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10 Very Good Reasons to Watch Euro 2008

May 27th, 2008 | By: Daryl | 20 Comments »

The Euros are upon us, so here are a few good reasons to tune in and check out one of the most competitive tournaments in world football. For true football fanatics and first-timers, check out our match reviews, liveblogs, and feature stories at euro2008.worldcupblog.org to keep up with every kick of Euro 2008.

1. No England. And I say that as an England fan. From a neutral point of view (and from an England fan point of view) they brought all the worst possible things to World Cup 2006. Arrogant players, a timid manager, football that tasted like vinegar and an entourage of WAGS. So for excitement’s sake, we’re all better off without them at Euro 2008. Fun fact: not a single nation at Euro 2008 speaks English as a first language.

2. Turn on the AC. It’s looking like Roberto Donadoni will bring Antonio Cassano to Swissaustria, and play him. The Italian will either do brilliant things with the ball, which will brilliant to watch. Or he’ll have a gigantic mental tantrum and explode. Which will also be brilliant to watch.

3. Austria are the host with the most: Most expectation of failure. It will either be a glorious overperformance (like South Korea at World Cup 2002) or an absolute train wreck.

4. No whipping boys and any team can win it. It’s only 16 teams, and there’ll good (except maybe Austria.) There’ll be no repeat of World Cup 2002’s Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia mismatch at the Euros.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo might be the best player in the world in the best form of his life right now. We’ll see him at the peak of his powers in an international tournament for the first time. And we might get to see him take another penalty.

6. It’s a a perfectly scheduled orgy of football: Two games a day from June 7th to June 18th, then straight into the quarterfinals with one game a day from June 19th to June 22nd. That’s sixteen consecutive days of football. Two days off, then a semifinal on the 25th and 26th, then two days off before the final on the 29th. Check our Euro 2008 Wall Chart if you don’t believe me.

7. No third place playoff. Those things are useless, and you know it. The Euros abandoned them in 1984

8. It’s the first time the Euros are being (properly) broadcast in the US . So, assuming American viewers take our advice and tune in, Euro 2008 should be the most widely viewed Euros in history.

9. Grudge matches galore! You’ve got Switzerland vs Turkey, which ended in a massive player and staff brawl when those two team met in 2005 for a World Cup 2006 playoff game (Switzerland win on away goals.) You’ve got Austria vs Germany, with the hosts wanting to get one over on their big overbearing brother. And Germany vs Poland, which is more of the same (plus Germany has all Poland’s good players.) And last but by no means least you’ve got France vs Italy in a replay of the 2006 World Cup final. No Zinedine Zidane this time though.

10. The Group of Death. If Group C isn’t a tasty three way of major footballing powers then I don’t know what is. Italy and France is one thing, what with the history and all. But throw Netherlands in and you’ve got a titanic trio. Romania are a damn good team too, so it’s a group of death with no designated whipping boy.

Any more to add?

Tags: Antonio Cassano, Austria, Cristiano Ronaldo, England, Euro 2008 News, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey

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Comments

By Justo | May 27th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

ESPN had EURO 1996. Yes, it wasn’t all the games, but they showed quarterfinals, semi and the final live. Then SETANTA came into play for 2000 and 2004, but the games were on PPV. Few games were shown on UNIVISION (weekends) and FOX SPORTS (on delay).

By mele419 | May 27th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

I am so freaking pumped for this month of straight football. I’m rooting for two teams
Italy and whoever plays France. France is really the only team I dislike (in this case hate) that are playing. I’m sure group C will be amazing, but I’m also sure there will be plenty of good matches to watch.

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

Funny, Mele, i’m rooting for France and whoever plays Italy.

Posted from United States

By moka | May 27th, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Del Piero is another good reason to watch..

Posted from Canada

By Chris | May 27th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

Watching a half dozen shots per game of a guy on the bench is a reason to watch the Euros? Huh.

By moka | May 27th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

No watching a guy come off the bench and transform a game is what I meant..

By Acoustic | May 28th, 2008 at 8:22 pm

# 5 says it all, I can’t wait to watch Cristiano dance through every defender in his path.

Posted from United States

By ChrisAutriche | May 29th, 2008 at 3:28 am

I totally agree with #3 - we’ll either be surprisingly good or get our behinds handed to us. If it’s the latter, #4 will probably not be true - the chances of the Austrian team falling apart aren’t that slim.

Posted from Austria

By callum | May 29th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

obviously no other countries speak english becasue they are not english

By Laser | May 31st, 2008 at 3:53 am

LOL Ronaldo is now leaving Man U.

How can you say it will be good without England?

The WAGs were exaggorated badly by media, read Gerrard’s autobiography.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Daryl | May 31st, 2008 at 4:55 am

“read Gerrard’s autobiography”

That right there is everything that was wrong with the England team in 2006.

Gerrard and others releasing their autobiography a couple of months after a dismal World Cup campaign.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Danny | June 1st, 2008 at 6:50 pm

Any tournament without a team that thinks it has a God-given right to win it is better off. England haven’t done anything since ‘66, and that was through some dodgy refereeing. Scotland are a far more entertaining British team these days - it’s about time England had a wake-up call.

Go Spain! :o)

By Madden | June 2nd, 2008 at 5:00 pm

“Romania are a damn good team too..” Sorry, did i read that right?

Posted from United Kingdom

By Daryl | June 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 pm

You did indeed Madden.

Just because they’re not one of the glamour names, doesn’t mean they can’t be a damn good team.

Take a look at Euro 2008 Qualifying Group G if you don’t believe me.

Posted from United Kingdom

By hardboiled | June 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm

if i remember correctly germany/portugal could’ve been in that group of death instead of romania. shame really, that woulda been the group of deaths to end all group of deaths, this will have to do

By Iura | June 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 am

C’mon ROMANIA !!!

Posted from Romania

By Bracey | June 4th, 2008 at 9:47 am

I cannot wait for it to kick off! I’m rooting for Spain big style!!! YNWA. Fook the English national side,

By murat | June 4th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

suprises; chech republic, romania and turkey(my team:) are a good reason, i think; they will be surprise teams. for example turkey; noone give chance us against portugal, but it’s the fact we turks always focus better on serious teams, we show that in 2002 world cup against brazil. actually winning against portugal wont be surprise for me.

By james | June 6th, 2008 at 7:32 pm

TURKEY WILL KICK SOME ASS!! GOOD LUCK!!

Posted from United States

By Matti | June 11th, 2008 at 10:25 pm

I would just like to say that England’s poor performance recently has been because if managers not players. I love my boys. That being said I do think it will be, in the long run, a good thing that England aren’t in the competition. Hopefully this’ll wake them up

I hope the Netherlands win, they have played truly amazing football and deserve the glory.

To Laser: RONALDO IS NOT LEAVING MAN U. Man U have absolutely NO incentive to sell him and they will not, he’ll be with us for years yet.

Posted from United States

Comments are closed