UEFA Euro 2012 Group B (NED/DEN/GER/POR)

[LittleOzzy]

[5DOM]

Goalkeepers:
Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich
Marc-Andre ter Stegen Monchengladbach
Tim Wiese Werder Bremen
Ron-Robert Zieler Hannover
Defenders:
Holger Badstuber Bayern Munich
Jerome Boateng Bayern Munich
Benedikt Howedes Schalke
Mats Hummels Dortmund
Philipp Lahm Bayern Munich
Per Mertesacker Arsenal
Marcel Schmelzer Dortmund
Midfielders:
Lars Bender Leverkusen
Sven Bender Dortmund
Mario Gotze Dortmund
Ilkay Gundogan Dortmund
Sami Khedira Real Madrid
Toni Kroos Bayern Munich
Mesut Ozil Real Madrid
Bastian Schweinsteiger Bayern Munich
Attackers:
Cacau Stuttgart
Julian Draxler Schalke
Mario Gomez Bayern Munich
Miroslav Klose Lazio
Thomas Muller Bayern Munich
Lukas Podolski Koln
Marco Reus Monchengladbach
Andre Schurrle Leverkusen


Impressive

[Point forward]

^If soccer was played with only GK, MF and ST, we would win forever. But if the only non-cringe worthy back is Lahm, we are too fragile for my taste. Still, we are favorites to take the top spot. We match up well vs the current Dutch team, Ronaldo historically gets owned by German teams, and Denmark is the clear underdog.

[Man of Steel]

Everyone seems sure Germany will progress, and I must say, with that squad it's looking like a sure thing. Hoping Portugal are the second team to go through but it's going to be tough with Netherlands in the group as well, and Denmark gave us trouble so they can't be counted out either.

[Sleepy]

^If soccer was played with only GK, MF and ST, we would win forever. But if the only non-cringe worthy back is Lahm, we are too fragile for my taste. Still, we are favorites to take the top spot. We match up well vs the current Dutch team, Ronaldo historically gets owned by German teams, and Denmark is the clear underdog.

Mullets should be mandatory for our team. Business in the front, party in the back...

[Point forward]

^Mullets? Good idea, let's bring back some REAL axemen like Borowka, Michael Schulz or Hajto, I don't care if latter is Polish. Atm, it is a morbid pleasure to watch our team "defend". I don't know which back not named Lahm I dislike most:

Per "lead feet" Mertesacker
Jerome "human sleeping pill" Boateng
Holger "allergic to headers" Badstuber
Mats "NT super choker" Hummels
Bene "how in heck did I get nominated" Höwedes
Marcel "who" Schmelzer

[Det the Threat]

It's a pretty solid selection by Loew and even though we don't have any world class defenders(outside of Lahm) should be OK.
I mean that defensive problem has been there for a couple of years and the defensive stability has been questioned the last couple of tournaments.
Yet we were still able to do OK on defense and I expect us to do so again this time around.

As far as the final cuts go:
I think ter Stegen, Guendogan, Sven Bender and Draxler will be send home before the tournament starts, as long as there aren't any injuries.

Being a Gladbach fan I wouldn't mind ter Stegen gaining the experience of a big tournament at the pro level(he's won the under 17 european championships in 09) but I think he was just selected to get used to the national team and will have a real chance after the euros, when Loew most likely cuts Wiese loose, as Wiese has no chance against Neuer, is older then the Bayern goalie doesn't fits the style of play Loew wants to see by his goalkeepers.

Draxler to me is Marko Marin from the euros 2008 part II(too young and someone that will have a chance after the tournament) and has no chance against all those guys at his positions, while Guendogan is too offensive minded(and like Kroos) at the central midfield position. Sven Bender will not make it, as his twin is maybe more flexible with Loew calling him a possible back up at right back as well.

[cgf]

Eventually Hummels has to start playing as well for the NT as he does for Dortmund...right?...

[diogo_pt]

Portugal 23 players:

GK:

Rui Patricio (Sporting)
Beto (FCPorto/Cluj)
Eduardo (Genoa/Benfica)

DF:

Joao Pereira (Sporting)
Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid)
Miguel Lopes (FCPorto/Braga)
Pepe (Real Madrid)
Bruno Alves (Zenit)
Rolando (FCPorto)
Ricardo Costa (Valencia)

MF:

Raul Meireles (Chelsea)
Joao Moutinho (FCPorto)
Custodio (Braga)
Carlos Martins (Benfica/Granada)
Ruben Micael (Atl.Madrid/Zaragoza)
Miguel Veloso (Genoa)

AT:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Nani (Man Utd)
Quaresma (Besiktas)
Varela (FCPorto)
Helder Postiga (Zaragoza)
Hugo Almeida (Besiktas)
Nelson Oliveira (Benfica)

[diogo_pt]

What do you think about this team?

[Det the Threat]

What do you think about this team?

Looks good on paper and talented as always.

How do you think you're starting eleven will look like?

I would guess something like that?

-----------------------------Rui Patricio---------------------------------

-Joao Pereira---------Pepe-------Bruno Alves-------Coentrao-

------------------------Raul Mereiles----Veloso---------------------

-Nani-----------------------Moutinho-----------------Ronaldo----

-----------------------------Almeida------------------------------------

Or do you guys play more offensively with Moutinho next to Mereiles and then adding someone like Queresma on offense?

Looking at it, I think you've got some problems at striker, as Almeida's good at keeping posession of the ball and headers, but not really a goal scorer.
I also don't know much about Pereira and his abilities and can't judge either of your goalies.

Still, this team looks very good and could, as always, make a deep run during this tournament.

Should be an interesting opening match for both of us.

[diogo_pt]

Our starting lineup will include, for sure,
Rui Patricio (GK), Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves and Coentrao (DF), Joao Moutinho and Meireles (MF), C.Ronaldo and Nani (AT).
There are two positions left.
One is the third guy playing in the middle - could be anyone, but i think i would bet on Veloso or even Custodio, that is a more classic defensive and positional miedfielder. But Martins and Ruben Micael will probably have their chances too. At striker, Helder Postiga is probably starting vs Germany because he usually do well when he plays with Ronaldo and Nani. But Hugo Almeida has a chance. Nelson Oliveira now is starting as third option, he's very young but last months he's starting to shine. Don't forget that he was 2nd best player in the under-20 world cup last summer.

[Point forward]

After the big CL finals, this is gonna be funny. NED and GER contain totally demoralised Bayern players. Remember, Bayern lost the championship, the lost the German DFB Pokal, and now they lost the CL Finals a) after PKs and b) IN THEIR OWN STADIUM.

Can Robben shake of the "choker supreme" tag?
Can Schweinsteiger avoid getting crushed by his PK miss?
Can Neuer live through the fact that all his PK heroics were for nothing?
Can Kroos, Boateng, Gomez and Badstuber avoid the "runner up hangover"?

[cgf]

I don't worry about Schweini and Neuer. Gomez and Badstuber will hopefully be irrelevent to the national team and both Kroos and Boateng have been resilient so far in their careers so I'm optimistic that this won't hurt the national side.

Also think Thomas Mueller will have a great Tourney. He's so much better on the wing and him, Oezil and Klose have great chemistry together. After the way this final ended for him I expect to see him play with a vengeance in the summer. Add the fired up Hummels and Mario Goetze, who will be the most dangerous bench player in this tourney, off their great seasons with Dortmund. And things look pretty good for the german team. I'm hoping to see use starting:
Klose
Reus-Oezil-Mueller
Schweini-Khedira
Schmelzer-Hummels-Boateng-Lahm
Neuer

Which is a squad I'd be very confident in.

[Yellow Flash]

After the big CL finals, this is gonna be funny. NED and GER contain totally demoralised Bayern players. Remember, Bayern lost the championship, the lost the German DFB Pokal, and now they lost the CL Finals a) after PKs and b) IN THEIR OWN STADIUM.

Can Robben shake of the "choker supreme" tag?
Can Schweinsteiger avoid getting crushed by his PK miss?
Can Neuer live through the fact that all his PK heroics were for nothing?
Can Kroos, Boateng, Gomez and Badstuber avoid the "runner up hangover"?

honestly i don't care about the euro anymore. something died inside of me tonight. i'm pretty sure our players feel the same.

[Point forward]

^I understand, and you surely will be sore as hell, but eventually, you will get over it. When Leverkusen 2002 lived through the same thing (2nd in BL, Pokal finalist, CL finalist), the Leverkusen players (Ramelow, Schneider, Neuville) played a brilliant WC, and their CB Lucio even won it. Also, the Dortmund guys like Hummels, Schmelzer and Götze or the neutral guys like Khedira, Özil, Reus or Draxler surely will provide some sunshine.

But still, it is totally ok to be gutted if you are a Bayern fan. Just don't stay like this forever...

[Point forward]

Believe it or not, Bayern will tomorrow play a friendly vs the Dutch NT, as compensation for the quarrels surrounding Robben's injuries during the 2010 WC.

I am TOTALLY SURE that all Bayern players, and especially Robben, will be very motivated to play this game!

[Point forward]

Believe it or not, Bayern will tomorrow play a friendly vs the Dutch NT, as compensation for the quarrels surrounding Robben's injuries during the 2010 WC.

I am TOTALLY SURE that all Bayern players, and especially Robben, will be very motivated to play this game!

This highly anticipated *cough*, totally unavoidable *cough* *cough* and surely extremely hi stakes game *cough* *cough* *cough* will take place today at 19h. In the sickest sense possible, it would be hilarious if Robben injures himself in that game.

[Foye]

^I understand, and you surely will be sore as hell, but eventually, you will get over it. When Leverkusen 2002 lived through the same thing (2nd in BL, Pokal finalist, CL finalist), the Leverkusen players (Ramelow, Schneider, Neuville) played a brilliant WC, and their CB Lucio even won it. Also, the Dortmund guys like Hummels, Schmelzer and Götze or the neutral guys like Khedira, Özil, Reus or Draxler surely will provide some sunshine.

But still, it is totally ok to be gutted if you are a Bayern fan. Just don't stay like this forever...

So other than Lucio nothing changed for Leverkusens players back then?

That would mean Arjen Robben wins the European Championship while the German team comes up just short again.

[Point forward]

That would mean Arjen Robben wins the European Championship while the German team comes up just short again.

Of course we will end 2nd again, but why vs the Dutch? We could also lose vs France (Ribery), Croatia (Olic) or the Ukraine (Tymoshchuk). I bet my boots that Olic and Tymo will score the lone goal by penalty kick