This year's EURO tournament has been a very diverse and unique one, with many surprising advances and with some surprising knockouts. But one thing's for certain: There's still a lot left in this tournament. Read more as I analyze the tournament's first round...
By Brian
Group A:
With Group A having what many people thought to be some of the weaker teams, many people didn’t expect much from these four teams. Pushing this aside, they managed to put up a very intriguing first round. At the end of day one we had Russia in first by beating the Czechs 4-1, but later on we saw the Czechs winning the group and the Russians heading home early. Greece also advanced, but only beat out Russia for the second spot because of the head-to-head game in which Greece won 1-0. Poor Poland had to settle with yet another disappointing tournament without a single win. Looking into the future, there is still hope for the Polish, mainly backed by the large amount of potential we saw in this year’s EURO cup. Nevertheless, the quarters will be a thrilling round for both the Czechs and Greeks.
Group B:
With three of the tournament’s favorites, this was bound to be an exciting group, and it didn't disappoint. The only disappointment was the Dutch squad and their below par performance this year. Their early departure broke the nation's 11 major tournament streak of advancing to the next round. It’s a shame considering a lot of the players will never return to the Dutch side, and they had to wave goodbye with such a somber performance. Without even one point, they finished last in their group. Denmark surprised many with their style of play, and left fans and spectators alike shocked. Although they did not qualify for the quarters, they gave Portugal a run for their money in their head-to-head match. However, the Portuguese finally showed their full potential against the Dutch, with Ronaldo finally coming out of his shell and lighting up the scoreboard, with two spectacular goals and two close shots banging off the woodwork . The obvious star for Germany was Mario Gomez, who lead the German squad to 9 points, with three goals in two matches. There is no telling what the Germans and Portuguese will do in the quarters.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Portugal |
Group C:
With the defending EURO and World champions in the tournament, we came to expect great things from the Spaniards, and they didn't disappoint. Their group was also occupied by a tough Italian and Croatian squad. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for Ireland. They came out flat and have quite a bit of things to work on technically, but there is still hope with many good young players coming up. The Spanish won the group, but struggled a little with the Croatians and Italians. The Croatian's and Italian's both delivered exciting games. Both were close games, and in the end, the second spot was close between them. It really could of gone either way, but unfortunately, the young and skillful Croatians had to go home early. This was a great group to follow, and it will be great to see what the Italians and Spaniards have to offer in the quarters.
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| Fernando Torres made his "return" by drastically helping Spain. |
Group D:
This was a very close group to judge especially with the close games and points in the group. All four could have past to the quarterfinals, but the cards landed right for the French and English men. Both Sweden and Ukraine put on good shows with Shevchenko and Ibrahimovic leading the way for the squads. But unfortunately, they will have to wait another four years for their chance. The French had a good performance, but I was expecting more from a team with so many superstars, but we will see what they have to offer us in the quarters. England actually performed decent without their spearhead, Rooney. I expect them to bring more to the table in the quarters, but it will be good to see Rooney prove that his time is now.
Overall, this was an exciting first round that offered a lot to think about. For sure the Quarters will be even better!
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