It's the same at each major footballing tournament. Most of the time, the underdogs ended up taking the spotlight.
Even if I know there is a history of football rivalry between Holland and Germany, I almost swear after watching the Holland-France match (which was 4-1 in the end) early this morning with my father (he does have a soft spot for the Oranje all the while, all thanks to Johan Cyruff and the Total Football era which came about in his schooldays), I can't help but have the feeling Holland is now the new favourites for the title. At the rate now, they have a realistic chance. It has been 20 years since they last won a major title, the 1988 European Championships, and still the only major honour to date. To think coming into the tournament, not many will say Holland is among the favourites. Maybe that is the advantage of it.
Coach Marco van Basten had often being critcised for his tactics (Holland has always been famous for its brand of football and van Basten opted to be more pragmatic during the Euro 2008 qualifying route) and I was wondering after Holland's most famous footballer Johan Cyruff was being shown on the TV during the Holland-France match, what will he be thinking now. He was also among the critics coming into the tournament.
So the Italian press were crying foul over the referee's decisions made during the match (one example is where just before the half-time, Luca Toni's goal was considered offside and in the end the match was a goalless draw going into the break). But then still, it's amazing Romania is able to hold two major footballing nations which met in the 2006 World Cup final (France, Italy) to draws and Reuters reckoned that Romania showed their flexibility from their drab goalless draw against the French in their opener. Well, this one against world champions Italy, Romania managed to hold them to a 1-1 draw. It could have been much worse, given it was Romania whom take the lead before Italy equalised like a minute later. Romania's Adrian Mutu was the one who scored the first goal and when he stepped up to take a penalty, it was saved by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy's hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals will be hanging on a thread given all the more what happened after their match in Zurich. At Berne, Holland ran riot again. Anyhow, Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo was being singled out by Italy coach Roberto Donadoni as to why Italy's Euro 2008 chances are now on a balance. Romania midfielder Mirel Radoi is likely to need eye surgery after being stretchered off during his side's 1-1 draw with Italy on Friday. And in regards to the missed penalty, Adrian Mutu apologised to his compatriots back home. The Romanian media isn't too pleased with the missed penalty.
Holland's 4-1 routing of France (Thierry Henry pulled one back for France) is a proof that their opening 3-0 win over world champions Italy was not a fluke. Coach Marco van Basten after the match, dismisses notion of French, Italian stitch-up. Holland's win over France means that now, the Oranje have entered the quarter-finals with a match to go (against Romania) and France and Italy will have to battle it out given their fate in the tournament will depend on the Holland-Romania encounter. With France's fate also hanging in the balance like Italy, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is fearing for his native France's further participation at Euro 2008 (he is working as a TV pundit for a French television for the tournament).
So while France coach Raymond Domenech did not get any sleep after the match, France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet admired that the Dutch team has everything. So the Oranje can afford to rest a little easy after surviving the Group of Death with a match to go. Even if they go for a second choice side against Romania, UEFA is not going to stop them. After all, second choice teams have won in the past in their final matchday and the Czech Republic did that against Germany with a 2-1 scoreline in Euro 2004. All in all, not much arrests were made in Berne.
I didn't realised I missed this report yesterday. Or maybe again, too busy to update until overlooking a report. Maybe it's the case of the rising euro, maybe it's the weather. But, it's a worrying sight when the host cities don't get plenty of visitors on non-match days (Klagenfurt is among the worst hit but not in other host cities like Berne for example). This is a case of mistaken identity given in the wake of Poland's 1-1 draw against Austria, not many Poles were amused at referee Howard Webb's decision to give the co-hosts Austria a penalty in the injury-time and as a result (to make it all the worse the UK now has a large Polish community), a man who shares a name and lives in the same town has received death threatsw. Ouch. Taking 'stock' in terms of the number of arrests being made at the tournament so far, Swiss police said that more than 100 arrests had been made following Friday's action (where the Group C matches were played).
Euro 2008 thought of the day: Why is that we must have favourites at each major tournament? I have no idea actually. But then at least the underdogs don't have all the pressure in the world. Now I am kind of worried Holland is now the new favourites and they are under the pressure to deliver.
Croatian band of brothers call the tune (Just 12 years after newly-independent Croatia made its entrance at Euro '96 five men who were on the pitch in those heady days are back again, directing operations from the bench the Balkan state makes waves anew at Euro 2008. Slaven Bilic, the rock music-making coach, and his four close assistants, have been calling the tune in Group B after the win over Germany sent Croatia into the quarter-finals.)
Dark clouds gather over German camp after Croat shock (Less than 24 hours after Germany's Euro 2008 aspirations were brought crashing back to Earth, coach Joachim Loew faced some tough questioning from the disgruntled German media. With a pre-tournament billing as joint favourites and the German nation confident of Euro 2008 success, Loew had received light-hearted questions even as it emerged last week the campaign bill was a cool 20 million euros.)
Transfers could be a sticky point for the Portuguese (However, the fact that the Portuguese federation have insisted that the questions at the press conferences are restricted to the championships and not transfers indicates they are concerned that their so far successful championships does not end in tears.)
From underdogs to champions, fun is a banned word with Greece (From a tiny second division Portuguese stadium to the luxurious surroundings and facilities of an Alpine sports centre, Greece are feeling like true defending champions at the Euro 2008. The atmosphere, however, is not nearly as happy as it was in Portugal.)
The commentators' competition (Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger spares a thought for the much-maligned Euro 2008 commentators.)
Rozehnal: It's still in our hands (Czech defender David Rozehnal spoke to FIFA.com about his side's defeat to Portugal and their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of EURO 2008.)
