Which Euro 2012 Group Will the Winner Come From?

Only two weeks separate us from the much-awaited Euro 2012. All is set, and all 16 participating teams are raring to go. And with pundits already calling out names for potential winners at the end of this tournament, it’s almost likely that they will be naming the group that could eventually produce this year’s winning team. In this article we will be taking a look at the groups ourselves and decide as to which Euro 2012 group will the winner emerge from.

Group A

A ‘forgotten group’, Group A contains big ol’ sides of the past with a slight touch of novelty. Russia’s string of dominance from ’60 to ’72 and Czech Republic’s title-winning run in ’76 gives this group the abundance of memories. And what about the Greek side that stole it all in 2004? If for anything, the teams in Group A have rich veins of championship blood in them. And while they may be almost forgotten at the moment, history will never the European Legacy of greatness it owes to these three sides.

Poland is the only team in the group that has never won anything. In fact Poland will only be having their second appearance in the tournament this summer after a run-of-the-mill debut in 2008. The youthful side led by one of Europe’s greats in Franciszek Smuda adds youthful exuberance to this otherwise timeworn Group A – a mix of old and new, legendary, great and bound towards the future.

Not many are expecting Group A to contain this summer’s winners, but in a group where you have the Greeks, Russians, Czechs, and one of the co-hosts in the Poles, you better be ready for an upset. So don’t count on any of these teams to have an easy time in the tournament, but have hope in the very unlikely phenomenon of a massive European upset when nobody expects one at all.

Group B

Some of the most successful sides — not only in the Euros but in the whole world as well — have come to ply their trade in a tightly contested and very appalling Group B. In between Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and Portugal are five titles and four runner-up finishes. Only Portugal, one of the world’s most potent sides, have not won a title in this group. They did almost win one in 2004 if not for a Grecian miracle that saw them lose the final in front of their home-crowd.

To give you a numerical view of how tight this group is, all four teams are within the top 10 of the FIFA world Rankings. Three of the teams – Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal – are all in the top five. You don’t even need to be good at math to realize that this group is ‘destiny’s child’ and Euro 2012’s finest.

Group C

Like the first group, Group C features some great faces from the pre-2000 era, and like Group B, ‘C’ contains two of the most fatale sides – teams that play sexy and deadly football at the same time – of the modern ages. Teams like Italy and Spain have graced the tournament with success in both time spectra: Italy won in ’68 and almost repeated history in 2000. Spain meanwhile is a tad better as far as history is concerned. They won the Euros in ’64, and this summer they will be the defending champions after a successful Euro 2008.

Republic of Ireland and Croatia complete the group, two teams that have never reached the pinnacle of success but are nevertheless performing well at the moment. Croatia for instance, only missed a Euro tournament once after gaining their independence. In two of three their appearances so far, two have been turning heads as they made it as far as the quarter-finals – that’s admirable for a side that has not stamped their authority that much in the pages of world football.

All teams in Group C play in a nearly-similar style, one that relies on possession football and fluent (and wily for the underdogs) tactics. Expect the winners and runner-up of this group to reach as far as the semi-finals, and until then keep hoping they catch good breaks to boost their hefty talent. And while Group B is still your pick of destiny, Group C should be your efficient, tested and proven ‘old-reliable’.

Group D

Group D is your typical stable of Dark Horses. Muddled by off-the-pitch concerns, the likes of England, France, and Ukraine have been on the wrong side of the media so many times that you’d normally underestimate their chances on the pitch. Player scandals, back-room issues, and political unrest have all played their part in England, France, and Ukraine’s mindsets respectively, and this gives a lot of color to this group. A fanfare of sorts, Group D will warrant your attention more than any other group.

Only Sweden has not hit the media slump hard. But what they have not been criticized for off-the-pitch concerns have been brought up on on-the-pitch tirades. Sweden needed a bit more balance and organization – an immediate need that came to light early in their qualification run – and critics were quick to pounce on this bit of a chink in the Swedish armor.

Group D’s fate to criss-cross with Group C winners and runner-up makes every team’s shot at success after the group stages inevitably hard-earned. All four teams unfortunately may not have enough gas in the tank to push through for a trophy this summer.

Verdict

With Poland and Ukraine co-hosting this event, Germany and England moved to Pot 2 for the Euro Group Stage draw. And with France and Portugal under-performing in their respective qualifying bids, it was almost destined that a group be blessed with deathly coincidence. This was the pre-draw situation that ultimately led to the creation of the Group of Death – or in the case of Group B winner, the Group of Life. After all, winning such groups grants the survivor an easier to the finals.

Where there is difficulty in the group stages this summer, there lays a winner within, set to create a blaze of glory wherever he wishes to go. It’s not surprising that you’d call the name of Group B as ‘the group of winners’. Group C comes close, but not as fated as the polished diamond that relinquishes its roughness one difficult game after another.

All odds are from Bet365.com (£200 FREE BET!).