The group stage of Euro 2008 is over. The separating of wheat from chaff and the chaos of culling the weak has subsided. In the dust lie the bodies of 8 teams, their identities surprising. World Cup Runners-Up, FIFA’s 6th highest ranked team, and another two in the top ten. Limping away from the fray, barely escaping with their lives, are the World Cup Champions and the early competition favorites. Those who have excelled in the first stage of play are young teams with innovative coaches and creative, youthful styles of play. The old, it seems, have fallen with the weak and sick. 

On the final day of group play, a perfect microcosm of this trend played out. Sweden, the team in the competition with the highest average player age, faced Russia, the team with the lowest average player age. Neither team were realistically expected to excel in the competition overall, and many expected both to fail to reach the quarterfinals, being in a group with Spain and title-holders Greece. But Greece floundered, and now Sweden and Russia were in a do-or-die match, the winner of which would accompany Spain out of the group and into the knock out stage of Euro 2008.

Sweden looked slow and conservative throughout the game. Relying heavily on star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they played a possession game that became unhinged as soon as the Russians scored in the 24th minute. Russia, mind you, put on no display freewheeling beautiful football art. They did, however, attack mercilessly and with an energy that their Scandinavian counterparts could not muster, led largely by Andrei Arshavin’s tireless work setting up the attack (including a sliding, go-ahead goal in the 50th minute). Youthful energy and zeal sealed the win over a tactically conservative older side. A look at the larger picture, the competition in general through the group stage, tells the same story. The Old Guard is threatened.

Portugal were always Group A favorites, but the surprise came in the battle for group runner-up. The Czech Republic, 6th in the world according to FIFA’s ranking system, boasted a strong squad of players in major leagues across Europe, including Petr Cech, one of the world’s best goalkeepers. They were expected to cruise easily into the 2nd spot, almost as easily as Portugal to the 1st. Instead, they managed one win, against lowly Switzerland who were only in the competition as hosts. On the final day of play for that group, the Czechs squandered a two-goal lead to fall to Turkey, the darkest of dark horses, and careen out of the competition.

Coming into Group B, Germany, of course, were expected to run away with it. Always a major force in European and World football, they were touted by many as tournament favorites. They barely escaped with their lives. The Croatians carried on their terrific form, winning all three games and the group, beating Germany 2-1 in the process. The Germans never looked like the football machine they were scheduled to be, struggling to overcome the worst team in the competition, co-hosts Austria, and Poland. Arguably, had they been in any other group, the Germans might have found themselves at the end of the line already.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the competition so far has been the Dutch, and group C, this tournament’s “Group of Death.” Stocked with Italy and France, the World Cup winners and runners-up respectively, the Netherlands, and Romania, this was expected to be a tough group with room for upsets. “Upsets” meaning France takes 1st place and Italy 2nd. Or maybe the Dutch squeak through to the quarterfinals. No one predicted the systematic and beautiful destruction the Netherlands wrought upon two of the tournaments major title contenders, or that the reigning World Champions would escape the group by the skin of their teeth. Soundly beating Italy 3-0 and France 4-1, and doing so in the most entertaining and exciting fashion, the Netherlands are now whispered as new realistic contenders. Romania held both Italy and France to a draw, and put themselves within a shout of making it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2000. Had dismal Italy and more dismal France come to a draw in their final game, Romania would have finished 2nd in the group, regardless of the result of their final game against the Netherlands. Italy struck down France and the Netherlands predictably beat Romania, but the day was a nailbiter for fans of the Azzurri, as any other pair of results would have seen them off. France, mighty France, owners of multiple European and World Cup titles, scored a single goal, and finished last in their group.

It’s a lesson put on for the powers of European football (whether or not they learn is yet to be seen). Squads composed of international superstars cannot just walk through the later stages of such tournaments. The perceived gulf in talent between the Frances of the world and the Turkeys can be deceiving. The minnows and dark horses are forced to be innovative and daring to compete, and more often than expected, it’s enough to overcome the staid regulars. The teams laden with talent must take note and play with that invention and creativity, with that sense of youth, to make that talent count. The Netherlands and Spain have done just that, and boast the most convincing records thus far. England would do well to pay attention.

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Ben June 19, 2008	"The old, it seems, have fallen with the weak and sick." Hello McBride?