The toughest group in Euro 2012, and one of the toughest groups ever seen in a soccer tournament, kicks off action today as Group B gives us the latest Group of Death.
Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark will embark on a fierce battle for two spots in the knockout rounds and trying to predict which two teams will survive this group is not easy. Germany enters the tournament as the favorites to top this group, but the Dutch are just as capable of snatching first place. Portugal is known as being long-time underachievers, but the talent is there to do something special. Even Denmark has to be given a chance to surprise and sneak out of this group.
Some of the best talent in the tournament will be on display as well, from Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil, to Dutch striker Robin Van Persie and dynamic Danish youngster Christian Eriksen.
Here is the viewing schedule for the day's matches:
12 p.m. - ESPN/ESPN3.com - Netherlands vs. Denmark
2:45 p.m. - ESPN/ESPN3.com - Germany vs. Portugal
If you will be watching today's Friday's Euro 2012 action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Just finished watching the replay. Portugal had a few chances to score in the 2nd half, German defense did its job and so did Neuer. It will be an interesting battle b/w 3 teams for the 2nd spot.
Ronaldo choked hard. Dude needs to learn how to play in a team.
I can’t believe Germany didn’t score like 4 goals. Man they suck.
See how ridiculous that sounds USA fans?
Yes, okay. However, there were time constraints on the program. I’m just surprised at the general tone of hatered directed at Lalas. I don’t get it; I find him entertaining, even when he’s wrong.
By the way, things look a little scary for Denmark because Portugal now have to win, and so will the Dutch. Denmark’s best hope is a Germany 3 – Netherlands 1 score line, so the Dutch have no reason to try.
Win ugly.
Ronaldo was in the game? Man that guy disappears in big moments.
Cristiano Ronaldo with a really pathetic peformance. This guy chokes so hard in big moments.
Twellman is another gnat of a commentator one who watches too much Fox news.
A point about other sportscasters in other sports and why that supposedly makes it OK for Lalas to be a prick. Some of us –surprisingly enough– like soccer because of how it ISN’T like watching basketball or NFL or NHL. It’s coverage, like baseball, should have it’s own flow and flavor, not apeing other sports simply because that’s where the money currently is. Let the game speak for itself, you don’t need inflated personalities to make it better.
Now this game is getting interesting. Defensive shambles by Germany and Portugal should have scored.
Oh I see. You are confusing stero-typical (using one as a representative for an entire group) with proto-typical (being the textbook example of).
Perhaps I’m splitting hairs, but I see nothing anti-American with saying someone is a proto-typical arrogant American anymore than it’s an insult to call someone a prototypical conservative or prototypical liberal.
Germany suddenly looking like Germany
I think it’s spelled o l d s c h o o l i s a c r a c k e r.
Finally a goal for Germany. I didn’t see it coming.
This game is crap.
I agree. Martino is pretty good. Not a big fan of Twellman.
and once again we’re back to a jog around the park yeesh
The officials are taking a lot out of this match. Too quick with the whistle
The debasement of discourse regarding sports is a problem because it is indicative of a larger trend. I never said Lalas gets everything wrong (that, in itself, would be a hyperbolic argument). I did say he is wrong in this particular case and I did say that it is problematic when hyperbole is allowed to pass for legitimate analysis…
Another torrid start for Germany
I’m worried about Germany. I hope they speed up their attacks a bit. Nani and Ronaldo can both win the game for Portugal in three seconds. The Germans must score, two at least, I’m afraid.
I disagree.
I care about the debasement of discourse when the topic is the legality or morality of drone strikes that kill children in nations that are our allies, but not so much when the topic is sports. Think Charles Barkeley or that idiot who can only yell ‘baby’ when he analyzes college basketball, or the pregame discussions before every NFL game: these are closer analogs to what Lalas is doing. Is he wrong that Denmark has no chance? Yes. Is he overstating his case? Yes. Is he an idiot that gets everything wrong? No (except as a GM).
I like it for a team like Spain, because that type of passing is in their DNA…but for the most part I would agree with you…It almost defeats the purpose of set pieces…
Casey Keller should stick with goal keeping, one of the worst announcers I can remember.
I wouldn’t say boring…but Germany did get cautious. They certainly haven’t looked like Germany yet
Really? Such insight. Is it clairvoyance, this awesome ability to understand what people you never met are thinking? You are not worth arguing with. You have a thing about Lalas. We get it. Now back to talking about soccer…
This game really slowed down after the first few minutes. I’m still taking Germany, but wow was that boring.
Through Portugal we’ve finally run into a diving team in Euro 2012. What a silly fall by Nani.
The shows you mention are a completely different format, based on the idea that the general public is either unwilling or unable to process information not presented as “entertainment”…which of course illuminates another problem…the effort to make information entertaining results in logical analysis being replaced by the sort of blustery hyperbole found not only on the shows you mentioned, but on the majority of so-called news programs today. This inevitably results in nuanced exploration of current issues being replaced by “talking points,” which are actually oversimplified embellishments, rhetorical devices, and dramatic hyperbole…
I’ve never liked the couple of passes on set pieces. All ya seem to do in my opinion is let the charger get even closer. The great ones from Forlan and Japan (against Denmark ironically) at the last World Cup were all straight off for a reason.
Nonsense. Your reaction is tied up either in your dislike of Lalas or your being a fan of Denmark. You say Ballack WAS right. Was? Past tense? They are both offering opinions about how the group plays out. You know, about THE FUTURE. Neithr is wrong or right yet. And the fact that the Danes need to take points off Germany and or Portugal means they have a pretty fricking tough task ahead of them. They may do it, but Germany and Portugal going through is far more likely
The same disdain people have for Alexi Lalas, is the same disdain I had for John Harkes.
He made it hard to watch matches with the volume on.
Gacm32, I agree.
Lalas is an idiot more times than not, I disagree with him nearly *all* the time and yet I still find him entertaining.
People who become angry, upset, disgusted by his intentional provocation have issues that go beyond Lalas.
That’s just my opinion.
I’m going for a big prediction here and saying 3-1 Germany.
Ok, regardless, I agree that Alexi was flat-out wrong with his assessment of Denmark. It’s in complete contradiction of form and the fact that they took 3 pts. In a group where it will be extremely difficult to take all 3 points from a match. To say they have no chance im the group even after getting 3 points is idiotic to me.
Keller should be placed on the coverage of the national team. So much more interesting than John Harkes.
If they don’t win, they are in trouble because the Dutch will be tough in game two.
^this
Do you guys who hate Lalas ever watch any other sporting commentary shows? Have you ever seen ‘Around the Horn’ or anything by Jim Rome? Have you ever listened to any BBC podcasts on soccer? Have you ever heard any tv conversation about anything that was presented in a debate format? It’s called rhetoric, and entertainment.
Thank ya.
There was no misrepresentation of what you said. In fact, it’s still above…your attempt to frame it as a straw man is amusing.
You were either being intentionally provocative or simply ignorant. Ironic you should accuse someone eles of the same.
The Germans are playing hardball by the 2nd minute.
He fills a role that a lot of people enjoy. Lalas isn’t on there to be Vin Scully. In this case, his point boils down to the fact that despite the arguments Ballack is making, the group is just too good which he points out. YMMV on the style, but the argument is fine.
The issue is what he said, not any of that other crap. Straw man fallacy if I’ve ever seen one.
Nobody cares about his accent, the color of his hair or anything else. To claim that Denmark has absolutely no chance to make it out of the group after beating the Netherlands and having to really only beat a team they’ve already beaten recently is just flat out ignorant.
He is just WRONG. It has nothing to do with his accent, his hair color, his country of origin or even his shoe size.
Ballack was right. Lalas was dead wrong. Period.
I’m pleased you noticed the jab. Therefore, you observed the initial unnecessary usage of the xenophobic remark.
Point made. Thanks for confirming.
Your examples prove only that, on a given night, anything can happen…they in no way prove that qualifying results aren’t a legitimate barometer for team quality…
Mike, What I said is that a 10 game qualifying tourney is 16 months long and it is different then a 2 week tourney, where people are more focused.
Enjoy Portugal-Germany eveyone.
Bingo.
Common sense is apparently more common than I had anticipated after reading PD/Mike’s statements.
So what you’re saying is that anybody can beat anybody and that fact proves Lalas analysis that a perceived lesser team can never beat the perceived better team.
That’s some sad logic man.
The constant Lalas bashing is tiresome and is typically of the attitude that anyone with an accent knows more about soccer than any American.
He knows what he’s doing. He knows the game a hell of a lot better than any of us and he is, as always, trying to keep the studio segments lively. He has won me over the last couple of years. People need to put their preconceptions aside and actually listen to what he’s saying