Euro 2012 Group A: Greece
GROUP A
Poland Russia Greece Czech Republic
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
Greece
Road to Poland & Ukraine
In one of the weakest qualifying groups Greece recovered from a disheartening home draw with Georgia and finished the campaign unbeaten, ahead of Croatia.
In fact, the white-and-blues won seven of their last eight matches utilizing their trademark dour and defensive style. The Greek progress reminded us of their winning performance at the 2004 edition in Portugal: an odd goal here, another odd goal there, two wins in injury time, one in the last 15 minutes and a draw saved with five minutes to go saw Greece qualify for their third consecutive continental championships.
Curiously, their best game by far came against their main rivals Croatia, steam rolled 2-0 in the decider in Piraeus thanks to second half goals from Samaras and Gekas. At last the Greek people had something to cheer about in their times of recession and austerity measures.
Fixtures
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Greece Kit 1
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Greece Kit 2
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Greece v Poland v 8 June; Warsaw
Greece v Czech Republic 12 June; Wroclaw
Greece v Russia 16 June; Wroclaw
Analysis
Fernando Santos' team is somewhat more offensive-minded than the one managed by Otto Rehhagel, but the Greek attack has remained sterile in spite of the good intentions.
In fact, Greece was the lowest-scoring team to have qualified directly for Euro 2012 with just 14 goals in ten games. The higher possession rate failed to translate into goals due to the absence of a dominant scorer in the mould of Angelos Haristeas.
None of the first-choice strikers have impressed recently - not Yorgos Samaras, unsettled at Celtic, not Theofanis Gekas of German Second Bundesliga's Eintracht, not even PAOK's Dimitris Salpingidis, the most reliable of the bunch in recent years.
Santos even had to resort to the semi-retired Haristeas for the final two games, which paid him off as the hero of 2004 netted a crucial late goal in Georgia. The great hope of Greek soccer, Sotiris Ninis, should help open up the opposing defences after recovering from a nasty leg fracture sustained last September in Tel Aviv.
Behind the attacking midfielder Ninis operate the two survivors from 2004, the team's boss and midfield general Yorgos Karagounis and the main ball-winner Kostas Katsouranis.
The defense is the strongest section of the team, having inherited the solidity acquired during Rehhagel's rule, as demonstrated by only five goals conceded in the ten qualifying games. Olympiacos' right back Vasilis Torosidis is easily the best element in the squad, flanking two great central defenders, the 20-year-old revelation Kyriakos Papadopoulos from Schalke and the fiery Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Werder.
Key player: Vasilis Torosidis
The prodigal, 6ft 2inches athlete debuted in the top Greek division with Skoda Xanthi at 17 and at 21 he had already earned a transfer to the perennial champions Olympiacos and a call-up to the national team.
A right full back or wing back at the club, Torosidis is frequently used on the left flank when on national duty. In the 2009/10 season he was also deployed in midfield by Olympiacos - a sign of an uncanny versatility on top of physical strength.
Having attracted attention from the continental heavyweights Bayern, Roma and Liverpool, Torosidis has remained faithful to his Piraeus team, but a good showing at the Euros may double his rating and secure his transfer to where the big money is.
He already made history for the national team in 2010, scoring the decisive goal against Nigeria for the first Greek win at a World Cup.
One to watch: Sotiris Ninis
The Panathinaikos Albania-born attacking midfielder has been considered as the next national star since he led his club to a long-awaited league and cup double in 2010. He appeared in the World Cup in the same year, but his customary lively play was somewhat subdued by Rehhagel's cautious schemes. His great run of form, culminating with the crucial winning goal in Israel last September, was interrupted by torn knee ligaments a few minutes after his moment of glory. If he passes a fitness test, Ninis is expected to provide the class and the pace in an otherwise rather predictable Greek attack.
Coach: Fernando Santos
Otto Rehhagel earned an eternal respect from the Greeks by leading the national team to the gold medal in Portugal and to the final stages of two other major competitions in later years. Still, he failed to rejuvenate the squad towards the end of his tenure, forcing Fernando Santos (52) to act quickly and decisively upon taking over in mid-2010.
Santos did not abruptly break off from the Rehhagel era, but was not afraid to promote youngsters like Sotiris Ninis, Ioannis Fetfatzidis and Kapino Stefanos. The Portuguese, much-worshipped for his work at Porto, AEK and PAOK, did an admirable job with the national team, leading it on a 17-match unbeaten run. For this he was rewarded by the FA with a new two-year contract to universal approval from the fans and the media alike.
Record
1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, Did not qualify, 1980, 2008 Group stage; 2004 Winners
FIFA Ranking
How they qualified for Euro 2012
Topped Group F ahead of Croatia.
On the sidelines
The Greek national pride, shaped during four centuries of resistance against the Ottoman occupiers, is a factor which no rival must overlook. The squad will fight to the last breath to uplift their recession-hit countrymen back home.
Soccerphile says
Drawn in the most evenly balanced Group A, alongside Poland, Czech Republic and Russia, Greece may well finish top - or bottom. A disciplined and well-composed defence is a solid foundation for success, but Santos will have to invent new solutions in central midfield to offset the fitness problems the aging stalwarts Karagounis (35) and Katsouranis (33) are likely to face.
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Costas Chalkias (PAOK), Michalis Sifakis (Aris), Alexandros Tzorvas (Palermo)
Defenders: Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Werder Bremen), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), Jose Holebas (Olympiakos), Stelios Malezas (PAOK), Giorgos Tzavelas (Monaco), Yiannis Maniatis (Olympiakos), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke)
Midfielders: Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Costas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), Giorgos Fotakis (PAOK), Costas Fortounis (Kaiserslautern), Yiannis Fetfatzidis (Olympiakos), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Grigoris Makos (AEK Athens)
Forwards: Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Dimitris Salpigidis (PAOK), Costas Mitroglou (Atromitos), Nikos Lymberopoulos (AEK Athens), Fanis Gekas (Samsunspor)