Euro 2012

The 2012 UEFA European Championship starts on July 8th. Hosted by both the Ukraine and Poland, it is the first time for both countries to host the championship. Both countries have 4 cities where games will be played

The toughest group is Group B. This is Portugal's 2nd consecutive tournament where there are 3 really good teams in their group. In the 2010 World Cup, Portugal had Brazil and Cote'd Ivory in the same group. This year, I think the group is even more difficult. In the group is Germany (2nd in FIFA World Rankings, 4th in World Football Elo Ratings), Netherlands (4th, 3rd), Portugal (5th, 12th), and Denmark (10th, 19th). All teams are very good and it will be the group to watch. All these teams could be champions. 

van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder must be leaders to win
http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Arjen+Robben+Wesley+Sneijder+
Uruguay+v+Netherlands+TPNyWD7A-del.jpg

I really like the team from the Netherlands. They have a great forward in Robin van Perise and 2 great midfielders in Wesley Snejider and Arjen Robben. Rafeal van der Vaart is a good middie. They have a very good striker who comes of the bench, Klaas-Jan Huntelar. Sneijder has an ankle injury but it will most likely not affect him. This team has great potential. They may have a chip on their shoulder after losing the World Cup Final in Extra Time on a Andres Inesta by a  goal. It was their only loss of the tournament. I believe that this is the time for this team to prove they are the best. I expect them to in the Euros.

Group D is also very tough. England (6th, 6th), France (14th, 12th), Sweeden (17th, 10th), and Ukraine (52nd, 31st). While it is unlikely the Ukraine will make it past the group stages, the 3 other teams have good chances. France is going to look like a new team without former star Theirry Henry and it won't be like the World Cup where they fell apart. England is with stars Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole, and John Terry (despite the charges against him about being racist). Sweeden has one of the best forwards in the tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will be the team leader. I believe, the teams that advance will be the teams whose defense can stop the forwards that can get the ball in the back of the net. 

Group A is not a very strong grouping. It features Russia (13th ,16th), Greece (15th, 25th), Czezh Republic (27th, 24th), and Poland (62nd, 35th). Poland has a slight chance of making the next round. The favorite is Russia.  This team has experience with success in the Euro 08 and having one of the better forward lines, led by captain Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko. Greece, the Euro 2004 champs are a team that I think could be good or bad. The Czech Republic has one of the better goalies in Petr Cech. 

Casillias, Sergio Ramos, Fernando Torres, Xavi, and
 Inesta Will Play Very Well In the Euros
http://www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Spain+v+England+Internationa
l+Friendly+vCAQ4tCvq0-l.jpg

Group C is the group that interests me. Spain (1st, 1st) will make it through this round without a doubt with the great play of Andres Inesta, Xavi, Iker Casillas, and others on the star studded squad. They will do very well in the tournament. Then comes the question mark. I am not big on Italy (12th, 15th) as a team, but I think Mario Balotelli is a great striker that can lead a team. Croatia (8th, 11th) is a team that is ranked high, but didn't even play in the 2010 World Cup. Ireland (18th, 21st) will have a hard time making it, but who knows what could happen.