Euro Cup – Group D
Written by Bobby Dolan (follow him on twitter @bdolan12)
Group D: France, Sweden, England, Ukraine
Snap Shot: Group D appears to be a very balanced group that gives us arguably the best matchup in the first round of group games between England and France (yes, we haven’t forgotten Germany vs Portugal either). All eyes will be on those two powers but the co-hosts Ukraine will look to steal the spotlight with their fans behind them and a sneaky offensive attack that could and should cause problems for their opponents. Fans of the Swedes will have to look at one player and hope Zlatan Ibrahimovic can carry their squad into the knockout phases.
Group C Schedule:
Monday June 11 12 EST: France vs. England
Monday June 11 2:45 EST: Ukraine vs. Sweden
Friday June 15 12 EST: Ukraine vs. France
Friday June 15 2:45 EST: Sweden vs. England
Tuesday June 19 2:45 EST: England vs. Ukraine
Tuesday June 19 2:45 EST: Sweden vs. France
France
FIFA ranking: 16
After the disastrous World Cup performance in 2010, it was hard to imagine that France would emerge from the soccer abyss as a threat for Euro 2012. Coach Laurent Blanc has done exceptionally well in changing the culture around the team and he is confident in his squad entering this year’s tournament, hoping it’s a spring board for Brazil in 2014. Coach Blanc’s confidence comes with good reason as his French side is flying very much under the radar given their current talent. It starts up front for France as they boast Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), who is coming off of a career year. Benzema should score goals aplenty and receive quality service from the midfield behind him. Franck Ribery, another Bayern Munich star who looks to rebound from their Champions League heartache, leads the midfield but is not expected to carry them alone. Samir Nasi played a role in Manchester City’s Premier League title and Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye turned heads in England this year with his impressive performances. The defense won’t intimidate opposing strikers, but they are capable and are backed up by captain Hugo Lloris in goal, a very potent shot-stopper. The opening match with England will certainly be key for Les Blues, as winning Group D means likely avoiding a matchup with Spain. The French catch a break with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games, just another factor that may lead to a Group D victory playing right into Blanc’s hands to resurrect the French side.
Sweden
FIFA ranking: 17
As much as any other team in this tournament, Sweden has to lean on their star player and see where it takes them. Luckily for Sweden, they have a good one in Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is one of the most prominent strikers in European football and causes problems for all defenses. If Ibrahimovic doesn’t score or directly set up goals, the Swedes will not score and can pack their bags for a short stay in eastern Europe. Johan Elmander should partner alongside him up front and Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson will be counted on to pick defenses apart, both in open play and from set pieces. Sweden’s defense is not the best in this tournament but they will be organized and could help the team achieve success. One thing that Sweden has going for them is the forgiving nature of their schedule. They open up with Ukraine, a game that they will likely need 3 points from if they are to advance. In addition, they play England in their second game which means Wayne Rooney will still still be out through suspension. If the Swedes can win that match against Ukraine and England falters against France, Sweden might have just enough to grab second place in the group.
England
FIFA ranking: 7
No team comes into Euro 2012 with more drama surrounding it than the Three Lions (then again, when is this not the case for the biggest underachievers in major soccer competition). A new manager, countless injuries, team selections with ties to a racism scandal, and suspensions are all topics of discussion for England as they head into Euro 2012. Roy Hodgson was somewhat surprisingly appointed manager recently and he won’t have the same resources normally afforded a manager for England. The national star, Wayne Rooney, will miss the first two games because of a suspension. That was already known when Hodgson took the job but the numerous injuries were not part of his plans. Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, and Gary Cahill all pulled out of the squad with recent injuries. The controversy over John Terry’s inclusion in the team and Rio Ferdinand’s absence due to “footballing reasons” according to Hodgson is making tabloids throughout every U.K. newspaper. One thing that England is left with is a great goalkeeper in Joe Hart (Manchester City). Besides the brilliant Ashley Cole at left-back, England’s defense looks questionable with Terry likely to pair with Joleon Lescott in the center of defense after his Chelsea teammate Cahill’s injury. In the midfield, England will count on Scott Parker and captain Steven Gerrard to make plays. The key to this England team, in my opinion, will be the play of Ashley Young. Young (Manchester United) is set to line up behind the striker, likely Danny Welbeck or Andy Carroll until Rooney returns, and he will need to create and score goals for this team if they are to have success in the group stage and advance.
Ukraine
FIFA ranking: 50
With a very average squad at coach Oleh Blokhin’s disposal, the co-hosts will need to capitalize on the energy and momentum of being on home soil. The face of Ukrainian football is Andiry Shevchenko, a 35 year old striker who had a successful career at AC Milan followed up by a dreadful stint with Chelsea years back. Ukraine trusts in Sheva but at his age, his strike partner Andiry Voronin will likely need to have some quality performances to complement him. The midfield is lead by Anatoliy Tymoshchuck (Bayern Munich) and they will need him to pick apart some defenses on the counterattack. The schedule is not particularly kind to Ukraine, as they will be the only side in the group that faces an England team including Rooney. With France and England following, the co-hosts certainly need a result in the opening match against Sweden. The lack of talent on the squad looks like too big of a task for Ukraine to overcome, but they will be keen to surprise people.
Betting Opportunities: Just because they are playing at home doesn’t mean Ukraine should be given a free pass. Fading the co-hosts in these group matches might be valuable and somewhat lucrative. With all of the recent negative developments for England, France appears to offer good value to win Group D and has already taken steam for their opening match with England.
Player to watch: Karim Benzema. After slimming down last year, Benzema beefed up his goal tallies this season for Real Madrid. If France is to rebound from their dreadful World Cup performance, Benzema will be a big reason why. Don’t be surprised if he ends up being the tournament’s top scorer.
Expected order of finish: France, England — Sweden, Ukraine
Todd’s Take: France is the team to watch not only in the group stage but also in the futures market. If they have put the mishap of South Africa behind them, this is a team poised for big things. I’m not sold on England to get out of the group myself and can see small plays on Sweden and Ukraine as back-ups offering an opportunity as well.
Looking for more team specific breakdowns? All links courtesy of www.thebiglead.com
France, England, Sweden, Ukraine
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