Feli-pow!

Apologies to David Villa's fantastic hat-trick, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's wundergoal, Greece's war of attrition approach to football, Portugal's qualification for the knockout stage, and Switzerland's agonizing defeat, but I have bigger fish to fry.

This is an international tournament but the biggest news so far has to do with club football. After telling the unlucky and uncharismatic (I think I made that word up) Avram Grant he would not return as Chelsea manager, there was a great deal of speculation as to who would take the Blues into the future. My personal choice was to see Frank Rijkaard take the helm, but it was not to be...and I'm not even mad because:

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Luiz Felipe Scolari will be defending the Bridge!


Things are looking up for Chelsea with this man at the helm


An announcement was made late Wednesday while I was watching the Switzerland v Turkey match on ESPN. Euro 2008 will be "Big Phil's" last competition with the Portuguese national side.

I think this is a great appointment for Chelsea as Scolari led Brazil in 2002 to the World Cup championship. Any time you can put down that you are a World Cup champion on your CV, you are a pretty big deal. Also, he likes to play an attacking style, which I think suits Chelsea very well.

In addition to his tactical prowess, big Phil has a solid clientele list as the manager of two high-profile international sides with Portugal and Brazil. He currently manages 3 Chelsea players with Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, and new signing Bosingwa. There have been rumblings that Carvalho might link up with old Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at Inter, but hopefully the appointment of Scolari can convince Carvalho to stay as he is an integral part of the backline at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona and Portugal central attacking midfielder Deco has been linked by the media with Chelsea and perhaps now that Deco's national manager has gone to Chelsea, it looks increasingly likely that Deco might follow him to West London. I really like Deco and he has bags of talent, but I am worried about where he would fit in terms of chemistry. With Frank Lampard "deputising" the midfield alongside a reinvigorated Michael Ballack and flanked by Joe Cole and Florent Malouda, I don't know where Deco would stand in that midfield. That could all change if Lampard's proposed move to Inter materializes.

Reading Soccernet.com this morning word on the street is that Scolari would like to bring another protege to Chelsea...Kaka. If this happens it would be an absolute coup no matter the price. Kaka has shown at the club and national level what a world class talent he is and I would love to see him strut his stuff at Stamford Bridge.

Alright I gotta go catch the rest of the fixtures from the group of death, but I dont know if I will be able to report on the happenings though as I am packing up for a nice little vacation to the sandy beaches of Virginia Beach (that sounds redundant). I hope to have internet down there so I can keep up on all the latest transfer info...bring on Kaka!

Do or Die

In the earlier match, the Croatians turned Euro 2008 (and the Germans) on its head with a 2-1 upset over the heavy favorites. The second game is between the first day losers Austria and Poland with the loser of this match booking an early trip home. A draw would keep both alive but they would have a lot to do. I'd like to see the Austrian squad at least score for their fans (and the lucky scorer will earn a lifetime of free beer!)

Group B- Game 4
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna

Poland comes out in all white while the Austrians come out in all red. Its hard to differentiate the fans in the stadium as everyone is donning red and white. Either way, the crowd seems ready to back their respective country in this match that is essentially an elimination game.

A graphic flashes across the screen that both Austria and Poland are looking for their first win and first goal ever in the Euro competition. Theres not a whole lot to differentiate the two sides and I think that Austria can use their home advantage to see this one out and live to fight another die.
NB: I am going to butcher the Polish names.

1 min- Poland kicks off and gets the game under way

4 min- The Austrians really look up for this game as the midfield is intense and looking to dictate the pace of play.

6 min- Ivanschitz fires a warning shot wide of the Polish goal. He will definitely give Artur Boruc something to worry about today.

11 min- Harnik misses a fantastic opportunity to open their account as he sneaks in to steal a Polish back pass and fails to beat Boruc one-on-one.

20 min- Krzynowek blasts a shot well wide of the Austrian net...first "shot" by Poland thus far.

22 min- Garics gets the ball on the right side of the Polish 18 but Boruc comes out and stops Garics from doing anything constructive

24 min- Austria are just laying siege to the Polish net, but you have to wonder if they are susceptible to a counter attack.

27 min- I get my first reminder that the Celtics will be looking to bounce back against the Lakers tonight. I think its funny to hear a bunch of British guys try to talk about basketball.

30 min- GOAL!! After withstanding heavy pressure, its the Poles who strike first. Saganowski has a shot deflected right into the path of Roger Guerreiro who just taps it home.

31 min- The Austrians must be absolutely deflated that they conceded a soft goal after dominating the first half hour.

35 min- Krzynowek is afforded acres of space and tests his luck again but sends the ball over.

38 min- Again Krzynowek has a go and this time its on target, but Macho has no trouble with it.

44 min- Austria free kick, Ivanschitz sends it in but cleared with ease

45 min- Hicklesperger's team awarded another free kick at the right edge, Ivanschitz takes it..foul against Austria

HALF TIME- Austrian must be bemoaning their luck to be down once again at the half. Poland will look to concentrate more defensively in the second half and ensure that the lead remains theirs at the full time whistle.

54 min- In the words of Peter Brackley, this really has turned into a ding-dong battle as both teams are gung-ho for goal.

59 min- Its beginning to turn into a role reversal as the Poles are looking to put the game beyond all doubt in a dominating fashion right now.

62 min- Roger Guerreiro has been extremely lively this half and his dribbling has been a joy to watch

64 min- Macho made two fantastic saves off of a Polish corner to give his team a fighting chance. Ivica Vastic, the oldest player in the tournament on for Ivanschitz and Kienast on for Linz.

66 min- Saganowski goes off in pain, gets the magic spray and returns....what is that stuff??

67 min- foul on Krzynowek gives him a chance to tee off and does he ever..he sends a blast at the net that Macho tips over the bar..corner short but nothing comes of it

71 min- Golanski crosses a ball into the box for Smolarek but he cant get anything on it.

74 min- Aufhauser off for Saeumel

76 min- Vastic sends a free kick into orbit...what a waste

81 min- Austria is really struggling to crack the Polish defense, no one wants to take control and equalize for Austria.

84 min- Harnik does well to win a corner, but Proedl can put it on target

85 min- Guerreiro comes off for murawski

90 min- Poland just need to hold onto possession to see this one through. 3 minutes added on.

92 min- PENALTY!! Legawandowski called for pulling down Proedl

93 min- Vastic steps up...GOAL!!!! Vastic, the elder statesman sends the whole nation into raptures! Not only that but he's earned himself free beer for the rest of his life!

94 min- Krzynowek blazes a late corner over the bar

Full Time Austria 1-1 Poland

Austria pulls out a last gasp equalizer to thrill the home fans...There was a question offside on the first goal so perhaps this was a moment of poetic justice for the hardworking Austrians. Poland probably feel hard done by, but at the end of the day, it was probably a fair finish. Austria must realize that they must take advantage of any chance given to them or be on the wrong side of a result. Croatia will top Group B while Poland, Germany and even the Austrians will fight for the second berth into the knockout stage on Monday. Fantastic stuff.

Table

Croatia 6 pts +2
Germany 3 pts +1
Austria 1 pt -1
Poland 1 pt -2

Flash Forward

Alright, so today I am going to try "live blogging", where I will be typing my observations on the games as they happen rather than talking about games that happened 3 days ago.

Group B- Game 3

Winners from the first round of matchups, Germany and Croatia will square off in Klagenfurt with a winner qualifying for the knockout stage.

Woerthersee Stadium, Klagenfurt

Germany and Croatia both come out in the same kits that they wore in the previous match. I expect the Croatian cycling team to have a mountainous time trying to overcome the Germans today.

I've noticed that "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes has become an unofficial football anthem, much like "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. When did this happen? And who started it?

During the national anthems its pretty easy to distinguish the Croatian fans from the German ones as the Croats are donned in red and white checkered clothing, seems like an even split.

Germany come out with the same squad that started against Poland, and the only change for Croatia is Rakitic on for Petric.

Here we go:

3 min- Germany has enjoyed the possession majority, but neither team looks comfortable yet.

6 min- Srna takes a knock on the thigh courtesy of Metzelder and stays down for a considerable time...the Croatian medics apply copious amounts of the magical spray and Srna hops back up.

8 min- rakitic swings a cross in from the left but its headed out by the German defense, thats the closest the Croats have come to scoring thus far.

9 min- jansen does the same exact thing for Germany, but they win a corner...cleared away by the team in blue

12 min- srna free kick right of box, cleared out for a Croat throw in deep...cleared out for german counter, Klose couldnt control a pass from Lahm.

16 min- the Croats have some noisy fans as they've provided a nice backdrop for announcers Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth.

17 min- Croatian corner is glanced across the goal but no one is there to put it home.

20 min- this game is getting a bit chippy as the Germans are exerting their physical advantages, but the Croats are starting to push back

22 min- Mario Gomez caught offside..he really looks out of sorts today.

24 min- GOAL!!! Croatia's Dario Srna latches a boot onto a Modric cross in front of Jansen to hit the back of the net..Slaven Bilic celebrates with an air guitar solo.. beautiful build up for the Croats as they had at least 10 passes before the goal.

25 min- how will the Germans respond?

26 min- Jansen tries to make up for his lapse and swings a ball in for Gomez, who heads the ball over the bar another Gomez chance gone begging.

27 min- Srna given a yellow card for chopping down Podolski on the left side of the box. Frings on the ball...hits the wall and out for a deep throw.

28 min- Frings sends a cross in, snapped up by Pleitikosa.

30 min- Krancjar blows a perfect chance to put Croatia up 2-0, but he blazes the ball over the bar after it sits up nicely for him in the box.

33 min- ballack fires a deep free kick but Pleitikosa tips it wide..some energy from the Germans now, as they have a few half-chances in the box.

35 min- Slaven Billic is shown dropping a good luck charm and he kisses it like 23 times when he picks it up....weird.

40 min- Frings takes a corner for Germany and Metzelder couldnt keep it down. The Germans are knocking..

42 min- Lehmann makes a fantastic save after Corluka runs down the right, the ball ends up with Krancjar but Lehmann proves his equal.

43 min- Croatia wins the corner off the save, Srna hits the side netting trying to beat Lehmann near post

45 min- Gomez caught offside for like 5th time this half. if he ever manages to get it right, he will put one in the back of the net for sure.

45 min- Simunic given a yellow for time wasting

HALF TIME- The Srna goal is the only thing that separates these two sides. One of the Germans needs to step up and exude the class that everyone has been talking about. Klose and Podolski have been ghosts. Croatia doesnt look like they are going to let up, I expect a goal or two after the half, from which team remains to be seen.

46 min- Odonkor comes on for Jansen. A smart move by German manager lowe. He needs a more attacking approach on the right, and Jansen was getting worked by the Croatia attack

49 min- Ballack sails a rebound punched to him by Pleitikosa well over the bar.

52 min- Croatia seem happy to wait for a counter attack as Germany has enjoyed the possession in the early goings of this half. Modric rifles a shot from way out, Lehmann has a bit of trouble with it, but manages to hold on.

56 min- I must say that watching football in HD is amazing, you can see every blade of grass and every seam on the ball with clarity. Its gorgeous.

58 min- Croatia are playing well at the back but they are definitely inviting Germany to make something happen.

60 min- Srna takes another knock to the thigh he hurt earlier...I imagine more magical spray is not far behind.

62 min- GOAL!!!! A speculative cross from Srna takes a deflection and catches Lehmann off guard. It bounces off the post to poacher Ivica Olic to put in the net. A shock scoreline 2-0 Croatia.

64 min- Croatia is looking to put this game beyond doubt, Olic wins a corner, Srna takes it but Lehmann is able to punch it wide.

65 min- A logical substitution, a poor Mario Gomez comes off for Bastian Schweinsteiger. Tommy Smyth says that Podolski will go up top with Klose and Schweinsteiger will replace him on the left wing.

68 min- Krancjar wins a free kick right outside the German 18. Srna lines it up, hits the wall.

69 min- Klose takes a weak effort that hits a Croat defender...pretty much sums up the German attack thus far.

70 min- Olic wins a corner, Srna takes it, punched out by Lehmann for another corner

71 min- Srna takes the second corner and it sneaks across the box untouched.

72 min- Goal scorer Olic is coming off for Petric

73 min- Schweinsteiger shoots across the face of goal and it goes wide for a corner. He takes the corner, out for another...cleared

75 min- booking for the German captain Ballack

76 min- Krancjar takes a good shot but Lehmann handles it

77 min- a ball into the box for Klose is cut out behind for a corner

79 min- GOAL!! Podolski puts in his third of the tournament as the Croatia defense failed to seriously avert the danger and Podolski's left footed volley made them pay

81 min- Srna off for Leko

82 min- Fritz off for Kevin Kuranyi... Lehmann has to make a save again after a rasping shot from Krancjar

85 min- Kranjcar off for Knezevic...a defensive substitution

86 min- Germany has thrown everyone forward in desperation, Croatia is threatening another goal through counter attacking.

90 min- 3 minutes of added time

91 min- Lahm almost puts the ball in his own net after a low Modric cross...corner, Croatia just looking for time killing.

92 min- RED CARD!! Schweinsteiger gets caught retaliating against Leko and is sent off. Lehmann and Leko given yellows

93 min- Modric booked for challenge on Frings

FULL TIME

Croatia celebrates a fantastic win over the Germans and they proved that they certainly are no pushovers in this tournament. A win for Austria or a draw between Austria and Poland sees Croatia through as the top team in Group B. A surprise result for sure and Germany will have it all to do against Austria in their last match and will be without hot-headed Schweinsteiger.

Grupo de Muerte!

Sunday was the much anticipated debut of the group of death and I couldnt have been happier...or so I thought. The France-Romania match turned out to be an absolute yawner and ended nil-nil. Leading up to the Oranje-Azzurri matchup, there had been a total of 6 clean sheets. Not exactly a good way to capture the attention of the neutral observer. Thankfully, the Dutch seized the limelight and put on a captivating display that wowed many (except the finicky Italians).

Group C- Game 1
Letzigrund, Zurich

France- All Blue
Romania- All Yellow

France really showed their age in this match as they failed to live up to the hype as a pre-tournament favorite. Without Thierry Henry, who sat out due to a sciatic nerve issue, it was up to Nicolas Anelka (Boooo!) and Karim Benzema to lead the attack with the help of Franck Ribery, the footballing Quasimodo. On paper that seems like a formidable threat, but this three-pronged "attack" couldnt have put the ball in the Atlantic Ocean, even if they wanted to. Anelka showed no real intentions of scoring and Ribery disappeared for long periods of the match. The young Benzema, who was clearly looking to impress a worldwide crowd blew the best scoring chance of the match as he cooly passed a nicely squared ball right to the keeper.

Romania matched France's anemia in almost every department. They seemed satisfied with ending their first group of death match with a draw and played accordingly. To be honest, I stopped taking notes on this match before the end of the first half as I found myself dozing off here and there. This game was certainly nothing to write home about, so I am going to stop pretending like this game interested me.

Fulltime France 0-0 Romania

Group C - Game 2
Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Bern

Netherlands- Orange Shirts with white shorts
Italy- All Blue

Any fears or concerns that Euro 2008 would be a nadir of lackluster football were quickly put to rest in a thrilling match between the Oranje and the Azzurri in Bern. This game was extremely fast paced and very much a free-flowing affair, which suited the Dutch "total football".

The Dutch were given a favorable call thanks to a technicality as garbage man Ruud van Nistelrpoy was able to poke home a Wesley Sneijder cross in the 26th minute. Replays showed that Ruud was clearly offside, yet in the play that led up to the goal, Italian defender Panucci was knocked off the pitch by his keeper Buffon. Panucci remained off the field when van Nistelrooy tapped in the goal. According to the rule book any player who is not given permission to leave the field is deemed a part of the pitch, so technically the offside line was where Panucci was lying, so the goal stood. Both the Dutch and Italians shared an equal amount of disbelief when the goal was allowed to stand, but I dont think the Dutch were as upset as the Azzurri.

Five minutes later the Dutch were able to produce one of the greatest counter attacking(ie total football) goals I have ever seen. The Italians were awarded a corner kick that was flicked on and looked to curl inside the back post were it not for the omnipresent Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who dutifully stuck to the back post and cleared the ball off the line. For most defenders, their job would have been done, but van Bronckhorst took the road less traveled and sprinted up the left side of the field and received the ball. He then reached the left edge of the box and sent a cross to Dirk Kuyt on the far right side of the box. Kuyt headed the ball right to the feet of Sneijder, who beautifully took the ball and fired home at the near post in a space between Buffon and the post that was just as wide as the ball. It was a stunning piece of football that will surely go down as one of the best goals of the tournament.

Italy was reeling at this point and it was obvious. The Dutch are not exactly known for resolute defending and the Italians were looking to take advantage of that and get back in the match. Luca Toni and Andrea Pirlo both had a bevy of chances that went begging. Italian manager Roberto Donadoni went to his bench to find some additional firepower. Talisman Alessandro del Piero entered the match and made a positive impact, but like his teammates, he also couldnt unlock the Dutch defense. Donadoni's final substitution was made to bring Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano on in an all-out effort to steal at least a point.

Any chance of getting something out of the match was put to rest in the 80th by none other than van Bronckhorst. Andrea Pirlo took a free kick that was fantastically met by a diving Edwin Van Der Sar. The ball was quickly pushed upfield to sub Robin van Persie, who boldly attacked the scrambling Italian defense. He fed the ball to Kuyt on his right, who tried to chip Buffon. The keeper was able to get a hand to it, but pawed the ball back to Kuyt, he found the diminutive van Bronckhorst--who had no business being up there--in the penalty area in which the left back headed home and put the game on ice. It was a fabulous result for the high-flying Dutch and it has certainly raised questions about the Italians.

Fulltime Netherlands 3-0 Italy

Table

Netherlands 3 pts +3
France 1 pt 0
Romania 1 pt 0
Italy 0 pts -3

Ref's Take:

I cant believe that the group of death produced the atrocity that was the France-Romania match, but thankfully the Dutch brought the tournament to life with their breathtaking display of attacking football (if you cant tell, I am a little biased here). I think the age and miles on the collective legs of the French and Italian squads are really starting to show as neither team looked like the sides that met in the World Cup finals just two years ago.

I wouldnt count the Italians out of it just yet, but I think that the French are dead in the water at this point. The Italians showed that they are built to sit on leads and suffocate the opposition, rather than play from behind. There still is no easy game in this group but I think the Dutch have turned a lot of heads by giving the Azzurri their worst loss ever in the Euros and will be a force to be reckoned with.

More of the Same

Day 2 saw more of the same as the other co-host was undeservingly on the wrong side of a result and another favorite showed their superiority.


Group B- Game 1
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna

Austria- Red shirts with white shorts
Croatia- All blue

Croatia, who were dressed more appropriately for the Tour de France rather than Euro 2008, claimed a fortuitous win in their opening match. The Austrians were looking to avoid the same unfortunate circumstances that surrounded the loss of their co-hosts, but an early penalty consigned them to a similar fate. Croatian striker Ivica Olic was brought down in the box after a clumsy challenge from Rene Aufhauser. New Tottenham youngster Luka Modric stepped up and cooly slotted the ball down the middle to bulge Tommy Smyth's "Auld Onion Bag" in just the fourth minute.

Olic was at the forefront again as he was a toe poke away from removing all doubt on the game in the 14th minute. Croatia completely dominated the first 30 minutes of the game, holding at least 61% of the possession but still only had that one penalty to show for. Mladen Petric had his chance for doubling the lead as a cross from Vedran Corluka found him free behind the Austrian defense only for Petric to squander an easy chance by sending an audacious volley over the bar.

The last quarter of an hour in the first half seemed as though Austria finally understood that they were supposed to put the ball in the other team's net. Croatia found itself on the back foot desperately waiting for the halftime whistle to blow. Austria kept the pressure on with Standfest blazing a header over the bar just before the half.

Austria looked to build on the foundation laid at the end of the first half and you could tell their confidence grew with each minute passed. Harnik continually terrorized the right side of the pitch for Austria as he found his way to the box or thereabouts with some regularity.

Time began working against the Austrians as they scrambled to desperately level the game. Croatia's much vaunted creative midfield finally appeared in a timely fashion as they were able to control the last 5-7 minutes of the game. Austria were given a last-gasp chance at the death but sub Kienast headed a free kick just wide of the post and Croatia held on.

Fulltime Austria 0-1 Croatia

Group B- Game 2
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt

Germany- White shirts with black shorts
Poland- Red shirts with white shorts

This game has a real buzz about it as the Poles are looking for their first victory over their hated German rivals. Poland would love nothing more than to put a dent in the Euro hopes of the prohibitive favorites. What the Polish learned however, was that wishful thinking could only get you so far.

Germany started the game with the intent to erase any questions about them being the team to beat in the tournament but it was Krzynowak of Poland who had the first real chance of the game after Lehmann showed his copyrighted butter fingers. Moments later it was the Germans who squandered a golden opportunity to open their Euro 2008 account as Klose beat the offside trap and the keeper but his squared ball to Gomez was sent wide by the lunging youngster.

The Polish defense were inviting the Germans to sneak behind as they were playing an extremely high back four. It was only a matter of time before Klose was wreaking havoc once again as he slipped through the seams and played a square ball for the much-maligned Lukas Podolski to produce a simple tap in. The Bayern Munich striker produced a woeful season for his club and surprised many when Joachim Lowe included him in squad but he backed his manager's selection with a crucial first goal.

Poland were not too discouraged as they carved out a few solid chances themselves, with the best coming from midfielder Zurawski scuffing a cross just wide of the post. The Germans went into the half feeling comfortable with their lead but were probably wishing that they were up by a second goal.

The second 45 minutes produced more of the same as the Germans dictated the play while the Poles were scrambling to ensure they didnt fall further behind. Two-thirds of the way into the game, Poland had outshot the Germans 12-6 but the scoreline remained the same. Poland sub Roger Guerreiro provided a spark for the attack but was unable to help the ball find the back of the net.

Sometimes football can be a cruel game and the Poles found that out in heartbreaking fashion as Polish-born Podolski was in the right place at the right time to volley home a Klose misfire into the net and earn himself a remarkable brace. Germany looked like they could have added another with inspired sub Bastian Schweinsteiger constantly proving to be a thorn in the collective side of the Polish defense. The red and white had no response for the wonderful Podolski and left the Hypo-Arena still without a win against their hated rivals.

Fulltime Germany 2-0 Poland

Table
Germany 3 pts. +2
Croatia 3 pts. +1
Austria 0 pts. -1
Poland 0 pts. -2

Refs Take:

I think the first thing worth pointing out is how much livelier the fans were in Vienna and Klagenfurt. The Austrian fans were really behind their 11 and made the Swiss fans look like they were at a golf match yesterday. The Croatian contingent played their part too and I was really surprised to see how well they travel. Not to be outdone, the Germany-Poland match had an electric feeling as there was a palpable animosity in the air.

As far as the football went, it was almost deja vu as a co-host was unlucky to lose and a favorite showed why people werent betting against them. The Germans did almost everything right and will look to take this good form into their next match with Austria. From a tactical standpoint, I think Schweinsteiger did enough to merit a starting role in the next match, perhaps instead of Mario Gomez, who seemed to struggle at times.

And We're Off..

The tournament officially kicked off in Basel at St. Jakob Park with an interesting ceremony that featured cows and alpine skiers amongst a field of cloth cubes. I really dont know who was the mastermind behind this thrilling event, but it was probably the strangest thing I've seen on TV this side of Japan, it was just bizarre. Thankfully the opening match was not far behind.

Group A- Game 1
St. Jakob Park, Basel

Switzerland- Red shirts with white shorts
Czech Republic- White shirts with blue shorts

If the Swiss started this tournament with a strong feeling of hope that they could progress to the next stage, they left St. Jakob Park on Saturday with a great deal of frustration. Their star striker and captain, Alexander Frei left the pitch in tears as his Euro 2008 came to an abrupt end with a knee injury in the first half.

Things never really improved for the Swiss as the Czech sub Vaclav Sverkos scored with the Czech's ONLY SHOT ON GOAL in the 70th minute. Replays showed that Sverkos miss-hit a volley when the ball was lobbed overhead to him in the box but he had enough on it to guide it into the net. The Swiss really turned up the tempo as they pushed for an equalizer. It was not the Czech defense or the rather ordinary looking Petr Cech that kept the Swiss from equalizing, but the woodwork (on a few occasions).

With the final whistle, the Swiss must feel extremely unlucky to walk away from this game with nothing to show for. They played some enterprising football at times and were able to create some efficient attacks. On the other hand the Czech must surely be unhappy with this result due to the lack of scoring chances but realize that 3 points are 3 points. It is painfully obvious that the Czech are missing the influential talents of Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved in the midfield and will have to find a way to replace them if they want to make a sustained appearance in this tournament.

Fulltime: Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic

Group A-Game 2
Stade de Geneve, Geneva

Portugal- All red
Turkey- White shirts with blue shorts

The mindset of both of these teams going into the second match of tournament could be summed up in one word: reaffirmation. The Portuguese were looking to reaffirm their status as a pre-tournament favorite while the Turks were looking to reaffirm their status as an elite footballing nation as they failed to qualify for World Cup 2006. From an individual standpoint, I am sure that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to prove that he is best player in the world as he can enjoy the limelight every time he steps on the pitch.

The Portuguese came out firing as Brazilian-born center back Pepe had an early goal rightly disallowed for offside. Ronaldo looked pretty lively as one of his trademark weaves through defenders but ended the run by putting the ball well wide of the net. He wasn't done as the best chance of the half came from his boot. With a handball called about ten yards outside of the box Ronaldo stepped up and blasted a shot for the right post in which the Turkish keeper Volkan could only get a fingertip to it; but that was enough as the ball deflected off the inside of the post and bounced out.

Turkey were lucky to start the second half on level terms but the Portuguese seemed intent on changing that as quick as possible. Nuno Gomes was the next Portugal player to coat the ball with woodwork paint. Nuno Gomes latched onto a ball that was free in the box after Moutinho was fouled at the edge of the box. The ref allowed for Gomes to play on, but the shot struck the bottom of the post.

After knocking on Turkey's doorstep for most of the match, Pepe, who plies his trade with Spanish champs Real Madrid, stormed down the middle of the pitch and played a lovely one-two with Nuno Gomes into the box and pushed the ball up over the sliding Volkan thanks to a desperation tackle from a Turkish defender.

Portugal never look satisfied with a one goal lead and Nuno Gomes showed their desire for a second with another encounter with the woodwork. The Turks created a few decent opportunities but never truly showed the quality in front of goal needed to equalize. Sub Raul Meireles sealed the deal in stoppage time after a superb flowing move by the Portuguese attack.

Fulltime: Portugal 2-0 Turkey


Table

Portugal 3 pts +2
Czech Rep 3 pts +1
Switzerland 0 pts -1
Turkey 0 pts -2

Ref's Take:

I thought the Swiss were extremely unlucky as they at least deserved to share the spoils with a lackluster Czech side. Petr Cech looked shaky at times and I hope that it was only a result of the devious ball that Jens Lehmann has cried foul over. Portugal showed their prowess and got their campaign off on a start they can surely be happy with. Not a lot went wrong for the Portuguese and they will look to go from strength to strength. It was nice to see new Chelsea signing Bosingwa have a positive impact on the game and I hope that translates into good things at the Bridge.

Lastly, the Ref has a huge problem with international squads that wear kits that do not reflect their nations colors. Japan and the Italians come to mind as the main culprits of this crime. Turkey seems to have joined this non-sequitur uniformed axis of evil by donning white and sky blue kits when they should be white and red. I am really upset about this; as an act of retaliation, I will root for any team playing against the Turkish side. You hear me Fatih Terim??

Like a Drug I Cant Quit

Hello, its good to see everyone again.

With about three weeks of recuperation from Chelsea's devastating relinquishment of two major trophies to the European NY Yankees (read: Manchester United), John Terry's miss only haunts my dreams three times a week. I feel as though I am making great strides as the "Slip Heard 'Round the World" left me in a permanent catatonic state for about two weeks; but I will never fully recover.

I avoided all football coverage for about a week, no Fox Soccer Channel, no ESPN Soccernet, no Footytube (my new favorite highlights website) and certainly no Chelsea.com. So I missed the FA Cup final and then I realized that the season was over. No more live football matches until August. This brought an epiphany; I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and my team. There are plenty of Chelsea fans who have spent their entire lives hoping for European glory, endured through the misery of the 70s and 80s while I have been a "Johnny-come-lately" in the grand scheme of things. In the process of moping I missed out on some decent finals, namely the FA Cup Final and the Italian Cup Final. Now that I graduated from UMass and living at home is sucking the little youth I have left right out of me, the onset of Euro 2008 has fanned the dormant embers of the football flame that consumes my heart. And I dont think it could have come at a better time.

For those who arent familiar with UEFA Euro 2008, I will give you the low-down.

History:

Its a quadrennial tournament that alternates every two years with the World Cup and features 16 teams from the European continent. Outside of the World Cup, its probably the most important international competition. The first tournament was first held in France in 1960 with the USSR being the first team to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. The Germans (West Germany and Germany) are the most successful team in the tournament having won it on three occasions with their last title coming at Wembley in 1996. The French are the only team who have won the World Cup (98) and Euro (2000) consecutively and the Greeks surprised everyone in Portugal at Euro 2004 and therefore enter 2008 as the defending champs.

Venues:

Euro 2008 is being co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland and the venues are divided accordingly. In the Austrian nation, the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Klagenfurt will provide action for groups B and D. While in Switzerland, Geneva, Bern, Basel, and Zurich will host groups A and C. The largest stadium is the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. As such, it will host the final in front of 53,295 supporters. The smallest venue is the Letzigrund in Zurich with a capacity of 30,000.

Competition format:

There are four groups consisting of four teams. Each team plays the other three teams in their group once and the teams with the top two point totals in the group qualify for the quarterfinals. A team earns three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. In the event that two teams have an equal amount of points at the end of the three group games, the tiebreaker is then goal difference (goals scored-goals conceded= goal difference). The winner of group A plays the runner up from B, the Winner of B plays the runner up from A in the quarterfinals. The same matchups are used in groups C and D. Once in the quarterfinals, its a one-and-done knockout stage until only two teams are left for the June 29th final in Vienna.

The Teams:

Group A
Czech Republic
Portugal
Switzerland
Turkey

Group B
Austria
Croatia
Germany
Poland

Group C
France
Italy
Netherlands
Romania

This has been labeled by media as the GROUP OF DEATH as France, Italy, and the Netherlands all rank in the top ten in FIFA's world rankings. Romania isnt there to just make up the numbers as they topped a qualifying group that included the Dutch and rank 12th in the world rankings. This should be the best group to watch by far.

Group D
Greece
Russia
Spain
Sweden

The Favorites:

Germany have been made the favorites by bookmakers and pundits alike. They have a relatively easy path to the finals as potentially Portugal in the knockout stage would be the sternest test. France and defending World Cup champions Italy have many backing them for Euro glory as well.

The Darkhorses:

Spain has arguably the most talented team on paper but they have an unhealthy history of underachievement. They show promise at every major tournament and Euro 2008 is no exception. The Dutch always provide an entertaining brand of football but will have to show a lot of verve to escape the Group of Death. Lastly, Croatia has a few people buzzing as they have the talent and tactical acumen to make a deep run.

"We're Just Happy to Be Here"

This is Austria's first qualification for the tournament and it's by virtue of being a co-host for the event; they rank 92nd in the world. Many Austrians are fearful for what they feel might be a public embarrassment of their team during this tournament for spectators worldwide to see. Poland is also making their first appearance at the Euros. Although they do have two World Cup appearances, this tournament will not flatter their lack of star power.

The Ref's take:
(Ref's Note: I have watched the first round of matches from groups A, B, and C already so my predictions are a little biased at this point)

With the English unceremoniously failing to qualify, I am forced to reveal that my second favorite non-American team is Holland. They provide an unabashed knack for shooting first and asking questions later. I think the Oranje and the French will negotiate their ways out of the tricky group of death. In group D, Spain will emerge with some confidence and Russia will surprise some people with a booking to the knockout round. On the other half of the bracket, Germany will cruise in Group B and Croatia will follow in their wake. My other upset special will see the Swiss ride the wave of home support and manage to join Portugal out of Group A.

The Ernst Happel Stadion will play host to Spain and Germany in the Finals and I am going out on a limb and saying that Fernando Torres and his twinkling toes will lead Spain to their first major trophy since winning Euro 1964.

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Since I have absolutely nothing better to do at the moment, I am going to be watching as many games as possible and writing match reports if anyone is interested. I know that every media outlet in the world is covering this tournament--even ESPN is offering live coverage of every match--but I am just going to write for the hell of it as it promises to be a fun tournament.