Greece opens the defense of its 2004 Euro Championship against Sweden. Unfortunately, Greece will not have the element of surprise in its favor. Teams will not underestimate them. Fortunately, they face Sweden, a team lacking in offensive creativity. For sure, the Swedes are well organized and industrious, but verve fails them. That is not to say they aren't quality, they just aren't Spain, Germany or Holland.
Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic leads the Swedes and is a world-class striker but may suffer without support. I don't know a damn thing about Greece, other than they play a stifling, defensive game. So, this could be a snoozer of a match. I say 1-0 Sweden.
Lineups after the jump.
Greece
Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Kyrgiakos, Antzas, Dellas, Torosidis, Basinas, Katsouranis, Karagounis, Charisteas, Gekas.
Sweden
Isaksson; Alexandersson, Mellberg, Hansson, Nilsson, Wilhelmsson, Svensson, Andersson, Ljungberg, Ibrahimovic, H Larsson.
Charisteas can bring the pain on occasion
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I know about Greece is that "malaka" means "asshole". I learned this by playing against a team in high school that had quite a few players of Greek heritage.
ReplyDeleteIbrahimovic world-class??? hardly. Your boy Andy Gray made the best point- Ibrahimovicis a very good goal-scorer against bad teams....only 2 goals against the top 4 of Serie A this year
ReplyDeleteby the way, can we get more Swiss Soccer babe pics posted stat?
ReplyDeleteWe can definitely do our best, brammie.
ReplyDeleteIbrahimovic is undoubtedly a great goal-scorer. Point taken re: world-class-ness. I think playing for Sweden is an automatic hindrance to being world-class, personally.
So, when does this game start?
ReplyDelete*rimshot*
0-0 at the half. I'd live blog the second half if I didn't think I'd fall asleep trying to watch it.
ReplyDeleteSure, Ibrahimovic isn't Drogba, but he has scored 103 goals in 236 club matches for a .43 goal/game average. that's pretty good.
ReplyDeletealso keep in mind, Ronaldo hasn't scored a great deal against the top competition, either.
Samaras and his hair are on. Let's see what some SPL training can provide.
ReplyDeleteI think Zlatan himself just settled the argument with that half....
ReplyDeleteRuin perfect service with too much weight on header over the bar....check
Pass to teammate in the box and just stand there not making a run.....check
Get kicked in the nuts by some shaggy greek dude......CHECK!
Much as you don't win friends with salad [to pinch a phrase from Homer Simpson], Greece aren't winning any friends with this dismal, uninspired football.
ReplyDeleteNot conceding goals is one thing, but they're not escaping this group with 3 0-0 draws.
It's been 13 games since Zlatan scored internationally. That was against Iceland.
ReplyDeleteGreece will beat Russia, those commies are terrible....they only scored cause Spain has only one defender (Puyol)
ReplyDeletei would suggest that Zlatan's scoring troubles internationally have as much to do with his teammates as it does with him. strikers are often only as good as their service and there isn't a lot going for sweden right now.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather watch Derby vs. Wigan at this point.
ReplyDeleteThis match is still mildly more entertaining that Romania/France
Greece, improbably, starting to look dangerous.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone take that 150-1 bet on them winning three 1-0 games?
Oh, and Zlatan just scored.
What a strike!
ReplyDeleteworld class! world class!
ReplyDeletei don't really know, i didn't see the goal.
now let's hold on to a 1-0 match and make me look prescient.
Zlatan took the ball on the right, passed to Larsson (maybe), RAN INTO POSITION for a return, and struck with the outside right to the far side.
ReplyDeleteKeeper got a finger to it, but could do nothing about it.
Ridiculous goal. Of course, it happened 10 seconds after I left Hirshey's office... had to hurry back for the replay. Remarkable strike.
ReplyDeletewow, that was freaking ridonkulous....yeah I guess my tendency to jinx things has struck again....that was a great shot, keeper even got 1 lil fingertip on it but wow, no chance......the Swedish fans are now chanting the Seven Nation Army chant....not good, this could hurt my Pick 'Em if Greece doesn't make 1-1 happen now....
ReplyDelete2-0
ReplyDeleteconfirmed Larssen on the assist, great 1-2.....wow Swwedes just pushed 1 more thru....Petr Hanssen
ReplyDeletethere's life in the old, boring dog yet.
ReplyDeleteNow let's see Samaras level the game with 2 in the last 10 mins
Looked like an Ice Hockey goal with a scrum at the front of the net.
ReplyDeleteDefender tried to clear it off the line, Knocked it into the Swede into the net.
2 goals... 1 for each heaving Scandinavian breast in that picture
ReplyDeleteHave Sweden used all three subs?
ReplyDeleteNever mind. They have now.
ReplyDeleteSubs for Greece:
ReplyDeleteHT Gekas off, Samaras on
70" Dellas off, Amanatidis on
Subs for Sweden:
71" Ibrahimovic off, Elmander on
74" Alexandersson off, Stoor on
78" Wilhelmsson off, Rosenberg on
so what's the record for clean sheets in a European Championship? we have 8 so far (counting the France-Romania as two). only one losing team has scored and the lone draw was scoreless.
ReplyDeleteGah.
ReplyDeleteMy Euro Pick'em looks horrible. 4/8 for the first go round.
Sadly, you've got one more point that I do right now.
ReplyDeleteI thought folks might like this little coda on ESPN's gamecast:
ReplyDelete"That is that, and thank goodness Sweden ensured football was the winner tonight. Having a tactical game plan is one thing, sitting in your own half time wasting after only half an hour is criminal. Greece should be ashamed of themselves. There's no place for such explicit negativity in this celebration of football. Well done Sweden, good riddance Greece. See you next time..."
you should probably take the big lead off your blogroll for this
ReplyDelete"ESPN studio team grades: Andy Gray - A, Julie Foudy - A, Rece Davis - A. This is as formidable a studio team as the network has, right up with the Gameday Crew for College Basketball and Football."
wow
is there any way to find out who does those gamecasts?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure. I always thought they were kind of like the people who do the closed captioning on the TV. Except with a sense of humor. And they're British.
ReplyDelete