EC 2008: Group C…at last!

He missed!!!

Well, the other groups are basically entrees…. This is the Main Dish. With Capitals.

It’s Oranje! and France! And Italy! And…well…Romania.

Let’s look that them first. Because everybody is talking about Les Cocks Sportif and the Eyetalians, but the Romanians could be the laughing thirds.

Romania

Not on everybody’s list for the end title. But, with some luck and a preferable draw you never know. It’s a funny bunch, because the Rumanians can sure play some football. Technically skilled, shrewd and at times tough as nails. What do we know about them? They have quite a pedigree in World Football. With players like Gheorghe Hagi, Giga Popescu, Camataru, Contra, Lacatru, Petrescu and Stinga we all remember that they are capable of maybe not winning a title, but certainly of making their opponent lose their chances on a title. If you know what I mean.

The Brazilians of Eastern Europe they were once called. And they may still have those genes somewhere. It’s interesting to note that Romania is one of four nations to have played the first three World Cups, with Brazil, France and…Belgium! But it took till the 90s for the Golden Generation to emerge. Led by one Gheorghi Hagi, the Maradona of the Balkan. In the 1994 WC, they reached the quarter finals with some impressive football. In EC history, Romania made it to the quarter finals in Euro 2000 (Belgium/Holland) in a dramatic match against Italy (who would kick out Holland in the semi finals). Hagi was famously sent off for diving. In the new millenium, Romania failed to qualify for two World Cups and the 2004 EC. This time around, they’re back! In the same group as Holland and Bulgaria, Romania was the 4th team to qualify after impressive results in the group stages.

Big names in the current squad: Christian Chivu (ex Ajax), Ogarare (Ajax), Contra (Getafe), Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina) and Sepsi (Benfica).

The Greek won four years back (did we mention this at all?) and did so with a strong organization, discipline and some strong goal scoring. With Chivu at the back and Mutu upfront, it only takes the rest to play in their service and who knows? Italy, France and Oranje could spill points against each other only for Romania to bring home the gulash!

Italy

Italy is one of the World’s best performing football nations. They are adored by fans and hated with a vengeance by non-fans. I guess secretly we all love those Azzuri jerseys, the dry-blowed hairdo’s and the touches of eyeliner under the baby brown eyes. If there’s a design-prize, the Italians would win it. I can’t even add all the famous names in this post. Not enough space. But Mazzola, Facchetti, Rivera, Riva, Rossi, Antognoni, Scirea, Bettega, Conti, Zoff, Causio, Baresi, Altobelli, Gentile, Capello, Baggio, Donadoni, Maldini, Tardelli, Cabrini, Mancini, Vialli, Zola, Albertini, Schillaci…the list goes on and on and on…

They won four World Cups, second to Brazil, one European Championship and once they scored Olympic Gold.

That only EC win was in 1938. The best result recently (most of us here will cringe…) is their runner up position in Euro 2000, after they won against Oranje after (yeah yeah, we know….)….

But they weren’t that successful overall. They didn’t qualify in 1992, were kicked out the group stage in 1996, we’ll forget 2000 for now, and in 2004 they again were sent home in the group stages. They tend to start ve….ry….slow…ly in tournaments, allowing to get in form in longer tournaments (World Cup 1982 anyone?), but they don’t seem to do too well in shorter tournaments. Let’s face it, they didn’t belong in the Euro2000 finals, did they? (Oh, just drop it already!!).

The Italians know how to play football. Most players listed above had tremendous skills, great physical form and good vision. Antognoni, Baggio, Baresi, Zola…you didn’t need to teach them what to do with a ball. They have flair, can be mean as bitches and no how to break down an opponent. Still, we hardly ever get thrilled by seeing them play. Catenaccio is still in their blood, and overall most of the coaches don’t have the guts Sacchi had to have them play impressive, offensive football. Which is a bit of a shame. With all those talents on board, Italy could actually be the…France of Europe?

Let’s not ponder their chances on a win too much. They could snap the title up. As they can in every tournament they’re in. In 1982, they send Brazil, Argentina and West Germany home! If you can do that, you can win anything. They survived five penalties and Kluivert/Bergkamp in 2000, so…

Big name players in the current squad: Lucs Toni (Bayern), Camoranese (Juve), Pirlo (AC Milan), Gattuso (AC Milan), De Rossi (AS Roma), Materazzi (Inter), Buffon (Juve), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Del Piero (Juve).

Former AC Milan dribbler Roberto Donnadoni is their current manager.

France

Although France was in the first four World Cups in the 1930s, it took them till the late 1970s to make an impression. Led by one Michel Platini a golden generation erupted and France put themselves on the football map. Didier Six and Dominuque Rochetaeu are two other big names of that time. In 1984, France hosted the EC and presented themselves to the world as an attacking, skilled force to reckon with. With a midfield consisting of Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Fernandez and sometimes even Genghini, it doesn’t matter who your striker is (Bruno Bellone by the way). In that year, the French also scooped up the Olympic Gold in LA. Some famous names from way back when: Raymond Kopa, Just Fontaine, Amoros, Joel Batts, Bossis, Cantona, Desailly, Deschamps, David Ginola, Papin, Manu Petit and Laurent Blanc.

In the 1990s it was Zinedine Zidane who led the French, first into the semi finals in 1996 EC and to gold in 1998’s WC in France. I think the Dutch feel they should have played France instead of Brazil, but apart from the Dutch: who cares? In 2000, they won the European Championship in Rotterdam with almost the same selection of players. A rare feat. The Dutch feel that they should have been in that finals, but in all honesty: who cares?

In the WC 2002 they were kicked out of the tournament without having scored a goal. Zidane’s injury was one of the reasons. They started well in the EC2004 but were stopped by later champs Greece. (Did we mention their win four years back?).

In the WC2006, France impressed again after a slow start. They defeated Brazil again and Portugal in the semis and would take on Italy in the finals. Zidane scored a regular goal (becoming the first player to score in two separate WC finals!) but was redcarded for a headbut vs Materazzi. France lost the penalty shoot out 5-3 and the Italians won.

For the EC2008, France qualified just. With 2 points more than Scotland who turned out to be a pest for the French. But, with new exciting names and a ton of great players to chose from, France will again be one of the faves for the title in Switzerland/Austria.

However, criticasters say that France has a similar problem to Holland: too many great players for the same spots and not enough quality on other. Some players are getting on a bit in years and Domenech has the name to use “different” methods to decide… Another biggie will be: how will France play? Some players play very offensive at their clubs (Arsenal, Barcelona) but the national team tends to play a tad more counterfootball. And lastly, how will all the egos gel and work together? This nation could well sweep everybody off the pitch or they go home early, fighting and bickering on the way to the airport…

Big name players to look out for: Ribery (Bayern Munich), Anelka (Chelsea), Trezeguet (Juve), Henry (Barcelona), Malouda (Chelsea), Makelele (Chelsea), Flamini (Arsenal), Gallas (Arsenal), Clichy (Arsenal), Silvestre (Man Utd), Saha (Man Utd)… Current coach is Raymond Domenech.

The Netherlands/Holland/Oranje

What’s with those two names (The Netherlands, Holland) anyway?

We have shot at winning this. We always have. At least, we think. We tend to overestimate how good we are and then we underestimate how good we are… We didn’t expect anything in 1974 and we won. (I know we didn’t, but we did…). We didn’t expect anything in 1978 (what without Cruyff and van Hanegem) but we reached the finals and almost won. We expect the World in 1990 and were humiliated. We didn’t believe in it in 1988 and we won. Or we…Marco van Basten won. In 2000, we thought we’d make it, and we didn’t. A sorry bunch we are.
Missing some luck too. The Rensenbrink shot on the post in Argentina. The numerous chances in the 1974 finals. The free kick against Brazil in 1994. That referee denying Pierre van Hooijdonk a penalty in the semis in 1998. The 5 missed penalties in 2000’s semi finals. The Robben - Bosvelt exchange in 2004. And the Cocu ball on the bar/ the ref / the Portuguese in 2006…. Pfff…. We’re pathetic, aren’t we?

We couldn’t win the title when we had the best squad (1974, 1990, 1998, 2000) so why would we now? Because that’s how football works, I guess.

To stick to the format: some famous Dutch names from history: Kees Rijvers, Abe Lenstra, Faas Wilkes, Johan Cruyff, Rinus Israel, Johan Neeskens, Ruud Krol, Willem van Hanegem, Kees Kist, Hugo Hovenkamp, Jan Peters, Marco, Ruud, Frank, Ronald, Wim, Dennis, Marc, Pat, Winston, Edje…

Our EC history is known to all of us here. A disgrace in 1976 (send offs for Nees, Cruyff and Van Hanegem if my memory serves me well), another disgrace in 1980, no show in 1984, a win - albeit lucky - in 1988, an off day in the 1992 semis, trouble in 1996, bad luck in 2000 and bad management in 2004. So, here we are. Qualified without a worry, really. And an overdose of creativity and a lack of killers.

We have a chance to win this. But in that case, our defense need to be solid, we need our forwards to score and we need Marco to sort out a tough puzzle: who will play and who won’t…

Oranje beats West Germany in 1988