Heartland

Opening match
Portugal will open the 12th UEFA European Championship on 12 June with a Group A match against Greece in FC Porto's Estádio do Dragão. (the most beautiful stadium in Portugal and in the world )
Twenty-two days and 30 matches later, SL Benfica's Estádio da Luz will host the final on 4 July.

Group A

Portugal
Greece
Spain
Russia

Group B

France
England
Switzerland
Croatia

Group C

Sweden     
Bulgaria
Denmark
Italy

Group D

Czech Republic
Latvia
Germany
Netherlands

PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PORTUGAL

Sadly, once again the groups for a major football tournament have been fixed to ensure that the host team qualifies for the secong round.
It's shameful that this is allowed to continue.
the 'playoffs' for a place in the final were also blatantly rigged (the five most 'important' teams - Holland, Spain, Russia, Croatia and Turkey all managed to avoid each other - the odds of this happenenig were several thousand to one)

I shouldn't complain though, as England have an OK group.

I don't think Latvia will win it somehow! group D is the 'group of death'.

I think England will end up the winners. sorry Moonchild, but Portugal don't stand a chance.

Sorry but i don't agree with you. we never know what can happen. I never thought that Scotland could lose for so many with Holland.
And you think that Portugal is in an easy group, for you to say that football tournament have been fixed to ensure that the host team qualifies for the secong round???
Greece is a great team and also Russia. Not to mention Spain. So Portugal gonna have to start to play really well if they want to pass to the second round.

And you think England will win? Not a chance.... Portugal can not win but England don't win also.

My bet goes to Germany or Netherlands.

moonchild wrote: And you think that Portugal is in an easy group, for you to say that football tournament have been fixed to ensure that the host team qualifies for the secong round???
Greece is a great team and also Russia. Not to mention Spain. So Portugal gonna have to start to play really well if they want to pass to the second round.

Are you serious? Greece and Russia are AWFUL and Spain are at best mediocre (Spain somehow came second in a ridiculously easy qualifying group, and they always do badly at tournaments anyway.)
Just like EVERY previous world cup and European championship, the groups WERE blatantly fixed. sorry Moonchild, but it's true.
none of the good sides (France, Holland, Germany, England, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia), who all have world-class players, and have a chance of winning the tournament, are in Portugal's group.

Black Shuck wrote: Are you serious? Greece and Russia are AWFUL and Spain are at best mediocre (Spain somehow came second in a ridiculously easy qualifying group, and they always do badly at tournaments anyway.)
Just like EVERY previous world cup and European championship, the groups WERE blatantly fixed. sorry Moonchild, but it's true.
none of the good sides (France, Holland, Germany, England, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia), who all have world-class players, and have a chance of winning the tournament, are in Portugal's group.

I continue to say that Greece and Russia are not so AWFUL like you say. And it never knows what can happen. I hope Portugal win the group of course, but we can't never say that this team or that team sucks. Cause then we can be surprise with some results.

moonchild wrote:I never thought that Scotland could lose for so many with Holland.

Have you never seen Scotland play before or something?

Anyway what the hell am I doing replying to a football thread?

Sorry, football sends me to ZZzzzzz.......

DerekR wrote:
Sorry, football sends me to ZZzzzzz.......

A man who is tired of football is tired of life.

Black Shuck wrote:

DerekR wrote:
Sorry, football sends me to ZZzzzzz.......

A man who is tired of football is tired of life.

A man who dredges up old football cliches has none of his own

Repeat after me, it's only a game, a rubbish one at that.

So it's jolly bad luck on the French - aha ha ha ha ha!

Thank Mr. E for the Glasgow Celtic then.

For the record, i dont think it was fixed.... and ide rather us play France in the first game than later. Not a bad group for us ide say!

I wouldnt say Portugals Group is a walkover either, though i think they will top it.

As for England... of course they could win it, though sadly he wont come out of retirement

Paddy.
Toooooooonnn Army

Black Shuck wrote:Sadly, once again the groups for a major football tournament have been fixed to ensure that the host team qualifies for the secong round.
It's shameful that this is allowed to continue.

You worry too much. Portugal could be in a group with San Marino, Hawai and Quirguizia and they still wouldn't qualify for the second round

I think England will end up the winners. sorry Moonchild, but Portugal don't stand a chance.

I agree with the latter but not with the former. Portugal won't even go through the first round, but England sure as hell won't win. France will. Again. Sorry, but England sucks almost as much as Portugal nowadays.

I don't think it was fixed either, as such (I think the original seedings, on the other hand, were very very dubious*). There was a comic moment when the host gave an example of how he could draw out greece for group A, and then give it position two - and then, the first team he drew was for greece, group A, position two! Generally, I think it's a fine draw. I don't think anyone would particularly like to swap with anyone else's group. And there are some very interesting clashes - EnglandFrance, PortugalSpain, HollandGermany. I'd add Italy to the list of possible winners.


*the seedings were supposed to be based on qualification performance, and the last major competition. this doesn't seem to have been followed strictly in practice. someone want to explain how croatia were seeded above bulgaria?

MrChris wrote: HollandGermany

This will be a great game... I just hope that the supporters don't ruin the beautiful city of Porto.

For security reasons, they decide to change the game from the Bessa Stadium to the Dragão Stadium (the best stadium in the world )
And for the first time in my life i'm going to support Germany....

Hey, why? I'd always support Holland over Germany! Maybe just because I used to live there...I know the Dutch CAN be infuriatingly complacent and arrogant sometimes, but really I think they're generally great people. Anyone who built all those canals and bridges must have something right going on.

In fact, they're effectively the only people in the world that BUILT their own country - that's surely something to be proud of...

MrChris wrote:Hey, why? I'd always support Holland over Germany! Maybe just because I used to live there...I know the Dutch CAN be infuriatingly complacent and arrogant sometimes, but really I think they're generally great people. Anyone who built all those canals and bridges must have something right going on.

In fact, they're effectively the only people in the world that BUILT their own country - that's surely something to be proud of...

And they deserve our everlasting respect as they are the country that invented pancakes.
And cannabis.

MrChris wrote:Hey, why?

Cause soon i'll become a german lady, after i get marry with Moonknight. So i must start to support them.

But i must say that i agree with all you said.