© EuroFootball.com
Only a few days left until the start of the final stage of the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, so "EuroFootball.com", relying on insights from the BBC and other experts, presents all the participating teams.
This time, attention is on Group D, where Ukraine, Sweden, France, and England will compete.
Schedule:
2012/06/11
19:00 France - England
21:45 Ukraine - Sweden
2012/06/15
19:00 Ukraine - France
21:45 Sweden - England
2012/06/19
21:45 England - Ukraine
21:45 Sweden - France
Ukraine
How do they play?
Injuries have thinned out Ukraine's national team defense, so coach Oleg Blokhin will have to rely on key defenders Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka to create favorable conditions for veteran strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Andriy Voronin.
Some of the tournament hosts prefer counter-attacking, but they will have to do so without experienced goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy and injured Donetsk "Shakhtar" midfielder Dmytro Chygrynskiy, with opponents trying to take advantage of gaps in the Ukrainian defense.
Voronin tends to play behind Shevchenko, but the former "Milan" and London "Chelsea" player can also move into a forward position when Marko Dević is sent up front.
Possible starting lineup:
Formation 4-4-1-1. Andriy Pyatov; Oleg Gusev, Oleksandr Kucher, Taras Mikhalik, Yaroslav Rakitskiy; Andriy Yarmolenko, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ruslan Rotan, Yevhen Konoplyanka; Andriy Voronin; Andriy Shevchenko.
Star
Once feared by defenders from all European clubs, striker Andriy Shevchenko will have a great opportunity to bid farewell to international football in Euro 2012. However, at 35, the athlete feels back pain that could hinder a happy ending.
Approaching the Old Continent's championship, Shevchenko has been under medical supervision and understandably sparing himself at his club - Kyiv's "Dynamo". The striker publicly states that he won't play unless fully ready, but his absence in the tournament would still be a major surprise.
Coach
Ukraine's national team was entrusted to safe hands when in April 2011 the country's football federation appointed former legendary striker Oleg Blokhin as coach. The first Ukrainian to win the "Ballon d'Or" award had previously coached the national team from 2003 to 2007 and helped them reach the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup.
Blokhin replaced interim coach Yuriy Kalitvintsev, who led the Ukrainian under-19 national team to the top of the European Championship ladder in 2009. Now Kalitvintsev works as Blokhin's assistant.
Euro Championship History
This will be Ukraine's debut at the final stage of the European Championships, although the majority of the former USSR team players who started the final match of Euro 1988 against the Netherlands were from Ukraine.
Sweden
How do they play?
Former Sweden national team coach Lars Lagerback said: "Under the helm of national team coach Erik Hamren wanted to play attacking football, but during the qualifying stage quickly realized that a more balanced lineup was needed. They are balanced, but defensively organized.
"The Swedes are well-organized, hard-working in defending their goal. They can keep possession very well and strike attacking. This is what Hamren's pupils will try to do as often as possible."
Possible starting lineup:
Formation 4-4-2. Andreas Isaksson; Mikael Lustig, Jonas Olsson, Olof Mellberg, Martin Olsson; Seb Larsson, Rasmus Elm, Anders Svensson, Kim Kallstrom; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Johan Elmander.
Star
European football sharpshooter Zlatan Ibrahimović is the Swedish totem. Formerly of "Barcelona," the striker is very talented, but questions arise about his ability to showcase his mastery in crucial matches.
Once declared the best footballer in the world, let's see.
Coach
Erik Hamren proved his worth when he took over the national team reins from Lars Lagerback after Sweden failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. One of the most respected specialists in Scandinavia has coached clubs in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. In 2008, he led "Aalborg" to victory in the Danish national championship and into the main UEFA Champions League tournament.
Euro Championship History
Not bad. Supported by their fans in 1992, the Swedes defeated England 2-1 in the group stage and reached the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, defending champions Germany blocked their path by beating the hosts 3-2, thanks to two goals from Karlheinz Riedle.
France
How do they play?
Over the years, coach Laurent Blanc has tried several different formations. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and center-backs Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes play whenever ready. Yann M'Vila anchors the midfield, while Karim Benzema is the main striker.
Under Blanc's leadership, the French national team's style became more attacking - they try to control the midfield with short passes and rely on the skill of Franck Ribery, Samir Nasri, and Benzema to break through the opponent's defenses.
Possible starting lineup:
Formation 4-2-3-1. Hugo Lloris; Mathieu Debuchy, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexes, Patrice Evra; Yann M'Vila, Yohan Cabaye; Hatem Ben Arfa, Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery; Karim Benzema.
Star
Due to poor form in the early years at Real Madrid, Karim Benzema was not included in the national team that went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, new coach Blanc showed confidence in the player.
The 24-year-old forward also earned the admiration of Jose Mourinho. One factor that led to Benzema's improvement in Spain is a new training regimen, which saw the Frenchman shed seven kilograms over the summer. This season, he scored 32 goals and provided 15 assists, starting to justify his €30 million transfer fee.
Benzema contributed three goals in the qualifying tournament and defeated the goalkeepers of Brazil and England in friendly matches. The former Lyon player will want to make amends for his lackluster performance at Euro 2008, where he started two matches in the starting lineup but failed to stand out.
Coach
Laurent Blanc "inherited" the team when they were at a critical point. The 2006 World Cup finalists were so gloomy at Euro 2008 and so chaotic in the World Cup that even the government intervened in the team's affairs.
Blanc, who earned the nickname "President" for his leadership qualities, was an excellent choice to lift the team out of the pit. The former Bordeaux coach lost his first two matches, but since then, the results have been staggering - in February by defeating Germany, the French extended their unbeaten run to eighteen matches.
Euro Championship History
Michel Platini inspired France to triumph in the European Championship in 1984. The current UEFA president scored the first goal in the final match against Spain, which ended 2-0.
Their second success came in 2000 in Rotterdam, where David Trezeguet scored the golden goal against Italy.
England
How do they play?
New boss Roy Hodgson has no time to experiment, so he will likely trust the players who secured qualification for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. The former West Brom, Liverpool, and Fulham strategist usually opts for a 4-4-2 formation, but without Wayne Rooney, a lineup with Steven Gerrard behind Andy Carroll is more likely.
A well-organized defense has been a significant factor in Hodgson's success, but to pose a threat to opponents, he filled England's lineup with attacking plan safeties. Without Rooney, expecting a goal fest is probably not worth it, but England's recent matches have shown that the counter-attacking tactics suit them well.
Possible starting lineup:
Formation 4-2-3-1. Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole; Scott Parker, James Milner; Theo Walcott, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Young; Danny Welbeck.
Star
Can Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, one of the best safeties in the world for a decade, lift England's "disappointments" to the top, as expected in the 2010 World Cup?
Part of the so-called "Golden Generation," whose brilliance, at least on the international football stage, is gradually fading, Gerrard, if healthy, will have to replace another Liverpool player - Rooney, who will miss the first two group matches due to disqualification.
Coach
Roy Hodgson took over as national team coach from Fabio Capello on May 1, although before that, there were two weeks of speculation that Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham specialist, would be the "chosen one."
Hodgson's previous international football experience played a crucial role in the English Football Association's decision during the 1994 World Cup. The 63-year-old coach announced his 23-man squad on May 16, leaving Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand out and appointing Gerrard as team captain. Hodgson will have to try to turn mountains immediately as there were only two rehearsals before the tournament - friendly matches with Norway and Belgium.
Euro Championship History
The 1966 World Cup champions finished third after losing to Yugoslavia 1-0 in the semi-finals in Italy two years later. This is still England's best performance in European Championship history.
Until 1988, they only qualified for the main tournament once and disgracefully failed to qualify for the 2008 competition. In Euro 1996, when "football had to come home," we saw Terry Venables' protégés march to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Germans.
Subjective Prediction:
1. England
2. France
3. Ukraine
4. Sweden
