EC 2008: Group D…

Remember?

Ok, back to EC shenanigans now, my friends. We know which clubs will play the finals in Europe, let’s focus a bit on our big Summer event.

In Group D (I’m gonna leave Group C for last ) we meet reigning champs…eh… Greece, Spain, Russia and Sweden.

Greece
Greece should be one of the faves normally, being the holder of the Title, but in this case… I don’t know. Will they be able to do it again? Can they repeat their steal of 2004? When they stealthy reached the finals and upset the Portuguese? We still love them for that :-).

Most people will agree that manager Otto Rehhagel was the real star of that team. They played like eh…well…a team. Very good discipline, strong defensive tactics, a tad of luck and voila, the title is there. The Greeks’ first EC appearance was in 1980, when they played Oranje at the group stages. Kees Kist scored the winner against them. They wouldn’t survive the group stages. The only other big tournament they played was the WC1994 in the US. In 2004, they upset hosts Portugal in the first match, defeating them 2-1. They then got a draw against Spain 1-1 and lost the last match against Russia. When they were 2-0 down, Spain was qualified for the knock out stages, but a consolation goal for Greece turned the tables: Spain was out and Greece progressed. Greece won the quarter finals against France and became the first nation ever to beat the hosts and the reigning champs in the same tournament. The Czech Republic waited in the semis. The Czechs had beat Holland, Germany and Denmark and were among the faves for the end victory. In the extra time, one Greek goal was enough to send the Czechs back home. The hosts Portugal awaited in the finals, and again we had a record: the first time the two openers of the tournament would also close the show. A Charisteas goal from corner kick sealed the Portuguese fate. Greek won the tournament, mainly because magically the Portuguese were not able to convert their chances.

Goal scorer Charisteas would later move on to Ajax where he couldn’t repeat his scoring streak. Feyenoord picked him up after Ajax and again the Greek disappointed. Last he was seen in Germany. On the bench somewhere.

Otto Rehhagel is still their team manager and we can expect a similar game play for the Greeks this tournament. Closed and tight organization, hard working non-stars and sharp counter-football. But I doubt whether the Portugueze, the French and the Czechs will again be surprised by the reigning champs.

In the run up to the EC2008 tournament, Greece had to qualify (in the past, winners were automatically placed). And they did very well. Not only did they top their group and became the number 11 nation in World Football, they also beat Portugal again in the “revenge” match earlier this year, 2-1. As a result, they jumped to the number 8 position in the world ranking. A unique feat for a nation like Greece, and because of that remarkable four year run, they deserve to be feared. Since the EC 2004, their nickname is The Pirate Ship.

Big name players (apart from the afore mentioned German success coach Rehhagel): defender Seitaridis (Atletico Madrid), midfielder Katsouranis (Benfica) and striker Charisteas (FC Nurnberg) and Georgios Samaras (formerly of Heerenveen, now Celtic).

Spain
Spain is probably the team that got most fans excited for many tournaments but the Spanish never really delivered. Despite a strong national competition and big name players, the Spanish only won a big tournament in 1964. Names like Camacho, Butragueno, Michel, Di Stefano, Zubizareta, Gento, Guardiola, Mendieta, Quini, Nadal, Santamaria, Puskas, Hierro and Luis Enrique enticed millions of fans but no silverware in the last 30 years. The Spanish never got beyond the quarter finals in World Cup football and - apsrt from their 1964 win - European Championship football.
The Spanish are considered to be the biggest underachiervers in world football (maybe a tie with the Portuguese?). They always start strong in tournaments, but then slowly they lose it. They had some upsets in the qualification round for the EC2008 but they pulled through, with the tremendous talent they - again - can muster. You want some names of the current squad? Sit down. Because we’re talking the nation that can call upon players like Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Xavi Alsonso, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Luis Garcia… Oh? Not enough? Well, Carlos Puyol, Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, Arbeloa, Bojan Krkic, Raul, Morientes, Reyes, Soldado, David Albelda… Be afraid… Be very afraid.

Russia
Russia qualifications for the EC was a bit of a bonus. Super manager Guus Hiddink was signed to helm the Russian team to the WC2010. But Hiddink loves a challenge and thought, I don’t have any plans in the 2008 summer, so I might as well… Russia as a nation came into being in 1992, with Russia playing it’s first official game under that name against Mexico. The football nation didn’t do too well, following the USSR (which had quite some success in the decades before the new Russian state). Russia never made it past the first rounds in all the WCs and ECs they played since 1992. With a new foreign manager, Guus Hiddink for those who just came back from Mars, and his assistant former Moscow, Barcelona and Feyenoord playmaker Igor Korneev Russia got back into action. Supported by the new found oil dollars, Hiddink got a free hand in putting Russia on the map in the football world. Russia’s qualification for this EC was almost a bit of a surprise. Russia was in a tough group with England, Croatia and Israel and it seemed all was lost when Russia lost 3-0 against England. Russia turned it around at home, turning a 0-1 score at halftime into a 2-1 win. They lost the away game against Israel and thought to be out. Croatia’s win over England in London however, bought Hiddink and Co their ticket to Switzerland and Austria.
Russian football is on the rise. Look at Chelsea for instance :-). No seriously, with Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup finals and lots of young talented players opting to stay in the home competition instead of moving to warmer pastures. Hiddink uses a lot of young players and likes his teams to play attractive football. I don’t think Russia will have a shot to the title; they see this tournament as a prep for the big stage in 2010. Still, Hiddink has a so-called Golden Dikc and if Greece can win the title, why couldn’t Russia?

Big name players: Adamov (Moscow), Zyryanov (Zenit), Izmaylov (Sporting Club Lisbon), Shirokov and Anyoukov (Zenit).

Sweden
Ah…again…the history. In 1958 Sweden was runner up after Brazil in their own tournament. Names like Ove Kindvall, Niels Liedholm, Ralf Edstrom, Gunnar Nordhal… Sweden managed a third place in the WC1994 in the US, with another strong generation of players, like Thomas Brolin, Mad Ravelli, Martin Dahlin, Ken Anderson and Henke Larsson. In the EC, Sweden didnt fair that well until they hosted the 1992 EC and became third. They failed to qualify for the England EC in ‘96 and they didn’t survive the first round four years later. In Portugal, Sweden showed themselves again with their fighting spirit reaching the quarter finals. Oranje was their opponent and it took penalty kicks for Oranje to progress.
This time around, Sweden qualified as the second in their group after Spain. Again, if Greece could win in 2004, Sweden should be regarded as a dark horse this time around. The Swedes combine the muscle-bound English football style with the attacking prowess of, say, Holland. If they can focus during a tournament and maybe have a little luck on their side, they could well stun. Big name players in the Sweden squad are primarely found up front, with names like Zlatan Ibrahimovic (ex-Ajax), Marcus Allback (ex Heerenveen), Marcus Rosenberg (ex Ajax), Johan Elmander (ex-Feyenoord). Kennedy Bakircoglu is another Ajax-player in the squad and Freddy Ljungberg - captain and engine on midfield - has an Arsenal past, of course. Erik Edman is another player we know well in Holland. The Wigan defender played for Heerenveen.

The Dutch will definitely support the Swedes, what with their Dutch connections, but the same can be said for Russia (Hiddink) and Spain… Maybe Greece is the team we like least. But then again, Greece will definitely win this tournament again, so…

But in all honesty, I do believe Spain and Sweden will progress, with Russia as an outsider. But they did say Greece wouldn’t make it four years ago either…

Darn it, that Greek victory is still doing my head in… HELP!

Living Legend Ove Kindvall scores!