SCHEDULE
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* To use:
*
* @authors Paul Campbell seapwc@halcyon.com, Khal Shariff khal_shariff@cbc.ca
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ANALYSIS
This is the toughest of the four groups to predict. The Netherlands,
Germany and Czech Republic have all won this tournament before,
but this year, they each have something to prove. The Czechs will
be looking to bury the memory of Euro 2000 when they crashed out
in the first round. The Dutch are eager to prove they are among
Europe’s elite after failing to qualify for the 2002 World
Cup, while the Germans want to show the world they still have
what it takes to win the big tournaments. Group D will be a three-way
battle between this trio of hungry nations.
The Czech Republic has a clear psychological advantage over the
Dutch, having beaten the Netherlands in the qualifying round to
win their group. Of the three, the Czechs have the most well-rounded,
cohesive team. That should be the difference in lifting them to
a first-place finish in Group D. That leaves the Netherlands and
Germany to battle it out for second place. While it’s never
wise to write off Germany, this year’s version doesn’t
have the quality of players that past German teams has had. The
Dutch, for all their problems with players’ egos, want it
a bit more than the Germans, and have a greater depth of players
to do it. They’ll finish second.
Latvia is in way over its head in Group D. Competing at its first
major international tournament, they will struggle to even earn
a tie against these three giants of European soccer. Anything
but a fourth-place finish would be a miracle.
THE BIG MATCH
Germany vs. Netherlands – There’s
a lot of history behind this heated rivalry, as these two great
soccer nations have met in one World Cup final and two Euro semifinals.
This should be a tension-filled opener, as both nations will be
looking to start the tournament in the ‘Group of Death’
with a win. Neither country can afford to lose, especially with
the tough Czechs still to play. These two sides have met 35 times
since 1910 with Germany enjoying a slender lead in the series
(13 wins, 10 draws, 10 losses). The Netherlands won the last meeting
3-1 (a friendly on Nov. 20, 2000) and is undefeated (two wins,
one draw) in the last three games dating back to a Nov. 18, 1998
friendly.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:
1) Czech Republic
2) Netherlands
3) Germany
4) Latvia
