The Football Thread

[damaso]

3. damaso - spain din. or france. pero malamang spain hehe

[damaso]

with the euro championships only about a week away, here is my euro 2008 primer (posted by group):

 

group a

 

czech republic

 

one of the more unpredictable teams in europe. they were semi-finalists in euro 2004 and remember their 2006 world cup qualifying? everyone said they were the dark horse to win it all. of course, they won only once (against the united states) and lost their other 2 matches, not even making it out of the group stages. well, same thing is happening again. they top their qualifying group, even beating germany 3-0 in munich. pavel nedved has retired but the biggest problem is the injury to arsenal midfielder tomas rosicky. the brilliant playmaker had surgery on his knee. look for the czechs to have a solid defense and a quick counter-attack

 

key players:

 

petr cech (gk) - their biggest star. chelsea's #1 and rightly so.

 

marek jankulovski (dl) - pacey ac milan wing back. he's the current czech player of the year.

 

milan baros (fc) - the quick portsmouth (on loan from lyon) striker was top scorer last euro championships.

 

jan koller (fc) - the giant striker (he's 6'8) is their all-time leading scorer (52 goals in 85 caps). probably 50 of them were from headers haha.

 

 

portugal

 

one of the favorites. they were runners-up last time around and though luis figo and pauleta has retired, they are as talented as ever. plus, it doesn't hurt to be coached by big phil scolari. they usually play a 4-2-3-1 with three attacking midfielders supporting a lone striker. they have four of the best wingers in the world, and all four can play on either wing.

 

key players (and dami!):

 

cristiano ronaldo (amr/aml) - hands down the best player in the world at the moment. if he plays as well as he has played for man utd in the premier league then portugal will win the tournament.

 

ricardo quaresma (amr/aml) - please please sign for liverpool! he is the reason porto has won 3 straight titles.

 

simao sabrosa (amr/aml) - aside from his great dribbling skills he can hit the free kicks too.

 

nani (amr/aml) - will be a star in the coming years for man utd.

 

deco (amc) - scolari relies on deco to get the offense moving. however, the midfield maestro has not played well for barca this season.

 

joao moutinho (mc) - a star for the future. liverpool or barca should sign this kid.

 

pepe (dc) - a rock for real madrid, man of the match in the first el clasico this season. another brazilian born player (like deco).

 

ricardo carvalho (dc) - rumors say he's to follow jose mourinho to inter milan.

 

 

switzerland

 

the co-hosts were the surprise of world cup 2006, placing first in a group ahead of france and korea. will rely on the advantage of being co-hosts, just like what germany did in the last world cup. they usually play a 4-4-2 diamond, with yakin or barnetta as attacking midfielder and inler as a makelele-type holding mid.

 

key players:

 

alexander frei (fc) - the borussia dortmund striker is switzerland's all-time leading scorer (32 goals in 57 caps).

 

philippe senderos (dc) - the centre-back was one of their best players during the world cup. can't play for s@%t though with arsenal.

 

tranquillo barnetta (mc) - switzerland's hottest prospect. this explosive midfielder is currently at bayer leverkusen.

 

hakan yakin (mc) - a creative playmaker with a deadly free kick. i still remember him causing man utd problems in the champions league when he was still with basel.

 

gokhan inler (dmc) - tough-tackling midfielder. a regular for italian side udinese.

 

philipp degen (dr) - did he sign for liverpool? very offensive minded right back.

 

 

turkey

 

after finishing 3rd in the 2002 world cup, they never got going again. failed to qualify for euro 2004 and the 2006 world cup. thing with turkey is their fans always come to support them. strong in defense with big centre-centre backs, and in nihat, they have one of the best strikers in europe. i do wonder why playmaker yildiray basturk was not included in the team.

 

key players:

 

nihat kahveci (fc) - "el turco" is a big reason villareal placed second in la liga this season.

 

hakan sukur (fc) - a bit past his prime, but still doing well for galatasaray.

 

mehmet aurelio (dmc) - tenacious and tireless ball-winner. one of the brazilian-connection for fenerbahce (he was born in brazil).

 

emre belozoglu (mc) - great dribbler but has not featured for newcastle last season.

 

tuncay sanli (mr/ml) - has been a star for middlesbrough. remember his hat-trick against man utd in the champions league back in 2004?

 

 

 

prediction:

 

1 - portugal

2 - turkey

3- switzerland

4 - czech republic

[howard_the_duck]

england?

[_eRon_]

ehem, my euro 2008 predictions:

 

Group A

1.Portugal

2.Czech Republic

 

Group B

1.Germany

2.Croatia

 

Group C

1.Italy

2.France

 

Group D

1.Greece

2.Spain

 

EURO 2008 Champions: ITALY

[howard_the_duck]

that's one crappy draw -- i'm referring on the way how the teams were split into pots

Edited May 31, 2008 by howard_the_duck

[biggyprox]

ahhh, hope this doesnt make me sound stupid but i.ve been looking thru the fixtures in euro 2008, i'm just wondering, why doesnt englad in any of them? may qualifying round ba and they didnt make the cut?

 

with that said, its a toss for me for france and spain to be euro champs

[howard_the_duck]

hindi umabot ang england sa final cut

[duchessXI]

ahhh, hope this doesnt make me sound stupid but i.ve been looking thru the fixtures in euro 2008, i'm just wondering, why doesnt englad in any of them? may qualifying round ba and they didnt make the cut?

 

with that said, its a toss for me for france and spain to be euro champs

 

england did not pass the qualifying round which explains the axe falling of mclaren and capello coming in. paradoxical it may seem, but they claim that their league is the most competitive in the world yet theyre not even playing on their own turf's championship.

 

torn ankle ligament for babel. zz

and 50 mill for torres to chelsea? not in a million years.

[damaso]

group b

 

austria

 

by far the weakest team in the tournament. i don't remember them qualifying for any major tournament in their history. and of course, they're only here because they are co-hosts. not really a footballing nation, their only real prospect is to win against poland. they would dominate any skiing competition though.

 

key players:

 

andreas ivanschitz (mc) - dubbed as the "austrian beckham".

 

emmanuel pogatetz (dl) - their most recognizable player cause he plays for middlesbrough in the epl.

 

martin stranzl (dc) - reliable defender. would be a good signing for lower table teams in la liga or the epl.

 

 

croatia

 

would have been my dark horse for the tournament, and then eduardo da silva goes and breaks his leg. with coach slaven bilic's attractive passing style, they dominated england home and away. their win in wembley was particularly impressive, showing they were more tactically mature than mighty england. however, without the brazilian born eduardo, its unlikely they will reach the heights they did when they placed 3rd in the 98 world cup.

 

key players:

 

luka modric (mc) - one of the hottest commodities in world football was recently snatched by tottenham. could be the star of the tournament.

 

niko kranjcar (mc) - a major piece of the portsmouth team that won the fa cup.

 

ivan rakitic (amr/aml) - rumors say that inter milan and juventus are after the schalke youngster. might be asked to play further up with da silva's injury.

 

darijo srna (amr) - much of croatia's attacks come from the right, with srna and fullback corluka. free kick specialist.

 

vedran corluka (dr) - one of eriksson's best signings at man city. very fast and joins the attacks constantly.

 

mladen petric (fc) - the pressure is on him now with da silva's absence.

 

 

germany

 

a heavy favorite, riding on the momentum of their surprising 3rd place finish at the last world cup. most bookies think they will win the tournament. surprisingly, their weakness is in the center of defense and their goalkeeper - their traditional strengths. they have an abundance of choices in attack, so much so that one of the stars of the world cup, lukas podolski, probably won't see much action.

 

key players:

 

michael ballack (mc) - his resurgence at chelsea shows he is back to his best.

 

torsten frings (mc) - the strong ball-winner allows ballack to push forward.

 

miroslav klose (fc) - the top scorer in the world cup is the only automatic choice for striker.

 

mario gomez (fc) - arsenal has been linked to this powerful striker. the current german player of the year. his favorite club is barcelona (yehey! i hope i hope i hope).

 

kevin kuranyi (fc) - the elegant forward led schalke to a strong run in the champions league.

 

bastian schweinsteiger (mc) - the utility midfielder had a strong world cup and is a key player for germany.

 

cristoph metzelder (dc) - the strong defender will be under much scrutiny since he has not had much matches with real madrid. germany's success will depend on his partnership with per mertesacker in the center of defense.

 

lukas podolski (fc) - his lack of playing time at bayern munich has cost him a starting place but could be germany's "super-sub".

 

 

poland

 

surprisingly topped their qualifying group which includes portugal and serbia. poland has no real stars, but they have an ace up their sleeve - coach leo beenhakker. the clever dutchman has outwitted the great luiz felipe scolari in the qualifying stages.

 

key players:

 

euzebiusz smolarek (fc/amc) - the prolific striker scored 9 goals in the qualifiers.

 

artur boruc (gk) - the celtic player is touted as one of the top keepers in the world. look for him to move for a bigger side this summer - probably in serie a.

 

jacek krzynowek (mc) - experienced midfielder has a fierce shot, and is the creative force for the team.

 

roger guerrero (mc) - brazilian born midfielder who just received his Polish citizenship.

 

 

prediction (no surprises here)

 

1 - germany

2 - croatia

3 - poland

4 - austria

[damaso]

group c - the group of death

 

france

 

the team i always support. les blues are in their first tournament after the glorious zidane era. had a very tough time qualifying for the finals but they did make it in the end, after being pushed by scotland all the way. they have the deepest team in europe (they could probably field 3 teams), so much so that two of arsenal's stalwarts were left out - mathieu flamini (now of ac milan) and bakary sagna. also left out were david trezeguet, hatem ben arfa, djibril cisse and philippe mexes. the team is solid throughout every position but needs a talismanic leader to replace zizou (will the real thierry henry, please stand up).

 

key players:

 

franck ribery (amr/amc) - france's brightest talent. made the 2006 world cup his coming out party. terrorizes defenses when he has the ball at his feet.

 

thierry henry (fc) - had a low key start to his barcelona career but is still recognized as a match winner. france's all time leading scorer (44 goals in 98 caps).

 

karim benzema (fc) - just about all the big sides in europe are after this 20 year old. he is the complete striker - big, strong, fast and two-footed. a van nistelrooy, eto'o and henry all rolled into one package.

 

samir nasri (amc) - the other young gun of france. was dubbed "the new zidane".

 

jeremy toulalan (dmc) - the exciting defensive midfielder will compete with claude makelele for the holding mid role.

 

patrick vieira (mc) - one of the old guard with makelele and thuram. probably his last tournament for france.

 

william gallas (dc) - the arsenal captain's defensive partnership with lilian thuram is a rock. they only conceded 5 goals in 12 qualifying matches.

 

claude makelele (dmc) - for a long time was the best defensive midfielder in the world. he is still a key figure for both france and chelsea.

 

 

holland

 

the talented dutch team is the most unpredictable footballing nation. sometimes brilliant, sometimes average. they have a great attack but are weak on the defensive side. holland is another nation who switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation (which seems to suit the international game). they suffered a blow when ryan babel was recently ruled out through injury. though not much is expected of them, the dutch are still one of the traditional european powers in football.

 

key players:

 

ruud van nistelrooy (fc) - is back in the national team after having a spat with coach marco van basten. will play an important role in the new system as a lone target man.

 

edwin van der sar (gk) - with such a fragile defense, the champions league winner will have his work cut out for him.

 

wesley sneijder (amc) - the creative force in the team. the real madrid player will try to supply his club teammate with assists.

 

rafael van der vaart (aml/amc) - another creative player. will have a free role switching with the other attacking midfielders. might move to la liga after the tournament.

 

robin van persie (amr/amc) - will support van nistelrooy in attack. inconsistent but deadly when he's at his best.

 

arjen robben (amr/aml) - holland's best winger. will provide width to the team.

 

john heitinga (dc) - the ajax defender has been signed by atletico madrid. will need to be solid if holland are advance to the second round.

 

 

italy

 

the world champions are back to their best. a very experienced, very organized team, they are another heavy favorite to win the tournament. coach roberto donadoni has brought back the classic italian style - tight, possession-oriented football. the italy team is certainly not the most attractive team to watch - but very highly effective.

 

key players:

 

andrea pirlo (mc) - with francesco totti retired from international football, pirlo will have the lion's share of playmaking duties. his intelligent passing launches most of italy's attacks.

 

luca toni (fc) - one of the most prolific strikers in europe, just tearing up the bundesliga. the bayern munich striker finished with 39 goals in 46 matches.

 

gianluigi buffon (gk) - one of the heroes of the world cup. remember his save from a zidane header during extra-time? some still consider him the top goalkeeper in the world.

 

gennaro gattuso (mc) - this bull terrier is the most committed player in every game. seems to be everywhere in the pitch.

 

daniele de rossi (dmc) - protects the back four. very important figure in donadoni's structure.

 

fabio cannavaro (dc) - the former footballer of the year has not had the best of times with real madrid, but always seems to excel with the national team.

 

alessandro del piero (fc) - his recent form in serie a has him back in the national squad. could this be his swansong?

 

 

romania

 

don't discount romania - they did top their qualifying group ahead of holland. another nation to switch to a 4-2-3-1 style, they will rely heavily on their 2 stars, christian chivu and adrian mutu, to get them out of the group of death. i seriously doubt it will happen though.

 

key players:

 

christian chivu (dc/dl/mc) - the inter milan player is widely regarded as on the top defenders in serie a. might play in midfield for romania so he can have more impact.

 

adrian mutu (amc/fc) - considered the most talented romanian player of his generation, he is called "il fenomeno" (ala ronaldo) by fiorentina fans.

 

dorin goian (dc) - good in the air, he will be the tower of strength in defense.

 

 

 

 

prediction:

 

1 - france

2 - italy

3 - holland

4 - romania

Edited May 31, 2008 by damaso

[redshirt]

england?

Don't rub it in mate.

[redshirt]

Awsome writeup damaso.

 

No ofence to anyone but I don't think loosing babel is that big a blow fot the Dutch.

[howard_the_duck]

any updates on the philippines football team? di daw naka qualify sa challenge cup ah

[redshirt]

any updates on the philippines football team? di daw naka qualify sa challenge cup ah

Somehow Im not surprised. I watched their games. Too much winging and no up front attacking.

[howard_the_duck]

pero GD lang daw ang difference... sayang

 

atsaka nag-resign daw yung coach

[damaso]

i think we're improving naman. wala kase support from the government eh, or even from the private sector. i heard the german bundesliga is interested in helping us.

 

i still have a couple of former teammates from high school who are still in the national team (i'm shocked kase ang tanda ko na). magaling daw yung mga bata like the younghusbands and the hartmanns.

 

don't worry, yung mga future anak natin will dominate the asian game hehe

[damaso]

group d

 

greece

 

the defending champions shocked the world in 2004. coach otto rehhagel built his team on a defensive 4-3-3 system, with the mids playing tight and compact. he says his current team is stronger than 4 years ago - and he proved it by breezing through the qualifying stages (winning 10 of 12). can lightning strike twice?

 

key players:

 

antonis nikopolidis (gk) - arguably their most important player last time around.

 

angelos basinas (mc) - the fulcrum of the team. the mallorca player dictates the tempo of the team.

 

traianos dellas (dc) - a true "tower" of strength -> he is 6'5. often scores on corner kicks.

 

sotirios kyrgiakos (dc) - his partnership with dellas is the foundation of the team.

 

theofanis gekas (fc) - was the top scorer in the bundesliga 2 seasons ago. with angelos charisteas not seeing much club action, they will depend on gekas to score the goals.

 

 

russia

 

in truth, the russians are lucky to be here. it was really england losing their place rather than russia winning it. the russian league has improved immeasurably (cska and zenit in the uefa cup) but their national team is slow to follow. a huge problem: captain and playmaker andrei arshavin is suspended for the first 2 games, and by then it might be too late.

 

key players:

 

andrei arshavin (mc) - their best player is suspended for the first 2 games.

 

yuri zhirkov (ml) - winger with great pace and passing ability. might be used as a full back too.

 

roman shirokov (mc/dc) - this versatile playmaker can either play midfield or center back.

 

roman pavyluchenko (fc) - tall striker who scored both goals in their 2-1 win over england.

 

igor akinfeev (gk) - young keeper tipped for greatness.

 

 

spain

 

"no more excuses" is their battlecry. i personally think they will win it all (though i hope to the gods france upsets them). definitely the most talented team in europe, if not the world. their only possible weakness is in the center of defense, but carlos puyol and pablo are not exactly pushovers. luis aragones has adopted a slow tempo, short-passing 4-1-2-3 offense with "false" wingers (a very interesting tactic which i'll probably discuss in another post). this set-up did leave out some quality players - joaquin (an out and out winger) and raul (a support striker) are left out of the squad.

 

key players:

 

sergio ramos (dr) - apologies to dani alves, but sergio ramos is the best full back in world football.

 

iker casillas (gk) - not the biggest keeper, but certainly the quickest. interesting stat: conceded the fewest goals in la liga despite facing the most shots. i think he's the world's best too.

 

fernando torres (fc) - the epl is supposed to be the hardest league for strikers to adapt to. apparently, someone forgot to tell "el nino".

 

cesc fabregas (mc) - spain changed their formation just so they can accomodate him.

 

andres iniesta (mc) - can play anywhere in the midfield. has great vision and quick feet.

 

marcos senna (dmc) - had a superb season with villareal which i think will give him the nod over xabi alonso as the starter. because we all know puyol does not have the greatest positional sense, he will provide vital cover for the defense.

 

joan capdevilla (dl) - top scoring defender in la liga. the full back play is crucial to the new system.

 

 

sweden

 

biggest news leading up to the tournament? henrik larsson is back. the 36 year old icon has come back from international retirement. sweden is one of the most consistent performers and despite a leaky defense, i think they will cause a shock or two in this tournament.

 

key players:

 

zlatan ibrahimovic (fc) - the inter milan star is probably the most technically gifted "big" player (he is 6'4) of all time. is he moving to barcelona after the tournament?

 

henrik larsson (fc/amc) - a match winner. one of the few players who can conjure up a goal from nowhere. his comeback might give sweden the inspiration to follow Greece's footsteps.

 

fredrick ljungberg (ml) - the former arsenal star is the captain. there are doubts over his fitness.

 

kim kallstrom (mc) - the playmaker might be given more defensive duties to help out the shaky defense.

 

olof mellberg (dc) - tough, solid defender. sometimes plays as right back for aston villa. i think he's joining juventus next season.

 

 

 

prediction:

 

1 - spain

2 - sweden

3 - greece

4 - russia

[duchessXI]

Awsome writeup damaso.

 

No ofence to anyone but I don't think loosing babel is that big a blow fot the Dutch.

 

lol it IS a big blow for the dutch. id take babel anytime over the inconsistent van persie. so says even coach van Basten. like all major teams in Europe, he plans to develop the young talent which arose from the Holland U-21s to cement a place in the wings of the Senior squad. which explains Raul being left out of the Spanish squad despite being top goalscorer of the competition of all time. critics ask, but why? its because of a stronger, quicker, and younger striker replaced him: F. Torres.

 

 

"Youll Never Walk Alone"

[howard_the_duck]

raul is soooo old already

[duchessXI]

i think we're improving naman. wala kase support from the government eh, or even from the private sector. i heard the german bundesliga is interested in helping us.

 

i still have a couple of former teammates from high school who are still in the national team (i'm shocked kase ang tanda ko na). magaling daw yung mga bata like the younghusbands and the hartmanns.

 

don't worry, yung mga future anak natin will dominate the asian game hehe

 

 

yes too much winging, not much attack as they play conservative defensive football. we lost to GD because of this. by howard duck and no support from govt and priv. sector by damaso. all valid points.

 

another reason why we cant seem to capitalise fluidly on offense is because of the lack of chemistry between teammates. sure the skills are there by the imports we take abroad, such as those mentioned by damaso, but again no chemistry.

 

In addition to this, players in the football squad dont seem to be taken care of well by the FAs. some of my friends in the national squad would attest to that. In comparison with basketball team, the football team is nowhere near in terms of support?

 

so how could we address this in the light of corruption taking place in the PFF?

 

1. take care of players, and they reflect this onto the pitch,

2. take in more sponsors, attract the crowd, this is progressing through the likes of Mizuno and Futkal projects

3. provide more homegrown talent in the squad

4. Establish a good club system

5. start with the roots, have licensed coaches teach kids in public and private schools and football a daily part of their lives.

 

but yet, all of this would seem impossible if there is no effective governance by part of the PFF. Let there be more transparency in Football Government and allow more decision-making power on part of the players, and ingest inputs by the football community. heck, thats whats footballs' all about.

[howard_the_duck]

PFF blows... di ba may leadership wrangling doon? whatever happened to that? good thing we're not suspended by FIFA

[redshirt]

lol it IS a big blow for the dutch. id take babel anytime over the inconsistent van persie. so says even coach van Basten. like all major teams in Europe, he plans to develop the young talent which arose from the Holland U-21s to cement a place in the wings of the Senior squad. which explains Raul being left out of the Spanish squad despite being top goalscorer of the competition of all time. critics ask, but why? its because of a stronger, quicker, and younger striker replaced him: F. Torres.

 

 

"Youll Never Walk Alone"

 

Van Persie is way better. He just suffered a major injury that's why.

 

 

Babel <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Van Persie.

 

 

But Torres >>>>>>>>>>> Raul is spot on. Time to hang up the cleats ledgend.

[redshirt]

THE SPECIAL ONE IS BACK!!!

 

 

 

Jose sign a 3 year deal with INT.

[bubuy]

Internazionale?

[duchessXI]

Van Persie is way better. He just suffered a major injury that's why.

 

 

Babel <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Van Persie.

 

 

But Torres >>>>>>>>>>> Raul is spot on. Time to hang up the cleats ledgend.

 

yah saw Van Persie back in his days, impressive. had lots of SOTs and several goals but thats due to henry playing decoy, i bet w/o henry he cant do a thing.

 

but babel? though hasnt established yet fully in the EPL, you could see his potential through his movements and passes, calm under pressure, already with Champs league and int'l experience. give him a break, hes only 21.