Euro2008 Warm-ups: Do they Shed any light on the winner?
Liverpool duo hand Dutch win over Ukraine
Liverpool pair Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel were both on target as the Netherlands beat Ukraine 3-0 in a Euro 2008 warm-up match here on Saturday.
The Dutch shrugged off the absence of injured Robin van Persie and Mario Melchiot, as well as rested Real Madrid stars Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben, to score an important win ahead of the finals where they have been drawn against world champions Italy, France and Romania. Marco van Basten’s side were also without goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar who will not join up with the squad until Monday following his Champions League penalty shoot-out heroics with Manchester United in Moscow last week.
“We played very well even if Ukraine didn’t put in a good performance,” said van Basten. “I saw some good football, some good combinations and great motivation. I have a lot of possibilities in my squad and with some positions it will be a difficult choice. “I have a lot to think about. At centre forward, my first choice is Ruud Van Nistelrooy but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had a good game tonight and scored.”
The Ukrainians mounted little in the way of a challenge and the Dutch were deservedly in front after 24 minutes when Kuyt headed in a cross from Giovanni van Bronckhorst. In the 37th minute, Klas-Jan Huntelaar was set-up by Rafael Van der Vaart to score his seventh goal in 12 internationals to make it 2-0. Van der Vart was also influential in the creation of the third goal, supplying the crucial pass for Babel to score in the 64th minute.
The Netherlands will face Denmark in Eindhoven on Thursday before facing Wales in their last warm-up next Sunday.
Defending champions Greece suffer friendly setback
Defending European champions Greece slumped to a 3-2 defeat to Hungary on Saturday, just two weeks before the Euro 2008 tournament gets underway in Switzerland and Austria.
The result was a setback for the Greeks but was a convincing start for new Hungary coach, Dutchman Erwin Koeman, as he engineered a first win for his side over the Greeks since 1987. Ioannis Amanatidis had given the Greeks the lead in the 45th minute only for Balazs Dzsudzsak to level for the Hungarians, who haven’t qualified for Euro 2008, two minutes after the interval. Roland Juhasz and Krisztian Vadocz then scored twice in the space of four minutes to give Hungary a 3-1 lead with Nikos Liberopoulos pulling back a consolation in the last minute for Greece.
Switzerland beat Slovakia 2-0 in Euro 2008 warm-up
Switzerland enjoyed a 2-0 friendly win over Slovakia on Saturday, just two weeks before the Euro 2008 championships, which they are co-hosting, get underway. Midfielder Valon Behrami opened the scoring in the 56th minute before he then turned provider seven minutes later setting up the second goal for veteran striker Alex Frei.
Captain Frei is now just one international goal away from the record of 34 set by Kubilay Turkyilmaz. He could equalise the record, or even beat it next Friday in St Gallen during the last warm-up match for the Swiss, this time against Liechtenstein.
Swiss coach Kubi Kuhn also fielded Patrick Mueller, who left his club Lyon to join his national teammates in Lugano on Friday despite not getting permission from his French side who were involved in the French Cup final on Saturday. He had made the move after Kuhn said he would have to drop him from the national side if he did not have a chance to assess the player’s form.
Croatia beat Moldova in Euro 2008 friendly
Croatia won 1-0 against Moldova at the coastal town of Rijeka on Saturday in their first warm-up match ahead of next month’s Euro 2008 finals.
Croatian captain Niko Kovac scored the goal in the 30th minute, shooting home after Ivan Rakitic headed the ball on to him from the right. The game lacked a competitive edge as both coaches were clearly trying out different combinations of players on the run-up to the June 7 to 29 championships.
Croatian coach Slaven Bilic is still searching for his top strike duo after Eduardo da Silva was injured, and tried Ivic Olic and Igor Budan in the first half, and Ivan Klasnic and Nikola Kalinic after the break. Arsenal striker da Silva suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in an horrific tackle by Birmingham defender Martin Taylor at St Andrews in February. The absence of the Brazilian-born star, who has scored 13 goals in 18 matches for Croatia, was a great disappointment for Bilic.
Luka Modric, expected to be Croatia’s star player in Austria and Switzerland next month, put in a good performance against Moldova.
Hagi tips Romania to spring a Euro surprise
Romania, drawn in the so-called group of death with world champions Italy, France and the Netherlands, can bely their underdog status and punch above their weight at Euro 2008.
That’s the verdict of former Romania great Gheorghe Hagi, known in his playing days as the “Maradona of the Carpathians”. “I don’t think a (rival) coach can say he fears us, especially when we’re talking about Italy, France and the Dutch. “But we can be the surprise of the competition, like Greece (winners in 2004),” the former international and national team coach says.
To back up his assertion He harked back to his country’s performance at Euro 2000 when with Hagi in the team Romania drew 1-1 with Germany, lost 1-0 to Portugal before defeating England 3-2 to qualify for the second round. He reflected: “Back in 2000 we were also in a difficult group. “Nobody gave us any chance at all but we still managed to make it out of the first round.. Precedents do exist. It is possible to spring a surprise.” Hagi said the class of 2008 “must believe in their potential” and above all “start well against France (on June 9) as the first match is always the hardest”.
After the French hors d’oeuvre Romania face Italy on June 13 followed by Holland on June 17.
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Add comment May 25th, 2008