Euro 2012 Draw
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:22 PM CET
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UPDATE: The groups have been drawn.
Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic.
Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia.
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England.
Quick analysis: Group B wins the "Group of Death" moniker. Just bad luck for the Danes. By contrast, Russia is thrilled to be in a soft Group A.
Some great rivalries reignited: Spain vs. Italy and France vs. England on matchday 1. And Netherlands vs. Germany and Poland vs. Russia are tasty on matchday 2. What are your thoughts on the draw?
Live from the interesting-looking Palace of Arts in Kiev, Ukraine. Recall that Poland and Ukraine are co-hosting Euro 2012, the first major international soccer competition in Eastern Europe. Enhorabuena.
The four groups will be comprised of one team from each pot:
Pot One: Poland, Ukraine, Spain (maybe someone?), Netherlands.
Pot Two: Germany, Russia, Italy (Giuseppe Rossi), England.
Pot Three: Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Sweden.
Pot Four: France, Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic.
Poland in pot one is arguably the weakest of the sixteen sides, but mind the home-field advantage. The same edge (practically) extends to Russia, probably the desired draw in pot two. Watch out for Portugal in pot three and a resurgent France in pot four(!). Talk about depth.
The draw is airing live in the U.S. on ESPNews. How times have changed. I'll be back with an update once the groups are set.
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I am so glad England cannot get Germany
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Why is that?
I don’t know any additional rules beyond one from each pot. Care to enlighten us?
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:28 PM CET up reply actions
no
England and Germany are in pot 2 together!
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by Arron Duckling on Dec 2, 2011 6:32 PM CET up reply actions
Sorry
That’s known as a failure to launch. I reckoned in the back of my mind that they were in different pots, based on England’s recent history.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:36 PM CET up reply actions
Capdevila
has been selected for the parade of players. Only time this season.
Who is everyone picking to win overall?
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Favourites
are Spain but I think that it’s wide open. No outstanding team.
So much depends on the draw
I love this guy who heads the draws. Wonderful accent.
Who knew Poland finished in third place at two World Cups?
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:40 PM CET reply actions
What celebrities
van Basten for pot one, Zidane for pot four.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:42 PM CET reply actions
Yay, my team
The Czechs drew Poland. Wonderful. In with a chance.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:43 PM CET reply actions
Bad memories of Greece
Robbed the Czechs at Euro 2004. Not again :-/ .
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:47 PM CET up reply actions
Ooh, Nick won't like that
Ireland with Spain. Rough.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:45 PM CET reply actions
Platini conspiracy underway?
They drew Ukraine. Zidane looked happy.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:46 PM CET reply actions
Pot three time
This is where the groups get bad, since pot two is tough for sure.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:47 PM CET reply actions
Portugal and Denmark
Together again. Maybe the Ronaldos won’t go through.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:49 PM CET up reply actions
Group A sucks
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Softball Group A
I’m stoked that my Czechs might just go through.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:52 PM CET up reply actions
I'm not-so-secretly hoping for Spain to end up in a group of death
Knock the boys down a peg.
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@GabeLezra
Ireland and Croatia
Does not qualify. But their pot two team will be tough. Italy, Germany, or England.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:53 PM CET up reply actions
Good.
Just hard enough to finish second, not hard enough to not go through (barring some Greece 2004 disaster)
(I’m a Spain fan)
Editor-in-Chief of Managing Madrid
@GabeLezra
They got the Italians.
Bring back the rivalry.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:55 PM CET up reply actions
Group B wins death
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal. My goodness.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:53 PM CET reply actions
Peter Schmeichel is mad.
Hard luck for the Danes, who won their qualifying group.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:54 PM CET up reply actions
Conclusions
Group B is the toughest; D is the most interesting. C is blah, and A is poor.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 6:55 PM CET reply actions
Yup
B and D are going to be fun. C is going to alternate between exceeeeedingly boring (Spain-Italy might actually break the boredometer, a device I just made up to calculate being bored) and goal-scoring fun, and group A will, well, be less watched.
Winners: Group A, Spain, Italy
Losers: Group B in general, Portugal in particular.
But hey, what do I know?
Editor-in-Chief of Managing Madrid
@GabeLezra
Tough
for the Republic but not a bad draw for my country, England.
true
Though we must now sit through months of patriotic hype…
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by Arron Duckling on Dec 2, 2011 7:03 PM CET up reply actions
Be careful there.
If they lose to France on the opening day, we know of their troubles with Sweden. Finally beat them recently, but still.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 7:04 PM CET up reply actions
A is really an easy group, isn't it!!
Group B is stacked—had luck for the Danes, and Portugal too.
Seeding the hosts as #1 in pots A and D really was dumb.
Spain should get through OK in group C, though Italy and Croatia can spring surprises. I think Ireland will be overmatched.
Remember though the Euros have specialized in shock results (Greece in 2004, Turkey doing well in 2008), so…
Endavant Villarreal!!
Host seeding
Needed geographic certainty, so how else to do it? I’m not sure any other system is better. And Ukraine is a worthy entrant, so it’s really just Poland.
Group A probably has four of the six worst sides in the tournament, so at least the playing field is level. Ireland and maybe Ukraine are worse.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 7:06 PM CET up reply actions
here's how
Poland and Ukraine should have been in pots 3 or 4—either the same pot, or it could’ve been specified that the two could not end up in the same group.
then whatever group Poland is in plays in Poland, whatever group Ukraine is in plays in Ukraine. Simples.
BTW, England is basing themselves in Poland somewhere….brilliant considering they will travel to Ukraine for their matches
Endavant Villarreal!!
You're missing my point.
They’ve already sold thousands of tickets based on where Poland will be playing as a part of Group A. Same goes for Ukraine and the Group D venues.
Maybe moving them to a different pot is better, but someone gets screwed in any event. Maybe you’d rather it be Italy and England bumped to pot three, or Greece and Sweden to pot four. But this is the most transparent method.
Endavant, a triomfar, a guanyar Villarreal!
by siempre_riquelme on Dec 2, 2011 7:49 PM CET up reply actions
UEFA could've seeded them appropriately, but placed them in Groups A and D.
I suppose that would be kinda insulting to the home fans, though….
Yeah, someone gets screwed any way you do it. At least we get to see Holland-Germany early on!!
Endavant Villarreal!!
Final draw
Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic.
Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia.
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England.
Oho!
Bring it on!! Trying my best to get over there as of now! TRAP’S ARMY!
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