Greece (National Football)

GREECE vs. GERMANY

Date: Friday, June 22, 2012

Location: PGE Arena Gdańsk (Gdańsk, Poland)

Time: 2:45 p.m. ET/11:45 a.m. PT

Television: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Computer: Watch ESPN (Formerly ESPN3)

Satellite Radio: Sirius XM Channel 92

Odds To Advance: Germany: -800, Greece: +600

90 Minutes + Injury Time Odds: Germany: -1½ -120, Greece: +1½ Even

Total: 2½

Three-Way Odds: Germany: -325, Greece: +1050, Draw: +400

First Half Odds: Germany: -½ -135, Greece: +½ +115

First Half Total: 1o -120

Odds To Win Euro 2012: Germany: 2/1, Greece: 50/1

No quarterfinal matchup in this tournament has odds as disparate as this one, in which Germany is a very heavy favorite in Gdańsk on Friday.

And rightfully so.

Greece fought its way into the Final 8 with a hard-fought 1-0 upset win against Group A favorites Russia in its last match after drawing with Poland (1-1) in the opener and losing to the Czech Republic (2-1) in its second match.

If this match were a Scrabble game, there’s no doubt that the surprise UEFA Euro 2004 champions Greece would destroy Germany—as well as all other nations—but it’s not, so Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Kyriakos Papadopoulos will just have to concentrate on playing great defense against the aggressive German attack.

Georgios Samaras has been disappointing so far in the tournament for Greece, especially defensively. I except Germany to try and exploit that with its four talents up front in Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez.

Meanwhile, Greece striker Theofanis Gekas will have his work cut out for him as he tries to negotiate the German defense, which features defenders Jérôme Boateng, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm and talented goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

At this point, Germany, along with Spain, looks like the team to beat in this European Championship. Germany has won all 13 games that it has played in qualifying and in the tournament so far, including a sweep through the Group of Death.

And many on Germany’s deep roster play for Bayern Munich and still have that bitter taste of the UEFA Champions League loss to Chelsea fresh in their mouths, so expect some extra motivation from that rough reality.

In Greece’s 1-0 win against Russia in its last match, the game’s lone score came right before halftime when it seemed Russia’s defense fell asleep for the briefest of moments.

That won’t happen here.

It’s likely Germany will dominate the time of possession here and score first.

I just can’t see Greece scoring more than one goal, whereas I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Germany’s Gomez notches two himself.

And when your bench has names like Miroslav Klose, Per Mertesacker and Toni Kroos on it, well, let’s just say it’s fun to be manager Joachim Low.

I think thanks to some clutch passing by Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Özil that Gomez will score a goal in each half, and Germany will move on to the semifinals with relative ease.

So, no big upset for Greece this time around. Sorry, Sokratis.

PREDICTION: Germany 2 Greece 0

BETS: Germany -½ -135  (First Half), Germany -1½ -120

Odds: LVH SuperBook (Formerly the Las Vegas Hilton)

Follow me on Twitter: @KevinStott11

Now that the UEFA Euro 2012 group play is over, the knockout stage features two teams that stand very little chance of making a deep run in the tournament.

Out of the eight teams remaining, the two teams with the worst chance to make it through the end of the tournament happen to come out of the same group. The Czech Republic and Greece both advanced out of Group A and have difficult draws in the quarterfinals. 

The Czech Republic's defense is one of the worst that remains in the tournament and they were exploited in the group stage. After being throttled by Russia 4-1 in their opening game, the Czechs made adjustments in the next two games. Against Greece and Poland the Czechs allowed only one goal in two games.

After a loss to Germany in their first game, Portugal seem to be playing their best right now. Cristiano Ronaldo finally found the back of the net (twice) in their last game against the Netherlands. The Czech defense will be tested. Portugal has an explosive offense, and they will be tough to beat if Ronaldo plays the way he did last game. 

Another reason the Czechs are unlikely to advance is they will be without Tomas Rosicky for Thursday's match against Portugal. Manager Vladimir Smicer is not planning on Rosicky being available, so it will be surprising if he gets on the field. They were able to make it through the group stage without Rosicky, but missing him will make it even harder for the Czechs to pull off the upset.

The other team from Group A, Greece, made it through to the knockout round by beating Russia and held the advantage in the tiebreaker.  

They also have a difficult task in the quarterfinals. Greece will take on Germany on Friday. The Germans entered Euro 2012 as the tournament favorites, and they made it through the "Group of Death" undefeated. By allowing only two goals in three games, Germany's defense will give Greece headaches all game.

The Germans are led by striker Mario Gomez, who he is always a threat to score. Greece has to figure out a way to contain him, but their defense should be up for the challenge. They are able to play strong defense, so Gomez may have limited chances to score. 

Although their defense is solid, Greece's offense will struggle to get anything going in the quarterfinals. They will need Sotiris Ninis to step up and give them an offensive boost. If he gets on the field for an extended period he needs to make it count. The team scored three goals in three games, and they are relying on a team effort to make it through to the semifinals.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is proving to be more than adequate for Germany. He will look to stop any scoring chances for Greece.

Future matches also factor into why the chances of advancing for the Czech Republic and Greece are not looking good.

If the Czechs manage to get past Portugal they would likely face Spain in the semifinals. With Germany looming on the other side of the bracket, it is doubtful the Czechs will make a run through the powerful field. They need to find a way to slow down Portugal's offense, but ultimately they will come up short.

Greece's defense keeps them in games, but Germany look like the best team in the tournament. It was a tough draw for Greece, but a semifinal match against England/Italy would be tough as well. England won two games and tied once in Group D while Italy finished second in Group C. After tying Spain in the first game, the Italians had a letdown by earning a draw against Croatia. If they managed to get to the finals, Greece would most likely face Spain (or Portugal).

The competition for both teams will be too much to handle and they will see their Euro 2012 dreams end in the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal Matches

Czech Republic vs. Portugal (Thursday)

Germany vs. Greece (Friday)

Spain vs. France (Saturday)

England vs. Italy (Sunday)

The Greek national team pulled a shocking win Saturday, beating Russia 1-0 and advancing to the Euro 2012 quarterfinals. It was the second time that Greece has shocked the football world, with their 2004 triumph being their greatest achievement.

On a fateful night, it was time for team captain Giorgos Karagounis to become the hero, as he was the one who scored the winner late in the first half. Russia was the better side until that moment, but a turnover was enough to fall behind and ultimately lose the game and the qualification.

The second half saw Greece playing its favorite style of football: 11-man defense. For most of the time, the Greeks had 11 players behind the kickoff line and they were doing their best to keep the ball as far away as possible from their box. The Russians tried to find ways to get in the area and space to shoot, but they were hopeless.

Honestly, it was not an attractive game, especially from the Greek team’s side. There’s not much to like in a team that plays defense for more than 45 minutes, trying to destroy the opponent’s offensive plan.

However, this was not a friendly match. It was all about getting in the tournament’s quarterfinals, and Greece did what it could to get it done.

The Greek players showed unmatched fighting spirit, and despite being the less talented side they won the game. That was their plan, they executed it more than well and there’s nothing bad in that. And there’s a lot to like when the underdog beats the favorite.

Greece proved that their Euro 2004 miracle was anything but a lucky random result. Greece is nowhere near France, Italy and Germany, but as long as its players decide to give everything they have on the pitch, they will be tough to bring down.

Fancy dribbling, tricky passing combinations and high-scoring games will always be the fans’ favorite. However, nothing beats passion and effort to conquer what looks impossible and Greece can bring that to the table.

Nobody believed in Greece at the 2004 European Championship and few aren't believing in 2012.

Not me.

Greece is capable of making another deep run in the European Championship. 

If they play Germany in the next round, which is highly possible, it's going to be extremely difficult to make it past the Germans. But that's why they play the game. 

Defense, and more importantly, tactical defending, is what the Greeks do better than any team in the world. It may be boring, it may be hard to watch, you may consider them lucky, but they find ways to get it done.

When it's single elimination, anything can happen. Similar to what Greece did to Russia, if you defend as well as they did, play counter-attack football and capitalize on scoring chances, you can defeat any team in the world.

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

In 2004, Greece was in Group A with the host country, Portugal. Greece finished with four points, two points behind Portugal. It scored four goals and conceded four goals.

In 2012, Greece is in Group A with one of the host countries (Poland). It finished in second place with four points, two points behind the winner. The team has scored three goals and conceded three goals.

History is repeating itself.

All Greece has to do is defend, create on the counter attack and capitalize on scoring opportunities. It sounds like everything has to go perfectly for Greece to compete.

Well, that's the way it had to happen in 2004.

During the knockout stages, Greece defeated European powers France, Czech Republic and Portugal by scores of 1-0. 

Defense reigned supreme, Greece capitalized on scoring opportunities and kept its form. They did it against the world's best teams. 

It can happen again. 

Prediction

If Greece plays Germany, it's going to be extremely difficult because of how great the Germans have played thus far. Nevertheless, the upset can still take place. It might not seem probable, but anything is possible.

Despite the opponent, Greece has what it takes to make another run at a European Championship. 

For complete scores and schedules check out bbc.co.uk. 

It was a result almost no one predicted. In their first two games, Greece had just come up short, putting together strong second halves but falling behind by too much in the first half. Everyone expected the same, or even worse, against the Russians this past Saturday.

But against all expectations, and very much against the run of play, Greece grabbed a 1-0 lead at the end of halftime and held onto that lead throughout the second half of the game despite massive pressure from the Russians. 

In doing so, they jumped from fourth in the group to second and qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament.

But more importantly, Greece's victory gave the people of Greece something to celebrate at a time in which there has been little joy for the country of Greece. 

As Greeks head to the polls this Sunday for the second time in two months to vote on a new government, the economic future of their country remains very bleak.

No matter which party wins—be it the center-right New Democracy party or the leftist Sryiza party—more austerity cuts are likely to be on the way, and the possibility of Greece's withdrawal from the European Union still remains very much on the horizon.

Economic recovery is still months—if not a couple of years—away for Greece. Unemployment and poverty levels only continue to increase in the meantime. 

It's not a good time to be a Greek.

But, sometimes, football can be the perfect distraction from such grief. Being an Egyptian, I've learned this lesson all too well.

The anguish and passion that Giorgios Karagounis showed when he was denied the penalty that likely would've put his team up 2-0—and was instead booked and made to miss his team's quarterfinal match—is something every Greek can admire.

The strength of the Greek defense—especially Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Avram Papadopoulos in the center—to withstand attack after attack from the Russians and repel them time and again—that's strength that every Greek will look to duplicate in their own personal lives.

And the persistence of Georgios Samaras, to continue making key, dangerous runs into the Russians' half despite having little support and having the ref rule incorrectly in Russia's favor multiple times—that endurance and will to overcome is something every Greek will look to harness for themselves.

Ultimately, football is not the answer. Football and politics are separate and should always remain so. Greece's economy is under serious pressure, and football can do nothing directly to alleviate that pressure.

But that doesn't mean it can't help out indirectly by providing motivation and energy to a population that has been often made to feel helpless in the last year or so. 

In the end, Greece will likely exit the tournament in the quarterfinals, especially since they'll be without captain Karagounis.

The determination and endurance of the team, however, will not soon be forgotten by the country's beleaguered population and will resonate with it for many months to come.

The first surprise entry into the quarterfinals of the 2012 European Championship has taken place. Greece reached the quarterfinals when Giorgos Karagounis, the most capped Greek player, scored the only goal in the match against Russia in the final group game. 

With Greece and Russia both on four points, Greece went through on the head-to-head rule. Neutrals will not be pleased to see the Russians, who had managed to score four in their opening group game, go out. Andrey Arshavin's men played some attractive football compared to Greece who have created one of the lowest number of shots on goal in the tournament.

Greece played a similar brand of football in Euro 2004, when they surprisingly beat all odds and went all the way to win the trophy. That year, Spain and Russia were the teams who had to bow out at the group stages. Interestingly, the last group game was Russia vs. Greece that year too. The difference was that the Russians won 2-1 and Greece still went through on goals scored.

Imagine that, Greece scoring more than Spain. Well, times have changed since then, and that scenario possibly would have had one to a million odds of being repeated.

Having said that, I was wondering what the odds are for Greece doing a 2004 once again. They actually range from 33 to 50 over various sites. I would not suggest it, though, simply because a repeat of 2004 will not take place.

For starters, Greece will play one of the four teams from the group of death (Group B) in the quarters. Greece are favorites to lose against any of the Group B teams let alone Germany, the strongest of them and the team that the Greeks will most likely face.

The resemblance with 2004 is uncanny. In the quarters, Greece beat France, one of the favorites that year. This year it will probably be Germany. Though I do not think Germany will let Greece repeat a similar upset. The Germans are giving a solid feel this year at the Euros and seem to be willing to grind out results as shown against Portugal.

Making matters worse for Greece is the absence of its hero against Russia, Giorgos Karagounis. Karagounis was carded and will miss the next game through suspension. 

Let us compare the 11 that played against Russia yesterday night to the one that beat Portugal in the final eight years ago. The average age is lower this year at 27.36 when compared to 2004's 29.54. However, at the same time, the number of caps across the team this year is higher at 483 as compared to 2004 when it was only 386.

This bodes very well for Greece in that it has more experience on the pitch with young legs. So if matches go the distance, Greece is well prepared. This is also where the absence of Karagounis will hurt them in the quarters.

Additionally, the main reason I see for Greece going out is its midfield, particularly Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, that will not be able to cope with the likes of Germany and that too in the absence of Karagounis. 

Other than this, I feel that the Greeks can be broken down just as Czech Republic showed in the second group game of both teams. The Czechs scored twice in the opening few minutes while exposing the frailties in the Greek defense that is not looking as solid as it did in 2004.

With the defense not as solid as in the miracle year and the attack toothless even when compared to a moderate attacking force in 2004, there is hardly reason to suspect, let alone believe, that the Greeks are going to do it again. "Lightning does not strike in the same place twice" is a cliche you can use with Greece's chances this year.      

With two group matches complete by each team, Group A remains wide open to advance for advancement to the quarterfinals and knock-out stage.

The first game started with Greece facing off against the Czech Republic today.

It deemed to be history in the making. It was back in 2004 when the Czechs were heavy favorites in the tournament, and the Greeks shut them down and shocked the world being crowned European Champions.

The Czechs were looking for revenge and did so with not only a win, but by scoring the fastest goal in the history of Euro Cup play. Petr Jitacek found the back of the net in less than three minutes of play and the Czechs added a second goal to take a commanding 2-0 lead while fans were still looking to find their seats.

Greece managed to score a Fani Gekas goal on a rare Petr Cech mistake, but failed to equalize, losing by a 2-1 margin.

In the later Group A game, host nation Poland squared off with Group A leader Russia.

Russia was coming off a convincing 4-1 win against the Czech Republic while Poland knotted up with Greece in the tournament opener.

Poland looked sharp early and had their fair share of chances, but it was Alan Dzagoev and his tournament-leading third goal that struck first for Russia. Poland then equalized in the second half with a left-footed rocket by Jakub Blaszcykowski. The game finished in a 1-1 draw.

As the Czechs moved up in the standings and moved a step closer to the quarters, the Greeks hurt their chances but are still alive.

Poland is still in the hunt while Russia is in the driver’s seat.

It will be an interesting Saturday when all four teams will be playing in must-win games.

Advancing to the quarter-finals will not be easy for any of the four teams, but here is how they can advance.

Russia advances with a win or tie against Greece, or with a Poland loss or tie.

Czech Republic advances with a win or tie against Poland, and a Greece loss.

Poland advances with a win.

Greece advances with a win against Russia and a Poland or Czech Republic win or tie.

In the case that any two teams in question are still tied, the first tiebreaker goes to the team with higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question

Greece finds itself in serious danger of being eliminated from Euro 2012 after a loss to the Czech Republic.

The Greeks had to feel good about their chances after earning a draw against Poland in the opening match, but the team wasn't able to capitalize on that result. Instead, they gave up two goals in the first six minutes and weren't able to fight back.

Petr Jiracek got the Narodak on the board in the third minute, and Vaclav Pilar struck shortly after to stun Greece before it even had a chance to settle in. It was a surprising outburst after the Czechs were throttled by Russia in their first match.

They clearly didn't want that to happen again, so manager Michal Bilek urged his team to attack a suspect Greek back line, and it worked to perfection.

Theofanis Gekas came off the bench to provide some offense for Greece in the second half. He gave the team a chance to come back with a goal in the 53rd minute, but that's all the Ethniki could muster en route to a crushing defeat.

Regardless of the other Group A result between Russia and Poland, Greece will enter its final group game against the Russians with an outside chance to advance. But based on the Sbornaya's recent form, that's a real long shot.

Greece prides itself on playing a strong technical game that makes it a tough squad to beat. The Greeks were able to showcase that ability for 84 minutes on Tuesday, but the lapses in the first six minutes were simply too much to overcome.

All told, Greece just doesn't have enough talent to hang with some of Europe's top clubs. When the back line isn't able to keep its shape, it opens up plenty of opportunities for the opponent, and the Czech Republic took advantage.

Having featured several older veterans, the tournament also might be a changing of the guard for the team. Longtime squad members like Giorgos Karagounis and Kostas Chalkias are running out of time to make an impact, which means younger players will need to step up moving forward.

There will be plenty of time to talk about that in the future. As for now, Greece has to try to pull off a miracle against Russia and hope it's enough to advance.

If not, the Greeks will look back at their loss to the Czechs as a chance squandered.