Eight Teams Now Vie for European Supremacy

The quarterfinal round of Euro 2008 starts today: If the quarterfinal matchups are anywhere near as exciting as the group stage action, it will be a fantastic weekend of soccer. The eight quarterfinalists include four pretournament favorites (Portugal, Germany, Spain, and Italy), the hottest team and current favorite (the Netherlands), one dark horse (Croatia), and two outsiders (Turkey and Russia). On Sunday, look for Portugal, Croatia, Holland, and Italy to have booked semifinal spots. Here's how they'll get there:

Portugal vs. Germany

Thursday, June 19, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Basel, Switzerland

Germany came into the tournament favored to win the title but struggled to advance, finishing second in its group behind Croatia. It was thought that Germany's wealth of strikers would provide plenty of goals, but since the first game against Poland, the German attack has stagnated. Striker Mario Gomez (Spanish father, German mother) has been dreadful, and the fact that he maintained his starting spot in all three matches raises real concerns about manager Joachim Low's ability to adapt. If Gomez is named as a starter against Portugal, Germany's fate will be sealed before the match even gets under way — not only because of his sputtering form, but also because it would signal that Low is still unwilling to make necessary changes to his team. Perhaps it is lucky for Germany that Low has received a sideline ban for dissent and will be confined to the stands for the Portugal match.

In contrast to Low, Portugal's manager Luiz Felipe Scolari — Big Phil, as he's known — has made the right decisions on the field but created turmoil with his off-field news. Just after Portugal's victory over the Czech Republic in its second group match, English club Chelsea announced that they had agreed to terms with Big Phil to hire him as its new manager, effective July 1. The announcement is certainly a distraction to his national team.

Portugal, though, was fantastic in its first two games and should be strong enough to deal with a German side that is not at its best. Cristiano Ronaldo will no doubt play a major role, but the Portuguese defense has also been strong, and the midfield trio of Deco, Armando Petit, and Joao Moutinho should control the middle of the field and hold Germany's captain, Michael Ballack, in check.

Prediction: Portugal

Croatia vs. Turkey

Friday, June 20, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Vienna, Austria

Turkey provided plenty of thrills in the group stage, with comeback wins against Switzerland and the Czech Republic to book its spot in the quarterfinals. The team owes something to luck, though, considering it was fortunate to play the co-host Switzerland — not a strong team — and an ageing Czech Republic squad. In hindsight, Group A was probably the weakest in the tournament.

In contrast, Croatia's perfect record in the group stage cannot be attributed to weak competition: Germany was the favorite to win Euro 2008, co-host Austria proved to be tougher competition than expected, and Poland was no slouch. Croatia beat all three.

For Euro 2008, manager Slaven Bilic has adjusted the team's formation and Croatia's attack has been dangerous even without their injured star striker, Eduardo da Silva. The defense is solid, having conceded only one goal in group play. Croatia had been a dark-horse pick to win Euro 2008, but da Silva's broken leg was thought to have ended their title hopes. After the strong performance without da Silva in the group stage, however, the buzz about Croatia's title chances has returned.

Croatia should manage to contain Turkey and advance for a semifinal battle with Portugal. Still, Turkey proved it is never out of a match, and Croatia cannot let up until the final whistle.

Prediction: Croatia

The Netherlands vs. Russia

Saturday, June 21, 2:45 p.m. (ABC)

Basel, Switzerland

Russia was the last team to qualify for the quarterfinals after an impressive 2-0 victory over Sweden yesterday. Star midfielder Andrei Arshavin returned from his two-match suspension to lead a more fluid and dangerous Russian attack, scoring the second goal himself. The team was rewarded for their strong performance with a tough quarterfinal draw: The Netherlands is the hottest team in the tournament, having won all three of its group matches, and scoring nine goals in the process, which tied France's record for group stage goals.

The nine-goal total, though, was not nearly as surprising as the one goal allowed by the Netherlands' defense. Entering the tournament, defense was expected to be the trouble spot, but shutouts against Italy and Romania showed differently. While Russia is playing well, the Netherlands looks overwhelming right now and should advance to the semifinals.

Prediction: Netherlands

Spain vs. Italy

Sunday, June 22, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN)

Vienna, Austria

The last quarterfinal match is the best of the bunch: Spain and Italy are a study in contrasts. Spain likes to play with two strikers, three attacking midfielders, and two fullbacks that look to join the attack at every opportunity; Italy often utilizes the conservative tactical system catenaccio, which emphasizes defense. Spain cruised through its group matches, winning all three games; Italy struggled to advance. Spain has a reputation for bringing talented teams to big tournaments and coming away with nothing; Italy has a reputation for not playing its best and still managing to win — the 2006 World Cup title being just the latest example.

It is this last point that bodes well for the Italians. Despite the absence of suspended midfield duo Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso, Italy should manage to disrupt the Spanish passing rhythm enough to frustrate its attack. Spain's short central defenders will struggle to deal with the aerial threat of 6-foot-4-inch Italian striker Luca Toni. Italy will manage to grind out a win, leaving Spain disappointed once again.

Prediction: Italy samsternjones@gmail.com