Euro 2012: Two Recent World Cup Finalists Look to Atone for Lost Glory

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 18, 2012

commentComment        

The date was July 9th 2006, and two European giants battled to penalties in Berlin in an attempt to capture world football's ultimate prize; the World Cup trophy.  For Italy and France, such a stage was commonplace.  Italy was playing in its sixth final, while France was playing in its second, having also finished third twice; in 1958 and 1986.  

But for as much glory as the 2006 World Cup finals brought the two nations, 2010 was a horror show, to put it lightly.  

The Azzurri failed to advance out a group that featured New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay, and France's squad fell to shambles before the group stage had even concluded.  

When the dust was settled, the world was witnessing a rare occurrence; neither Italy nor France had qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament.

Two years later, European football is ready to begin one of its most prestigious tournaments; Euro 2012.  

For Italy and France, this is the perfect time to atone for their poor showings in South Africa, with the rest of Europe (and the world) watching.

It is also a good measurement of the progress the two sides have made towards rebuilding their national image and showing what they have to offer in Brazil come the 2014 finals.

I believe that both countries are going to make deep runs in this tournament, and they have assembled squads who will be able to play with anyone they meet.

YOUTH

Both Italy and France have a plethora of young talent on their preliminary rosters that are going to be instrumental in turning the two nation's fortunes around.  

While youth can, at times, be a disadvantage on the the world stage due to inexperience, both countries feature quality young players who have already proven they can dominate for their respective club squads.  

If their success can translate to Euro 2012, both nations will have a yo...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!