Euro 2012: Underdogs Czech Republic and Greece Advance Over Poland and Russia
By Ty Duffy
The Russians will and should feel disappointed. They had the group’s most talented squad. They set themselves up well in the first two matches, needing only a draw in the final match against the group’s worst team to advance. When opponents resolved to close down the space between the lines with a deep-lying midfield, they could not adjust. Russian players came out exceptionally flat and casual against the Greeks, resulting in their demise.
Russia had the most shots, held the most possession and had the best passing accuracy in Group A, but soccer is punctuated equilibrium rather than strict evolution.
Poland should feel upset as well. They did not capitalize sufficiently on extended dominance spells in multiple matches. With depth and apparent fitness issues, they could not sustain performances after a full 90 minutes. Poland had home advantage and three top-caliber club players from Borussia Dortmund. They should have closed down Greece for the win, gotten a result against the Czechs and gotten out of this group. Instead, the stronger of the two hosts departs the tournament, still winless in European Championship play.
Greece just wanted it more. They fought through injuries, suspensions and some exceptionally poor refereeing. Devoid of talent, they found ways to score. The same could be said about the Czechs who regrouped after being shredded by Russia in the first match and fought on despite the loss of their captain and best player Tomas Rosicky. Their major adjustment, bringing on the defensive midfielder Hubschman and pushing Petr Jiracek forward proved critical.
Most excited about the results, may be their potential quarterfinal opponents from Group B. If the Dutch can pull off a great escape against Portugal, an unimposing Czech squad would be the only thing between them and a redeeming semifinal appearance. That thought, undoubtedly, will cross Cristiano Ronaldo’s mind as well.
[Photo via Getty]