Euro 2012
Tournament
For the first time in 36 years, the European Championships return to Eastern Europe, with Poland and Ukraine splitting the hosting honors. Spain comes into the competition as favorites, having won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, but injuries to key players and challenges from the young Germans and World Cup runners up the Netherlands give Euro 2012 a wide-open feel.
Format
Fourteen qualifiers join Poland and Ukraine in the tournament’s group stage: Four groups of four, teams playing each other once, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals. From there, it’s a knockout tournament, with the two survivors meeting for the title July 1 in Kiev.
Previews
As Euro 2012′s contestants were finalizing their preparations, ProSoccerTalk was giving you snapshots of the 16 contenders for Europe’s crowd. Click on the images, below, for your capsule on each national team:
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
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Predictions
| Noah Davis | Steve Davis | Richard Farley | Jenna Pel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group ATop two finishers | Russia Czech Republic |
Russia Poland |
Russia Poland |
Russia Poland |
| Group BTop two finishers | Netherlands Germany |
Germany Netherlands |
Germany Netherlands |
Germany Netherlands |
| Group CTop two finishers | Italy Croatia |
Spain Ireland |
Spain Croatia |
Spain Croatia |
| Group DTop two finishers | France England |
France England |
France Sweden |
France England |
| Semifinalists | Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia | Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France | Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Croatia | Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Croatia |
| Finalists | Germany, Netherlands | Germany, Spain | Germany, Spain | Netherlands, Germany |
| Winner | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany |
| Player of the Tournament | Bastian Schweinsteiger | Bastian Schweinsteiger | Manuel Neuer | Philipp Lahm |
| Top scorer | Robin van Persie | Mario Gomez | Robin van Persie | Robin van Persie |
| Breakout star | Thomas Muller | Thomas Muller | Jordi Alba | Marco Reus |
Group A
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czech Republic PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 6 |
| 2 | Greece PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Russia PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
| 4 | Poland PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 2 |
Schedule and Results
June 8: Review | As it happened
Poland 1, Greece 1
Russia 4, Czech Republic 1
June 12: Review – Part 1, Day 2 | As it happened
Greece 1, Czech Republic 2
Poland 1, Russia 1
June 16: Review – Part 1, Part 2
Czech Republic 1, Poland 0
Greece 1, Russia 0
Group B
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 |
| 2 | Portugal PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| 4 | Denmark PST Preview | PST News | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Netherlands PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
Schedule and Results
June 9: Review | As it happened
Netherlands 0, Denmark 1
Germany 1, Portugal 0
June 13: Review – Part 1, Part 2 | As it happens
Denmark 2, Portugal 3
Netherlands 1, Germany 2
June 17: Review – Part 1, Part 2
Portugal 2, Netherlands 1
Denmark 1, Germany 2
Group C
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain PST Preview | PST News | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
| 2 | Italy PST Preview | PST News | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Croatia PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 |
| 4 | Ireland PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 |
Schedule and Results
June 10: Review – Part 1, Part 2 | As it happened
Spain 1, Italy 1
Ireland 1, Croatia 3
June 14: Review – Part 1, Part 2 | As it happens
Italy 1, Croatia
Spain 4, Ireland 0
June 18: Review – Part 1, Part 2
Croatia 0, Spain 1
Italy 2, Ireland 0
Group D
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 2 | France PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Ukraine PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Sweden PST Preview | PST News | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Schedule and Results
June 11: Review – Part 1, Part 2 | As it happened
France 1, England 1
June 11: Ukraine 2, Sweden 1
June 15: Review – Part 1, Part 2 | As it happens
Ukraine 0, France 2
Sweden 2, England 3
June 19: Review – Part 1, Part 2
England 1, Ukraine 0
Sweden 2, France 0
Quarterfinals
June 21, QF1: Czech Republic 0, Portugal 1
June 22, QF2: Germany 4, Greece 2
June 23, QF3: Spain 2, France 0
June 24, QF4: England 0 (2), Italy 0 (4)
Semifinals
June 27: Portugal 0 (2), Spain 0 (4)
June 28: Germany 1, Italy 2
Final
July 1: Spain 4, Italy 0
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