NEW YORK - The first college football game was played 139 years ago in New Jersey, between Rutgers and Princeton, and the sport was dominated by Northeastern schools such as Yale and Harvard in its infancy.
By the middle of the last century the South had risen in college football, and these days there’s no question: If you want to win a national championship, it’s best to play in places where sunscreen is more important than snow boots, and the grits are better than the bagels.
Read More...Otto Rehhagel insisted that "2004 belongs in the past, now we have to focus on 2008" as European champions Greece look ahead to defending their title at UEFA EURO 2008™ after being drawn in Group D alongside Sweden, Spain and Russia.
Three past winners
Greece will begin their finals campaign in Salzburg on 10 June against Sweden, whom Luis Aragonés observes are the only side in the section not to have etched their name on the trophy in a group of some quality. The Spain coach does, however, acknowledge that Sweden will be a "big challenger" and he speaks with some authority after the teams met twice in qualifying, each claiming home victories. They will recommence their rivalry on 14 June in Innsbruck, the same venue at which Spain start their glory bid against Russia four days before. Russia were the only side to beat Greece four years ago – Spain were also in the same UEFA EURO 2004™ section yet only the Greeks advanced – and they face off in the second round of games. The group concludes on 18 June with matches between Greece and Spain, and Sweden and Russia.
Otto Rehhagel, Greece coach
[UEFA EURO] 2004 belongs in the past, now we have to focus on 2008. All the teams here are first class, and it was always going to be very hard to get here in the first place. I won't speculate today about the favourites, but the important thing is that my players are in good shape and ready for this competition. Russia have very good players, they are good with the ball and good competitors.
Lars Lagerbäck, Sweden coach
It's a privilege to be part of this tournament. It's a very tough group, with great footballing countries. We know Spain quite well as we played them in qualifying. They are a very experienced team, one of the best in the world, and we look forward to playing them again. I don't know if it will be special to play our first game against Greece, but if you look at the qualification, they did very well. They are a good team and will be tough opponents.
Luis Aragonés, Spain coach
We will need to keep focused: we have three European champions and one big challenger in this group. Concentration during the tournament will be crucial. It's an easier section than Group C, but you can never tell about a team's motivation, which can change the whole situation. This is the time to show our peak levels and I'm confident in my players and what they can do. There are no favourites. The only thing that is certain is that Greece are title-holders and will try to retain their trophy. I think we can go through, though, and then we'll see happens when we get to the quarter-finals.
Guus Hiddink, Russia coach
It's a very competitive group. Even qualification was extremely difficult, so I'm very happy to be here. All I can say about Greece is that they deserved to win the previous tournament and will be eager to get through the group phase here. I guess all three coaches were happy to be drawn against us. But as the Greece coach said, everybody starts from scratch and we will try to surprise everyone. It's another tournament, another place and another set of players.
Cristiano Ronaldo says Portugal's UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign is the perfect next step in his quest to "make history".
Feeling good
The ESM Golden Shoe winner's outstanding season with Manchester United FC brought success in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, but he assures euro2008.com he has plenty of energy left for Portugal's glory bid. "I feel really good on a personal level," he said. "I feel I can do something good at EURO 2008. I'm impatient for the competition to start so we can give our best and I think everything will go very well."
Experience
The 23-year-old forward believes Portugal have developed sufficiently to go one better than their heart-breaking final defeat by Greece in Lisbon at UEFA EURO 2004™. "The team's evolution has been very positive. I think the squad have grown a lot since EURO 2004, as we showed at the [FIFA] World Cup in 2006." Ronaldo also reckons his side have a trump card in coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, a world champion with Brazil in 2002 before taking Portugal to the semi-finals of the same tournament two summers ago. "We improved in the qualification matches, which owed much to the staff and the coach we have, who have a lot of experience and who have won a lot of things."
'Always learning'
Ronaldo draws confidence too from his personal development during the four years since his first European finals. "On a personal level I've grown a lot as a player because at my club, just as with my country, I'm surrounded by great players and it's easier to become better when things are like this, because it's easier to enjoy your football," the former Sporting Clube de Portugal prodigy said. "We're always learning."
History maker
Ronaldo, who added the title of UEFA Champions League top scorer to a string of accolades during 2007/08 by registering in the Moscow final, also feels inspired rather than pressurised by the onus of carrying such form on to the international stage. "I think I made history in the Portuguese Liga and I think I'm continuing to make history at a European and world level, but we can always improve. I have a lot to learn but I have the pleasure of being in a group that helps me improve constantly, as a person and as a player. History creates itself over a number of years, not in a moment, but I think I'm on the right road."
Portugal defender Pepe was unable to put his feelings into words after scoring his first international goal to put Luiz Felipe Scolari's team on the way to a 2-0 victory in their opening UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A match against Turkey.
Emotions
"I can hardly describe the emotion I felt," said Pepe, whose spectacular 61st-minute strike helped earn him the Carlsberg Man of the Match Award. However, the Real Madrid CF player – who had earlier had a first-half header ruled out for offside – was quick to praise a "great display" from the entire Portugal side as they made a winning start in Geneva.
Teamwork
"The team performance was great – we played as a real team and this is the most important thing. We knew sooner or later we were going to get a goal," the 25-year-old said. "Today it was the team effort that won us the game. Without my team-mates I couldn't have done anything and we deserve to be congratulated for a great display."
They are already proving excellent co-hosts, but can the Austrians also impress where it matters most? Josef Hickersberger's side begin their UEFA EURO 2008™ bid on Sunday knowing Group B rivals Croatia would love nothing more than to spoil the party at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna.
'Optimistic'
Ranked 92nd in the world by FIFA, Austria are under no illusion about their underdog status, but Hickersberger promised his players would rise to meet the challenge. "I'm optimistic we're going to play well against Croatia," the coach said. "We have no injuries, all the players are 100 per cent fit and in good health, and they all believe in the possibility of creating a surprise. Our opponents are excellent and experienced, but we've set ourselves a goal. For the first time in 18 years, we want to win a match in a major tournament."
First appearance
Their last success in a major finals came against the United States at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, when Hickerberger was also sitting in the dugout, and the 60-year-old is targeting a berth in the last eight as Austria make their first-ever appearance in the continental showcase. "We want to win this match and we have to win a match if we're to fulfil our goal of reaching the quarter-finals," he explained. "We have three chances to do that, starting now, but as for our tactics, that will depend on the strengths and weaknesses of both sides."
Goalkeeping debate
Cagey as ever, the former Austrian international also refused yet again to name his first-choice goalkeeper. Alex Manninger and Jürgen Macho have both been tipped by various local newspapers, and Hickerberger joked that at least some of them were on the right track. "I will announce the lineup tomorrow before the match," he said. "But you can read the name of the goalkeeper in many newspapers. I hope they've got it right." What seems less debateable, on the other hand, is that Austrian-Croatian Andreas Ivanschitz will start in midfield, while Croatian-born striker Ivica Vastic will begin on the bench.
Eduardo motivation
There are no doubts about Slaven Bilić's Croatia lineup, meanwhile, with the creative spark likely to come from playmaker Luka Modrić, while Ivica Olić will partner Mladen Petrić up front. They will look to provide the goals in the absence of injured striker Eduardo da Silva, but Bilić denied that their job will be to help Croatia's fans forget the Brazilian-born forward. "We're very motivated because of Eduardo," he said. "He's very popular with the other players. No one can replace him but we're confident of getting good results."
No complacency
The Croats certainly go into the tournament with higher expectations after topping qualifying Group E ahead of Russia, England and Israel. They have also beaten Austria in all three meeting between the two sides, including a 4-1 triumph in Vienna two years ago. Bilić ruled out the possibility of complacency, however, stating: "We think we can go far. But right now, we're not even thinking about the second match. We're totally focused on Austria. The first match is so important in terms of confidence and our players are highly motivated and ready to go."
In the end of the first day of the EURO 2008, Portugal defeated Turkey 2-0. Pepe (Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira) and Raul Meireles scored in the second half for the Lusitans.
During the first half Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo - who shot a free kick in the left post of Volkan Demirel- took the reins from the attack. The Barcelona midfielder played one of his better matches of the year. At 16 minutes Pepe already had warned: he turned with a header that was invalid due to an offside.
In the second half, three situations had Nuno Gomes as protagonist: at 4 minutes he shot in a post, and at 19 minutes shot with his head a center of Ronaldinho that also arrived to a post. But before, at 15 minutes, the own Nuno Gomes gave back the football to Pepe who scored: 1-0. As , it was the first time that Pepe scored for his National Team.
When the match was finishing, Meireles finalizes a counterattack by the right side that had initiated by Ronaldo in the left side and that continued with an assist of Moutinho: 2-0.
Turkey? Turkey tried when already it was at disadvantage but never could complicate Ricardo. Turkey will have to improve to beat Czech Republic and Switzerland.
The players of the match? Deco during the first half. Nuno Gomes in the second one. Due to the quality of the players, little by little, Portugal demonstrates that can be a great protagonist at EURO 2008.
In Vienna, Croatia made debut against the co-host team, Austria with a triumph. At fourth minute Croatia already put in advantage when Luka Modric transformed a penalty kick into a goal.
After this goal, Croatia justified the victory, having the ball and approaching to the Austrian goal. Nevertheless lacking 10 minutes to finish the first half, Croatia left that the ball were managed by the Austrians.
The entire second half was very similar than the end of the first half: Austria generating danger with centers but without generating any trouble to Pletikosa, the Croatian goalkeeper.
With few minutes of good football Croatia obtained three points. It gave the sensation which the Croatians reserved something more, they promise better football caliber during the next presentations.
