Home > Football > Euro 2008: Van Basten's Netherlands and Scolari's Portugal on track for a final showdown
by James Mortimer on 16 June 2008
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With the quarter-finals kicking off on June 19, the four Group winners at Euro 2008 have already been determined but there are still 10 teams vying for the remaining four berths in the last eight. Switzerland have already been eliminated and fellow hosts Austria will need to defeat the might of Germany if they are to stay alive. Let’s look at the groups so far...
In Group A, Portugal have been in dominant form, spearheaded by Manchester United genius Cristiano Ronaldo, and backed up by Simão, Ricardo Quaresma and Nani. The incoming Chelsea coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari – is determined to finish with a European Championship to add to his World Cup triumph with Brazil in 2002. Their final match against Switzerland today is essentially a dead rubber, with the Swiss still to record a victory in a Euro championship. Scolari will likely rest many of his top players, before a quarter-final, likely to be against the defensive excellence of the Germans.
Croatia are confirmed as the winners of Group B, impressing many with their 2-1 victory over the Germans – which looked unlikely after they had laboured to defeat the Austrians. They will play the runners-up of Group A, Turkey or the Czech Republic, in Vienna on June 20. The Croatians are specialists at punching above their weight, qualifying for the tournament ahead of England. Ex-Croatian player Slaven Bilic has ensured his squad are well prepared, and they are many pundits' tournament dark horse.
Germany are likely to be runners-up in Group B unless Austria pull off the upset of the tournament in Vienna tomorrow. A draw will be sufficient to earn them a clash against the Portuguese at St. Jakob-Park in Basle on Thursday.
Group C has seen the emergence of the Dutch as the tournament favourites. Marco van Basten, the former three-times European footballer of the year, has ensured his orange-clad demons have cut a swath through Euro 2008 – inflicting heavy defeats on world champions Italy and World Cup runners-up France, who both looked out of their depth against the attacking brilliance of the Netherlands.
Only one out of Romania, Italy and France can now progress through to the quarters. Romania, the 12th best nation in the world and, theoretically, the weakest team in the 'Group of Death', could progress at the expense of the Italians and French if the they can halt the momentum of the Dutch in Berne on Tuesday. The Romanians have already beaten the Oranje in qualifying for the finals. If they lose, then the re-match of the World Cup Final between France and Italy will decide who makes the quarter-finals. Whoever gets through will be rewarded by having to play the Spanish in Vienna.
In Group D, 2004 champions Greece have already been knocked out. The Greeks will only be playing for pride in their final game against Spain, who have already topped the group. Spanish coach Luis Aragones seems to have delivered the goods, with excellent tactics rounding out a star-studded side – the perennial international soccer underachievers. After looking all but invincible against the Russians, the Spanish were not as comfortable in beating a determined Swedish team with a David Villa goal in injury time.
The winner of Sweden and Russia will progress, but this will be an interesting match, as the Russians have never beaten the Scandinavian team. Experienced Russian boss Guus Hiddink, has remarkably never faced the Swedish in his illustrious coaching career.
I expect the Dutch and the Portuguese to continue their brilliant progress through the quarters and the semi-finals to the showdown all neutrals will savour in Vienna on June 29. And the eventual winners ... the beautiful game of football, of course!
The quarter-final line-up so far ...
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