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Yesterday’s Champion’s League game between Arsenal and Dynamo Kiev didn’t offer many highlights for the viewers. Frabregas’ cross ball and Bendtner’s goal saved the event from being yet another high-tempo, low-scoring, little value match. There was however a clear low in the game. In fact, the most pathetic thing I have personally seen on a football pitch since the infamous World Cup 2002 Rivaldo face-injury-after-ball-hit-knee incident.

Agonizing pain

Second half, Arsenal are controlling the game, attacking. Dynamo Kiev are defending successfully, hoping for a quick turnover. During one of the Arsenal offensive campaigns, Dynamo-player Olexandr Aliyev falls to the ground after light contact with an opponent. Rolling around the grass like a newly caught pike, holding his ankle, his facial expression suggesting agonizing pain. Seconds later Dynamo win the ball, starting a counter attack. Seeing this, Aliyev loses the grip of the ankle, rushes up, and accelerates from nearly dead to full speed in three seconds. Miraculous recovery? No, of course not. Nothing shy of embarrassing, lowlife, and pathetic cheating.

Now, simulating to gain an advantage is in itself a violation of the rules in football. However, as upsetting as it might be, it is not the most remarkable issue here. For the last decade or so, if a player is injured, the team in possession of the ball kicks the ball over the sideline as soon as possible, allowing treatment for the player down. All in good sportsmanship.

Fake injury

The team that gains possession once the game resumes hands the ball over to the team that lost possession, if needed. Also in good sportsmanship, often applauded by the crowd, the opponents, and sometimes the referees. Fair enough. However, the last couple of years we have seen a couple of examples where players fake injury when the opponents are attacking, in an attempt to deprive the opposing team of a chance to score a goal.

I realize that football players make hundreds of decisions during a football match, most of them in less than a second. Sometimes they make wise decisions; sometimes they make decisions that are less thought-through. Maradona made the snap decision to give the ball a helping hand past Peter Shilton, consequently leading Argentina to a World Cup victory. Rivaldo saw a stray ball coming his way, and decided in an instant to fake a face injury. An opponent was sent off, and Brazil won the game. Zidane heard something, and didn’t think twice before going for the head-butt. Possibly handing over the World Cup to Italy. Fortunately, Aliyev’s action didn’t decide the outcome of the game. Nevertheless, I find it worth bringing up the issue to debate.

Cheating

I would like to see someone with some authority in the corridors of FIFA or UEFA taking action against this. Using technology to uncover and punish this relatively new form of cheating. I know, the ideology of the game is to be able to apply all rules to all levels. Video is already used though to find and take action against dangerous play, so why not use it to get rid of, or at least reduce simulation?

For the referee it’s nearly impossible to determine in a split second if a player is simulating or not. It’s even more difficult to tell if the player is in fact injured, or if he is faking it. I know the game from a practical point of view as well, having played competitive football for a number of years. I know very well that as a player you will get hit. Sometimes the hits cause serious injuries. Sometimes the hits cause instant pain, but pain that last for a few seconds and with no further consequences. Still, it does not excuse trying to gain an advantage, hoping that your opponents will abort their scoring opportunities because of your horizontal position.

Time penalty

With today’s rules, players – injured or not – that receive treatment and cause an interruption in the game are forced to leave the field and enter at the halfway-line at the referee’s discretion. I would like to see an extension of this rule; players who come off the field need to stay off the field for a fixed period of time, say five minutes. This would not be a “time penalty” a la ice hockey. If the player is in fact injured, five minutes is a welcome and in most cases needed period of time for treatment. If the player is faking the injury, five minutes out of play would cause more damage to his own team than the advantage it would gain from simulating.

And how cool would it be seeing a coach go public before a season or tournament, stating; “We will not hand the ball over, it’s up to the referee to decide if the play should stop. If you try to pull that stuff, you’ll only hurt yourself”. I know very well this is a utopia. No one wants to make an announcement that will make them and their team appear to be practicing bad sportsmanship. Ironically, to fight cheating you have to threaten to give up sportsmanship…

Nuisance

Until something is done to eliminate this nuisance, I’m afraid we will continue to see more or less obvious cases of simulation, and in every single game. Probably not as bad as the one Aliyev pulled off though. I’ll finish with the comment from the Dutch commentator (and the Dutch are no strangers to this phenomenon, alternatively praising and cursing tricksters such as Robben and Van Persie) seeing this spectacle: “Belachelijk!” Ridiculous!

Early September, and all the European football leagues have kicked off with a few rounds. People with some insight in the game are already looking for trends to maybe predict the outcome of the season. However, if you ask me, a few rounds in the biggest leagues may give a few indicators for the new season, but a lot of things can happen. A good may give a team a head start that will decide the outcome in the end. The champions in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and La Primera are not decided in September though, but rather in April at the earliest.

However, in the Dutch Eredivisie – mind you a league that is clearly below the “Big 5” in competitiveness and quality, but still the home of a few very successful teams and a seemingly endless producer of football talent – the standard appear to have been set after only one match weekend.

Since the season 1963-64, only once (AZ in 1981) outside “The Big Three” – Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV Eindhoven – have won the title. Naturally other teams have a great season at the same time that one or two of the elite trio clubs have a bad season. At the end of the day though, the challenge of passing all of the three dominant clubs in the table proves to be too big. The trophy the last four years has ended up in southern Holland, in Eindhoven. After a disappointing last season for both Ajax and Feyenoord, the clubs have made serious efforts to be able to challenge PSV for the title this year. After only the first round in the Dutch league, I would like to say – not going to happen.

Managers of clubs in the Dutch league are faced with the challenge year after year that their teams may be scattered all over the continent when bigger clubs open their wallets and handpick the best players in the league. Particularly the biggest four clubs – add AZ to the trio – constantly find themselves in this situation in late August. In turn these clubs pick players from smaller clubs in the league or even from each other (never between Ajax and Feyenoord though, but that’s a different story). A frustrating situation of “football inbreed”, but nevertheless the reality. Therefore, I find it even more impressive that PSV can perform year after year, not only in the domestic but also on the European scene.

Ajax has a very disappointing season behind them, nowhere near the league title and missing out on a chance to qualify to Champion’s League. This year they are going for stability, getting rid of unwanted players and adding Marco van Basten as head coach. In the long run this could very well be a winning concept, but before he gets the team together, I’m afraid they will be distanced, unable to catch up.

Last season Feyenoord brought a couple of quality players back to De Kuip when they signed Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Roy Makaay, hoping that they would raise the team to glory. A Dutch cup title brought some satisfaction for the fans, but the league performance was uneven and didn’t even buy the club a top five position. With the addition of Jon Dahl Tomasson this season, maybe they have the experience and skills to put up a good fight. It seems like Feyenoord notoriously beat the top teams, but lose points to the lower ranked teams. Judging by their performance so far, I doubt that it will change this year.

While the only two serious contenders for the title – Ajax and Feyenoord – lost their first round matches to teams where they normally should walk away with three points, PSV put up an impressive performance and defeated Utrecht away with a 5 – 1 win. The club from Eindhoven is spoiled with the appearance of future star players; Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, and Marc van Bommel to mention a few. Naturally players of their caliber are bound to find their way to bigger and more lucrative tasks in European top clubs. Yet, the club finds means of replacing them year after year. Be it top notch club management, a unique coaching philosophy, or complete harmony among the players and confidence in the system; it’s a winning concept.

The Ajax and Feyenoord fans may demand or even deserve a success for their beloved teams, and as an Amsterdam resident I would love to see it happen. I genuinely hope that it will be a tough race up until the end, but in the end I will be surprised if the title ends up in Amsterdam or Rotterdam. I realize it would be foolish and unprofessional to congratulate PSV already after only one round of matches. But from my experience with the Dutch league the last four years; you can afford to lose a few points here and there. However, you cannot afford to give PSV an edge, they will take advantage of it, and they will not return the favor. Playing catch-up with the champions is a dangerous game, and unfortunately for the excitement of the competition, this is not a game that the challengers master just yet. Therefore I say; in May PSV will win their fifth consecutive Dutch championship. Same procedure as last year.

So it has begun. Long before any of the major European leagues have kicked off and long before the transfer window is closed, the preliminary round of this year’s UEFA Champion’s League kicked off this week. A summer break shorter than normal, bridged by the Euro 2008, it’s taken off.

I’m not going to analyze the matches in depth, basically since I haven’t seen a single minute of any of the matches. These rounds don’t exactly enjoy a high priority in televised media. Probably for a reason. Let’s face it, very few of these teams – if any – will make it to the Champion’s League, let alone win it. Naturally, all players dream about playing on the big scene in Europe, about fame and fortune. A miracle that would take their club into the VIP room of European football. It would mean an unforgettable season for the players, the fans, the country, and it would mean a significant boost for the club economy. But, the dynamics of football don’t exactly favor teams from the smaller leagues.

How about Llanelli AFC? The Welsh champions made their Champion’s League debut this week, and managed to walk away with a 1 – 0 win over the Latvian champions FK Ventspils. However, despite being the Welsh champions, they are far from the best team in the country. While Llanelli were winning the Welsh Premier League in front of the massive crowd of about 4000, Cardiff was playing the FA cup final in front of 90,000 at Wembley. Llanelli in Champion’s League? I don’t think so.

How about S.S Murata, the San Marino champions? The Sammarinese football league is ranked 53rd in Europe. Just behind the Andorran. Right ahead of, well, none. They’re the last. Their star player is Aldair, the former Brazilian World Champion. Aldair would probably do well in most European teams – 15 years ago. At age 41 he has probably reached and passed his peak though. To complement the defensive skills of Aldair, Murate aimed to attract former superstar Romario and Michael Schumacher. Romario would surely be able to contribute with his skills and experience in this team. Michael Schumacher, well, would definitely score some PR points, and is surely familiar with San Marino, but isn’t he busy doing that Formula 1 thing? With a five goal deficit from their home match against Swedish champions IFK Göteborg, they will need to recruit the all-star team of Europe to turn this around. Murata in Champion’s League? Nope.

How about Tampere United from Finland? Finland was only a goal away from qualifying for this year’s European Championship. They began their road to glory by defeating the Montenegrin champions FK Buducnost Podgorcia. A 2 – 1 win is fragile, but the Finns should be able to advance. Finland has provided European leagues with a number of quality players over the last couple of decades, but when it comes down to pulling it together as a team and take that final step they choke. Maybe this time, depending on who they face in the next round, and the round after that…no, that’s too far-fetched…UEFA Cup, maybe. Tampere United in Champion’s League. Don’t really see it happening.

How about IFK Göteborg then, the two time UEFA Cup champions? With a 5 – 0 win away against team from San Marino, they can already start their focus on the next round. The Swedish team is no stranger to the Champion’s League actually. In the mid 1990’s they enjoyed quite a bit of success, with the highlight winning their group in the 1994-95 edition, ahead of Barcelona and Manchester United, losing out to Bayern Munich only on goal difference in the quarter final. However, that was before the competition expanded to 32 teams, allowing not only the national champions to participate, but also the runner-ups of the best European leagues. Could they make it to the group stages again this year? Being Swedish, I hope so. Being realistic, probably not.

So, is this an article about making fun of the little clubs? Or an article complaining how elitist and money-oriented the game has become? Or a prediction on the outcome of this season’s Champion’s League? No, none of the above. You can call it the food chain. At the end of the day the champion will be named Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea, or one of their European likes. They will eat the clubs like Lyon, Fenerbace, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic; clubs that frequent the group stages of Champion’s League, but never make it all the way. These clubs in turn will feast on the next layer of the cake; the clubs that visit the tournament rather often, but only occasionally win a match once they’re in, clubs such as Anderlecht, Sparta Prague, or Rosenborg. These middle-class clubs will in most cases – due to their experience with European football – knock out teams that are almost there but not quite; clubs from Denmark, Romania, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. And so it goes on to all the way to the bottom of the food chain where the champions of Andorra, Faeroe Islands, Luxembourg, San Marino, Lichtenstein, etc will keep dreaming of maybe one day scoring a goal against a decent-sized European club. The UEFA food chain may not be the ideal solution, but it gives every team a theoretical chance of getting a glimpse of the fame and glory that is out there. It may not be up for grabs for everyone, but the hunt for this year’s European trophies has now officially started

I would like to build on Graham’s brilliant analysis. I have to warn you though that I will have to disagree. In my office pool (how many out there are already planning what to do with their money…?) I had Spain beating Germany in the final. Unfortunately the rules got confused, and I can no longer win the bracket. But, my initial instinct will have to stand.

Turkey, well, although having tried to play attractive football, I think – and hope for the sake of quiet nights without car horns – that their luck has come to an end. Despite their admirable attitude to play full speed until the final whistle, their (possibly unintentional) strategy of scoring last-minute goals doesn’t appear to be sustainable, especially against a team like Germany.

I watched the Russians in the first game against Spain. The Spanish were basically able to stick the ball in between the defenders whenever they wanted, reaching the lethal duo Torres and Villa. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Hiddink must have observed, considered, and amended. Since then they haven’t conceded a single goal, while their attacking line with power and speed has proven extremely hard to resist. The Russians could be the new “Greece” if everything goes their way. However, while the Greek team aimed to bore their opponents to defeat, the Russian team breaks them down with powerful and quick attacking football. If not this time, they have a concept for the future.

The Germans have been up there before, many times. They know what it’s like to win a big one, and if they couldn’t win two years ago on home ground, they will do their very best to do it close to home in Austria. My guess is that they will try to kill the match against Turkey long before 90 minutes. Will they succeed? I think so.

I do believe that the game Russia – Spain could be something fantastic. Forget the group stage match. This is something else. Russia have grown. Spain are strengthened after their win over Italy on penalties. Both teams have impressed greatly, but I doubt they have reached full capacity yet. If they both give it all on Thursday, this match could go down in history. I know, a bit optimistic, but let’s hope for the best.

Whoever wins in the second semi-final I think will have the upper hand in the final. While the Germans are big favorites to win against Turkey, the second match is more open. Two attacking teams, but only one can win. Whichever team it will be will have to put on a great performance, and will have the momentum going for the final. Guus Hiddink has the experience as a coach, but the Spanish players are used to playing the big games. My prediction – Spain will come out on top. Once they have beaten their tournament curse and gone where no Spanish national team (ok, a few have, but it was back when the goalkeeper could still pick up a pass from the defender and the players played in Speedos) have gone before – the big final.

Germany will be a tough task, but I must be optimistic. I must believe in a game where scoring more goals than the opponent is still the winning concept. Villa and Torres are working harder, running faster, are more elegant, looking hungrier than Klose and Podolski. I think and hope that this will be the deciding factor. I think that finally it’s Spain’s turn.

Christian Celind

Despite all the expectations, preparations, and organization, a team’s future in the tournament can come down to a split second decision (or lack thereof) from the man with the whistle – the referee. In the 2006 World Cup we saw an appallingly uneven referee performance, where many of the officials were determined to steal the show and put themselves in the center of attention. In this tournament, the standard has been surprisingly even and high in my opinion. Of course there have been mistakes, and also a couple of very controversial decisions that have been discussed among friends, fans, and in TV studios around the world.

If you study the official laws of football, you will find that they are in fact not very elaborate. The much debated goal that Ruud van Nistelrooy scored against Italy is a great example. The official offside law states:

A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent.

Furthermore it states that:

A player in an offside position is only penalized if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by interfering with play.

Hence, the rule mentions the opponents’ goal line, but there is no reference to how to treat things that happen behind this line. As it also states, it’s all in the opinion of the referee who is actively involved in the play.

I am personally far from convinced that the Swedish referee and the linesman were as confident as they appear to be when they allowed this goal. It is obviously their job to know not only the ins and outs of the laws of the game, but also the various interpretations and directives that are applied to the tournament in question. There is no player in top international football that knows how to take advantage of the offside rule better than Ruud van Nistelrooy. Seeing his reaction after the goal, where he had to await the thumbs up from the officials, suggested that he did not know that Panucci was considered taking an active part of the game, even though he was knocked out behind his own goal line. The debate has been very interesting, and I think many people (like myself) learned something new about the game. The case is very specific though, and I doubt we will see many similar situations like this in the future.

Another controversial referee decision was the overtime penalty rewarded Austria in the game against Poland. In my opinion, the penalty was crystal clear. The defender pulled the opponent’s shirt, the Austrian guy lost his balance and fell as a result of this. Good call. The controversy was not so much about the foul itself, but rather the timing. Calling a penalty in the 92nd minute in a tight game is a bold decision, and the referee received his share of criticism. Alan Shearer suggested in the BBC studio that if officials were to point to the penalty spot every time a shirt was pulled in the penalty box, there would be 5 – 6 penalties in every game. Probably correct for the first few months. But, here’s a thought: what if the players of a team would say “Hey, let’s not pull any shirts this game and see what happens. We’ll probably be rewarded 3 penalties, but will have none against us.” The players would adapt. I’m not a fool though. I know that if a team would be too heavily penalized for one certain thing, they would drop that thing and try different tricks instead. Instead of shirt pulling maybe we would see spitting, kicking, trash talking, or biting to throw the opponent off balance. If my team had a penalty against them in injury time, I must admit I would probably drop a few comments about the officiating. But unlike the Polish minister who allegedly wanted to seriously hurt the referee after the game, I would realize that it would be a result of the human factor in the game. Instead of directing all the anger towards the referee, maybe some of the blame should be on the defender who committed a foul a few meters away from the referee.

One directive the UEFA have given for the Euro2008 tournament, is to penalize complaints and arguing with the referee. Also situations where a group of players come with their possy and attack the referee as a gang, trying to influence the decision. Players are not stupid; they know that the referee will not go back on his decision. By complaining though, they hope to instill some insecurity with the officials, and thereby having the next doubtful call being made to their advantage. I think that it’s about time this is penalized. How many times have we not seen for example the worst storm trooper of them all, Michael Ballack, in the referee’s face after every single call against his team? A brilliant player, but not a great role model for his fans. If he and all others with the same behavior all of a sudden were disciplined when trying to influence the game by putting pressure on the referee, maybe we would see more players influence the game by actually playing better football.

Regardless of how much directives players and officials are given, how many cautions and penalties are given, and how much support is given from the highest instances for the referees; as long as football games are being decided by human beings, the decisions will be debated. Sometimes a call goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes a call is made, sometimes not. Sometimes the call is correct, other times not. Although it may sting the instance it happens, over the course of time it will even out. It’s part of the game.

I was 15 years old. My summer fad was to collect the stickers to fill the Panini Euro 88 album. After a lot of disappointing trips to the store with only duplicates, I finally managed to score the last piece and complete the collection. This little hobby also boosted my interest in the actual tournament. A great tournament, one of the best in my opinion, and it turned out to be a one man show.

This was my first introduction the Dutch national team. After having had a miserable start of the 1980’s, “Oranje” impressed in the qualification games. They sailed up as favorites to win the title with their demon coach Rinus Michels, his “total football”, and their front man star player Ruud Gullit. But it was another man who would step up and almost single-handedly paint the summer orange.

Holland made it to the final in Munich, where they faced the Soviet Union. Ruud Gullit gave Holland the lead with a distinct header in the first half. Eight minutes into the second half, the ball ended up with Muhren, sweeping a long ball across towards the far corner of the penalty area. For the recipient with a defender in his back, and the ball quickly approaching the sideline, this is a very ungrateful pass. What are the options? Try to stop it and pass it back? Head it randomly? Try to get the defender to touch you and get a penalty? Either way, the chances of scoring from that angle are slim to none.

I don’t think anyone taught Marco van Basten probability. Whoever taught him geometry did a good job though. He created his own angels and physics with the ball. On this particular sweeping ball, probably 99% of football players wouldn’t even think of shooting towards the goal. Of the remaining fraction of those who would think of shooting, 99% wouldn’t strike the ball. Of the remaining fraction of those who would strike the ball, 99% would find the ball somewhere in the audience. Of the remaining fraction of players who would be able to hit the target, 99% would realize that they were in the middle of a big final with only one goal up. Of the remaining fraction of the players who wouldn’t crap their shorts by the thought of screwing this up, 99% would realize that the opponent goalkeeper was one of the then best in the world, the two meter man Rinat Dasaev. But again, young Marco didn’t care about the odds. Turning slightly as the ball approached, and with immaculate co-ordination, he hit the volley, the ball looping over the goalkeeper into the far corner. Having witnessed this spectacular goal, maybe the greatest ever in a big final, viewers all over the world could do little than to join Dasaev in a collective “Did that just happen?”

Marco van Basten started his professional career in Ajax Amsterdam when he came on as a substitute for his idol Johann Cruyff in a league game in 1982. One brilliant career was on the decline, one was just about to start. He had a few very successful seasons in Ajax before he joined AC Milan in 1987. An ankle injury would spoil his first season with the Italian side. Despite a very limited amount of matches, Rinus Michels was willing to take the chance and picked him to the Dutch side for the European Championships in Germany. Van Basten was only the second or even third striker choice after John Bosman and Wim Kieft. After a disappointing loss to the Soviet Union in the opening match, Michels decided to give van Basten the chance against England. Marco scored all three Dutch goals in the victory, and also scored a last minute winning goal against West Germany in the semi-final. Rounding off with his fantastic final strike, he landed the first and so far only championship to the people in the land of cheese, windmills, and wooden clogs. The person to send tulips to was undoubtedly this young lad from Utrecht.

Marco van Basten also enjoyed great success on the club level. He won the Dutch league and the Cup Winner’s Cup with Ajax Amsterdam. In Italy he was part of the “unbeatable” AC Milan around in the early 1990’s, winning both the Serie A and the European Cup. Not only did van Basten score many and important goals for the teams he played for, he was also notorious at scoring spectacular goals. Despite the fantastic goal against the Soviet Union in the Euro 88 final, the probably most magnificent goal I have ever seen, van Basten scored in the Dutch league in 1986 against Den Bosch. With stunning co-ordination, executing a bicycle kick, he sent the ball in the far corner of the goal. One of those goals you can describe in words until you drop, but one that has to be seen. With some basic imagination and familiarity with well-known Internet video sites, any reader should be able find and take pleasure in this work of art. A reminder of why we love football.

An ankle injury that haunted van Basten throughout his career forced him to retire from professional football at the age of 29. After a few years of licking the wounds, he returned to the game coaching. Starting out with the Ajax Youth Team, he took the big step and became the head coach of the Dutch national team in 2004. I happened to attend van Basten’s first home game as coach for “Oranje”, in Utrecht against Lichtenstein. Not so much out of journalistic duties, but because I happened to live in the city at the time. It was an easy win for the Dutch team, but against an opponent that probably eleven random guys off the street in Amsterdam would defeat. The audience wasn’t impressed, and mocked their own players rather than cheering for them. But, van Basten was back in Utrecht where his career began. The returning son had begun a new journey.

Dutch football fans, journalists, and various experts are not very patient though. Despite having lead the team to the two consecutive big tournaments, van Basten’s popularity with the Dutch people has slowly declined. He has profiled himself as a coach with rigid principles. Out with the individualists, in with the team players – a concept unknown to the very individualistic Dutch society. A good result in the upcoming European Championships would definitely reinstate his status as one of the greatest in Dutch football. I for one will keep an extra eye on the Dutch team. In my eyes van Basten was one of the greatest strikers of all times, and most probably the most elegant. After Euro 2008 Marco van Basten will take over the coach duties of Ajax, a club in crisis. The Amsterdam Arena may be futuristic and impressive, but for a football atmosphere and acoustics it’s a horrible venue. But with the return of the man with the golden touch, I think I might pay it a visit or two the next season.

Christian Celind for SoccerNews.com

Football lovers around Europe and the rest of the world – listen up! It’s time to start planning. Maybe it’s time to invest in that 40 inch flat screen TV just about now. Consider where to send your non sport-loving girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband on a three-week holiday. Make sure to make room in the refrigerator for cold drinks. Don’t forget to start coming up with excuses to leave work early or stay at home on match days. Remember to place your bets. No disrespect to all the Olympic enthusiasts who will have their party coming up in a couple of months, but this is the summer event at least I’ve been looking forward to for the last two years. Ladies and gentlemen – the European Football Championships 2008 are here!

The championship will for the first time be held in the Alps, with Austria and Switzerland sharing the honor of hosting the tournament. As central as it gets in Europe, people will come from the north, south, east, and west to take part of the festivities. Football leagues across Europe are now over or have taken a break for the event. Coaches and managers have made their picks and nominated their squads. Fans are planning where and how to maximize the experience. Entrepreneurs in Austria and Switzerland are getting ready to welcome the world with open arms, Alpine hospitality, and boosted prices. Companies are competing for the best and the most clever advertisements on the football theme. Bars and restaurants are competing for the crowds. And the teams are preparing to get ready for success in one of the most difficult football tournament there is to win.

Sixteen teams are battling it out, but in the end there can be only one. Four years ago Greece surprised a whole world when they defeated team after team with their disciplined strategy on their way to glory. Who will lift the trophy this year? For the first time in many years the tournament will be held without British participation. England and their island neighbors failed to qualify, and the event will now be decided between the mainland countries. But let’s not talk about the teams who are not there; let’s focus on the countries that made it to the sweet sixteen.

Group A consists of Czech Republic, Portugal, Switzerland, and Turkey. Portugal must be seen as favorites with their impressive squad, and with Cristiano Ronaldo unarguably being the best player in Europe this season.

Czech Republic have a history of playing disciplined and efficient football in the big matches, but the injury on the skilled Tomas Rosicky could have a major negative impact on the team.

The Swiss team doesn’t contain many big names. However, host nations usually perform well, and given the modestly difficult opposition in the group, they could advance to the next round carried forward by the home crowd. Turkey could find themselves struggling, but have surprised before.

Austria, Croatia, Germany, and Poland make up group B. The Austrian team doesn’t look very impressive on paper, and will have to play at the top of their game to advance. But again, the home field advantage could give them that extra motivation that can decide a tight game.

Croatia impressed in the qualifying rounds, including a solid win at Wembley against England. With their brilliant technique and team spirit, they can beat any team, but on a bad day they can also lose to any team.

Germany will, as always, be mentioned as one of the favorites to win the title. They didn’t make it all the way two years ago when the World Cup was on their own ground. With basically the same team being two years stronger and wiser, it could be a pleasant summer for German fans.

Poland topped their qualifying group ahead of Portugal, a strong indication of some serious capacity. However, the Polish team doesn’t have the tradition of advancing very far when it comes down to the final stages, and may have to travel back home early once again.

Group C is the “Group of Death” with France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania.

France and Italy were in the same qualifying group, and had to put on their strongest effort to keep Scotland out of the top two to qualify. Eventually they managed to qualify, and once in the tournament we have seen before what they can accomplish. France is difficult to judge on beforehand, but with Franck Ribery, Thierry Henry, and the new star player Karim Benzema in the team, anything can happen. Italy lost Francesco Totti since their victory in the World Cup two years ago, but strikers Luca Toni and Alessandro del Piero finished as top scorers in the German and the Italian leagues respectively. Along with their traditionally experienced and solid defense and creative midfield, the team is bound to stick around when the less fortunate teams have been eliminated.

Except for recent Champion’s League hero Edwin van der Saar, the Dutch defensive line probably doesn’t instill any fear among opponent forwards. This could however be significantly compensated by their attacking forces. Kuyt, Babel, Huntelaar, van Nistelrooy, Robben, van der Vaart, van Persie, and Sneijder are all players with the ability to make a difference and score important goals.

The Romanian squad doesn’t have the star player names as do their group opponents, but finished on top of their qualifying group. If the other teams cancel each other out, the Romanians could possibly sneak up behind and grab a spot in the second round.

Group D with Greece, Russia, Spain, and Sweden looks interesting. Can the Greek team copy their achievement and go all the way again? This time around they will not be able to surprise their opponents with their tactics. They are also challenged with injuries on key players, and could face a difficult time in Austria.

Russia doesn’t look like a potential quarter-final candidate, but led by their brilliant coach Guus Hiddink they can steal points from any team. A few of the Swedish key players are racing against time to recover from their injuries. Defensive midfielder Linderoth hasn’t played for several months, but will make a difference if he can join the team. Imperative for Swedish success is a Zlatan Ibrahimovic in top shape, although his knee injury is worrisome for the team. Maybe the return of veteran Henrik Larsson to the big scene could be the boost that gets the team to the quarter finals.

Spain looks like the clear favorite to win the group. The team traditionally chokes when it comes to the big tournaments, and are usually already on vacation when the other teams race for the final. This year though with Fernando Torres and David Villa up front and the brilliant Fabregas on the midfield, it could be the year when the Iberians take it to the next level.

When it comes down to the final eight and the quarter-finals, it’s wide open. Maybe it will be possible to spot some trends from how practice games and the group stages, but in a single knock-out game anything can happen.

The bookmaker favorites to win the title are Germany, followed by Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France. I would consider gambling against any of these teams to win the title would be rather bold. Naturally I hope that my native country Sweden will do well, and I would also like to see my current country of residence Holland go far.

This time around though I think it’s finally Spain that will overcome the mental block, beat their big tournament monster, and go all the way. Spain defeating Germany in the final in Vienna will be my more or less informed and qualified speculation.

The beauty of sports is that there is always room for surprise. The element of chance can determine the outcome of a game; the human factor, weather and wind, goalposts, injuries, referees, and the crowds are all factors that can tip the scale in one direction or the other. What it always comes down to in football though is team spirit, motivation, discipline, the right amount of luck, and naturally the individual skills of the coaches and players.

In about a month we will know the result. Regardless of the outcome, let’s agree that we have a great month of June to look forward to, hoping for some great summer entertainment. Let’s get in gear join the party of the year!

In the aftermath of another big game being decided in a penalty shootout, I think it is about time to introduce an alternative involving more skills and less chance. Despite its appeal for drama and excitement, and regardless of the experience and skills of the players, a penalty shootout is merely a series of random shots in the dark by actors forced to take a stab at threading the needle after 120 minutes of exhaustion.

Penalty shootouts were introduced on the big football scene around 1970. Before this, games where a winner was required could lead to a replay of the game, or even a coin toss. Although replays are still occurring in some competitions, such as the FA Cup, they are not feasible considering the tight schedule of modern football. Although clubs would most certainly welcome the idea of filling the stadium an extra time every now and then, it would not be feasible with the large number of international games taking place.

The attempts by FIFA to introduce the sudden death in extra time, naming them “golden goal” and “silver goal”, failed miserably. Although the intentions were to encourage attacking football and rewarding goals scored during regular play, the result was that teams more than ever before became overly cautious, fearful of allowing a goal rather than enforcing one, knowing that at least a few minutes away they would have roughly a 50% chance from the eleven meter spot.

Although I certainly agree that a match needs to be decided on its designated date, I think that a penalty shootout is not the answer. I will be the first to admit that a shootout holds a high level of excitement, whether you have any connection to any of the teams or not. When your team wins on penalties, it is the sweetest of wins. When your team loses on penalties, you still know that the team fought well and went down with their boots on. Some would also argue that a penalty shootout is the goalkeeper’s chance to stand in the spotlight. A goalkeeper blocking the last penalty shot becomes an instant hero. In the same second that the Manchester United goalkeeper van der Saar blocked the shot from the Chelsea shooter Nicolas Anelka in the Champions League final, a hero was made and a scapegoat was appointed. Letting penalty kicks decide a game is nothing less than forcefully causing a player to make a mistake, one that have broken many fine players and haunted them for the rest of their careers.

My solution is to let the game being decided on the field, with a goal – a sudden death, but with a modification. After 90 minutes in a game that needs to appoint a winner, each team removes one player each at progressive intervals. For instance, with five minute intervals both teams take one player of their own choice off the field, so that after 95 minutes the teams play ten against ten, after 100 minutes they play nine against nine, and so on. With the increasingly open spaces, eventually there would be a goal. Today games are played 120 minutes in order to try to enforce a goal. With this system, after 120 minutes the teams would be playing five against five, i.e. one goalkeeper and four field players. It would be extremely surprising, even unlikely, that this would not have resulted in a goal.

Football being one of the most conservative sports of all, it will be difficult to change the concept of the penalty shootout as a solution when a game needs a winner. The unwritten rule for changing a rule of the game is that it must be changeable for everyone, regardless of level and location. I think that this sudden death method would be a very realistic substitute. I cannot imagine any game where an official, possibly the referee him/herself, would not be able to keep track of five minute intervals and the number of players on the field.

I do realize that this would change the game as we know it. For the better I say. Today less-skilled teams can defend themselves to a penalty shootout, as their only hope to win. Instead of even trying to play attractive and attacking football, their tactics is to play on the result and do what they can to prevent the opponent from playing. With this sudden death system, that would no longer be an option. Coaches would have to re-invent their way of thinking beyond 90 minutes. Maybe they would encourage technical players with the ability to challenge in a one on one situation. Maybe they would bring on players with great stamina. Others might consider tall players the solution. Either way, it would be a different game, but with one crucial difference; the idea of the game to score more goals than the opponent would regain its status.

Although watching the genuine happiness of a player that has just put the winning penalty in the net, or the goalkeeper that has just blocked the last shot is a true joy, I would rather see it being played out on the field. Would you not rather see David Beckham hit a perfect cross to the striker up front to score the winning header than to see him shoot the penalty shot over the crossbar? Would you not rather see Cristiano Ronaldo in an amazing dribble campaign than to see him choke on the penalty spot? Would you not rather see Lionel Messi in a spectacular breakaway than to see him hit it from eleven meters? Would you rather not see John Terry head the ball in the far corner of the goal than to see him slip on the spot and hit the ball in the post? Would you rather not see Edwin van der Saar make a brilliant save from a Ronaldinho free kick and start a counterattack than to block a lame shot from a player under severe pressure? I certainly would.

Christian Celind for SoccerNews.com

Once again we have reached the point in the spring where most leagues in Europe are being or have been decided, when the two most successful teams for the season are battling it out in the Champion’s League, and like every second year, the major European nations are getting ready for a big summer championship.

In about a week, the Battle of England will be decided in Moscow (!) when Chelsea and Manchester United will play each other for the most prestigious of titles for European Clubs. In the shadow of this struggle for European domination and fame, and maybe as a “warm-up”, we have another European final to look forward to this week – The UEFA Cup.

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