A Commonfan’s Euro 2008 Diary - 09/06/2008 – Unravelling the Group of Death
France
France reminded me of the last French side which played a major tournament without Zinedine Zidane - the 2002 World Cup team, which finished last in the group. At least that side could call on Zizou for their last group game. This team will not have that option an to make matters worse for them, two of their other talismanic players - Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera were also unavailable for the Romania game and could miss more action. The Romania game was a must win and the two dropped points could come back to haunt them.
France reminded me of the last French side which played a major tournament without Zinedine Zidane - the 2002 World Cup team, which finished last in the group. At least that side could call on Zizou for their last group game. This team will not have that option an to make matters worse for them, two of their other talismanic players - Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera were also unavailable for the Romania game and could miss more action. The Romania game was a must win and the two dropped points could come back to haunt them.
No more Zidane comparisons for Benzema if he continues to play like thisIt was actually painful to see such a fine collection of talent give such a disjointed display. Many of the youngsters have been anointed with Zidane related monikers (like the new Zidane) and its time for them to step up and live up to their Zidanesque billing. But more than anything else, the return of Viera could revitalize the side. He has the ability to dominate the midfield and set the tempo for France.
There is still a lot of football to be played in this group and France is still in complete control of their destiny. They are a veteran side and their experience, especially in defence will be very handy for the crunch games against Italy and the Netherlands. It will be imperative to get the formation and tactics right and the French fans can count on Domenech to get it right. They are still my favourites to make it out of the group of death.
Romania
Romania has had their moments in the big tournaments, most notably their win over Argentina in the 94 WC and over England in France 98. This time, however, they have a far bigger mountain to climb - they are in the group of death and even a second place finish will be reason for massive celebration at home.
Their defence is ably marshalled by Christian Chivu and was rock solid against France. However, their job was made easier by the lack of coordination in the French side and the Italians and the Dutch might not be so generous. Even then the defense is the least of their worries. This team needs to win at least one of their remaining games to have a realistic hope of qualifying and to do that they will need to score goals. And that is where the bigger problem lies.
Their attack is solely dependent on Adrian Mutu. While this was good enough for the lesser nations in the qualifying tournaments, it’s grossly inadequate for the big boys. Expect Romania to go down fighting but with their head held high.
Netherlands
They hammered the defending World champions 3-0 and are on pole position to qualify from this group. Their attack was hugely impressive and if you can shred the Italian Catenaccio defence three times, you can score against anyone in the world. The offensive players were a source of great joy but the fans can draw greater cheer from what was missing from the Dutch squad.
There is still a lot of football to be played in this group and France is still in complete control of their destiny. They are a veteran side and their experience, especially in defence will be very handy for the crunch games against Italy and the Netherlands. It will be imperative to get the formation and tactics right and the French fans can count on Domenech to get it right. They are still my favourites to make it out of the group of death.
Romania
Romania has had their moments in the big tournaments, most notably their win over Argentina in the 94 WC and over England in France 98. This time, however, they have a far bigger mountain to climb - they are in the group of death and even a second place finish will be reason for massive celebration at home.
Their defence is ably marshalled by Christian Chivu and was rock solid against France. However, their job was made easier by the lack of coordination in the French side and the Italians and the Dutch might not be so generous. Even then the defense is the least of their worries. This team needs to win at least one of their remaining games to have a realistic hope of qualifying and to do that they will need to score goals. And that is where the bigger problem lies.
Their attack is solely dependent on Adrian Mutu. While this was good enough for the lesser nations in the qualifying tournaments, it’s grossly inadequate for the big boys. Expect Romania to go down fighting but with their head held high.
Netherlands
They hammered the defending World champions 3-0 and are on pole position to qualify from this group. Their attack was hugely impressive and if you can shred the Italian Catenaccio defence three times, you can score against anyone in the world. The offensive players were a source of great joy but the fans can draw greater cheer from what was missing from the Dutch squad.
We dont miss you - thanks for not coming
Question marks were raised about the Oranje's chances after the withdrawal of some big names before the tournament. Looks like these withdrawals did more good than bad. The Dutch have self-destructed through infighting at almost all major tournaments. The withdrawals meant there were fewer egos and fewer trouble makers, creating a healthier team atmosphere and reducing the chances of infighting. The depth of Dutch talent ensured that Coach Van Basten had no trouble finding suitable replacements.
A united Dutch side which could go all the way
Marco Van Basten is the common element from Holland’s title winning squad of 1988 - their only international title. His lucky touch combined with an offence which is in top form and a side which is united for a change could land a second international football title for the Dutch. The football purists can brace themselves for a treat of attacking football.Italy
The 3-0 defeat to the Dutch was a shocker. I had been unable to pick which side will miss out in the group of death before the tournament began. Now I think the Italians will endure that ignominy.
It's risky to bet against Italian sides as they are known to start slowly and have an innate ability to rebound from defeats. But I will take that chance for one simple reason - Italian sides never concede 3 goals in a game. Usually they let in that many in a tournament. I think the last time it happened was in the 1988 Olympics in the third place play-offs against West Germany. That is right – 20 years back when Germany was still divided.
Can someone find the Italian defence please
There is something seriously wrong with the Italian defence. And an Italian team which loses its defensive identity is like a singer who has lost his voice – they are no good.
Roberto Donadoni was a surprise choice to replace Marcello Lippi. Failure to qualify for the second round could possibly end his reign. He can complain about missing Fabio Cannavaro but his pleas will find no takers if the Azurri cannot pull themselves up in the next two games.
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