(This is the second in a five-part SBI preview of the European Championships, which begin Saturday. We profiled Group A on Monday, with Group C scheduled to come tomorrow. Enjoy.)
Who will stop Germany?
That’s the big question heading into Euro 2008 and nowhere is it ringing more loudly than in the minds of Group B opponents Croatia, Poland and Austria, which must find a way to stop the tournament favorites.
What many are forgetting is that Croatia has the talent, the head coach, and the lack of expectations to very possibly step in and spoil Germany’s waltz to first place in the group. Head coach Slaven Bilic is young but has already proven to be a top-quality coach, and he will have a host of young standouts ready to pounce on the Germans if they aren’t ready.
Poland enjoyed a great qualifying run, winning a group that included Portugal, but that form has been hard to come by in recent months for the Polish team, making it a darkhorse to unseat either Germany or Croatia for a place in the quarters.
As for Austria? You don’t want to go betting on the co-hosts to do much but through good parties.
Here is a closer look at all four teams in Group B:
GROUP B
Schedule (Times Eastern)
SUNDAY– Austria vs. Croatia (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes), 11:50 a.m.
SUNDAY– Germany vs. Poland (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes), 2:30 p.m.
6/12– Croatia vs. Germany (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes), 11:50 a.m.
6/12– Austria vs. Poland (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes), 2:30 p.m.
6/16– Poland vs. Croatia (ESPN Classic), 2:30 p.m.
6/16– Austria vs. Germany (ESPN, ESPN Deportes), 2:30 p.m.
GERMANY
PLAYERS TO WATCH– Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose, Torsten Frings, Bastian Schweinsteiger
NAME TO LEARN– Mario Gomez. German Bundesliga fans are already well aware of the half Spanish-half German striker from Stuttgart, who combines size (6-foot-2), skill and a powerful shot. If opponents may too much attention to Klose, Gomez will go off.
ROSTER–
Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Enke (Hannover 96), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal).
Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Heiko Westermann (Schalke).
Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Betis), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburger SV).
Forwards: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich).
OUTLOOK– Most of the key players from the famed 2006 World Cup run are back, with Gomez and Metzelder ready to step in and make a big impact. The Germans have the quality to win the tournament, but winning this group isn’t a given with a talented Croatia side lurking.
CROATIA
PLAYERS TO WATCH– Luka Modric, Ivica Olic, Ivan Klasnic, Darijo Srna
NAME TO LEARN– Ivan Rakitic. The Swiss-born 20-year-old is one of the best young talents in Europe and may just get the chance to start now that Croatia is coping with the absence of Arsenal’s Eduardo.
ROSTER–
Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Vedran Runje (Lens), Mario Galinovic (Panathinaikos).
Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Manchester City), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Robert Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Dario Knezevic (Livorno), Hrvoje Vejic (Tomsk), Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen).
Midfielders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Niko Kovac (Red Bull Salzburg), Luka Modric (Tottenham), Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Jerko Leko (AS Monaco), Ivan Rakitic (Schalke), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dinamo Bucharest), Nikola Pokrivac (AS Monaco).
Forwards: Mladen Petric (Borussia Dortmund), Ivica Olic (Hamburger SV), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Igor Budan (Parma), Nikola Kalinic (Hajduk Split).
Outlook– Dynamic in attack and underrated in defense, Croatia has the talent to upset Germany. Even if that doesn’t happen, Croatia should advance and make for a tough out in the quarterfinals.
POLAND
PLAYERS TO WATCH– Artor Boruc, Maciej Zurawski, Ebi Smolarek, Mariusz Lewandowski
NAME TO LEARN– Jakub Blaszczykowski. How about we just call the Dortmund winger Jakub? The tiny winger has the speed to cause problems, but he comes into the tournament nursing a thigh injury that could limit him.
ROSTER–
Goalkeepers: Artur Boruc (Celtic), Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal).
Defenders: Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Pawel Golanski (Steaua Bucharest), Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow), Jacek Bak (Austria Vienna), Michal Zewlakow (Olympiakos), Adam Kokoszka (Wisla Krakow), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw).
Midfielders: Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dariusz Dudka (Wisla Krakow), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Michal Pazdan (Gornik Zabrze), Lukasz Gargula (GKS Belchatow), Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Roger Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw).
Forwards: Maciej Zurawski (Larissa), Euzebiusz Smolarek (Racing Santander), Marek Saganowski (Southampton), Tomasz Zahorski (Gornik Zabrze), Wojciech Lobodzinski (Wisla Krakow).
OUTLOOK– Winning a qualifying group that included Portugal makes Poland a team to be taken seriously, though its 3-0 loss to the USA at home raised some red flags. Coach Leo Beenhakker is as skilled a tactician as they come and he’ll have his team ready for every game. If Croatia’s youth or Germany’s overconfidence cause one of the favorites to stumble, Poland has the ingredients to advance.
AUSTRIA
PLAYERS TO WATCH– Andreas Ivanschitz, Martin Harnik, Alexander Manninger, Martin Stranzl
NAME TO LEARN– Erwin Hoffer. American fans will remember Hoffer as the scorer of the game-winning goal in Austria’s U-20 World Cup win against the USA last summer. He of the funny haircut, Hoffer netted a hat-trick against Red Bull Salzburg late in the Austrian season and could shine if given the chance.
ROSTER–
Goalkeepers: Alexander Manninger (AC Siena), Juergen Macho (AEK Athens), Ramazan Ozcan (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)
Defenders: Gyorgy Garics (Napoli), Ronald Gercaliu (Austria Vienna), Martin Hiden (Kaernten), Markus Katzer (Rapid Vienna), Juergen Patocka (Rapid Vienna), Emmanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), Sebastian Proedl (Sturm Graz), Martin Stranzl (Spartak Moscow)
Midfielders: Rene Aufhauser (Salzburg), Christian Fuchs (Mattersburg), Andreas Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos), Umit Korkmaz (Rapid Vienna), Christoph Leitgeb (Salzburg), Juergen Saeumel (Sturm Graz), Joachim Standfest (Austria Vienna), Ivica Vastic (Linz)
Forwards: Erwin Hoffer (Rapid Vienna), Roman Kienast (Ham-Kam), Roland Linz (Braga), Martin Harnik (Werder Bremen)
OUTLOOK– When your own fans ask your team to withdraw for the good of the tournament you know there are issues. A three-loss tournament isn’t out of the question, but for some reason I think the they’ll be good for at least one shocking upset.
Number 14 for Croatia is practicing his crouch for his ride on Big Brown in the Belmont on Saturday.
estock, dawid janczyk, is not better then any of the fowards on the pnt, he had a great showing at the u20 wc, but the big problem he left legia warszawa after the u-20 wc and went for the money in russia, and now he sits on the bench and watches other players play on his team….
Germany won’t drop a single point in the group phase. They played a solid Serbian side defensively, toyed with them for 45 minutes, let them take a goal lead and pounded them into mush.
Germany ALWAYS shows up for the big tournaments. The lead in friendlies have all been formation experiments. Once the dance starts they are going to steamroll through this group. (barring tons of injuries in the first match)
Where the bloody h*11 is Gerald Asamoah in the Germany squad? I trust Jogi’s choices, but come on, Gerald is quality.
Even though Germany hasn’t looked good in their warm-up friendlies, they’ll pull it together when it counts and win this group, they have just too much quality. Croatia with their blend of talented youth and experienced veterans will come in second. Poland, while solid, doesn’t have that dynamic presence in the midfield nor attack to advance out of this group over quality sides like Germany and Croatia. Austria will pull off some shock tie against someone, probably Poland. I can see them giving Germany and Croatia good games as well, just out of pride for as much as they have been slagged at home and abroad. By the way, in that Austrian squad, #15 Sebastian Prödl, what an absolute beast! He’s like the Austrian Oguchi Onyewu. His wiki entry says he’s 6’5″, pretty big for a footballer, he looks more like a rugby player.
Poland bettered English in qualifying for 2006 WC, and they went toe to toe with Portugal, which will get them a tie and two losses in this group
I cant believe Poland left Dawid Janitkz at home!
Based on the theory or fact(depends on your opinion) that Portugal plays up to or down to their competition, I dont think Poland can make it out of the groupstage. I wasnt very impressed with Poland when they played Portugal. They have a solid team but not a good team. They will make it tough for Germany and Croatia, but I dont think they have enough to upset either team. Germany and Croatia should advance with relative ease.
“Roland Linz on Austria is the best player on that squad by far. I have seen him play quite a bit for Braga and even Boavista before that and he is a quality striker.” Branc
I have watched him play as well and Linz is a very good finisher, could definitely play for one of the top clubs in Portugal or for a midlevel team in one of the Big 4 leagues.
Having said that, Ivanschitz not only has the best name by far on the squad, he is also their best player by far. Austria is going to need him to be at his best if they hope to be better than Canada was at the U20.
I was going to make a snarky comment about the Croatian jerseys, but someone beat me to it.
How much of a shock would it be if Poland and Croatia went thru and the Germans finished 3d…? Man, there would be panic all over Allemania.
you have to ponder that if usa were in euro 2008, would we have the same odds as austria? i think similar.
I think Germany goes all the way! The Whole Enchelada…
I think Kranjcar is the key without Eduardo. They will need their midfielders to pick up some of the scoring slack.
Germany certainly will run away with the group and Croatia have the quality to finish second. But beyond that, not having Eduardo will hurt, but they’ll most likely be facing a team that doesn’t have a real striker either, so Portugal-Croatia should be a good one.
SonicDeathMonkey, the polish national team back in the day when they won thier second 3rd place in the world cup, right before the world cup the pnt kept on loosing to 3rd devision teams and little islands, and everyone counted them to go out in the first round…. Leo knows what hes doing he a very expierenced coach…. i hope poland comes out of the group but its a three way royal rumble vs germany, poland, and croatia in group B
Ives, i am very stunned on how you know the polish national team, i like your players to watch, and i love your player to (learn there name) jakub, is a very good pick…. keep up ther great work in your euro previews
Branc, while Poland did look good against Portugal, keep in mind those are the same players who looked terrible against the USA….at home.
Niko Kranjcar definitely should be a player to watch.
looks like you could lay one of the croatians down on a grassy knoll and have a picnic on them.
Posted by: Drew | June 03, 2008 at 08:11 PM
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Hey, what you do in your own time is your business.
The Euro’s start on Saturday, right?
Thanks for the group previews Ives. As always, well done.
The battle for second place should be interesting, but i think ill take croatia. With Eduardos absence Olic and Srna will have a big task. As for Austria, maybe there home support will help them. This is the last tournament i see them playing in for a loooong time.
Germany and Poland will advance. You heard it here first. Poland will advance over Croatia. I was very impressed with Poland when I watched them play Portugal twice. I think that have tremendous talent that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Even if they don’t advance, they will at least make life difficult for Croatia. Roland Linz on Austria is the best player on that squad by far. I have seen him play quite a bit for Braga and even Boavista before that and he is a quality striker. Great group and will prove to be deeper than most would have you believe. I think Portugal will win their group which puts the brackets prepped for a rematch between Portugal and Poland. Germany will play the Czech Republic in the other grouping.
Germany and Poland will advance. You heard it here first. Poland will advance over Croatia. I was very impressed with Poland when I watched them play Portugal twice. I think that have tremendous talent that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Even if they don’t advance, they will at least make life difficult for Croatia. Roland Linz on Austria is the best player on that squad by far. I have seen him play quite a bit for Braga and even Boavista before that and he is a quality striker. Great group and will prove to be deeper than most would have you believe. I think Portugal will win their group which puts the brackets prepped for a rematch between Portugal and Poland. Germany will play the Czech Republic in the other grouping.
LOL^
Germany runs away with the group; Croatia finishes second.
looks like you could lay one of the croatians down on a grassy knoll and have a picnic on them.