Quarterfinal Predictions for Euro

We're two hours away from kicking off the Quarterfinals of the 2008 European Championships. I'm just going to do a quick write up with every prediction, we'll keep it short, sweet, and brilliantly perfect.

Portugal vs. Germany

Probably the most anticipated match of the quarterfinal round. I picked this at the start of the tournament to be the final, unfortunately Germany hasn't been quite the team we expected. Still, even though Portugal may have the best player in the tournament, I think from top to bottom Germany is significantly better. The Germans will find a way to slow down the pace of the game and neutralize Christiano Ronaldo. When that happens, look for the Germans to play the deep long ball into the box (the Portuguese defense is suspect at best).

Croatia vs. Turkey

Croatia was the unheralded team of the tournament. They came out of that English qualifying group that featured the Russians and Israelis. This Croatian team looks good, and they should be able to dominate Turkey up and down the field.

Netherlands vs. Russia

For those who want to see an offensive-minded matchup, watch this game. Netherlands are a wrecking ball at the front (look for me to write an article soon about the Dutch Football system and the history of Total Football). The Russians were able to sneak past Sweden, and might have the right to lay claim to the nicest goal of the tournament so far. I'm expecting something like a 3-1 or 4-2 match in favor of the Dutch.

Spain vs. Italy

I'm really rooting against Spain. It's just a personal vendetta I have against them. If there was any team to catch the Spaniards I think the Italians are it. If they can sit back and play proper Catanaccio (the Italian defensive counter), they can catch the Spaniards with their pants down. These teams match up well for the Italians, even though they haven't played their best football so far in the tournament.