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Nice nice. I have France instead of Italy and Spain winning over Netherlands and France. Then 3-1 for Spain vs Portugal.

Regardless the last quarterfinal should be a great match-up with being reasonable having Spain vs France/Italy/Netherlands...
And Portugal will have to be careful against Croatia... To me that team is the biggest dark horse of the competition (with Romania and Russia...)

Very close with me too. BUT, I have Germany beating Portugal. Germany v. Italy in the Finals with Deutscheland winning it all. Portugal and the Dutch scare me. Boht of them have such star power, but never show up in big games--especially with the Dutch. Have you see their roster?! Its ridiculous. Van Bommel, Van Persie, Nistelrooy, etc. They somehow lack chemistry.

My darkhorse has to be Spain. This may be the year where they actually get their act together and win it all. However I say this every two years (Euro and World) anyways!

PORTUGAL!!!

I agree with Keeper!

Here's my knockout round

Portugal vs. Croatia
Germany vs. Turkey (Turkey getting 2nd place in group-play)

Italy vs. Russia (Russia getting 2nd)
Spain vs. France (France getting 2nd)

Semifinal:
Portugal vs. Germany
Russia vs. Spain (Yes, that's my surprise game, Russia knocking out the world champs)

Final: Germany defeating Spain

I could see myself agreeing to almost all your selections. Smartly done.

CR7!!!

I had France winning it, what a group they are in, argubly the three best teams

I could see myself agreeing with Ghost's comment.

Portugal will win this...I hope.

agree portugal will probably win, but I'm tired of people talking about the italians.....they are so primed for an implosion it's not even funny....no cannavaro, an out of form toni and an average age of like 30....plus there has already been a lot of bickering in their training camp which you'll see if you read around....I highly doubt they will even make it out of the group stage. Yes, they are the reigning world champs and yes they will play their usual airtight defense but they look old tired and pissy. I honestly, think that if they get held to a draw or lose to holland or Romania, which btw is better than most people think(Disclaimer: Im not supporting romania, just stating a fact) that that they will suffer a mental collapse against france and end up third in the group

and the same goes with france, while I think that they have a good back line and a very good midfield playmaker in ribery I don't think they have the depth up front to win against a germany or portugal. While I love henri and I don't think his career is over as some would think, he has lost a lot of swagger and a bit of touch, I saw him missing shots with barca that he used to make with arsenal....and they have some young guy starting up front with him, which means that if, god help them, they have to make changes up front they will bring in le sulk(anelka) who is a disaster waiting to happen. and when old guys like makalele start getting heavy legs they are gonna seriously regret not bringing mexes, flamini or even trez. Who btw had a good year with juve but has traditionally been horrible for the french team at least is not a mental liability like anelka, who Im sure you've noticed by now that I absolutely hate.

and why does everyone love the dutch so much??? sure they play prettier more fluid soccer than a lot of teams but who is on that team of any note?? kuyt, a recovering van persie and a ruud van nistelroy who was certainly looking better at the end of the year but generally speaking is past his prime....and as much as I love van der saar (Glory! Glory! Man United!) i think most of the magic in those old legs of his is used up.

and mark my words, even though the "spanish" midfielders are gonna try to pass it 300 hundred times and walk it into the goal (I say spanish cuz xavi is catalan, and cesc is basque) instead of give the ball to torres, or villa, or de la red, or guiza (notice the depth up front), they will destroy a dutch team should they meet......I don't think the dutch counter attack well enough to hurt the spanish and they certainly won't beat them in possession.

All of the people in Quahog agree. I just wish I could find my wife, have any of you seen her or Quagmire?

hahahha.... Portugal??!?!!!? They have great talent, but everyone is picking them because of Ronaldo, but people don't factor in he doesn't play well in big games.

I have to say Germany is the team to beat. Top to bottom they have the most offensive and defensive talent. If Portugal plays them in the knockout round and it goes to penalties, it really is a done deal.

While Italy is a good choice too, I don't see them bouncing back from the Cannavarro injury and they are getting a bit old.

it's simple, really...

holland: all the attack force on the planet, but noone stands out beyond the midfield except for the man himself, VDS...the only way they win will be a high scoring game. not having Seedorf will prove costly. Notorious...you have to be insane to think that RUUD is out of his prime...16 la liga goals in 22 games this year...4 goals in 7 CL games this year....a total of 54 goals the past two years combined...wake up dude...Ruud is still the deadliest out and out striker in the game today.

Portugal: currently have the best player on the planet, but how's he gonna play with all this **** talk of leaving for real madrid. my guess, and i'm obviously a united fan, is that he doesn't even show up

Italy: old, slow, but always manage to pull through. wouldn't surprise me to see them in the finals

Germany: typical Germany...hard working, passionate bunch. have talent all over the pitch, besides Lehmann. I see them placing 2nd.

Spain: someone mentioned them as a darkhorse...in no way is Spain a darkhorse...just because they ALWAYS underachieve doesn't make them darkhorses. They have so much talent it's ridiculous.

France: my pick to win it all. yes they have been playing not so well lately, but they will click in time. they have the most depth at every position. Notorious seems to think they lack depth up front...hmm...who was Barcelona's 2nd leading scorer? none other than Thierry Henry, who never seemed to be on the field...Benzema, Anelka(dangerous when played in the right position, not on the wing like Grant did him), Gomis has came out of nowhere...France have so much talent it's ridiculous. As long as Gallas doesn't captain this team, they will win it.

France over Germany

pezeeunited....you're a g.....First of all I bleed red not because Im human but because Im a red devil through and through..so glory!glory! man united! and yes ruud is still hot, but I don't see a midfield that is gonna supply him with the chances he needs to strike. Yes he was hot when he came back from injury but does he have the endurance to play at that level throughout the tournament? Yes portugal is popular because ronaldo, but again I agree with pezeeunited because as soon as someone gets physical with him he starts diving and whining. But portugal has more talent in the midfield than anybody, possibly one of the most talented midfields ever, with ronaldo, deco, queresma, nani ect....but mark my words with figo gone deco is gonna have to step up and make the kind of plays that he wasn't making this year with barca i.e. passing when he should be shooting if only to test the keeper. And yes henry scored was the 2nd best at barcelona with a whooping 13 goals...he is still great but I don't see him coming into this tourny with any swagger, and lately he has been missing chance that he would have made with arsenal back in the day. And yes anelka is a dangerous player, as well as a dangerous person in the locker room, he is called le sulk for a reason. If I were trying to win this tourney I would want him nowhere near my time...and I promise the will regret not having mexes.
Italy is indeed old and slow and yes in the past they have gotten buy on guile but I don't think they are mentally prepared for this, especially without cannavaro. I seriously forsee a major collapse for them coming up. I know its just a hunch but I promise things are not right in that camp.
Germany is indeed the most balanced, especially with ballack in top form again, and with the ever elusive and lethal klose playing with the ever improving gomez he will have a lot of options...and lahm will hold up that back line.
As much as I think either portugal germany will win I really think this is spains tournament to lose, they have sooooooo much talent it makes me sick, but its hard to have good team chemistry with a team filled with spanish, catalan and basque players its hard to have good team chemistry when there is so much bad blood between them, which is sad.
Finally, as I've stated before, France and Italy won't both advance beyond the group...I promise one of them is going to collapse, probably Italy.

the thing with portugal that gets me is their midfield....yes, they are very talented...offensively...they better have at least one disciplined player to sit in and intercept passes and track back...cause ronaldo sure isn't tracking back...nani is a young ronaldo(and we know how well that went at united)...quaresma is a good attacking player as well...maybe deco will show his age and be the disciplined one.

yes, a whopping 13 goals, i know it's not much, but it's more than i would have thought he had all this season...just seemed like he never played!

i'm pretty sure France plays a 4-2-3-1....so i'm thinking makelele and toulalan will sit...with malouda, govou(nasri), ribery...and henry up front.....i like their formation, and if vieira was healthy, along with makelele, that's a pretty stellar defensive midfield...heck you could even put benzema on a wing with as much pace as he has....all i'm saying is Evra better see some action in place of Abidal...he's earned it

couldn't agree more about the portuguese midfield....so much talent but nobody to be disiplined thats why I say that they are gonna need deco to step up...I know that this is a rather silly thing to say but I honestly think that portugal could have some success with a very radical formation like a 4-6-0 with sort of a star pattern in the midfield...i.e. deco in dead center ronaldo in front of him and slightly staggared to the left and with full liberty to cheat into the middle, because I think he is at his best when he is a allowed to roam around and make runs with the ball plus he is lethat from anywhere, and it also keeps the opposing defenders from marking him consistantly as he will be switching positions a lot.....in front of deco and slightly to the right id put a queresma or somone, with nani and one of the younger mids....thats four right? behind deco I have a left and right defensive mid to help hang back intercept balls a provide help to the defense in general...especially in preventing teams from making runs down the wings in the defensive third by pinning opposing wingers between the defenders in front, the sidelines and a charging midfield( think pincer attack)... I think this would help the defence which is suspect besides carvalho and provide extra ball winners....Plus I see the biggest lack of talent with portugal is up front...I don't see a lethal finisher who is gonna take the oppoutunities the mids will create....Like I said this is a rather strange suggestion but I think that with 5 or 6 mids of the field portugal could press the attack nearly constantly and really wreak havoc....plus it would let Ronaldo roam around and work his magic without being penned in.

as far as france goes I had read that they might go with the 4-4-2 but youre right to think that they would go with the 4-2-3-1 but I think makalele sitting would be a mistake, I just see him a such a willy and clever ball winner in the midfield....but the rest of your analysis is probably right they are fairly strong, as they always are but I just don't see this being they're year....they'll miss zidane when it comes down to the nitty-gritty and the chemistry isn't quite right...but I will say that the future looks very bright for them And YES Evra has earned himself some damn playing time for sure.

And yes nistelroy is a hoss, always has been and will go down as one of the best out and out strikers everywhere...but you said so yourself it seems like he never played this year, plus at real he had robinho and raul to take some of the pressure off him...now he only has a wounded van persie and a mediocre dirk kyut to help out....He will do okay but he is gonna isn't gonna shine like the days of old....but Holland could easily advance cuz like Ive said before Italy is primed for collapse.

For the Oranjes' defense, Im pretty sure a playmaker like Van der Vaart or Sneijder can feed Ruud some pretty sweet balls for him to put in the back of the net. Robben isnt healthy at 100% but he can make the difference. With Ruud you have a goal-scoring machine in Huntelaar. Agreed hes only been nasty in the Eredivisie but his numbers are ridiculous (a la Ibrahimovic while in the Eredivisie) and hes been pegged as the new Van Basten by ... Van Basten himself. Id pick Huntelaar over Kuyt any time.
Sure the back 4 isnt the most glorious of the tournament but theyll hold their own. And yes VDS is behind to shine in a big tournament for the last time.

I picking Portugal to make it to the final because a lot of people underestimate their back 4. Pepe proved to be a great CB and hes been one of the best recruits at Real this year. Ricardo is solid enough without being a VDS, Cech, or Buffon. Petit isnt the greatest holding mid but you have a young Veloso waiting to take his spot. Moutinho is SO underrated and showed great vision and provides fresher legs to support Deco. Sure Nuno is past his prime but he hit the frame twice vs Turkey.

Germany is solid but the fact that Podolski is playing in the mid shows that theres a lack of depth in that area. Metzelder and Mertesacker arent as solid as people make them sound. Lahm and Jansen are known for their offensive runs, not for their marking...but they are both really good.

France's performance will depend on Domenech. The guy chose an out of shape Thuram and a mediocre Boumsong over a rock solid Mexes, just bc he doesnt like the guy. Govou over Trezeguet is another ridiculous choice. If he sticks with his old vets (Gallas, Thuram, Makelele, Vieira, Sagnol, even Henry) and doesnt give his young talents a shot (Nasri, Toulalan, Flamini, Benzema, etc), then Ribery is going to have to be all over the field. And yes to both Notorious and Peezee, Evra needs to start over Abidal. To hell with his "chemistry" with Malouda (whos not playing so great lately).

I agree with Notorious. Italy will not make it out. I have Netherlands 1st and France 2nd. Netherlands will profit from being in the same group as France and Italy bc they wont be pressured to live up to the usual hype.

Finally, SPAIN. I will believe in them and say they will win it all. When your back 4 of Ramos, Puyol, Marchena/Albiol, Capdevila, is your weakest line (with an exceptional Casillas behind), you have to acknowledge the incredible depth/talent of the team. Aragones needs to realize that he cannot put Xavi/Iniesta/Fabregas together on the field. Torres and Villa need to find the right system for them to score as well as they do with their club.
Silva can be another source of spark for the team.
Call me football romantic but ill be rooting for the ever-underachieving Spain.

I agreee with a lot of what you say....the portuguese defense is better than some people think. Moutinho looked really sharp yesterday and he could end up being one of their key players...But I was also glad that I saw what I needed to see out of deco, patience, good vision, a some great passing and most importantly he stepped up and took a couple shots from futher out, instead of looking to pass one too many times.

Look,I know that everyone has given up on podolski cuz he has been pretty much a non-entity at bayern, but I'm sure that today's prerformance has already shown you that podolski is not a weak choice. The chemistry he and the other polak Klose is really good, go figure, and today they showed it...I was really impressed with germany today. I know that they are cosidered perenial favorites, which gets to be annoying, but they certainly looked it today. They came out with so much swagger and pep in the first half and took it straight down poland throat. The fact that it wasn't 3-0 at the half was simply a lot of luck and some poor finishing by mario gomez. In the second half they came out a bit more reserved and it for a while it looked like poland might actually mount a counter attack. But I really think it was just the germans stepping off the gas a little and playing more tactically to save energy. and when they sensed that it was time to put the game away they did so in typical teutonic fashion.

France brought the wrong team, not bringing trez can be forgiven if you look how poorly he has played for the les bleus but leaving mexes behing was stupid...Ribery will be a bright and shinny star in was will be an incredibly mediocre french team. They will get by the group stage with their experience and pedigree but will falter in the quarters.

Italy will implode.

ctsubasa you overrate the dutch team but I sense you are either dutch or have a soft spot for them so I'll leave them be....just don't get your hopes up.

Finally, I agree with everything you said about spain...on paper this shouldn't even be a contest, they should absolutely just run people into the ground with they're talent and depth..but of course one can never expect them show up when the should. I think portugal will pull it out this time, but here's hoping that la furia roja steps up like they should.