The biggest sporting event of the summer (do we really care about the Olympics?) takes place in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 – July 1: The UEFA European Football Championship. Things kick off this Friday June 8 when Greece plays co-hosts Poland at 11:00PM Bangkok time.
Here are some of the best places to watch the games in Bangkok:
The Londoner pub on Sukhumvit Soi 33 and The Robin Hood next to Phrom Pong skytrain station should be full of English football fans enjoying the pre-game happy hour from 4-7pm.
The Sportsman on Sukhumvit road opposite Soi 33 should be full of football fans the world over – this could have something to do with the THB85 Tiger pints, THB90 Heineken pints and THB95 Carlsberg pints.
The Dubliner between Sukhumvit 22 and 24 is that rare thing: an Irish-owned Irish pub. Expect it to be full of Irish fans glued to one of the six screens in the pub enjoying THB85 Carlsbergs.
Bei Otto on Sukhumvit Soi 20 is a German restaurant that, like a lot of places, cannot show the late games but if you want to embrace German beer and banter, look no further.
Bacchus Wine Bar on Soi Ruamrudee offers an alternative venue to a pub. The upmarket setting has a wide range of wines, tapas, appetisers and is a popular choice among French and Italians, who frown upon pints.
And here is a basic guide to the tournament. And it is basic:
Sixteen nations compete across four groups, with the top two from each four advancing to the quarter finals. The groups are:
Group A
Poland
Greece
Russia
Czech Republic
Group B
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Portugal
Group C
Spain
Italy
Ireland
Croatia
Group D
Ukraine
Sweden
France
England
The top two teams from each group progress to the knockout phase. The eventual winners (England, of course) will have to win their quarter final, semi final and final matches. That’s it. Even an American could understand it.
The last European Championship tournament was held in Austria and Switzerland. Spain ended a 44-year wait for a trophy by beating Germany in the final thanks to a Fernando Torres’ goal.
Spain and Germany are favorites this time around with Spain hoping to be the first ever team to retain the cup – but Holland, Portugal, and England should never be ruled out. Whoever makes it out of Group B dubbed ‘The Group of Death’ has a very strong chance of progressing to the final. Keep an eye out for Russia who have a relatively easy group and could cause an upset in the knockout stages.
Some quick stats:
Previous Winners
Germany: 3
France: 2
Spain: 2
Czech Republic: 1
Denmark: 1
Greece: 1
Italy: 1
Netherlands: 1
Russia: 1
Top Goal Scorers
Michel Platini, France: 9
Alan Shearer, England: 7
Thierry Henry, France: 6
Patrick Kluivert, Netherlands: 6
Nuno Gomes, Portugal: 6
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Netherlands: 6
A few players to watch:
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal: The word modest is not in his vocabulary. Here is a quote from the man himself describing how he thought his season went. “On an individual level I give my season a 10 and collectively a 9 because we want to win more – the Champions League for example.” Brilliant. His phenomenal individual performances for Real Madrid tend to be overshadowed by Messi at Barcelona.The European Championships should be the platform he needs to show the world he is just as good if not better than the little Argentinean.
Mario Balotelli – Italy: Legend. Here is a list of some of his off the field antics in the last year: He was fined £100,000 by Manchester City when he threw a dart at youth team players, was quizzed by police after driving into a women’s prison “out of curiosity” and miraculously escaped injury when fireworks were let off in the bathroom of his £3million home. He is also a wonderful footballer. Oh, and here he is trying to put on a bib. The petulant striker makes the list not only for football reasons but because you never know what he will do next.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden: When you think of the Swedish national team you think of Ibrahimovic. That doesn’t mean the other players are bad it just highlights how good the colossal Ibrahimovic is. The striker currently plays for AC Milan and finished last season with 28 goals in 32 games.
Alan Dzagoev – Russia: Young attacking midfielder who has Champions League experience with CSKA Moscow. Has a great eye for a killer pass and should provide a few assists to his teammates.
Mario Gotze – Germany : The “German Messi” isn’t expected to start too many games but the 19-year-old has a direct style of play the Germans can use if they need a plan B.
