The D.A. Show's Official Euro 2012 Preview

Transcript from The D.A. Show's Official Euro 2012 Preview

This is Euroship Insider Adam Lowenstein. Here to preview all 16 teams from Euro 2012.

(Listen to The D.A. Show weeknights on 98.5 The Sports Hub from 7 pm to midnight)

Group A – as heard on The D.A. Show on Tuesday, June 5

1.    Czech Republic

The Czech Republic almost got rid of Coach Michal Bilek, but a suspension to one of their better midfielders forced a change in the team’s formation and they began to play better. They still fail to score effectively like they did in 2004, but look for their new look to throw off opponents. This is one set of the Czechs that don’t want to get “bounced” from Euro 2012.

2.    Greece

Greece has tied a lot since Coach Fernando Santos has come aboard because the only thing less reliable than their offense is their banking system. They went 17 games without a loss, but have 9 ties in their new coach’s first 20 games. This team’s play may not be pretty, but it is effective. They have played well recently, so they will try to continue it in Euro 2012.

3.    Poland

Poland has landed a pretty easy draw as the co-host of Euro 2012. They are led by a few great players, but do not have much talent overall. The Polish are actually the lowest FIFA-ranked team at the competition. They have discipline, media problems and all the sausages you can eat, but maybe their fans can help them advance.

4.    Russia

Russia impressed when making the semifinals in Euro 2008, but failed to make the World Cup just two years later. They are clearly the favorite of Group A, but this is the last push for this aging group. In addition, if the team needs any additional encouragement, President Vladimir Putin can always perform the emotional Herb Brooks speech from the movie Miracle in three different languages.

Group B – as heard on The D.A. Show on Wednesday, June 6

5.    Denmark

Qualifying for the first time since 1992, Denmark could act as a sleeper this year. However, they are in arguably the toughest group in Euro 2012. They have made the most final games in European Championship history, so experience is on their side. Nothing like a good Prune Danish to get these boys running.

6.    Germany

Even with the youngest team in European Championship history, Germany could be at an all-time best after winning each of their 10 qualification games handily. The sky is the limit for this team as they have the second best odds of winning it all. German chemists have been working night and day to come up with just the right formula for an undetectable performance enhancement cocktail or the latest non-fat yogurt.

7.    Netherlands

After losing 1-0 to Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final, the Netherlands enters Euro 2012 as one of the favorites. They bring almost the same starting lineup from the World Cup, hoping to win their first European Championship since 1988. How they move so quickly in those wooden shoes is beyond me. Curtis couldn’t even move that fast in Uggs.

8.    Portugal

For Portugal, they will need Cristiano Ronaldo to excel. The team recently fired their coach and replaced him with Ronaldo’s former teammate Paulo Bento, who is the youngest coach at Euro 2012. Bento could push Europe’s best player to his full potential and give the Portuguese a chance at moving forward. There may be dancing in the streets of Lisbon not seen since the Middle Ages when the Moors were expelled from Portugal, or was it the “Moops”?

Group C – as heard on The D.A. Show on Thursday, June 7

9.    Croatia

With their coach already confirming that he will leave following Euro 2012, Croatia wants to go as far they can in their last stand with him. They have lost games that they should have won and won games they should have lost. But they have Luka Modric, the Michael Jordan of soccer. He led his Croatian club to a three-peat recently. And it will be Luka Luka Lukamania running rampant all over the Euroship.

10. Ireland

This is just Ireland’s second European championship appearance since 1988. They have a fantastic fan base in the “Green Army,” so the Irish will have tons of support at Euro 2012. In addition, look for Lucky and the Celtics Dancers to perform at halftime. Who wants a T-shirt?

11. Italy

Italy should be good enough to advance to the next round because the only team challenging them in this group is Spain. With their match-fixing scandal mostly behind them, the Italians should be able to go far in Euro 2012. Also, it is good to know that the national food of Italy is calamari. Italy is also the only place where the NBA is on the up and up.

12. Spain

Spain is the favorite for Euro 2012. If you want to pick a team from this tournament, you want to go with the Spaniards. They are great overall with a good number of young good players. And that's no bull. Ole! Ole, Ole, Ole! Ole, Ole! Ole, Ole…

Group D – as heard on The D.A. Show on Friday, June 8

13.    England

England should battle for a top-2 seed in Group D. The English are not the favorites for Euro 2012, but they are a very good team overall. The boys wouldn’t want to disappoint the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee or Tom Jones may have to crush some skulls.

14.    France

The best team of this group is France, a team that has not lost in their last 20 games. Their defense may hold them back once making it out of group competition, but they’re powered by Au Bon Pain and The Magic Pan restaurant. So watch the carbo-loading begin with your favorite French pastries and crepes. Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!

15.    Sweden

Sweden is in transition mode, so it will be tough for this team to advance. The Swedish did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup, but they do have a terrific offense that will make them a dangerous team. And let’s not forget - Ah, the Swedish massage. Oil covered all over my body…Where was I?

16.    Ukraine

Many think Ukraine is weak. I tell you Ukraine is not weak! Co-host Ukraine has changed coaches a lot recently, so they are still trying to get their team together. The Ukrainians did grab a couple wins in their last few games. And they may have some magic on their side in Euro 2012. The tradition of the Easter egg does have roots there.

For the D.A. Show, this Euroship Insider Adam Lowenstein

(Listen to The D.A. Show weeknights on 98.5 The Sports Hub from 7 pm to midnight)

Buzzer-Beater Blunder

As Dwyane Wade’s potential game-winning shot sailed from the front rim to the bottom of the backboard and into Kevin Garnett’s hands, the Miami Heat once again were unable to execute their half-court offense. This time, it was in one of the most crucial possessions of the Eastern Conference Finals thus far. Coincidentally, the Heat had an opportunity to take the final shot of all 5 periods and failed on each one of them. In the first quarter, LeBron James threw a bad pass out of bounds with 1.8 seconds to go. Then, after Rondo missed a 29-foot three-pointer at the buzzer of the first quarter, Miami missed the next four buzzer-beaters. The even more problematic element of this predicament is that none of the four shots by the Heat were attempted from closer than 18 feet. At the end of the second quarter, Mike Miller missed a 20-foot jump shot. Then in the second half, Wade failed to hit a running 3-pointer and Udonis Haslem misfired on a fadeaway jumper. Finally, in overtime, Wade created space with a pump fake on Marquis Daniels, but missed the deep shot.



Since Game 2, the Boston Celtics have been able to score effectively in many different ways. By taking advantage of Garnett’s size inside and Rondo’s overall speed, the team has had some amazing offensive quarters. Boston took Game 3 by a larger margin because they won the points in the paint battle. Conversely, the Celtics did not do so in Game 4, which made for a tougher sprint to the finish. In the first 15 minutes of the game, they amazingly hit their first 6 of 8 three-point attempts, including back-to-back ones from Keyon Dooling on consecutive possessions. The Celtics then proceeded to make only 1 of their next 11 from deep. Overall, they finished 9 of 27 and 3 of their final 19 from beyond the arc. While the men in green were firing on all cylinders early on, the outside shooting could have been the primary reason for the team’s devastating loss. In spite of all this, the Celtics held on for the victory.



When it came to making buzzer-beaters, the Heat came up short in Game 4, but the third component of Miami’s Big 3 could return to the floor when they land back in South Beach. It remains to be seen what Chris Bosh can provide for the losers of two straight. While some analysts may argue that Bosh’s injury has allowed James and Wade to take control and make the Heat offense better, one cannot help but wonder if his presence will boost Miami’s chances of making the NBA Finals for the second consecutive season. He can act as another Heat scorer who can make his own shot while also providing size on the defensive end. Therefore, no one should take his return lightly.