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Sounds very familiar. It seems almost a carbon copy of Britain where it takes an awful lot to get football off the back pages.

Did you hear something on TV or newspapers when British Gee Atherton and his sister Rachel Atherton became mountain bike world champions last week?

Spanish sportwoman Marga Fullana became world champion the day after that too and neither TV nor newspapers talked about it <_<

Filipe_Golias, do you really think Spain is the best European nation at team sports? ;) I thought it was Russia, but I must admit we also have good sport teams!

Just wait until Portugal hosts an edition of the Olympics and Portuguese sport will improve a lot. That's what happened here in 1992. We got more medals at the 1992 Olympics than at all the previous Games together :P

P.S. Yesterday evening, all main TV channels in Spain were talking about football!

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Filipe_Golias, do you really think Spain is the best European nation at team sports? ;) I thought it was Russia, but I must admit we also have good sport teams!

Just wait until Portugal hosts an edition of the Olympics and Portuguese sport will improve a lot. That's what happened here in 1992. We got more medals at the 1992 Olympics than at all the previous Games together :P

P.S. Yesterday evening, all main TV channels in Spain were talking about football!

I really do, but perhaps I take notice more easily of Spanish achievements than Russia's.

I agree completely with you about the fact that after Spain hosted the Olympic Games the national sport panorama was catapulted to a higher level of performance and results. I wish I could say my country's sports could benefit as well, I don't know. The hardest part is staying alive to see that day come. ;)

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I agree completely with you about the fact that after Spain hosted the Olympic Games the national sport panorama was catapulted to a higher level of performance and results.

That pretty much happens after or while a 'newer' country hosts an Olympic games. Happened to Italy after Rome 1960, Japan after 1964, Australia going into 2000; the US came out#2 in terms of medals going into Salt Lake. (Canada was the only one that sort of 'fell flat' in 1976 and 1988; Greece may not see a big bump either. Country's too small.)

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That pretty much happens after or while a 'newer' country hosts an Olympic games. Happened to Italy after Rome 1960, Japan after 1964, Australia going into 2000; the US came out#2 in terms of medals going into Salt Lake. (Canada was the only one that sort of 'fell flat' in 1976 and 1988; Greece may not see a big bump either. Country's too small.)

Canada's winter results are directly related to the success of Calgary

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I'm surprised that no one here has reported on this yet. Anyways, FIFA, has updated its rankings of all of the football teams yesterday. There seems to be somewhat of a noticeable change based on the conclusion of this EURO tournament. You can check out the full list here.

Not surprisingly, Spain takes the first position. Italy inches up to second place and Germany also rises to 3rd place. Russia seems to have taken the biggest leap, where it went up 13 notches. On the other hand, Austria took the biggest tumble, where it went down 13 positions from where it was before. Anyways, here is a list of where the 16 nations that competed now sit:

Spain - 1st (+3)

Italy - 2nd (+1)

Germany - 3rd (+2)

The Netherlands - 5th (+5)

Croatia - 7th (+8)

Czech Republic - 8th (-2)

Portugal - 9th (+2)

France - 10th (-3)

Russia - 11th (+13)

Romania - 12th (--)

Turkey - 14th (+6)

Greece - 18th (-10)

Sweden - 26th (+4)

Poland - 32nd (-4)

Switzerland - 45th (-1)

Austria - 105th (- 13)

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Germany and Italy aren't better than Brazil.

Ya, whatever.. A part for Kaka and Amauri (who by the way should get the italian naturalization and play for the Azzurri) the rest of so called "phenomenon" like Adriano, Ronaldhino, Ronaldo and Dida seem close to a terminal state of their carreer. Don't know if new generation of Robinho, Baptista and Fred could overturn the situation.

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Ya, whatever.. A part for Kaka and Amauri (who by the way should get the italian naturalization and play for the Azzurri) the rest of so called "phenomenon" like Adriano, Ronaldhino, Ronaldo and Dida seem close to a terminal state of their carreer. Don't know if new generation of Robinho, Baptista and Fred could overturn the situation.

True but Brazil always seems to reload instead of develop and remember there is only 3 possible winners of South Africa 2010, Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay and Uruguay may not qualify. Brazil is having problems in qualifying.

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Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are the only teams that can win the World Cup?? Really?

European teams win in Europe, South American teams win everywhere else. Only Brazil has won on the others territory.

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One would say that in 2010 its very likely to be broken, Germany, Argentina and Spain being the most likely winners at this point.

Oh, I wouldn't dare to make a prediction at this point. As this EURO showed, there can happen so many surprises... I would especially not count out the African teams, which could have a major boost by playing the first World Cup on their own continent's soil. And Germany, Argentina and Spain have yet to qualify anyway.

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Oh, I wouldn't dare to make a prediction at this point. As this EURO showed, there can happen so many surprises... I would especially not count out the African teams, which could have a major boost by playing the first World Cup on their own continent's soil. And Germany, Argentina and Spain have yet to qualify anyway.

All of them have an easy time of it.

The top African teams, Egypt, Morocco, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana are not in the same league as the top Europeans or South Americans, but I could see 1 in the semi-finals.

South Africa is gonna be terrible unfortunately. For a country that has a sizable population and a good rugby team you would think they would be able to produce a good football team.

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All of them have an easy time of it.

With Russia and Finland, Germany has tough opponents in its group. Spain has Turkey. And as Brazil's current struggle shows, anything is possible in the South American group. Argentina is only two points ahead of Brazil.

And don't forget that in Europe, only the first one of each group will qualify directly for the World Cup. Even as second, you don't have your play-off spot secured.

The top African teams, Egypt, Morocco, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana are not in the same league as the top Europeans or South Americans, but I could see 1 in the semi-finals.

Well, according to the FIFA ranking, Cameroon is currently the best African team. And the 13th rank (between Romania and Turkey) isn't that bad!

South Africa is gonna be terrible unfortunately. For a country that has a sizable population and a good rugby team you would think they would be able to produce a good football team.

That's true. I guess that with them, we'll see another Austria and/or Switzerland (elimination in the group stage).

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With Russia and Finland, Germany has tough opponents in its group. Spain has Turkey. And as Brazil's current struggle shows, anything is possible in the South American group. Argentina is only two points ahead of Brazil.

And don't forget that in Europe, only the first one of each group will qualify directly for the World Cup. Even as second, you don't have your play-off spot secured.

Well, according to the FIFA ranking, Cameroon is currently the best African team. And the 13th rank (between Romania and Turkey) isn't that bad!

That's true. I guess that with them, we'll see another Austria and/or Switzerland (elimination in the group stage).

Brazil always struggles in qualifying.

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Look at the build-up to 2002. Brazil scraped through qualifying, lost to Honduras in the 2001 Copa America and went on to win the World Cup. Still, everyone expected them to win it in 2006 and they didn't.

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Look at the build-up to 2002. Brazil scraped through qualifying, lost to Honduras in the 2001 Copa America and went on to win the World Cup. Still, everyone expected them to win it in 2006 and they didn't.

Kinda like Germany before 2008, not the most convincing of results but finished 3rd. Germany and Brazil have that ability, in the major tournaments they just win.

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  • 4 months later...
Its less than a month to Euro (and in reality the world's) best footballing tournament.

The groups we all know,

Group A

Czech Republic

Portugal

Switzerland

Turkey

Group B

Austria

Croatia

Germany

Poland

Group C

France

Italy

Netherlands

Romania

Group D

Greece

Russia

Spain

Sweden

I have no idea how this is gonna go down because Group A and C are incredibly hard to pick.

I am not gonna make any silly full predictions but my dark-horse winner is Turkey, by preferred final is Germany vs. Spain and if Germany doesn't win, I want Spain to. I would fancy Croatia more if they weren't missing their leading scorer Eduardo da Silva.

Like always my nightmare is Czech Republic or Italy victory

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Hi,

This is Jones.You can find the best special betting offers on Betting Choice. Don't miss Euro 2008 the biggest football game of the year! You can start winning now!

-------------

Jones

for more information...

Euro 2008 football betting odds and bonus offer. Euro 2008 football game.

*lol* Aren't you a little late? Or is it still June 2008 on your planet? I suppose your boss at the "Spamming Scumbuckets Company" will get very angry when he sees the sloppy work you deliver...

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