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News - 2008-06-07

Group A

Preview By Vytas

Portugal
Goalkeepers:
1. Ricardo (Real Betis), 12. Quim (Benfica), 22. Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon)

Defenders: 16. Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), 15. Pepe (Real Madrid), 3. Bruno Alves (FC Porto), 5. Fernando Meira (VfB Stuttgart), 4. Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea), 2. Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), 13. Miguel (Valencia), 14. Jorge Ribeiro (Boavista)

Midfielders: 8. Petit (Benfica), 18. Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), 6. Raul Meireles (FC Porto), 10. Joao Moutinho (Sporting Lisbon), 20. Deco (FC Barcelona)

Forwards: 7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), 19. Nani (Manchester United), 17. Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto), 11. Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), 21. Nuno Gomes (Benfica), 9. Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), 23. Helder Postiga (Panathinaikos)

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari (BRA)

Portugal is one of the most talented team, individually speaking players that at any time of the game could make the difference. They have a brilliant coach, who can make huge difference in the game. Portugal also possesses one of the best back lines in the tournament: Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Bosingwa, Pepe, Miguel, Fernando Meira, Bruno Alves etc. I don’t know why Portugal is being underrated by some, just because they were poor in their last qualifying matches. In my opinion Portugal have another problem: they don’t know how to play like a team, if they solve this problem they will be serious contenders to win Euro 2008.

Prediction: 1^st place

Czech Republic

Goalkeepers: 1. Petr Cech (Chelsea/ENG), 16. Jaromir Blazek (Nuremberg/GER), 23. Daniel Zitka (Anderlecht/BEL)

Defenders: 2. Zdenek Grygera (Juventus/ITA), 6. Marek Jankulovski (AC Milan/ITA), 13. Michal Kadlec (Sparta Prague), 5. Radoslav Kovac (Spartak Moscow/RUS), 12. Zdenek Pospech (FC Copenhagen/DEN), 22. David Rozehnal (Lazio/ITA), 18. Tomas Sivok (Sparta Prague), 21. Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina/ITA)

Midfielders: 4. Tomas Galasek (Nuremberg/GER), 14. David Jarolim (SV Hamburg/GER), 17. Marek Matejovsky (Reading/ENG), 20. Jaroslav Plasil (Osasuna/ESP), 19. Rudolf Skacel (Hertha Berlin/GER), 3. Jan Polak (Anderlecht/BEL), 7. Libor Sionko (FC Copenhagen/DEN), 11. Stanislav Vlcek (Anderlecht/BEL)

Forwards: 15. Milan Baros (Portsmouth/ENG), 8. Martin Fenin (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), 9. Jan Koller (Nuremberg/GER), 10. Vaclav Sverkos (Banik Ostrava).

Coach: Karel Bruckner

The blow of losing Tomas Rosicky to injury, and refusal of Pavel Nedved to come back to international scene, means that Czechs have a huge problem in ability to create chances. Czechs have one of the most experienced starting eleven. M.Jankulovski, T.Galasek, J. Koller are well above 30’s. Despite Kollers age (35) he is still very useful going upfront and recent friendly with Lithuania proved that one more time. This team has a good mix of experienced and young players. One of the main strength of Czech Republic is their goalkeeper: Petr Cech. I consider him the best goalkeeper in the tournament. If Czechs manages to solve their attacking midfielder problem they will be a serious threat to all the favorites.

Prediction: 2nd

Switzerland

Goalkeepers: 1. Diego Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg/GER), 21. Eldin Jakupovic (Grasshopper Zurich), 18. Pascal Zuberbuhler (Neuchatel Xamax)

Defenders: 23. Philipp Degen (Liverpool/ENG), 2. Johan Djourou (Arsenal/ENG), 13. Stephane Grichting (Auxerre/FRA), 5. Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lille/FRA), 3. Ludovic Magnin (VfB Stuttgart/GER), 20. Patrick Muller (Lyon/FRA), 4. Philippe Senderos (Arsenal/ENG), 17. Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER)

Midfielders: 19. Valon Behrami (Lazio/ITA), 7. Ricardo Cabanas (Grasshopper Zurich), 15. Fernandes Gelson (Manchester City/ENG), 6. Benjamin Huggel (FC Basel), 8. Gokhan Inler (Udinese/ITA), 10. Hakan Yakin (Young Boys Berne)

Forwards: 16. Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), 9. Alexander Frei (Borussia Dortmund/GER), 12. Eren Derdiyok (FC Basel), 14. Daniel Gygax (Metz/FRA), 11. Marco Streller (FC Basel), 22. Johan Vonlanthen (Salzburg/AUT)

Coach: Jakob Kuhn

It’s one of the most difficult teams to predict. Switzerland has a quiet decent team with good dynamic wingers (Behrami, Barnetta). Also they are the home team, and history shows that home team produces good results. Also Swiss were eliminated from the WC without losing a game and without conceding any goal. Maybe this is their best generation since Chapuisat, Alain Sutter etc. Their players are from strongest leagues in Europe (England, Germany, Italy, France). Still I think that they are weakier than Portugal and Czech Republic.

Prediction 3^rd

Turkey

Goalkeepers: 23. Volkan Demirel (Fenerbahce), 1. Rustu Recber (Besiktas), 12. Tolga Zengin (Trabzonspor)

Defenders: 16. Ugur Boral (Fenerbahce), 20. Sabri Sarioglu, 2. Servet Cetin, 3. Hakan Kadir Balta, 13. Emre Gungor (Galatasaray), 4. Gokhan Zan (Besiktas), 15. Emre Asik (Ankaraspor)

Midfielders: 7. Mehmet Aurelio, 18. Kazim Kazim (Fenerbahce), 6. Mehmet Topal, 19. Ayhan Akman, 14. Arda Turan (Galatasaray), 5. Emre Belozoglu (Newcastle/ENG), 11. Tumer Metin (Larissa/GRE), 22. Hamit Altintop (Bayern Munich/GER), 17. Tuncay Sanli (Middlesbrough/ENG)

Forwards: 10. Gokdeniz Karadeniz (Rubin Kazan/RUS), 8. Nihat Kahveci (Villarreal/ESP), 9. Semih Senturk (Fenerbahce), 21. Mevlut Erding (Sochaux/FRA)

Coach: Fatih Terim

One of the main weaknesses of Turkey national team is their defense. The likely starting duo, will be Gökhan Zan and Servet Çetin, both tall , strong and slow. Right back Gokhan Gönül has had a good season, but his strength lies in attacking, not defending. Left back Hakan Balta is also not reliable. The goalkeepers are all known as making stupid mistakes, yet on their day they can do miracles. The Turks will try to attack to overcome their defensive woes. If they can manage that, they will become very dangerous team. A Turkish team always works hard through midfield, and that's no different with this squad. In attack, with players like Nihat, Tuncay, Tümer and Gökdeniz in good form, goals can come at any moment, so even if the team has an off day at the office they could snatch a point or three.

Prediction 4th

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