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KEEP LIFE SIMPLE
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Friday, May 30, 2008
I'm bored so here's another post.. International Friendlies Singapore 0 Bahrain 1 (National Stadium) I was at the National Stadium in Kallang to watch this match with my father, it was pretty uneventful, the national team put in a poor performance, and eventually lost to a goal which pretty much summed up the match: scrappy. Chances were few and far between, Singapore failed to keep possession of the ball for long periods, and they frequently gifted the ball back to the visitors with wayward passes. Better performance, Lions, or you're not gonna qualify for the next round of the World Cup qualifiers! England 2 USA 0 (Wembley Stadium) I watched this match on TV during the same day (well not really, it was past midnight). Obviously the quality and speed of play was much better than the earlier match, but that is to be expected. John Terry and then Gerrard got their names on the scoresheet to give new England coach Fabio Capello a highly convincing victory. The English kept the ball well, though they were arguably practicing profligacy infront of goal, with several good chances wasted. Still, they hardly broke a sweat in defeating the Americans, and that only bodes well for the future. And a special preview to...... UEFA EURO 2008, SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA  THE PARTICIPANTS: Austria (co-host) Switzerland (co-host) Czech Republic Portugal Turkey Croatia Germany Poland Romania France Netherlands Italy Spain Russia Greece (defending champs) Sweden MY FAVOURITES Germany- Personally I feel that the Germans are strong candidates for this year's edition of the European Championships. They were superb at the 2006 World Cup and were quite unlucky not to reach the final on homesoil. They have good players who excel when it comes to penalty shootouts, which is crucial, as knock-out matches often have a defensive feel about them and many matches end in stalemate. Definitely strong contenders. Portugal- The Portuguese have done well at recent major tournaments, finishing runners-up in Euro 2004 and fourth in the World Cup (ironically they lost the 3rd-place playoff against the Germans). My second choice for the two spots in the finals belongs to this team, as their emerging young stars like Ronaldo, blended with old faces like Luis Figo, could achieve great things for their national side. However, I feel that they will be thwarted right at the end yet again, and by Germany again! 3rd Place Italy- The World Champions did not have it easy in the qualifying stages, requiring a controversial late winner against Scotland to break the Scottish hearts. They will find themselves struggling to score goals after leaving out veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi. However, they still have enough quality to at least secure 3rd place. However, of cause, before that... the 'Group of Death' in Group C awaits. France, Netherlands, Romania, Italy. What a group that will be! 4th Place Czech Republic- The Czechs can be considered dark horses for Euro 2008. They did poorly at the 2006 World Cup Finals, but they were excellent in Euro 2004, until they were sent out in the quarterfinals by Denmark. Then, they proved themselves capable of matching with the best national teams on the planet. They shall do so once again, though old foes Italy will prevent them from taking 3rd place. (Italy knocked the Czechs out of the 2006 World Cup groupstages) Punching Bags Austria- Austria, the co-hosts, are unfortunately named as my 'punching bag' team. Being the lowest ranked team in the finals, the results of their international friendlies have done nothing to prove that they can perform on the big stage. Embarassing defeats and late meltdowns led to fans protesting that Austria give up their spot, for 'better, more talented teams' to enjoy themselves on the big stage. The Czechs, the Portuguese and the Turkish are not easy opponents. Don't be surprised if the Austrians finish bottom of the group. Done. >_>
Joel at 5/30/2008 08:34:00 PM :: link |