So, welcome to the CDB Pod, the sister blog to the CDB Desk, that will be focusing entirely on the world of sport from now until (maybe) the end of time. Over the next four days I’ll be previewing all the teams taking part in Euro 2008, which kicks off in exactly one week’s time. Without further ado, let’s have a look at Group A.
Team: Czech Republic
Manager: Karel Bruckner, who’s been in charge of the Czechs forever, and looks like it too. Has done well to keep the team playing well following the retirements of members of the older generation like Poborsky and Nedved.
Strip: Red shirt, white shorts, blue socks. Second strip is all white with red trim.
Captain: Tomas Rosicky, yet to achieve his full potential at Arsenal but the real crux of Czech tactics before and since Nedved’s retirement.
Form: Topping their qualifying group, the Czechs look menacing, having at one stage beaten Germany 3-0 in Munich. A 2-0 friendly victory over Lithuania tells us little, other than that two-goal man-mountain Jan Koller is just as good as he ever was – which is quite good.
Man to Watch: How can one man be so incompetent at club level yet an eternal marvel for his country? Yes, it has to be Milan Baros, top scorer at Euro 2004, whose 31 goals in 59 caps mark him out as a dangerman.
Prediction: They’re always a good tip to do quite well, but barring any miracles in Group B they’ll be playing Germany or Croatia in the quarters, and I’d fancy both of those teams to beat Bruckner’s men, win in Munich or no.
Squad List:
Goalkeepers
1. Petr Cech (Chelsea)
16. Jaromir Blazek (Nurnberg)
23. Daniel Zitka (Anderlecht)
Defenders
2. Zdenek Grygera (Juventus)
6. Marek Jankulovski (Milan)
12. Zdenek Pospech (FC Copenhagen)
13. Michal Kadlec (Sparta Prague)
21. Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina)
22. David Rozehnal (Newcastle)
Midfielders
3. Jan Polak (Anderlecht)
4. Tomas Galasek (Nurnberg)
5. Radoslav Kovac (Spartak Moscow)
14. David Jarolim (Hamburg)
17. Marek Matejovsky (Reading)
18. Tomas Sivok (Sparta Prague)
19. Rudi Skacel (Southampton)
20. Jaroslav Plasil (Osasuna)
Forwards
7. Libor Sionko (FC Copenhagen)
8. Martin Fenin (Eintracht Frankfurt)
9. Jan Koller (Nurnberg)
10. Vaclav Sverkos (Banik Ostrava)
11. Stanislav Vlcek (Anderlecht)
15. Milan Baros (Lyon)
Country: Portugal
Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari, a manager who punches journalists – I love him already. His always-entertaining touchline antics and occasionally mad press conferences belie his brilliant international record. Lost in the final four years ago, World Cup semi finals two years ago, after he won the 2002 competition with Brazil. Felipăo knows his stuff.
Strip: Maroon with green and gold trim. Second strip is white with red and green trim.
Captain: Striker Nuno Gomes, who apparently is only 31. That can’t be true. Past his peak, he’s been getting slower and slower by the week. Probably his last tournament leading the line.
Form: Only lost one game in qualifying – but they came second to Poland overall, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement of their potential. Their campaign included a 1-1 draw with…wait for it…Armenia. Yet to play a pre-tournament friendly, they face tricky (by their standards) Georgia today.
Man to Watch: Of course it won’t be Ronaldo, he’ll be overshadowed by the hype again – there are far more interesting faces in the Portugal squad. I’ll be watching the two Sporting midfielders Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho (who captains the Lisbon team aged just 21), who are both being linked with big moves abroad. The former is a talented holding midfielder while the latter is more box-to-box. They’re pushing for starting places against the more experienced Deco and (imminently retiring) Petit.
Prediction: It’ll be close between them and the Czechs in Group A, but again, I see both Germany and Croatia overcoming Portugal in the quarters.
Squad List:
Goalkeepers
1. Ricardo (Real Betis)
12. Quim (Benfica)
22. Rui Patricio (Sporting)
Defenders
2. Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)
3. Bruno Alves (Porto)
4. Bosingwa (Chelsea)
5. Fernando Meira (Stuttgart)
13. Miguel (Valencia)
14. Jorge Ribeiro (Boavista)
15. Pepe (Real Madrid)
16. Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)
Midfielders
6. Raul Meireles (Porto)
8. Petit (Benfica)
10. Joao Moutinho (Sporting)
18. Miguel Veloso (Sporting)
20. Deco (Barcelona)
Forwards
7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United)
9. Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen)
11. Simao (Atletico Madrid)
17. Ricardo Quaresma (Porto)
19. Nani (Man United)
21. Nuno Gomes (Benfica)
23. Helder Postiga (Panathinaikos)
Team: Switzerland
Manager: Jakob “Kobi” Kuhn, the only teddy bear currently in international management. Stepping down after the tournament, cuddly Kobi knows his side are huge underdogs but will be trying to pull the same magic trick that got his side past the World Cup group stages in 2006.
Strip: Red shirt, white shorts, red socks. Their second strip is the inverse.
Captain: Tall striker Alexander Frei, surprisingly successful at international level with 33 goals in 56 appearances. Switzerland need him firing.
Form: Not having to qualify, the Swiss played a number of friendlies, with very mixed results – a 2-1 win over Holland and even a 1-1 draw with Argentina counterbalanced by losing 2-1 to their inferior co-hosts Austria and in general losing more than they won.
Man to Watch: Right-back Phillipp Degen has just signed for Liverpool, and it’ll be interesting to see why. The former Dortmund man has talent on the offensive as well as in his own half.
Prediction: Rock bottom of Group A. There’s no way they’re getting out of this group. Nul points is likely.
Full Team List:
Goalkeepers
1. Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg)
18. Pascal Zuberbuhler (Free agent)
21. Eldin Jakupovic (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Defenders
2. Johan Djourou (Arsenal)
3. Ludovic Magnin (Stuttgart)
4. Philippe Senderos (Arsenal)
5. Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lille)
13. Stephane Grichting (Auxerre)
17. Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt)
20. Patrick Muller (Lyon)
23. Phillipp Degen (Liverpool)
Midfielders
6. Benjamin Huggel (Basel)
7. Ricardo Cabanas (Grasshopper Zurich)
8. Gokhan Inler (Udinese)
10. Hakan Yakin (Young Boys)
14. Daniel Gygax (Free agent)
15. Gelson Fernandes (Man City)
16. Tranquillo Barnetta (Leverkusen)
19. Valon Behrami (Lazio)
22. Johan Vonlanthen (Salzburg)
Forwards
9. Alexander Frei (Dortmund)
11. Marco Streller (Basel)
12. Eren Derdiyok (Basel)
Team: Turkey
Manager: Fatih Terim is in his second spell as national team manager, and he’s had success before, masterminding Turkey’s first-ever qualification to the Euros in 1996. Known as ‘The Emperor’ in Turkey.
Strip: All red with a white stripe across the chest. Second strip is white with blue socks and shorts.
Captain: Newcastle midfielder Emre Belozoglu, one of that brilliant group of midfielders classified so diplomatically by FIFA as “combative”. Has been pushed into the limelight on Tyneside by Joey Barton’s antics, so presumably will be looking to reclaim his “Most Annoying Little Man” title this summer. He’s better going forward than Barton, though, and keeps his team together well.
Form: Started the qualifiers well with three wins followed by a 4-1 victory over Greece, but then stuttered, losing 3-2 to Bosnia & Herzegovina and drawing 2-2 with lowly Malta – then sinking even lower and drawing away with Moldova. Managed, barely, to scrape through one point ahead of Norway. Their two pre-tournament friendlies yielded a loss to Uruguay and a win over Finland – so nothing special here, then.
Man to Watch: 21-year-old winger Arda Turan had a magnificent season with Galatasaray and is being chaed by numerous top European clubs. One of Turkey’s most exciting players.
Prediction: Last time they played Switzerland they lost in the World Cup qualifying play-off, but I can see them getting one over the co-hosts. That should be it, though, as the Turks look too fragile in defence to get past the Czechs and Portuguese. 3rd in the group.
Full Team List:
Goalkeepers
1. Rustu Recber (Besiktas)
12. Tolga Zengin (Trabzonspor)
23. Volkan Demirel (Fenerbahce)
Defenders
2. Servet Cetin (Galatasaray)
4. Gokhan Zan (Besiktas)
13. Emre Gungor (Galatasaray)
15. Emre Asik (Galatasaray)
20. Sabri Sarioglu (Galatasaray)
22. Hamit Altintop (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders
3. Hakan Balta (Galatasaray)
5. Emre Belozoglu (Newcastle)
6. Mehmet Topal (Galatasaray)
7. Mehmet Aurelio (Fenerbahce)
10. Karadeniz Gokdeniz (Rubin)
11. Tumer Metin (Fenerbahce)
14. Arda Turan (Galatasaray)
16. Ugur Boral (Fenerbahce)
17. Tuncay Sanli (Middlesbrough)
19. Ayhan Akman (Galatasaray)
Forwards
8. Nihat (Villarreal)
9. Semih Senturk (Fenerbahce)
18. Colin Kazim-Richards (Fenerbahce)
21. Mevlut Erdinc (Sochaux)
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