England, Holland teams favored in Group A Euro 96
By Vic Mills
As the European Championships kick off this weekend, The Jakarta Post will print a series of forecasts on the likelihood of each participating team winning their group matches.
LONDON (JP): Host nation England kicks off the 10th European Championships on June 8, with a Group A game against Switzerland at Wembley.
As crucial a fixture as any in the tournament, it nevertheless pales into insignificance compared to that of a week later when auld enemy Scotland travels to Wembley seeking its first victory on English soil since 1981.
Soccer purists and those who worship in the temples of touch and technique would do well to stay away. The game, as hard to swallow as the beef, will be typically British: A celebration of blood, sweat and tears with pride and passion served in man-size helpings.
All of which will be far cry from the fare offered by the favorite from Group A, and indeed the tournament, Holland.
The Dutch masters wait poised to color Euro'96 with imagination and invention that so characterized its 1988 triumph.
Switzerland, which crashed 0-1 to fellow Euro'96 finalist Czech Republic at home in Saturday's warm-up, stands as Group outsider, although its ranks boast enough talent to embarrass the more favored teams.
After 30 months without a competitive game, the moment of truth is close at hand for England. The weight of a nation's hopes, hardened by years of failure and frustration, rest on the shoulders of coach Terry Venables.
His squad is a promising blend of youth and experience. The loss of Roy Jones, Mark Wright and Stan Collymore through injury was compensated by the recovery and return of Tony Adams, Steve Howey and Darren Anderton.
In defense, the Neville brothers, Gary and Philip, stand poised to emulate the exploits of Bobby and Jack Charlton in the 1966 World Cup.
Paul Gascoigne will again carry the burden of artist in residence ably supported by students Steve McManaman and Anderton. While they weave their patterns, the artisans among the squad, David Platt, Paul Ince and Steve Stone, will be sweating blood in the midfield.
The attack will be led by Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer, with Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand and Nick Barmby waiting their chance on the bench.
Adopted late in the campaign, England will play a 3-5-1-1 system. With versatility the key, Ince will bolster the defense, while Platt and Anderton push forward to support the front two.
Public opinion suggests that anything less than a semifinal place will represent sporting disaster which will please those north of the border, the very same who once made footballing hara-kiri an art form.
Respected
Mercifully, the days when Scotland fell foul to football's minnow are long gone. But so, perhaps, are the days when it might have beaten the very best.
The raw truth is that Scotland nowadays has become a thoroughly respectable and respected side, although far less fun.
In keeping with much of Europe, manager Craig Brown will employ three center-backs: Thomas Boyd, Colin Calderwood and Colin Hendry. Brown's main attacking impetus comes from the talented, although not overly robust, midfield of Gary McAllister and John Collins.
The problem area for the Scots is in attack. With Duncan Shearer missing through injury and Ally McCoist still some way off his best, goals will be in short supply.
Realistic of its chances, the likelihood is that Scotland will look to Wembley and victory over England as the extent of its ambition.
Contrast this with the goal of tournament favorite Holland. It has eyes only for the final and a chance to repeat the success of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard eight years ago.
By their own admission, the Dutch are obsessed with tactics. The players have been endlessly involved in arguments with successive national coaches about their style of play, but it works. They know what is expected and are gifted enough to change in the middle of a game, none more so than captain and center- back Danny Blind.
Blind and Ajax club colleagues form the cornerstone of defense with Michael Reiziger, Winston Bogarde and Frank de Boer. In 11 qualifying games, they conceded just five goals.
The versatility of the Dutch enables them to attack in numbers from any position. Orchestrating this from midfield are the likes of Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Aron Winter and Ronald de Boer.
As a striking partnership, none come more elusive than that of Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert. Their movement off the ball and ability to find space in the most congested penalty areas is the jewel in the Dutch crown.
In the most open tournament in years, Holland is deserved favorite. It should reach the last four, but there are pitfalls along the way.
Switzerland, in contrast, represents just such an upset waiting to happen.
For years the Swiss ambled comfortably along the backwaters of European football, then Englishman Roy Hodgson took over as coach. Since then they have been to the World Cup finals for the first time since the 1960s and have now qualified for their European championship finals.
With Hodgson joining Inter Milan, the man at the helm is now Artur Jorge, a successful club manager with Porto.
Jorge's task is helped somewhat in that the bulk of the side has been together for much of the 1990s, and although the Swiss league is not one of the best in Europe, most of the top players have gained experience abroad.