Euro 2008

[zenga]

Less than two weeks away, lets get some banter going.

Squads are being announced daily, here are your champions!

Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Marco Amelia (AS Livorno Calcio), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla FC).

Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (US Città di Palermo), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid CF), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyonnais), Marco Materazzi (FC Internazionale Milano), Christian Panucci (AS Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (FC Barcelona).

Midfielders: Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (ACF Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan).

Forwards: Marco Borriello (Genoa CFC), Antonio Cassano (UC Sampdoria), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese Calcio), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese Calcio), Luca Toni (FC Bayern München).

Can't wait, its going to be a great tournament.

Loving the classic matches TSN is showing.

Any TTPers going?

[Zaurrini]

Just when you thought Del Piero was on the decline....he racks up 21 goals and gets named to the squad.
Great Stuff...

[BJB]

Croatia's Squad...

Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (FC Spartak Moskva), Vedran Runje (RC Lens), Mario Galinović (Panathinaikos FC).

Defenders: Dario Šimić (AC Milan), Robert Kovač (BV Borussia Dortmund), Josip Šimunić (Hertha BSC Berlin), Vedran Ćorluka (Manchester City FC), Dario Knežević (AS Livorno Calcio), Hrvoje Vejić (FC Tom Tomsk).

Midfielders: Niko Kovač (FC Salzburg), Jerko Leko (AS Monaco FC), Darijo Srna (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Niko Kranjčar (Portsmouth FC), Luka Modrić (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Danijel Pranjić (SC Heerenveen), Ivan Rakitić (FC Schalke 04), Ognjen Vukojević (NK Dinamo Zagreb), Nikola Pokrivač (AS Monaco FC).

Forwards: Mladen Petrić (BV Borussia Dortmund), Ivica Olić (Hamburger SV), Ivan Klasnić (Werder Bremen), Igor Budan (Parma FC), Nikola Kalinić (HNK Hajduk Split).

Reserves: Manuel Pamić (FC Salzburg), Anas Sharbini (HNK Rijeka).

[johnnybluenose]

Croatia is going to be good... They are my "Sleeper" Pick, which isn't to say they are not strong. I just think they will do really well and potentially fly under the radar. It is a good thing Klasnic is back in good health with Eduardo gone.

My "HeavyWeight" pick will be Holland. It has been 20 years since 1988 when they defeated the USSR in Germany.

De Oranje: (With 3 cuts to still take place)
Goalkeepers: Sander Boschker (FC Twente), Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Henk Timmer (Feyenoord).

Defenders: Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa), Tim de Cler (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Ajax), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Mario Melchiot (Wigan Athletic), Andre Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers).

Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Orlando Engelaar (FC Twente), Nigel de Jong (Hamburg), Denny Landzaat (Feyenoord), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Demy de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar).

Forwards: Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Ajax), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic).

I would think that Holland would drop Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, at the very least, just to save money by not using all that lettering on the kits. Melchoit too... and One of the 4 goalkeepers, probably Boschker

[swampdonkey]

I'm going with the Kraut's and the Cro's....I do like watching the Dutch but they always run out of jam when it's crunch time. That said with such an inspirational theme song/artist you never know what they might be able to do.

"Can You Hear Me? by Enrique Iglesias is the official song of UEFA EURO 2008™ – with the Spanish star scheduled to perform live at the final in Vienna on 29 June" I freaking love that guy.

[Buckfast]

C'mon Hrvatska!

[Hands of Stone]

Shouldn't we let the PK's in Moscow finish before we start this thread, ah yes the wops won't be watching that game on the Drive today, ok, who on the I-tal team is shaging a super model?

hos

ps. Go Sweden

[Sir M]

De Oranje:

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)

Defenders: Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa), John Heitinga (Ajax), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Andre Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), .

Midfielders: Nigel de Jong (Hamburg), Denny Landzaat (Feyenoord), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Demy de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid),

Forwards: Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Ajax), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic).

JBL, I have edited your post to narrow down who IMO may get the better part of the playing time for the Dutch in this one, and shuffled positions around, due to the whole total football thing.

If I am betting though, I think we will see a final four of Holland/Germany/Italy/France.

And my pick to win it all is Germany, although I would like to see Holland. Huntelaar as leading scorer of the tournament.

[swampdonkey]

What! No Jaap Stam?

Without him I'm calling Italy and Romania out of that group. The Dutch are never tough enough.

[johnnybluenose]

Sir M, I hear what you are saying, They have player like Gio as a midfielder when we all know he will be at Left Back for them.

And Ryan Babel, Robben, and Van Persie as Forwards when Huntelaar, Ruud, and Kuyt will be the only 'Strikers' that will see the field.

[Sir M]

What! No Jaap Stam?

Without him I'm calling Italy and Romania out of that group. The Dutch are never tough enough.

Jaap is playing in the Masters Division, along with Seedorf, Bergkamp, Davids, Makaay and the De Boer brothers.

Tough to argue the never tough enough statement though, although Romania have done nothing in recent memory. Potentially KNVB are a bit less talented, with a bit more heart than in previous years. We will have to wait and see I guess.

[swampdonkey]

That's a good looking Masters line up. I do like the way Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Kuyt play.

Brutal group to play out of.

[termatofylakas]

And your "defending" champs with a great chance to make it 2 in a row

Greece squad
Goalkeepers: Antonios Nikopolidis (Olympiacos CFP), Konstantinos Chalkias (Aris Thessaloniki FC), Alexandros Tzorvas (OFI Crete FC).

Defenders: Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Giourkas Seitaridis (Club Atlético de Madrid), Traianos Dellas (AEK Athens FC), Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos FC), Nikolaos Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos FC), Ioannis Goumas (Panathinaikos FC), Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiacos CFP), Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos CFP), Paraskevas Antzas (Olympiacos CFP), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (AEK Athens FC).

Midfielders: Angelos Basinas (RCD Mallorca), Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers FC), Georgios Karagounis (Panathinaikos FC), Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos FC), Konstantinos Katsouranis (SL Benfica).

Forwards: Dimitrios Salpingidis (Panathinaikos FC), Nikolaos Liberopoulos (AEK Athens FC), Theofanis Gekas (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Georgios Samaras (Celtic FC), Ioannis Amanatidis (Eintracht Frankfurt), Angelos Charisteas (1. FC Nürnberg).


One player to be scratched out of this group. More than likely will be Papastathopoulos since I think he is still eligible for the u-19's coming up. I'm hoping it is Salpingidis if not him.

[Captain Shamrock]

Sorry, Terma, but Greece has NO chance of winning this one. I'll be willing to bet 12 Heineken that Deucy owes me that they won't.........They won't even get out of their group........

[termatofylakas]

So I take it you are supporting the commies? Hopefully Greece learned from the last Euro about them. Great team they are and were the only ones to beat Greece in the last Euro. I guess you can say Greece has a group of death as well since any 2 of Russia, Spain, Sweden and/or Greece can advance. Let me see if they can remain healthy and I may take you up on the bet Burnski.

[colemanj]

Lots of good teams this time around: Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania, Holland... all the games are going to be great. A few locals are going to be crawling about Euro 2008 (including UBC Masters there defending their 2006 Six-a-side World Cup), if you want to meet for a beer chime in... Unbelievable atmosphere at these events, tickets to games are secondary, the Fan Fests in the town centres are the places to be -- you will see when the Olympics hit town in 2010; people just come to town to party. Grab a cheap airfare and attend, its never too late.

[Hands of Stone]

Sweden


Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Manchester City), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg)


Defenders: Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Petter Hansson (Stade Rennes), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg), Daniel Majstorovic (FC Basel), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg Trondheim), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj)


Midfielders: Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Kim Kallstrom (Olympique Lyon), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo La Coruna), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City)


Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg)

Nice kit too.

[Captain Shamrock]

So I take it you are supporting the commies? Hopefully Greece learned from the last Euro about them. Great team they are and were the only ones to beat Greece in the last Euro. I guess you can say Greece has a group of death as well since any 2 of Russia, Spain, Sweden and/or Greece can advance. Let me see if they can remain healthy and I may take you up on the bet Burnski.

Dah, Ш цшдд иу ыгззщкештп еру Кгыышфты


Сщьу щт еру Кгыышфты

[Zaurrini]

Sweden


Nice kit too.

Frrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllllllllll li

[Wolfgang]

Here are your champions: All kidding aside, I can't stand having the "favorite" tag put on us. I still think we have a better chance at winning the World Cup in '10 than winning this Euro.

René Adler »
Robert Enke »
Jens Lehmann »

Defenders
Arne Friedrich »
Clemens Fritz »
Marcell Jansen »
Philipp Lahm »
Per Mertesacker »
Christoph Metzelder »
Heiko Westermann »

Midfielders
Marko Marin »
Michael Ballack »
Tim Borowski »
Torsten Frings »
Thomas Hitzlsperger »
Jermaine Jones »
Simon Rolfes »
Bastian Schweinsteiger »
Piotr Trochowski »

Forwards
Mario Gómez »
Patrick Helmes »
Miroslav Klose »
Kevin Kuranyi »
Oliver Neuville »
David Odonkor »
Lukas Podolski »