12 of the 16 teams have played their first games over the last three days and so far for me the Netherlands are the cream after thrashing an Italy side 3-0 that was never in the game and seems over the hill just two years after winning the World cup with nearly the same players. I may be biased, a bit, since I picked the Orange Crush to win the tournament when many observers didn’t even have them getting out of Group C.
The Dutch had energy and pace, plus a slight edge in poor officiating, while Andrea Pirlo never got his attack in gear and Luca Toni blew the team’s best chance while it was still 2-0. The third goal was deadly, a header from left back Gio von Bronckhorst–who at 5’6″ is nearly a foot shorter than either Italian central defender.
Liverpool FC’s Dirk Kuyt provided the supply for that one as well as the second, which was pure beauty between Kuyt deft header and Wesley Sjneider’s lovely turning high kick inside the near post. The first goal will surely be controversial as Ruud van Nistlerooy was played onside by an Azzuri defender laying off the pitch from the previous play.
Italy caught a extra large break, though, because France could only match a 0-0 draw against Romania in the group’s other game today. This means that Italy can still advance with results against those two, though doing that will require some spark and aggresiveness entirely abset today.
I also caught the Germany-Poland and Portugal-Turkey matches. Germany dominated but this was pretty much as expected and the two goals, both from Poland-born Lukas Podoloski, were just reward for their effort. Portugal gave a more exciting performance but again, against a squad marked for an early exit who still were able to keep the hottest player on the planet right now under wraps the whole way.
Czech Republic escaped with a 1-0 win over the Swiss thanks to a very questionable penalty call in the fourth minute. Hype team Croatia did nothing to get anyone excited, just scraping past hosts Austria by the same 1-0 score line, though unless the Poles can make something happen will likely get through to the quarters.
Most interesting for me so far:
- All six games have been clean sheets, one 3-0, two 2-0’s, two 1-0’s and the scoreless France-Romania disaster. Italian keeper Buffon allowed only two goals through the seven matches while winning World Cup 2006, one an own goal, compared to shipping three today.
- France and Italy’s performances. The French squad is also on the, er, more experienced end of the age range and sorely miss Thierry Henry. Surely Roberto Donadoni and Raymond Domench will be under huge pressure the next two match days.
Tomorrow is the last day of first games: Spain v. Russia, the one I’ll try to watch since Spain should start at least two of my Reds and Russia are intriguing with good results but no big name players, as well as Sweden taking on 2004 champs Greece. The expectations are for Spain and Russia to advance though tournaments like this almost always have some surprises when the group stage is finished. Such as Greece getting out of the group last time, much less their capturing the whole thing.
The Dutch were able to get Robin van Persie on for the last 20 minutes and if he comes to full match fitness while his mates can get a win or two draws these guys will be surely be a force to reckon with in the knockout stages.
BillSaysThis 