By Matt Anderson
On June 8, the European Championships kick off across Poland and Ukraine. This competition is like the World Cup on crack. Everyone in the 16-team tournament knows each other well, and likes each other a lot less.
For those of you who aren’t soccer obsessed like me, I’ll give you one player from each team to watch and a license to use any of the following to impress people watching Euro 2012 with you.
Group A
Poland: Wojciech Szczesny, GK.
You pronounce it Woah-Check Shez-Knee. This young keeper came into his own for England’s Arsenal this year, manning the space between the sticks in their third-place campaign. He kept 18 clean sheets, which is a lot for an Arsenal team with less than stellar defense. He also made a highlight reel penalty save against Liverpool that ended up being the difference in the game.
Greece: Fanis Gekas, F.
Gekas is old. But he's crafty. He doesn’t play in the big leagues anymore, instead plying his trade in Turkey for Samsunspor. But he scored eight goals in 11 appearances for them, and if Greece wants to pull off a shocker, he’s going to need to be very active and soak up a lot of pressure.
Russia: Alan Dzagoev, M.
He’s only 21, but he’s been the Next Big Russian Thing for what feels like forever. Dzagoev is athletic and has great vision and passing skills. He also has a knack for scoring, which is helpful since Russia’s strikers have struggled of late. This tournament is his audition for a club from one of the big four leagues (England’s Premiere League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, and Germany’s Bundesliga).
Czech Republic: Petr Cech, GK.
About a year ago, everyone said Cech was washed up. They said the fractured skull he suffered in 2006 had made him timid. It looked as though his days at Chelsea were over. But over the past few months, he's played at the highest level imaginable. First, he survived the barrage that was the Champions League semifinal versus FC Barcelona. Then he won Chelsea the FA Cup. And then he saved a penalty in extra time as well as two during penalty shots to win the Champions League final. He is in the form of his life.
Group B
Netherlands: Robin van Persie, F.
Arsenal’s RVP showed the world just how good he really is this year, winning all three of England's Player of the Year awards. He scored 38 goals total, including 30 in the Premiership. As RVP went, Arsenal went, but for this deep Dutch squad, he won’t have to do all the legwork, leaving him fresher than ever.
Denmark: Christian Poulsen, M.
Poulsen is going to be critical for the Danes. He will have to cover for the back line, which boasts some decent players but few superstars. He will also have to get the ball to their front line. Poulsen is the quintessential box-to-box midfielder, and he is one of the most experienced men in this tournament. If he’s up to the task, the Danes could put up a fight in this Group of Death.
Germany: Bastain Schweinsteiger, M.
His last name is one of the most fun to say in the tournament. Schweinsteiger is also is the lynchpin of the well-oiled machine that is Germany. He will be charged with defending, attacking, distributing, and otherwise making sure all the pieces swirling around him move like they're supposed to. Germany is one of the favorites to win this thing, and to do that, he'll have to play a key role.
Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo, F.
There are few players in this tournament who can put their teams on their back and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them. But that’s the problem: In the past he has tried to do that and failed miserably. When things don’t go his way, he checks out and becomes rather petulant. However, if he can strike the perfect balance between taking over and letting the game come to him, Portugal could turn a few heads.
Group C
Spain: Xavi, M.
As Schweinsteiger is to Germany, Xavi is to Spain, but times 10. This little man is the calm in a storm of soccer magic, much like he is at FC Barcelona. He never tires and never misses a pass. He was the MVP during Spain’s run to the title in 2008, and things will be no different this time around. If Spain is a frenetic sonata, he is the metronome that keeps everything on rhythm.
Italy: Mario Balotelli, F.
Balotelli is a wild card. Earlier this year, the Manchester fire brigade had to come put out a blaze that he had started by shooting off fireworks in his bathroom. Later in the year, he followed a brilliant goal by flashing a shirt that said, “Why Always Me?” It’s always him because we don’t know what he’ll do next: slot home a goal after an amazing touch, or slide tackle an opponent who doesn’t have the ball and get sent off. He never fails to entertain, or have a terrible haircut, and Italy is putting a lot of hope on a 21-year-old who''s likely just on the wrong side of loopy.
Ireland: Robbie Keane, F.
One of the few players in this tournament who plays here in the USA. He led the Galaxy to an MLS title last year, but did it with what seemed like three-quarter effort. He's in the twilight of his career, yet Keane can nevertheless make an impact. Keep in mind that he holds the distinction as Ireland’s career goal-scoring leader.
Croatia: Luka Modric, M.
Modric is one of the most creative and driven midfielders in the world. Last summer, Tottenham fought hard to keep him away from many suitors, including super-rich Chelsea. One can only imagine that he’s still looking to move, now that the Spurs failed qualify for the Champions League. Modric disappeared at the end of the year for Tottenham and will be looking to show everyone that that was an anomaly, not the new norm.
You pronounce it Woah-Check Shez-Knee. This young keeper came into his own for England’s Arsenal this year, manning the space between the sticks in their third-place campaign. He kept 18 clean sheets, which is a lot for an Arsenal team with less than stellar defense. He also made a highlight reel penalty save against Liverpool that ended up being the difference in the game.
Greece: Fanis Gekas, F.
Gekas is old. But he's crafty. He doesn’t play in the big leagues anymore, instead plying his trade in Turkey for Samsunspor. But he scored eight goals in 11 appearances for them, and if Greece wants to pull off a shocker, he’s going to need to be very active and soak up a lot of pressure.
Russia: Alan Dzagoev, M.
He’s only 21, but he’s been the Next Big Russian Thing for what feels like forever. Dzagoev is athletic and has great vision and passing skills. He also has a knack for scoring, which is helpful since Russia’s strikers have struggled of late. This tournament is his audition for a club from one of the big four leagues (England’s Premiere League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, and Germany’s Bundesliga).
Czech Republic: Petr Cech, GK.
About a year ago, everyone said Cech was washed up. They said the fractured skull he suffered in 2006 had made him timid. It looked as though his days at Chelsea were over. But over the past few months, he's played at the highest level imaginable. First, he survived the barrage that was the Champions League semifinal versus FC Barcelona. Then he won Chelsea the FA Cup. And then he saved a penalty in extra time as well as two during penalty shots to win the Champions League final. He is in the form of his life.
Group B
Netherlands: Robin van Persie, F.
Arsenal’s RVP showed the world just how good he really is this year, winning all three of England's Player of the Year awards. He scored 38 goals total, including 30 in the Premiership. As RVP went, Arsenal went, but for this deep Dutch squad, he won’t have to do all the legwork, leaving him fresher than ever.
Denmark: Christian Poulsen, M.
Poulsen is going to be critical for the Danes. He will have to cover for the back line, which boasts some decent players but few superstars. He will also have to get the ball to their front line. Poulsen is the quintessential box-to-box midfielder, and he is one of the most experienced men in this tournament. If he’s up to the task, the Danes could put up a fight in this Group of Death.
Germany: Bastain Schweinsteiger, M.
His last name is one of the most fun to say in the tournament. Schweinsteiger is also is the lynchpin of the well-oiled machine that is Germany. He will be charged with defending, attacking, distributing, and otherwise making sure all the pieces swirling around him move like they're supposed to. Germany is one of the favorites to win this thing, and to do that, he'll have to play a key role.
Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo, F.
There are few players in this tournament who can put their teams on their back and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them. But that’s the problem: In the past he has tried to do that and failed miserably. When things don’t go his way, he checks out and becomes rather petulant. However, if he can strike the perfect balance between taking over and letting the game come to him, Portugal could turn a few heads.
Group C
Spain: Xavi, M.
As Schweinsteiger is to Germany, Xavi is to Spain, but times 10. This little man is the calm in a storm of soccer magic, much like he is at FC Barcelona. He never tires and never misses a pass. He was the MVP during Spain’s run to the title in 2008, and things will be no different this time around. If Spain is a frenetic sonata, he is the metronome that keeps everything on rhythm.
Italy: Mario Balotelli, F.
Balotelli is a wild card. Earlier this year, the Manchester fire brigade had to come put out a blaze that he had started by shooting off fireworks in his bathroom. Later in the year, he followed a brilliant goal by flashing a shirt that said, “Why Always Me?” It’s always him because we don’t know what he’ll do next: slot home a goal after an amazing touch, or slide tackle an opponent who doesn’t have the ball and get sent off. He never fails to entertain, or have a terrible haircut, and Italy is putting a lot of hope on a 21-year-old who''s likely just on the wrong side of loopy.
Ireland: Robbie Keane, F.
One of the few players in this tournament who plays here in the USA. He led the Galaxy to an MLS title last year, but did it with what seemed like three-quarter effort. He's in the twilight of his career, yet Keane can nevertheless make an impact. Keep in mind that he holds the distinction as Ireland’s career goal-scoring leader.
Croatia: Luka Modric, M.
Modric is one of the most creative and driven midfielders in the world. Last summer, Tottenham fought hard to keep him away from many suitors, including super-rich Chelsea. One can only imagine that he’s still looking to move, now that the Spurs failed qualify for the Champions League. Modric disappeared at the end of the year for Tottenham and will be looking to show everyone that that was an anomaly, not the new norm.
Group D
Ukraine: Andriy Shevchenko, F.
Shevchenko has been around the block quite a few times. He knows his history and he knows how important this tournament is to Ukraine. With the home crowd behind him, he will look to reach back to the mid aughts and find a rich vein of talent to help his team impress in a relatively wide-open group.
Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, F.
Ibra was once a lumbering target who struggled when he didn’t have good service from the midfield. Then he went to AC Milan, where he grew into what experts call the false nine role. Ibrahimovic can now sit in a sort of no-man’s land between where a striker normally would be and the midfield, and drive the action forward as well as score on his own. His passing is spot on and his finishing is often creative and exciting.
France: Hatem Ben Arfa, M.
This relatively young player has had a rough couple of years. His lack of discipline and health has kept him out of regular action, but this year with Newcastle he still managed to hit a new level in his development. Gven a chance to get a consistent run of games, Ben Arfa produced some magical goals. He will look to continue that this summer and restore France’s disgraced name.
England: Andy Carroll, F.
For much of the year, Andy Carroll was Liverpool’s waste of 35 million pounds. This lolloping forward struggled to stay with the squad and struggled to score. But toward the end of the year, something clicked and he suddenly became a threat to score. In the FA Cup final in May, Carrol came off the bench and immediately halved the deficit, then appeared to tie it when his header was saved into the underside of the crossbar. We’ll probably never know if it was in, but the man is playing with confidence, and that will go a long way. Carroll's even more important for England this year, because Wayne Rooney must sit out the first two games due to disciplinary problems. If he continues to play well, England should be in good position when Rooney returns.
Matt Anderson is Began in '96's Richmond correspondent. More of his coverage of Euro 2012 can be found here.
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