Euro 2004 - Group B

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GROUP B

13 June 2004 - Group B
Switzerland - Croatia
France - England

17 June 2004 - Group B
England - Switzerland
Croatia - France

21 June 2004 - Group B
Croatia - England
Switzerland - France

GROUP B squads

CROATIA

Goalkeepers: 1-Stipe Pletikosa (Shakhtar Donetsk), 12-Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges), 23-Joey Didulica (Austria Vienna)

Defenders: 13-Dario Simic (AC Milan), 21-Robert Kovac (Bayern Munich), 5-Igor Tudor (Juventus), 6-Boris Zivkovic (VfB Stuttgart), 3-Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), 4-Stjepan Tomas (Fenerbahce), 14-Mato Neretljak (Hajduk Split), 2-Mario Tokic (Graz AK)

Midfielders: 10-Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin), 7-Milan Rapaic (Ancona), 15-Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), 16-Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), 8-Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), 22-Nenad Bjelica (Kaiserslautern), 20-Giovanni Rosso (Maccabi Haifa),

Forwards: 9-Dado Prso (Monaco), 11-Tomislav Sokota (Benfica), 19-Ivica Mornar (Portsmouth), 18-Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), 17-Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen)

ENGLAND

Goalkeepers: 1-David James (Manchester City), 13-Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur), 22-Ian Walker (Leicester City)

Defenders: 2-Gary Neville (Manchester United), 14-Phil Neville (Manchester United), 5-John Terry (Chelsea), 15-Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), 16-Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), 6-Sol Campbell (Arsenal), 3-Ashley Cole (Arsenal), 12-Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)

Midfielders: 7-David Beckham (Real Madrid), 17-Nicky Butt (Manchester United), 8-Paul Scholes (Manchester United), 4-Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), 18-Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), 11 Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 19-Joe Cole (Chelsea), 20-Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United)

Forwards: 10-Michael Owen (Liverpool), 9-Wayne Rooney (Everton), 21-Emile Heskey (Birmingham City), 23-Darius Vassell (Aston Villa)

FRANCE

Goalkeepers: 16-Fabien Barthez (Olympique Marseille), 23-Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon), 1-Mickael Landreau (Nantes)

Defenders: 2-Jean-Alain Boumsong (Auxerre), 8-Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), 5-William Gallas (Chelsea), 3-Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), 19-Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), 13-Mikael Silvestre (Manchester United), 15-Lilian Thuram (Juventus),

Midfielders: 17-Olivier Dacourt (AS Roma), 6-Claude Makelele (Chelsea), 18-Benoit Pedretti (Sochaux), 7-Robert Pires (Arsenal), 14-Jerome Rothen (Monaco), 4-Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), 10-Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

Forwards: 12-Thierry Henry (Arsenal), 21-Steve Marlet (Olympique Marseille), 19-Louis Saha (Manchester United), 20-David Trezeguet (Juventus), 11-Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal)

SWITZERLAND

Goalkeepers: 23-Fabrice Borer (Grasshoppers), 12-Pascal Zuberbuehler (Basel), 1-Joerg Stiel (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders: 3-Bruno Berner (Freiburg), 2-Bernt Haas (West Bromwich Albion), 4-Stephane Henchoz (Liverpool), 20-Patrick Mueller (Olympique Lyon), 5-Murat Yakin (Basel), 13-Marco Zwyssig (Basel), 17-Christoph Spycher (Grasshoppers), 14-Ludovic Magnin (Werder Bremen)

Midfielders: 7-Ricardo Cabanas (Grasshoppers), 16-Fabio Celestini (Olympique Marseille), 8 Raphael Wicky (Hamburg SV), 18-Benjamin Huggel (Basel), 10-Hakan Yakin (VfB Stuttgart), 19-Johann Lonfat (Sochaux), 6-Johann Vogel (PSV Eindhoven).

Forwards: 11-Stephane Chapuisat (Young Boys), 9-Alexander Frei (Stade Rennes), 21-Milaim Rama (Thun), 15-Daniel Gygax (FC Zurich), 22-Johann Vonlanthen (PSV Eindhoven)

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my verdict.

France and England are the clear cut favourites to progress from this group. However, since the first match will be between these two, the team who loses will have a big setback of their confidence, from which Croatia can profit. I think Croatia is hoping for a France win in the first match…a win over England could be on the cards then for them.

Looking at the squads, Croatia seem to me to be an aging team…and history shows aging teams have never faired well in big tournaments…and following these there is a major clean-up in the team. Switzerland is the big ‘unknown’ in the group, and it will be a good performance if they manage not to lose all their matches.
England have a well balanced side, but somehow with respect to talent they are not up there with the likes of Italy, Spain, Holland and of course France. France have probably the best 5 players in the world on their respective position: Thuram, Vieira, Pires, Henry and Zidane. With the latter they have the best player in the world for the last 5 years.
With his perfect technique and splendid ball control, Zidane is right up their among players as Maradona, Pele, Cruijff, Platini. It is not unjustified that he was elected best player of Europe since the war :k:

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England and France will go through easy.............

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For the cup. :k:

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^:nook: :nook: :nook:

I’m going for Croatia and France

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Shinoo as much as you hate England, do you really think croatia has better chance than England?

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You anti-muslim.
I hate you.
:stuck_out_tongue:

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Yes I do :snooty:
Croatia is a very strong team

9

^ used to be. Now its average at best.

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Zidane will go through!!! :jhanda:

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Down with England DOwn with England :nook: :nook:

Insh’Allah France will win comfortably!

12

France has never beaten England in any major tournament so far. :snooty:

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^Then today is an excellent day to have the ‘first’ win :snooty:

14

The tradition shall continue. We will let the French drub the Dutch later on in the tournament. :mocking:

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^We shall see. I have full confidence in my team :jhanda:

Down with England :nook:
Down with England :nook:
Down with England :nook:

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Switzerland 0 Croatia 0 at half time. A broing encounter going on.

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^Boring indeed. I stopped watching it, will check the result later

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Lampard strikes - Eng 1 - France 0

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Good match, both sides playing well but England is ahead. :hula:

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yea that was a nice cross from beckham as usual...