Chapter 39 Group B

Chapter 39 Group B

Group B is a veritable group of death in this European Cup, gathering three former European Cup champions, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, as well as Portugal, a traditional strong team in European football.

The Oranje are still shining with stars, and the uncrowned king is still the favorite to win the championship. After undergoing the transformation of Basten and Van Marwijk, the Dutch team has performed better and better in recent years, becoming more and more champions, and is far away from the championship. It's getting closer.

Van Marwijk replaced Basten after the 2008 European Cup and became the head coach of the Dutch national team. After taking office, he changed the Netherlands' traditional 433 formation of total offense and defense into 4231, and achieved remarkable results, even in the World Cup in South Africa. Led the team to win the runner-up, although his reforms were criticized by Cruyff and other Dutch football stars, but judging from the results in the World Cup in South Africa, his reforms were undoubtedly very successful.

In terms of lineup, as for the goalkeeper position, Stekelenberg's main position is unshakable. Although Wurm and Krul are the main players in Swansea City and Newcastle in the Premier League, they are destined to only play the role of accompanying the prince to study.

On the defense line, Van der Wiel, Heitinga and Matthiessen were all the main players during the World Cup in South Africa. If nothing else happens, they will still be indispensable figures in the Orange Army's defense. The left gate position is due to veteran Van Bronckhus. With Te's retirement, PSV veteran Bouma is likely to occupy the main position.

In the midfield, Van Bommel and De Jong, the two main players during the World Cup, will still occupy the midfielder position. Stroman, who has performed well in the Eredivisie this season, will be the main substitute. Sneijder is still the organizational soul of the Orange Army's midfield, and there are many candidates on the wings. Van der Vaart, Kuyt, Robben and Afellay can all be used by Van Marwijk.

As for the striker, Huntelaar and Van Persie can be alone at the front, or they can also play together, but who will play the leading role? With the two top scorers in the Premier League and the Bundesliga last season, Van Marwijk must figure it out as soon as possible. This happy trouble.

The core player of the Dutch team will undoubtedly be Sneijder. Since the 2006 World Cup, Sneijder has firmly occupied the position of the main attacking midfielder of the Dutch national team. In the past two continental competitions, he has been selected into the best eleven. line-up.

Another high-profile player is Peter Pan Robben. Robben has represented the Dutch national team in the past four international competitions and is an indispensable figure on the Orange Army's offensive line.

Of course, there is one person who cannot but be mentioned, that is Arsenal captain Robin van Persie. His performance at the club in the past two seasons has been extremely successful. Although the Gunners have never won the Premier League crown, Van Persie's performance has convinced everyone that this European Cup It is also Van Persie's fourth continental competition. He missed the opportunity to win the trophy in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Now the Dutch team is becoming increasingly mature and is ready to attack the championship in this European Cup.

The Orange Army 24 years ago had world-class stars such as Coman, Gullit, Basten and Rijkaard. Although they lost to the former Soviet Union 0:1 in the first game of the group stage, they defeated England and Northern Ireland in the next two games. After falling, he won the right to qualify from the group, and Van Basten even scored a hat-trick in the second game against the Three Lions. In the semi-finals, it was Basten who stepped forward again when the two sides were tied at 1:1 and scored the winning goal in the 88th minute. In the finals, the Netherlands finally found a chance to revenge against the former Soviet Union. Gullit's header and Basten's zero-angle world wave allowed the Orange Army to easily win the championship. Since 1988, the Dutch team has never missed the European Cup finals, and has entered the quarterfinals for six consecutive years.

In this cup, the Netherlands fell into the so-called death group just like four years ago. They were in the same group as their old enemies Germany, Portugal and Denmark. Although judging from the historical confrontation situation, the Netherlands was at a disadvantage against Germany and Portugal, and only faced Denmark. A slight advantage, but don't forget that four years ago, the Orange Army also easily broke out of the group of death, beating Italy 3:0, France 4:1, and Romania 2:0. The whole process was hearty.

The goal of the Dutch team in this European Cup is to win the championship. Of course, the prerequisite for achieving another good result is that the Netherlands can overcome the crux of the unstable defense line, find the most suitable candidate for the main left gate as soon as possible, and adjust the status of the midfielders. And solve the coexistence problem of the two golden boots Van Persie and Huntelaar on the front line. Only by doing this can the Orange Army replicate the championship journey 24 years ago and win the Delaunay Cup again in Eastern Europe.

Among Group B, the weakest team is undoubtedly the fairy tale kingdom Denmark. The Danish team fell into the death group. It is obviously very difficult for the Danish team to replicate the miracle of 20 years ago, but the Scandinavians are enough to act as a "spoiler" "The role is even the final "judge" of the group.

Danish coach Olsen, who is strict in military management, has been coaching the Danish national team since 2000 and has led the team to the 2002 and 2010 World Cups and the 2004 and 2012 European Cups.

Controlling the ball, playing flexibly, and maintaining strong vitality are the positioning Olsen has given Danish football.

After the World Cup in South Africa, the elimination of the Danish team made him begin to doubt and examine his football philosophy. The outside world once believed that he would not be renewed by the Football Association.

But as Denmark easily won the first place in the qualifiers, people saw that the Danish team known for its beautiful short passing style was back.

The Danish Football Association also gave up its plan to find a new coach and completed the contract extension with Olsen, which means that his football philosophy will be further implemented.

In this European Cup, the Danish team has withdrawn with many veterans, mainly players born in the 1980s, with an average age of 25 years old. The Danish team, which has always given people an old look, has also unexpectedly stirred up a youth storm. The roster Among them, there are even young players born in the 1990s like Eriksen and Okre.

At the goalkeeper position, Manchester United goalkeeper Lindegaard will take on the role. Kasper Schmeichel, the son of the amazing goalkeeper Schmeichel, has also been selected for the national team for the first time to compete in international competitions.

On the defense line, Agger and Kjaer, who played for Liverpool and Roma, have been the main central defender combination of the Danish team in recent years. In the wing defense positions, there are veteran internationals Jacobsen and Paulsen.

In the midfield, the Danish team has Stuttgart's main player Qvist, as well as Zimling, known as the "New Gravesen", the Nordic demon Eriksson, wing weapons Romedahl and Deheli's national team status is also Unshakable.

Arsenal striker Bendtner will continue to be an important single-point arrow. Bendtner is technically advanced and full of impact. When he joined Arsenal, he was even hailed as the new Deegan. His performance will also be directly related to The final trend of this European Cup in Denmark.

Among the team, the most anticipated player is Eriksen. He is regarded as the most anticipated little monster in Northern Europe. Eriksen is the main midfielder of the Danish team. This new star born in 1992 has already played in the Danish team last year. Elected as the Danish Footballer of the Year, his weird passing can instantly tear open the opponent's defense.

Eriksen has a broad vision, is smart and studious, has balance on his left and right feet, and is active in running. His elegant and relaxed playing style and national team experience have made people compare him to Danish football legend Laudrup from time to time.

As one of the hottest newcomers in Europe, Eriksen has received invitations from big clubs from time to time. His presence can provide the Danish team with the energy and creativity it lacks.

Denmark has never been a strong football country. They are better at badminton, but the 1992 European Championship can make every Dane proud for a lifetime.

At that time, Yugoslavia lost its qualification due to sanctions due to the civil war. The Danish team, which was second in the group, was urgently called up as a substitute. The players dispersed for vacation when they were notified. Coach Nielsen was also busy renovating his own house. What was even more troublesome was It was the midfield commander Michel Laudrup who refused to participate due to disagreements with the coaching staff. The main player Wilfort also had to return to Denmark from the Swedish stadium to visit his seriously ill daughter.

The Danish team drew 0:0 with England in the first game of the group stage, and lost 0:1 to the Swedish team led by Brolin in the second game. It was not until the last game of the group stage against France that the Danish fairy tale was officially staged. Strup's goal eliminated the French team.

In the semi-finals, the Danish team's opponent was the Netherlands. Within 120 minutes, the two sides drew 2:2. The goal was scored by Larsson, who joined the Danish team as a substitute. In the penalty shootout, Schmeichel scored. Van Basten's penalty save sent Denmark into the final.

In Gothenburg, Sweden, the Danes' opponent in the final was the German team coached by Vogts. The Danish team, which had already made a lot of money, fought with a relaxed attitude. In the end, goals from Jensen and Wilfort helped Denmark 2:0. Defeat the powerful German team and incredibly win the Delaunay Cup.

Denmark fell into the death group consisting of the Netherlands, Germany, and Portugal this time, and its qualifying situation is in jeopardy. However, most of this Danish team, from coaches to players, have received Dutch football education, or are currently playing for teams in the Eredivisie. The concept of Dutch football has influenced head coach Olsen's football career for nearly 40 years. Therefore, although the overall strength of the Netherlands is stronger than Denmark, the Danes who are familiar with Dutch football may also score points on their opponents.

The Portuguese team and the Danish team have jointly experienced the qualifying competition for the World Cup in South Africa and the European Championship qualifiers. In the qualifiers, the Danish team defeated their opponents in two games and topped the group. Therefore, they faced Portugal and the Danes have certain psychological advantages.

Denmark's current forward ability may not be able to break through the steel defense of the German team, but if the first two group matches go smoothly and the last game against Germany is relaxed, the Danish team will still be able to score points based on the previous record of equal wins and losses between the two sides. Chance.

Who is the most popular team in this European Cup?

With Deegan essentially wiped out, it's undoubtedly the German team.

Since defeating England and Argentina in the 2010 World Cup, a new generation of German players have gradually entered the world stage. This has caused Loew to start having sweet troubles. Although the framework has been reached, there are still many talents in the German team waiting for opportunities. .

After the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann left the German team, and his assistant Loew took over and became the coach of the German team. As a coach, Loew did not have any outstanding results. His greatest glory was to create a famous German team in Stuttgart. The troika of football and won the German Cup, but in the national team, Loew became a famous coach.

As Klinsmann's assistant, Loew promoted the team's tactical reform. The German team, which had always given the impression of being a "head team," gradually transformed into a technical team focused on the feet.

In 2006, Loew helped Klinsmann realize the renaissance of German football. In 2008, he led the team to participate in the competition for the first time. Although the results were not ideal, it was very rare to reach the semi-finals. In 2010, Loew continued to lead the team. In the World Cup, the German team's playing style became more and more mature. Unfortunately, they met the eventual champion team Belgium early and failed to enter the semi-finals. Now the German team has once again become the world's top team, and Loew also looks forward to leading the team to the top. Top of Europe.

Starting from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Loew changed the German team's tactics from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1, which is still used today. The reason why Loew changed the formation to 4-2-3- 1, mainly because the German team's defense strength was limited at that time, and they had to use double midfielders to protect the defense. The lack of outstanding forward players is also one of the reasons for Love's change of formation. But the current German team still uses 4-2-3-1, mainly because of the explosion of midfielders. Only by using this lineup can Loew maximize Germany's midfield advantage in the game. Control the rhythm.

In terms of lineup, goalkeeper should be the most reassuring position in the German team. Whether it is goalkeeper Neuer, or substitute goalkeepers Wiese and Ziller, they all have the ability to become the main goalkeepers of other national teams.

Especially Neuer, if he was just a rising star who performed well in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, then after experiencing the baptism of the league in the past two years, Neuer has become one of the world's top goalkeepers. In front of the goal, the German team's defense is reassuring.

Compared with the defense line in the 2010 World Cup, Loew's defense line this time is full of variables. At the left back position, captain Lahm should have been the best choice, but because Germany does not have the same level as him now As the right back, Lahm is likely to shift his position to the right, allowing Schmelzer to serve as the main left back. Of course, Loew may also let Lahm continue to serve as left back and let Bayern defender Boateng appear at the right back position. In addition to the full-backs, the candidate for the central defender is also unknown. Bayern central defender Badstuber has already occupied one of the main positions. The other position will be between Hummels and Mertesacker. Mertesacker's advantage lies in his richness. Hummels has performed better in the club this season. In addition, there is the all-round Schalke captain Hwedes, who can be wide or in the center, but his performance in the central defender position is obviously better.

The midfielder is the most luxurious position in the German team. Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ballack and Tresch withdrew due to injuries, which once made Loew anxious. The current German team has countless talents available in the midfield position. In terms of defensive midfielders, the team's deputy Schweinsteiger and Khedira have almost locked in the main position. The midfield combination of the two is both offensive and defensive. In the attacking midfielder position, Loew only had the immature Ozil as a creative player in the World Cup in South Africa. Now Loew has Ozil who has become a star, Kroos who is gradually maturing, and supernova Gotze. On the wing, Loew has Podolski and Reus with excellent scoring ability on the left, and Muller and Schurrle on the right. The biggest surprise in this list is Gundogan. With Lars Bender, the German teenager who has become the core of tactics in Leverkusen and Dortmund will never be just a spectator of the team in the European Cup.

On the forward line, the double insurance of veterans Klose and Gomez is enough, but it is still undecided who will be the forward of the German team, Klose or Gomez. Klose has occupied the main position of the German team for 10 years since his sudden emergence in the 2002 World Cup. Experience and awareness are the veteran's biggest advantages. As for Gomez, although he treats goals as trivial at Bayern, his rough skills and "soft foot syndrome" in competitions hinder Bayern's top striker from seizing power.

The current captain of the German national team, Lahm, has grown from a teenager to become the spiritual leader of the German team. Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Lahm, who temporarily took over the captain's armband, has now become the absolute leader of the German team.

At Bayern this season, Lahm played as a left-back in the first half and a right-back in the second half. His defense was airtight on both wings and his offense was absolutely sharp.

Lahm's ability to roam freely on both wings also gives Loew more options. Against the background that the German team lacks excellent right backs, Lahm playing right back seems to be the best result.

Lahm's Bayern teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger is a steel barrier in front of the German team's defense. He once experienced the trough of the 2004 European Cup with the team and failed to return in the 2008 European Cup. Weinsteiger has experienced the entire renaissance phase of German football. As a representative of the "golden age" of German football, now is the best time for Schweinsteiger to win a major championship with the team. As an organizational midfielder, although Xiaozhu's skills are not as good as Harvey's and his defense is not as good as Khedira's, it is his comprehensiveness and overall view that make him one of the world's top midfielders.

Although Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger are both young, they are already considered veterans in the current national team, and the same new stars can only be looked forward to.

Gotze is the biggest surprise in German football in recent years. He is known as a rare "supernova" in German football. The young Gotze has grown rapidly in Dortmund's fast attack style, passing accurately, His movement is agile. What is commendable is that the young Gotze also has a strong body. During the game, the youngster has learned to use his strength. Loew has already expressed his position, saying that Gotze will have a place in his lineup. The German supernova The first major competition trip is worth looking forward to.

As the most stable team in European football, the German team has won the World Cup three times and also had a brilliant record of three crowns in the European Cup.

Now, after youth reform and tactical revolution, the German team has ushered in a comprehensive recovery. The team's style of play in the 2008 European Cup was commendable, but it was a pity that they lost to Belgium with Deegan in the semi-finals.

The last team in Group B is Portugal with Golden Mauro. During the European Cup qualifiers, the young coach Bento took over the coaching of the Portuguese coach when the team's performance was poor and the qualifying situation was precarious. Led Portugal to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in a spectacular play-off, qualifying for the 2012 European Cup after missing the previous European Cup.

Known for his "strict military management", Bento's overly defensive style did not win the favor of many people when he was coaching in Lisbon.

However, in Portugal's seemingly troubled coaching position, the 42-year-old coach led Portugal to continuous victories and became the youngest coach in history to lead Portugal into a major competition.

In terms of the team's lineup, if nothing else goes wrong, Benfica goalkeeper Eduardo will become the team's main goalkeeper. Bruno Alves and Pepe will become the backbone of Portugal's defense. Coentrao will be qualified on the left side. Defender position. , Whether the defense line can help Portugal break out of the death group can only be verified through the game.

In the midfield, although there are two good players in Moutinho and Meireles, these two players are not the kind of extremely creative players and lack a pass that can tear apart the opponent's defense. , his greater contribution to the team is to consolidate the team's defense and set up a barrier in the midfield, which is also a hardest-hit area for Portugal.

In terms of forward, Kimaro and Nani are separated on the wings, so who can be the team's center has become a problem. Although Postiga has performed well in the European preliminaries, his lack of experience in competitions is a major shortcoming. Almeida, Quaresma and Varela are not the kind of forwards that reassure the coach. Although the youngster Oliveira is full of impact, he does not have the strength. If Bento is not there in the remaining time, With certain adjustments and adjustments to the forward mix, Portugal's "powerless forward" problem is likely to be exposed again in the European Cup.

Golden Mauro, who plays for Real Madrid, is Portugal's number one star. He has scored more than 40 goals in the league for two consecutive seasons. Although he lost to the even crazier Messi in the battle for the Golden Boot, Golden Mauro Helped the Galaxy Battleship win its first league championship in four years, and morale was at its peak.

The Portuguese national team is bound to rely on the performance of this number one star to go further in the European Cup, but it is worth mentioning that Kimaro's performance in the national team is far less outstanding than in the club.