8.25.2012
Neil Armstrong, Legend, Dead at 82
When people look back at the American Era in history, without question one of the grandest feats of the age will be the landing of men on the moon. Neil Armstrong, the first of those intrepid travelers to step onto lunar soil, has died today at the age of 82.
"Legend" is one of those words that has evolved into a bit of a watered-down cliche in modern times, liberally applied to athletes and people doing foolish things on YouTube, but make no mistake: the first man to set foot on the surface of a celestial body other than the earth is legendary.
In a time when humanity applies its intellectual gifts to developing more technologically advanced ways of cramming advertising down the throats of consumers, or to inventing new ways to lustily suck every last drop of oil from the ground so we can burn it, it is good for us to remember that we used to shoot for the stars.
Godspeed Mr. Armstrong.
8.21.2012
Nike Air Force 1 Wolf Grey
AF1s with tonal grey upper along with hot pink and royal blue accents. This shoe is murdered out and I'm buying it, so get your grubby mitts off. It isn't available anywhere at any price. GO AWAY I SAY.
via sneakerfreaker.com
7.24.2012
Banksy in London for the Olympics
Banksy has just posted two pieces celebrating the Games of the XXX Olympiad. Big fan of the javelin missile.
7.11.2012
The Shard
A "supertall" skyscraper project on the southern bank of the Thames, The Shard, AKA London Bridge Tower, has topped out at 1,016 feet just in time for the opening of the London Summer Olympics. It has 72 habitable floors and is currently the tallest building in Europe, although Moscow has three projects in the works that will surpass it, if completed.
The tower features retail space, restaurants, offices, a hotel, private residences, and four floors of observation deck. The website is really well done, and I recommend a gander at the 360 panorama of London town (though the resolution is disappointing).
Designed by Renzo Piano--who is Italian, in case there was some confusion--The Shard is a really striking addition to London's generally underwhelming skyline (not due to a lack of interest in blowing up the skyline, simply because the London council want to preserve the old and blah blah blah).
I've been watching this one go up for years, and I'm really pleased to see it come to fruition. While detractors may claim that its 1984 monolithic aesthetic is a bit cold, I really enjoy the contrast with the rest of London; a modern obelisk in a historic city.
On the down side, there's...this video. What the hell am I looking at here? Is this another Tron remake? Am I supposed to be awed? Inspired? Terrified? Because I'm none of those things. Just disappointed.
6.20.2012
Train Pieces by Aware
A spread by Aware from this month's goods on Art Crimes, who I will always love because they have not done a damn thing with their site layout since I started visiting in '99.
All artwork is copyright © 2012 Aware. Photos thanks to Jaber.
via artcrimes
Canon MR (Mixed Reality) System
Japanese electronics firm Canon has developed what could potentially be a huge breakthrough in industrial design: the Mixed Reality system. For my scifi peeps out there this is halfway between the Gibson in Hackers and the setup at the precog unit in Minority Report. If that doesn't help, allow me to explain a little further:
Virtual Reality, or VR, completely immerses you in an electronically created visualization. Mixed Reality projects electronic elements over the actual surroundings of the user in real time and, as you can see from the images above, to manipulate those elements with a wand-looking thingamajiggy. If that is still confusing, the diagram below probably won't help, and you might just want to ignore the fact that you started reading this post in the first place.
So practically speaking, as you can see from the pics, one theoretical application of the MR technology is for the design of automobiles. Prototyping can be an extremely expensive part of the enterprise, and Canon aims to cut big chunks out of that part of the budget with this system. Other applications mentioned are the layout of machinery in a factory for optimum efficiency and safety, and also virtual surgical procedures.
If it were up to me I'd wear my MR around the house and pretend I had lots of cool stuff like an indoor particle accelerator and a pet elephant seal. Sadly, given the novelty of the technology and its intended markets, I fear I may be priced out of the bargain.
Check out the link here for a video, which Canon does not want me to embed.
The MR System is scheduled for launch in late July of this year and the cost will be determined by the breadth of the application the client is buying it for, or something like that.
via core77
6.15.2012
Aftonbladet Mocks English Tabloids
Ahead of today's Euro 2012 match between Sweden and England, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet provided this cover for its sports section. Predicting a 5-0 win for Sverige, the paper also prognosticates on the potential covers of the most infamous of the English tabloids.
Well played.
6.07.2012
The American’s Guide to Adopting a (European) Football Team: Euro 2012 Edition (Part 3)
Alrighty sports fans, this is the final installment of my Euro 2012 primer for Americans who don't know shit about football. The games get under way in just under 12 hours, and I am freakin stoked. Cheers!

Poland: One of the
host countries for this year’s tournament, the Poles have every chance of
riding their home field advantage into the knockout rounds. Watch out for Robert Lewandowski in attack,
the Manchester United target scored 22 times for his club team Borussia
Dortmund in the German league this year.
Another one to watch is Łukasz Piszczek, who also plays for Borussia
Dortmund, and is arguably the best right back in the Bundesliga. The final key cog is goalkeeper Wojciech
Szczesny of English team Arsenal, who is the subject of a humorous .GIF I have
displayed below.
Czech Republic:
The Czech team is coming down from the rarefied heights of a legitimate Golden
Generation to a more sober existence in the middle of the pack in Europe. Players to watch are Milan Baros, who is a
top shelf striker when he’s healthy and playing well (neither of which seems to
be true of him at the moment), Tomas Rosicky, who had a good year in midfield
for his club team Arsenal, and goalkeeper Petr Cech, who has been in the
conversation about the best goalie in the world for the last several years.
Greece: The Greeks
are derided for their defensive counterattacking style, but it won them the
Euros in 2004, so they seem to know what they’re doing. They are an older team, and will rely heavily
on striker Giorgios Samaras to poach goals whenever possible. Kyriakos Papadopoulos is one of the young
guns in the side and will be looking to make an impact in defense. Veteran midfielder Giorgos Karagounis has
loads of experience and the Greeks will need every inch of it.
The Greeks...man they are really boring to watch. Giorgios Samaras does look a bit like Jesus though, so if you're into that sort of thing, or cheering for guys who like like they should be schlepping falafel instead of playing footy, I guess this is your team. Who knew?
Denmark: Poor
Denmark. Despite having a strong squad
anchored by top talent like Christian Poulsen, Dennis Rommedahl, and Daniel Agger
(oh FINE and Nicklas Bendtner), the Danes have found themselves smack dab in
the middle of the Group of Death. Games
against Holland, Portugal, and Germany will all be brutal tests, with the likelihood
being a group stage exit.
Croatia: Head
coach who smokes, red and white-checkered jerseys, and Luka Modric are three
reasons that Croatia are the hipster pick of this tournament. Full of quality but less attractive than
their Group C rivals Spain and Italy, Croatia are the edgy pick to the sure
things and the sentimental default (Ireland).
The Croats are fairly well loaded with experienced talent: Darijo Srna,
the captain, has vast international and top club level experience and will be
the pillar that holds it all up. Luka
Modrić, one of the most gifted playmakers in the game, will play just in front
of him with Brazilian transplant Eduardo and Nikica Jelavić try to find the
goals.
Ireland: The Irish
are going to have a rough time in this group.
They might be able to get one good result, but it seems unlikely that
they’re going to make it to the later rounds.
They do have some talent: Shane Long had a breakout season for his club team
in England, West Brom, but he is the lone young gun surrounded by a cadre of
aging stars like Shay Given, Richard Dunne, John O’Shea, Damien Duff, and
Robbie Keane.
While it’s fair to wonder if they’ve got enough left in the tank after a long season, this is Ireland’s first major tournament since 2002, so you can be sure that the old dogs will give everything they have for both their team and their countrymen. The fans will also be a force, with an estimated 30,000 Irish travelling with their team.
Sweden: The Swedes
have a wealth of attacking talent but are a little short on the defensive side
of the ball in this tournament. Luckily,
with the exception of the French, neither England nor Ukraine look likely to
score many goals, so for Sweden the best defense may be a potent offense. Sebastian Larsson, Johan Elmander, Ola
Toivonen, and rising star Rasmus Elm will need to provide some of that offense,
but when it comes right down to it, right down to the bare bones, to the nitty gritty, you really only need to
know one glorious word: Zlatan (if you’re a stickler for convention, his full
name is Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
Ukraine: Bringing
up the rear, the Ukrainians are led out by 35 year old Andriy Shevchenko, who
in his prime was one of the best strikers on the planet for a series of very
good AC Milan teams. Now, he is well
past it, as they say in England, and the fact that he is in the starting lineup
is an indication of the difficulty the second host nation is going to
endure. The other star forward for the
Ukrainians is Andriy Voronin, who played well enough in Ukraine to earn a move
to Liverpool in England, where he failed spectacularly. His career has recovered somewhat at Mainz in
the German league, but he, like Shevchenkco, is also not in the same class as
most of the other attackers in the tournament.

For the final part of this guide, I've broken the remaining 8 teams out by group. I've also posted this image I snagged from soccernet.com, because it is absolutely mental. While Schweinsteiger and Xavi guard the flanks, Balotelli uses the Force to levitate one ball while Ronaldo fires another out of his cyborg cannon leg.
Oh, and Robin van Persie? Well, he's got a jetpack.
Best. Graphic. Ever.
Group A:
Poland: One of the
host countries for this year’s tournament, the Poles have every chance of
riding their home field advantage into the knockout rounds. Watch out for Robert Lewandowski in attack,
the Manchester United target scored 22 times for his club team Borussia
Dortmund in the German league this year.
Another one to watch is Łukasz Piszczek, who also plays for Borussia
Dortmund, and is arguably the best right back in the Bundesliga. The final key cog is goalkeeper Wojciech
Szczesny of English team Arsenal, who is the subject of a humorous .GIF I have
displayed below.
Having home field advantage for three games in an
international tournament will provide Poland with a huge lift, so despite
having the weakest squad in the group on paper, don’t be surprised if they make
it out alive.
Unless you’re Polish, enjoy being the butt of jokes that
aren’t funny, or are the contrarian class clown, you’ll probably cheer for
someone else.
Czech Republic:
The Czech team is coming down from the rarefied heights of a legitimate Golden
Generation to a more sober existence in the middle of the pack in Europe. Players to watch are Milan Baros, who is a
top shelf striker when he’s healthy and playing well (neither of which seems to
be true of him at the moment), Tomas Rosicky, who had a good year in midfield
for his club team Arsenal, and goalkeeper Petr Cech, who has been in the
conversation about the best goalie in the world for the last several years.
At the last several major tournaments the Czechs have made
an impression, and have a history of going deep into the knockout stages. Unfortunately, they lack players with that
experience as well as legitimate go-to threats to score. It’ll be a big ask for this rebuilding team
to make it out of the round.
The Czech team has a fine pedigree, so despite its steep decline into irrelevance, wannabe aristocrats and royalists should find themselves with a good team to root for.
Greece: The Greeks
are derided for their defensive counterattacking style, but it won them the
Euros in 2004, so they seem to know what they’re doing. They are an older team, and will rely heavily
on striker Giorgios Samaras to poach goals whenever possible. Kyriakos Papadopoulos is one of the young
guns in the side and will be looking to make an impact in defense. Veteran midfielder Giorgos Karagounis has
loads of experience and the Greeks will need every inch of it.
Group B
Denmark: Poor
Denmark. Despite having a strong squad
anchored by top talent like Christian Poulsen, Dennis Rommedahl, and Daniel Agger
(oh FINE and Nicklas Bendtner), the Danes have found themselves smack dab in
the middle of the Group of Death. Games
against Holland, Portugal, and Germany will all be brutal tests, with the likelihood
being a group stage exit.
This is a quality side, and I will definitely be cheering
for them within the group after their first game against the Dutch. It’s only a bold man or a Dane who would claim
them as their first choice to support, however.
Group C
Croatia: Head
coach who smokes, red and white-checkered jerseys, and Luka Modric are three
reasons that Croatia are the hipster pick of this tournament. Full of quality but less attractive than
their Group C rivals Spain and Italy, Croatia are the edgy pick to the sure
things and the sentimental default (Ireland).
The Croats are fairly well loaded with experienced talent: Darijo Srna,
the captain, has vast international and top club level experience and will be
the pillar that holds it all up. Luka
Modrić, one of the most gifted playmakers in the game, will play just in front
of him with Brazilian transplant Eduardo and Nikica Jelavić try to find the
goals.
Croatia are a good side, and they are completely capable of
seizing one of the two qualifying spots for the knockout stage should the
Italian malaise continue or the wheels fall off for Spain.
The cultured choice in this group of easy fan favorites,
Croatia are the perfect team for people who are fans of terrible bands that haven’t released an album yet (because they're terrible), and also pay money for vintage clothes.
Do you know what vintage means you hipster spaz? It means old. Which generally means used. You’re wearing old used clothes. You’re so fucking cool.
Yikes…
Ireland: The Irish
are going to have a rough time in this group.
They might be able to get one good result, but it seems unlikely that
they’re going to make it to the later rounds.
They do have some talent: Shane Long had a breakout season for his club team
in England, West Brom, but he is the lone young gun surrounded by a cadre of
aging stars like Shay Given, Richard Dunne, John O’Shea, Damien Duff, and
Robbie Keane. While it’s fair to wonder if they’ve got enough left in the tank after a long season, this is Ireland’s first major tournament since 2002, so you can be sure that the old dogs will give everything they have for both their team and their countrymen. The fans will also be a force, with an estimated 30,000 Irish travelling with their team.
Ireland are a sentimental favorite of public inebriants
the world over, and this tournament will be no different, but if you’re in it
for the footy, and Ireland do pull off a couple miracles, it will be a magical
time to be a fan. As they say in
England, emotional scenes.
Group D
Sweden: The Swedes
have a wealth of attacking talent but are a little short on the defensive side
of the ball in this tournament. Luckily,
with the exception of the French, neither England nor Ukraine look likely to
score many goals, so for Sweden the best defense may be a potent offense. Sebastian Larsson, Johan Elmander, Ola
Toivonen, and rising star Rasmus Elm will need to provide some of that offense,
but when it comes right down to it, right down to the bare bones, to the nitty gritty, you really only need to
know one glorious word: Zlatan (if you’re a stickler for convention, his full
name is Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
This team will live and die by the performances of their
captain, which is a double-edged sword: it is good, because Zlatan can do
things on the field that maybe only one or two other people on the planet can
do. It is bad, because he never seems to
do these things in big games.
Sweden are a perfect team for those seeking to worship a
cult of personality: you do not cheer for Sweden, only Zlatan.
Ukraine: Bringing
up the rear, the Ukrainians are led out by 35 year old Andriy Shevchenko, who
in his prime was one of the best strikers on the planet for a series of very
good AC Milan teams. Now, he is well
past it, as they say in England, and the fact that he is in the starting lineup
is an indication of the difficulty the second host nation is going to
endure. The other star forward for the
Ukrainians is Andriy Voronin, who played well enough in Ukraine to earn a move
to Liverpool in England, where he failed spectacularly. His career has recovered somewhat at Mainz in
the German league, but he, like Shevchenkco, is also not in the same class as
most of the other attackers in the tournament.
So…reasons to cheer for Ukraine…reasons to cheer for Ukraine…reasons…You
know what, the Ukraine have had it pretty rough the past century, what with the
Russian Empire and then the Soviets, so let’s just give them a break, huh? Come on.
You guys are dicks.
Whew! Well I'd love to thank someone for helping me out with these posts, but I can't, because I did all that shit myself. For real though, this tournament is one of the world's great sports spectacles, and it makes it way more fun when you have a team to support and make you feel part of it all.
Enjoy your football America!
The American’s Guide to Adopting a (European) Football Team: Euro 2012 Edition (Part 2)
This is part 2 of a 3 part series that is intended as a primer for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament. Yesterday we looked at the front-runners. Today, we'll tackle some teams that may surprise, but are unlikely to raise the trophy in Poland and Ukraine.
France: After a
shambolic World Cup in 2010, Les Bleus
have lately shown improvement under manager and former star Laurent Blanc. While there is undeniable talent in the likes
of Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri, Hatem ben Arfa, and Gael Clichy, France are
still prone to the Dutch habit of destroying themselves from within.
The good news: the last time match-fixing was brought to light in the Italian league was 2006, shortly before they lifted the World Cup. Recommended for lovers of pitchers’ duels, 6-0 American football scores, and other “purists.”
Portugal: “All
flash and no substance” is probably a bit of an overused cliché, and in the
case of the Portuguese not necessarily a fair one, the nation having qualified
for every major tournament since 2000 and having made it beyond the group
stages in each of those except the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea (where
they finished third behind the hosts and the United States of Awesome).
England: England's entire squad, all 23 players, play for domestic teams (the only team in the tournament for which this is true). 22 out of 23 play in the English Premier League.
Whether or not you subscribe to the belief that it is the best league in
the world, it is without a doubt the most popular. I know this because I have watched the famous
Manchester United in bars on beaches in far distant lands where the next most
popular sport was a form of bamboo stick fighting that always seemed to end in blood and tears...but I digress: the EPL is huge, and so are the players.
Russia: The Russians will be favorites to emerge from Group A, which
has been dubbed by some as the “Group of Life,” since all four teams could
potentially progress—there are no giants, in other words; only mid-level teams. Be that as it may, I would personally be
surprised if the Russians failed to move on into the quarterfinals. Virtually all of their players ply their trade in the domestic Russian league, but many have extensive European tournament experience at the club level via the Champions' and Europa leagues.
P.S., these wispy-haired troll-inspired mascots are creepy.
Fashionable but Flawed
France: After a
shambolic World Cup in 2010, Les Bleus
have lately shown improvement under manager and former star Laurent Blanc. While there is undeniable talent in the likes
of Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri, Hatem ben Arfa, and Gael Clichy, France are
still prone to the Dutch habit of destroying themselves from within.
Players like Franck Ribery and Patrice Evra, who led the
revolt against former coach Raymond Domenech in South Africa, could potentially
once again prove a catalyst for locker room unrest and on-field mediocrity.
On the other hand, France does have the talent and depth to
make a run should they get themselves into a groove in the group stage:
England, Sweden, and hosts Ukraine are their opponents. In addition to their relatively kind group
draw, they’ve had a good build-up to the tournament in that they’ve improved
each game, culminating with a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of Estonia.
Good performances breed good team spirit, so while you never
really know what you’re going to get with the French, don’t sleep on them. Recommended for malcontents, romantics, and
other emotional decision makers.
Italy: The Azzurri
have had a rough half decade of decline.
After winning the World Cup in 2006, the Italians were bounced from the
2008 Euros in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Spain. In South Africa, they failed to get out of
the group stage, finishing last in Group F and producing the shock result of
the round: a 1-1 draw with New Zealand, a team featuring players who needed to
take time off from work to attend the tournament.
While one can’t ignore the pedigree (four times world
champions) and the talent, there are a few too many question marks surrounding
their aging squad to call them true contenders. In their final warm-up match before the Euros, the Italians were soundly thumped 3-0 by the Russians. Given that the Italians are known for their defense, the loss was a worrying one. As if fitness and performance weren’t big enough issues, an added distraction in the
form of a match-fixing scandal has broken recently and caused the withdrawal of
one of their starting defenders.
The good news: the last time match-fixing was brought to light in the Italian league was 2006, shortly before they lifted the World Cup. Recommended for lovers of pitchers’ duels, 6-0 American football scores, and other “purists.”
Portugal: “All
flash and no substance” is probably a bit of an overused cliché, and in the
case of the Portuguese not necessarily a fair one, the nation having qualified
for every major tournament since 2000 and having made it beyond the group
stages in each of those except the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea (where
they finished third behind the hosts and the United States of Awesome).
Boasting three time Second Best Player in the World (and one
time Balon d’ Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner) Cristiano Ronaldo as
well as stars like Nani, Raul Meireles, Pepe, and Fabio Coentrao, there is
plenty of flair in the team.
Unfortunately, the Portuguese are also the main perpetrators of that
element of the beautiful game which Americans find most detestable: they
dive.
They also play the Iberian game-within-a-game of whining to
the officials and baiting the other team into cheap fouls, at which point they
will dive again. Their football is
glorious, but the other stuff is too disgusting to ignore. Recommended for fans of Rucker Park-style
basketball and admirers of preposterous hair.
England: England's entire squad, all 23 players, play for domestic teams (the only team in the tournament for which this is true). 22 out of 23 play in the English Premier League.
Whether or not you subscribe to the belief that it is the best league in
the world, it is without a doubt the most popular. I know this because I have watched the famous
Manchester United in bars on beaches in far distant lands where the next most
popular sport was a form of bamboo stick fighting that always seemed to end in blood and tears...but I digress: the EPL is huge, and so are the players.
At this point, I think it's necessary for me to advance the following: I know more
about this league, and consequentially the English national side, than I do
about even the United States’ squad. Since my knowledge in this particular area far
exceeds that of any of the other participants in the tournament, I could, in
fact, write an extremely long post about England and their chances and all the
trials and tribulations they have endured in the build-up to the Euros. I am not going to do that. The sources for such insight are legion.
Instead, here is my summary (please follow the links if you
wish to know more) of why the Three Lions will not win: England’s players enjoy
an extremely high profile due to the domestic league; they are coddled, self-important,and treacherous; the media pressure on the coaching staff is absurd and so unbelievably influential that it beggars belief; due to
injuries, age, and politics, England will not have their best 23 players
representing them at this tournament; even if they had their best 23 players,
they would still be the second best team in their group and probably the sixth
or seventh best in the tournament.
Because of all this, England will not win.
Now, having said all of that, there is reason to support
them anyway: they will be the best-documented
team at the tournament (in the English language, anyway). There will be easy-to-follow coverage of
their endeavors from multiple sources in the mainstream media, the blogosphere,
and beyond. In short, this is the team
that, in a few short weeks, you will find it the easiest to get to know. A little insight makes a big difference when
you’re looking for someone to cheer for, especially if it’s an unfamiliar
sport.
One final thought before I cut off this overly-long blurb:
at Euro 2004, Greece were 150:1 underdogs to lift the trophy. They played the ugliest, most aesthetically
brutal soccer ever seen at a major tournament.
They made it out of their group on a tiebreak. They won their quarterfinal 1-0. They won their semifinal 1-0. They beat the hosts Portugal 1-0 in the final
to win that tournament. I’m just saying,
England…crazier things have happened.
Recommended for news junkies, those who hold on to hope while
masquerading as hard-hearted cynics, and lovers of 1-0 scorelines.*
Russia: The Russians will be favorites to emerge from Group A, which
has been dubbed by some as the “Group of Life,” since all four teams could
potentially progress—there are no giants, in other words; only mid-level teams. Be that as it may, I would personally be
surprised if the Russians failed to move on into the quarterfinals. Virtually all of their players ply their trade in the domestic Russian league, but many have extensive European tournament experience at the club level via the Champions' and Europa leagues.
In addition to that club experience, the Russians still have a core of players who took them to the
semifinals of the 2008 Euros in Austria and Switzerland: captain Andrei
Arshavin, ‘keeper Igor Akinfeev, and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, to name three
of the more well-known, but all of them are aging and some of their bigger names have not impressed with their clubs this season.
The Russians may try to use their relative anonymity to
their advantage in the group stage as they recently did against Italy,
defeating the Azzurri 3-0 in their
final warm-up match. If they put in
three solid performances like that they'll be into the knockout stages.
They may be the darkest of dark horses, but if they top their group they
have a sliver of a chance. Recommended
for NCAA college basketball Cinderella lovers, Soviet apologists, and lovers of
the Slavic tongue.
That's it for those teams I rate as outside favorites down to dark horses. Tomorrow, it's everyone else, hopefully before kick off!
*this negative review of their chances is due to the fact that I really want England to do well, but am afraid to say so.
That's it for those teams I rate as outside favorites down to dark horses. Tomorrow, it's everyone else, hopefully before kick off!
*this negative review of their chances is due to the fact that I really want England to do well, but am afraid to say so.
6.05.2012
The American’s Guide to Adopting a (European) Football Team: Euro 2012 Edition (Part 1)
The quadrennial UEFA European Championship Finals kick off this Friday in what is the culmination of the largest international soccer tournament outside of the FIFA World Cup. Sixteen out of UEFA's fifty-three member associations have qualified for Euro 2012, which is being hosted jointly by Poland and the Ukraine.
Over the next few days, Newrosis will provide you with an overview of each team, their chances, and whether you should support them over the course of the tournament. From hipster picks like Croatia to the long-shot Scandinavian sides and the Iberian dandies, we'll give you all the dirt you need to make an informed decision.
Before we get into the teams, a quick word about the format: the sixteen nations are divided into groups A, B, C, and D. Each team in the group plays the others once. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout rounds, which are exactly what they sound like. In addition to the championship game, the losing semifinalists play for 3rd place. Game on.
Part 1: The Front-Runners
Spain: The
reigning champions of not only the Euros, but also the World Cup, the Spanish
could establish themselves as a legitimate dynasty by defending their crown: no
team in history has won three major international tournaments in a row,
including the mighty Brazilians. Led by
the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Iker Casillas, there will be no chance
that this vastly experienced and tight-knit squad will be overawed by the
occasion.
Spain are the bookies’ favorites to retain their title, and
while they face decent opposition in Group C from Croatia, Ireland, and
especially Italy, they will likely advance as group winners. Their quarterfinal knockout game should also be relatively
straightforward, meaning their first real test may not come until the
semifinals. If they make it that far
with no disciplinary suspensions or injuries to their key players, they will
likely go on to win the tournament.
On the negative side, Spain will be without striker David
Villa and central defender Carles Puyol, who both miss out due to injury. In addition, they have a tendency (shared by
their fellow Iberians, the Portuguese) to play a game-within-a-game that
involves things like flopping to the ground as though they’ve been shot in the
leg when grazed by an opponent’s boots, and subsequently surrounding the
referee to demand justice for their fallen comrade. “Distasteful” is a nice way
to describe this behavior, “unsportsmanlike” is another word that I’ve heard
bandied about, and “bush league douchebaggery” is what it most closely resembles in my opinion.
Despite their penchant for the dramatic, if their key
players (namely Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta) can stave off injury, Spain are
certainly going to go deep into the tournament and could prove to be a
juggernaut if they find themselves on a roll.
Recommended for people who cheer for the Yankees, supporters of the
theatre, and lovers of great soccer.
Germany: While
sometimes accused by football purists as being workmanlike to the point of
tedium, no one can deny that Ze Germans have been lethally effective in major tournaments, and boast a world-class lineup to boot. Built around a formidable spine of Bayern
Munich players like ‘keeper Manuel Neuer, captain Phillip Lahm, midfielder
Bastian Schweinsteiger, and striker Mario Gomez, the three-time European champions
(twice as West Germany) are sure to be a force into the later stages of the
tournament.
Along with the eight player Bayern contingent (8 players!), Die Mannschaft also boast attacking
talent in the form of record goalscorer Miroslav Klose, Real Madrid duo Sami
Khedira and Mesut Özil, and future stars like Mario Götze, Tony Kroos, and
Andre Schürrle. The talent level is
almost on par with Spain, and the strength in depth means that the Germans may
be better equipped to deal with injuries to their key players.
The greatest obstacle for Germany will be a relatively grueling
route to glory. While they have to be
favorites to emerge from Group B, it will not be easy: the “Group of
Death” also includes bitter rivals Holland as well as the flashy Portuguese and
1992 champions Denmark. If they finish
on top of the group, they’re likely to go all the way to the final. If they qualify second, a tough match against
Spain looms in the semifinals.
With an experienced coach in Joachim Löw and the cohesion that the side has displayed in major tournaments, the Germans
are a good bet to make the final. In
fact, Germany historically are one of the best teams in the world at qualifying and
placing in major tournaments. They have
qualified for every World Cup for which they’ve been eligible (along with Japan
they were banned from the 1950 tournament) and all but one European
Championship, amassing 3 trophies from each competition. Recommended for watchmakers, mathematicians,
and fans of dominant college sports programs.
Netherlands:
Despite a lineage that includes some of the most influential names in the
history of football, the Dutch have won just one major tournament: the Euros in
1988. They play an aesthetically
pleasing style that is made all the more entertaining by the ridiculous
offensive talent they have at their disposal.
Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
are all threats to finish as top scorers over the course of the tournament.
The Dutch have a group of players, including those mentioned
above, who are in their absolute prime, and the 2010 World
Cup runners-up are surely feeling the pressure to fulfill their potential at
this tournament. In addition to all the
attacking talent, the defensive core (two central defenders and two holding
midfielders) is made up of some tough customers: Johnny Heitinga, Ron Vlaar,
Mark van Bommel, and Nigel de Jong will not win any awards for sportsmanship,
but they will certainly do a job in front of ‘keeper Maarten Stekelenberg.
The most troubling historical weakness of the Dutch has been the egomaniacal tendencies that the best players in the squad always seem to possess. From Cruyff to Davids and Kluivert to Robben, they seem more prone to self-destructive team behavior than any other country. Even the great sides of the 1970s, who
introduced Total Football to the world, were populated with eccentrics and egos
that in the end failed to co-exist long enough to win a major tournament (they finished as
runners-up in 1974 and 1978 at the World Cup and third in the '76 Euros). In addition to off-field issues, Holland has also been known to lose its collective cool on the pitch: you need look no further than the 2010 final in South Africa, where the Oranje should have been down to ten men within minutes of kick-off after Nigel de Jong’s boot to the chest of Xabi Alonso. English referee Howard Webb was forced to employ possibly the most flexible interpretation of the laws of the game in history in order to keep the Dutch at eleven men until the 109th minute when Johnny Heitinga finally left him no choice but to issue him a second caution and a trip to the showers. In all, the Dutch amassed nine yellows while committing 28 fouls, and Andres Iniesta's goal in extra time saw the Spanish emerge victorious anyway. Such thuggery is not likely to work this time around either.
If the Dutch are to win just their second major tournament,
they need to maintain their focus on and off the field. Holland are in Group B, the "Group of Death," along with the Germans,
Portuguese, and Danish, and they need to start strong and avoid disciplinary
lapses. They won’t have any easy games,
but they certainly have the talent to go all the way, and no one has ever accused the Oranje of being boring: they are guaranteed to entertain. Recommended for those who like a little more chaos than order in their lives, and also for fans of Slap Shot, Caddyshack, and Major League. HUP, HOLLAND, HUP!*
That's your look at the three favorites and their chances. Tomorrow, Newrosis looks at some other Euro powers who ride the fence; will they contend or just pretend? France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, and England will all be laid bare, so stay tuned.
*I hereby admit to bias in favor of the Dutch.
That's your look at the three favorites and their chances. Tomorrow, Newrosis looks at some other Euro powers who ride the fence; will they contend or just pretend? France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, and England will all be laid bare, so stay tuned.
*I hereby admit to bias in favor of the Dutch.
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