Germany, Dutch drawn in tough Euro 2012 group
Source: Agencies |
December 4, 2011, Sunday
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TRADITIONAL rivals Germany and Netherlands will lock horns in a tough group at the 2012 European championship while co-hosts Poland will be hoping that history does not repeat itself when Greece provides the opposition on the opening day next June.
The draw in Kiev also pitted holders and world champion Spain against Italy with France facing England and co-hosts Ukraine.
The event starts with a reminder of when outsiders Greece gatecrashed the opening day party of 2004 hosts Portugal with a 2-1 win on its way to a stunning tournament triumph.
"I hope that does not happen again, we would not want to experience what Portugal experienced on the first day of Euro 2004," Poland coach Franciszek Smuda told reporters looking ahead to the June 8 game in Warsaw. "This is a good draw for us, it's not a group of death. It's not an easy group either and it will require a lot of effort to advance."
As well as facing Greece in Group A, Poland will also meet eastern European rivals Russia in Warsaw and the Czech Republic in Wroclaw.
Ukraine has been bracketed with Sweden, England and France in Group D with the co-hosts playing their first game against the Swedes in their capital Kiev on June 11. England will meet France on the same day in Donetsk.
Group B brought together four strong opponents in the toughest-looking pool with Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Portugal all renewing old rivalries.
The rivalry between the Germans and the Dutch has evolved into one of the most intense in international soccer dating from the 1974 World Cup final when the then West Germany beat hot favorites Netherlands 2-1 in the final in Munich.
Netherlands, the 2010 World Cup runner-up, will meet Germany in its second group game in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on June 13 and should be one of the highlights of the first round. Spain is the heavy favorites and will face Italy, Ireland and Croatia in a Group C.
The draw in Kiev also pitted holders and world champion Spain against Italy with France facing England and co-hosts Ukraine.
The event starts with a reminder of when outsiders Greece gatecrashed the opening day party of 2004 hosts Portugal with a 2-1 win on its way to a stunning tournament triumph.
"I hope that does not happen again, we would not want to experience what Portugal experienced on the first day of Euro 2004," Poland coach Franciszek Smuda told reporters looking ahead to the June 8 game in Warsaw. "This is a good draw for us, it's not a group of death. It's not an easy group either and it will require a lot of effort to advance."
As well as facing Greece in Group A, Poland will also meet eastern European rivals Russia in Warsaw and the Czech Republic in Wroclaw.
Ukraine has been bracketed with Sweden, England and France in Group D with the co-hosts playing their first game against the Swedes in their capital Kiev on June 11. England will meet France on the same day in Donetsk.
Group B brought together four strong opponents in the toughest-looking pool with Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Portugal all renewing old rivalries.
The rivalry between the Germans and the Dutch has evolved into one of the most intense in international soccer dating from the 1974 World Cup final when the then West Germany beat hot favorites Netherlands 2-1 in the final in Munich.
Netherlands, the 2010 World Cup runner-up, will meet Germany in its second group game in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on June 13 and should be one of the highlights of the first round. Spain is the heavy favorites and will face Italy, Ireland and Croatia in a Group C.
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