Euro Cup 2012....

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

odds to win:Spain 5-2.....Deutschland 7-2...Dutch 7-1...England 9-1...Italy...13-1...field 3-1
what's everyone's take?...my dutch were thrown into the 'group of death'...the one country i just did not want to see(Germany)drew with us...go figure....the opening match v. Denmark is already a must win!!!....Group A is just silly....nice to see one of the hosts(Poland)get such a nice cozy place....freaking joke that draw is...no worries the 2 teams out of that group will be one and done...group C Spain and Italy should cruise...Croats and the Donkeys,,,nice knowing ya....Group D i will take the home side Ukraine to get by with England...i have no faith in anything french....and sweden are relevant but not formidable....would love to see a rematch of the WC final...and hopefully this time robben will be on the bench practicing how to go right!!!

 

[DialSquares]

any thought of russia doing anything - really should be an easy group and they can string a few good matches together when they like...i don't think they can beat spain or germany but if they have an easy group they might be fresher...i don't like it that much but nice odds. Hard not to like Spain as they should qualify with ease and to me either germany or netherlands could lose out to portugal/denmark. I hate taking favs in bets like this but the first 3 you name should really win this --- final is on Canada Day so maybe i'll celebrate it is Kiev with an Irish win...haha...

of course 10-15 players will probably get hurt before kickoff to change my mind....

 

[roundrobin11]

I don't see how Germany doesn't win this tournament. They have the best forwards, best midfield, one of the most unapreciated back four and an amazing goalie. Bank it, Germany to win Euro 2012, they will cruise through

Other bets I like:

Croatia to advance from group C... Spain have been on a decline since their WC 2010 triumph and they really have issues that need to be addressed (which I won't go into now) I think there is a good chance Spain stumbles and suffers a bit of a world cup hangover failing to advance out of group C. Croatia is also a bat match up for Italy. They can play defense but they are also strong up front so they can kill the Italians on the counter. You can find a great price on this too, tremendous value.

France to win group D.... ever since their pathetic display at the 2010 world cup, Laurent Blanc has this team back on track. They plowed through their group in qualifying (which included the likes of Bosnia and Romania)... they beat Brazil, England, USA and the hosts Ukraine and Poland in friendlies all in the last year... this team is to be taken seriously now, there's no more raymond domenech screwing this team up... They boast one of the best attacks in Europe too, by far the best in group D.... Benzema, Gamiero, Remy, Ribery, Gourcuff, Nasri, Malouda... that is a lethal attack that can control and take over a game. England always struggles in the group stage and the hosts Ukraine are not good enough to benefit from being at home.

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

good to see lots of varying opinions...got to be honest...i like this tournament better than the world cup most years

 

[Penugins13]

Poland to win at 80-1

puff_>>

 

[rolltide]

Group B(rutal) is as crazy a groups as I've ever seen in this tourney with 3 of the top 5 teams in europe while group A(wful) is as bad as you can get. I like Sweden/England, Spain/Croatia, Netherlands/Germany....Russia for sure but 2nd team is a toss up

winner of group B should have a cakewalk into the semifinals against the 2nd place group A. Also have to like the winner of group D to advance over 2nd place group C as there is a major gap b/w Spain and those other 3 teams. If England can't win Group D and face Spain they'll exit quickly.

I see final 4 of England/Sweden (whoever wins group D), Spain, Neth/Ger (winner of group B) and 2nd place group B. So I'll go Sweden as the underdog with Spain, Netherlands, and Germany final 4.

 

[lastguyoffthabench]

Still like KNVB.... Need to finish top to avoid Spain until final tho. Denmark will challenge in the group, Portugal will finish last.

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

Still like KNVB.... Need to finish top to avoid Spain until final tho. Denmark will challenge in the group, Portugal will finish last.

that's a bold prediction about portugal....i have no qualms with it, cuz it could very well happen....very tough group, indeed...hope yer right about my dutch....but i don't fear la roja....we had them beat in the final....and you can't change my mind about that....will go to my grave saying "if robben could only go right, we would be world champions"....my one reservation is the keeper steckelenburg...not the biggest fan of his....but as good as krul and vorm are..their experience in top competition is zero(yeah i know they are #1's on their epl teams but this is Euro 2012 we are talking about)...i fear only one team and one team only, cuz i have watched them grow rather quickly as youngsters to today's team and that is Germany....there's a reason they are the 2nd choice to win this competition....and we get them in the same group...geez

 

[VoiceofReason101]

Think England may surprise but no question Spain and Germany are the favorites, toss up when they face one another.

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

the england squad is abyssmal...unfortunate for my keeper joe hart, as he will see more shots in this tourney than he did all year....not to blow the City horn...and i really am not...but no adam johnson or micah richards? really ol' roy boy?,,,......jermaine defoe c'mon? in lieu of aaron lennon?....would take jagielka over lescott in a nano second...why does lescott get such praise...i am laughing..he really is dregs.....the midfield is just...nothing terrible, nothing exciting...w/o rooney you are looking at wellbeck/carroll..oh boy....that wouldn't strike fear in my heart...speaking of heart as least you have it in net...and what do i care about england anyway...they can rot in this competition...cheers

 

[rolltide]

england are horrific. missing best player for first two games and the selections are a joke. If Scott Parker remains injured word is he'll get replaced by Henderson...lol. That midfield is just terrible. He selected three left footed left side MF and left the best defensive MF in EPL off the squad all together and gave unjustified call-ups to the Arsenal guys. Up front that group without Rooney could be the worst in the tournament. I'd have taken the big'un from Norwich long before I give ponytail a call.

Jones and Lescott were pure shit by the midway point of season and really the only guy back there you can trust is Ashley Cole who is still one of the best in the world.

Group D is nothing special but England won't advance as they're without Rooney for the two toughest matches. Never thought you would completely f**k up a Euro selection from EPL but newbie has just done it

Spain, Germany, Holland...take your pick

 

[gobucks]

Henderson and Downing for England 2012???? With Carroll up top???? Haven't I seen this somewhere before...how'd it work out for Kenny?

 

[rolltide]

the thing that hurts England the most is that their guys don't try to get a job outside of the EPL. When they played USA in WC2010 the US had dudes playing in 9 diff countries on their 23 man. Again, for Euros, England only draw from EPL and while it might be the best league in the world these guys only play against each other and against similar systems. Even Spain, the best team in the world, had 5 guys from WC team that played outside of La Liga. Germany had 6, Holland 19....England will never amount to anything until some of their names start going abroad like Beckham, Keegan, Lineker, and Macca did

honestly, who is the best England player abroad right now...Joe Cole at Lille? England national team is more or less an incestual cult and made far worse by hiring a manager that ONLY knows the EPL anyway

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

EPL is the best league in the world cuz the best players in it AREN'T from england...they can claim they invented the game all they want but they haven't won shite since 'Wild Thing' by the Troggs was #1.....(1966 to the younger guys in here)

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

meanwhile, back in reality with a far superior squad with a legit chance at the euro title, the dutch are still waiting on huntelaar's assessment....2nd concussion in a 3 month time span(i believe that's what it's been)is not a good sign...and why in the fuck was he playing for shalke the other nite v. the philadelphia team(forgive me for not knowing their moniker, i don't follow the american league)?

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

9 days and a wake up.....good to see huntelaar back...bulgaria loss was a bit puzzling considering we basically played our full squad...but the swiss throttled the germans, so go figure...seems gareth barry is gone and in comes phil jagielka...defender for a middie?...good luck 3 lions...damn, is joe hart gonna have a rough time or what?....and balotelli makes the final cut for italy...and recent articles considering the germans are fading due to the bayern collapse(especially since 8 members are on the national squad)is quite laughable....

 

[rolltide]

an injury they certainly couldn't afford....

"Frank Lampard has today (Wednesday) pulled up in training with a thigh injury," the FA confirmed.

"He will have a scan and be assessed by the England medical team tomorrow (Thursday).

Henderson and 3rd keeper also went down and are out but that is addition by subtraction

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

that can't be helpful...and as if it weren't bad enough for the 3 lions already...they seem to have lost support at home as well...thousands are staying home in lieu of race relations and random acts of violence...and my brother told me he was in the bookies on saturday and everyone and their mother couldn't get down fast enough on spain and the germans...a lil italy and dutch thrown in he said to win the tourney...he was next door throwing pints down one after the other no doubt, when he told me he hung for about a half hr. inside the bookies and not one brit had he seen nor heard put a pound down on them to win....laughable

 

[gobucks]

Dutch put out very strong line-up today. 4-3-3 with DeJong & Van Bommell holding with Schneider attacking in midfield. Van Persie as the Number 9 flanked by Robben and Affelay (if he gets back to full speed I think he should be in the first 11. Huntelaar is a better number 9 for this team than RVP, but it is impossible to bench him due to domestic form and Van Der Vaart could come in for Affelay or Schneider). Stecklenberg back in goal (which is fine...I like Krul and Vorm too). Heitinga, Van der Weil, Schaars and Bouma make up the back 4 (Boulahrouz should come in for Schaars). I love having Kuyt available to come in and use his work rate to create high pressure for the last 20-30 minutes of matches. Never know about team dynamics with the Dutch, but this is a strong group.
Hup Holland Hup

 

[cocktailsnlongshots+]

watched the game today... amazing....is all i will say,,,our defense is not world class...and i still think vorm is better than steck in net..that back 5 will be the reason the dutch win or lose this tourney.....no need fer both de jong an van fumble....gimme de jong everyday of the week n twice on sunday...but when u r married to coach's daughter...well, u know the rest...in come huntelaar n van der vaart off pine and viola...goal...sad to say, but robben(who still can't go right)and sneijder are looking on in their game lately..understood that wesley is a leader and capt. but his game is not their right now...he had a miserable serie a this year....they should be on the bench in lieu of the aforementioned,,,affelay, i have never been sold on,,,not void of extreme talents but gives ball away too easy n often...kuyt is workmanlike an always will be...just an honest dutch fan's opinion...other's see a world class line up out on the pitch today..i saw a few holes in the dyke that need plugging...and the plugs are there...be nice if the coach plugged them in sooner rather than later...cheers