I haven't written in a while, what with my beloved Devils making me both proud and depressed at once, and the Heat back again in the Finals, and of course with work starting forcing me to get up at a normal hour for humans. But lost in the last two weeks of my darkness is the fact that the UEFA EURO 2012 has begun. I really started to love futbol (which I think I'll always refer to it as from now on) with the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as I was able to watch the last vestiges of a Golden Age of traditional futbol, with France, Italy, Brazil, Germany and Argentina all with great sides full with great, great players (compare that to 2010, where really only Spain and Holland had great sides). That said, the tournament that really got me hooked was UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. It was a great tournament, with the best international futbol team I have ever seen winning it (Spain v. 2008). UEFA EURO 2008 not only cemented my love of futbol, but really opened my eyes that what I was then watching every night was the best international futbol tournament in the world and damn good fun (it helped that because of bizarre circumstances, I was able to be home alone from Sunday Night through Thursday for eight weeks). Anyway, here now is my written introduction to this tournament (the first of many posts on this particular futbol festival) with my four biggest reasons why the EUROs are better than the more ballyhooed World Cup.
4.) Making a Cinderella run is a hell of a lot easier
I should say that relative to the World Cup, the EURO has no real "cinderella" (we'll get more into this later). But the non-favorites have an easier task. First of all, without any true cupcakes, advancing is never a sure thing for even the best teams, so the chances of advancing if you aren't one of the true best two teams in any group are easier. Then, with the knockout round starting at the Quarterfinals, a team need only win two games to get to the Final. That's why Greece in 2004, or Denmark in 1992 are possible. It will be a miracle if one of these nine teams don't win a future World Cup (Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Holland, Argentina, England, Portugal).Other in than Uruguay's two wins back in the pre-WWII days, they've won all of them (and been in every final except two). It is completely different in the EURO. Forget the final. If a team makes a "cinderella" run to the semifinals is not all that surprising in the World Cup, but still is a true story (Uruguay in 2010, Turkey and Korea in 2002). It is strange if there isn't a "Cinderella" in the semis. In 2008, we had Russia (who knocked off group-stage heroes Holland 3-1 a.e.t) and Turkey, who won a string of ridiculous comebacks full with late-stage heroics until losing a uber-entertaining semifinal to Germany 3-2. This time it could be Denmark, or Ukraine, or even Italy (who is kind of a "Cinderella" in 2012 at least). Mark it down, there will be surprises, and that is normal.
3.) The Fans are more engaged.
Now, this might be just because I hated those fucking Vuvuzelas in 2010, but the fans are just more loud and gregarious, and in all honesty, fun in the EUROs. All these European countries have great fans and because the tournament is obviously always in Europe, the fans don't have all that long of a way to go. Of course, loads of World Cups are in Europe and those always are extremely well-attended and just seem like a grand old time (What I would have given to just travel around Germany in 2006), but these are always in Europe. Also, because it is, again obviously, just European teams, there are no countries that 1) don't really have all that many actual fans and 2) have to travel far. The fans in Ukraine and Poland have been great, in every country. It is just a special atmosphere during these huge tournament futbol matches, and when it is in Europe, in futbol only stadiums (hate to knock South Africa here, but those futbol stadiums were built WAY too wide open-air and not close or intimate enough - other than Camp Nou, most futbol stadiums for big European clubs are pretty intimate even if they sit 70,000).
2.) You'll always have some bad-blood rivalries.
You can have some great rivalry games in World Cups as well, but a lot of times you can get through most of the tournament without really seeing one. If you look back at 2010, there was no real rivalry match throughout the knockout stages. The closest we got was Germany-England and Argentina-Germany, but both weren't good games. There are just way too many rivalries littered across Europe to not get some (Germany-Italy, Italy-France, Germany-Holland, France-England, Germany-England to name a few). We even get them in the group stages, in games that have the added layer where one team can pull the ultimate "eff-you" and knock a team out of the tournament before the group stage ends. The rivalries in Europe are always so great because there are real political bad-blood all over. Any time Russia has to play a former Soviet Nation, or anytime Germany plays, well, anyone, there are political ties in the match as well. The games just have an added importance in the EURO cup.
1.) No Leo Messi
I kid, I kid. I don't miss him, but playing a major tournament without him, but with all his midget buddies from Barca, just seems odd.
1.) There are no bad teams.
All of the previous three points are largely built off this fact. There are no Tunisia's in this tournament. There are no Honduras', or Australia's, or South Africa's. There are no four African teams that will all get some level of hype even though only one will actually do anything. And, as humorously three different people have told me, there is no Saudi Arabia (not sure why they are so many people's go-to team of World Cup ridiculousness). Every group has four good teams. Sure, usually there is a level between some sides and others (Spain, Germany, others) but generally the groups all have four good teams. Any result is really possible. That's why it is no surprise when Italy draws Spain (of course, it is surprising that the fact that those teams drew is a surprise at all, given Italy's pedigree and performance in international tournaments). That's why only three countries have ever won this tournament more than once (Germany with three, and France and Spain each with two). There are good countries every time around that don't even qualify for the EUROs (England in 2008 for one). That's why UEFA was pressured into expanding the tournament in 24 teams, which they will do for the 2016 event. Even then, there won't be too many true lightweights. European teams dominate the World Cup now. The World Cup is really just Europe and Brazil & Argentina anyway. A hidden reason why I truly loved the 2006 World Cup, and found the quality of play just scintillating (at least compare to 2010) was the European teams DOMINATED. 6 of the 8 Quarterfinalists were European teams (the other two were, of course, Brazil and Argentina). Even more stunning was that 10 Europeans made it out of the group stage and all 9 that didn't win the World Cup (Italy did, lest you forget) lost to other European teams. So this is basically that, but with more great teams, and a more tightly packed schedule. Enjoy it. It will be another four years before it happens again (of course, there's that thing in Brazil in 2014 too, I guess), and starting July 2nd, I'll be counting down the days.
Before we leave, here's my half-cheating picks when the group stage is already halfway done:
Group A) Advancing: Russia, Poland
Group B) Advancing: Germany, Portugal
Group C) Advancing: Spain, Italy
Group D) Advancing: France, Ukraine
QF
Russia over Portugal 2-1
Spain over Ukraine 2-0
Germany over Poland 3-1
Italy over France 1-1 (pk)
SF
Russia over Spain 1-1 (pk)
Germany over Italy 2-0
F
Germany over Russia 2-1
4.) Making a Cinderella run is a hell of a lot easier
I should say that relative to the World Cup, the EURO has no real "cinderella" (we'll get more into this later). But the non-favorites have an easier task. First of all, without any true cupcakes, advancing is never a sure thing for even the best teams, so the chances of advancing if you aren't one of the true best two teams in any group are easier. Then, with the knockout round starting at the Quarterfinals, a team need only win two games to get to the Final. That's why Greece in 2004, or Denmark in 1992 are possible. It will be a miracle if one of these nine teams don't win a future World Cup (Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Holland, Argentina, England, Portugal).Other in than Uruguay's two wins back in the pre-WWII days, they've won all of them (and been in every final except two). It is completely different in the EURO. Forget the final. If a team makes a "cinderella" run to the semifinals is not all that surprising in the World Cup, but still is a true story (Uruguay in 2010, Turkey and Korea in 2002). It is strange if there isn't a "Cinderella" in the semis. In 2008, we had Russia (who knocked off group-stage heroes Holland 3-1 a.e.t) and Turkey, who won a string of ridiculous comebacks full with late-stage heroics until losing a uber-entertaining semifinal to Germany 3-2. This time it could be Denmark, or Ukraine, or even Italy (who is kind of a "Cinderella" in 2012 at least). Mark it down, there will be surprises, and that is normal.
3.) The Fans are more engaged.
Now, this might be just because I hated those fucking Vuvuzelas in 2010, but the fans are just more loud and gregarious, and in all honesty, fun in the EUROs. All these European countries have great fans and because the tournament is obviously always in Europe, the fans don't have all that long of a way to go. Of course, loads of World Cups are in Europe and those always are extremely well-attended and just seem like a grand old time (What I would have given to just travel around Germany in 2006), but these are always in Europe. Also, because it is, again obviously, just European teams, there are no countries that 1) don't really have all that many actual fans and 2) have to travel far. The fans in Ukraine and Poland have been great, in every country. It is just a special atmosphere during these huge tournament futbol matches, and when it is in Europe, in futbol only stadiums (hate to knock South Africa here, but those futbol stadiums were built WAY too wide open-air and not close or intimate enough - other than Camp Nou, most futbol stadiums for big European clubs are pretty intimate even if they sit 70,000).
2.) You'll always have some bad-blood rivalries.
You can have some great rivalry games in World Cups as well, but a lot of times you can get through most of the tournament without really seeing one. If you look back at 2010, there was no real rivalry match throughout the knockout stages. The closest we got was Germany-England and Argentina-Germany, but both weren't good games. There are just way too many rivalries littered across Europe to not get some (Germany-Italy, Italy-France, Germany-Holland, France-England, Germany-England to name a few). We even get them in the group stages, in games that have the added layer where one team can pull the ultimate "eff-you" and knock a team out of the tournament before the group stage ends. The rivalries in Europe are always so great because there are real political bad-blood all over. Any time Russia has to play a former Soviet Nation, or anytime Germany plays, well, anyone, there are political ties in the match as well. The games just have an added importance in the EURO cup.
1.) No Leo Messi
I kid, I kid. I don't miss him, but playing a major tournament without him, but with all his midget buddies from Barca, just seems odd.
1.) There are no bad teams.
All of the previous three points are largely built off this fact. There are no Tunisia's in this tournament. There are no Honduras', or Australia's, or South Africa's. There are no four African teams that will all get some level of hype even though only one will actually do anything. And, as humorously three different people have told me, there is no Saudi Arabia (not sure why they are so many people's go-to team of World Cup ridiculousness). Every group has four good teams. Sure, usually there is a level between some sides and others (Spain, Germany, others) but generally the groups all have four good teams. Any result is really possible. That's why it is no surprise when Italy draws Spain (of course, it is surprising that the fact that those teams drew is a surprise at all, given Italy's pedigree and performance in international tournaments). That's why only three countries have ever won this tournament more than once (Germany with three, and France and Spain each with two). There are good countries every time around that don't even qualify for the EUROs (England in 2008 for one). That's why UEFA was pressured into expanding the tournament in 24 teams, which they will do for the 2016 event. Even then, there won't be too many true lightweights. European teams dominate the World Cup now. The World Cup is really just Europe and Brazil & Argentina anyway. A hidden reason why I truly loved the 2006 World Cup, and found the quality of play just scintillating (at least compare to 2010) was the European teams DOMINATED. 6 of the 8 Quarterfinalists were European teams (the other two were, of course, Brazil and Argentina). Even more stunning was that 10 Europeans made it out of the group stage and all 9 that didn't win the World Cup (Italy did, lest you forget) lost to other European teams. So this is basically that, but with more great teams, and a more tightly packed schedule. Enjoy it. It will be another four years before it happens again (of course, there's that thing in Brazil in 2014 too, I guess), and starting July 2nd, I'll be counting down the days.
Before we leave, here's my half-cheating picks when the group stage is already halfway done:
Group A) Advancing: Russia, Poland
Group B) Advancing: Germany, Portugal
Group C) Advancing: Spain, Italy
Group D) Advancing: France, Ukraine
QF
Russia over Portugal 2-1
Spain over Ukraine 2-0
Germany over Poland 3-1
Italy over France 1-1 (pk)
SF
Russia over Spain 1-1 (pk)
Germany over Italy 2-0
F
Germany over Russia 2-1
