Group C at the European Champions in Poland and Ukraine is highlighted by the defending champions, Spain, the pragmatic Italians ever dogged by scandal, determined Croatia and pesky Ireland. One can argue that all four teams in this group are not entering this tournament in the greatest form, yet once the tournament begins we will be surely blessed with some fantastic football.
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Croatia
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Win The Group - 15/2
To Qualify To The Knockout Stage - 13/8
To Win Euro 2012 - 50/1
The Outlook:
Croatia are limping to the start of the tournament. Losing influential striker Ivica Olic before the tournament is a huge blow to a squad that, in recent history, has struggled to score goals. Croatia finished behind Greece in their qualifying group and had to knockout Turkey in the playoffs to advance to the tournament. However, there are some talented players in the squad, especially Tottenham's Luka Modric, that could trouble the two favorites in the group, Spain and Italy.
The Superstar: Luka Modric
It is no secret that Manchester United are ready to give Tottenham's Luka Modric the keys to their midfield once the tournament comes to its conclusion. Incredibly skilled with a deft touch and fantastic vision Modric is the ideal creative midfielder, using speed and strength to stamp his authority on the match. To be honest with you, the speed of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon on the flanks doesn't hurt. For Croatia to succeed at this tournament, Modric has to bring his 'A' game, it is that simple.
The Young Gun: Domajog Vida
The general feeling with this edition of the Croatian team is that they do lack youthful exuberance and are really relying on a set of older players that, the majority of whom, do not have the international pedigree to succeed at the Euro. Well let's introduce you to Mr. Vida, a defender who currently plies his trade with Dinamo Zagreb. With a strong tournament Vida will surely catch the eye of some of Europe's top clubs.
Eurovision 2012 Entry:
Ireland
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Win The Group - 18/1
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Qualify To The Knockout Stage - 4/1
To Win Euro 2012 - 80/1
The Outlook:
To be completely honest with you, any football tournament that includes the Irish is always a better tournament. The passion and support that the Irish supporters have for their team is second to none and it always is a party when they are in the stands cheering and drinking. After missing out on the World Cup in 2010 due to the infamous Thierry Henry handball, the Irish managed to qualify for the Euro via the playoff system. While they may not be favored to advance out of their group, they will be a tough out for the remaining teams especially against Italy since they are coached by the legendary Italian manager Giovanni Trapattoni.
The Superstar: Aiden McGeady
While Robbie Keane may get all the headlines in North America because he plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy and Mr. Beckham, the real key to the success of the Irish national team lies in Aiden McGeady. McGeady is an out and out winger who began his career with Celtic in Scotland before jumping to Russia for a couple extra zeros at the end of his paycheck. With a strong tournament for Ireland it has been suggested that McGeady will be a transfer target for Sunderland of the English Premier League.
The Young Gun: James McClean
This is probably the easiest young gun to point out at Euro 2012. McClean has been in scintillating form for Sunderland and probably represents ex-manager Steve Bruce's finest transfer activity as he was bought for peanuts from Irish side Derry City. With McClean on the left flank and McGeady on the right, it is evident that they will be responsible for supplying the service to target man Robbie Keane.
Eurovision 2012 Entry:
Italy
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Win The Group - 7/2
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Qualify To The Knockout Stage - 8/11
To Win Euro 2012 - 14/1
The Outlook:
Did you know that every time there has been a cloud of controversy hanging over the Italian national team due to match fixing, in 1982 and 2006, they have won a major international tournament? Well fast forward to 2012 and with a fresh set of allegations in regards to match fixing tearing through the Serie A, this could be the spark that lights the proverbial fire for this year's edition of the national team.
The Superstar: Gianluigi Buffon
Even at the age of 34, Gianluigi Buffon is the vibrant heart beat of the Italian national team. Serving as the captain, Buffon steadies the ship for an Italian backline that has been decimated by injury before the tournament has even begun. Watching Buffon between the posts is really quite special and since this is probably his last major tournament I would ensure that I could watch at least one of Italy's matches.
The Young Gun: Mario Balotelli
The question is not whether Balotelli will be a lead story, because he will be, but the question will be whether he helped our hurt his team on any given day. Mario Balotelli, remember he is only 21, is Italy's most talented striker. With Guiseppe Rossi injured and Antonio Cassano at 75%, the goal scoring for Italy rests on the unstable shoulders of Super Mario.
Eurovision 2012 Entry:
Spain
Odds That Mean Nothing:
To Win The Group - 4/7
To Qualify To The Knockout Stage - 1/7
To Win Euro 2012 - 11/4
The Outlook:
The difficult thing with being the defending champion at any tournament is that you can only go down. You are already at the top of the mountain so maintaining your perch gets even more difficult. However, if there is any country that is capable of defending their title, it is the Spanish. Even though they are missing the charismatic Carles Puyol and leading scorer David Villa, there is plenty in reserve for the Spanish to repeat as champions.
The Superstar: Xavi
The heart beat of the Spanish national team is Barcelona midfielder Xavi. Usually parked in the center of the pitch, Xavi orchestrates the entire Spanish attack. When Xavi is on his game, there is no doubt that Spain is the best team in the world. However, with so much wear and tear due to his extended seasons with Barcelona and the national team, Xavi did not have the best of domestic campaigns and could be tired entering the competition.
The Young Gun: Pedro
Pedro might not be the proverbial young gun, since many of you are aware of his exploits with Barcelona and the national team for the past two years, but he still is one of the youngest members of the squad. With David Villa injured and Fernando Torres not in top form, the scoring load could fall on young Pedro's shoulders and I am fairly confident that he can handle it.
Eurovision 2012 Entry:
FEARLESS PREDICTIONS - ORDER OF FINISH
1. Spain
2. Italy
3. Ireland
4. Croatia
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