GROUP A FINALE: Poland 0-1 Czech Rep; Russia 0-1 Greece

Has a tournament group ever been turned on its head so savagely by the final group games?
Russia were by far the best team in the group, thrashing the Czechs 4-1 in the second game of the tournament, and yet it is they who go home and the Czechs who progress. And the host Poles are on their way home (not far to travel at least) after being frozen by fear of failure in all three of their games.
HOW THEY FINISHED: 1: CZECH REP  2: GREECE  3: Russia  4: Poland.

As you'll see from this, it didn't quite pan out the way I predicted. Although it really should have.

Poland 1-1 Russia

This one kicked off way before it kicked off. Fighting in the streets, a lad knocked unconscious face down on the news. The sort of images UEFA like to think only ever involve England fans.
There's history between these two nations of course, unfinished business, even though the Soviet Union has disintegrated, the Eastern Bloc has crumbled, the Iron Curtain torn.
The perceptive among you will have noticed I've written nothing about the game. That's because I missed all of the first half and was a little drunk during the second.
However, there's a contender for goal of the tournament in this game, a bullet, diagonal shot from outside the area for Poland.
The Polizei or whatever variation on the word Police they're called out there will have been glad of the draw, as points shared are problems halved.

Czech Rep 2-1 Greece

Highlights are all I saw of this one, so that means the goals and not much besides. So I could waffle on about the early Czech goals, or about how this result keeps the group wide open, but I can't be arsed.

Russia 4-1 Czech Rep

Four! Quatro! Whatever 4 is in Russian! What a start to the tournament. All four teams that have played have scored, and the Russians have slammed home a quartet of goals and should have had more.

They'll be in pole position to win a group that contains the Poles, and yes, I am feeling a little smug tonight, having tipped the Russians to reach the semis.

I'm even liking the Russian strip, a thin blue and white sash on a striking red background. The More Sashes In Football Kits Campaign starts here.

Poland 1-1 Greece

It's quite possible that we've already had more excitement in Euro 2012 than we did in the entire last World Cup. Two goals. Two reds. A saved penalty. All following a mercifully short opening ceremony.
What more could you ask for, other than a streaker perhaps.

I didn't catch the whole match, just the very start and the very end, but judging from the highlights, what happened in between was positive fayre, unlike the over-cautious dirges that tend to occur in the early stages of tournaments.

I had a couple of lines lined up like Poles Taken Apart or We Came, Warsaw, We Conquered, but neither is apt, or possibly, very good.

Group D Preview

Been trying to put this off as long as possible, so I could think of a way to get England through to the knockout phase.
But let's face it, we're shit, and we're doubly shit when it comes to the Euros. We didn't qualify last time, and the time before that, well, I've hazy memories about Rooney, Ronaldo and a mess (though I did spend every England match of the 2004 tournament with a lager in hand.)
I just can't see our team getting through. And yes, there's no pressure and that might count in our favour, and yes, the group could have been Group B, but Ukraine are playing at home, and we never beat Sweden, and France can't possibly be as bad as they were in the last World Cup.
PREDICTED GROUP TABLE: 1: UKRAINE  2: FRANCE  3: Sweden  4: England

Group A Preview

There's always a Group of Death in a tournament, and in Euro 2012, THIS AIN'T IT. I can safely predict that the tournament's winner will not emerge from this quartet of average nations, though let it not be forgot that three of them have won this tournament before. Looking at the Polish squad, there aren't many household names, although Glik sounds like one of those names IKEA might give to a chest of drawers. Greece continue their policy of only selecting players whose surname ends in 's'. Russia look a tidy unit, and with Dick Advocaat at the helm should do well (was trying to think of a booze-related quip here but failed.) While the Czech Republic look strong, though I'm not sure that having Milan Baros as your main scoring threat puts you in a position to win this thing. In fact, I'm sure it doesn't. PREDICTED GROUP TABLE: 1: RUSSIA 2: POLAND 3: Czech Rep 4: Greece