Euro 2012 Preview: Group B - "the group of death"

By Ry Basham Mintz

In every major football tournament, there is a group that is christened the “group of death.” With the Euro 2012, Group B has been labeled as such, and with good reason. With three former European champions and a runner-up, along with some of the world’s finest football players, Group B will provide some of the most high profile and thrilling matches of the tournament.

Netherlands:
Currently ranked second in the FIFA world rankings, the Netherlands enter Euro 2012 as the runners-up to the 2010 World Cup, and a 9-0-1 qualifying record to their name. Coach Bert van Marwijk has much more to be optimistic about as well. Strikers Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (who has more A’s in his name that I ever had in my high school career) have been performing at peak-form at Arsenal and Schalke, respectively, and hope to continue their success into the tournament. However, coach Marwijk’s preference for a 4-3-2-1 formation means that there is only one striking spot up for grabs, meaning that the Dutch won’t be able to have both van Persie and Huntelaar leading their attack and will eventually have to choose between the two. Van Persie will have to continue to impress at club level if he wants the chance to spearhead the Dutch attack since Huntelaar was in superb form during the qualifying round, netting 12 goals, one short of the record set by Northern Ireland’s David Healy in the Euro 2008 preliminaries. Goalkeeper Maarten (Jesus, why are there so many A’s in these people’s names?) Stekelenburg is enjoying a comfortably successful season at AS Roma, who currently sit sixth in the Serie a table. It’s almost a guarantee that he’ll he back between the posts serving as the Netherland’s last line of defense.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could be this year's top goal scorer
in Euro 2012 after amassing 12 in the preliminaries.

The Dutch are not without worry though. Key stars such as Wesley Sneijder, Ibrahim Afellary and Arjen Robben have all been struggling with injuries in the 2011-12 campaign. Midfielder Mark van Bommel, who missed parts of the first half of the season at AC Milan, has put together a recent string of impressive performances for the current Italian leaders, which is sure to show coach Marwijk that he once again healthy and playing at a high enough level to be considered for the starting squad. However, if the Dutch want to repeat their success at the 2010 World Cup, they will need their star players, particularly Sneijder and Robben, to be healthy and playing at the highest level.

Denmark:

Having topped fellow Group B powerhouse Portugal atop Group H for the qualifying preliminaries, Denmark goes into the summer’s competition with confidence. Having recently signed an extension with Marten Olsen to stay on as coach until 2014, the Scandinavians' morale has been significantly boosted, thus citing a promising future for Danish football.

Christian Eriksen could be this year's breakout star.

Attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen (born in Middelfart, Denmark) is one of the brightest prospects in the world game. The Ajax midfielder was the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, 18, where he made his debut for the Danish national squad. Eriksen’s goal scoring instincts will be vital to Danish success since Denmark does not possess the most dangerous attack. He also has superb passing abilities, vision, and dribbling skills, which should make things easier for his teammates. As for the main source of Danish goals, it's still up in the air. Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner has been struggling at club level this season after moving from Arsenal on loan, and his actions off the pitch has left his status as a member of the Danish squad a question mark. Dennis Rommedahl, who at 33 years of age is past his prime, is Denmark’s only other reliable source of goals, but having returned to a less-competitive Danish league with Brondby might make his return to the international scene more of a stressful transition. However, Denmark doesn’t have many other worries, as players like AS Roma defender Simon Kjaer have been playing at a consistent level during the 2011-12 season. But if the Danes want to repeat their success at the Euro 1992 tournament that culminated in their first European championship, they will need the experience of their coach Marten Olsen and for their young players, like Christian Eriksen, to step it up.

Germany:

The most successful team in the history of the UEFA European Football Championship, having won three times, Germany had a perfect qualifying campaign, going 10-0-0 finishing atop Group A. Standings aside, Germany, when a major tournament rolls around, must always be considered as serious contenders, especially with their depth both in youth and veterans experienced at the highest level. In fact, if it wasn’t for that unusually excellent depth, Germany might actually be in trouble, for a few of their key older players are either injured or have recently come off injuries, and a recent friendly against France in which Germany lost 2-1 showed that the Germans need their veterans in order to be successful. Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has barely played since early November due to torn ligaments in his right ankle, FC Koln winger Lukas Podolski has just recently returned to action after being sidelined for over a month, and young Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze is set to return to the pitch soon after being hampered by hip problems.

Mesut Ozil will be key for the powerhouse German squad.

However, after scoring 34 goals and only conceding 7 in their qualifying campaign, Germany has every reason to be optimistic. Real Madrid attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil, who is having a fantastic season in La Liga, is also coming off an outstanding qualifying campaign with Germany. In addition to adding flair and lethality to the attack by scoring 5 goals, Ozil also provided 7 assists, more than any other player in the Euro 2012 qualification. At 23 years old, Germany fans have every right to be drooling over Ozil, as he is sure to play a decisive role in Euro 2012 and many other international tournaments to come. Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez, who currently has 23 goals in 26 matches to his name, added another 5 goals to the German qualifying campaign, and will surely play an integral part in Germany’s attack. To speak frankly, it would be an understatement to say Germany’s attack and its depth will be the envy of many at the tournament this summer.

Even though their midfield and defense isn’t as stacked as their attack, Germany still has depth at the back, and will have one of Europe’s finest goalkeepers Manuel Neuer back between the goalposts as the last line of defense. Germany is definitely heading into the tournament as one of the clear favorites. 

Portugal:

Christiano Ronaldo will anchor maybe the best attack
in Euro 2012.

After finishing behind Denmark in the qualifying round, one might think Portugal is writing themselves off, especially after being placed into the “group of death” for the tournament. If you were to think that, then you would be wrong. The two times Portugal and Group H leader Denmark met in the preliminaries Portugal won 2-1 and 3-1 respectively, and Portugal boasts some of the most talented football players in Europe, one in particular who needs no introduction (but I’ll do it anyway). Possibly the greatest footballer on the face of the planet, besides maybe Lionel Messi, Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo will be the key man for the Iberian nation, and he has all the skills to easily be that man: pace, power, dribbling, shooting, heading, vision, and passion. In the 2011-12 season alone so far, Ronaldo has netted a ridiculous 58 goals in the 53 matches he has played for in all competitions, and guess what? There are still eight matches left in the La Liga season. If Ronaldo can replicate the success he has had at Real Madrid this season, coupled with Manchester United winger Nani, Portugal will have possibly the most feared attack in the entire tournament.

Portugal has been blessed so far with minimal injuries, but their Achilles’ heel lies with their inconsistency. In their last five matches they have failed to string together back-to-back victories. Players like Raul Meireles, Fabio Coentrao and Joao Pereira have displayed inconsistency as well, putting together scrappy performances at their respective clubs. Despite this “setback,” Portugal still enters the tournament as one of the favorites. Real Madrid bulldog defender Pepe will anchor the backline, while F.C. Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho will terrorize opponents by adding panache to an already insane attack. Oh yes, the odds of Portugal getting knocked out in the group stage are about the same as Nicolas Cage not ever being in a good movie again.