No, it is not a heavy metal group and no its not something the normal person wouldn’t listen to. This is maybe the group that almost most of the earth’s population has listened to without even knowing , Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix are the only two founders and composers  behind the music of Two Steps From Hell.

If someone never watched a Harry Potter or any Marvel movie or never played Mass effect or kill zone, then they are still counted as one of many that listened to this group without knowing because their music was played during the opening of the London Olympics  2012.

The reason this group is so known yet unknown is that their music was present in almost the best and the most watched movie productions, usually their music are always used in movie trailers. In a sense this kind of  music is always what makes the movie look more exciting than it actually is.

Two Steps From Hell has been doing trailer music for several of biggest movies in the past few years, such as ‘Avatar’, ‘Up’, ‘Beauty & The Beast’, ‘Super 8′, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Tintin’, ‘The Amazing Spider Man’ and many more.

The group was formed back in 2006 by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix who combined their  musical abilities to write a book full of original music that in only six years has achieved great success and 22 album releases.

To explain the formation and the process of  Two Steps From Hell. The music is composed and written by Bergersen and Phoenix, and is then played and recorded by an orchestrated group conducted and by a conductor. Their official conductor is Petr Pololáník, he is an orchestrator and music producer. Petr studied both violin, piano and conducting and now he is working with Bergersen and Phoenix.

Many would categorize this brilliant music under its own genre, as it has a new form and new musical structure that has a blend of tastes from the classical and epic music era to the rough and solid heavy rock music, that gives a motion picture its real motion. Almost any fictional or adventure motion picture trailer or a thrilling scene would not be the same without this music, yet their music without the motion picture will still definitely give the image and the message without seeing it, and that is the unique element of their music. It is music that tells a story and takes the listener to new lands.

The artistic album arts are done by the artist and graphic designer, Steven R. Steven, who is well known in the film community where he has worked on the graphic campaigns for movies like ‘Lord Of The Rings’, ‘Dark Knight’, ’300′, and ‘Watchmen’. Steven is the mastermind behind all of the Two Steps From Hell album covers.

Two Steps From Hell are in a sense a musical group that has changed the  musical world of the movie theater and in a sense boosted the view counts of many overrated movies.

Image Courtesy of  Two Steps From Hell

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Kyiv, Ukraine — The World Newspaper Congress will take place in Kyiv on September 2-5, 2012 and is expected to bring up to 1,200 delegates, representatives of influential international media. The event will also feature the World Editors Forum as well as the annual Info Services Expo 2012.

Now that millions of European football fans and the leading international media discovered Ukrainian hospitality during the EURO 2012, it is high time to establish a deeper and more comprehensive cooperation between Ukrainian and foreign journalists, stated Oleksandr Kurdinovych. Number one objective of the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers (WAN-IFRA) congress is insuring that objective information on developments in Ukraine reaches the “western world,” he mentioned.

According to Ukrainian media the upcoming congress is going to be the second largest international event in Ukraine after EURO 2012 championship.

In preparation to the sports tournament Ukraine drastically improved its infrastructure and, according to Michel Platini, UEFA President, the country’s success was extraordinary. He also noted that the Ukraine’s infrastructure leaped 30 years into the future after having built and renovated airports, built new roads, constructed and renewed 290 hotels. In addition, Ukraine was listed as number one among CIS countries regarding railroad infrastructure development, according to the World Economic Forum’ latest Global Enabling Trade Report.

World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers is a global organization of the world’s newspapers and news publishers that represents over 18,000 publications and 15,000 websites in 120 countries. It has a status of an official consultant, which represents the interests of newspaper industry in UNESCO, United Nations and the European Council.

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Kyiv, Ukraine – As the Euro 2012 tournament reached its climax with Sunday’s final in Kiev, the Ukrainian hosts are being praised for their organisation and delivery of a first-class sporting event.

The Ukrainian government is now hoping to capitalise on the success of the tournament, reminding the global business community that it will find an efficient, reform-focused nation when it invests in Ukraine.

The government has cut red tape and deregulated the economy in the same five years it has taken to plan and stage Euro 2012. It has also adopted direct measures to make it easier for investors to enter the market.

“Where is used to take two to three years to enter the market here, it now takes six to nine months,” said the man driving the reforms, First Vice Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovskyi. In fact, initial requests by investors are processed within 24 hours.

“The focus of this government is on scrapping outdated regulations and removing obstacles to investment, growth and jobs,” Khoroshkovskyi said.

The advances Ukraine has made aren’t going unnoticed. The prestigious European Cities and Regions of the Future Awards for 2012/2013 have rated nearly 20 Ukrainian cities and regions in Top Ten categories.

For the Cost of Doing Business category alone Ukraine grabbed six out of ten places.

Ukraine hopes to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union later this year – the first step towards EU membership.

But full membership will take time, and in the interim much is going on to improve the way Ukraine and the EU do business and cooperate in essential regulatory areas.

Over the past week, Khoroshkovskyi has begun the process of agreeing to a Customs Agreement with European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Algirdas Šemeta.

This will facilitate a strategic framework for customs cooperation that will make a difference in areas such as simplified VAT refunds for companies that trade between Ukraine and the EU.

“Ukraine’s developing relationship with the European Union is not about us waiting for full membership,” Mr Khoroshkovskyi said.

“In the meantime there are many areas where we can simplify processes and regulations to provide economic benefits and to attract investment.”

A recent international road show targeting the global business community in four continents resulted in bi-lateral negotiations on investments with 62 companies, from Germany’s Commerzbank to U.S.-based energy firm Chevron. These companies are expected to tap into some 15 large-scale investment projects, each of them linked to a key industry in Ukraine, which are designed to be implemented through investment and private public partnerships, effectively introducing a new business model in the country.

Ukraine is expected to allocate $3.5 billion to these investment projects.

Ukraine has recently published an Investor Guide – a series of brochures that explain how to do business in the country in simple language.

The brochures cover topics including understanding the taxation system, real estate and construction, intellectual property rights, and insurance.

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If England needed any more motivation for their quarter-final against Italy, the knowledge that a victory would set up a semi-final with arch-rivals Germany certainly would.

Italy came close to taking the lead early on when Daniele De Rossi hit a curling volley from outside the penalty box, which had goalkeeper Joe Hart beaten. Fortunately for England, the shot cannoned back off the post before being cleared from the danger zone.

Another golden opportunity presented itself just a minute later; this time it was England’s turn to come close, with a low cross falling to Glen Johnson in the penalty area. The England defenders’ shot was saved expertly by Gianluigi Buffon to keep the scores level.

Although the game quieted down from its frenetic opening minutes, both teams were still playing a brand of attacking football unexpected by most coming into the game. Many pundits had predicted a cagey, defensively dominated affair between the two teams, but with twenty minutes played, the game seemed anything but that.

With half an hour gone the Italians seemed to be gaining the upper hand, controlling the pace of the game and shading the possession battle. This spell of dominance presented two clear chances for controversial striker Mario Balotelli, but the Italian was denied firstly by a last ditch John Terry tackle and secondly by a good low save from Hart.

Despite their dominance, and further chances for both Balotelli and Antonio Cassano, Italy was unable to take a lead before the interval, although there were no doubts that Cesare Prandelli was the happier of the two managers as both teams left the field for half-time.

If De Rossi was cursing his luck following his shot which hit the post in the first half, his self-berating was a little early. In the second half, after England cleared their lines from a corner, the ball was knocked back into the penalty area and reached De Rossi who scuffed his shot when one on one with Hart.

Things went from bad to worse for England as Italy enjoyed a succession of chances from Balotelli and Ricardo Montolivo. They seemed to beat England’s offside trap time after time, only to be denied by a combination of poor finishing and the goalkeeping heroics of Hart.

The double substitution of Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott on for Danny Welbeck and James Milner respectively seemed to breathe some life into England, who began to show signs of the attacking intent with which they started the game. England nearly capitalized on this pressure when Steven Gerrard’s free kick was agonizingly close to Wayne Rooney’s attempted header, when any kind of contact would likely have taken the ball beyond the reaches of Buffon.

An attempted overhead kick from Rooney almost gave England their fairytale ending, but the Manchester United striker could not keep his shot down, sending the game into extra time.

The first half of extra time from England was much more encouraging than much of their play in the opening 90 minutes; it still failed to yield a break in the deadlock for either side, setting up a very tense final 15 minutes.

The second half played out in similar fashion and brought the conclusion to the game that all England fans were dreading, the penalty shootout.

Opening penalties were slotted home by Balotelli and Gerrard respectively, only for England to then gain the advantage after Rooney scored, following a miss from Montolivo. England’s advantage was short lived however as Ashley Young’s missed penalty – after Pirlo’s successful spot kick – leveled the scores at 2-2. Another miss from England, this time from Ashley Cole, proved to be England’s final undoing. Alessandro Diamanti stepped up to convert and sent Italy through to face the Germans in the semi-finals.

Image Courtesy of  Julian Finney

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While England knew that a draw in their game against Ukraine at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine, would be enough to achieve qualification from Group D, the return of Wayne Rooney from suspension and the resulting confidence from the victory over Sweden will have the England team eager to try and secure the top spot with a win.

Although they entered the game as favorites, England had to be alert defensively early on with the Ukraine seemingly intent on putting them on the back foot from the start, dominating both possession and territory in the first 15 minutes.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Ukraine was unable convert this into meaningful attempts on goal, and most of their chances failed to test Joe Hart in the England goal. The best chance of the first half hour actually went against the run of play and fell to England, with Wayne Rooney, evidently rusty from his lack of game time, headed wide just yards out from goal.

The rest of the first half played out fairly unspectacularly and although Rooney’s solitary chance for England proved to be the best opportunity to break the deadlock, there was no doubting that Ukraine was in control of the game and Roy Hodgson had quite a task on his hands if he was to reverse England’s fortunes and push for the top spot in the group.

Hodgson’s team talk seemed to work instantly, with England taking the lead just two minutes into the second half. Steven Gerrard, who had already supplied two assists so far in this tournament, whipped in a dangerous cross, which Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov could not deal with and the ball fell for Rooney to head into an empty net.

With Ukraine looking desperate to equalize and hopefully take a much needed lead, much-maligned centre back, John Terry, came to England’s rescue, acrobatically clearing a ball off of the line after it had beaten Hart. Instant replays seemed to show that the ball had actually completely crossed the line and the Ukrainian team and fans will feel very aggrieved that the scores were not leveled.

The goal certainly seemed to spur on England and Gerrard’s passing began to open up the Ukrainian defense, releasing the likes of Rooney and Ashley Young into space as England looked to double their lead and confirm their position at the top of the group.

The best efforts of the Ukrainians in the dying minutes were unfortunately not enough to bring their team back into the game and they will have to settle for watching the rest of the tournament in their home nation. England, meanwhile, will be thrilled to have topped the group and, as a result, will face Italy in the quarter-finals rather than the more daunting prospect of Spain, who will be the prize for Group D runner-up, France.

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Kyiv, Ukraine — Around four million foreign guests crossed Ukrainian border since the beginning of EURO 2012, reported Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. As international supporters keep streaming in, UK human rights activist Clare Dimyon apologized to Ukraine on behalf of Great Britain for false accusations in racism and other types of intolerance.

Four million people and 860 thousand vehicles have crossed the state border since June 5. However, for the duration of the championship Ukrainian guests have witnessed nothing but hospitality and true unity of all nations, races, and liberties. British human rights activist Clare Dimyon expressed her bitterness at the BBC Stadiums of Hate material, depicting Ukraine as racists and intolerant country. Dimyon, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (awarded for her human rights campaigns in Central and Eastern Europe) apologized on behalf of her home country.

The activist is preparing the film, disproving the statements suggested in BBC’s video piece. Dimyon said that she had seen many representatives of African and Asian descent in Ukraine, at the stadiums specifically, and she did not witness them being stressed or uncomfortable or treated intolerantly by the others.

“I am convinced that I haven’t seen any racist moods here, in any case there were no more than in London. That’s why I think BBC should tell the truth. I am grateful to Kharkiv and its people for the opportunity to defend Britain’s good name and tell the truth to the world,” she added.

As a protest against the negative publications in British press about Ukraine, on June 19 British football fans will carry a coffin during their march in Donetsk tonight. The coffin and “Campbell you’re wrong!” signs are called to signify that British supporters disagree with the statement made by former England captain Sol Campbell, who warned British fans to stay away from Euro 2012.

He recommended fellow countrymen to watch at home on TV, for otherwise they would “risk it coming home in a coffin”. “How could he say that? Ukraine is a great country and Donetsk is a wonderful city,” – commented a fan from London in Donetsk: “And because of his [Campbell's] statement so many of our nationals didn’t make it here.”

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With everything still to play for in Group C, there was no chance of Spain taking Croatia lightly in their final group game at the PGE Arena in Gdansk, Poland, despite being tipped as considerable favorites.

In a tournament already renowned for its display of good attacking football, a reversal in the trends of recent European Championships, it was with some surprise that both sides came out fairly conservative, with neither team fashioning any clear chances early on. The best chance should arguably have fallen to Mario Mandzukic, who seemed to be fouled inside the penalty box by Sergio Ramos, but referee Wolfgang Stark did not penalize the Spanish defender much to the ire of the Croatian team and fans.

A lack of urgency plagued the rest of the first half, but with news arriving just before half time that Italy had taken the lead against the Republic of Ireland, a result which, if this match remained a deadlock, would confine Spain to second place in the group and Croatia to an early trip home from the tournament, events were poised for a dramatic upturn in tempo in the second half.

The realization that they would be going out of the tournament seemed to sink in for the Croatians, and they began to show real attacking intent early in the second half. This in turn opened up the game for Spain, who were pushing hard for a goal and a return to the top of the group table, only to be repeatedly denied by fierce Croatian defending.

The best chance of the game so far fell to Ivan Rakitic in the 58th minute when Luka Modric galloped away from his man on the right wing and delivered a pinpoint cross for Rakitic who, despite being unmarked, could only direct his header straight at the waiting Iker Casillas.

Despite facing the prospect of finishing second in the group, and theoretically facing tougher opposition in the quarter-final stage of the tournament, Spain seemed hesitant to push too many players forward in search of a winning goal, preferring to remain defensively disciplined and limit Croatia’s chances as much as possible.

With the minutes running out, Croatia were beginning to throw everyone forward in an attempt to keep their Euro 2012 dream alive, but as is often the way late in games, they were caught on the counter by Spain and substitute Cesc Fabregas lifted the ball over the defensive line for Andres Iniesta, who drew the goalkeeper and slipped a pass to Jesus Navas for the Sevilla player to slip into the unguarded net.

The late goal secured the top spot for Spain, whilst a 2-0 victory for Italy over the Republic of Ireland gave them the second qualifying place, with both teams eager to find out who they will face in the quarter-finals. With both England and France in a position to qualify from Group D, along with co-hosts Ukraine, there is the potential for some mouth watering clashes between Europe’s elite in the next round and all eyes will be on the matches between England and Ukraine and France and Sweden to see who Spain and Italy will face next.

Image Courtesy of  Continental AG & Claudio Villa

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Both Portugal and the Netherlands had everything to play for in their game at Metalist Stadium in Kharkov, Ukraine. A win would essentially secure qualification for the Portuguese. The Netherlands required at least a two goal winning margin as well as hoping the in-form Germans could beat Denmark in their last group game.

With the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in their squad, the Netherlands are a side always capable of producing excellent attacking displays. They set about doing just that when they took the lead in the 11^th minute. Robben fed the ball to Rafael van der Vaart on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder curled the ball into the top corner, beyond the reaches of the beleaguered Rui Patricio.

Often criticized for their defending, the Netherlands were lucky to still be leading after twenty minutes. Poor defending allowed Cristiano Ronaldo, Helder Postiga and Raul Meireles to all have early attempts, although all three failed to test Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal.

So often the hero for Real Madrid, Ronaldo came close to doing the same for Portugal when he beat his marker to meet Nani’s cross, but his header, albeit powerful, was aimed close to Stekelenburg. The Dutch goalkeeper made an impressive reflex save, continuing to leave Ronaldo goalless so far at the tournament.

His wait was not a long one, however, as he leveled the scores for his side in the 27^th minute. He timed his run to perfection to collect Joao Pereira’s through ball into the area and calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Stekelenburg.

Despite starting more brightly, the Netherlands were looking outclassed at the half time whistle with Portugal, and more specifically Ronaldo, growing into the game as it progressed. The interval offered a chance for the Netherlands to regroup and attempt to re-establish the dominance they enjoyed at the beginning of the first half – a must if they were to have any chance of progressing into the knockout stages of the tournament.

A few tactical changes, including the switching of Robben to the left wing and Robin van Persie to the right, allowing Sneijder to hover behind the striker and attempt to pick up the ball in the space between the defense and the midfield, seemed to breathe life into the Dutch. Yet they still seemed to lack the final pass or composure to unlock the Portuguese defense.

With time running out, the Dutch threw caution to the wind, bringing in Ibrahim Affelay for Jetro Willems, weakening their defense to bring on the extra attacker. Their defensive frailties were soon realized when Ronaldo scored his second of the night after being given far too much time on the ball in the Dutch penalty area.

Credit should be given to the Dutch for their unwillingness to give up on the game, but with just fifteen minutes left to play and three goals needed to put them into a position to qualify from the group, it was a case of too little too late. The Dutch succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Portugal.

Portugal manager Paulo Bento will be thrilled not only with the attacking incision displayed by his team, but also their defensive discipline. With the knockout rounds looming, the resurgence in form of Ronaldo has to be the biggest positive from the game and will have quarter-final opponent Czech Republic worried.

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The second round of matches in Group B got underway with an enticing tie between Denmark and Portugal at Ukrajina Stadium in Lviv, Ukraine.

Denmark, buoyed on by their impressive draw against the Netherlands in their opening match, started brightly against the more highly favored Portugal, passing the ball confidently and looking strong at the back.

Misfortune struck early though for the Danish, first with an injury to Niki Zimling, who was replaced by Jakob Poulsen, and secondly by an opening goal for Portugal. A Joao Moutinho corner in the 25th minute was met by an unmarked Pepe at the near post, the Portuguese defender coming up with a superb glancing header to beat the Danish goalkeeper Stephan Andersen.

The goal seemed to highlight the discrepancies between the two sides and Portugal began pushing hard for the second. Ten minutes on from the first goal and Portugal were once again celebrating, this time thanks to a Helder Postiga goal, the striker getting in front of the nearest defender to collect a low cross from Nani and score a fantastic goal from a tight angle.

Denmark were far from out of the game however, and grabbed themselves a lifeline just before halftime with a well worked team goal from Nicklas Bendtner. Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio rushed out to deny Michael Krohn-Dehli an easy attempt on goal, but instead the Dane headed the ball back across the goal towards the arriving Bendtner who then had only to knock the ball into an open goal.

All of Denmark’s positive work at the end of the first half was nearly undone early in the second when Poulsen played a poor pass along the Danish defensive line which was picked up by Postiga who looked to be clear through on goal and was only denied by a last ditch tackle from Daniel Agger.

Portugal certainly seemed rattled by Denmark’s goal, with the Danes looking far more assured in possession and frequently foraying into the Portuguese penalty area, with the leading side looking far less comfortable going forward than they had in the first half.

Despite their renewed efforts, Denmark were struggling to create real chances once they were in Portugal’s half, with the Real Madrid defensive duo of Pepe and Fabio Coentrao seeing off most threats.

With just over 10 minutes to play, Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo spurned a great chance to put the game beyond Denmark when he was one on one with the goalkeeper but his effort was uncharacteristically wide.

With Ronaldo still lambasting himself for the miss, the Danes counter-attacked with pace and proficiency, a deep cross finding Bendtner at the far post for the tall striker to head home his second goal of the night and draw Denmark level in a game which Portugal must have thought they had won in the first half.

Unfortunately for Denmark though, heartbreak was still to come. With just three minutes left in the game Silvestre Varela, after scuffing his first attempt at the ball, swiveled and struck a powerful right footed effort at the bottom corner of the goal and the ball flew past the outstretched fingertips of Andersen to give Portugal a vital 3-2 victory.

The win gives Portugal everything to play for in their final group game against the Netherlands, meanwhile Denmark are unlikely to have much more than pride to play for in their next game against Germany, a game which will most likely be their last at these championships.

Image Courtesy of  Rui Alexandre Araujo / Shutterstock.com

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The Czech Republic, who were humbled in their opening game against Russia, took on Greece at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland in search of their opening win in the tournament.

It did not take long before the Czech fans were celebrating as they took the lead in just the third minute of the game. Veteran player Tomas Hubschman unlocked the Greek defense with a pinpoint pass for Petr Jiracek, and Czech midfielder had little difficulty beating Kostas Chalkias with his left foot.

No sooner than the Czech fans’ cheers had died down, they were once more on their feet celebrating their second goal of the game. A drilled cross from Gebre Selassie was dealt with poorly by Greek goalkeeper Chalkias, who only managed to palm the ball into the path of the arriving Vaclav Pilar and the ball was bundled into the back of the net off of the knee of Pilar.

Chalkias’ nightmare start to the game came to an early end as he walked off with an injury to be replaced by Michalis Sifakis, who was almost immediately called upon to make a good diving save to prevent Tomas Rosicky from extending the Czechs’ lead.

Despite being down 2-0, and in desperate need of at least one goal before half time, the Greece team looked lethargic for the rest of the half, failing to trouble the Czech defense with any meaningful attacks. The closest Greece came to pulling a goal back was through Giorgos Fotakis, who headed the ball in at the far post from a cross, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside and ensure the score remained unchanged at the interval.

Instead of pressing hard to get back into the game in the second half, Greece was lucky to not be further behind when Selassie’s shot found its way to the feet of Milas Baros but the striker couldn’t connect properly with the ball and wasted a golden opportunity.

A lifeline was gifted the Greeks, however, when a cross was spilled by Czech goalkeeper, Petr Cech, following a mix up with Tomas Sivok, leaving Fanis Gekas with the easiest of finishes to give Greece their first goal.

The goal seemed to spur on Greece who was now in control of the game, but a combination of bad finishing and a lack of a final pass saw the Greeks spurn a host of chances as the game moved into the final 15 minutes.

Despite doing much better in the second half, Greece was unable to find a much needed equalizer, leaving them in the precarious position of needing to beat the strong Russia side in their last group game if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. The Czechs on the other hand are in a much better position going into their last game against Poland and, providing they can replicate their form from the first half of this game, will fancy their chances of qualifying from the group.

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Co-hosts Ukraine upset the form book as they defeated Group D underdogs Sweden in Kyiv. Two goals from the nations hero Andriy Shevchenko were enough to come back to snatch three points after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden what had been a deserved lead.

The fast paced tempo of the game fitted with the raucous atmosphere around the stadium as the Ukrainians did their best to spur their team on. Ukraine were probably the least fancied team in Group D coming into the tournament, but they set their stall out well and challenged underdogs Sweden in every department. The fluid passing between Sweden’s frontline of Ibrahimovic, Toivonen and Rosenberg caused Ukraine issues and Seb Larsson was pulling the strings in midfield, but there were no clear chances for either side until home favourite Andriy Shevchenko found himself through on goal but didn’t catch his shot properly and missed the target.

The atmosphere was certainly aiding the sides approach towards the match, Ukraine were flowing forward and Yarmolenko was only denied by a superb defensive block from Olof Mellberg, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s header brushed the post at the other end.

But as the crowd began to calm down a little, so did the game. It wasn’t the most exciting start but the game had become stretched towards the break with both teams creating chances and both producing good football. The second half started in similar fashion with plenty of attacking football, Rosenberg had a shot blocked before Ibrahimovic finally put Sweden ahead with a close range finish. But Ukraine used this as inspiration and just five minutes the stadium erupted when Shevchenko headed home to level things up.

The stadium didn’t have a chance to quiet down when Shevchenko headed home a second from a corner, Mikael Lustig may have felt he would have kept it out had he not moved from the near post as Shevchenko connected with the ball. Sweden were rocking after being dominant but now found themselves 2-1 down and playing against a rocking atmosphere in the middle Kyiv.

Erik Hamren introduced Anders Svensson to try and get a grip of a midfield which was beginning to become overrun by a rejuvenated Ukraine and all the momentum was with the hosts. Hamren made another throw of the dice soon after bringing on the experienced Christian Wilhelmsson for Seb Larsson. Things had gone from looking comfortable to desperate for the Swedes, Rasmus Elm tried his luck from distance but the effort just about summed up Sweden’s mood after looking good for victory after scoring the opener.

Hamren wasn’t waiting any longer to go all out for it and immediately made his final substitution, bringing on ex-Bolton striker Johan Elmander for Rosenberg. If Sweden were going to get back into it, then it seemed goal scorer Ibrahimovic would be the man to do it. Elmander’s nice little knock down found the AC Milan striker and his rocket shot stung the palms of Pyatov but the ball found its way to safety.

Ukraine looked tired but the fans were still out in voice to give Shevchenko a huge round of applause as he made way for Artem Milevsky with ten minutes to go. Wilhelmsson had given Sweden a different dimension and looked lively against a tiring Ukraine defence, but the back four stood tall and kept on denying Sweden any clear cut chances at goal.

The crowd soon went from noisy to nervy as the game hit the final five minutes and that tension had passed on to the Ukraine players who were now hanging on to their lead as Sweden threw everything at the co-hosts. Sweden did have one huge chance to get a draw when some neat work between Ibrahimovic and Elmander saw the former blaze wide and high when in on goal. Swedish fans probably would have been celebrating a goal if the roles had been reversed and the fans sensed Sweden’s chances may have gone.

Deep into stoppage time there was still one more draw of breath from the Ukraine fans when Olof Mellberg found himself in on goal and his lob over Pyatov seemed to take an age to finally land on the roof of the net. It was the last action of an entertaining match with will live long in the memory of Ukrainian fans and Ukrainian football.

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Thanks to a late goal from the talented Mario Gomez, Germany was able to snag the victory against Portugal with 17 minutes left in the match, leaving them tied at the top of the Group B standings with Denmark. In a match that brought a lot of chances from both sides, Germany were the only ones to capitalize, which leaves Portugal in a tricky situation at the bottom of the table with the equally unlucky Holland.

The match was heated from the beginning, with the first shot on goal coming a minute into the game off of Germany’s Gomez, which was easily saved by Portugal’s Rui Patricio. The German fans were also showing their emotions towards the opposing team by throwing empty water bottles at Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo as he was trying to setup a corner kick in the fourth minute.

Germany’s lineup for the match came as a surprise, as seven of the starting players are teammates on the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. This seems to have had an impact on the match, since Germany was able to create many chances in the offensive half throughout the entire match. Portugal came out on top according to the stat sheet, getting seven of their eleven shots on goal compared to the four out of twelve shots that Germany were able to create.

The first half of the match finished without any changes on the scoreboard, giving a sense that the match would end with a goalless draw. This would play out well for Holland, giving them a better chance of climbing back from their 1-0 loss to Denmark earlier in the day.

The second half came with just as much intensity as the first. Both Germany and Portugal’s offense were playing creative soccer, which formed many chances for both sides. Portugal managed to test the German goalkeeper Manuel Neur more with several attempts on the goal.

Germany was finally able to capitalize in the last 20 minutes of the match after a ball was crossed into the box, deflected off a Portugal player, and then found its way to Mario Gomez. Gomez was able to head the ball past the goalkeeper into the opposite corner to give Germany the 1-0 lead. Mario Gomez was struggling to finish any of his shots throughout the second half, and was about to be substituted for Miroslav Klose before he managed to head in the game-winning goal.

No matter how many attempts the Portuguese had to tie the game up in the remaining 10 minutes of play, they were unable to break down the German defense. Germany faces off against Holland next on Wednesday, while Portugal faces Denmark that same day.

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France and England shared the points in Ukraine as the two Group D rivals cancelled each other out in a rather dull affair. Joleon Lescott’s header in the first half gave England the lead before Samir Nasri equalized almost immediately for France. Laurent Blanc’s men had most of the pressure in the second half, but Roy Hodgson’s new look side-defended solidly and was probably pleased with the end result.

It was a slow start to a previously classic encounter, England met France for the last time the Three Lions were in the Euro’s but despite scoring in the opening five minutes of their last two major tournaments, Roy Hodgson’s men were happy enough to sit back and counter in the early exchanges. Samir Nasri was seeing the most of the ball and he had the first real chance when he shot wide of Joe Hart’s near post from the edge of the area.

But it was England who probably should have opened the scoring, a thrusting run from the midfield saw James Milner get on the end of Ashley Young’s pass but the Manchester City midfielder slid the ball wide after rounding Hugo Lloris. Yohan Cabaye immediately tested Hart again at the other end but the early exchanges had been fairly even.

But despite the game being played at a slow pace England made the breakthrough on the half-hour mark as Joleon Lescott headed in his first goal for his country from Steven Gerrard’s free-kick. France had perhaps shaded the opening thirty minutes but England’s opener gave them the impetus to attack a French side whose defense looked shaky. But it was the team in blue who almost equalized from their own free-kick, Alou Diarra got on the end of Nasri’s cross and made Hart make a save, before heading the re-bound just wide of the post.

It was a warning sign for England of what the French could do given the chance, the goal stretching the game more and more as France tried to find a response. They soon found it after some neat passing through midfield and it was Samir Nasri who finally beat his City team-mate Joe Hart at the near post. Nasri had looked the biggest threat to England’s defense, time and time again finding space between the midfield and defence.

England managed to get to half-time at 1-1 as France were very much in the ascendancy after the equalizer. It was more of the same after the break as France dominated possession and England was once again happy to sit back and use the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Young to counter the pressure. England did get forward eventually and the referee denied them a free-kick in a good position when Steven Gerrard was clearly brought down on the edge of the French penalty area.

There wasn’t a lot to shout about as the game reached the final 25 minutes, England were still happy to allow France to come at them, but Les Blues couldn’t do anything to break down the water-tight England defense. The French passing game was easy on the eye but wasn’t producing any productivity in the penalty area, Joe Hart only being tested from set-pieces and long range efforts.

England was growing frustrated at France’s possession game, and more so at the referee who seemed reluctant to give England any sort of decision. Roy Hodgson was the first to mix things up with just over ten minutes remaining, Jordan Henderson and Jermain Defoe replacing Scott Parker and Oxlade-Chamberlain respectively.

But it was still France on top, Nasri saw a shot deflected wide before Cabaye also had an effort deflected out from the resulting corner. The game was becoming very stretched and as France looked for a winner, England’s counter attacking tactics came more into play. Laurent Blanc responded to Hodgson’s changes and introduced Hatem Ben Arfa and Marvin Martin to add some more energy with five minutes remaining in Donestk.

But the final few minutes passed by without any real drama, England held off France’s final spell of pressure as the two favourites to progress from Group D sharing a point each.

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Tournament favorite and reigning World Champions, Spain, opened their Euro 2012 campaign against Italy in a highly anticipated match at the PGE arena in Gdansk, Poland.

Some eyebrows were raised over Spain’s decision to not select a traditional striker in their lineup, playing in a formation very similar to that of prestigious club side Barcelona. With five of their starting players also plying their trade for Barcelona, Spain looked comfortable early on in the unorthodox formation and controlled the tempo of the game well.

Italy’s formation was also under scrutiny, with Italian manager Cesare Prandelli opting to use midfielder Daniele De Rossi in the rarely used sweeper position. The decision seemed to pay off early in the game as, despite Spain’s domination of possession, the Italian defense held strong against several Spanish attacks.

The first real chance of the game fell to the Italians when Antonio Cassano timed his run perfectly to collect the ball and advance into the Spanish penalty area. Although his low shot beat the diving Iker Casillas, it also drifted just wide of the post. Spain hit back with a chance of their own. After their corner was cleared by the Italian defense, the ball fell to Andres Iniesta outside of the penalty area and the midfielder hit a fierce shot towards the bottom corner of the goal, forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a good save.

As the first half went on, Italy seemed to grow into the game, threatening the Spanish goal on several occasions. Most notable was a stinging volley from Claudio Marchisio that Casillas did well to hold on to. Spain, meanwhile, seemed unable to break down the Italian defense with their Barcelona-esque style of play. The presence of Barcelona players Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas in the midfield was seemingly not enough to make up for the lack of a player of the caliber of Lionel Messi.

Spanish manager Vincente del Bosque would not have been pleased with the performance from his side at the half, with the Spaniards lucky to still be drawing 0-0 after Emanuele Giacherinni found Thiago Motta unmarked just eight yards out with a cross. His header was fired straight at Casillas and was not a problem for the Spanish goalkeeper.

Surprisingly, Spain did not bring on any of the three strikers on their bench during the interval, but the World Champions looked more threatening after the break with Fabreas testing Buffon early on. Minutes later, Iniesta seemed destined to score after breaking into the box, only for Buffon to get his fingertips to the ball and tip it wide for a corner.

With the game approaching the hour mark, controversial striker Mario Balotelli had the best opportunity to break the deadlock in the game thus far. Beating Sergio Ramos and progressing into the area unchallenged, he inexplicably held on to the ball for too long and allowed the recovering Ramos to get back and steal the ball from the Italian.

The lead was finally taken by Italy in the minute 60. Andrea Pirlo played a superb through ball for Antonio Di Natale, who was left one on one with Casillas and expertly curled his shot around the outstretched hands of the Spanish number one.

Clearly spurred on by the Italian goal, Spain struck back immediately, leveling the scores just two minutes later. Fabreas picked up a neat pass into the box from David Silva and smashed the ball beyond the reaches of Buffon, ensuring an exciting final 25 minutes.

The two goals certainly livened up the game, with both Fernando Torres and Sebastian Giovinco wasting good chances to give their sides the lead in the aftermath. Ultimately, neither side could find that bit extra to give themselves the three points.

Although Spain was favored going into the match, both sides will likely be content with the draw. Their remaining games, the Republic of Ireland and Croatia will likely pose less of a challenge than their opponents today. Spain and del Bosque will have to analyze whether their decision to play without a traditional striker was the right one before the next match, whilst Prandelli and Italy will be thrilled they defied expectations in avoiding defeat to the Spanish. He will want to see more of the same from his team in training if they are to continue in this form.

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After the drama that came out of Poland and Greece’s opening day match, Russia and the Czech Republic had a lot to measure up to in their first match of Euro 2012. Russia was able to come out on top with a 4-1 thrashing of the Czech Republic, which took them to the top of the group standings after the first day of play in the tournament and sent Czech down to the very bottom.

With rain coming down on the players at the Stadion Miejski, both teams started the game off very lively and positive. The Czech Republic held possession throughout the beginning of the first half, while Russia threw all their effort into set pieces and their counterattack.

It did not take too long for Russia to finally capitalize on the attack. Konstantin Zyryanov crossed the ball into the box in the 15^th minute, which Aleksandr Kerzhakov headed directly into the far post. This then went straight to Alan Dzagoev, who cleaned up the rebound that bounced right to him in front of the Czech Republic goal and gave Russia the 1-0 lead.

Nine minutes later, Russia came again on the counterattack to get their second goal. After Czech player Jaroslav Plasil lost possession in the midfield, Andrei Arshavin placed a perfect pass onto the boot of Roman Shirokov, who easily chipped the ball over the hesitant Czech goalkeeper into the back of the net to increase the score 2-0.

Russia’s deadly counterattack continued to break down the shaky Czech defense throughout the end of the first half; these attacks began with the talented Arshavin, who always seemed to be in control of the situation. However, many of these chances ended at the feet of Kerzhakov, who seemed unable to finish plays the entire match.

The Czech Republic began to show signs of life at the end of the first half; but, just like their opponent, they were unable to capitalize on their chances. This offensive mindset continued for the Czech Republic into the second half, where their efforts finally showed some reward in a goal scored by Vaclav Pilar. Pilar received a beautiful pass from Plasil, and then managed to get around Russian goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev to put the ball into the practically empty net. With the score only 2-1, it seemed as though the game was not going to end as it was expected to.

The goal from Pilar seemed to be a game changer, since the following several minutes played after the goal made Russia appear a very average team. The Czech Republic found their purpose, while the Russians tried to regain their footing.

With Czech beginning to throw almost every man behind the ball on the attack to get the equalizer, Russia was left with even more chances on the counter. However, Kerzhakov broke down his own team’s offense by sending his shots too wide or directly into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Kerzhakov was finally substituted in the minute 73 for Roman Pavlyuchenko, who Russian manager Dick Advocaat hoped would be able to help finish at least one of the many counter attempts that his team kept having. Six minutes later, Pavlyuchenko fed a beautiful pass to Dzagoev, who shot the ball past Petr Cech for his second goal of the night and gave Russia the 3-1 lead. Three minutes later, on another counter, Pavlyuchenko managed his way around four Czech defenders. He shot from 15 yards away, which got by the Czech goalkeeper to increase the lead to the final score of 4-1.

The more times the Czech’s pushed on the offensive, the more opportunities Russia had to capitalize on their deadly counterattack. This somewhat comfortable win brought Russia to the top of the group standings and sent the Czech Republic to the bottom. With the outcomes of the match between Poland and Greece, every team has a chance of surviving the group stages and making it to the quarterfinals.

Russia is set to play against Poland next Tuesday, while the Czech Republic ready to face Greece that same day.

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Group B of the European Championships got off to a competitive start when Denmark took on World Cup runners-up the Netherlands at Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The Dutch were favored heading into the match and started well, pressuring Denmark all over the pitch and causing a number of errors, but despite going close through both Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder, they were unable to break the deadlock.

The opening goal, against the run of play, fell to the Danes in the 24th minute when Michael Krohn-Dehli picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty box following a cross from Simon Poulsen, and burst past defender Ron Vlaar to fire the ball beneath the helpless Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal.

The Netherlands continued to threaten and should have equalized when Vlaar was left unmarked at a corner but his header went harmlessly wide of the goal. An even better opportunity beckoned minutes later when Danish goalkeeper Stephan Andersen attempted to pass to one of his defenders, but instead sent the ball straight to the feet of Arjen Robben, but the wingers’ curled effort hit the post to the relief of the travelling Danish fans.

The rest of the first half played out with the Netherlands in almost complete control of the game, repeatedly denied an equalizer by the impressive duo of Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer at the heart of the Denmark defense.

The Dutch onslaught continued at the beginning of the second half, Robben forcing Andersen into a good save to his right whilst Ibrahim Afellay was inches wide of the goal with his left footed strike from outside the area. Frustration from the Dutch players at their inability to break down a resolute Danish defense led to some poor passing from the Netherlands, gifting possession back to Denmark on more than one occasion and allowing the Danes to relieve some of the pressure being exerted on them.

With the Netherlands getting more desperate for a goal, they began to push more players forward and were only denied it by the heroics of Andersen, the goalkeeper coming out to smother the ball at the feet of Klaas Jan-Huntelaar, as the Dutch striker was readying himself to lift the ball over the rushing goalkeeper and towards the unguarded net.

Despite their best efforts, the slick passing game of the Dutch could not break down a well disciplined Danish side, and Denmark recorded a highly impressive 1-0 victory.

Denmark manager Morten Olsen will be thrilled with his sides’ victory, a feat even more impressive given that Group B has been dubbed the ‘Group of Death’ as it boasts European powerhouses the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal. The defensive work of Agger and Kjaer will have been particularly pleasing and will have given Olsen confidence that his side could also upset either Germany or Portugal and defy the odds by qualifying from Group B.

Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch manager, will be far less pleased as he watched his side slump to a 1-0 loss to a side they will consider inferior to themselves. This game will have been highlighted by coaches as a must win for the Netherlands and they will now face an uphill battle to qualify from the group as they take on one of the tournament favorites in Germany, and a skilful Portugal side led by the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The European Championships, a showpiece event in the soccer calendar that comes around just once every four years, has rightfully been hitting the headlines this week; however it has been for all the wrong reasons. Hosted in the Eastern European nations of Poland and Ukraine, serious concerns have been raised about the possibility of racist abuse against both visiting players and fans by a minority of local ‘fans’.

The tournament organizer, UEFA, has faced a high level of criticism for allowing these countries to host the tournament when racist and prejudicial behavior is displayed with alarming frequency in their stadiums. The BBC’s ‘Panorama’ show conducted a research into the behavior in stadiums of both Poland and Ukraine and the resulting television documentary shocked viewers. The documentary showed black players being subjected to monkey chants and thrown bananas, whilst some Asian fans were brutally attacked by other fans in the stadium and were given very little assistance by the stewards present at the game. There were also frequent incidents of anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi attitudes that also extended outside of the stadiums.

Whilst UEFA president Michel Platini has vehemently defended their decision to host the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, other soccer luminaries have condemned the decision and taken their own action. Former England centre-back Sol Campbell is one such person and has warned England fans of all ethnicities to stay at home and watch the tournament on television rather than risking abuse and violence by travelling to support the team. Controversial Italian striker Mario Balotelli also voiced discontent with UEFA’s decision, stating that if he is subjected to racist abuse whilst playing at the European Championships, he will simply walk off the pitch.

In the wake of these statements and similar comments from footballers of both past and present, Platini confirmed that any player walking off of the pitch because of racist abuse will be booked. Platini then qualified this by saying that referees would have the discretion to end a match prematurely if they believe racist abuse is occurring. Although Platini’s fairly cavalier attitude to a complex problem has won him very few fans in the last month, the ire of some fans was cooled by his declaration that referees would be able to stop matches early, and should do so, if witnessing racist abuse from fans.

This lessening of tensions did not last long however, with preparations for the opening game of the tournament between Poland and Greece overshadowed by claims the Dutch team were subject to racist chanting during their first open training session in the Polish city of Krakow. Although the Dutch FA will not file a complaint with UEFA, due to the presence of political chanting at the time also, the case has raised an ominous shadow over the entire tournament. All eyes will now be on both the training sessions and matches of the likes of England and France, both of whom have a large number of black players in their squads.

Needless to say, if there are any more reported cases of racism in either country, whether it be in a stadium and directed at players, or on the streets against fans of the visiting teams, strength will be lent to the condemnations of UEFA for allowing a tournament such as this to be hosted in these countries. Platini is likely to bear the brunt of these accusations and will not be able to use ignorance as an excuse, with concerns about racism in the Eastern European leagues having been well publicized for years now.

With UEFA firmly in the firing line should any further incidents occur, Platini and Co. will be watching on anxiously as the tournament moves into the group stages and will be hoping that the tournament will be remembered for its football and not its off-the-field controversies.

Image Courtesy Kancelaria Premiera 

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New York, U.S.A. – Sirius XM Radio has announced that it will offer live coverage of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly known as Euro 2012, offering play-by-play broadcasts of every match to listeners nationwide.

Sirius XM subscribers will have access to both English and Spanish-language broadcasts, provided by ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio, from the Group Stage matches starting Friday, June 8, through the Final on Sunday, July 1.

English-language broadcasts will air on Sirius channel 92 and XM channel 207. When two matches are being played simultaneously, the second game will air on ESPN Xtra, Sirius XM channel 85.

Listeners will get Spanish-language broadcasts of most matches. Those games can be heard on ESPN Deportes Radio, SiriusXM channel 149.

Euro 2012 play-by-play can also be heard on the Sirius XM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices and online at SiriusXM.com.

Euro 2012 will take place in eight host cities in Poland and Ukraine, with the champion being determined in a one match final in Kiev on July 1. A total of 16 national teams – the two host nations and 14 other qualifiers – from around Europe participate in the tournament with the winner gaining automatic entry in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Euro 2012 will feature Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, Ukraine, Sweden, France and England.

Soccer fans also get in-depth daily soccer talk throughout the tournament and all year long on Sirius channel 92 and XM channel 207. The Football Show, with hosts John Harkes, Ray Hudson, Charlie Stillitano and Neil Barnett, airs weekday mornings (7:00-9:00 am ET). Listeners can also hear Men in Blazers, hosted by Michael Davies and Roger Bennett (Mondays and Fridays, 9:00 am ET). SiriusXM’s soccer lineup also features several Talk Sport programs, the popular British-based sports talk network featuring some of the U.K.’s best radio hosts and former soccer stars, including former Manchester United and Tottenham forward Alan Brazil as well as Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.

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Cyprus, like all other Eurozone countries, has been struggling with debt and recession. However, due to the recent crisis in Greece it is looking more and more likely that Cyprus will be the next country requesting a bailout from the Eurozone, like Greece, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland have before them.

Cyprus has a total of 23 billion euros (US$29 billion) tied up in the Greek financial crisis. The second largest lender in Cyprus, Cyprus Popular Bank, lost 1.8 billion euro (US$2.2 billion) in Greek investments. The Cypriot government has since underwritten the 1.8 billion euro equity issue to help the bank raise capital from other investors, but if the bank is unable to raise the money from other investors by June 30, 2012, the government will have to put up the funds itself – an amount equal to a tenth of the Cypriot economy.

Talks about Greece leaving the euro currency are also making Cyprus more nervous. If Greece leaves the euro they will most likely switch back to the drachma. However, Greece will no longer have the advantage of other countries to appreciate the value of their currency even though they have a bad economy, meaning the drachma will be severely devalued in relation to the euro.

This devaluation will cause Greece to default on their loans to other countries including not only the bailout to the Eurozone, but also to Cyprus. President Demetris Christofias stated, “[Greece leaving the Eurozone and the euro currency] is something I hope will never happen.”

Cyprus and its banks have not been able to borrow on international markets since June of 2011 after two of the world’s top three credit raters gave Cyprus a junk status.

Since then Cyprus managed to borrow 2.5 billion euros (US$3.1 billion) from Russia which it has used to survive for the past year. Cyprus is trying to find another independent investor or country to loan them the 1.8 billion they need to save Cyprus Popular Bank and their economy. According to the Telegraph, Cyprus is in talks with China for another loan and possibly another undisclosed investor as well.

The European Commission has recommended that Cyprus make significant changes to its economy. Some of these changes include fixing its public finances, recapitalizing its banks, reforming labor and service markets, revitalizing the energy sector, updating education policy, and correcting pension and healthcare systems. Cyprus will release a new plan that will hopefully help them reach their deficit goal of 2.5% of GDP this year. Cyprus also hopes to keep its low 10% corporate tax to encourage financial investments.

If Cyprus is unable to receive another investment from an independent nation or investor or Greece leaves the euro, it will need to request a bailout from the Eurozone.

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In recent weeks Spain’s banking crisis has gone from bad to worse. Spain’s credit rating has recently been downgraded from an A to BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s because of the debt it will most likely take on from its banks and regional government failures. Spain is the fifth largest economy in the Eurozone, leaving many worrying about the ramifications of these recent developments on the rest of Europe.

Currently Spain’s deficit is too high for the Eurozone. The European Commission says that Spain can be given more time to reduce their deficit from the 8.9% of the GDP – as it stands currently – by 2013. However, the high deficit in Spain is causing fewer individuals and countries to risk investing in the country.

Bond yields in Spain are up to 6.7% meaning that they are high risk. Yields on bonds are higher when they are riskier because investors want a higher return if they are putting money into something that is unstable. In contrast the German and US bond yield is at 1.28% and 1.64% respectively. Therefore, instead of investing in Spain’s government bonds more people are investing in the US and Germany. However, this high bond yield also means that Spain will accumulate more debt and have to pay a higher interest when borrowing money.

Despite all recent efforts the Spanish economy is expected to shrink 1.8% this year alone and another 0.3% next year. However, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy insists that Spain will not require a bailout like Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, and Greece have needed; Spanish banks, on the other hand, have already asked for bailout money.

Bankia, a recently formed banking group of seven banks, asked for a 19 billion Euro bailout. Bankia originally reported a 309 million Euro profit for the year of 2011 when it actually had lost 2.98 billion euros. It is unknown as of yet how Spain will get the bailout money when it is already struggling under its own deficit.

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, has suggested that they use the Eurozone’s new 500 billion euro stability mechanism to inject some capital into the banks, but Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has already rejected the plan. Another option is for Spain to give Bankia government bonds to then trade with the European Central Bank (ECB) for money.

Although it has been reported that the ECB has already rejected this plan a recent article by the BBC claims that these reports are false and that the solution is not yet off the table. The European Commission has also suggested creating a “banking union” to monitor all Eurozone banks in the future.

In addition to struggling with the mounting bank debts, Spain is also forced to rescue several regional governments who are no longer capable of borrowing money. Several regional governments have gone bankrupt and rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor’s, have put these regions at junk status. Most recently Catalonia, the wealthiest autonomous region in Spain, has asked for help from the central government; Catalonia accounts for one-fifth of the Spanish economy.

Spain is giving these regions government-backed bonds which they can then use to borrow money. However, as stated previously, these bonds are at a high yield which makes this solution temporary. A Spanish economy ministry spokesperson stated, “the goal is to reduce the pressure on the regions, which is often greater than the pressure on the state in general, with some regions not ale to borrow on the market.”

Regional banks have tried to strengthen each other through mergers. Ibercaja, Liberbank, and Caja3 merged in late May to become more resilient. This merger created the seventh biggest lender in Spain with 120 billion euros in assets. Liberbank and Caja3 were previously mergers of four and three regional banks respectively.

Spain’s unemployment as of April is at 24.3%, the worst in the Eurozone – even worse than Greece. It is expected to climb to 25.1% by 2013 even with the recent precautions taken by the newly elected center-right government. Prime Minister Rajoy has made several labor market cuts including cutting back on severance pay and restricting inflation-linked increases in salary; these decisions have been unpopular with unions and workers. Spain’s high unemployment also means that there are fewer people who are paying higher tax rates or even paying taxes.

Spain’s economy is heavily tied to the economy of Italy, the fourth largest economy in Europe. These close ties lead investors to worry that if there is a run on the Spanish banks there will also be a run on the Italian banks, throwing both countries into a deeper crisis. Italy is now borrowing at a rate over 5.66%; borrowing at a consistent 7% rate is considered unstable and has triggered the bailouts for Greece, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland in the past.

The Spanish debt crisis was not caused by irresponsible government spending such as in Greece. Spain ran a balanced budget every year until the recession hit in 2008. The problems were planted when Spain joined the euro in 1999 and interest rates fell because Spain’s economy was good and other economies, such as the German economy, were not.

Investors wanted to invest in Spain which is what drove the interest rates lower. While the Spanish government resisted taking out more loans because of the cheaper interest rate the Spanish people did not. The country experienced a long housing boom that also affected the construction sector. When the recession hit, the housing and credit bubbles burst leaving many banks with toxic debt – debt that was unlikely to be repaid.

Image Courtesy of  Alberto Carrasco Casado

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Paul Krugman, one of the most famous economists in the world, recently claimed in an interview with the BBC that Greece’s best option is to leave the Euro. Krugman stated, “Greece was seriously, seriously irresponsible even during the good years.” He compared Greece’s spending to those of the US and other European nations and claimed that the irresponsible spending was “not to the same extent.”

Krugman explained that the problem for Greece is that it cannot print its own money which gives it an “enormous vulnerability.” Therefore Greece has two options: accept the demands that Germany is imposing on them in regards to lending or to leave the Euro. Krugman declared, “Greece must and will leave the Euro.”

However, Krugman also points out that it is difficult for any Greek politician to say that Greece should leave. In fact, Krugman believes “whoever says, ‘that’s it’ will have ended his career.” According to Krugman, Greece leaving the Euro could happen in a couple of weeks depending on the outcome of the Greek elections. The other option is that the European banks will eventually refuse to lend to Greece which will force it to create its own currency again.

Ultimately Krugman claims that this is the most desirable thing for the Greeks and for everyone else in the Eurozone. He believes that the main ramification will be the fact that the Euro membership is reversible. The greatest worry is that there will be a run on the Spanish and Italian banks. However, as long as the European Central Bank is willing to supply the Euros for this run there should not be a major problem.

In another interview with the Independent, Krugman also went more in depth as to who should be blamed for the Eurozone crisis. Krugman believes that the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 is what originally caused this crisis because it led the way for the use of a single currency in Europe.

Michalis Sarris, chairman of the Cyprus Popular Bank also commented on the possibility of Greece leaving the Euro on 17 May 2012. Sarris claimed that Greece leaving the Euro was not “inevitable” but was a “clear possibility.”

 Ultimately Cyprus hopes that Greece will recover without leaving the Euro because many of its finances are tied up in Greek investments. Sarris reported that the Cyprus Popular Bank suffered a loss of about 2 billion Euro do to the financial crisis in Greece. Sarris is hopeful and remains positive that Greece will be able to find a way out of this crisis without having to leave the Euro.

Paul Krugman is winner of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (informally the Nobel Prize in Economics), Princeton professor, and a columnist/blogger for the New York Times. His books include End This Depression Now! and The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008.

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The final group, including England & France, under the new guidance of Roy Hodgson, the Three Lions will face Euro 2000 champions France as well as Sweden and hosts Ukraine. But it’s not just England who have young talent flowing through their ranks, the other three sides will all have talent to look out for in June.

Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev & Ukraine)

This 22-year old is making big noises in Ukraine. Andriy Yarmolenko is a tricky left-footed winger and is approaching 100 appearances for his club. In those 84 games he’s managed 30 goals and broke on to the international scene in 2009. With 18 caps and 7 goals Yarmolenko is a dead cert to go to the EURO’s this summer and could be a dangerous customer for right-backs to deal with in Group D.

Emir Bajrami (Twente & Sweden)

There are some talented players coming through the Eredivisie right now and Emir Bajrami is one of them. The Swedish winger has attracted the interest from some of the top European clubs and will be a big threat in his national side in Ukraine.

After five years at Elfsborg, Bajrami made the move to FC Twente and scored his first goal for Sweden just a week later. He’s made 15 appearances for Sweden scoring 2 goals and could be in the starting XI when they face up to the hosts next month.

John Guidetti (Manchester City & Sweden)

John Guidetti may be on the City payroll, but not everybody will know who this young striker is. Guidetti has been out on loan at Feyenoord and has made a big impact in Holland. He’s got 20 goals in 23 games and made his international debut this year, giving him a fighting chance of getting a spot on the plane next month.

He’ll be returning to Manchester soon and may find it difficult to break through with the array of talent ahead of him at the Etihad, but if Guidetti was to go elsewhere he looks like he could be a steal for a team that creates chances because Guidetti is a goal scorer.

Oliver Giroud (Montpellier & France)

If anyone can stop the drought of goals that France seems to be suffering with at major tournaments recently, it could be this young man. Oliver Giroud has come to the attention of several top clubs and has been scouted extensively by Liverpool.

He began to make a name for himself in France with Tours where he scored 38 goals in 69 games before getting a move to Montpellier. One of the key men in their rise up the Ligue 1 table, his 37 goals there brought him to the attention of Laurent Blanc last year, and he’s already scored for France after just three appearances. He could be an outsider to be a big hit at this year’s tournament.

Kyle Walker (Tottenham & England)

Because I know much more about my country’s national side than I do with the other 15 teams, I could obviously have named any amount of players that we could take to Ukraine this summer, but I’m going to focus on two. Kyle Walker has just won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and could be England’s starting right-back at this summer’s championships.

With Micah Richards struggling with injuries and Glen Johnson out of form, Walker looks almost certain to go to the EURO’s and will most likely be in the first XI. With bags of pace, a good future and apparently a great free-kick, Walker will be one to watch this summer…plus he’ll have to deal with Yarmolenko and Baljrami!

Danny Welbeck (Manchester United & England)

Danny Welbeck has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years. A loan spell at Sunderland last season did wonders for his form and confidence and he’s become a first choice in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side this season, becoming the main partner for Wayne Rooney.

With Rooney suspended for England’s two opening games, Welbeck seems the likely choice to lead the line against France and Sweden. His goalscoring return isn’t that of a clinical striker, but he’s chipped in and has proven to be a great team player for United. Can he be the man to fire England to glory?

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Kyiv, Ukraine – “Ukraine is a safe country. In this regard, the situation is alike to that in Germany or Switzerland. Everything is going to be okay,” said Martin Kallen, UEFA operations director, in his interview with German sports magazine Kicker, reports SID. The official noted that safety level of EURO 2012 would be top notch.

As part of EURO 2012 preparations, Ukrainian authorities have taken a number of measures aimed at providing safety during the upcoming football championship.

On April 17, 2012, Ukraine opened the Headquarters for international cooperation concerning safety during EURO 2012 in Kyiv. Rapid response and analytical teams at the Headquarters will resolve any pending emergencies during the championship.

In February 2012, Ukrainian delegation visited London to take safety tips from the British as they were preparing for the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs created the lists of football hooligans (persons, previously charged with public offence at football matches), particularly ultras, in order to prevent possible clashes between the fans.

Moreover, Ukraine adopted a law that stipulates the persons ruled ineligible to visit football matches in their country of residence might be declined the right to enter Ukraine. Consequently, some fans will not be allowed to visit the country during June of 2012.

Curiously, over the last three years French gendarmerie has been providing training for the Ukrainian internal troops in order to enable them to assist the local police during EURO 2012.

The representatives of law enforcement agencies of the countries participating in EURO 2012 will come to Ukraine to assist Ukrainian police in ensuring safety during the matches. Besides the actual police forces, more than 4,000 stewards will maintain safety at the stadiums.

28 aircrafts, 16 helicopters, and 10 surface-to-air missile systems will guard EURO 2012 host cities, as well as the borders of the country.

UEFA will take charge of the stadiums hosting EURO 2012 on May 11th.

Image Courtesy of  Peter Scholz / Shutterstock.com

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On Tuesday May 1st, Roy Hodgson was named the new England manager, replacing Fabio Capello ahead of Euro 2012 this summer.

Hodgson met with the Football Association on Monday April 30th after being publicly announced as the leading and only candidate for the job. Talks continued into the following day, before Hodgson was called in front of the  media, as the FA confirmed his appointment.

The decision was met with some disapproval from the public, whom the majority of, had expected Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp to lead the country to the Euro’s in Poland/Ukraine this summer, after he had publicly declared his interest and desire to succeed Capello. Despite having successful stints at both Fulham and West Brom in England, Hodsgon has often been condemned for his poor reign at Liverpool, during which the 64 year old commanded a 35% win ratio, winning 7, drawing 4 and losing 9 of the twenty league matches under his stewardship.

Unsurprisingly, this poor run of form led to Hodgson’s dismissal and an immediate battering from the nations press. Despite this low point in Hodgson’s career, the remarkable story of what the Englishman has achieved prior to his management in England is impressive.

After a less than exciting playing career, Hodgson landed his first managerial role at Swedish side Halmstad BK, staying there for 5 years. In the years spent in Scandinavia, Hodgson managed to guide Halmstad  BK to their first championship title in what was considered an unbelievable achievement with a side that was tipped by many for relegation.

Following his success in Sweden, Hodgson was offered the opportunity to return to England with Bristol City, initially as assistant manager before taking the full time managers job shortly after. Despite his excitement at the role, Hodgson’s homecoming was unsuccessful, prompting an immediate return to Sweden.

Hodgson first job upon his return was at Oddevold before moves to Orebro and Malmo helped consolidate his Swedish legacy. His biggest achievement after his move back to Sweden was the five consecutive titles won with Malmo, after which he was offered a lifetime contract, an offer he politely declined.

After all the success in Sweden, extremely high taxes of around 65% saw Hodgson leave the country for Switzerland in search of a more financially rewarding home. Hodgson took over at Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax, leading the club to impressive European victories over Spanish giants Real Madrid and Celtic. Despite reasonable success with his new side during two years, Hodgson welcomed the prospect of managing the Swiss national side after being approached by the Swiss FA.

In his three years as the coach of the national side, Hodgson managed to secure qualification for World Cup 1994, losing only one game in a group that contained Portugal and eventual finalist Italy. During this magnificent run, Switzerland lost only once, rising through the FIFA World Rankings, sitting as high as third in the world at one point, a remarkable achievement for the Swiss and Hodgson himself. During the tournament in the USA, Switzerland made it to the last 16, where they were eliminated by a strong Spain side, in what was a definitive moment in Swiss soccer.

Following on from the World Cup, Switzerland, under Hodgson, sailed through qualification for the European Championship, held in England, only to see their iconic manager leave after calls from Italian giants Inter Milan.

After a less than successful, if glamorous stint in Italy, Hodgson was brought back to England with Blackburn Rover, leading this one time Premier League champions to sixth and qualification for the UEFA Cup. Despite this, Blackburn struggled the following season and Hodgson was relieved of his duties in November 1998.

This dismissal was followed by spells as caretaker at former club Inter Milan, Grasshopper, Copenhagen and Udinese. With some of these stints more successful than others, Hodgson found himself again in International management, as the new coach of the United Arab of Emirates. Hodgson spent two years in charge of both the senior and Olympic sides and despite initially struggling, Hodgson felt enriched after the experience.

 ”That was a period where I didn’t know where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you and it was good to know I could get my message to players who many say are uncoachable. It’s hard work; they’re basically lazy. But I had them drilled and pressuring opponents almost like an English team. Most coaches who go there are just fannying around, but it’s not my nature” he said.

After leaving the U.A.E. and serving a short stay at Danish side Viking, Hodgson was appointed as the new manager of Finland. Despite failing to qualify for Euro 2008, Hodgson was praised by the nation for organizing their side in such a way that they could now develop and prosper under new management. After his contract ran out and the best effort from the Finnish FA to extend the said contract, Hodgson found himself back in England, as manager of Fulham.

In what was considered by many to be a somewhat surprise appointment, Hodgson, against all the odds managed to keep Fulham in the Premier League in his debut season, a feat which was epitomized by Fulham’s four victories in their final five games. The  following seasons saw a huge improvement by Hodgson’s men as they finished in a record high position of 7th, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.

Hodgson’s third year in charge proved to be the most successful, with Fulham enjoying an incredible European adventure, which saw them defeat holders Shaktar Donetsk, German side Wolfsburg and Italian giants Juventus, coming back from 4-1 on aggregate to win 5-4 after both legs. Despite their incredible journey, Fulham lost in the final to Atletico Madrid, 2-1.

At the end of that year, following Fulham’s season defining European run and their solid 12th place finish, Hodgson received the LMA manager of the year award. This achievement led to increasing speculation of a move away from Craven Cottage, rumors which soon materialized into his fatal spell at Liverpool.

Despite his apparent failure at Anfield, Hodgson has been able to revive his reputation in England, leading relegation threatened West Bromwich Albion to back to back mid-table finishes, as the Midlands side look to consolidate their Premier League status.

This remarkable career seems to have peaked with Hodgson’s appointment as England manager. Although the majority of the public and even some players seemed to be backing Harry Redknapp for the job, Hodgson’s wealth of experience, both at club soccer and internationally, stands the former Switzerland boss in good stead for his new position.

The press conference itself and images surfacing from shortly after his assignment, captured an Englishman delighted at the opportunity to lead his nation into a major tournament and an individual determined to do his very best to succeed where so many before him have failed.

Image Courtesy of   ajlisss

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Despite Group B containing the likes of Germany, Portugal and Holland, Group C will also show off a number of young stars in Poland and Ukraine this summer. Current holders as well as World Cup winners Spain are the favorites, but they’ll face stiff competition from Italy, Ireland and Croatia in what promises to be a close group.

Jordi Alba (Valencia & Spain)

He is Barcelona through and through, apart from the fact he plays for Valencia. The talented left-back grew up in Catalonia and played for the Barca youth team, but Alba has come to be noticed with his defensive and attacking performances for Valencia in the last couple of years. He’s still only 23 and seems almost certain for a move to Barcelona sooner rather than later.

His international career has only just begun going though, Alba has made 3 appearances for the national team starting last year, but with left-back possibly the only position Spain lacks a definite starter in, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Alba in that position when Spain kicks off against Italy in June.

Iker Muniain (Athletic Club & Spain)

The little 19-year old is being touted as the next big thing, Muniain’s name was known before this season, but two performances against Manchester United in the Europa League really brought him to prominence. He’s not a prolific goal scorer but the winger is creative and quick. He won’t be a starter for Spain this summer, and he might not even make the squad such is the talent flowing through the Spanish ranks, but he made his international debut this year and definitely has a shot at boarding the plane in a few months.

Javi Martinez (Athletic Club & Spain)

Another one of Athletic’s prodigies, Javi Martinez is a little ahead of Iker Muniain. The 23-year old has already made over 100 appearances for the La Liga side and captained the Spanish U21 side to the U21 European Championship title last summer. The defensive midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League and seems destined to become a top midfielder.

His international career is also ahead of Muniain. He’s only made 7 caps, but he made his debut back in 2010, and, like Muniain, may not even make the plane this summer. Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso & Sergio Busquets is tough competition to get in on but if Martinez does go to the EURO’s this summer, he’s sure to do himself justice.

Fabio Borini (AS Roma & Italy)

Similar to Portugal, there’s not a great deal of youth flowing through the current Italy squad, but if there is one man who could make an impact in a side looking to recover from an embarrassing World Cup campaign, it’s Fabio Borini. The 21-year old never really got a chance to impress at Chelsea, but he has had 9 goals in 19 appearances for Roma this season and has put himself in contention for the Italy squad this summer.

His impact didn’t go unnoticed by his national side, and Borini made his senior debut for Italy this year against the USA. Like others mentioned so far, Borini’s not certain to be on the plane to Eastern Europe this summer, but if Italy are to look towards a more youthful approach, Borini might be the man.

James McClean (Sunderland & Ireland)

Here’s a name who might be more familiar to the majority of readers. Premier League winger, James McClean, has a real chance of going to the EURO’s this summer. He was bought last summer but didn’t make an appearance until Steve Bruce was sacked, making his debut shortly after 2012 began well for McClean. He started his first game on January 1st, and impressed in the victory over Manchester City.

Since then, McClean has gone on to give many defenders issues and has been key to Sunderland’s climb up the table. Like Borini, McClean has gotten one international cap but has put himself in contention and Ireland would be unwise not to take a chance on him this summer.

Sime Vrsaljko (Dinamo & Croatia)

Football Manager fans rejoice! Vrsaljko may be unheard of in real life to many, but in Croatia he and a few other young players have been making waves and giving themselves a chance at a spot in the squad for this summers tournament. Vrsaljko is one of them. The Dinamo right-back has made 45 appearances for his club and this season has broken into the Croatia squad on three occasions.

He’s definitely one for the future but there’s no reason why Sime can’t make the plane this summer, along with a few other starlets.

Milan Badelj (Dinamo & Croatia)

Milan Badelj is 23 but still has a big future ahead of him. The creativity at the hub of Dinamo’s domestic success, Badelj has already surpassed 150 appearances for his club, and has 30 goals to show for it. Like his younger team-mate, Badelj also has three caps for Croatia, but playing further up the field he’s already scored his first goal for the national side.

Badelj is another one of those who could be on the fringes of the squad this summer, but like many other teams, Croatia could look towards youth sooner rather than later, and if they do, Badelj & Vrsaljko may be at the very top of the list.

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Part two of our feature of players to watch at EURO 2012 takes us to Group B, the group of death. Denmark may have their fair share of talented young players coming through for this summer, but being put up against many people’s favorites (Germany, Holland, and Portugal) will make this group undoubtedly the most entertaining in the tournament. Here are eight possible players to keep an eye out for in Poland and Ukraine.

Kevin Strootman (PSV & Holland)

Kevin Strootman may already be 22, but that does not mean his potential is fulfilled already. The PSV midfielder has attracted the interest of top Premier League clubs and has had a meteoric rise since he left relegated Sparta Rotterdam 18 months ago. One season at Utrecht was enough to catch the eye of PSV, who took him on last season, and he has already made an impact in Holland.

Strootman broke into the Holland set-up last year and has made 11 appearances, making him almost certain to be going to the EUROs this summer. If Holland is to challenge for the tournament, nevermind making it out of a very tough group, Strootman in the midfield will be a key aspect of their side.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel (Sporting Lisbon & Holland)

The brilliantly named Ricky Van Wolfswinkel is another of the boys from Utrecht who has carried on building their reputation before being linked with every top Premier League club. Van Wolfswinkel moved to Sporting Lisbon last summer and has scored nine goals since. Like Strootman, he has all but claimed his place at EURO 2012.

The striker has been strongly linked with Manchester United and Tottenham, and if he continues to impress on the big stage this summer, the likes of him and Strootman could be the new generation of Dutch stars that bring silverware back to their country.

Daniel Wass (Evian & Denmark)

This may be one you have not heard of before, but right-back Daniel Wass is progressing nicely through his career at the moment. After impressing at home in Denmark for Brondby, Wass had done enough to attract the interest of Benfica. The Portuguese side snapped him up last summer, but loaned him out immediately to French side Evian. Wass has made eighteen appearances for the Ligue 1 side so far and has scored three goals from his attacking full-back role.

He does not have a guaranteed place in the Danish squad for the summer and has only made four international appearances. However, his impressive performances in France and his growing reputation means we could see a bit more of the 22-year-old in Poland and Ukraine.

Christian Eriksen (Ajax & Denmark)

My next few names seem painfully obvious, but it would be rude not to mention them anyway. Another one of the young Danish contingents who is certain to go to EURO 2012 is Christian Eriksen. The Ajax superstar came to the front last year when he started to impress in Holland and began to make an impact on the international stage. He has already claimed 21 caps for Denmark and will be central to his country’s hopes of progressing from a tough group this summer.

Eriksen is linked with almost every major club in Europe at the moment. If he does have an impressive summer, it is hard to imagine the little play-maker will still be at Ajax come the start of the new season.

Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen & Germany)

All the talk in Germany at the moment surrounds the excitement of Borussia Dortmund star Mario Goetze and their future star Marco Reus, but one man who has been making great progress for Bayer Leverkusen is Andre Schurrle.

Starting his career at Mainz, Schurrle soon was the center of attention and got a move to Leverkusen last summer. He has made more progress with the German giants this season and broke onto the international scene impressively, scoring five goals in his mere twelve caps for Germany.

Despite that, Schurrle is not a likely starter for Germany this summer, but it would be a surprise if he was not included in the squad and given some sort of role in the tournament.

Marco Reus (Gladbach & Germany)

I say Gladbach, but Marco Reus will be joining the ever-impressive Borussia Dortmund in the summer to play alongside the other German star, Goetze. He has scored 34 goals for Gladbach at the age of 22 and is another who might not make the German XI, but will surely make the final squad. Dortmund will be happy they already have him signed and sealed for next season, as he is sure to attract a lot of attention this summer.

There are only four appearances for Germany, but Reus has a big future. EURO 2012 may be the opportunity for the attacker to make an impact with Germany looking to replace the likes of Miroslav Klose et al., sooner rather than later.

Mario Goetze

The final of the new German threesome who will shake up EURO 2012 this summer is Mario Goetze, and he may be the most impressive of the three. Already a first teamer at German champions Dortmund, Goetze will be the subject of much interest this summer and could find himself in the first XI in Poland and Ukraine.

Goetze may not be at Dortmund for very much longer, although with the German side about to seal another Bundesliga title, maybe they can convince Mario to put off the attractions of Europe’s finest for one more season. However, an impressive tournament may put into play any plans Dortmund had to hang onto the midfielder.

Nelson Oliveira (Benfica & Portugal)

There probably will not be an awful lot different about Portugal’s squad compared to that of the 2010 World Cup. Nelson Oliveira is not even guaranteed to get a spot in the squad, in all honesty, but he did finally get his international debut this year, so will definitely be in contention. He is not a prolific goalscorer, but a hard worker upfront and holds the ball up well.

He scored in the Champions League last month to put Benfica through to the Champions League Quarter-Finals, and we might see a bit more of Oliveira this summer if Portugal feels the need to take him.

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First of a four part feature as we look at the top young players who will grace the eight stadiums in Poland and Ukraine this summer, some will make the final grade for their countries this year but some may not even make the final squads, going to show the growing competition for places in 23-man squads is ever increasing. First up, Group A, consisting of hosts Poland, 2004 winners Greece, Russia and Czech Republic.

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal & Poland)

Ok, so most of you know who Szczesny is, he’s become Arsenal’s No.1 over the past 18 months, and has become one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. Considering his age, it’s clear to see that Szczesny will be a star for the long-term future, but he’s included in our feature because it will be his first appearance at a major international tournament.

His shot-stopping abilities have kept Arsenal in many games and have saved them many points over the course of the season, and his relaxed personality has even endeared him to fans of other clubs.

Poland face an uphill task to qualify from their group, but not an impossible one. The Czech’s have fallen from grace over time, Russia are unpredictable and Greece do not have much to offer if the World Cup is anything to go by. But if Poland are to qualify from Group A, Szczesny will have a big hand (or two) in whether they do or they don’t.

Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund & Poland)

At the other end of the pitch, there is a rapidly developing striker who could cause a stir in Europe this summer. Despite being 23, Lewandowski has been around for a few years now and first came to knowledge of the top European teams when at Lech Poznan, scoring 32 goals in 58 games, which was enough for Borussia Dortmund to snap the Pole up in 2010. Since then he’s become a proven goalscorer in the Bundesliga, with 27 goals in just over 60 appearances for Dortmund.

On the international scene, Lewandowski has also impressed, making his Poland debut at just 19 and scoring 13 goals for his country. It is almost certain Lewandowski will lead the line for Poland this summer, and if Szczesny can do the business at one end, Robert could be the man to lead Poland into the knockouts.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke 04 & Greece)

It is depressing to think Papadopoulos is younger than me, yet almost certain to play at the European Championships this summer. The defender has impressed many around Europe in the last few years, and whilst at Schalke the 6 foot centre-back has been linked with plenty of top clubs around the continent. He’d only made 12 appearances for Olympiakos when the German side took him on, but Papadopoulos has put in several classy performances for Schalke recently and made his international debut last year.

Despite just seven international caps, Papadopoulos is one of the highest rated defenders in Europe and I’m almost certain he’ll travel to Poland/Ukraine this summer, perhaps his performances will finally guarantee him that move to a bigger club.

Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow & Russia)

Alan Dzagoev is only 21, yet it seems like we’ve heard his name thrown around as a top talent for years. He’s already made over 100 appearances for CSKA Moscow, and wasn’t even 18 when named the best young player of the year in Russia’s top league in 2008. The creative midfielder has been linked with Man United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Barcelona and almost every other top club in Europe, but he has remained loyal to Moscow for now.

With 18 caps and four goals for Russia, Dzagoev is improving all the time and will no doubt be the cog in Russia’s midfield this summer, with plenty of creativity around him, it could be another successful Euro’s for the Russian side in 2012.

Tomas Necid (CSKA Moscow & Czech Republic)

They must be breeding them well in Moscow, as our final player to watch from Group A also plays for CSKA. Tomas Necid may not be as well known as Dzagoev, but his impact in Russia is just as well-known. The 22-year old started at Slavia Prague and impressed enough for CSKA to buy him in 2009. He has not been prolific in Russia, but 19 goals in 68 games is steady progress for someone who isn’t guaranteed a regular starting place.

He’s got seven in 25 for Czech Republic but has yet to participate in a major tournament, but with Czech Republic struggling for prolific strikers, it would not surprise us to see Necid heavily involved this summer and could be the man to fire his nation to better things in 2012.

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Stuart Pearce’s tenure as England manager started with a last gasp defeat after his side came back from 2-0 down in the dying minutes, only to be denied in the last minute by a deflected Arjen Robben effort. Two goals in two minutes from Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had given Holland a commanding lead, but late goals from Gary Cahill and Ashley Young seemed to have given England a draw. But straight from the kick-off, Robben curled the ball home via Cahill’s head to ensure Holland walked away with the victory.

It was an even start as both sides felt each other out early on, Arjen Robben causing the most problems for England, testing Joe Hart out and running at Micah Richards. England linked up well, Danny Welbeck dropping deep to aid play but Holland stood tall with De Jong and Van Bommel coming out on top in the midfield battle in the early stages.

New captain Scott Parker was making his presence felt, launching himself in front of two powerful shots which were goal bound. The game was majorly played in midfield in the first half an hour, and England had to make a change with Steven Gerrard being replaced by Daniel Sturridge. The Liverpool skipper had played 120 minutes on Sunday, and there was no need to take any risks on the midfielder.

England perhaps felt they had momentum as the first half came to a close, but Stekelenburg had nothing major to do in the Holland goal as the game reached the halfway point. James Milner replaced Gareth Barry at half-time, with Huntelaar and Schaars replacing Van Persie and Pieters for the away side.

Daniel Sturridge had been England’s brightest spark since coming on, and he forced Stekelenburg in to an early save in the second half, but the Roma number one got down well to push the shot away. But Holland weren’t playing the game lying down, England’s attacking football allowed space to open up for the visitors, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar went close with a rasping 20-yard effort as the game began to stretch.

And the open game played right in to Holland’s hands when Arjen Robben picked the ball up unmarked inside his own half, running to the edge of the England box and firing the ball low beyond a sprawling Joe Hart.

England were on the back foot and Holland pounced straight away, Dirk Kuyt’s pinpoint cross finding Huntelaar who made it 2-0. Attention turned to the aftermath of the goal as Chris Smalling and Huntelaar lay sprawled on the pitch, both bleeding badly after a clash of heads, Smalling was stretchered off and replaced by fellow United defender Phil Jones, whilst Huntelaar also had to be replaced after just fifteen minutes, Twente’s Luuk De Jong taking his place.

During the stoppage, Stewart Downing also entered the fray replacing Adam Johnson, and almost had an instant impact, volleying wide from inside the box. England seemed to have lost their way slightly, but Sturridge missed a glorious chance when Leighton Baines’ miss-hit reached the Chelsea striker. He only managed to scuff it in to the hands of Stekelenburg.

Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell came on for his senior debut with ten minutes to go, but the game was already beyond an England side struggling to cope with Holland’s counter attacks. It was time for some cheer when Gary Cahill of all people was put through, before turning inside and slotting the ball into the net to give the home crowd something to shout about. Replays showed the Chelsea defender may have been offside.

The goal rejuvenated England but Sturridge limped off after trying to get in the way of a Dirk Kuyt effort, Theo Walcott his replacement for the last couple of minutes. Four minutes of stoppage time proved enough time for England to grab an equaliser as Phil Jones found United team mate Ashley Young who dinked the ball beautifully over the onrushing Stekelenburg to level the scores in a dramatic turnaround.

The drama didn’t end there. In the 92nd minute Holland went straight up the other end, Emanuelson’s cross finally found its way through to Arjen Robben, the winger cutting inside and his shot took a crucial deflection off Cahill and Holland were once again in front in an enthralling match. The action ended there as Stuart Pearce’s first game ended in defeat, despite a valiant effort from the home side to come back from 2-0 down.

England: Hart, Richards, Cahill, Smalling (Jones 64), Baines, Gerrard (Sturridge 32 (Walcott 88)), Parker, Barry (Milner 46), Johnson (Downing 65), Welbeck (Campbell 80), Young. Subs: Green, Cole, Lescott, Carson.

Netherlands: Stekelenburg, Boulahrouz (Vlaar 82), Heitinga, Mathijsen, Pieters (Schaars 46), Van Bommel, De Jong, Robben, Sneijder (Emanuelson 76), Kuyt, van Persie (Huntelaar 46 (de Jong 64)). Subs: Krul, Strootman, Wijnaldum, Bruma, John, Narsingh.

Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)

Attendance: 76,238

Image Courtesy of  fstockfoto / Shutterstock.com

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After an entire game of attack and tension, France reached its goal of a spot at the European Football Championship 2012 by tying with Bosnia Herzegovina in the minute 77, by a penalty.

During the first half of the match, the Bosnian team showed an incredible counterattack, putting a lot of pressure on France while maintaining resistance on their own front.

France has already won two Eurocup titles; first in 1984 in France, and then in 2000 in Belgium and The Netherlands.

In the first half of the game, 39 minutes in, the Bosnian team scored the first goal of the game by Edin Dzeko. France’s defense remained strong, but it needed an alternative for the pass to reach for the goal. On the second half of the game, France showed an incredible pressure, not stopping and making several goal attempts, attacking continuously the Bosnian goalkeeper.

Bosnia and Herzegovina under manager Safet Sušić was classifying for the victory but on the 77th minute, France scored a penalty by Nasri, tying with their opponents. Bosnia Herzegovina did not show the same energy in the second half of the game. On the contrary, France reacted to the first half, regrouped and started to attack constantly.

The end of the match was a positive results for the French team, placing them inside the Eurocup. The Euro 2016 hosting has already been given to France.

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