UEFA EURO CUP 2012

Menanti Aksi Mark Marques di Moto GP

2013-04-02T01:47:00.001+02:00

Jadwal Moto GP 2013 - Status juara dunia Moto2 dan dukungan tim Repsol Honda membuat Marc Marquez diyakini punya potensi besar untuk langsung berprestasi. Dengan usia yang masih muda, dia juga ditunggu serangkaian rekor.

Honda memilih mempromosikan Marquez sebagai pebalap pengganti Casey Stoner yang memutuskan pensiun musim lalu. Marquez adalah juara dunia Moto2 musim 2012 dan juara dunia kelas 125 cc di musim 2010, saat ini usia pebalap asal Spanyol itu baru 20 tahun (lahir 17 Februari 1993).

Fakta tersebut plus dukungan dari tim Repsol Honda membuat Marquez langsung dijagokan untuk bisa bersaing dengan barisan teratas MotoGP yang diisi Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo serta Valentino Rossi. Marquez sudah membuktikan hal tersebut melalui catatan waktu yang beberapa kali dia bukukan pada tes pra musim.

Jika benar bisa tampil sesuai harapan, maka Marquez akan punya peluang memecahkan beberapa rekor. Di Losail pada seri pertama MotoGP 2013, Minggu (7/4/2013) waktu setempat, jika berhasil jadi juara dia akan menyamai catatan Jarno Saarinen (1973) dan Max Biaggi (1998) yang langsung jadi pemenang dalam balapan debut di kelas rajanya balap motor. Marquez akan jadi orang pertama yang melakukannya di kategori MotoGP karena Biaggi dan Saarinen menorehkannya saat masih 500cc.

Marquez juga punya kesempatan untuk jadi pebalap termuda yang memenangi seri MotoGP, dia punya waktu sampai seri Republik Ceko yang digelar Agustus mendatang untuk mematahkan rekor milik Freddie Spencer. Sebagai catatan, Spencer kini tercatat sebagai pebalap termuda yang memenangi seri MotoGP. Demikian diberitakan Marca.

Marquez juga punya kesempatan mematahkan rekor milik Dani Pedrosa. Seniornya di tim Honda itu kini menjadi pebalap termuda yang meraih paling tidak satu kemenangan di tiga kelas berbeda (125, 250/Moto2 dan MotoGP). Marquez punya waktu sampai dia berumur 20 tahun dan 227 hari untuk mengalahkan Pedrosa.

Terakhir, Marquez memiliki peluang untuk jadi juara dunia termuda sepanjang sejarah MotoGP. Rekor tersebut saat ini masih dipegang pebalap Amerika Serikat, Freddie Spencer.

Muenchen Tidak Ingin Kebobolan di Kandang

2013-04-02T01:43:00.000+02:00

Kubu Bayern Munich menyadari krusialnya gol tandang saat Liga Champions sudah memasuki babak knockout. Mereka pun bertekad untuk tidak kebobolan saat menjamu Juventus.

Hal tersebut ditegaskan oleh Thomas Mueller, jelang pertemuan Bayern dan Juve di Allianz Arena, Rabu (3/4/2013) dinihari WIB, di leg pertama perempatfinal Liga Champions.

"Akan sangat penting untuk tidak kebobolan. Semua pemain yang menyerang juga harus membantu pertahanan," ungkap Mueller seperti dikutip Football Italia.

Meski tak punya penyerang tajam, Juve dinilai Mueller sebagai sebuah tim yang sangat solid dan kompak.

"Juventus adalah tim yang sangat tangguh. Mereka adalah tim sejati. Mereka tidak memiliki seorang Lionel Messi, tapi mereka kuat sebagai sebuah unit," katanya.

"Setiap bagian dari tim Juve sangat berkualitas. Saya sangat menantikan laga ini dan saya yakin kami bisa memenanginya," tutur Mueller.

Die Roten akan menghadapi Juve dengan modal sangat bagus. Akhir pekan lalu, mereka menghancurkan Hamburg SV dalam lanjutan Bundesliga dengan skor fantastis 9-2.

"Tentu saja kami tidak mengharapkan kemenangan 9-2 lagi. Ini akan menjadi pertandingan yang sangat berbeda dibandingkan Sabtu lalu melawan Hamburg," kata Mueller.

Rafael Benitez Yakin Mengalahkan MU

2013-04-01T08:58:00.001+02:00

Chelsea akan menjamu Manchester United hari ini ditengah-tengah jadwal sibuk mereka. Melawan tim yang sangat konsisten musim ini, Rafael Benitez tetap yakin timnya bisa keluar sebagai pemenang.

MU cukup superior musim ini. Di Liga Inggris mereka kini unggul 15 poin dari pesaing terdekatnya, Manchester City. Mereka juga belum terkalahkan dalam 18 pertandingan terakhir di Premiership.

Chelsea sendiri hingga saat ini masih berada di peringkat empat sementara, setelah Sabtu kemarin dikalahkan 1-2 oleh Southampton. Mereka juga sedang menjalani masa-masa sibuk dengan jadwal yang amat padat sepanjang minggu ini dan harus membagi fokus serta tenaga ke tiga kompetisi berbeda, yakni liga, Piala FA, dan Liga Europa.

Kendati demikian, manajer sementara The Blues tetap yakin timnya akan mendapatkan hasil maksimal. Pria asal Spanyol itu bahkan merasa anak-anak asuhnya mampu bersaing dengan siapapun.

"United lebih diunggulkan tapi kami jauh lebih baik daripada mereka di pretemuan pertama," kata Benitez seperti dilansir The Sun.

"Jika beruntung, kami bisa mengalahkan siapapun dan itu akan menjadi dorongan yang sesungguhnya untuk setiap orang di klub ini, jika kami mampu memenangi pertandingan ini.

"Kami lebih kuat dari kebanyakan tim lain. Kami masih bisa memainkan sepakbola yang menarik dan bersaing dengan siapapun," tambahnya.

Chelsea dan MU akan saling berhadapan di Stamford Bridge malam ini (1/4). Pemenang antara kedua tim ini telah ditunggu Manchester City di semifinal.

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Juventus Bersiap Menghadapi Muenchen Dengan Respek

2013-03-31T03:59:00.002+02:00

Setelah Juventus melalui derby d'Italia dengan sukses mengalahkan Inter, Juventus selanjutnya dihadapkan pada jadwal liga champion menjalani laga yang sangat berat melawan tim kuat dari Jerman Bayern Munich. Juve akan bertanding dengan semangat membara untuk meraih kemenangan dan tidak takut melawan tim raksasa Jerman ini.

Juve berhasil memetik kemenangan penting di Seri A ketika melawat ke markas Inter Milan, Sabtu (30/3/2013) malam WIB. Kemenangan 2-1 itu membawa 'Bianconeri' selangkah lebih dekat menuju gelar juara liga.

Setelah laga tersebut Juve kini harus langsung memalingkan fokus ke partai tandang lain yakni laga leg I perempatfinal Liga Champions, saat dijamu Bayern di Allianz Arena, Selasa (2/4).

Pertandingan tersebut akan mempertemukan dua tim yang sama-sama tengah memuncaki klasemen liga di kompetisinya masing-masing--Bayern memuncaki Bundesliga dengan keunggulan 20 poin.

"Kami punya punya respek buat Bayern, tapi bukan rasa takut," tegas penyerang Juve Fabio Quagliarella di Football Italia.

"Kami akan datang ke sana dengan semangat sama seperti biasanya, berusaha menampilkan permainan kami sendiri," imbuhnya.

Untuk laga itu sendiri, Quagliarella yang bermain sedari menit awal dalam derby d'Italia mengaku tidak tahu siapa yang akan dipasang oleh Allenatore Juve Antonio Conte.

"Pelatih menyimpan sendiri pilihannya sampai menit akhir, jadi kami tak punya gambaran siapa yang akan bermain di Jerman," lugas Quagliarella. lihat juga klasemen liga champion

Informasi Piala AFF 2012

2012-11-25T08:39:00.000+01:00

Di Indonesia informasi jadwal piala AFF sedang banyak dicari banyak orang di Indonesia pada khususnya dan Asia Tenggara pada umumnya. Pada bulan November-Desember 2012 ini timnas Garuda sedang berjuang untuk merebut juara untuk pertama kalinya di ajang ini.

Turnamen yang digelar pada tanggal 24 November-22 Desember ini adalah turnamen yang ke-9 sejak turnamen ini pertama kali digelar pada tahun 2006. Sampai turnamen ke 8 Thailand dan Singapura adalah tim yang paling banyak merebut gelar juara dengan masing-masing 3 kali merahi Tropi Juara. Malaysia dan Vietnam masing-masing meraih satu gelar, sementara Indonesia hanya berhasil meraih 4 kali runner-up.

Suporter Indonesia terkenal sebagai suporter yang fanatik dan militan. Konflik yang melanda tubuh sepak bola Indonesia tidak menyurutkan suporter untuk memberikan dukungan kepada timnas Garuda di Piala AFF 2012 meskipun ada sebagian yang masih terbawa konflik dan memilih menjadi "nyinyirmania".

Group A diisi oleh tuan rumah Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar dan Filipina. Group B diisi oleh tuan rumah Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapura dan Laos.

Di group A Thailand sebagai tuan rumah dan tim yang sering memenangkan gelar sangat diunggulkan untuk lolos ke babak semifina. Tim yang akan mendampingi Thailand akan cukup sengit diperebutkan antara Vietnam, Filipina dan Myanmar yang memiliki kemampuan cukup merata.

Di group B ada tiga tim yang memiliki kekuatan cukup merata dan akan saling jegal untuk bisa lolos ke semifinal. Malaysia, Singapura dan Indonesia sangat berimbang dan cukup sulit ditebak siapa yang memenangkan sementara Laos diperkirakan hanya akan menjadi lumbung gol. Prediksi klasemen piala AFF di group B adalah Indonesia diikuti Malaysia, Singapura dan juru kunci adalah Laos.

Indonesia adalah tim kuat di Asia Tenggara yang belum pernah meraih gelar pada turnamen ini. Konflik di dalam negeri dan haus akan gelar tentu akan menjadi penyemangat lebih untuk mengeluarkan kemampuan terbaik dan merebut gelar juara.

Jadwal Liga Inggris 2012 Hari Ini

2012-11-14T04:31:00.001+01:00

Mengawali musim Premier League musim 2012 - 2013 kali ini membagikan info seputar jadwal liga Inggris siaran langsung. Pastinya sobat bola mania sudah tidak sabar menantikan pertandingan liga terbesar di dunia ini. Klub-klub sepak bola Ingris seperti Mencester United, Chealsea, Mencester City, Liverpool, dan klub-klub elit lainya akan siap bertanding dan memperebutkan puncak Klasemen Liga Inggris.

Tentu saja juara bertahan Mancaster City akan berusaha mempertahankan gelar juara liga Inggris musim lalu. Sementara Mencester United (MU) di posisi kedua tidak akan tinggal diam dan klub lainya pun akan berusaha menjadi yang terbaik di daratan Britania Raya. Ok langsung saja simak jadwal liga Inggris di bawah ini:

Untuk Jadwal lengkapnya bisa juga dilihat Jadwal Liga Inggris dibawah ini, Untuk mengetahui jadwal dan hasil yang lain klik Next.

Euro 2012 Awards

2012-07-02T14:59:00.001+02:00

UEFA Team of the Tournament

The UEFA Technical Team was charged with naming a squad composed of the 23 best players over the course of the tournament. The group of eleven analysts watched every game at the tournament before making their decision after the final. Ten players from the winning Spanish team were selected in the team of the tournament, while Zlatan Ibrahimović is the only player knocked out in the group stage were included.

Goalkeepers	Defenders	Midfielders	Forwards
Iker Casillas	Jordi Alba	Steven Gerrard	Cesc Fàbregas
Manuel Neuer	Gerard Piqué	Sami Khedira	David Silva
Gianluigi Buffon	Sergio Ramos	Mesut Özil	Mario Balotelli
	Philipp Lahm	Andrea Pirlo	Cristiano Ronaldo
	Fábio Coentrão	Daniele De Rossi	Zlatan Ibrahimović
	Pepe	Xabi Alonso
		Sergio Busquets
		Xavi
		Andrés Iniesta

Golden Boot

In the event of a tie, the Golden Boot will be awarded to the player with the most assists. In a further tie, the winner will be the player spending the least time playing in the tournament. Fernando Torres tied with five other players on goals and with Mario Gómez on goals and assists; however he spent 92 minutes less on the pitch compared to Gómez and this owned him the title. Torres also became the first player to score in two finals. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Netherlands was the over-all topscorer for Euro 2012 including qualification by 12 goals.

Fernando Torres (3 goals)

UEFA Player of the Tournament

Andrés Iniesta

Germany 1-2 Italy Goals Highlights

2012-06-28T22:45:00.001+02:00

Euro 2012 Semi Final. Germany 1-2 Italy Goals Highlights

Germany vs Italy Match Statistic

Germany		Italy
8	Shots on target	4
8	Shots off target	6
54	Possession (%)	46
14	Corner kicks	0
0	Off sides	2
13	Fouls	19
1	Yellow cards	4
0	Red cards	0
1 M. Özil 90'	Goal scorer	2 M. Balotelli 20' M. Balotelli 36'

Germany attempt to shackle Andrea Pirlo in semi-final

2012-06-28T01:48:00.001+02:00

Germany aim to unleash the perfect swarm on Andrea Pirlo on Thursday night, playing with the type of tempo that England singularly failed to impose on the ageless architect of Italy’s grand designs.

There is a mix of athleticism, aggression, boldness and intelligence in Joachim Löw’s fine Germany side that is most embodied by Bastian Schweinsteiger, the 27 year-old who has struck 23 times in his 94 internationals. It is that energy that Schweinsteiger intends directing at Italy and Pirlo in the second Euro 2012 semi-final.

Germany insist they will not be man-marking Pirlo, looking more to Mesut Özil to drop off and Schweinsteiger to push on, attempting to cut off Italy’s supply lines at source.

“I like the way Pirlo plays but he is 33,’’ reflected Schweinsteiger before Germany’s light training at the National Stadium on Wednesday. “What he’s been doing in this tournament has been quite something, fantastic, really good to watch. But there’s also a way to stop him.”

Schweinsteiger, described as “the brain” of the German team by Löw, spoke of the importance of pressing Italy’s midfielders. “You have to attack them,’’ he said. ”We’ll have a certain aggression in our game. You need that.’’

Pirlo’s team-mate, Daniele De Rossi, knows what to expect. “When you have a genius like Pirlo the opposition will always keep a close eye on him,’’ said the Roma midfielder. “If they press us high up the pitch we must keep the ball and play our way out. If not, we will have problems.”

Sami Khedira partners Schweinsteiger in the engine room of Löw’s 4-2-3-1 system, anchoring superbly and releasing Schweinsteiger to attack but also occasionally demonstrating his own adventurous traits. “He’s very important as a player for me,’’ said Schweinsteiger. “He opens up spaces going forward, is always available, scores goals but we both can’t be upfront during a game. We have to make sure we know where our positions are and what we have to do.

“Sami is playing well, making a really good impression. He’s learned a lot at Real Madrid, has become much stronger. Through that experience in the Champions League, you learn a lot.”

Schweinsteiger’s penalty knocked out Khedira’s team in the semi-finals before he himself missed in the shoot-out against Chelsea. He looked bemused when asked whether he sought “revenge” for what happened in Munich. “I can’t have any comparison with the Champions League final. That happened. It’s something completely different.’’ Germany had been practising penalties but “not very intensively”. He added: “We maybe try one or two after training, that’s all.”

Cutting a very composed figure, Schweinsteiger also shrugged off Pirlo’s suggestion that Germany could fear Italy. “I personally don’t have any ’fear’,’’ said Schweinsteiger. “Respect is there, and if you don’t have any respect you’re dumb. Italy are a great nation and have won a lot in the past, and have made a big step forward in the last two years.

"The point has come now, though, where we can beat the next big opponent. We’ve beaten Argentina, Brazil, England and Holland. The next one, we hope, will be the Italians. There’s big respect, not fear. Respect for what they’ve done in the last two years, and given the scandals in their league: their national team is really positive.” So is die Mannschaft. Germany’s system is established.

“Players come, players go. It’s important the standard keeps improving, you have a philosophy and you stick to it. Since 2005 we’ve been going up and up. We can be happy that we have such a good national team who have been successful. Of course, we don’t have the crown yet but we’re getting closer and closer.

“We have much, much more quality now. We’re tactically and physically very strong. We have good individual players and we work well as a team. It’s always fun to be here. It’s not the individual players; it’s the whole team spirit. It works very well. There’s a very healthy mix of players here and it’s very relaxed and also very focused on the football.’’

Schweinsteiger insisted he was “100 per cent fit” after his ankle problem to play this “classic game” against Cesare Prandelli’s side.

Italy’s coach talked on Wednesday night of how his striker Mario Balotelli was maturing. “There are no problems with him,’’ emphasised Prandelli.

“It’s interesting to work out what goes on in the head of a 21-year-old man. In terms of mentality, psychology, he has changed radically with us. I’m just curious to see what he is feeling, what sacrifices he is prepared to make to become a great footballer.”

(source)

Portugal 2-4 (pen) Spain Goals Highlights

2012-06-28T01:41:00.002+02:00

Euro 2012 Semi Final. Portugal vs Spain 2-4 (penalty after draw 0-0) Goals Highlights

Portugal vs Spain Match Statistic

Portugal		Spain
0	Shots on target	4
9	Shots off target	8
43	Possession (%)	57
6	Corner kicks	7
2	Off sides	2
32	Fouls	20
5	Yellow cards	4
0	Red cards	0
2 J. Moutinho (x) Pepe Nani B. Alves (x)	Goal scorer	4 X. Alonso (x) A. Iniesta G. Piqué S. Ramos C. Fabregas

England vs Italy 2-4 (Penalty) Goals and Highlight

2012-06-24T22:41:00.003+02:00

Euro 2012 Quarter Final. England vs Italy 2-4 Goals Highlights

England vs Italy Match Statistic

England		Italy
1	Shots on target	8
7	Shots off target	17
37	Possession (%)	63
3	Corner kicks	7
1	Off sides	2
15	Fouls	11
0	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
2 S. Gerrard W. Rooney A. Young (x) A. Cole (x)	Goal scorer	4 M. Balotelli R. Montolivo (x) A. Pirlo A. Nocerino A. Diamanti

Spain 2-0 France Goals Highlights

2012-06-23T23:34:00.001+02:00

Euro 2012 Quarter Final. Spain vs France 2-0 Goals Highlights

Spain vs France Match Statistic

Spain		France
3	Shots on target	1
4	Shots off target	3
56	Possession (%)	44
7	Corner kicks	3
5	Off sides	1
6	Fouls	12
1	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
2 X. Alonso 19' X. Alonso 90' (penalty)	Goal scorer	0

Germany 4-2 Greece Goals Highlights

2012-06-22T18:12:00.007+02:00

Euro 2012 Quarter Final. Germany vs Greece 4-2 Goals Highlights

Germany vs Greece Match Statistic

Germany		Greece
12	Shots on target	5
10	Shots off target	4
66	Possession (%)	34
10	Corner kicks	1
5	Off sides	2
9	Fouls	10
0	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
4 P. Lahm 39' S. Khedira 61' M. Klose 68' M. Reus 74'	Goal scorer	2 G. Samaras 55 D. Salpingidis (pen.) 89'

Czech Republic 0-1 Portugal Goals Highlights

2012-06-21T21:39:00.004+02:00

Euro 2012 Quarter Final. Czech Republic vs Portugal 0-1 Goals Highlights

Czech Republic vs Portugal Match Statistic

Czech Rep		Portugal
0	Shots on target	6
2	Shots off target	14
43	Possession (%)	57
6	Corner kicks	11
1	Off sides	3
12	Fouls	7
1	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
0	Goal scorer	1 C. Ronaldo 79'

Germany vs Greece Preview Prediction

2012-06-21T11:55:00.004+02:00

Germany vs Greece Preview Prediction

The Germans look unstoppable at this point in the tournament. Winning all ten games in the qualifying stage and all three games during the group eliminations finishing three points ahead of Group B runners-up, Portugal, the Germans will take on Group A runners-up, Greece on the 22nd of June.

The Germans have fairly young players but have a World Cup run in their portfolios. But a weak defense line is a problem that they need to resolve soon. In the past, they have let far too many goals in, although their attack is strong, this weakness can compromise their chances at winning later down the line.

The Greek team had a poor opening at the onset of the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Poland during the opener and a 2-1 lost to the Czech Republic in the second game. Greece was fated to exit the tournament after their lost against the Czech Republic and we can also include the draw with Poland. Then came the make or break match against Russia. Russia was the Group A favorites at the time but were knocked out of the tournament by the Greeks with a 1-0 victory that shocked Russians and the Greeks alike.

Germany vs Greece Head to Head

Germany	vs	Greece
8	Matches Played	8
5	Wins	0
3	Draws	3
0	Losses	5
17	Goals	7

FIFA World Cup Qualifies

Germany	vs	Greece
4	Matches Played	4
4	Wins	0
0	Draws	0
0	Losses	4
11	Goals	3

Euro Cup

Germany	vs	Greece
1	Matches Played	1
0	Wins	0
1	Draws	1
0	Losses	0
0	Goals	0

Euro Cup Qualifiers

Germany	vs	Greece
2	Matches Played	2
0	Wins	0
2	Draws	2
0	Losses	0
3	Goals	3

Friendly

Germany	vs	Greece
1	Matches Played	1
1	Wins	0
0	Draws	0
0	Losses	1
3	Goals	1

FIFA Ranking
Germany: 3
Greece: 15

Prediction
Germany 60% vs 40% Greece

Czech Republic vs Portugal Preview Prediction

2012-06-20T12:17:00.002+02:00

Czech Republic vs Portugal Preview Prediction

The first quarter-final of Euro 2012 between the Czech Republic and Portugal marks their reunion in previous European Championships back in Euro 1996 and 2008.

The Czechs famously won 16 years ago thanks to a Karel Poborsky goal and will aim to repeat their '96 heroics despite a 3-1 loss during the group stage of Euro 2008.

The Narodak recovered from a humiliating 4-1 opening loss against Russia to eventually top the Group after victories against Poland and Greece. Similar to Euro 1996, the Czechs qualified with a negative goal difference.

Portugal too, began their Euro 2012 campaign with a loss to Germany. But Paulo Bento's men managed a narrow 3-2 win against Denmark while Netherlands were eliminated courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo's double strike.

The Czechs are playing their third quarter-finals and are yet to lose after victories in 1996 over Portugal and in 2004, when they beat Denmark. Meanwhile, Portugal have made it to the quaterfinals five times including two wins and two losses. The last time they won was in 2000 (vs Turkey) and 2004 (vs England).

Two teams packed with talent and rich Euro history will battle it out to make it to the last four. The Czechs, criticised for their loss to Russia, will be confident when they clash against the likes of Ronaldo, Nani and Raul Mereiles.

However, the Czech back-line will be tested when Ronaldo tries to fly down the left wing, while Nani can pose similar threats on the other channel. Czech right-back Theodor Gebre Selassie will be given the task to hault Ronaldo's run while Fabio Coentrao will look to open gaps with his forward movement.

Michal Bilec's men will miss their inspiring captain and play-maker Tomas Rosicky who suffered an achilles injury during the 2-1 victory over Greece. The Czechs, however, will stick to their tactics of playing five midfielders but the lone striker Milan Baros is yet to fire.

Meanwhile, all four goals during the Group stage have been scored by two midfielders Vaclav Pilar and Petr Jiracek. Both scored two early goals to down Greece while Jiracek scored the winner against Poland.

In-form Portuguese star Ronaldo fired two goals to eliminate World Cup runners-up Netherlands from 'The Group of Death'. After losing to Germany in their opening encounter, Bento's men fought back to win 3-2 against the Danes.

Real Madrid defender Pepe opened the scoring while striker Helder Postiga gave Portugal a two-goal advantage. Super-sub Varela's late strike sealed an important victory for Portugal after Nicklas Bentdner's double.

Except for Rosicky, who is doubtful due to injury, both teams are expected to retain the same line-up as Portugal will look to go all-attack with 4-3-3 formation while the Czechs will settle to their 4-5-1 combination. (oneindia.in)

Czech Republic vs Portugal Head to Head

Czech Republic	vs	Portugal
11	Matches Played	11
4	Wins	4
3	Draws	3
4	Losses	4
12	Goals	9

FIFA World Cup Qualifies

Czech Republic	vs	Portugal
6	Matches Played	6
2	Wins	2
2	Draws	2
2	Losses	2
4	Goals	4

Euro Cup

Czech Republic	vs	Portugal
2	Matches Played	2
1	Wins	1
0	Draws	0
1	Losses	1
2	Goals	3

Euro Cup Qualifiers

Czech Republic	vs	Portugal
2	Matches Played	2
1	Wins	0
1	Draws	1
0	Losses	1
6	Goals	1

Friendly

Czech Republic	vs	Portugal
1	Matches Played	1
0	Wins	1
0	Draws	0
1	Losses	0
0	Goals	1

FIFA Ranking
Czech Republic: 4
Portugal: 27

Prediction
Czech Republic 50% vs 50% Portugal

Sweden 2-0 France Goals Highlights

2012-06-20T02:52:00.004+02:00

Sweden 2-0 France Goals Highlights

Sweden vs France Match Statistic

Sweden		France
6	Shots on target	5
5	Shots off target	16
43	Possession (%)	57
2	Corner kicks	8
6	Off sides	1
18	Fouls	14
2	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
2 Z. Ibrahimovic 54' S. Larsson 90'	Goal scorer	0

England 1-0 Ukraine Goals Highlights

2012-06-20T02:50:00.005+02:00

England 1-0 Ukraine 1-0 Goals Highlights

England vs Ukraine Match Statistic

England		Ukraine
3	Shots on target	3
6	Shots off target	12
43	Possession (%)	57
6	Corner kicks	10
0	Off sides	0
12	Fouls	12
2	Yellow cards	3
0	Red cards	0
1 W. Rooney 48'	Goal scorer	0

Croatia 0-1 Spain Goals Highlights

2012-06-19T02:07:00.002+02:00

Euro 2012 Group C Result. Croatia 0-1 Spain Goals Highlights

Croatia vs Spain Match Statistic

Croatia		Spain
3	Shots on target	8
3	Shots off target	5
32	Possession (%)	68
4	Corner kicks	11
0	Off sides	1
21	Fouls	16
6	Yellow cards	0
0	Red cards	0
0	Goal scorer	1 J. Navas 88'

Italy 2-0 Rep Ireland Goals Highlights

2012-06-19T02:04:00.002+02:00

Italy vs Rep Ireland 2-0 Goals Highlights

Italy vs Rep Ireland Match Statistic

Italy		Rep Ireland
6	Shots on target	2
11	Shots off target	5
59	Possession (%)	41
12	Corner kicks	5
3	Off sides	7
15	Fouls	21
3	Yellow cards	3
0	Red cards	1
2 A. Cassano 35' M. Balotelli 90'	Goal scorer	0

Italy vs Rep Ireland Preview Prediction

2012-06-18T13:10:00.002+02:00

Italy vs Republic Ireland preview and predictions

Cesare Prandelli’s men have led both of the first two matches of the Championship so far only to concede in the second half and end up in a draw. There has been a big concern regarding Mario Balotelli in the past few days. The controversial striker sustained an injury in training on Saturday so Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale will most likely partner Milan’s Antonio Cassano in the must-win Encounter against Ireland. Andrea Barzagli is all set to make a comeback from injury for the Azzurri after sitting out in their first two games, and is confident about the potential his side has to progress to the next round. "We have the potential to score three goals as we have great forwards. They can play well and get a feel for the goal.” Barzagli told Uefa.com. Italy must win and hope for either a win, or a draw which does not end in 2 or more goals apiece in the other fixture between Spain and Croatia.

Andrea Pirlo was arguably the best and worst signing of the season in Europe: the former for Juventus and the latter for their arch rivals Milan. It is the Italian midfield Maestro who won the Serie A for the Bianconneri. His heroic display against Spain and a wonderful goal against Croatia leave him on top spot for the man to watch against the Irish.

Ireland, on the other hand, have already been eliminated from the tournament. The green shirts have only pride to play for after losing both of their first two fixtures in the Euro 2012. Even though Robbie Keane is the most likely goal scorer for Ireland, all eyes will be on Fulham Winger Damien Duff who is set to make his 100th appearance for his National team. “I suppose when you get there and get close to it you want to get there, but I have never really been thinking about it to be honest. Nearing it would be a nice goal and a nice feat but points on the board are more important than caps,” he told the press before the tournament begun.

Italy vs Rep Ireland Head to Head

Italy	vs	Rep Ireland
11	Matches Played	11
7	Wins	2
2	Draws	2
2	Losses	7
18	Goals	9

FIFA World Cup

Italy	vs	Rep Ireland
2	Matches Played	2
1	Wins	1
0	Draws	0
1	Losses	1
1	Goals	1

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Italy	vs	Rep Ireland
2	Matches Played	2
0	Wins	0
2	Draws	2
0	Losses	0
3	Goals	3

Euro Cup Qualifiers

Italy	vs	Rep Ireland
2	Matches Played	2
2	Wins	0
0	Draws	0
0	Losses	2
5	Goals	1

Friendly

Italy	vs	Rep Ireland
5	Matches Played	5
4	Wins	1
0	Draws	0
1	Losses	4
9	Goals	4

FIFA Ranking
Italy: 12
Rep Ireland: 18

Prediction
Italy 60% vs 40% Rep Ireland

Croatia vs Spain Match Review Prediction

2012-06-18T13:04:00.003+02:00

Croatia and Spain have both defeated Euro 2012's worst team in Ireland and drawn Italy, a team that was expected to play a conservative style would undoubtedly lead to a draw or two. They both have four points, and we've learned very little about both of them. On Monday, Croatia finally has to deal with an elite attacking side and Spain has to play against a back four that isn't poor, a midfielder that can launch counter attacks and a team that's dangerous on set pieces.

Italy haven't performed poorly in this tournament and certainly have some talent among their ranks, but Spain and Croatia will still provide each other with the toughest test that either team has seen so far. The Spaniards are heavy favorites and it would be stunning if they failed to at least draw, but this game is by no means a gimme for them.

Luka Modric will be Spain's biggest concern, and Vicente del Bosque will almost certainly be aware of exactly what happens when he's not specifically accounted for. Italy, inexplicably, didn't specifically assign a midfielder to pick him up, nor did they make it a priority as a group. Croatia controlled the second half of that game because of Modric, so don't be surprised if Sergio Busquets is narrowly focused on him, as opposed to simply sitting in a zone on the pitch.

On the other end, Croatia's central defenders will need to up their games. Their fullbacks have performed well thus far, but the center of their defense has been let off the hook by poor finishing by both Ireland and Italy. They might not be too concerned by a Spanish team that floods the midfield with a 4-6-0, but Fernando Torres was so good against Ireland that del Bosque is likely to stick with him and abandon the no-striker formation.

Torres has run extremely hot and cold for club and country over the last four months, which is a significant improvement over the previous 14 months, when he was consistently poor. He is among the best center forwards in the world at his best, and even though no one's seen his best for back-to-back games since just before his 2010 knee injury, he appears to have something left in the tank.

Spain will likely be the aggressive versions of themselves in the early going, while Croatia are likely to put nine men behind the ball, then look to find their center forwards quickly when they win the ball back, but it might not stay like that for the entirety of the game. Consider that a draw against Spain is a fantastic result for Croatia and that Spain hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over Italy. Spain have not been averse to passing the ball in circles, doing little to attack the goal when it suits them. If Italy don't lay a royal beatdown on Ireland, a draw could send both Croatia and Spain through to the knockout stage.

Croatia could also push Luka Modric up the pitch in an attempt to pack their midfield, withdrawing one of Mario Mandzukic or Nikica Jelavic, more likely the latter. Against a Spain team that's so dominant in the middle, it makes sense, but so many of Croatia's best attacks have come from the two strikers' exchanges with each other.

No one's going to start the match playing for a handshake draw, but everyone has mobile phones with internet access in this day and age, and both managers will know exactly what's going on in the other game. At some point, there might not be any incentive for either team to commit numbers forward and incur any kind of defensive risk, and that's when apparent "handshake" draws happen. (sbnation.com)

Projected Spain Lineup (4-3-3): Iker Casillas; Jordi Alba, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Alvaro Arbeloa; Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez; Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Silva

Projected Croatia Lineup (4-4-1-1): Stipe Pletikosa; Ivan Strinic, Gordon Schildenfeld, Vedran Corluka, Darijo Srna; Ivan Rakitic, Tomislav Dujmovic, Ognjen Vukojevic, Ivan Perisic; Luka Modric; Mario Mandzukic.

Croatia vs Spain Head to Head

Croatia	vs	Spain
4	Matches Played	4
1	Wins	2
1	Draws	1
2	Losses	1
4	Goals	5

FIFA Ranking
Croatia: 8
Spain: 1

Prediction
Croatia 45% vs 55% Spain

Denmark 1-2 Germany Goals Highlights

2012-06-17T22:32:00.003+02:00

Euro 2012 Group B Result. Denmark 1-2 Germany Goals Highlights

Denmark 1-2 Germany Match Statistic

Denmark		Germany
3	Shots on target	4
4	Shots off target	6
43	Possession (%)	57
5	Corner kicks	3
4	Off sides	2
8	Fouls	6
0	Yellow cards	0
0	Red cards	0
1 M. Krohn-Dehli 24'	Goal scorer	2 L. Podolski 19' L. Bender 80'

Portugal 2-1 Netherlands Goals Highlights

2012-06-17T22:29:00.004+02:00

Euro 2012 Group B Result. Portugal 2-1 Netherlands Goals Highlights

Portugal vs Netherlands Match Statistic

Portugal		Netherlands
7	Shots on target	4
15	Shots off target	7
41	Possession (%)	59
7	Corner kicks	5
4	Off sides	1
16	Fouls	11
1	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
2 C. Ronaldo 28' C. Ronaldo 74	Goal scorer	1 R.v.d. Vaart 11'

Germany's Class of 2010 ready to test Danes

2012-06-17T12:20:00.001+02:00

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has said Germany's rising stars have learnt a few lessons from the 2010 World Cup as they look to down Denmark today to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals.

Worryingly for their Euro rivals, Schweinsteiger says the Germans are eager to play more of the high-tempo attacking football they have built a reputation for in their quest to win a fourth European crown.

As one of the team's senior statesmen having made his debut just before Germany's unsuccessful Euro 2004 campaign, Schweinsteiger is playing his third European championships, but he says the foundations of the current Euro success were laid at the 2010 World Cup.

Germany finished third in South Africa by playing an eye-catching brand of attacking football, which yielded knock-out wins over England and Argentina before losing to Spain in the semi-finals, to eventually finish third.

Schweinsteiger says he feels the Germans have added patience and the ability to control a game's tempo to their attacking prowess and solid defence.

"I think the 2010 World Cup tournament did us the world of good," said the 27-year-old, who has made 92 appearances for his country, scoring 23 goals.

"Many of the new guys earned a wealth of experience and sometimes that it might be a good idea to take a small break with the ball at your feet and let the opponent do the running.

"What we did (against the Dutch) is play well-time passes and avoided doing anything which could be energy sapping.

"We hope in the future we can play more attractive, free-flowing football which Germany is now known for.

"But even the Denmark game will be far from easy, they will be sitting deep and patience will be the name of the game. It is something we have learned."

Germany carried their World Cup form into their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign as they finished with 10 wins from 10 matches.

Two years ago in South Africa several rising stars came of age with midfielders Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, who won the golden boot, and Manuel Neuer cementing their places as the Germans finished third.

(nst.com.my)