Euro Cup 2020: Group D Preview
After being snubbed for PFA Player of the Year, Harry Kane will look for vindication in the form of leading England to just their 2nd major trophy in history
England
FIFA Rank: #4
Qualified as: 1st place in Group A
The Skinny
Things were pretty dire for England's football for the better part of the last decade. If you enjoy English schadenfreude, you might enjoy this recap: missing out entirely on the 2008 Euro Cup, a humiliating Round of 16 exit at the 2010 World Cup, an uninspired quarterfinal exit at Euro 2012, a last-place group finish at the 2014 World Cup, then a Round of 16 exit at the hands of Iceland-- ICELAND! --in the last Euro Cup. The 2018 World Cup, however, changed all of that; with the Three Lions' surprising run to the semifinals, and coming ever-so-close to bringing the Jules Rimet Trophy home, suddenly England was no longer a meme and was once again a bona fide threat on the world stage. It's how they come to be not only co-hosts for this tournament, but co-favorites. Their near-flawless run through qualifying and recent friendly triumphs will do nothing to quiet the hype train, but one thing might: injuries. Injuries have already forced young stars Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mason Greenwood to recuse themselves, and other key players such as Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, and Harry Maguire are also working their way back from long injury-induced absences.
The Best XI
I can basically guarantee you my XI looks nothing like the one Gareth Southgate will trot out against Croatia on Monday, both in terms of tactics and personnel. He prefers 5 at the back, for starters, and also prefers Jordan Pickford at keeper, Kieran Trippier at RB, Raheem Sterling in attack, etc. However, this is the lineup I'd go with in his shoes. With as much attacking talent as this particular England team is blessed with, it's almost criminal to use over half of the starting positions on defense. I'd like to see captain Harry Kane up top, flanked by dynamic young forwards Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, with more young attacking mids behind them, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish. Many might prefer Phil Foden to one of those two, but I think the Manchester City wunderkind might be better utilized as a spark off the bench. Jordan Henderson is still coming back from injury, but assuming he can get to full health, is arguably as integral to England as he is to Liverpool. As for that back line? I'm partial to Dean Henderson over Jordan Pickford between the sticks, and though Trippier is likely to be the choice of the multitude of RBs Southgate selected, but I would go with Champions League winner Reece James, and veteran RB Kyle Walker sliding into a CB role alongside Man City teammate John Stones.
Scotland
FIFA Rank: #44
Qualified as: 3rd Place in Group I; League C Path playoff winner
The Skinny
Scotland is a football-mad nation, as evidenced by the unfaltering Tartan Army, their legion of unflappably loyal supporters, and yet had not made any major international tournament since 1998. Thus, it was no surprise that the Scots' two shootout victories in their qualification playoff touched off national celebration like never before. With just two Euro Cup wins in their entire history, expectations won't be too high, but you know Scotland will be dreaming of a future beyond just the group stage. And with two matches at home in Glasgow, and a lineup chock full of Premier League players, that dream might just be within reach.
The Best XI
It's just Scotland's luck that they have two tremendous talents in this era, and both play the exact same position. So what to do with Liverpool's Andy Robertson and Arsenal's Kieran Tierney? It's not a perfect solution, but you can just move one of them from left back to right. Alongside fellow Premier League CBs Liam Cooper and Grant Hanley, that still makes for a formidable front line. And while Scotland might be short on elite attacking options, this is a midfield that should be able to hold their own. Manchester United's Scott McTominay, Chelsea's young Billy Gilmour, Aston Villa's John McGinn, Southampton's Stuart Armstrong and Newcastle's Ryan Fraser provide 5 options familiar with football at the top level.
Croatia
FIFA Rank: #14
Qualified as: 1st Place in Group E
The Skinny
For what seemed like almost my entire life as a football fan, Croatia were pegged as a sleeper team in each major international tournament, the 'small nation with a sneaky amount of talent.' Every year, I bought the hype, only to watch them flame out in the group stage, or get upset immediately after the group stage. But in 2018, The Blazers finally realized their full potential, dominating the Group of Death at the World Cup, before embarking on a thrilling-- and stunning --run to the Final. Can they take the next step and actually bring home silverware this time around? Well, a lot of the key players from that World Cup run are back, but are reaching the twilight of their careers. They'll need to dig deep to force their way through this one as well, particularly in a tough group.
The Best XI
Some of the heroes from that 2018 World Cup, such as striker Mario Mandzukić and goalkeeper Danijel Subasić, are no longer at Croatia's disposal. But iconic midfielder and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modrić is, as are Champions League winners Ivan Rakitić, Mateo Kovačić, Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisić. Joining Perisić in attack would be the heir apparent to Manduzkić, Milan's Ante Rebić, and between Inter Milian's Brozović, Atalanta's Pašalić and Atlético Madrid's Vrsaljko, there is a good amount of talent spread across this field.
Czech Republic
FIFA Rank: #40
Qualified as: 2nd Place in Group A
The Skinny
The heyday of Pavel Nedved, Petr Cech and Jan Koller is long gone, and likely so too is Czech Republic's chances at a major tournament title. At least any time in the near future. That said, The Locomotive are a mainstay on the world stage, and every now and then, pop up and surprise the competition, such as at Euro 2012, when they topped their group despite being the lowest-ranked team of the four. Having to face two World Cup semifinalists and open with a full-on road game is not a clear path to success, but the gulf in quality between the Czechs and everyone else is not so immense that an upset is impossible.
The Best XI
There may not be the eye-popping talent of some Czech teams of the past, but there are still some no-brainers in this squad. Among them: forwards Patrick Shick, of Bayer Leverkusen, and Matêj Vydra of Burnley. Captain Vladimír Darida is an easy choice in midfield, as is West Ham's Tomáš Souček. In defense, Czech Republic has the same "problem" England and Scotland had: an abundance of quality at one fullback position. Seriously, what is in the water in this group? Fortunately Tomáš Kalas spends time at CB in addition to RB, and between Hoffenheim's Kaderáback and West Ham's Coufal, we're running the Scotland method again and just switching Coufal to the other side of the field.
Group Prediction
Barring a massive upset, which of course is not unprecedented, this group almost surely belongs to England or Croatia, so the two matches to watch are England-Croatia (for 1st place) and Scotland-Czech Republic (for 3rd place, with a chance to qualify for the knockout stages). Fortunately, both are being played in the first round of group play! I think England, motivated by revenge and a Wembley home crowd, edges Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semifinal rematch. And though it's always a safe bet to expect Scottish heartbreak, I think opening in front of a raucous Hampden Park against a beatable Czech Republic side will be enough for them to get a priceless victory, which may just be enough for them to ultimately sneak into the Round of 16.
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