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EURO 2008 predictions and supporter draw!

Calibandar

By Calibandar,
in Entertainment

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Calibandar Council Member

Calibandar

Posted
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Coming close to the tournament now, I'd like to see how people see the EC 2008 unveil in their imagination. Please predict your results and feel free [b]to add comments [/b]as to why you think a team will or won't advance.

Group A:

1. Portugal
2. Czech rep.
3. Turkey
4. Switzerland

I see the Portuegese as similar to the Dutch team. A superb array of very talented players in midfield and attack who are expected to falter in the end. But I think in this group stage the Portuegese are the best side. It will be close between Czech rep. and Turkey I think, especially with the Czechs aging side and the loss of Rosicky.

Group B:

1. Germany
2. Croatia
3. Poland
4. Austria.

Home nation Austria is one of the weakest teams here and I don't see them advance. Poland and Croatia will be very close indeed I think, but I think the Croatians are just a bit more ruthless. Germany's very poor years pre- WC 2006 seem behind them, they now have a great squad and I see them win this one.

Group C:

1. Italy
2. Holland
3. France
4. Roumania

No doubting that this is the group of death, with 4 teams I woulc pick to go through the first round in any other group. Italy and France are the winner and finalist of the last WC and still have great side. Holland has played for results in the qualifying games and made it, but that didn't raise much optimisn when it came to quality of play. However during the end of that series and in the friendlies afterwards van Basten finally fixed on a definitive system and it has worked out very well. It allows him to play several of his creative midfielders like Sneijder and vd Vaart, coupled to either Babel, Robben, Kuyt or van Persie, with one striker, that being Huntelaar ( who has won the battle for that spot with Ruud v. Nistelrooy). Van Basten has a luxury problem. The Dutch can lose to anyone and beat anyone IMO. I'm picking them to eject either France or Italy based on the idea that the sheer amount of talent will be able to find it's way through the tough French and Italian sides. Which means I have to chose between Italy and France going out, and I just don't see Italy fall.

Group D:

1. Spain
2. Sweden
3. Greece
4. Russia

By no means an easy group with a couple of well-matched teams. I'm rooting for the Swedes which is why I put them on no. 2 spot, but Greece has as good a chance. I was least impressed by Russia in the qualifying series so I put them 4th. I feel Spain has a very good side and may characteristically not win the tournament, but they will go through the group stage.

I'm not going to predict further than the group stages at this point, if others want to do that that is fine though.
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Paddy Council Member

Paddy

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Posted
Anyone up for being randomly assigned teams to support like for the World Cup?
It was so much fun two years ago :)

As for your list, I mostly agree. I think Italy-Holland-France is too close to call at this point, it depends on which teams show up.
The other picks for top 2 in each group I concur with, though I dont know about the particular placings.
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Jon AS Council Member

Jon AS

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I mostly agree, though I find both groups C and D difficult to call. Russia has some good players (just look at St. Petersburg's UEFA Cup run) so I wouldn't rule them out and Roumania are certainly capable of upsetting one of the three other teams in their group.

[quote name='Paddiano Ronaldo']Anyone up for being randomly assigned teams to support like for the World Cup?[/quote]

With England out the only team I'd have to worry about would be Italy, and with the odds at 1/16th I'd be willing to take that chance.;)
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Knight-Who-Used-To-Say-Ni Sellsword

Knight-Who-Used-To-Say-Ni

Posted
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[quote name='Calibandar' post='1371929' date='May 27 2008, 14.52']Coming close to the tournament now, I'd like to see how people see the EC 2008 unveil in their imagination. Please predict your results and feel free [b]to add comments [/b]as to why you think a team will or won't advance.[/quote]


As I have essentially the same predictions for groups B and D, I won't bother to put them here. But for group A I'm predecting the following:

1. Portugal
2. Switzerland
3. Czechs
4. Turkey

Portugal is clearly the best team in this one. Switzerland is not as good probably as the other two, and if the tournament was played anywhere else I wouldn't pick them to go through. But as they are the home team, and not dreadfully bad themselves, I see them progressing to quarters. And, besides, hop Suisse!

In C:

1. Italy
2. France
3. Holland
4. Romania

Well, here my assessment of the group is the same as yours. I can't see Italy failing. The second place is a fight between Hooland and France. My reason says that Holland is better, but my heart disagrees. So I'll follow my heart...

Here's how I see things proceeding from here (I hope I have understood the system correctly):

Quarters:
[b]Portugal[/b]-Croatia: Portugal is simply better. Unfortunately.
[b]Germany[/b]-Switzerland: The home team's story ends here.
[b]Italy[/b]-Sweden: No question, although Sweden is okay.
Spain-[b]France[/b]: Spain is Spain. And France is France against them.

Semis:
Portugal-[b]Germany[/b]: Germany takes it and C. Ronaldo weeps.
Italy-[b]France[/b]: Going with the heart, again. Seriously Italy wins, but I'm allowed to believe.

Final:
[b]Germany[/b]-France

Well, France won't be there, but that doesn't matter. "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." And that's it.

If they'd just begin already...
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Xray the Enforcer Council Member

Xray the Enforcer

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[quote name='Knight-Who-Used-To-Say-Ni' post='1371955' date='May 27 2008, 08.10']"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." And that's it.[/quote]

:lol:
although at least this year the Germans are looking to play some interesting football (unlike, say, some years past).
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mormont Council Member

mormont

Posted
Posted
I'm up for it. :)

For the predictions, it is early days but I think the Italians look a good bet (6-1 at the bookies last I looked). I expect Russia to do reasonably well, QFs at least.
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lessthanluke Council Member

lessthanluke

Posted
Posted
[quote name='Black Wizard' post='1372055' date='May 27 2008, 14.36']As a Scot, the Euros will be somewhat odd with England being absent. I don't have a team that I can passionately hope to get beaten. :9[/quote]

As a Welshman I feel the same way :)
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Mr. X Council Member

Mr. X

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[quote name='Paddiano Ronaldo' post='1371939' date='May 27 2008, 06.59']Anyone up for being randomly assigned teams to support like for the World Cup?
It was so much fun two years ago :)[/quote]
Yes!

(Or I'll just bring back the French avatar as a backup plan.)
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cteresa Council Member

cteresa

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Absolutely no way, I remember what happened the last time. I don´t think my icon caused *that* game.

My allegiances are unmovable, no space for anybody else, or at least these everybody else are so *european* it´s boring. It needs Angola (Mantorras!). And Brazil and Argentina. All european teams, anybody remembers that Switzerland-Ukraine ( or I think it was those two teams. Forgetting is good)?
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