Germany - Portugal Quarterfinal Preview

The group stages are done at Euro 2008 and now it is time for the knockout rounds to begin. We can only hope that these games create the same excitement that the group stages did, and with the matchups that are set, I'd say there's a good possibility for more amazing soccer to be played. Today's game is a matchup between two titans of world soccer, Germany and Portugal. Both sides expect to win the whole tournament, but one is also guaranteed to go home much earlier than expected. Who is going to win this epic matchup? Lets break it down GDB style.

How they got here: Portugal were the winners of Group A, defeating Turkey and the Czech Republic. They lost to Switzerland in their last group game but got a chance to rest all of their major players, which means they should be fresh going into today's game. Their path to success was forged from a dominating midfield and solid defense. They have been a creative squad who have played attractive soccer while at the same time not making any major mistakes on defense. It is safe to say they have the momentum going into this game. Germany on the other hand have stumbled into the knockout round. They only finished second in their group, and have not looked anything like the squad that was termed the favorites to win the tournament. While Podolski has scored 3 goals already, other attacking players like Klose, Gomez and Ballack have been mostly dormant. Their defense has also not been what we would expect from a German side, making uncharacteristic mistakes to inferior competition. They also have major injury concerns with Torsten Frings and Podolski both questionable for today's game.

Possible Starting 11's:

Portugal (4-5-1 Formation)

G - Ricardo

D - Bosingwa

D - Ricardo Carvalho

D - Pepe

D - Paulo Ferreira

M - Joao Moutinho

M - Petit

M - Deco

M - Cristiano Ronaldo

M - Simao

F - Nuno Gomes

Germany (4-4-2 Formation)

G - Jens Lehmann

D - Marcell Jansen

D - Per Mertesacker

D - Cristoph Metzelder
D - Phillip Lahm

M - Torsten Frings

M - Clemens Fritz

M - Lukas Podolski

M - Michael Ballack

F - Miroslav Klose

F - Kevin Kuranyi

(If Frings can't play, he will probably be replaced with Hitzelsperger or Borowski. If Podolski can't play look for Schweinsteiger or Odonkor to fill his place.)

3 Keys for Portugal:

1. Win the midfield. This seems simple enough for a team with so much midfield talent, but today they will go up against the most physical and imposing group they have seen so far. All of Portugal's midfielders players are smallish, and could be knocked off their game by the bigger Germans. Petit is going to be the man who has to keep wraps on Ballack, and if he can slow the German captain down then it will greatly help the Portuguese defenders behind him deal with the German forwards. The other midfielders will have to create the right pace of play for Portugal and create the scoring chances because Nuno Gomes simply does not do enough up front to provide a threat to Germany. It will be imperative for Deco to create chances for Simao and Cristiano Ronaldo if Portugal is to score today.

2. Win the air battle. Germany is known for its heading prowess in the box, and frankly they are due for some goals of this variety. Therefore central defenders Pepe and Carvalho are going to have to be spot-on in their marking and not allow German aerial threats Klose, Ballack and Metzelder to get free in the box. Both central defenders are of a high quality and should do a solid job marking the German attacking players, but it only takes one mistake on a set piece to let all that work go to waste.

3. Be a hero Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite the urging of ESPN commentators everywhere, Ronaldo has yet to be the world's best player at this tournament. He did score an important goal against the Czech, but for long period's of time during each game he has vanished. This is a little shocking because he seems so much more aggressive when playing for Manchester United, yet so far for Portugal he has almost seemed passive in his approach. Its games like today however that cement your status of one of the world's greatest, and Cristiano will have to be the superstar everyone wants him to be for Portugal to advance. He honestly doesn't have to score to be a factor, he just has to be the man that is always a threat to score, which will open up the German defense for the rest of his teammates. Maybe if Cristiano puts up an epic performance i'll drink the Kool-Aid, but to be real with you I'm still waiting to see something more from him.

3 Keys for Germany:

1. Get production from the forwards. Its quite shocking how quiet Miroslav Klose has been so far this tournament. Every major competition i've ever seen he's always looked like the best striker in the world, and yet so far in Euro 2008 he's been about as effective as Eddie Johnson is for America. It doesn't really help that his strike partner Mario Gomez has looked completely unprepared for the occasion. I know he's young, but for someone with so much hype coming in, I expected much more. Today Germany cannot afford another no show from its striking pair. I'm already predicting Gomez to be replaced with the more experienced Kuranyi, and Klose and whoever plays beside him may have to make up for the lost production of Podolski if he somehow doesn't play today.

2. Get mean. I used to always hate German teams because they always seemed like the biggest group of assholes in world soccer. Players like Jens Jeremies and Cristian Ziege were not afraid to get yellow cards and intimidate the hell out of their opponents. Now it seems like Ze Germans have gone a little soft. Players are dying their hair blond, bitching about refs constantly and letting opponents waltz into scoring areas without punishment. One thing is for sure, they better not let Portugal do that or they will get toasted by the superb Portuguese midfielders. This is why its so important to set a physical tone to the game. Take a slide at Cristiano's ankles just to put it in his mind that he's not going to be able to run free all game. Knock Deco around every time he gets the ball so that he cannot freely distribute it around the park. And don't be afraid to throw some goddamn elbows around in the box. This is the evil Mannschaft we're talking about, not some fruitcake Scandinavian team for crying out loud.

3. Don't screw up Lehmann. I swear i cringe every time the German goalkeeper plays the ball, because you never know when you may see the dumbest soccer play in recorded history. He already gaffed once in the Croatia game leading to a goal, and any Arsenal fan can tell you he's about due for another embarrasing screw-up. At this stage of a major tournament against such a talented opponent, any mistake Lehmann will be fatal.

Prediction

Everybody is burying Germany after such an underwhelming group stage, but the important thing is that they advanced. Now they are only 2 games away from the final and we all know its going to be difficult to knock them out once and for all. For some reason I feel like the Germans, despite their awkward play so far, match up really well with Portugal. The Portuguese love to play a finesse game with free movement and i don't think Germany is going to let them have this. They have so much talent all over the park that it is about time they play an excellent game, and sometimes when your back is to the wall is when teams truly come together to become what we expected them to be all along. Portugal will get some chances simply because their midfield is so full of quality, but I feel they are going to be few and far between. I also think Klose is going to step up for the Germans today and have a huge game. Look for a really tight game at first, with the Germans slowly turning the screws against Portugal. I'm feeling a Klose strike early in the 2nd half to make it 1-0 and then Germany proceeds to turn out the lights on a Portugal side that simply will not be able to match up with the German's physicality. Germany wins 1-0.

Day 1 Euro Thoughts

The Czech defeated Switzerland 1-0, and Portugal beat Turkey 2-0. Here are some observations from the first day of the tournament.

- Portugal has a really solid team, but I don't see how they can win without a real striker up top. Nuno Gomes has never really done anything in all of the games I've seen him, and they don't have Pauleta or Figo this time around to consistently score. Cristiano Ronaldo did look pretty good today, and should have no problem getting his chances in the group stages, but I think a physical team like Germany or Croatia could give Portugal's smallish midfielders a lot of problems.

- On the note of CR, please get off his balls ESPN. Literally every ball he completed was considered an "act of genius" by the 2 doofuses calling the game. Look we know Ronaldo had an awesome season for Man U and is one of the best ballplayers in the world, but lets slow our roll down before anointing him the savior of football.

- Turkey is a better team than i thought. Auerelio and Altintop are pretty damn good midfielders and Nihat was dangerous up top. Even though they lost today i don't think they are out of this thing. This is partially because the Czech looked very underwhelming today. Without Rosicky and Nedved in the middle there is no creativity at all in this side, and even the boring Swiss were running the play in the second half.

- I'm glad Sebastian Frei got hurt. The last thing we need is a bitch to cry after hurting their knee. Oh wait, isn't that what Paul Pierce did on Thursday?

-Pepe is a really damn good defender for Portugal, him and Carvalho could be the best central pairing in the whole competition.

Thats all i've got for today, I'm off to play tennis in 100 degree heat. Catch all you bitches tomorrow.

Euro 2008 Group A Preview

With the European Championships beginning this Saturday, now is the time to preview the tournament and find out who will lift the trophy in Austria in a mere three weeks. We start with a preview of the four teams that make up group A.

Portugal - The Portuguese are definitely the favorites to win this group, and have the talent to make a run deep into the knockout rounds. They have successfully moved on from the "Golden Generation" and are now a squad built on young and creative players, who have the potential to become household names around the world during this tournament. Portugal's obvious star is Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a spectacular season for Manchester United and seems to be supplanting Ronaldinho as the world's most famous soccer player. However, it is highly possible he could be a huge distraction to Portugal in this competition because of his craving of the spotlight and his lack of a commitment to play for Manchester United next year, which has led to rampant speculation that he could transfer to Real Madrid. Even if Ronaldo is at his best, Portugal will need to find another scorer to support him. Its unlikely any of their forwards will provide much, they are either too old or too inexperienced. Thankfully for Portugal, their sublime midfield players can easily help out Cristiano. Ricardo Quaresma is basically a right-footed Ronaldo, Sabrosa Simao is one of the most underrated players in the world, and central midfielders Deco and Nani provide quality and reliability. Portugal's defense is average and unspectacular, but usually do not make huge mistakes while allowing the midfielders to do their thing.

Czech Republic - The Czech was the revelation of Euro 2004, playing beautiful football and looking like a tournament favorite until falling against Greece against the Semifinals. However since then, key players have either aged or stayed unhealthy causing the Czech to fall from darkhorse champion contender to middle-0f-the-pack team. Without Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky in midfield, the Czech striking options lose much of their punch, and it is quite possible that they will rely on tight defensive tactics as opposed to the more free-flowing style they have employed in the past. The Czech has a very solid goalie in Peter Cech and several quality defenders, but without their best midfielders, they probably don't have enough to pose a threat to the best teams in Europe.

Switzerland - It always seems like the host nation of a major tournament gets a huge boost from the home support and plays way over its head and advances much further than expected. And out of the 2 hosting countries, it would seem that Switzerland has a much better chance of going on a run than Austria. It can definitely be argued that behind Portugal the entire group is up for grabs, and the Swiss have some talented players who could push them to the quarterfinals. The key for the Swiss will be to score goals, and if Alexander Frei is healthy enough to give them enough offensive punch, then their tough defense could shut down the other teams in the group, besides Portugal that is.

Turkey - Oh those wacky Turks. When they aren't playing wildly inconsistent soccer, they're getting in fights with their opponents. They have some decent attacking options in Nihat and Sukur, but quite possibly one of the worst defenses in the entire tournament. Their matchup with Switzerland will bring up memories of a fight between the teams in 2006 when they last met, and even though both teams aren't that good that match will be emotionally explosive. Unfortunately for the Turks, they dont have enough to advance beyond the group stage, and will actually be lucky to get a win against any of their three opponents.

Group Prediction: Look for Portugal to win the group rather easily. It is very important they do so because the runner up in the group will most likely face Germany in the quarterfinals. The battle for the second spot will come down to Switzerland and the Czech Republic, and because they are at home and the Czech has been struggling recently, I give the edge to the home Swiss.

UEFA Champions League Final Preview

Young Swole has been out of action recently, criss-crossing the nation to drink with friends and remember what 50 degrees feels like. There hasn't been much time to post on here, but today's momentous soccer final appears a good time to jump in. For the first time in Champions League history, two English teams will face off in the final, which will feature Manchester United and Chelsea. Not only will this game feature two extremely talented squads, it will also speak loudly on the general condition of English soccer. With so much on the line lets jump in and see whats in store for us at 230 this afternoon.

How Man U got here:
Manchester United has been the best team in Europe all season. This sentence made me sick to type because usually English club teams are vastly overrated compared to other teams from across the continent. However you can't overlook a team that won its league, and scored the most goals in the Champions League tournament in the run up to the final. Thanks to the wonderful talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, the tireless work ethic of Carlitos Tevez and a skillful defense led by Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra, Man U has been able to play an aggressive style that incoroporates the blinding speed its attacking players possess.



How Chelsea got here:
Chelsea was supposed to have reached this point years ago, but finally with Jose Mourinho quitting the team last fall did Chelsea break through to this point and validate the hundreds of millions of dollars that Russian oil baron (tyrant) Roman Abramovich has thrown into the team. With arguably the most talented roster on the face of the planet, Chelsea caught fire in the winter months and continued that into the spring, where it dispatched Liverpool in a classic semifinal matchup in the CL and very nearly caught Man U in the EPL. Chelsea has a fantastic midfield led by Michael Essien, Michael Ballack and Claude Makelele, a solid defense and a ruthless striker in Didier Drogba up front. It finally seems that Chelsea are playing more forward as well and are willing to take more chances in order to score, which has been a problem in the past. This freedom may be the reason why they have gone further this year than in the past.

Man U Probable Lineup
G - Edwin Van Der Sar
D - Gary Neville
D - Rio Ferdinand
D - Nemanja Vidic
D - Patrice Evra
M - Owen Hargreaves
M - Michael Carrick
M - Paul Scholes
M - Cristiano Ronaldo
F - Carlos Tevez
F - Wayne Rooney

With Vidic healthy and anchoring the defense, Man U's attacking options have the freedom to move forward and pressure the Chelsea defenders. If Carrick and Scholes can handle the Chelsea midfield and thus control the ball and the pace of the game, Man U will have an excellent chance to win. This will not be easy because neither player is as physical or talented as Essien is for Chelsea. Keep an eye on Evra, who has been a revelation since joining Man U from Monaco and has the speed and talent to support and augment the Man U defense while being able to keep up with Chelsea's attack.



Probable Chelsea Lineup
G - Peter Cech
D - Michael Essien
D - Ricardo Carvalho
D - John Terry
D - Ashley Cole
M - Claude Makelele
M - Michael Ballack
M - Frank Lampard
M - Joe Cole
F - Didier Drogba
F - Salomon Kalou

Chelsea does not have the firepower of Man U, which means they will have to rely on their midfield more to create a more deliberate pace of play. They definitely have the ability to do so, and if they turn the game into a physical affair then their size and strength advantage could stifle Manchester. Whoever plays right back will have the task of slowing down Cristiano Ronaldo. Paulo Ferriera may have been able to in the past, but Ronaldo is just too fast for him now. That means that the sublime Essien should be the man with the task, and with his talent he may do better than anyone else has at stopping the Portuguese Metrosexual.

One note on the state of English Soccer
Its funny how so many soccer fans think England plays the best soccer in the world and this all-English final will probably be more ammunition in the minds of the dim-witted humans who support this fact. However, if we look at these two squads in addition to the other powerful English club teams Arsenal and Liverpool, we see teams full of players from other countries. Man U will likely only start 4 English players at the most, Chelsea only two. Liverpool has a Spanish coach and their best players all come from different countries. Arsenal doesn't even have an English born player in its starting 11. What this shows is that not only do English clubs have the most money to spend on foreign players, they also realize that the players from England simply cannot cut it for their teams. This is reflected in the shambolic state of the English National Team, which failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament that begins in a couple of weeks because they could not beat Croatia at home in the final qualifying game. When coupled with the fact that England also failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994 and haven't made it past the quarterfinals in any tournament since, its obvious that English soccer deserves none of the hype that is still somehow bestowed upon it.

Prediction for the game
The key in any champions league final is for an early goal to be scored. If one team scores early than the game is forced to be opened up out of sheer desperation for an equalizer. If not, then most of the time teams grow fearful of allowing a goal and play it very close to the vest. With both sides almost completely healthy, there will be no temptation on either side to try and play for the inevitable penalty kicks. And with Chelsea's newfound desire to actually try and score goals and Man U's attack minded style of play, this game could become wide-open similar to Chelsea-Liverpool in the semifinals. Every soccer fan obviously wants this, and I think the trend of English teams shitting the bed in big games will be offset since thankfully there are very few English players in the game. Chelsea is going to try very hard to control Ronaldo and i think they will be effective. However, Carlos Tevez is one of the most underrated strikers in the world and has the speed and ability to elude the Chelsea defense and finish his opportunities. I have a feeling he is going to have a huge game today while Chelsea tries to stop "The Fruity One". Chelsea is not that good at playing from behind, and will struggle to open up Drogba from Ferdinand and the excellent Vidic in the center of the field. I think Man U will tack on a late goal and celebrate deep into the Moscow night with a 2-0 victory.

Nike Euro 2008 Commercial

Nike always brings the heat with its soccer commercials (Brazil at the airport, Secret Tournament, Joga Bonito) and this spot for the upcoming European Championships is no different. Definitely the best commercial i've seen all year. Follow the link because i can't post the video in here right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwlpTgbQTE