 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
100% agreed |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Makes a change. They are normally underestimated. Been on the bandwagon for some time now. More like a year, but could be 12. 
The thing that pleases me so much, is that they have NOT hit top gear yet.
What will thier opponents think of the 10th best team in the world? Tricky situation for them to think about.
Maybe they could just see the huge potential, under the guise of what looks like a competent manager. If they are English and Russian, obviously the matches against them nations will have contributed.
Greece were dark horses and hardly anyone would have put them down to win it last time. Croatia is different. Not always an indication, but look at where the money is going on Betfair. They are 6th favourites, above Czech Republic and Netherlands. Only Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France are above them. Hey, maybe it might be on a whim and feelgood factor at knocking England out, but they are not dark horses. New power sounds about right, but I still stick with front runners. You want a little bit of perspective?
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Famous matches
Croatia 2–1 U.S.A. Maksimir Stadium (30,000 spectators) - Zagreb, 17 October 1990 - friendly match Spain 0–2 Croatia Estadio Mestalla (40,000) - Valencia, 23 March 1994 - friendly match Italy 1–2 Croatia Stadio Renzo Barbera (39,000) - Palermo, 16 November 1994 - Euro '96 qualifying match Croatia 1–0 Turkey City Ground (20,000) - Nottingham, 11 June 1996 - Euro '96 first round match Croatia 3–0 Denmark Hillsborough Stadium (30,000) - Sheffield, 16 June 1996 - Euro '96 first round match Germany 2–1 Croatia Old Trafford (36,000) - Manchester, 23 June 1996 - Euro '96 quarterfinal match Greece 0–1 Croatia Kaftanzoglio Stadium (35,000) - Thessaloniki, 30 April 1997 - World Cup '98 qualifying match Ukraine 1–1 Croatia Olimpiysky stadion (77,500) - Kiev, 15 November 1997 - World Cup '98 play-off match Croatia 3–1 Jamaica Stade Félix Bollaert (40,000) - Lens, 14 June 1998 - World Cup '98 first round match Croatia 1–0 Japan Stade de la Beaujoire (39,500) - Nantes, 20 June 1998 - World Cup '98 first round match Croatia 3–0 Germany Stade Gerland (50,000) - Lyon, 4 July 1998 - World Cup '98 quarterfinal match France 2-1 Croatia Stade de France (80,000) - Paris, 8 July 1998 - World Cup '98 semifinal match Croatia 2–1 Netherlands Parc des Princes (50,000) - Paris, 11 July 1998 - World Cup '98 third place match Yugoslavia 0-0 Croatia Stadion Crvena Zvezda (47,000) - Belgrade, 18 August 1999 - Euro 2000 qualifying match Croatia 1–0 Belgium Maksimir Stadium (35,000) - Zagreb, 6 October 2001 - World Cup '02 qualifying match Croatia 2–1 Italy Kashima Stadium (36,500) - Ibaraki, 8 June 2002 - World Cup '02 first round match Croatia 4–0 Belgium Maksimir Stadium (19,000) - Zagreb, 12 October 2002 - Euro '04 qualifying match Slovenia 0-1 Croatia Stadion Bežigrad (10,000) - Ljubljana, 19 November 2003 - Euro '04 play-off match France 2-2 Croatia Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa (29,000) - Leiria, 17 June 2004 - Euro '04 first round match Croatia 1–1 Brazil Poljud Stadium (30,000) - Split, 17 August 2005 - friendly match Croatia 3–2 Argentina St._Jakob-Park (15,000) - Basel, 1 March 2006 - friendly match Croatia 2–2 Australia Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion (52,000) - Stuttgart, 22 June 2006 - World Cup '06 first round match Croatia 2–0 England Maksimir Stadium (38,000) - Zagreb, 11 October 2006 - Euro '08 qualifying match England 2–3 Croatia Wembley Stadium (88,000) - London, 21 November 2007 - Euro '08 qualifying match |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
[quote="marios"]
Novgodorets, we've talked about this before. You can't call a team that has come out of nowhere, like Croatia, anything other than a "dark horse". Calling them "frontrunners" is not realistic, even if they do end up winning it in the end. Get some perspective, people.[/quote] I do agree that I may be a bit overimpressed by their performance that Wednesday; but, anyway, the bronze medalist of WC 1998, the team of Suker and Boban can be hardly compared with Greece. "Frontrunners"? - are there any at all? |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
Yes, I think there are. IMO, you can virtually exclude many teams from the start. In one of my previous posts I listed about 9 of them. That doesn't mean they can't win - anyone can win. You must, however, admit that some teams are more tecnically and tactically advanced than others, and that seldom do the "underdogs" go all the way. Look at the World Cup, for example. Okay, so Brazil and Argentina were knocked out, but there were no real "surprises" in the last four. Some people even complained that the WC was "boring" because of this (you know, the "usual" teams go all the way"). I would also bet more on teams that have a manager who has at least played a WC or EC at top level, or who have managed to be at top level in previous tournaments. I would expect more from the likes of Van Basten and Donadoni and Scolari than from Lagerbäck or Kuhn. The same goes for some other teams, like Turkey or Russia - they have excellent managers who have always raised the standard of football of their respective teams, but stats say that they've never made it all the way. Yes, Hiddink beat Italy with S Korea in 2002 (B. Moreno) and did marvels with Australia last year, but did he win anything? No. Terim the same... Croatia, the same... Poland.... etc etc... I'm not saying that any of the 16 teams has no chance of winning, but I can confirm that there are methods of judging whether a team in an underdog (or dark horse, or whatever) or not. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Greece were indeed "dark horses" at the end of the tournament, but i doubt anyone would even call them that at the beginning of the tournament. I'm calling Croatia "dark horses" even before the tournament starts, meaning i do think they can defy odds and achieve some success. On the other hand, some of you guys seem to think it's between Italy, Germany and... Croatia.
Is Euro 2008 going to be held in Croatia? No, so their home record means nothing. As for the last 2 WCs, their only success in 2002 was beating Italy 2-1. They lost to Mexico and Ecuador and failed to progress. As for 2006, they all expected them to do well, especially after the game against Brazil, but they went on to draw with Japan and Croatia, ending with 2 points in their group. Let me repeat my view on this: Croatia are a good solid team and COULD potentially win it, but i can't call them "frontrunners" when all the traditional European superpowers are in it.
I don't see why you're making this a Greece vs Croatia thing. I was just expressing my opinion that it's unreasonable to call Croatia "frontrunners" at this point. I think the same about Greece, obviously. Greece are "dark horses" again, at best, and maybe Croatia are indeed better than us, but i find it funny that you insist on giving them all this praise when they have done absolutely nothing yet but beat several teams they were supposed to beat anyway. In their Euro08 group they're supposed to beat Poland and the hosts Austria and are generally considered 2nd favorites in their group. If they fail to qualify it will be a surprise and a disappointment for many. I guess we'll talk again at the end of (or mid) June 2008. |
||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
[quote="bigbroantonio"][quote="Novgorodets"]"Frontrunners"? - are there any at all?[/quote]
I'm not saying that any of the 16 teams has no chance of winning, but I can [b]confirm [/b]that there [i]are [/i]methods of judging whether a team in an underdog (or dark horse, or whatever) or not.[/quote] Austria hasn't - even in view of the Greece's experience of 2004. |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
[quote="marios"]
I guess we'll talk again at the end of (or mid) June 2008.[/quote] At the end I believe; I don't expect them to get out too early. The discussion in the neighbouring thread (EC groups) is, in fact, on the same issue. |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
Can't you sort out those quotes?
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
You're may be wrong there... they're organising the tournament - Remember S. Korea in 2002 ? They managed to trick their way to the semi finals (B. Moreno... &co). However, yes, I agree. As I've already said there's a good list of teams that "shouldn't" make it. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Who can forget that f***ing Mr.Moreno - but the gap between the peloton and Austria seems to be fairly wider than it was in the case of S.Korea.
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
Well, of course I want Portugal to win but I know that ain't going to be easy...I dunno why so many peeps are voting for Croatia! OK, they did a very good qualifying round but nothing else. Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Portugal...I think one of these are going to win!
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
i hope holland will win.. but with marco van basten we dont even gonna win the first match im afraid
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
I think Holland is one of the favourites along with Germany, Italy and France. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Portugal v Italy in final
CR best scorer! Forca PORTUGAL! |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
i dont get it why everybody is voting for croatia... they are defenetly not gonna win.
i think they just had a lucky day against england. -x- |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
That is fighting talk where I come from. The Ed incident will likely bring them together...will go far....win it or not. |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|
I think the Germans will win it. For me, they're the best unit at the moment playing the best football and showing the most product.
I will support the Croats in honour of Eduardo though. He should have been there, and it's devastating that he's not. Of course I always keep a close eye on all the Arsenal Internationals, but Croatia are high up there in the favouritism ranks after kicking out them English. |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
i would like portugal to win it but a think italy are going 2 be to strong for every1
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
 | Who will win the final phase of Euro2008 (last 16 teams)? |
|
||
|
|
advertisement
© football.co.uk 2004 - 2008
