prandelli

1. Spain v Czech Republic – 25 March

Unsurprisingly the reigning world champions have a perfect record of three wins from three matches thus far, with victories over Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein respectively. To be fair to the first two of those opponents however, Spain were made very hard to work for the three points, something that should inspire the Czechs this week.

Whilst they undoubtedly are coming up against the best international side in the world, this young and fast improving Czech side should take some confidence into this match. With a few injury concerns amongst the Spanish ranks, and a recent heavy workload for some of their stars at Barcelona and Real Madrid, the visitors could come away with at least a point from this one, if they play their cards right. Whilst their chances may be slim, this is probably the time of year that you want to be competing against the world’s best.

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Also See: Euro 2012 Qualifiers – Complete Fixtures List.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The draw for the Euro 2012 qualifying stages was held today in Warsaw and the resulting groups left us with few possibilities of upsets.

England missed out on qualification last time around but have a relatively easy group to negotiate with the likes of Wales, Montenegro and Bulgaria standing in their way. Switzerland round up the group which will provide for an interesting but relatively straight-forward qualification.

Hosts Poland and Ukraine get a bye to the finals, while European champions Spain have the Czech Republic and Scotland in their group.

Fifty-one countries participated in the draw, forming 6 groups of 6 teams and 3 groups of 5 teams each. The groups will be contested according to a league system on a home-and-away basis, with games scheduled between September 2010 and October 2011.

The nine winners and the runner-up with the best record against the top five sides in their pool qualify directly for the final tournament, the last before the championship is expanded to 24 teams. The eight remaining runners-up go into play-off matches in November 2011 to decide the final four sides to join co-hosts Poland and Ukraine.

Euro 2012 Qualifying Groups

Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan

Group B: Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra

Group C: Italy, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Faroe Islands

Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg

Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino

Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta

Group G: England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, Montenegro

Group H: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland

Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein

Euro 2012 Qualifying Fixtures

GROUP A

03.09.10
Belgium v Germany
Kazakhstan v Turkey

07.09.10
Germany v Azerbaijan
Austria v Kazakhstan
Turkey v Belgium

08.10.10
Kazakhstan v Belgium
Austria v Azerbaijan
Germany v Turkey

12.10.10
Kazakhstan v Germany
Belgium v Austria
Azerbaijan v Turkey

25.03.11
Austria v Belgium
Germany v Kazakhstan

29.03.11
Turkey v Austria
Belgium v Azerbaijan

03.06.11
Belgium v Turkey
Austria v Germany
Kazakhstan v Azerbaijan

07.06.11
Azerbaijan v Germany

02.09.11
Azerbaijan v Belgium
Germany v Austria
Turkey v Kazakhstan

06.09.11
Austria v Turkey
Azerbaijan v Kazakhstan

07.10.11
Azerbaijan v Austria
Belgium v Kazakhstan
Turkey v Germany

11.10.11
Germany v Belgium
Turkey v Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan v Austria

GROUP B

03.09.10
Armenia v Ireland
Andorra v Russia
Slovakia v Macedonia

07.09.10
Ireland v Andorra
Russia v Slovakia
Macedonia v Armenia

08.10.10
Armenia v Slovakia
Ireland v Russia
Andorra v Macedonia

12.10.10
Armenia v Andorra
Slovakia v Ireland
Macedonia v Russia

26.03.11
Ireland v Macedonia
Andorra v Slovakia
Russia v Armenia

04.06.11
Armenia v Russia
Slovakia v Andorra
Macedonia v Ireland

02.09.11
Ireland v Slovakia
Andorra v Armenia
Russia v Macedonia

06.09.11
Russia v Ireland
Slovakia v Armenia
Macedonia v Andorra

07.10.11
Armenia v Macedonia
Andorra v Ireland
Slovakia v Russia

11.10.11
Ireland v Armenia
Russia v Andorra
Macedonia v Slovakia

GROUP C

11.08.10
Estonia v Faroe Islands

03.09.10
Slovenia v Northern Ireland
Estonia v Italy
Faroe Islands v Serbia

07.09.10
Serbia v Slovenia
Italy v Faroe Islands

08.10.10
Slovenia v Faroe Islands
Serbia v Estonia
Northern Ireland v Italy

12.10.10
Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland
Estonia v Slovenia
Italy v Serbia

25.03.11
Slovenia v Italy
Serbia v Northern Ireland

29.03.11
Northern Ireland v Slovenia
Estonia v Serbia

03.06.11
Faroe Islands v Slovenia
Italy v Estonia

07.06.11
Faroe Islands v Estonia

10.08.11
Northern Ireland v Faroe Islands

02.09.11
Slovenia v Estonia
Faroe Islands v Italy
Northern Ireland v Serbia

06.09.11
Italy v Slovenia
Serbia v Faroe Islands
Estonia v Northern Ireland

07.10.11
Northern Ireland v Estonia
Serbia v Italy

11.10.11
Italy v Northern Ireland
Slovenia v Serbia

GROUP D

03.09.10
France v Belarus
Romania v Albania
Luxembourg v Bosnia

07.09.10
Albania v Luxembourg
Bosnia v France
Belarus v Romania

08.10.10
Albania v Bosnia
Luxembourg v Belarus

09.10.10
France v Romania

12.10.10
Belarus v Albania
France v Luxembourg

25.03.11
Luxembourg v France

26.03.11
Bosnia v Romania
Albania v Belarus

29.03.11
Romania v Luxembourg

03.06.11
Belarus v France
Romania v Bosnia

07.06.11
Belarus v Luxembourg
Bosnia v Albania

02.09.11
Luxembourg v Romania
Belarus v Bosnia
Albania v France

06.09.11
Romania v France
Bosnia v Belarus
Luxembourg v Albania

07.10.11
Bosnia v Luxembourg
France v Albania
Romania v Belarus

11.10.11
France v Bosnia
Albania v Romania

GROUP E

03.09.10
Sweden v Hungary
Moldova v Finland
San Marino v Netherlands

07.09.10
Netherlands v Finland
Sweden v San Marino
Hungary v Moldova

08.10.10
Hungary v San Marino
Moldova v Netherlands

12.10.10
Netherlands v Sweden
Finland v Hungary
San Marino v Moldova

17.11.10
Finland v San Marino

25.03.11
Hungary v Netherlands

29.03.11
Netherlands v Hungary
Sweden v Moldova

03.06.11
Moldova v Sweden
San Marino v Finland

07.06.11
Sweden v Finland
San Marino v Hungary

02.09.11
Netherlands v San Marino
Finland v Moldova
Hungary v Sweden

06.09.11
Finland v Netherlands
Moldova v Hungary
San Marino v Sweden

07.10.11
Netherlands v Moldova
Finland v Sweden

11.10.11
Sweden v Netherlands
Hungary v Finland
Moldova v San Marino

GROUP F

03.09.10
Greece v Georgia
Israel v Malta
Latvia v Croatia

07.09.10
Georgia v Israel
Malta v Latvia
Croatia v Greece

08.10.10
Greece v Latvia
Georgia v Malta
Israel v Croatia

12.10.10
Greece v Israel
Latvia v Georgia
Croatia v Malta

26.03.11
Georgia v Croatia
Israel v Latvia
Malta v Greece

04.06.11
Greece v Malta
Latvia v Israel
Croatia v Georgia

02.09.11
Georgia v Latvia
Israel v Greece
Malta v Croatia

06.09.11
Malta v Georgia
Latvia v Greece
Croatia v Israel

07.10.11
Greece v Croatia
Israel v Georgia
Latvia v Malta

11.10.11
Georgia v Greece
Malta v Israel
Croatia v Latvia

GROUP G

03.09.10
Montenegro v Wales
England v Bulgaria

07.09.10
Bulgaria v Montenegro
Switzerland v England

08.10.10
Montenegro v Switzerland
Wales v Bulgaria

12.10.10
England v Montenegro
Switzerland v Wales

26.03.11
Wales v England
Bulgaria v Switzerland

04.06.11
Montenegro v Bulgaria
England v Switzerland

02.09.11
Wales v Montenegro
Bulgaria v England

06.09.11
England v Wales
Switzerland v Bulgaria

07.10.11
Montenegro v England
Wales v Switzerland

11.10.11
Bulgaria v Wales
Switzerland v Montenegro

GROUP H

03.09.10
Portugal v Cyprus
Iceland v Norway

07.09.10
Norway v Portugal
Denmark v Iceland

08.10.10
Portugal v Denmark
Cyprus v Norway

12.10.10
Iceland v Portugal
Denmark v Cyprus

26.03.11
Cyprus v Iceland
Norway v Denmark

04.06.11
Portugal v Norway
Iceland v Denmark

02.09.11
Cyprus v Portugal
Norway v Iceland

06.09.11
Iceland v Cyprus
Denmark v Norway

07.10.11
Portugal v Iceland
Cyprus v Denmark

11.10.11
Norway v Cyprus
Denmark v Portugal

GROUP I

03.09.10
Lithuania v Scotland
Liechtenstein v Spain

07.09.10
Czech Republic v Lithuania
Scotland v Liechtenstein

08.10.10
Spain v Lithuania
Czech Republic v Scotland

12.10.10
Scotland v Spain
Liechtenstein v Czech Republic

25.03.11
Spain v Czech Republic

29.03.11
Czech Republic v Liechtenstein
Lithuania v Spain

03.06.11
Liechtenstein v Lithuania

02.09.11
Lithuania v Liechtenstein

03.09.11
Scotland v Czech Republic

06.09.11
Spain v Liechtenstein
Scotland v Lithuania

07.10.11
Czech Republic v Spain

08.10.11
Liechtenstein v Scotland

11.10.11
Spain v Scotland
Lithuania v Czech Republic

The following dates are reserved for the play-off matches between the remaining eight runners-up:

a) 11/12 November 2011
b) 15 November 2011

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch World Cup qualifiers live here.

International press conferences at the best of times tend to be mundane, by the numbers affairs filled with platitudes by the key figures within the national side. Not much changes when it comes to conferences prior to World Cup qualifiers, or even the finals itself, but within the words always lies a common train of thought: There are few, if any greater honours in football than representing your country at the World Cup.

England press conferences are laced with references to qualification, how much being at the World Cup means to the players and what winning the trophy would mean to their careers. The same reverence for the competition can be found in the words of any major national side, so for the smaller nations, imagine the honour of being one of the 32 teams going to the finals.

The role played by the lesser nations in World Cup finals down the years has been one of the factors which has helped the competition reach such a status in the minds of players and fans alike. Think about the likes of North Korea in 1966, Bulgaria in 1994 and Senegal in 2002, all three, along with many others, have left a mark on the finals which remains in the national and international consciousness to this day.

In the build-up to the critical juncture for sides still harbouring ambitions of following in their footsteps by qualifying for South Africa in 2010, this article takes a look at some of the other sides in international football looking to make the finals. Some will be more familiar than others, some have already left their mark on the finals in years gone by, while others are looking to secure their place for the very first time. But irrespective of the history, the ambition remains the same amongst these sides as it does in the major nations: represent your country at the World Cup.

Africa

5 sides will join South Africa in the finals on the home continent, with Ghana looking fairly assured of their place in the finals going into this weekend’s fixtures. Group 2 also looks to be a straight fight between Tunisia and Nigeria for the qualifying berth, while the Ivory Coast also appear to be headed for their second straight finals. The Elephants will all but secure qualification with a win at home today, but they need to overcome Burkina Faso, second in the group, three points behind the Ivory Coast with three games left.

Les Etalons are no strangers to the final round of African qualifying, but this represents their first real opportunity to make the finals, after securing wins away in Malawi and a surprise 4-2 win in the Burkinase capital of Ouagadougou against Guinea. Defeat against the Ivory Coast put a severe dent in their ambitions to make the finals, and defeat in Abidjan this afternoon will all but extinguish their hopes, but they will hope to replicate the kind of performances which have taken them to this stage, which include going unbeaten in the previous stage of qualifying in a group including Tunisia. If the Stallions want to put themselves back in with a shout of qualifying, they will need to rely heavily on the influence of Hamburg’s Jonathan Pitropia in midfield, along with CFR Cluj’s Yssouf Kone up front. At best, it seems a long shot for Burkina Faso, but to still be in with a shout at this stage represents significant progress for a side who haven’t come close to qualifying for the finals previously.

In with a far better shout are the somewhat more familiar name of Algeria, who have their own place in World Cup history for both the right and wrong reasons. The Desert Foxes made the finals in both 1982 and 1986, defeating eventual finalists West Germany 2-1 in their opening match of the former, which remains one of the major shocks in finals history. However, the Algerians were then the victims of the infamous agreement between the West Germans and Austrians in the final match of the group, which allowed both sides to advance to the second phase as a consequence of a 1-0 victory for the West Germans. The fix sparked international outrage, but ultimately little was done to help the Algerians, with a revision of the scheduling for the final group matches the end result of the shambolic events. Algeria never reached such a stage again, a draw against Northern Ireland in Mexico four years later proving to be their only point of the group.

Since then, qualifying for the World Cup has been a mixture of near misses (defeat over two legs against Egypt denying them a place at Italia 90) and humiliation (Defeat to Kenya over two legs in the opening stage of qualification for France 98). In the period, they also managed to win their first and only African Cup of Nations on home soil in 1990, but Algeria have toiled somewhat since that famous day in Gijon 27 years ago.

Now they probably find themselves two wins away from the World Cup finals, with home fixtures agaisnt Zambia and Rwanda coming up, which should allow them to further increase their advantage in goal difference over the Egyptians before their potentially deciding contest in Cairo on the 14th November. If the Algerians manage to win their next two games, then chances are they will go to the Egyptian capital with a near unassailable goal difference, along with a three-point lead over the reigning African Cup of Nations champions, making qualification all but guaranteed. With a couple of familiar names within their ranks, such as Portsmouth’s Nadir Belhadj, Blackpool’s Hamuer Bouazza and Hull’s new recruit Kamil Ghilas, along with lynchpin Karim Ziani, currently playing for Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg, things are looking good for the Algerians in their bid to make the finals for the first time in 24 years.

Perhaps the side with the greatest chance of upsetting the odds however is Gabon, with the national side’s progress on the pitch reflecting the prosperity the country is experiencing off it. The Black Panthers’ progress since their first attempt to qualify for the finals in 1990 has been marked, going from relative also-rans up to now, where they still face a difficult task in qualifying top of Group A, but after wins in Morocco and at home to Togo, they find themselves two points clear of the latter with a game in hand to come. Four points over their next two games, home and away to Cameroon, should put them in a commanding position on top of the group ahead of a visit to Togo in October, with a home tie in Libraville against Morocco to finish their campaign.

Save for three African Cup of Nations appearances (With a fourth guaranteed due to their co-hosting with Equatorial Guinea in 2012), Gabon have largely failed to leave an impact upon African football since their introduction nearly 50 years ago. Now, with former French international Alain Giresse at the helm, and Hull’s Daniel Cousin spearheading the attack, the Azingo Nationale could be about to upset the odds, after starting out their group percieved as the weakest and least experienced of the quartet looking to secure top spot. Of all the three ‘outsiders’ in with a genuine shout of qualification, Gabon probably represent the best chance of success, along with one of the more interesting stories, given the relatively unheralded nature of the team.

Asia

Qualification for the Asian nations has been all but concluded, with Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Australia (despite their tenous claims to Asian residency) making up four of the potential five sides from Asia who can make it to South Africa next year. One spot remains available to the AFC however, with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain due to contest a play-off for 5th place, with the first leg in Riffa later, with the return in Riyadh on Wednesday, the winner going on to play New Zealand for a place in the finals.

For Al-Ahmar, who will start as underdogs against the experienced Saudi Arabians, victory would provide them with a fantastic opportunity to make the finals and finally break through into the ranks of the top Asian teams, after years of threatening to make the step up. Thus far, Bahrain’s international history has been littered with near-misses, casting themselves as the bridesmaids of the Asian Federation.

Three times the Reds have finished as runners up in the Gulf Cup of Nations since the inaugural competition in 1970. Twice they have been defeated in the final of the Arab Nations Cup since 1985. Their record in the Asian Cup was unremarkable for many years, prior to the 2004 edition in China, where the Bahrainis twice led against Japan in the semi-finals, only to concede a stoppage time equaliser and go down 4-3 after extra time, eventually finishing 4th overall.

Probably the biggest disappointment came four years ago in qualification for the last World Cup, where a play-off victory over Uzbekistan took them into a two-legged qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago, with the winner going to Germany. A 1-0 defeat away in the first leg was recovered by half-time in the return leg in Manama, before Dennis Lawrence ended the Gulf state’s hopes of making the final with the crucial away goal, The Soca Warriors winning the tie 2-1 on aggregate. Now, Bahrain potentially find themselves two wins away from their debut appearance at the finals, but with plenty of work to do to overcome the Saudi Arabians in the first instance, they could be in for another disappointment, it will be up to star turn Mahmood ‘Ringo’ Abdulrahman to upset the Saudi Arabians and take Bahrain to the brink of qualification for South Africa.

Europe

With 13 places at stake, and only the Netherlands thus far qualified for the finals, Europe remains the most open of all the continental qualifying zones. Expect to see the Dutch joined over the next few days by the likes of Germany, Spain and England over the next few days, but otherwise the groups remain open, with a few old names and new sides making an impact in their bid to make it to South Africa next June.

Hungary are probably the most notable of the ‘outsiders’ looking to make it to the finals, with a track record in international football that matches up to most, however it has been a long time since they had their moment in the spotlight. Along with the Dutch finalists of 1974 and ’78 and Brazil’s 1950 runners-up, Hungary’s ‘Magical Magyars’ of 1954 probably represent one of the greatest teams to play at the World Cup who failed to come away with the title.With the likes of Sandor Kocsis, Nandor Hidegkuti and Ferenc Puskas in their ranks, the Hungarians went on an unbeaten run of 32 games, spanning over 4 years, all the way to the final, where they fell victim to the ‘Miracle of Berne’, losing to a West German side who they had defeated 8-3 in the group stages a fortnight earlier. Combined with their defeat to the Italians after extra time in the 1934 final, the Hungarians, much like the Bahrainis, have the feel of a nearly-side, although on a far grander scale.

Since the heady days of the 50′s, Hungarian football has gradually declined from World Cup finals, European Championship semi-finals in 1964 and 1972, and Honved’s status as one of the greatest European club teams, to no World Cup appearances in 23 years, no European Championship finals in 37 years, and the nadir of a 2-1 defeat to Malta in qualification for Euro 2008. Since that infamous night nearly three years ago, Hungarian football has been undergoing something of a renaissance at club and international level, although the Magyars still face an uphill battle to follow in the footsteps of domestic champions Debrecni in breaking the glass ceiling of qualification for the Champions’ League group stages.

Wins over Albania, Malta and a draw at home to Denmark have put the Hungarians in a good position to at least make the play-offs through Group 1, exploiting the slip-ups by favourites Portugal and Sweden thus far. With four games to go, the Magyars still face home and away fixtures against Portugal, a trip to Copenhagen to face the group leaders and a crucial tie at home to Sweden this evening, looking to avenge their only defeat thus far, 2-1 at the Rasunda Stadium. With an in-form Denmark still to host Portugal and Sweden, a few positive results for the Hungarians should see them into the play-offs, a few other positive results may even see them qualify automatically, heralding a remarkable return to form after a long barren spell. You get the impression that while their resurgence may be stopped in it’s tracks were they to make it to the finals, a return to the main stage for the Hungarians may provide a point of interest, even if it comes at the expense of the prescence of Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Africa.

Group 3 remains wide open, with five sides still potentially in with a shout of making it to the play-offs or qualifying automatically, with Slovenia, Poland and the Czech Republic looking to build upon recent visits to the finals. For Slovakia and Northern Ireland however, filling the top two spots in the group at this late stage represents something new in the first instance, and a welcome return to form for the Northern Irish.

Formed out of the Czechoslovakian split in 1993, the Slovakians have on a number of occasions threatened to make an impression in qualifying, none more so than in making the play-offs for the first time in a major competition four years ago, before going down to a rampant Spain over two legs. Their current situation undoubtedly presents their greatest opportunity to date however, with the Slovakians going on a remarkable run of form over the last two years.

The Repre have only managed draws with Hungary and Iceland in their last nine friendlies, with defeats to the Icelandics and away to Cyprus in amongst the seven defeats. However, their six matches in qualification have produced 5 wins and only one defeat, away to Slovenia almost a year ago. With victories in Prague against the Czechs, along with home wins against fellow group rivals Poland and Northern Ireland, the Slovaks find themselves two points ahead of the chasing pack, with a game in hand over the Northern Irish and Slovenians.

With renowned talent throughout the side, such as Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel, Napoli’s Marek Hamsik and leading goalscorer Stanislav Sestak, Slovakia certainly have what it takes to pick up the necessary points from their remaining four matches to make their inaugural appearance at the finals, and trouble a few teams if and when they reach that stage.

The Northern Irish probably present the greatest threat to the Slovakians chances of finishing top of Group 3. For Nigel Worthington’s men, to even be at this stage given their position only a few years ago marks them out as possibly the most improved side in Europe over recent years. Qualification for Euro 2004 saw the Northern Irish finish rock bottom of group 6, home and away defeats to Armenia being one of the lowest moments in international history for a side famed for their exploits in knocking out the hosts against the odds at the World Cup in 1982. Ranked 45th out of 52 UEFA nations, scoring a goal to end a 1,298 minute drought in a 4-1 defeat to Norway sparked embarrasingly jubilant celebration amongst the Windsor Park faithful during a friendly in February 2004. Little were we to know at the time that would be the catalyst for the Wee Nation’s stunning revival.

Wins followed. Qualifying wins followed. Qualification wins against Denmark, Spain, England followed. Northern Ireland became competitive again. Windsor Park became a fortress. Windsor Park remains a fortress, thus far unbreached in this qualifying campaign. Suddenly, the momentum has led to the point where the team finds itself in the best position to secure a play-off spot, with a two-point advantage over Slovenia and three over Poland, but having played a game more. In order to all but secure their spot in the play-offs, the Northern Irish must build upon a poor away record with positive results in Chorzow today and in concluding their campaign in the Czech Republic a month from now. With a visit by leaders Slovakia sandwiched in between, five points should see Northern Ireland into the play-offs and given them a genuine shout of making the finals for the first time since 1986. Nine points, and the resurgence for one of Europe’s trickier outfits will be complete.

A side quickly establishing a similar reputation for itself in UEFA are the relative newcomers Bosnia-Herzegovina, currently second in Group 6, behind European champions Spain, with the focus upon retaining their play-off spot, with a four-point gap to nearest rivals Turkey. The Bosnians, much like Slovakia, came into being in 1993 and have since then developed into a side shot through with talented players, forming a cohesive unit backed by fervent support which has made visits to Sarajevo and Zenica tricky for any side, 3 defeats in 12 years and 17 World Cup qualifiers in Bosnia telling their own story.

One goal away from qualification for Euro 2004, clearly the Balkan nation are a side who have the knack for qualification campaigns, a trait which should eventually see them rewarded with a trip to a major finals. Now may be the moment for them, with Turkey stuttering badly and Belgium a former shadow of themselves, evidence coming in their 2-1 defeat in Zenica in April, off the back of a stunning 4-2 win in Genk for the Bosnians four days earlier. The double against such famous opposition has put them in great shape, ahead of a visit to Armenia later on, with Turkey and Spain still to make the trip to Southern Europe. Led by sought-after Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, with support in the shape of Lyon starlet Miralem Pjanic and Hoffenheim’s recovering marksman Vedad Ibisevic, Bosnia should at least secure themselves a play-off position given their run of fixtures remaining in the group, a two-legged tie no-one will fancy, especially given the daunting task of having to get something positive from an away day in Sarajevo or Zenica.

North America

By and large, it’s a case of the usual suspects in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, with three of the top four spots in almost certain to be filled by the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico, with the fourth placed side in the group advancing to a two-legged play-off against fifth place from the South American equivalent. Looking to disrupt the established order of the last two qualifying campaigns are Honduras, who are beginning to convert their long-held promise into tangible results, with World Cup qualification beckoning for La Bicolor.

The Hondurans aren’t complete strangers to success, with one finals appearance to their name, making a decent account of themselves in Group 5 during Espana ’82, coming off the back of a CONCACAF title (The prelude to the Gold Cup) a year earlier. Combined with two UNCAF championships in the early 1990′s, as the best side in the Central Americas region, Honduras have a decent track record of success by comparative standards in the North American region. Since their second UNCAF title in 1993 though, results have been patchy for Los Catrachos. Near misses, such as with qualifying for Japan/Korea in 2002 and finishing 3rd in the 2001 Copa America have been followed up with bad campaigns in attempting to make the finals in 1998 and 2006.

They have maintained good form all the way throughout their qualifying run up to this stage in a bid to make South Africa, and with a perfect record from three home games thus far in the final group, coupled with a draw away to 2006 finalists Trinidad and Tobago, the Hondurans have 10 points from 6 games, leading the United States by virtue of goal difference, one point clear of 4th placed Mexico. With four games remaining, including a visit to Mexico and hosting the USA, Honduras are not yet guaranteed a place in South Africa, but the signs look good. With a young side finding places within important European and world clubs (Wilson Palacios at Spurs, Ramon Nunez at Cruz Azul and David Suazo still at Inter Milan), Honduras are slowly beginning to make their prescence felt on the world stage. Qualification for South Africa next year may give this burgeoning side a chance to test their mettle against the best there is, and see how far they have improved from the inconsistent unit which characterised the last two decades for the Hondurans.

Oceania

The defection of Australia to the Asian confederation has opened the door for New Zealand to assume dominance of a confederation painfully thin on competition. Typically, the All Whites’ World Cup campaign would be long ended by now, given the sheer dominance of the Socceroos over many years in the OFC, a domination only broken once, when the New Zealanders advanced to the World Cup finals in Mexico 23 years ago, only to be hammered by the Scots, Soviets and Brazilians en route to bottom place in their group. The low point for the national side came only five years ago, when the Solomon Islands finished second in the final OFC phase of qualifying, pipping New Zealand to the right to being beaten by Australia in the final play-off.

The departure of the Australians to Asian qualifying has given New Zealand their opportunity, one seized, along with the OFC Nations Cup last year, topping a group including New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu, guaranteeing themselves a play-off against either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia for the right to go to South Africa. Victory in the continental competition gave us a chance to see the New Zealanders in action at the Confederations Cup held as a dry run for the finals in June/July. Unfortunately, there was little promise shown throughout the All Whites’ three group games, unsurprisingly being on the recieving end of a drubbing by Spain, followed by lifeless performances in losing to the hosts, and getting a point against an equally uninspiring Iraq team. As a warm-up for the serious business of the two-legged play-off to come in October and November, it was not promising for the New Zealanders.

It would be wrong to be entirely negative however, as worse sides have gone to the World Cup in years gone by (A hopelessly out of depth Zaire in 1978 and an equally bad El Salvador in 1986) and worse sides will probably go to the World Cup in the future. For New Zealand, to even be at this stage can only be a positive experience, and two positive results are all that stand between them and a prestigious spot in the finals, an achievable target, especially if the likes of Blackburn’s Ryan Nelsen, Celtic Chris Killen and San Jose Earthquakes’ Simon Elliott are on form. Beyond the qualification process, you fear for what damage could be inflicted to this New Zealand side if paired up against a serious contender, but when you relate back to the concept of the honour in representing your nation at the World Cup finals, such worries can be negated somewhat.

South Africa

With the focus firmly on the twin powers of Brazil and Argentina, particularly with the latter’s struggles to qualify for the finals, every other contender for one of the top four automatic spots, or the 5th place which will take them into a play-off against the fourth placed side from North America, has been allowed to progress through qualifying without much focus on their performance. Clearly this has helped Chile in their bid to return to the finals for the first time since France ’98, with their impressive results which have taken them to the brink of qualification relatively unheralded amongst the South American media.

With four games remaining in the group, La Roja find themselves six points clear of Ecuador in 5th place. With two wins this week, tonight against a struggling Venezuelan team in Santiago and away to Bolivia on Wednesday, Chile will all but guarantee qualification for the finals, a reward for their brand of attractive football pursued under Argentinean Marcelo Bielsa since he took the job in 2007. It will signal a return to the finals for a Chilean team with a chequered history in the competition, famous more for their anecdotal history and low points rather than their performances in the competition.

A run to the semi-finals on home soil in 1962, made famous by the oft-repeated story about beating teams after eating or drinking steretypical food or drink from their country, was marred by the ‘Battle of Santiago’, when their match against Italy descended into an all-out brawl, defined as the “most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition in football.” Combined with the ban the Chileans recieved from trying to qualify for USA ’94 after goalkeeper Roberto Rojas cut himself with a blade to make it seem as if he had been hit by a missile from the Brazilian crowd behind him during a crucial Italia ’90 qualifier, and Chile’s record of one semi-final, one second round finish and four other first round appearances soon pale into comparison.

This time around, Chile have the potential to make the headlines for the right reasons. Gone are the twin towers of Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano leading the line for the Chileans, replaced by players of lesser calibre, but who have collectively unified to produce a strong team, accounting for Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia throughout the qualifying process. Although unremarkable talents on their own, the likes of Boca Juniors midfielder Gary Medel, Sporting Lisbon winger Matias Fernandez and Monterrey striker Humerto Suazo have all contributed to put Chile on the verge of making it back to the finals. Come South Africa, they will hope to make the headlines for all the right reasons.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch live World Cup qualifiers here.

With the conclusion of FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers yesterday we move one step closer to determining which thirty-one other countries will be joining host South Africa to contest for the globe’s biggest sporting honor. A slew of matches across the world at all time zones really reinforces that no sport can dare rival football for supremacy in popularity but also, unfortunately, in tragedy.

That point was underscored by the tragic deaths of 22 fans in Cote D’Ivoire as a result of a stampede. Their memories were honored in midweek qualifiers where a minute of silence was taken before kick-off. Organizers from South Africa had to reassure fans and FIFA that no such repeat would happen at the World Cup Finals. While there was a measure of somber from this news, there was plenty of interesting takes on the matches over the past five days.

CONMEBOL: Argentina crash out to Bolivia, and Ecuador’s new hero

With the score being flashed on television as Bolivia 6 Argentina 1, you couldn’t blame a fan for thinking the television networks, be it Sky Sports or ESPN, reversed the order of names as an April Fool’s joke. But since the match was played in La Paz, or what some neighboring countries in South America equate as to playing in heaven’s basement, the score seemed to make some sense.

So much for the vociferous support by Diego Maradona for Bolivia’s right to play matches in the high altitudes of La Paz in the face of FIFA’s suggestion against having matches played in high altitude venues. Even “el Pibe” must have been biting his tongue as he dramatically declared each of the goals scored against Argentina in their 6-1 humbling at the hands of Bolivia and Joaquin Botero (who had three) was “a stab in the heart.” For Argentines the memories of that 5-0 loss back in 1993 against Colombia must have flooded back. The honeymoon period with Diego Maradona is officially over. Argentina remain fourth on 19 points, a precarious position as they sit only two points ahead of their nearest rivals, Uruguay, and two points ahead of automatic qualification.

Another highlight this round of qualifiers was Cristian Noboa of Ecuador, a “super sub” of sorts as he came on to salvage a point by scoring the equalizer against Brasil on Sunday and repeated the feat against leaders Paraguay. At this rate, Ecuador may want to contemplate starting the man as they, along with Colombia, sit only 3 points off fifth place Uruguay.

UEFA: Surprise Package Northern Ireland and Undefeated Spain

When the draw for Group Three was made, Northern Ireland supporters must have concluded that the “luck of the Irish” might have applied only to the Republic of Ireland. Drawn with Euro 2008 participants Poland and the Czech Republic, the chances were even more marginalized (at least on paper) by the presence of Slovenia and Slovakia. Well, seven matches later, Nigel Worthington’s men sit atop of the group after some brave performances along with a little luck, courtesy of an Artur Boruc howler. Granted that second place Slovakia have two matches in hand whilst Poland and the Czech Republic each have one match in hand, Northern Ireland’s chances of returning to the World Cup after a 24 year absence are vastly improved.

Spain has justified their number one status in FIFA’s controversial ranking system with an emphatic away win over Türkiye at the Ali Sami Yen stadium. Despite the hype surrounding the deadly strike force duo of Fernando Torres and David Villa, it was Spain’s more unsung heroes that carried the day; Gerard Pique’s goal in Madrid and Alberto Riera snatching the winner late in Istanbul. Riera’s performances, for both Spain and Liverpool of late, are raising his stock and he certainly made his intentions clear by nearly scoring a rifling shot early in yesterday’s match. For two countries whose football are dominated by two clubs, (FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe for Türkiye), Villareal managed to have a sizeable representation on the pitch with Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla, Fernando Llorente, Joan Capdevila and Türkiye’s Nihat Kahveci. That may be somewhat reassuring for fans of the “Yellow Submarine” when they take on Arsenal in a week’s time.

More troubling for Türkiye has been the ascendancy of Bosnia-Hercegovina, who quietly dispensed with Belgium in both matches and sit second on 12 points, four ahead of Türkiye. Fatih Terim has his work cut out for him as four matches remain. Spain have still yet to lose and are undefeated in their last 31 international matches. More and more Spain are demonstrating again how they were duly crowned Euro 2008 champions.

AFC: Australia move closer and tensions between North and South Korea

Australia’s inclusion into the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 has paid off dividends nicely as they sit in a comfortable position to qualify for their second consecutive World Cup appearance. While they and Japan will ultimately duel as to who will end up first or second in Group A, everything else appears to be decided as Bahrain can only hope to qualify via the back door. The same cannot be said of Group B where first to third position is separated by a mere one point.

The political climate on the Korean peninsula has been dodged by speculation as to whether North Korea is preparing to test an ICBM or simply launching a satellite and recent tensions never fail to affect any meeting between South and North Korea in sporting matters. The two countries met in Seoul on Wednesday and despite the presence of Manchester United’s Park Ji Sung and veteran left-back Lee Young Pyo, South Korea could manage only to score off a Kim Chi Woo free-kick that weaved past numerous North Korean defenders and into the net. The fireworks came after when North Korean coach, Kim Jong Hoon, fired his own ICBM at a post-match press conference blaming intentional food poisoning by the South having taken its toll on talisman Jong Tae-se and his keeper.

One wouldn’t have guessed seeing how Jong nearly scored the opening goal off a header that was scooped out by a sprawling and somewhat overweight South Korean keeper, Lee Woon Jae. South Korea sit atop of Group B on 11 points with a match in hand, North Korea lie in second place on 10 points and a rejuvenated Saudi Arabia on 10 points but third on goal difference.

The other story was Saudi Arabia’s late win over Iran in Tehran on the weekend that ended in the dismissal of Iran’s coach, Ali Daei. Iran are looking to making themselves relevant again in this group but face an uphill road to qualification.

CONCACAF: Mexico loses again and Sven on the cutting board; US recovers

Prior to Mexico’s match against Costa Rica on the weekend, the buzz in Mexico was Shaktar Donetsk’s Nery Castillo’s tirade against the Mexican media in what must have been a very tense press conference. Perhaps feeling the pressures of having lost to the United States in Columbus, Ohio and still searching for virgin points, Castillo gave the Mexican media a piece of his mind.

A 2-0 win over los ticos in the Azteca Stadium along with the fans’ chanting “Nery” gave former England coach Sven Göran Erikson some breathing room and Mexico its first three points. On that same night, leaders United States were in San Salvador to take on a team that had not scored against the Americans since 1997: El Salvador. Before the Americans could recompose themselves in the midst of a raucous stadium, former DC United player Eliseo Quintanilla had ended la selecta’s drought by scoring and a second was added by promising youngster Cristian Castillo. Unfortunately for El Salvador, who have not appeared in a World Cup since 1982, three points dwindled down to a solitary point as Jozy Alitodore and Franky Hejduk salvaged a point and some pride after the Americans had looked somewhat lost during a good portion of the match.

The real United States showed up to dispense with Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, but the bigger story was Mexico’s self destruction against Honduras and the continuation of Mexico’s woes in their qualification bid. Carlos Costly’s two goals may be the proverbial needle that breaks the back of the Mexican FA and their relationship with Sven Göran Erikson. With only three matches played, there is still a long way to go for CONCACAF until the dust settles and when it does only the top three advance with the fourth place team having to take on CONMEBOL’s fifth place team. Mexico currently occupies that fourth position on three points with El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago on two points each. With the prospect of having to face potentially a dangerous Uruguay side (that did away with Paraguay on Saturday), or with the way fortunes are turning out, Argentina, Mexico has all the incentive to find their winning ways.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

England take on the Czech Republic at Wembley on Wednesday, 20th August in their last friendly before the World Cup qualifiers begin in September.

Surprises? Darren Bent misses out with Emile Heskey recalled and Paul Robinson comes back as well. Bentley stays in the squad as does David Beckham, and Theo Walcott will be pushing for minutes on the pitch as well.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), David Bentley (Tottenham Hotspur), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)

Forwards: Wayne Rooney, (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Emile Heskey (Wigan Athletic).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We’ve looked at the players, now it’s time to look at the managers involved at Euro 2008 and find out how they got on:

Because I know you’ll ask about the grades…

A+ – Best of the tournament
A – Above expectations
B – Meeting expectations – more or less
C – Poor, not meeting expectations
D – Absolute stinker

Now, on to the good stuff:

Austria

Manager: Josef Hickersberger

Grade: B. They tried and tried and tried, but ultimately weren’t good enough. If their luck had been as good as Turkey’s they might have drawn against both Croatia and Germany and beaten Poland.

Future: Resigned after Euro 2008. No announcements on either his future or the next manager of Austria.

Croatia

Manager: Slaven Bilic

Grade: B. Croatia lost to Turkey’s luck in the quarters and little of it can be blamed on Bilic. While he should have gotten his players focused back on the game, he chaperoned his side quite well to emerge from Group B undefeated. However, after the promise shown in qualification the semis were a minimum, so Bilic gets a B.

Future: Stays in charge of Croatia to help them qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

Czech Republic

Manager: Karel Brückner

Grade: C. They topped their group in qualifying and were expected to at least progress to the quarters, probably the semis if things went their way. As it were, they were manhandled by Portugal, pushed to the limits by Switzerland and bamboozled by the Turks. A tale of missed opportunities, and Bruckner could have and should have done a lot better.

Future: Bruckner announced pre-tournament that he would resign after Euro 2008. No successor has been confirmed.

France

Manager: Raymond Domenech.

Grade: D. Domenech’s side were better – at least for half of the game against Holland – than their 4th place in Group C suggested. And yet they struggled. Domenech pointed the finger at a divide amongst his players but it was his job to manage the players and he made a hash of it.

Future: Most likely to be removed. Wenger isn’t coming so the most likely successor is Didier Deschamps, while Eric Cantona has been discussed as well (albeit light-heartedly, as he’s currently coaching the French beach football team).

Germany

Manager: Joachim Löw

Grade: A. He may not be the most-respected coach at the Euros or renown for his tactical nous but he did lead Germany to the Euro 2008 final. A cynic may point out that Germany’s best performance of the tournament came when Joachim was banned from the touchline, but reaching the final means we’ll overlook that for the short-run (he still has to convince us if he’s better than Klinsmann or van Basten though).

Future: Was originally signed on a 2-year contract but in the aftermath of the Euro 08 final the future is still uncertain. I’d expect him to be given a chance to continue till South Africa 2010.

Greece

Manager: Otto Rehhagel

Grade: D. Disastrous Euro campaign for Greece. After their convincing qualifying performances many expected Greece to challenge Russia and Sweden for a spot in the quarterfinals. They were out of it from the word go. Embarrassing for the reigning European champions, regardless of the quality of the side (or lack thereof).

Future: Rehhagel is signed on till 2010, and is expected to lead Greece to World Cup qualification.

Italy

Manager: Roberto Donadoni

Grade: C. Can consider himself lucky to progress to the quarterfinals with France losing their most important player (Ribery) to injury and going down to 10 men inside the first half of their crunch game. The players fought but their manage failed to inspire and the credit for Italy lasting so long goes to the players.

Future: Donadoni’s contract had a conditional extension – the condition being that Italy met certain targets for Euro 08. Donadoni couldn’t, and his contract ended post Euro 08. Lippi was reinstated as manager soon after that.

Netherlands

Manager: Marco van Basten

Grade: B. Marco van Basten mounted a memorable escape from the much-touted Group of Death but his achievements are tainted somewhat by the limp performance against Russia in the quarters and the under-par performances of the French and Italian teams. On paper, he took Holland to the quarters, which was expected of him as a minimum.

Future: Steps down after Euro 2008 to take charge of AFC Ajax. Bert van Marwijk, currently in charge of Feyenoord, takes over the reins as the Dutch manager.

Portugal

Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Grade: B. Portugal were expected to get to at least the semi-finals but looked clueless against Germany. It’s the second time in 2 international competitions that Scolari has failed to beat Germany. Announcing his move to Chelsea before the game didn’t help either.

Future: Goes on to manage Chelsea next season. Portugal are still looking for a successor, with Carlos Queiroz often mentioned as a possibility (although he’s doubtful to leave United just yet).

Poland

Manager: Leo Beenhakker

Grade: C. Poland qualifying for the first time for the Euros was definitely a major achievement but once there, Poland failed to impress. You can’t fault the coach much if you look at the players at his disposal, but they would have expected them to beat Austria at least.

Future: Signed on to lead Poland till the end of 2010 World Cup qualifiers (November 2009).

Romania

Manager: Victor Piţurcă.

Grade: B. Did a lot better than expected in the Group of Death, although they slipped when they needed to produce a result.

Future: Piturca stays in charge of Romania for the time being and will presumably lead them through World Cup qualifying.

Russia

Manager: Guus Hiddink

Grade: A. Russia were in a relatively tough group but qualified after a slow start. They were also up against some very good opposition in the quarters but got through thanks to some excellent leadership and tactics by Hiddink. The only blot on their copybook (and the reason Hiddink doesn’t get a A+) is their failure to learn from earlier mistakes against the Spanish, something that cost them the semifinal.

Future: Despite the constant speculation surrounding Hiddink’s future, the man is signed on till at least 2010.

Spain

Manager: Luis Aragones

Grade: A. Masterminding a talent-rich side through a tough tournament was never going to be an easy task, but Aragones was the tactical master this summer and it’s a pity that we did not get to see him match wits against Scolari and / or Marco van Basten at the Euros.

Future: Aragones has already announced that he would retire post Euro 08. Aragones is rumoured to be going to Fenerbahce (although the man himself denied the rumours during Euro 08) and Vincent Del Bosque is due to take over as Spain manager in the summer.

Sweden.

Manager: Lars Lagerbäck

Grade: C. It was a tough group but Sweden had as good a chance of qualification as Greece and Russia and they were ahead of Russia when the two teams met. Should have done better, although anything beyond the quarters would have been a surprising bonus.

Future: Signed on till South Africa 2010.

Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

Grade: C. His team conceded a late goal to Turkey to lose a winnable game, but the manager’s mind was affected by his wife’s health (she was in a coma) and his players let him down against Turkey and against the Czechs.

Future: Kuhn retires from his post after Euro 2008 (no news on where he’ll go next) with former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld takes over from July 1st 2008.

Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim

Grade: A+. Dragged his team screaming and kicking into the semi-finals on the back of 3 glorious (in retrospect at least) comebacks. Their luck ran out in the end but they never gave up thanks to their manager urging them on from the sidelines.

Future: Was linked with several European clubs but said that he would consider any offers only after Euro 2008. So far, he’s still in charge and the club reported closest to signing him on pre Euro 2008 already have their manager (Newcastle United).

Agree with the ratings? Disagree? Have an opinion on one of the managers? Sound off in the comments section below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

16 matches gone, 15 more to go. After the agonisingly long qualification process, the tournament itself feels brutally short – then again, that’s probably what makes up most of the excitement at this level, the fact that every match is a final.

So how have the 16 teams performed so far? Let’s look at it group by group:

Group A

Portugal have, as expected, dominated proceedings. Their two wins against the Czechs and the Turks ensure that they will finish top of the group no matter what happens in the last round. You can expect them to rest a couple of players against Switzerland and Scolari will already be planning his strategy for Germany, Portugal’s likely quarter-final opponents.

The Czechs are where they’d expect to be – although the defeat against Portugal was disappointing. They have a crunch tie against Turkey today which they’ll be quietly confident of winning, although with Croatia to come up next in the quarters (if they win) there is no room left for mistakes and they cannot afford to miss any scoring chances. And if it goes to penalties, Cech should be able to bail them out.

Turkey are in with a real shout of qualification to the next round – as long as the players work hard and play the team and not the reputation, they could very well upset the Czechs and get through to the quarters. Might be worth a punt if you’re the betting sort.

Switzerland – the first team to be dumped out of the Euros, and most people are expecting their humiliation to be complete when Portugal beat them tonight. It’s a shame, because Switzerland have a decent team and could have taken a point against the Czechs, not to mention that they’d have fancied their chances to beat Turkey. The lack of proper match practice prior to the tournament – they haven’t played a competitive game since the World Cup – showed here, but even then the Swiss should have done better.

Group B

Surprisingly for some, Croatia top the group ahead of Germany and will qualify in first place. Slaven Bilic’s men may have been ‘lucky’ against Austria but they raised their game to efficiently dispatch the Germans and have another game to fine-tune their tactics before the quarter-finals. Poland will provide stiff opposition but are unlikely to trouble the Croats much – or the Germans, for that matter.

Germany lost a game most expected them to at least draw and now face a rematch of their 3rd place playoff against Portugal from 2 years ago in the quarters. That is, assuming they win their next game. The upside is that their opponents are Austria, who might be in with a chance of qualification but are hardly the team to worry Germany. Still, if there was ever an upset to occur, this would surely be it.

Austria are ahead of Poland on goal difference (i.e. they’ve conceded fewer goals) and will be hoping that the lifeline handed to them in stoppage time against Poland will not be the end of things going their way. Winning against Germany is a must, and you can expect the Austrians to go all-out on this one, and I’d expect a lot of neutrals to back them here as well (apart from the Poles…).

Poland will not only have to beat Croatia but if Austria win against Germany, they’ll have to beat them with a better goal differential as well. It’s a tall task and in the aftermath of the draw against Austria the management at least looked more pre-occupied with complaining about the wrongs committed against them than their outside chance to qualify for the quarters. I’d give Poland a draw at best.

Group C

The Group of Death has for once lived up to its reputation. The two giants – Italy and France – have suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of the Dutch (despite playing half-decent, especially in the case of the French) and now Netherlands not only top their group but also enjoy the best scoring record in the Euros so far. They have a relatively tough match against Romania and despite their superiority the Dutch will be aiming for a win to keep their momentum going.

Romania find themselves in the strange position of being second in their group after drawing their two games against Italy and France. Another draw might not be enough if the Italy-France game produces a winner, but they’ll know that if they can score first against the Dutch they have a shot at winning the game and for that reason alone they are my picks for qualifying from this group alongside Holland.

France and Italy share the same problems – under-performing players, managers who seem to have lost their touch (if they ever had any, that is) and overall, two teams who have lost the support of the neutrals with their turgid displays.

To be fair, France showed flashes of brilliance against Holland and if things had been slightly different that game could have been a draw, if not a win for the French. Their inability to make their chances count is troubling but they’re atleast creating chances and will be hoping that Buffon is not on top form on Tuesday.

Italy on the other hand seem a lost cause. Their defence is a shambles and they don’t have the goals they need anywhere in the squad. Unless Toni plays a blinder or Materazzi remembers how to play center-back, Italy will be going home disgraced.

A draw between both teams coupled with a loss for Romania would still send Romania through provided that they can keep their goal difference to -2 or above.

Group D

Spain are through after beating Russia and Sweden with ease and can now focus on the next round, and on their current form you can see them beating France or Italy. Their last game is against Greece, champions from last time around but beaten in two hard-fought matches by Sweden and Russia. Should be a simple game, although Aragones will probably rest one or two players which might give Greece the space to register their first goal of the tournament.

Sweden go into the final round knowing that a draw will be enough to see them through to the quarters. They’ve looked stronger than Russia in the first two games but will need to play at their best to keep Hiddink’s men at bay. Still, with a draw needed to qualify, you’d back Sweden to go through.

Russia have stumbled but Hiddink should fancy his chances against Sweden as long as they can stick to their game plan and not get sucked into a physical battle of attrition. Nothing less than a win will do, and for that I’m betting Russia will need to score at least twice.

Greece are out, along with the Swiss, but at least the hosts scored a goal. Their last game will be a mere formality and the Greeks will consider themselves unfortunate to have been beaten by Sweden and Russia, games they would have expected at least a point each from.

Predictions

Quarters

Portugal v Germany – Portugal
Czech Republic v Croatia – Croatia
Netherlands v Sweden – Netherlands
France v Spain – France

Semis

Portugal v Croatia – Portugal
Netherlands v France – France

Final

Portugal v France – Portugal

From Soccerlens.com - Football News