Euro 2008 gets underway

The end of the World Cup is barely 2 months ago and we are already on the path of the next major international tournament: Euro 2008.

While there have already been a handful of games, Saturday marked the real beginning of the qualifing. What stands out -

Group A: Finland easily defeated Poland 3-1, after a poor world cup showing, this does not sit well for Polska, they need to find offense and a style soon or else they will miss out of the Euro. Belgium drew with Kazakhstan 0-0, not good for the Belge. I still think this group will go to Portugal with Finland, Belgium, Poland and Serbia fighting it out for second.

Prediction: Portugal and Belgium qualify. Poland has too many question marks, Finland while strong at home always falls short, Serbia could qualify but the world cup has called for too much or a turn over for the squad.

Group B: This could be seen as the group of death: World Cup winner Italy, World Cup runner up France, World Cup 1/4 finalist Ukraine. The first day was quite telling: France easily defeated Georgia 3-0 and it could have been more. Without Zidane the French went to a 4-4-2 with Ribery and Malouda given free reign of the park, Saha and Henry up front. It was evident that the Georgian team could not handle the speed of Ribery coming off the flanks. The real test will come Wednesday when we have a world cup rematch - France v Italy. Other surprise, Italy held to a draw at home versus Lithuania 1-1. That cannot sit well with the world cup champions. There is no margin for error and dropping points is a cardinal sin. Granted all this can be forgotten if Italy was to find a victory at Stade de France.

Prediction: France and Ukraine qualify. I think that Italy is in a transition and with their poor start they will get surprised by either Ukraine or Scotland. France is motivated after a heartbreaking loss in the WC finals. Scotland might surprise a team or two during this qualifier but will fall short.

Group C: This group is wide open. Norway staking itself as the favorite even before it smacked Hungary around 4-1. Greece and Turkey find themselves again for qualifying. It will be difficult again to go into Turkey to play the Turks, this I think gives them a slight advantage in this group.

Prediction: Turkey and Norway qualify. The defending European Champion does not make it to defend their title. Turkey is too tough at home and good enough to win where need be on the road. Norway is similar to Turkey with their homefield advantage.

Group D: Germany ekks out a 1-0 victory vs Ireland. The Czechs almost lost points to Wales. This groups is full of underachievers. The German team played above itself at its own world cup, it will be hard pressed to match the irratioanal expectations for this squad. The Czechs are in a major rebuilding and the games vs Slovakia should prove facsinating. Ireland is still bitter over their missing the world cup.

Prediction: Germany and Slovakia. Germany will struggle but get through. The Czechs and Irish will find difficulty and not qualify while upstarts Slovakia will surprise and qualify.

Group E: England - Andorra: England defeats Andorra 5-0, braces from Crouch (still think he is useless) and Defoe. Andorra did not even have any threats at the english goal. This was the expected outcome of this match and England should not get too ahead of itself. Granted, the England group is their's to lose, Russia and Croatia being the only two nations that really have a chance to unseed England as favorites.

Prediction: England and Russia. Hiddink will work his miracles with an underachieving Russian team. Croatia will be in a dog fight until the end but will fall short to the Dutch master.

Group F: Spain eases into the qualifiers with a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein, could this be the start of a Spanish run deep into a major tournament? I think so, the spanish squad is young and experienced post world cup. Their group is perfect, it should not be too difficult but enough quality teams to keep the spanish sharp: Sweden and Denmark.

Prediction: Spain and Denmark. The Danes will look to get back to the tournament where they have found the most success.

Group G: Whaooooo, how can Holland "beat" Luxembourg 1-0, that is scarey. Then again for the Euro 2000 qualifiers France beat Andorra 1-0 on a PK in the dying minutes....but Holland that destroyed Ireland a few weeks ago should fare better against one of the smaller European nations. The essential was done however with the 3 points. Also, Romania and Bulgaria ended up with a fascinating 2-2 draw, Bulgaria coming back end of game score two goals to get the point.


Prediction: Holland and Romania. Even with first round scares these teams have too much fire power not to get through.

Cole - Gallas FINALLY!

So the drama is finally over, Gallas and Cole will stay in London but switch colors. A last minute deal sees Ashley Cole heading to Chelsea and Gallas and cash heading the other way. I am still surprised that this took to the ultimate moment to happen, it has been the worst kept secret for months that Cole was heading to Chelsea and that Gallas wanted out of Stamford Bridge, with Emirates being the most likely destination seeing Arsenal has few choices at center back and left back.

Both disgruntled defenders will now hopefully find places in teams that desperately need them. This could mean the end of Wayne Bridge at Chelsea. In the end I think this is a better move for Arsenal than Chelsea, and here is why:

• Cole was not going to play for Arsenal, so the fact they got a world class defender in return is already a positive. Having the money would have been nice, but what could Wenger have purchased....he would have to wait until the transfer window reopened and at that point Arsenal might have been too far out to contend.
• Gallas solves more problems for Arsenal than Cole does for Chelsea. For all the issues Bridge has, he was not the problem Chelsea might run into. Chelsea has shown a little shakiness in the middle (Carvalho being the main culprit) and having the versatility of Gallas made the back four more stable. This is exactly what Arsenal needed, with a hole in the middle of the defense, Gallas will be an instant stabilizer. He is also able to switch out to either defense side if need be, this will give the young Gunner defenders the stabilizing force it has lacked since Campbell started to slide.

The other move that is very intriguing is the Reyes for Baptista move, between Arsenal and Real Madrid. Reyes has not been happy in London since day one, he is an incredibly talented player, but a bit soft. Baptista is the "beast," what else is there to say?

He can slot in well in the midfield or as a striker. He was lost at Real Madrid since they really did not have a position for him, I think under Wenger's tutelage and at Arsenal he will flourish and bring an element of toughness not seen at Arsenal since the days of Vieira and Parlour.

West Ham - Argentinian coup

If the rumors are to be believed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/5301068.stm

West Ham has pulled a huge coup by signing Tevez and Mascherano from Corinthians. Tevez was being ear marked for the larger Premiership clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United. If this is true, this will give the London club a huge boost. The Argentinian youth will infuse some excitement and talent to the club.

Chelski once again rises to the top

The Premier League started this weekend with a bang. Reading and Portsmouth pulling off first day stunners, Chelsea and Manchester United clinically dominated and Arsenal&Liverpool failed to secure 3 points.

Before we get too far down the season here are some thoughts and predictions:

Chelsea: I cannot see how they will not win this thing once more. They have too much talent and depth, two things that are absolutely crucial to survive and win a long season. The additions of Shevchenko will pay huge dividends, he will dominate the Premierleague and will challenge Henry and Rooney for the top scorer. I think that Ballack will get lost in the shuffle, I have never been a huge fan of the German and I think that in a full Chelsea midfield he will get diminished much like what happened to SWP when he made a much ballyhood move from Manchester City. Speaking of the midfield, it is staked - Lampard, Makelele, Essein, Robbens, Ballack, Diarra, Obi, and Sean Wright Phillips. Morinho feels that Obi will become one of the greatest players in the world in a few years....and he is not even good enough to start. The defense will remain solid, even if Gallas does not return (assuming that if Gallas leaves Cole will be coming back). The one area that might be risky is the depth up front. With Drogba and Shev they have a deadly strike force, but little depth since losing Crespo. I also question whether or not Drogba can check his ego now that Shev is the #1 player up front.

Chelsea is going to win the Premiership but it will be closer than in past.

Liverpool: They will give Chelsea some what of a run. They will build on a good season last year building on their strengths. I think that they too will be in danger without a deeper strike force, Crouch stinks....I have never made a secret of my dislike for the tall lanky striker. Fowler can still bring something to the table, Kuyt, we shall see....Bellamy will be the key, if he stays healthy he could be a valuable player, but that is a huge if.....Gerrard, Riise, Zendan, Garcia, Kewell, Sissoko et al will have to carry the team from the midfield. The defense is okay but not sure what is happening in between the pipes.

Manchester United: They are less thin up front with the return of Solskjaer, even Alan Smith is a servicable 4th striker...and they have pace and strength through out the pitch. Rooney is going to have a huge season, I think he wants to prove the WC was a fluke. Saha, now the clear pairing striker for Rooney looks like the Saha from Fulham where he was scoring at will. It will be interesting to see how much Giggs and Scholes have left in the midfield, and I am not sure that Carrick will live up to the hype of being Keane's replacement.

Arsenal: They are young and have solid management. Henry will again be looked to in terms of carrying this team with scoring. Adebayore, Aliadiere and Walcott will provide some depth albeit young and inexperienced, with with worlds of talent. The midfield will be bolstered with Rosicky, he will bring the creativity that can really make the Arsenal machine work, I think his partnership with Cesc could prove very fruitful. The one question remains the back line. If they can get Gallas then I think this will resolve many issues, if not they relying on Senderos scares me!

Tottenham: Will once again be on the outside looking in to the Champions League. They have the talent with Lennon, King, Keane, Davids, Jenas, etc. But I think their depth is thin, and I think playing in London gives them a "third" team mentality, chasing Arsenal and Chelsea. Not convinced of their defense, althought that could be bolstered if they somehow get Chimonba from Wigan.

Those are my top 5, looks very similar to last season....I think that Chelsea will be ahead but not by as large a point margin. Teams that could be regulated: Middlesborough and Fulham are the two I think will fall....Newcastle will struggle .... teams will look to hack away at Chelsea, chopping players like Essein, Drogba, Carvalho, Robben, etc hoping they worry more about being chopped down rather than beating teams, that might be the only way to knock Chelsea off their rythm, cannot wait to see the Bolton - Chelsea games..... Cole to Chelsea, Gallas to Arsenal sounds more and more likely, I just hope that Arsenal can sign him to an extension

The Cannibal joins Chelsea - Gallas closer to leaving?

Dutch international, Khalid Boulahrouz has signed with Chelsea. The central defender can also play both left and right fullback. Named the Cannibal and having covered himself in glory during Holland's World Cup run hacking away at the Portugese he will fit right in with the whining, diving, hacking, prima donnas at chelsea....does this spell the rapid departure of Gallas?

Again I see him moving to northern London and Cole heading back the other way....

Cole - Gallas, Gallas - Cole

So the saga continues, Ashley Cole being left out of Wenger's starting 11 for the first game of the Premiership. Meanwhile across town, Gallas still has not been assigned a number for the squad, his usual #13 now being doned on the back of Ballack's kit.

This stalemate has reached ludicrous levels. Gallas wants out of Chelsea, Cole wants out of Arsenal. Arsenal should lower their asking price to $12m and have Chelsea include Gallas (assuming they can work out a new contract for the Frenchman). Chelsea claim they will not sell Gallas to a rival, but in getting Cole I would say the move is a push, both teams getting world class defenders from a rival.

Lets just get his done!

Greece gets correction from England, and other internationals

England gave Greece a 4-0 correction in yesterday's first post world cup international matches. Goals from Lampard, Terry and 2 from ... ugh.... Crouch put the game out of doubt before the half time whistle. England looked good, moving the ball around and Gerrard and Lampard worked well as Hargraeves did all the messy holding in the midfield, something Gerrard should never have been asked to do. Of course Greece looked like a shell of its Euro 2004 form, they are in real risk of not making the Eure in 2 years. They looked slow, poorly organized and horrible on defense. This last is such a difference from what we saw in Portugal 2004.

Before my Enlgand friends get too excited, England is going to be really tested without Rooney up front. 2 Goals aside, I still have strong doubts over Crouch's value as an international striker. Dafoe looked out of place, not really knowing what was expected of him. Lampard and Gerrard looked much more comfortable than what we saw in Germany. The defense was never really tested so no ability to determine their worth.

Other observations: Germany handed Sweden another lose, the Germans appeared to continue emphasising the attacking style that took them to a 3rd place finish....Norway held Brazil to a 1-1 draw, and were it not for some out standing saves from the Brazilan keeper it might have been a lose for the 5 time WC champs, granted many of the regulars were left off the roster....World Cup champs Italy took a ugly 2-0 lose to Croatia, yuck.....Sad ending to Nedved's carreer with the Czech team losing 3-1 to Serbia, the Czech team was on the down turn during the world cup, this just demonstrates that they have much work to do moving ahead......Ireland got mauled by a Holland team that scored more goals in one game than in their entire world cup, surprised that Van Basten still has his job after a poor WC showing.......France ecked out a tough win in Sarejevo, they gave up another goal on a set piece where the Bosnia player was left alone on the far post, terrible, but they showed some hunger and ability to level the score and then pull out a victory in the dying minutes. It was good to see the youngters Mavuba and Faubert thrown into full International duty (Mavuba did get 3 caps during the WC qualifiers), Faubert scored the winner. Overall not a great 4-0 drubbing, but also a tough fought victory in a very hostile environment. Of course I still do not understand the infatuation with Boumsong, he was very lucky he did not get a PK called against his blatant trip, I rather see Mexes or even Givet partnering with Gallas, Boumsong has the natural talent but seems to have serious brain-farts the past few seasons.

The real work starts in a few weeks with the opening for many teams' Euro qualifying campaigns.

Ligue 1 - Lyon again or will someone else take the title?

The French Ligue 1 has gotten underway, after two weeks we have an old school French team - Nancy sitting on top of the table. This will not last. I think that we will see Lyon for the 6th time sitting on top of the table end of season. Speaking of which can anyone guess who was the last winner of Ligue 1? It was Nantes in 2000/2001 season...seems like a life time ago, and in that season Lyon was only 4 points behind in second place.

So what to expect this season:

• Lyon will win it again. They have the working formula or youth and experience, solid management, money, European experience, and no real competitors. When you look at the Lyon roster you realize that they have the Brazil B team - Cris, Fred, and Juninho. While these brazilians are not as famous as those plying their trades through out europe - Kaka, Ronaldo, Robinho, Ronaldino, etc...they are all solid players and fit perfectly into the Lyon system. Lyon also has a collection of solid, but not spectacular, internationals: Diarra, Muller, Tiago and Carew. These players are all full internationals but none are superstars, but each is world class at their position. Lyon has a strong collection of French internationals: Wiltord, Abidal, Coupet, Malouda and Govou. Lyon also has an assortment of young internationals: Toulalan, Clerc, Ben Arfa, and Berthod. This mix of talent gives Lyon the ability to field experienced teams with youth ready to step in. It also gives Lyon the depth needed to survive a grueling domestic season. However the lack of a superstar, might be the reason why they have not proceeded past the 1/4 finals of the Champions League, they do not have 2 - 3 world class players like a Henry, Gerrard, Ronaldino, Eto'o, etc that you need to elevate your team to the next level when playing tournament styled games in Europe. I think that is why their inability to get a Drogba or Ribery this off season might cost them again in Europe. But their depth and talent should see them to a 6th French title.
• Lille and Bordeaux will fight for the second spot. Lille has been a team on the rise the past few seasons they have they formation and youth. They have proven an ability to compete at the highest level the past few seasons, pulling talent from the african continent as well as lesser known French players...I must admit I cannot name any of their starting squad, yet every season they are contending. As for Bordeaux, the addition of Micoud will bring they a much needed maestro. I think the Micoud, Smicer, Mavuba midfield will achieve some great things. Bordeaux has proven to be a resilient bunch, this season they will take it another level.
• PSG and Marseilles will dissappoint once again. Marseilles will be dangerous now that they have retained Ribery, he could take this domestic season as a break out. He should be able to build from his World Cup to emerge as the next big French star. But overall I think that Marseilles is in too much turmoil to contend. PSG....well what can I say....if their first two games are any indication we PSG fans are in for another long season. It is the same story every season, ability to bring in loads of talent (not always successful), great fan base, coaching carrousel, and disappointing season. After two games Lacombe has used two completely different formations, have not been able to establish a system and have ended up with 1 whole point. They have no system, no one that seems to take over the midfield role, no one that seems to hold together the defense.....I think that PSG will be lucky to finish in the top 5.

I think we will see much of the same this season - Lyon showing its class, Lille and Bordeaux will battle for second, PSG will dissapoint.

What I will be watching is to see if Lyon can take the next step in Europe.