Chapter 39 Group B

Group B is a veritable group of death in this European Cup, gathering three former European Cup champions, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, as well as Portugal, a traditional strong team in European football.

The Orange Army is still shining, and the uncrowned king is still the favorite to win the championship. After the transformation of Basten and Van Malvik, the Dutch team has achieved better and better in recent years, becoming more and more champion, and getting closer to the championship.

Van Malvik replaced Basten as the head coach of the Dutch national team after the end of the 2008 European Cup. After taking office, he changed the Dutch traditional full-attack 433 formation to 4231 and achieved remarkable results. He led the team to win the second place in the World Cup in South Africa, although his reform was conservative Cruyef and so on. The criticism of Dutch football celebrities, but judging from the effect of the World Cup in South Africa, his reform is undoubtedly very successful.

In terms of the lineup, Stecklenberg's main position is unshakable in the goalkeeper position, and although Worm and Krull are the main players in Swansea City and Newcastle in the Premier League, they are only destined to play the role of accompanying the prince.

On the defensive line, Vandeville, Hetinga and Mattison are all the main forces during the World Cup in South Africa. If nothing unexpected happens, they will still be indispensable figures in the back defense of the Orange Army, and the left gate position is likely to occupy the main position due to the retirement of veteran Van Bronkhorst.

In the midfield, Van Bommel and De Jong, the two main players during the World Cup, will still occupy the starting midfield position, and Sterman, who has performed well in the Dutch League this season, will be the main substitute. Sneed is still the organizational soul of the Orange Army midfielder, and there are many candidates in both wings. Van der Vaart, Kuit, Robben and Afele can be dispatched by Van Malvik.

As for the front line, Huntelaar and Van Persie can stand alone and play together, but who will play the leading role? With the two top scorers in the Premier League and Bundesliga last season, Van Malvik must solve this happy trouble as soon as possible.

There is no doubt that the core player of the Dutch team will be Sneid. Since the 2006 World Cup, Sneid has firmly occupied the position of the main front waist of the Dutch national team, and he has entered the 11-man best team in the past two intercontinental competitions.

Another high-profile player is Peter Pan Robben. At present, Robben has represented the Dutch national team in the past four international competitions and is an indispensable figure on the Orange Army's attack line.

Of course, there is another person who can't be mentioned, that is Arsenal captain Van Persie. His performance in the club in the last two seasons can be said to be infinite. Although the Gunners have not been able to win the Premier League, Van Persie's performance has convinced everyone. This European Cup is also Van Persie's fourth intercontinental competition, 201 The opportunity to win the Cup was missed at the 0 World Cup in South Africa, and now the mature Dutch team is ready to fight for the championship in this European Cup.

24 years ago, the Orange Army had world-class stars such as Koeman, Gullit, Basten and Ricard. Although they lost 0:1 in the first game of the group stage, England and Northern Ireland were cut off one after another and won the right to qualify in the group, and Van Basten gained a hat-trick in the second game against the Three Lions. Law. In the semi-finals, Basten came forward in a 1:1 draw and scored the final goal in the 88th minute. In the final, the Netherlands finally found a chance to revenge on the former Soviet Union. Gulit's header and Basten's zero angle world wave made the Orange Army easily crown. Since 1988, the Dutch team has never missed the European Cup finals, and has reached the quarterfinals six times in a row.

In this cup, the Dutch team fell into the so-called group of death as four years ago, in the same group as their old enemies Germany, Portugal and Denmark. Although from the historical confrontation, the Netherlands are at a disadvantage against Germany and Portugal, only have a slight advantage in the face of Denmark, but don't forget, Four years ago, the Orange Army also easily broke out of the group of death, winning 3：0 over Italy, 4:1 over France and 2：0 over Romania. The whole process was smooth.

The goal of the Dutch team in this European Cup is to win the championship. Of course, the premise of achieving another good result is that the Netherlands can overcome the crux of the unstable defense line, find the most suitable candidate for the main left gate as soon as possible, adjust the state of the midfield player, and solve the coexistence of Van Persie and Huntelaar, the two golden boots of the front line. Only by doing this can the Orange Army replicate the championship journey 24 years ago and win the Drone Cup again in Eastern Europe.

In Group B, the weakest is undoubtedly the fairy tale kingdom Denmark. The Danish team that fell into the group of death is obviously very difficult to replicate the miracle of 20 years ago, but the Scandinavians can play the role of "spoiler" and even the final "judgmenter" of the group.

Olsen, the Danish coach who governs the army, has coached the Danish national team since 2000 and has led the team to the 2002 and 2010 World Cups and the 2004 and 2012 European Cup.

Controlling the ball, playing flexibly, and maintaining strong vitality is Olsen's positioning for Danish football.

After the World Cup in South Africa, Denmark's exit made him doubt and examine his football philosophy, and the outside world once thought that he would not get a contract renewal from the Football Association.

But as Denmark easily won the first place in the qualifiers, people saw that the Danish team, known for its simple and beautiful short passes, returned.

The Danish Football Association also gave up its intention to find a new instructor and completed the renewal of the contract with Olsen, which means that his football philosophy will be further implemented.

In this European Cup, the Danish team withdrew with many veterans, mainly post-80s players, with an average age of 25 years old. The Danish team, which has always given people the feeling of old, has also unexpectedly blown a youth storm. In the list, there are even young young players of the 90s such as Erikson and Oakley.

In the position of goalkeeper, Manchester United goalkeeper Lindgaard will be the starting lineup, and Casper, the son of magical goalkeeper Schumacher. Schmeichel was also selected to the national team for the first time and compete in the international competition.

On the defensive line, Ague and Kear, who play for Liverpool and Roma, have been the main central defender combination of Denmark in recent years, and old international Jacobson and Paulson are in the defensive position.

In terms of midfield, the Danish team has Stuttgart's main force Quest, Zimlin known as "New Graveson", Nordic demon Erikson, and the side weapon Romedal and Dehri's national team status is also unshakable.

Arsenal strike will continue to make Bentner an important single arrow. Bentner is ahead of technology and full of impact. When he joined Arsenal, he was even known as the new Degan, and his performance will also be directly related to the final trend of Denmark's European Cup.

Among the team, the most anticipated is the young player Eriksson, who is regarded as the most anticipated demon in Northern Europe. Eriksson is the main midfielder of the Danish team. The 92-year-old new star was elected Danish Footballer last year. His strange pass can instantly tear open the opponent's defense line.

Erikson has a broad vision, is smart and easy to learn, balances his left and right feet, and runs actively. His elegant and relaxed style and national team experience makes people compared him with Danish football star Laudrup from time to time.

As one of the hottest newcomers in Europe, Erikson receives invitations from big clubs from time to time, and his appearance can provide the Danish team with the lack of vitality and creativity.

Denmark has never been a football power. They are better at badminton, but the 1992 European Championship made every Dane proud for a lifetime.

At that time, Yugoslavia was disqualified due to sanctions in the civil war. The Danish team, the second in the group, was urgently summoned to participate as a substitute. The players were scattered everywhere on vacation when they received the notice. Coach Nelson was also busy decorating his house. What was more troublesome was midfield commander Michelle. Laudrup refused to compete because he did not agree with the coaching staff, and the main force Wilford had to return to Denmark from the Swedish stadium again and again to visit his seriously ill daughter.

Denmark drew 00-0 with England in the first game of the group stage, and lost 0:1 to Sweden led by Brolin in the second game. It was not until the last game of the group stage against France that the Danish fairy tale was officially staged. Larsen and Elstrup's goals eliminated the French team.

In the semi-finals, Denmark's opponent was the Netherlands. Within 120 minutes, the two sides drew 2:2, and Larson, who joined the Danish team as a substitute. Finally, in the penalty shootout, Schmeichel saved Van Basten's penalty and brought Denmark to the final.

In Gothenburg, Sweden, the Danish's final opponent is the German team coached by Voggets. When they can enter the final, the Danish team, which has earned a lot of money, fought with a relaxed mentality. Finally, they helped Denmark defeat the powerful German team 2-0 with the goals of Jensen and Wilfort, and incredibly won the Drone Cup.

Denmark fell into the group of death composed of the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal this time, and the qualifying situation is precarious. However, most of the Danish team, from coaches to players, has received Dutch football education or is currently playing in the Dutch League. The concept of Dutch football has affected head coach Olsen for nearly 40 years. Therefore, although the overall strength of the Netherlands is stronger than Denmark, Danes who are familiar with Dutch football may also score on their opponents.

Portugal and Denmark have jointly experienced the competition for the World Cup in South Africa and the European Championship qualifiers. In the qualifiers, Denmark defeated their opponents in two games and won the first place in the group. Therefore, in the face of Portugal, the Danes have a certain psychological advantage.

With Denmark's frontline ability, it may not be able to break through the German team's steel defense line, but if the first two group matches go smoothly, the last game will be relaxed against Germany. Based on the previous record of equal wins and defeats, Denmark still has a chance to score.

Who is the most popular team in this European Cup?

In the case that Degan was basically abolished, it was undoubtedly the German team.

Since the 2010 World Cup defeating England and Argentina, a group of new generation German players have gradually entered the world stage, which makes Lov start sweet troubles. Although the starting framework has been reached, there are still many geniuses waiting for opportunities in the German team.

After the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann left the German team, and his assistant Löw took over the coach and became the coach of the German team. As a coach, Löw did not have any outstanding achievements. The biggest glory was to build a famous German football troika in Stuttgart and won the German Cup, but In the national team, Lev became a famous coach.

As Klinsmann's assistant, Löw promoted the team's tactical reform, and the German team, which has always given the impression of a "head team", gradually transformed into a technical team dominated by his feet.

In 2006, Löw helped Klinsmann achieve the revival of German football. In 2008, he led the team to participate in the competition alone for the first time. Although the results were not ideal, it was very rare to reach the semi-finals. In 2010, Löw continued to lead the team to the World Cup, and the German team became more mature, but unfortunately, it was early. Belgium, the final champion team, failed to reach the semi-finals. Now Germany has once again become the world's top team, and Loeff is also looking forward to leading the team to the top of Europe.

Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Loew changed the German team's tactics from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 and has been used to this day. At that time, Loew changed to 4-2-3-1 mainly because the German team's defense was limited at that time and had to take a double waist to protect the defense. The lack of excellent front-line players is also one of the reasons for Loeb's change. But now the German team still uses 4-2-3-1, mainly because of the blowout of midfield players. Only with this lineup can Lev maximize Germany's midfield advantage and control the rhythm in the game.

In terms of the lineup, the goalkeeper should be the most reassuring position in the German team. Whether it is starting goalkeeper Neuer or substitute goalkeeper Wieser and Ziller, they have the strength to become the main goalkeeper of other countries.

Especially Neuer, if he is just a new star performing well in the 2010 South African World Cup, then after the baptism of the two years of the league, Neuer has joined the ranks of world-class goalkeepers. With him in front of the goal, the German team's defense is reassuring.

Compared with the defense in the 2010 World Cup, Löw's defense is full of variables. In the position of left-back, captain Ram should have been a candidate, but because Germany does not have a right-back at the same level now, Ram is likely to move to the right and let Schmelzer be the main left-back. . Of course, Loeb may also let Ram continue as left-back and Bayern defender Boateng appear in the right-back position. In addition to the full-back, the central defender is also unknown. Bayern central defender BadStubel has occupied a main position, and another position will be created among Hummels and Mertsack. Mertsack's advantage lies in his rich competition experience, and Hummels has performed better in the club this season. In addition There is also the all-round Schalke captain Hevedes, who can win, but he is obviously better in the central back position.

The midfield is the most luxurious position of the German team now. Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Barak and Tresch withdrew due to injury, which once made Llev anxious. Now the German team has countless talents available in the midfield. In terms of the midfield, the team's deputy Schweinstein and Hedilla almost locked in the main position, and their midfield combination is both offensive and defensive. In the front waist position, Loew has only one player who is still young Ozil in the World Cup in South Africa, and now Loew has the star Ozil, the gradually mature Cross, and the supernova Götze. On the side, Lev has Podolski and Royce on the left and Mueller and Schiller on the right. In this list, the biggest surprise can be called Gündogan and Lars. Bender, a young German player who has become the core of tactics in Leverkusen and Dortmund, can never be just a spectator of the team in the European Cup.

On the front line, veteran Klose and Gomez's double insurance is enough, but it is still not clear who Klose and Gomez will be the starting forward of the German team. Since the emergence of the 2002 World Cup, Klose has occupied the main position of the German team for 10 years. Experience and awareness are the veteran's greatest advantages. And Gomez, although scoring goals in Bayern is like grass, the rough technology and "soft foot disease" in the competition hinders Bayern's hegemony to seize power.

At present, Ram, the captain of the German national team, has become the spiritual leader of the German team. Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ram, who temporarily took over the captain's armband, has now become the absolute leader of the German team.

This season at Bayern, Ram played left-back in the first half and right-back in the second half, with a tight defense on both sides and absolutely sharp offense.

Ram's free walk on both sides also gives Llev more choices. The German team lacks the big back of an excellent right-back. Under the scene, Ram's kick of the right-back seems to be the best result.

Ram's teammate Schweinsteiger is a steel barrier in front of the German team's defense. He once experienced the trough of the 2004 European Cup with the team and returned in the 2008 European Cup. Schweinstein experienced the whole revival stage of German football as German football. The representative of the Golden Age is now the best time for Schweinsteg to win a championship with his team. As an organized midfielder, although Piggy's technology is not as good as Harvey and defense is not as good as Hedilla, it is his comprehensive and overall view that makes him one of the world's top midfielders.

Although Ram and Schwein Steiger are not old, they are already veterans in the current national team, and the same new stars have to look forward to it.

Götze is the biggest surprise in German football in recent years. It is known as a rare "supernova" in German football. The young Götze has achieved rapid growth in Dortmund's fast offensive play, with accurate passing and flexible running position. What is valuable is that the young Götze also has a strong physique. The young players in the game have learned to use their strength, and Lev has stated that Götze will occupy a place in his lineup, and the first competition trip of the German supernova is worth looking forward to.

As the most stable team in European football, Germany has won the World Cup three times and has a brilliant record of three championships in the European Cup.

Now, after a younger reform and tactical revolution, the German team has ushered in a comprehensive recovery. The team's style of play in the 2008 European Cup is commendable, but unfortunately it lost to Belgium with Degan in the semi-finals.

The last team in Group B is Portugal with Golden Mafia. Young coach Bento took over the coach of the Portuguese coach during the European Cup qualifiers and was in a dangerous situation, and finally led Portugal to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in a powerful play-off. After the last European Cup, he was qualified to advance to the 2012 European Cup.

When Bento, known for governing the army, did not win many people's favor when he coached in Lisbon.

But in Portugal's seemingly eventful coach position, the 42-year-old young coach led Portugal to continuous victory and became the youngest coach in history to lead Portugal into large-scale competitions.

In terms of the team's lineup, if nothing unexpected happens, Benfica goalkeeper Eduardo will become the team's main goalkeeper, Bruno on the back line. Alves and Pepe will become the backbone of Portugal's defense line, and Coentrand will be qualified for the position of left-back. Whether a defense line can help Portugal out of the death group can only be verified by the game.

In the midfield, although there are two good players, Mutinio and Merelles, these two players are not very creative players. They lack a pass that can tear open the opponent's defense. More contribution to the team is to consolidate the team's defense and set up a barrier in the midfield, which is for Portugal. It is also a disaster area.

In terms of the front line, Kimuro and Nani are separated, which makes it a problem who can be the team's center. Although Postiga has a good performance in the European preliminaries, his lack of experience in the competition is a major shortcoming, and Almeida, Quaresma and Varela are not the kind of striker who reassures the head coach. Although the young player Oliveira is full of impact, she does not have the starting strength. If Bento does not make certain adjustments and running-in on the front line in the rest of the time, Portugal's "powerlessness" problem is likely to be exposed again in the European Cup.

Kimuro, who plays for Real Madrid, is Portugal's number one star. He has scored 40 goals in the league for two consecutive seasons. Although he lost to the more crazy Messi in the battle for the Golden Boot, Kimuro helped the Galaxy to win the first league championship in four years, and morale is strong.

And the Portuguese national team is bound to rely on the performance of the number one star to go further in the European Cup, but it is worth mentioning that Kimuro's performance in the national team is far less excellent than that in the club.