Sportsnet’s panel of soccer writers, broadcasters and commentators offer their UEFA Euro 2016 predictions.
James Sharman, Sportsnet
Final Four: Spain, Italy, Germany, France.
Winner: Germany beats Spain in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Thomas Muller, Germany.
Biggest surprise: Austria
Biggest flop: Sweden
Breakout star: Antoine Griezmann, France.
Group-stage match to watch: Belgium vs. Italy.
Keep an eye on: THE RETURN OF SPAIN. While Germany will enter the tournament as favourites, Spain has a great opportunity to remind us that they are still one of the top teams in world soccer. A blip at the 2014 World Cup, where too much loyalty to the heroes of the past cost the team, will be seen as just that, a blip. Spain is ushering in a new generation of talent, and while the likes of a declining Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas remain key to the side, the emergence of Alvaro Morata, Thiago Alcantara and David de Gea bodes well for the future. Spain may not be vintage 2008 or 2010, but they are no has-beens either, and Euro is the perfect stage to get back on track, and possibly repeat.
Stephen Brunt, Sportsnet
Final Four: Spain, Portugal, Germany, France.
Winner: France beats Spain in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Antoine Griezmann, France.
Biggest surprise: Austria
Biggest flop: Italy
Breakout star: Paul Pogba, France.
Group-stage match to watch: England vs. Wales.
Keep an eye on: WORLD CUP ’98, REDUX. France wins again on home soil and a country that doesn’t necessarily live and breathe soccer goes crazy. Camera people search desperately for a shot of Michel Platini cheering from wherever they seat corrupt, exiled football bosses who also happen to be national heroes.
Jeff Blair, Sportsnet 590 The FAN
Final Four: France, Spain, Germany, Belgium.
Winner: France beats Germany in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Thomas Muller, Germany.
Biggest surprise: Wales
Biggest flop: Portugal
Breakout star: Nolito, Spain.
Group-stage match to watch: Belgium vs. Italy.
Keep an eye on: FRANCE. At a time when the country’s social and political structure is wrestling with a more strident and emotional nationalism, can the country’s sometimes-fractious Les Bleus keep it together and write one of the best sports stories of the year? The guess here is they do. France is deep, can play fast and nasty, and Didier Deschamps can count on a powerful midfield to control matches.
John Molinaro, Sportsnet.ca
Final Four: Germany, France, Croatia, Spain.
Winner: Germany beats France in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Thomas Muller, Germany.
Biggest surprise: Poland
Biggest flop: Italy
Breakout star: N’Golo Kante, France.
Group-stage match to watch: Croatia vs. Spain.
Keep an eye on: THE NEWCOMERS. Five nations will make their European Championship debut this summer: Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Wales. Every major international tournament almost always produces a dark horse team—Demark in 1992 and Greece in 2004 being the best example—and it wouldn’t surprise me if the dark horse of Euro 2016 came from this group of debutantes. Wales, in particular, is a strong and balanced side, and no team should expect an easy time of it against Iceland or Northern Ireland. I’m not expecting one of them to win it. But in keeping with the theme of major surprises in recent times—thanks Leicester City!—wouldn’t it be great if a newcomer was able to disrupt the “natural order” by knocking off a heavyweight or two and make it to the semifinals?
Donovan Bennett, Sportsnet
Final Four: France, Belgium, England, Germany.
Winner: France beats England in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden.
Biggest surprise: Wales
Biggest flop: Portugal
Breakout star: Anthony Martial, France.
Group-stage match to watch: England vs. Wales.
Keep an eye on: FRANCE. The last time France hosted a major tournament—the 1998 World Cup—they won it. Like they did 18 years ago, the French have a squad with elite goalkeeping, attacking flair and depth across the pitch. They’ve omitted multiple players who would walk into the other three teams in their group and be in their starting 11. Les bleus are playing for a country that is yearning for a strong showing as a symbol of their resilience and strength after last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris. That pressure for the hosts could be debilitating like it was for Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, or invigorating as it was for Japan at the 2011 Women’s World Cup after the tsunami that hit that country. Either way every France game will be a sporting and news event with the pre-game national anthem feeling like a state assembly.
MORE ON EURO 2016: Sportsnet has you covered with in-depth coverage of Euro 2016 in France, which runs from June 10 to July 10.
• Match schedule || Group standings || Live scoreboard || Latest news
• Profiles: All 24 teams || History of Euro || Top 10 moments in Euro history
• Sportsnet’s predictions || 10 players to watch || 5 key group stage games
Ethan Dean-Richards, Sportsnet.ca
Final Four: Germany, France, England, Spain.
Winner: France beats Germany in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Robert Lewandowski, Poland.
Biggest surprise: Poland
Biggest flop: Portugal
Breakout star: Paul Pogba, France.
Group-stage match to watch: Germany vs. Poland.
Keep an eye on: THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. The story of the rock and the hard place is one that most small international teams know well. If they attack, they risk being blown apart by teams with more talent than them; if they defend, they risk a timid exit from whichever competition they’re in and hindsight-led claims of cowardice. The second scenario is exactly what happened to Ireland at the last European Championship, where it scored just one goal in three large defeats and exited at the group stages with just a “best fans award” to show for its weeks’ work. With Martin O’Neil and Roy Keane now in charge, the likelihood of having to have a specially-invented fan award patronisingly bestowed upon it out of pity has surely receded, but the precise alternative is not necessarily clear yet. Feistiness alone doesn’t mean the two coaches can magically get their hands on a set of world-class, attacking talent… Does it? So how do they play it?
Thomas Dobby, Sportsnet
Final Four: Spain, England, Germany, France.
Winner: France beats Spain in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Antoine Griezmann, France.
Biggest surprise: Austria
Biggest flop: Portugal
Breakout star: Dmitri Payet, France.
Group-stage match to watch: Belgium vs. Italy.
Keep an eye on: 24 TEAMS. How will the 24-team field impact the tournament? There’s a tiny bit less pressure in the group stage matches, with four-best third-place teams advancing. But it also sets up interesting scenarios for the round of 16 where we’re almost guaranteed to see a “big team” go out.
Noah Love, Sportsnet.ca
Final Four: Spain, France, Germany, Belgium.
Winner: France beats Germany in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Antoine Griezmann, Spain.
Biggest surprise: Wales
Biggest flop: England
Breakout star: Jason Denayer, Belgium.
Group-stage match to watch: Belgium vs. Italy.
Keep an eye on: WAYNE ROONEY. His season with Manchester United was a confounding mess. There was a long injury absence, positional uncertainty, and the obvious fact that his skills are in decline. He’s also England’s captain, which means he will start every one of their games at Euro 2016. The Three Lions come into the tournament as contenders, having romped through an easy qualifying group and having enjoyed success in their friendlies through the fall and winter. But Rooney’s certain inclusion means the pace of England’s attack will be significantly slowed, unless Roy Hodgson plays him closer to central midfield. Hodgson, though, is notoriously slow to change and prone to relying on stalwarts (see: Jack Wilshere’s inclusion in the team despite playing one game in the last calendar year). There’s potential here for a major disaster. It’s also possible Jamie Vardy and Tottenham trio Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier are too good to fail. But England’s success or failure will likely hinge on Rooney’s performance and Hodgson’s ability to figure out what to do with his biggest, fading star.
Dan Riccio, Sportsnet 590 The FAN
Final Four: France, Germany, Spain, Croatia.
Winner: France beats Germany in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Thomas Muller, Germany.
Biggest surprise: Austria
Biggest flop: Italy
Breakout star: Alvaro Morata, Spain.
Group-stage match to watch: Croatia vs. Turkey.
Keep an eye on: HOME ADVANTAGE. As the home side, France is among the favourites, but it is not just the benefit of home cooking that has them there. This squad on paper can go toe to toe with Spain and Germany any day of the week. A narrow quarterfinal loss to the eventual champion Germany in the 2014 World Cup gave most of this squad the bitter taste of defeat. Paul Pogba is now the best midfielder in the world, while Antoine Griezmann has developed into one of Europe’s top finishers. This squad has all the pieces in place, and will benefit from the home crowd to get the job done. Also, the more of Pogba we get to watch, the better it is for us. What a player. Enjoy.
Graham Ruthven, Sportsnet.ca
Final Four: Spain, France, England and Germany.
Winner: France beats Spain in the final.
Tournament top scorer: Antoine Griezmann, France.
Biggest surprise: Wales
Biggest flop: Portugal
Breakout star: Dele Alli, England.
Group-stage match to watch: Germany vs. Poland.
Keep an eye on: WALES. Qualifying for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, you would be forgiven for assuming that Wales are simply satisfied with being in France this summer. But Gareth Bale gave an insight into the mindset of Chris Coleman’s side when he exclaimed “we can win the whole thing. Why not?” That may be beyond the Dragons, but to deride them as a one-man team would be to understate all they have achieved in recent years. They could make a real impression at Euro 2016, flying under the radar into the knockout rounds. They are about much more than just Bale.
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