With the group stage finally over, eight teams remain in the hunt to become the new champion of the Eurocup 2008. The quarterfinals are ready and the excitement is building. Four intense elimination games will decide who advances to the semi-finals and eventually the final.
Here is a preview of what you can expect.
PORTUGAL vs GERMANY
The Portuguese have Cristiano Ronaldo, currently considered the best player on the planet. His surrounding cast isn’t too shabby either. With experienced players like Deco, Pepe and Quaresma, Portugal is considered one of the favorites to take it all. But the Germans are a solid and mature team who are used to playing in big stages. Led by captain Michael Ballack, Germany is a fierce team that should never be taken lightly.
Personal Favorite: Portugal- The Portuguese have a special dynamic on the field. They play with precise passes which should be lethal against the Germans, who have the tallest lineup in size of the tournament. Portugal’s speed through the ground should be the key, since an aerial attack is almost impossible. The great moment that Ronaldo is going through, should inspire Portugal to take control of the game and advance to semis.
CROATIA vs TURKEY
You may not recognize any of the names in the Croatian team but trust me, they’re good. It’s not a star-filled ball club, but they play very well as a team. They attack with many men and defend in superb fashion. Turkey, on the other hand, shouldn’t even be here. They were practically disqualified during the group stage, but their will allowed them to come from behind twice. A last minute win against Switzerland and a miraculous comeback against the Czech Republic, should be enough to make skepticals believe in them.
Personal Favorite: Croatia- If I was choosing with my heart, I’d immediately pick Turkey. But I’m picking with my brain and selecting Croatia to advance. Even if the Turks are the feel-good story of the tournament, their Cinderella story should end right here. It is not a coincidence that Croatia won all their group stage matches and had the best defense in the Eurocup. With only one goal received the Croatians are a powerful team who will not let Turkey get inspired once again and perform another comeback.
NETHERLANDS vs RUSSIA
The Netherlands are simply the best team in the tournament so far. They beat both Italy and France by a difference of three goals and, like Croatia, only received one goal through the group stage. They have the best offense with a total of 9 goals and seven different scorers. Kuyt, Van Nistelrooy, Van Persie and Sneijder are the stars of this spectacular team who are the absolute favorites to become the champions after their spectacular group stage display. But ahead they have a difficult Russian team who has a similar style of play partly due to their Dutch head coach, Guus Hiddink. Without any big stars, Russia will play with nothing to lose and everything to gain and that can make them dangerous.
Personal Favorite: Netherlands- To put it into perspective, it is as if the Dutch are the First seed in the tournament and the Russians are the Eighth seed. There’s a tremendous difference in experience and skill. The Netherlands has shown no signs of slowing down and Russia will probably be the next victim. It is a great accomplishment for Russia to advance past the group stage in a major tournament. This is the first time this happens to them after their separation with the Soviet Union. Unfortunately for them, their journey should end here abruptly. A win for them is highly improbable but it would be historic and probably the biggest upset in the Eurocup.
SPAIN vs ITALY
A delight to soccer fans, Spain vs Italy should be the most evenly matched and exciting quarterfinal. Spain has been playing exceptionally well in the group stage but have a tremendous problem. A mental problem. They usually seem to perform well at early stages of tournaments, but come the quarterfinals and beyond, the Spaniards seem to choke. They’ve been eliminated by teams like South Korea and Nigeria in recent World Cups. If they can overcome their psychological fear, they should be a team to be taken seriously.
Italy, the current World Cup champions, have not been playing well. In fact, they barely made it to this stage only after defeating France in their last game. But did I mention they’re current World Cup champions? That sentence alone should make Spain tremble and give some confidence to the Italians. Striker Luca Toni hasn’t scored a single goal in the tournament, forcing the team to depend on their defense. Unfortunately, the heart of the team and Italy’s captain, Fabio Cannavaro, missed the Eurocup due to injury and the team’s defense has struggled.
Personal Favorite: Spain- It’s a tough decision but I’m giving Spain the benefit of the doubt. I believe this is their time and if they can play well both physically and mentally, then they should be playing in the semi-finals. If not, the Spaniards can simply say adios. David Villa is the leading scorer of the tournament with four goals and should be a constant threat to the Azzurri. It’s all in Spain’s hands to deliver but in this close game, a definition via penalty kicks shouldn’t be surprising.
Good luck and see you at the semi-finals!
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