Group A: Switzerland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Turkey Some fancy Portugal as tournament winners. With good reason: they were finalists as hosts of Euro 2004, & semi-finalists of the 2006 World Cup. So they do have pedigree & big match temperament. They were led at those tournaments by Brazilian coach Luiz Scolari, the man who won the 2002 World Cup with his native Brazil. He is still in charge, but is expected to depart after the tournament. Though Portugal dare not take any of their 3 group opponents lightly, they should be quietly confident of qualifying from this group. And I think they will – in first place. The Portuguese will enter Euro 2008 with no shortage of belief & confidence. They have arguably Europe’s finest footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He had such a fine season with Manchester Utd, helping them win the Premier League & UEFA Champions League. But Portugal have other stars, too – Deco, Simao, Quaresma, Nani, and Postiga. With talents like these, Portugal will not depend on just Ronaldo. Defensively, Portugal are no slouches, with players like Ferreira, Carvalho, Meira & Pepe at their disposal. Portugal look stronger than their group opponents & should top the group. But whether they can win the tournament is debatable, especially with that chronic ever-present problem of a lack of a true goal-poacher.
I think Switzerland, as co-host, will make home advantage count & finish second, narrowly ahead of Czech Republic & Turkey. The Swiss will be well-organised & difficult to break down. They are not expected to be one of the most entertaining sides in the tournament. They will score few goals, but also concede few. Switzerland’s performance at the 2006 World Cup was decent, finishing the group stage ahead of eventual finalists France, before losing to Ukraine in the round of 16 in a penalty shoot-out. Remarkably, the Swiss did not concede a single goal during the World Cup. Switzerland’s youth football development is starting to bear fruit, & some of the players to have come through the youth ranks will be key men during Euro 2008, such as midfielders Tranquillo Barnetta & Valon Behrami, & young forwards Johann Vonlanhten & Eren Derdiyok. For all that, Switzerland’s main hope for goals will lie in experienced goalscorer Alexander Frei. Key defender Patrick Muller has just returned from injury & has been selected in the squad. If he fully recovers in time for the tournament kick-off, then he should play alongside one of the Arsenal duo of Philippe Senderos & Johan Djorou. The Swiss may reach the quarter-finals, but no further.
The Czech Republic disappointed at the 2006 World Cup, failing to reach the knockout stages. So they come into Euro 2008 with something to prove. Some consider the Czechs as dark horses for the tournament. They do play a patient, measured, classical “pass & move” football – at its best, entertaining to watch. However, they will miss the midfield creativity of the injured Rosicky, even though the other available midfielders (Plasil, Jarolim & Matejovsky) are quite talented. If Rosicky is available, I can see them qualifying to the next stage. Their key players will be Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech (one of the world’s best keepers), & a strong defence (only conceded 5 goals in 12 qualifying matches). Up front, they will probably start with Baros & the giant Koller. Look out also for Martin Fenin, the talented young forward whose helped the Czech youth team reach the 2007 World Youth Cup final. Fenin will be ready to step in should first-choice forwards Baros or Koller underperform. Given the chance, Fenin could explode & his goals might be crucial to Czech hopes. Overall, the Czechs will find it difficult to match their impressive semi-final effort at Euro 2004. They have earned the respect of the other sides in the tournament, & their group opponents will be wary of them.
Like the Czechs, Turkey will also have something to prove. They were semi-finalists at 2002 World Cup (finishing third), impressing observers with their passing, technical football. But Turkey narrowly, & perhaps surprisingly, missed Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup. Their match with Switzerland will have added spice, since it was the Swiss who denied Turkey a place at the 2006 World Cup in a bad tempered affair. But if Turkey focus on revenge & not football, they will find it difficult to display their true capabilities & will be in trouble. Revenge talk aside, Turkey were erratic during the Euro qualifiers. They defeated European champions Greece 4-1 in Athens, yet could only draw against Malta and Moldova, & lose to Bosnia. Turkey have considerable talent in midfield & attack, with players such as Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan, Hamit Altintop and English-born Kazim Kazim. A shame that young midfielder Nuri Sahin was not selected – out due to injury, perhaps? Anyway, defense is Turkey’s problem position. Turkey will score goals, but also liable to concede – hard to see them keep their opponents at bay. So regrettably, I feel Turkey will finish bottom of this group. But not before providing flashes of skill and entertaining football, as they are so capable of providing.
Prediction:
1 – Portugal
2 – Switzerland
3 – Czech Republic
4 - Turkey
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