Article:Euro 2008 Group B Review...

==Euro 2008 Group B Review:==

'Group B:'

-Austria

-Germany

-Croatia

-Poland

Here’s the second Group in the Euros under Review, again I would like to point out that I am not going to predict the standings of this group it’s just my opinion.

1- Austria
Another hosting country, with a REALLY and I mean REALLY short track record, they are not well known and I can’t really tell you that much but they did beat Malta 5-1 in their a post tournament match, The only reason I believe they are in this Cup is because they are hosting it ,but I don’t know if they have what it takes to take on their opponents in this Group, but again they are at home and they will not make a fool out of themselves in front of their fans.

Austria’s 23 man Squad:


 * Goalkeepers:

Alexander Manninger (AC Siena)

Juergen Macho (AEK Athens)

Ramazan Ozcan (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)


 * Defenders:

Gyorgy Garics (Napoli)

Ronald Gercaliu (Austria Vienna)

Martin Hiden (Kaernten)

Markus Katzer (Rapid Vienna)

Juergen Patocka (Rapid Vienna)

Emmanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough)

Sebastian Proedl (Sturm Graz)

Martin Stranzl (Spartak Moscow)


 * Midfielders:

Rene Aufhauser (Salzburg)

Christian Fuchs (Mattersburg)

Andreas Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos)

Umit Korkmaz (Rapid Vienna)

Christoph Leitgeb (Salzburg)

Juergen Saeumel (Sturm Graz)

Joachim Standfest (Austria Vienna)

Ivica Vastic (Linz)


 * Forwards:

Erwin Hoffer (Rapid Vienna)

Roman Kienast (Ham-Kam)

Roland Linz (Braga)

Martin Harnik (Werder Bremen)

Players to Watch

Alexander Manninger and Martin Harnik

2- Germany
Now here’s a team that is favored to go all the way, they have an amazing team, with an excellent history to back it up as well, they have a talented team that balances between Veterans and Youth, they are known to go into a defensive state through there matches but in recent years that has changed a bit, as they were 3 rd place in the World Cup 2006 and Runners-up in 2002, but they dipped in Form between 2003-2005 unable to move pass the Group stages in Euro 2004 in Portugal, but this time around they will most probably want to show that Titans might Fall but definitely not beaten.

On a side note, Bernd Schneider was injured a couple of weeks before so he had to be replaced.

Germany’s 23 man Squad:


 * Goalkeepers:

Jens Lehmann (Arsenal)

Robert Enke (Hanover 96)

Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen)


 * Defenders:

Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid)

Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen)

Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)

Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin)

Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich)

Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen)

Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)


 * Midfielders:

Michael Ballack (Chelsea)

Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart)

Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen)

Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen)

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg SV)

Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen)


 * Forwards:

David Odonkor (Real Betis)

Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich)

Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich)

Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart)

Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04)

Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Players to Watch

Michael Ballack had an amazing second half of the season with Chelsea, showed he can lead Germany in a Pre-tournament match against Slovakia assisting a goal and scoring the second to come from behind and beat Slovakia 2-1.

Other Players, Jensen, Bastian Shweinstiger and Christoph Metzelder

3- Croatia
There is a lot to say about Croatia, they denied England a place in the Euro’s and they were first in their Group Qualifiers as well, but that doesn’t mean they have what it takes either, they have shown great skill and stamina in some games I have watched but they lack the star in midfield which is the difference between them and opponents Germany, but they are not an easy team and it will be thrilling to watch them take on Germany in this Group.

Croatia’s 23 man Squad:


 * Goalkeepers:

Stipe Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow)

Vedran Runje (Lens)

Mario Galinovic (Panathinaikos)


 * Defenders:

Vedran Corluka (Manchester City)

Dario Simic (AC Milan)

Robert Kovac (Borussia Dortmund)

Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin)

Dario Knezevic (Livorno)

Hrvoje Vejic (Tomsk)

Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen)


 * Midfielders:

Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Niko Kovac (Red Bull Salzburg)

Luka Modric (Tottenham)

Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth)

Jerko Leko (AS Monaco)

Ivan Rakitic (Schalke)

Ognjen Vukojevic (Dinamo Bucharest)

Nikola Pokrivac (AS Monaco)


 * Forwards:

Mladen Petric (Borussia Dortmund)

Ivica Olic (Hamburger SV)

Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen)

Igor Budan (Parma)

Nikola Kalinic (Hajduk Split)

Players to Watch

Ivan Klasnic, Ivica Olic, Luka Madric and Dario Simic

4 –Poland
I have been amazed by Poland’s form in the Qualifiers because not only did  come First in there Group but also Outplayed Portugal in both games, they won the first and held Portugal to a draw in the second, but this a different place and a different time, so only time can tell how well they really are.

Poland’s 23 Man Squad:


 * Goalkeepers:

Artur Boruc (Celtic)

Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United)

Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal)


 * Defenders:

Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht)

Pawel Golanski (Steaua Bukarest)

Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow)

Jacek Bak (Austria Vienna)

Michal Zewlakow (Olympiakos)

Adam Kokoszka (Wisla Krakow)

Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw)

Dariusz Dudka (Wisla Krakow)

Michal Pazdan (Gornik Zabrze)


 * Midfielders:

Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund)

Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan)

Lukasz Gargula (GKS Belchatow)

Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg)

Roger Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw)

Wojciech Lobodzinski (Wisla Krakow)


 * Forwards:

Euzebiusz Smolarek (Racing Santander)

Maciej Zurawski (Larissa)

Marek Saganowski (Southampton)

Tomasz Zahorski (Gornik Zabrze)

Players to Watch

I am not to sure about them but my picks would be…

Euzebiusz Smolarek and Jakub Blaszczykowski