PARIS: Dutch fans are dreaming of a repeat of 1988, most Spanish fans can’t remember all the way back to their only major success in 1964, and Portugal and Croatia have never won anything between them.
Yet these are the four sides who have thus far lit up the first week of Euro 2008, while the old guard of Germany, France and Italy have struggled for inspiration to suggest the European game may be witnessing the passing of a generational torch.
An Italian side hamstrung by innate over-caution and some questionable refereeing and an aging France will battle in their final Group of Death match to bury each other as the world champions and the side they beat in Berlin two years ago scrap to record a first pool phase win.
Then there is a Germany side who have won the title three times and were being touted as a favourite beforehand.
Instead, defeat by Croatia exposed the severe limitations within a squad whose lack of depth has already been exposed, most notably in goal, where veteran Jens Lehmann will continue despite scarcely showing a safe pair of hands in Klagenfurt.
A measure of how Die Mannschaft is faring can always be prised readily enough from “Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer – and he offered little in the way of praise afterwards to Joachim Loew’s side, who need to beat Austria tomorrow to get back on track.
“I had said after the victory against Poland we did not have to fear anybody, after this defeat I now say it’s necessary to fear Austria,” Beckenbauer, World Cup winner as player and coach, told German tabloid Bild.
“Against Croatia, Germany appeared lethargic, they made lots of errors and lacked an aggressive edge,” he complained.
“Suddenly Loew’s job is on the line,” headlined Bild tabloid yesterday of a coach in charge in his first major tournament – though he did receive a vote of confidence from the German Football Federation on Friday – and who must stick with Lehmann, given that the back-up are the unheralded Robert Enke of Hanover and Rene Adler of Bayer Leverkusen.
The loss through suspension following his red card of Bastian Schweinsteiger does not help the German cause either, or the fact that while Mario Gomez may cut the mustard in the Bundesliga he is not doing so at this level.
“Our forward line is completely out of rhythm,” blared Bild, noting only Lukas Podolski has truly shone with his three goals.
But Loew is taking the flak in his stride.
“We will get through to the quarter-finals. We will be a completely different team from the one which faced Croatia,” he promises.
France are clearly past their sell-by date with Lilian Thuram, Willy Sagnol and Claude Makelele all having a nightmare against the marauding Dutch.
The return of veteran Alessandro Del Piero to the Italian fold also brought scant tangible benefit.
Italy, at least, can now redeem their campaign – they are past masters at recovering from a slow start – by sending the French home.
“We are still, on course,” as coach Roberto Donadoni observed.
Les Bleus should get back another of their old guard in captain Patrick Vieira and at least the French will not face the same relentless counter-attacking from Italy as the Dutch served up.
“If he can play it’s important to us,” Thierry Henry admitted.
“We have to beat the Italians.”
But the formbook suggests either Dutch coach Marco van Basten pulls off a first in adding a winners’ medal as coach to the one he so brilliantly won as a player 20 years ago or else a new name – that of Portugal, Spain or even Croatia – will appear on the trophy come June 29.
For Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, “it seems everything is falling into place”.
Two decades ago, Van Basten and company thanked the then Soviet Union for getting rid of the Italian challenge in the semis before finishing the job.
This time, they have thrown their own spoke in the Italian wheel, and tens of thousands of orange-clad fans believe the hour of the heirs of 1988 is at hand – even if Luiz Felipe Scolari, Luis Aragones and Slaven Blic doubtless think differently.
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