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Group ASwitzerlandFifa World Ranking : 40Alternative world ranking : 22 Seeded : 1 (Hosts) World Cup 2006 : Last 16 Euro 2004 : Group Stage Switzerland are a reasonable outfit. Their dangerman is striker Alexander Frei, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, they also have a strong defence including Philippe Senderos of Arsenal, and the wonderfully-named Mario Eggimann. On paper you wouldn't expect them to qualify ahead of Czech Republic or Portgual, however who knows what they can do with home advantage? Czech RepublicFifa World Ranking : 6Alternative World ranking : 9 Seeded : 2 World Cup 2006 : Group Stage Euro 2004 : Semi-finals Czech teams are always pretty good, though they are missing one of their best players in Arsenal's Thomas Rosicky, who is out through injury. Nevertheless they will still be expected to qualify along with Portugal. They performed well in qualifying, finishing top of their group ahead of Germany, with 9 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. PortugalFifa World Ranking : 9Alternative World ranking : 13 Seeded : 3 World Cup 2006 : Semi-finals Euro 2004 : Runners-up Portugal are undoubtedly a talented team, featuring the likes of winger Christiano Ronaldo, widely regarded as the best player in the world at the moment. They have come close to wining recent competitions - could this be their time? TurkeyFifa World Ranking : 23Alternative World ranking : 21 Seeded : 4 World Cup 2006 : Failed to qualify Euro 2004 : Failed to qualify Turkey made it to the last 8 of Euro 2000 and finished 3rd in World Cup 2002, therefore it is somewhat of a suprise that they failed to qualify for the last two major competitions. The current team is a new generation of players who don't look aprticularly special, yet at the same time they shouldn't be discounted with the likes of free-scoring Tuncay (also of Middlesborough FC) in their team. They narrowly made it through their qualifying group ahead of Norway but behind Greece. Group BAustriaFifa World Ranking : 102Alternative World ranking : 60 Seeded : 1 (Hosts) World Cup 2006 : Failed to qualify Euro 2004 :Failed to qualify Ah, Austria. A team percieved to be so poor, that many Austrians have lobbied to have their team removed from the competition due to the embarrasment their poor team would cause! Widely regarded as the worst team in the competition, they have won 1 of their last 14 games, and lost 9-0 to Spain in 1999. It would be a major suprise if they could qualify from their group. CroatiaFifa World Ranking : 13Alternative World ranking : 12 Seeded : 2 World Cup 2006 : Group Stage Euro 2004 : Group Stage Croatia qualified well, finishing ahead of England, including beating them 3-2 at Wembley. The team is packed with good players playing across the major leagues in Europe, such as captain Daro Simic who plays for AC Milan, and Niko Kranjcar who plays for Portsmouth. Croatia would expect to qualify from this easy group along with Germany. GermanyFifa World Ranking : 5Alternative World ranking : 7 Seeded : 3 World Cup 2006 : Semi-finals Euro 2004 : Group stage 4 years ago Germany looked a shadow of the great German teams of the past, exiting without winning a game, including an embarassing 0-0 draw with the minnows of Latvia. Therefore little was expected of them in the 2006 World Cup, which they were hosting, however they suprisingly got to the semi finals whilst playing some good football, and now they seem to be a force to be reckoned with again. PolandFifa World Ranking : 24Alternative World ranking : 19 Seeded : 4 World Cup 2006 : Group stage Euro 2004 : Did not qualify Poland are a decent team and managed to qualify top of a tight group, ahead of Portugal, Serbia and Finland. They lack big-name players (perhaps Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc is an exception) but have managed to beat the likes of the Czech Republic in their warm-up, so it be unwise to discount them completely, especially when this group will probably be a three horse race between them, Coratia and Germany. Group CNetherlandsFifa World Ranking : 10Alternative World ranking : 6 Seeded : 1 World Cup 2006 : Last 16 Euro 2004 : Semi-finals Some say Netherlands/Holland are a shadow of the team they used to be, but they are still packed with quality players. Will they get through? Well, they are in a very tough group, and qualified second in their group with a game to spare, behind Romania (who they drew with 0-0 at home and lost 1-0 away). They have outstanding attacking potential, including Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben - so regardless of whether or not they qualify, we should see some great attacking football (hopefully). ItalyFifa World Ranking : 3Alternative World ranking : 2 Seeded : 2 World Cup 2006 : Winners Euro 2004 : Group Stage Italy narrowly qualified from the "group of death" also featuring Scotland, Ukraine and France, the team they beat in the World Cup 2 years ago - and now they find themselves in the same group as France again! Their very strong defence is their foundation, and in Luca Toni they have one of the best strikers in the world. The memory of being dumped out at the group stage 4 years ago may spur them on this time around. RomaniaFifa World Ranking : 12Alternative World ranking : 10 Seeded : 3 World Cup 2006 : Did not qualify Euro 2004 : Did not qualify Romania are the lowest ranked of the teams in this most difficult of groups, yet they will still see themselves as having a chance. After all, they beat Netherlands 1-0 in qualifying. Their most well known players are striker Adrian Mutu, now of Fiorentina in Italy and formerly of Chelsea, and midfielder Cristian Chivu of Inter Milan. FranceFifa World Ranking : 7Alternative World ranking : 4 Seeded : 4 World Cup 2006 : Runners-up Euro 2004 : Quarter-finals Qualified via a "group of death" (see Italy), despite losing to Scotland twice, they now find themselves in another one. They have many gifted players, but much of the team that did so well 8-10 years ago have now retired and much will fall on the shoulders of their new, younger players, including Lyon's striker Karim Benzema who has been dubbed "the new Zidane", and Jérémy Toulalan, though greats such as France's all-time record goalscorer Theirry Henry and captain Patrick Vieira are still around. Group DGreeceFifa World Ranking : 8Alternative World ranking : 13 Seeded : 1 (Holders) World Cup 2006 : Did not Qualify Euro 2004 : Winners Greece won the last European Championships on 2004, in one of the biggest shocks in international football - they were 150-1 to win the competition before it started. Unfortunately they then failed to qualify for the world cup, but they are back to retain their crown now in Euro 2008. Again they will be unfancied - having few star players but instead relying on teamwork, discipline and a solid defence - in 2004 they won their quarter-final, semi-final and the final all by 1 goal to nil. SwedenFifa World Ranking : 24Alternative World ranking : 24 Seeded : 2 World Cup 2006 : Last 16 Euro 2004 : Quarter Final Sweden are consistent performers for a relatively small country, having qualified for all but 2 major competitions since 1990. They qualified second in their group, close beind Spain and ahead of a plucky Northern Ireland. Spain beat them 3-0 in Spain, but Sweden beat them 2-0 at home. They have many great players, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is a striker for Inter Milan (and cost them €24.8 million), midfielder Kim Källström who plays for French champions Lyon, and defender Olaf Mellberg, formally of Aston Villa but has just moved to Juventus. SpainFifa World Ranking : 4Alternative World ranking : 5 Seeded : 3 World Cup 2006 : Last 16 Euro 2004 : Group Stage Spain are undoubtedly a highly talented team, with the likes of Liverpool's top striker Fernando Torres and Arsenal's best midfielder Cesc Fabregas in their team. However they never seem to live up to their potential, with 4th place in the 1950 World Cup their best achievement. Could 2008 be their year? RussiaFifa World Ranking : 25Alternative World ranking : 30 Seeded : 4 World Cup 2006 : Group Stage Euro 2004 : Group Stage Russia are a decent team without any outstanding players, and are not expected to do much in the competition. However, they do have Guus Hiddink as their manager - a man who has brought out the best in teams in the past, including taking Holland to 4th Place in the 1998 World Cup, South Korea to 3rd place in the 2002 world cup, and getting Australia to the Last 16 of the 2006 World Cup - the latter two of these were the furthest those teams had ever progressed. They qualified for Euro 2008 in the place of England including beating them 2-1 in Moscow - for these reasons it would be dangerous to write off Russia completely. |