Euro 2012 Group D: France to Forget the 2010 World Cup
France. Capital: Paris. Population: 63 million inhabitants. Area: 632,834 km2. France will play its first group match against England on June 11, in Donetsk. It will then face Ukraine in Donetsk always June 15 and Sweden on June 19 in Kiev.
Selection tricolor painfully won his qualifying in Group D with 21 points (6 wins, 3 draws and a defeat, 15 goals scored and four conceded), before the Bosnian (20 points). Also in this group: Romania Belarus, Albania and Luxembourg.
France won the World Cup in 1998, at home, and finished second in 2006. She won the Euro on two occasions (1984 and 2000). But was very disappointing in the last edition of the Euro (2008) and the last World Cup in South Africa (2010). It will seek not only to forget the 2010 World Cup, a fiasco of both sporting and moral with famous Knysna strike. But in the meantime, Raymond Domenech took the exit door to make way for one of the heroes of 1998, Laurent Blanc. Which helped to improve the climate within the selection.
A selection that has lined up a nice set of 18 games as Brazil, England or Germany. This is a younger team (average age 26 ans0, and therefore inexperienced (19.9 average selections). To 11 of 23 players selected to move abroad. Especially in Spain (Karim Benzema to Real Madrid), England (Gael Clichy / Manchester City, Patrice Evra / Manchester United, Laurent Koscielny / Arsenal, Yohan Cabaye / Newcastle, Hatem Bben Harfa / Newcastle, Florent Malouda / Chelsea), or in Germany (Frank Ribery / Bayern Munich).
It is one of two favorites in this group with England. A first step to regain the hearts of the French: the qualification for the quarter.
Sweden: watch out for Vikings
Sweden. Capital: Stockholm. Population: 9.3 million inhabitants. Area: 450,000 km2. Sweden's first game June 11 against Ukraine on June 15 against England on June 19 against France. The three matches will be held at Olympic Stadium in Kiev.
During the qualifying stages for Euro 2012, Sweden has finished second behind the Netherlands. Conclusion: 24 points, to 8 wins and 2 defeats, 31 goals scored and 11 conceded.
His best results in World Cup, it was obtained in 1958, is the second place behind Brazil, and in 1950 and 1994 when she took the third place. At European level, by cons, nothing significant to report.
Most of the selected play abroad, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan / Italy), rightly regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation, and able to switch a game to him alone. Sweden, however, must cope with the package striker prodigy, John Guidette (victim of a nerve infection causing a sudden loss of all sensation in his right leg. Coach Eric Hamren now on another striker Johan Elmander (Galatasaray / Turkey).
Sweden is not among the favorites in this competition. Not even during the group stage in Group D where it enjoys a formidable outsider status.
Group A (First part, Second part)
Group B (First part, Second part)
Group C (First part, Second part)
Group D (First part)
Calendar of the group stage (Mauritius time)
Group A: Greece, Poland, Czech Republic and Russia
June 8, 20:00 Poland - Greece (Warsaw)
June 8, 22:45 Russia - Czech Republic (Wroclaw)
June 12, 20:00 Greece - Czech Republic (Wroclaw)
June 12, 22:45 Poland - Russia (Warsaw)
June 16, 22:45 Republic Czech - Poland (Wroclaw)
June 16, 22:45 Greece - Russia (Warsaw).
Group B: Germany, Denmark, Netherlands and Portugal
June 9, 18:00 Netherlands - Denmark (Kharkiv)
June 9, 22:45 Germany - Portugal (Lviv)
June 13, 20:00 Denmark - Portugal (Lviv).
June 13, 22:45 Netherlands - Germany (Kharkiv)
June 17, 22:45 Denmark - Germany (Lviv)
June 17, 22:45 Portugal - Netherlands (Kharkiv).
Group C: Croatia, Spain, Ireland and Italy
June 10, 20:00 Spain - Italy (Gdansk)
June 10, 22:45 Ireland - Croatia (Poznan)
June 14, 20:00 Italy - Croatia (Poznan)
June 14, 22:45 Spain - Ireland (Gdansk)
June 18, 22:45 Italy - Ireland ( Poznan)
June 18, 22:45 Croatia - Spain (Gdansk).
Group D: England, France, Sweden and Ukraine
June 11, 20:00 France - England (Donetsk)
June 11, 22:45 Ukraine - Sweden (Kiev)
June 15, 20:00 Ukraine - France (Donetsk)
June 15, 22:45 Sweden - England (Kiev)
June 19, 22:45 England - Ukraine ( Donetsk)
June 19, 22:45 Sweden - France (Kiev)
