England team receive heroes welcome

The CSA EuroCup winning England team celebrated their triumph bus parade earlier today in London.

Star players from that side gave their speeches in front of thousands in Trafalgar Square.

"Thank you for all your support in this tournament," said match-winner Edward Redwood.

"Now let's find a place where we can celebrate!"

"CSA club champion and now CSA EuroCup champion. Can things possibly get any better?" said midfielder Craig "CraiCo" Cohen, who was suspended for the final.

Goodnight Vienna

So that's it. EuroCup 08 is all but history.

English triumph thrills Redwood

Match-winner Edward Redwood said England deserved to win EuroCup 08 because they played the best football.

Redwood struck in the first half as England beat Spain 1-0 in Klagenfurt to win their second EuroCup having won it before in 1996.

The London United striker said: "I feel fantastic. It still hasn't sunk in what we've achieved with this victory.

"The team that played the best football at EuroCup 08 won the title and we have a place in European football history."

He added: "It's just a dream come true.

"Victory in a EuroCup, it is almost as big winning the WorldCup. We were used to watching finals on the telly, but today we were here and we won.

"My job is to score goals. I want to win more titles and become a football legend."

FC London midfielder James Douglas hailed his team's triumph as a "victory for beautiful football".

The 22-year-old said: "It's unbelievable, this is the best day of my life in football, I don't think we've realized yet what we have achieved.

"It's been a long time since a team playing this kind of beautiful football won a tournament like this.

"It is 12 years since England last won this tournament. This is one of the best trophies you can win as a footballer and I did it - we did it.

"We play football on the ground, we try to pass the ball and we won this tournament in style. We gave football the success it deserves.

"You know what a young squad this is, so hopefully we can think about retaining the WorldCup in two years' time."

London United's Kevin Warhurst added: "It feels good to win stuff.

"It was very important for everyone - for the fans, for the players, for the staff - and now we are absolutely happy and we want to enjoy the moment."

And England skipper Mark Strickland said: "I'm over the moon.

"We really wanted this badly and now we've got it and now we can go home and celebrate with all the other English people."

Midfielder/winger CraiCo, who was suspended for the final, added: "Beautiful football won EuroCup 08.

"And it was us who played the beautiful football. The players, the manager, the whole staff, everyone played their part, not to mention the fans."

Final: England 1-0 Spain

Sunday 29th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Final
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria

England won EuroCup 08 thanks to Redwood's 36th minute finish.

Third Place Match: Croatia 2-0 Sweden

Saturday 28th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Third Place Match
Stade de Suisse, Berne, Switzerland

A Mario Dokic double gave Croatia third place in EuroCup 08.

Semi-Final: Sweden 0-1 Spain (A.E.T.)

Thursday 26th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Semi-Final
Stade de Suisse, Berne, Switzerland

Ernesto Garcia's extra-time goal sent Spain to Sunday's final where they will face England.

Semi-Final: England 3-2 Croatia

Wednesday 25th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Semi-Final
Hypo Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria

A last-gasp winner from Liam Cole sent England to their second ever EuroCup final after beating Croatia 3-2.

CraiCo put England into the lead, but Zvonimir Markovic equalized soon after that.

Steven Tweedy headed England back into the lead with 10 minutes remaining.

But Mario Dokic equalized five minutes later.

Croatia were denied extra-time when Liam Cole - who was possibly mainly at fault for the Dokic goal - scored a belter to send England to their first EuroCup final since 1996.

But it wasn't all smiles for England: CraiCo got suspended for the final after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.

Quarter-Final: Netherlands 0-1 Sweden

Sunday 22nd June - CSA EuroCup 08 Quarter-Final
Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland

A Martijn Beerendonk own goal eliminated the Netherlands from EuroCup 08 gave Sweden a semi-final with Spain.

Quarter-Final: Turkey 0-1 Spain (A.E.T.)

Saturday 21st June - CSA EuroCup 08 Quarter-Final
Stade de Suisse, Berne, Switzerland

Quique Sanchez scored the winner to take Spain in the semi-finals.

Quarter-Final: Croatia 1-0 Scotland

Friday 20th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Quarter-Final
Wals Siezenheim Stadion, Salzburg, Austria

Vedran Djukic header set up a semi-final with England.

Quarter-Final: England 4-1 Portugal

Thursday 19th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Quarter-Final
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria

Rampant England thrashed Portugal 4-1 to secure a place in the semi-finals.

Group D: Spain 5-0 Serbia

Wednesday 18th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
Franz Horr Stadion, Vienna, Austria

A Quique Sánchez hat-trick and a Rafael Sánchez double put Spain into the quarter-finals.

Group D: Netherlands 1-0 Italy

Wednesday 18th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

Gerald Turpijn's left-foot rocket was enough to see the Netherlands win Group D and knock out Italy.

Ron Zennon announces international retirement

France captain Paul 'Ron' Zennon has announced his retirement from international football.

Zennon made his début in April 1996 was included in that year's EuroCup.

He also played in EuroCup 2000 and 2004, as well as CSA World Cups 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Group C: Turkey 1-1 Sweden

Tuesday 17th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Sweden secured a EuroCup 08 quarter-final with the Netherlands after drawing 1-1 with Turkey on the final day of Group C.

Group C: Hungary 0-1 France

Tuesday 17th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland

France failed to qualify for the quarter-finals despite winning 1-0 against Hungary with the goal coming from Paul Zennon, which may prove to be his last appearance for his country.

Group B: Austria 0-1 Portugal

Monday 16th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland

A last-minute winner from Joaozinho sent co-hosts Austria out of EuroCup 08 and now Portugal will now look forward to a quarter-final with England.

Group B: Croatia 1-0 Germany

Monday 16th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

A stunning 30-yard blast from Zvonimir Markovic meant that Croatia won Group B to clinch a quarter-final against Scotland and Germany finished EuroCup 08 with no points in their group.

Group A: England 3-2 Scotland

Sunday 15th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

England completed a stunning comeback to go from 2-0 down to win 3-2 over Scotland.

But the Scots still progress after Ireland beat Switzerland 2-0.

Group A: Switzerland 0-2 Ireland

Sunday 15th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Already-eliminated Ireland made sure co-hosts Switzerland went out with them with a 2-0 in St. Gallen, courtesy of a Neil Boyle double.

Group D: Netherlands 2-0 Spain

Saturday 14th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

The Netherlands beat Spain 2-0 with the Van den Bergh brothers, Tim and Clint, on the scoresheet.

Group D: Serbia 0-3 Italy

Saturday 14th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
Franz Horr Stadion, Vienna, Austria

Italy beat Serbia comfortably with goals from Emiliano Tournetti, Mirko Dellarosa and Paolo Lupatelli.

Group C: Hungary 0-2 Turkey

Friday 13th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland

Hungary's hopes of retaining their title were ended by Turkey after strikes from Umit Kubilay and Ibrahim Gunes.

Group C: Sweden 1-1 France

Friday 13th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Yann Bourgeois's strike cancelled out Ahmet Haminovic's opener as France drew 1-1 with Sweden.

Croatia's team spirit is high after all

Forget what we just said at the beginning of the tournament about Croatia.

Before EuroCup 08, from our point of view the team spirit was terrible. But this tournament, their spirit has been high. They played like a real team against Portugal and Austria, and got two 1-0 wins to show for it.

Group B: Austria 0-1 Croatia

Thursday 12th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
Gerhard Hanappi Stadion, Vienna, Austria

Zvonimir Markovic's last-gasp penalty put Croatia into the next round of EuroCup 08.

Group B: Germany 1-2 Portugal

Thursday 12th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

Goals from Cristiano Costa and Joaozinho put Germany all but out of EuroCup 08 with one game left for both teams.

Christian Kohl scored the German goal, but it wasn't enough.

Group A: Switzerland 0-3 England

Wednesday 11th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland

England became the first team in EuroCup 08 to get to the quarter-finals after beating Switzerland 3-0.

Group A: Scotland 3-1 Ireland

Wednesday 11th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Ireland became the first team to be eliminated from EuroCup 08 after they lost 3-1 to Scotland.

Group D: Netherlands 3-0 Serbia

Tuesday 10th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

Goals from Phillip van der Vuuren, Aaron Wijnkamp and Tim van den Bergh gave the Netherlands a 3-0 win over Serbia in Graz.

Group D: Italy 0-0 Spain

Tuesday 10th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group D
Franz Horr Stadion, Vienna, Austria

Attacking football on display but no goals in the Group D opener between Italy and Spain in Vienna.

Group C: Hungary 1-4 Sweden

Monday 9th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland

John Bengtsson, Magnus Andersson, Nils Eriksson and Ahmet Haminovic were on the scoresheet as Sweden beat Hungary 4-1 in Lausanne.

Krisztian Szabics scored the Hungarian consolation.

Group C: France 1-2 Turkey

Monday 9th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group C
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Kemal Kubilay's double gave Turkey a shock win over France.

Sebastien Lacroix scored the consolation for Les Bleus.

Group B: Portugal 0-1 Croatia

Sunday 8th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
UPC Arena, Graz, Austria

Kristijan Kizu's stoppage time winner made it a doubleheader of shocks on Sunday after Croatia stunned Portugal 1-0.

Group B: Austria 1-0 Germany

Sunday 8th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group B
Gerhard Hanappi Stadion, Vienna, Austria

Austria completed a fairytale story against Germany winning 1-0 in Vienna.

Peter Pfertzl's 80th minute strike gave Austria their first ever win over their arch-nemesis in CSA history.

Group A: Ireland 0-2 England

Saturday 7th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
Stade La Maladière, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

John Macdonald's header and Edward Redwood's volley gave England a 2-0 win over Ireland in Neuchatel.

Simon Herding also saved a penalty from Neil Boyle after CraiCo's handball in which the London United midfielder was sent off for.

Group A: Switzerland 2-2 Scotland

Saturday 7th June - CSA EuroCup 08 Group A
AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Kurt Munzinger's stoppage-time overhead kick rescued a point for Switzerland against Scotland.

Scotland striker Craig Wisniewski's double both from 20 yards cancelled out César Escobar's 40-yard bullet to come back from 1-0 down to go up 2-1 against Switzerland in the opening game of EuroCup 08.

But Munzinger showed off his acrobatics after Escobar's brilliant corner.

CSA EuroCup 08 TOTV title sequence

This is the CSA EuroCup 08 title sequence that will be shown throughout the tournament on TOTV.

There Can Only Be One: Neil Boyle and CraiCo

Ireland striker Neil Boyle and England midfielder CraiCo are looking forward to their opening match.

There Can Only Be One: César Escobar and Craig Wisniewski

Switzerland's César Escobar and Scotland counterpart Craig Wisniewski look forward to their opening match.

CSA EuroCup 08 Boots

Here are some of the boots that some of the Continental Soccer Association's top European players will be donning in EuroCup '08.

adidas adiPURE

Overview: Everybody Wants - the Adidas Adipure. These boots look like old school Adidas boots from the glory days of the '70's and '80s. Expect the likes of Craig Cohen and James Douglas to don these for the upcoming season.
To be worn by: Craig Cohen 'CraiCo' (England), Scott MacRae (Scotland)

adidas F50.8 TUNIT III

Overview: Everybody Wants - the Adidas F50.8. Adidas began the F50 series in 2004. It was designed for quick players, like wingers and superfit full-backs. Since the second edition in 2006, the Tunit, the boot can just come as an upper and then seperately sold studs could be tuned in to the sole of the upper - hence the name 'Tunit'. This is the fourth edition (and the third Tunit edition) - the F50.8 - released in early 2008.
To be worn by: Neil Boyle (Ireland), César Escobar (Switzerland), Niccolo Milanese (Italy), Marco Milanese (Italy), Ashton Reid (England), Umit Kubilay (Turkey).

adidas Predator PowerSwerve

Overview: Everybody Wants - the Adidas Predator Powerswerve. This is it - this is Adidas's ninth Predator since the series launched in 1994. One of the world's most famous boots is set to be donned by some of the tournament's best players such as CSA World Player of the Year Edward Redwood, Zvonimir Markovic and Craig Wisniewski.
To be worn by: Zvonimir Markovic (Croatia), Peter Pfertzl (Austria), Edward Redwood (England), Kevin Warhurst (England), Craig Wisniewski (Scotland), Paul Zennon (France).

Nike Air Legend

Overview: U.S. giants Nike is popular with some CSA superstars.
To be worn by: Peter Larsson (Sweden), Gianni Riccoli (Italy).

Nike Mercurial Vapor SL

Overview: U.S. giants Nike is popular with some CSA superstars.
To be worn by: Eddo Campbell (Scotland), Michael Matsson (Sweden), Richard Fitzallen (Ireland).

Nike Total 90 Laser II

Overview: U.S. giants Nike is popular with some CSA superstars.
To be worn by: Magnus Andersson (Sweden), Daniel Edmundsson (Sweden), Eddy Eriksson (Sweden), Gyorgy Gorgás (Hungary), Günther Hessler (Germany), Igor Kuljman (Serbia), Richard O'Brien (Ireland), Adam Stockwell (England), Ante Topic (Croatia), Darren Watkinson (England).

Puma King Exec

Overview: Along with the likes of the Adidas Predator, the Puma King is one of the most famous football boots in the world. The likes of Rafa Sanchez follow in their footsteps in EuroCup 08.
To be worn by: Rafael Sánchez (Spain).

Puma V1.08

Overview: German giants Puma's famous logo appears on the boots of the likes of Ian Parker. 'Prime Time' himself will don these V1.08's in 2008. These boots are designed for the quick player.
To be worn by: Peter Elkins (England), Ian Parker (England), Stefan Shanahan (Ireland), Phillip van der Vuuren (Netherlands), Marco Würns-Rios (Switzerland).

Puma V-Konstrukt II

Overview: The likes of Quique Sánchez will don these new Puma boots for 2008. The V-Konstrukt II gives you comfort and is designed for any power player.
To be worn by: Giuseppe Guillacci (Italy), Martin Machler (Switzerland), Quique Sánchez (Spain).

Reebok Integrity 07 Pro

Overview: Reebok start new beginnings after being purchased by German giants Adidas. The Bolton-based company's famous logo appears on the boots of England duo Kevin Simms and Brian Nixon as well as a few other names which are mentioned below.
To be worn by: Martijn Beerendonk (Netherlands), Brian Nixon (England), Kevin Simms (England).

Umbro SX Valor

Overview: Umbro is a top British soccer supplier. Mark Strickland, John Bengtsson and Juanpa González are all to wear Umbro in this tournament before they all move to Joma. The SX Valor has caused quite some controversy, with several leg-breaking tackles occurring by players who wear this boot. Bengtsson broke Andy Schultz leg in two with a two-footer at the CSA Christmas Challenge while the Swede was playing for Munich Maniax. And then Strickland broke Jani Stornik's leg with a kung-fu challenge in the same tournament for London United. And finally Zagreb Zeppelins' Vedran Djukic almost drove his foot into Walter Polczak's knee with a diving lunge at the same tournament against Warsaw Warriors. Luckily for Polczak, he jumped out of the way at the pivotal moment. Many boot critics have dubbed this boot as "a weapon to hurt people with." But Djukic said: "It's not the boot's fault that these bad challenges happening. We're just very hard centre-backs."
To be worn by: John Bengtsson (Sweden), Kieran Callaghan (Ireland), Vedran Djukic (Croatia), Otto Griechel (Austria), John Jeffries (Scotland), Juanpa (Spain), Daniel Müller (Switzerland), Bobby O'Rourke (Ireland), Mark Strickland (England), Emiliano Tournetti (Italy).

Thanks to Pro Direct Soccer for the pictures of the boots.

Croatia team guide

How did they get there: Qualified after massive wins over the Ukraine and Slovenia.

Manager: Goran Jakić.

Captain: Zvonimir Marković. The Manchester Magic midfielder can shine with his world-class quality.

Euro highlights: The 1996 wonderful win over Portugal 3-0.

Euro legend: Dani Jurić, for the hat-trick against the Portuguese.

Star player: Zvonimir Marković. Simply a great player.

Strengths: Defending. Vedran Djukić and Ante Topić make a great centre back duo.

Weaknesses: Communication. The team spirit historically is terrible on the top stage but if they work on their teamwork in EuroCup 08 they could do well.

World ranking: 14th.

Our verdict: If their team spirit is good, Croatia might even win the competition. With strikers Zlatko Bedranić and Kristjan Kižu in the form of their life, and Marković at the apex of his game at Manchester Magic, Croatia have got a good enough squad to become champions.

Sweden team guide

How did they get there: Qualified after smacking the likes of Finland and Bulgaria with 6-0 wins.

Manager: Fredrik Stanback. The fourth Swedish manager in eight years.

Captain: John Bengtsson. The tall, gangly 28-year-old has experience with hometown Stockholm Storm and Munich Maniax. Now he plays at Glasgow FC.

Euro highlights: No real highlights. They lost 5-3 to Netherlands in 1996, after being 3-0 up, and four years later they received a real spanking by Germany with a 7-0 defeat.

Euro legend: Markus Nilsson, with his talented ball skills.

Star player: Ahmet Haminovic. The striker from Bosnian origin is deadly.

Strengths: Defence. Bengtsson is a "sick" header of the ball and 6'8" Stefan Andersson is unbelievable in the air. Swedish keeper Jonas Pasmark has a fine reaction.

Weaknesses: Bengtsson is sometimes a buffoon for dissent. If J.B. chews the ref's ear off in this tournament, he's likely to be sent off and that will destroy all of Sweden's chances.

World ranking: 15th.

Our verdict: If Bengtsson and Andersson have a good defensive game against France, they can get to knockout stages.

Turkey team guide

How did they get there: After a tense qualifiers with Romania and Norway.

Manager: Hamit Karaçan.

Captain: Ümit Kubilay.

Euro highlights: First appearance.

Euro legend: First tournament.

Star player: Ümit Kubilay.

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 13th.

Our verdict: Quarter-finals.

Germany team guide

How did they get there: CSA Europe Elite member.

Manager: Jürgen Schmidt. Also played in EuroCup '96 as a left winger.

Captain: Thomas 'Tomi' Schmidt, son of Jürgen Schmidt. Has played in EuroCups 2000 and 2004.

Euro highlights: The 4-0 hammering of Denmark which sent the Danes home early in EuroCup '96. Also a 7-0 thrashing of Sweden in EuroCup 2000.

Euro legend: Uli Tecke. Scored a hat-trick in the Swedish slaughter of 2000. Also scored three goals at EuroCup '96.

Star player: Sergio Steiner.

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 7th.

Our verdict: Germany could choke with Croatia and Portugal in their group. But if they start well against Croatia, they got a chance.

France team guide

How did they get there: CSA Europe Elite League member.

Manager: Jacques Rougeville.

Captain: Paul 'Ron' Zennon. The 33-year-old has played in every EuroCup; a long haired 21-year-old made his France CSA debut in EuroCup '96. He has more than 120 caps to his name, and has unsurprisingly decided he will retire from internationals after this tournament.

Euro highlights: The 2000 2-1 final win over Spain, which was decided in sudden death extra time.

Euro legend: Lionel LaRoux, for scoring the golden goal winner in EuroCup 00.

Star player: Sebastien Lacroix, the Nottingham Fire striker has scored 26 goals since his début in 2002.

Strengths: Midfield. Rougeville usually employs a 5-man midfield with Christian Le Pen and Jean Michel Ramirez playing in the holding role. Ron Zennon and Yannick Bourgeois penetrate from the wings while Jean Paul Sanchez does his stuff in attacking midfield. Their responsibility is to pass it to the lone striker Seba Lacroix, and when Lacroix finds space, he usually finds the net.

Weaknesses: Arrogance. They are very arrogant especially the blue-haired full-back Marc Askowitz.

World ranking: 8th.

Our verdict: With Hungary, Sweden and Turkey in their group, you can expect France to go through but don't count your chickens. They can easily choke on the big stage as evident in CSA World Cup 2006 where they crashed out of the first round despite being in a relatively easy group.

Spain team guide

How did they get there: As a CSA Europe Elite League member.

Manager: Miguel Ángel Ramos.

Captain: Juan Pablo Gonzalez, better known as Juanpa. Tip top defender for Ajax London and previously Madrid Cosmos.

Euro highlights: The 4-0 spanking of Italy in EuroCup 2000 and also the 5-1 humiliation of Denmark in EuroCup '96.

Euro legend: Xabier Ezkorta. The Basque striker played a massive part in the Spaniards' 1996 and 2000 campaigns before retiring in 2003.

Star player: Quique Sánchez. The Middlesbrough Monsters striker just can't stop scoring goals for his club, and with FC London wonderkid Rafa Sánchez playing long balls to him, he will be deadly for the Spanish.

Strengths: Attack. The threatening trio Quique, David Hidalgo and Emilio Vásquez all pose a threat to defences from all over Europe.

Weaknesses: Bad luck. The Spanish have experienced bad luck over the years, and we don't know what causes it.

World ranking: 6th.

Our verdict: They could go all the way this time. That is, if they're lucky.

Portugal team guide

How did they get there: Qualified after beating the likes of Poland and Denmark.

Manager: António Perreira.

Captain: Marco Carvalho.

Euro highlights: Reaching the EuroCup 04 final where they lost to Hungary. Had it been any other day they would have won.

Euro legend: Luis Rodrigues. Did his wonderboy tricks in EuroCup '96 and '00 before retiring after an injury hit EuroCup '04.

Star player: Cristiano Costa. The London United winger burst on to international stage at EuroCup 04 at the age of 19, but also burst into tears after the shock 1-0 defeat to Hungary in the final. He will hold a key with his entertaining tricks

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 9th.

Our verdict: They could go all the way this time, with Costa in the form of his life right now.

Henderson blow for England

England midfielder Kevin Henderson has been ruled out of EuroCup 08 after he tore his ankle in Saturday's friendly against Russia at Old Trafford.

Midfield boy Darren Watkinson will come into the England side.

Ireland team guide

How did they get there: Via qualifiers. Started the campaign as the Republic of Ireland before the unification in March 2007. Northern Ireland's place was taken by Montenegro.

Manager: Dougal O'Driscoll.

Captain: Neil Boyle. Northern Ireland native plays his club football for CSA Champions League holders London United.

Euro highlights: This is their first tournament as a unified team. The Republic of Ireland made it to the 1996 quarter-finals but Northern Ireland lost all their three group games in 2000.

Euro legend: For the Republic, Craig Kirk with his bullet free-kick against Romania at England '96. For N.I., Jimmy O'Grady for scoring their only goal in Germany 2000.

Star player: Neil Boyle.

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 17th.

Our verdict: They are in a really tough group with England in it, but if King Boylo shines well, the Irish have a great chance to getting to the knockout.

Serbia team guide

How did they get there: Qualifying at the expense of Wales.

Manager: Drazen Juric.

Captain: Mirko Broskovic.

Euro highlights: As Yugoslavia, they beat Germany in EuroCup 2000.

Euro legend: Danijel Gordanovic, who scored the winner against Germany in 2000.

Star player: Mladen Petrovic.

Strengths: Height. The Serbian team averages 6'1", so they may have a slight advantage over their rivals.

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 20th.

Our verdict: With the Netherlands, Italy and Spain their group, Serbia have virtually no chance of getting to the knockout stage.

Scotland team guide

How did they get there: Qualifying at the expense of Czech Republic.

Manager: Angus McAllister.

Captain: Craig Borchers.

Euro highlights: None. This is their first tournament.

Euro legend: None.

Star players: Craig Wisniewski and John Jeffries. The FC London striker and the Glasgow FC defender have been great for their respective clubs as of late.

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 16th.

Our verdict: In a very tough group with Switzerland, Ireland and England in it, the Scots don't look like surviving. But if Wisniewski single-handedly did stuff, they might have a good chance.

Hungary team guide

How did they get there: They were champions four years ago, so they qualified automatically.

Manager: Josef Novák. The EuroCup-winning coach four years ago was appointed Hungary CSA boss in 1999.

Captain: György Gorgás, who took the armband from Mihály Miroszevics, who resigned after the disastrous 2006 CSA World Cup campaign in which they lost all their group games despite going in 20-1 to win the tournament. Gorgás is a tip-top centre-back.

Euro highlights: The 2004 EuroCup heroics obviously. They beat Portugal twice and Italy and won it all despite going 77-1 before the tournament. They showed that anyone can win it.

Euro legend: Krisztian Szabics, with his winning header in the '04 final. Szabics is looking to be a hero again this year.

Star player: Mihály Miroszevics, with his wonderful playmaking ability.

Strengths: Novák. Hungary have a manager who knows how to mould and inspire a group of players to perform above their usual standards and tactically you would not bet against him out-thinking coaches with more illustrious players to choose from.

Weaknesses: Having said that, you would think Europe's finest have come up with a plan to deal with the Magyars after the shock of 2004. Hungary are not unknowns and they will not be taken lightly by anyone this time around.

World ranking: 18th.

Our verdict: Lightning does not strike twice and Hungary will not win EuroCup 08. They might just be able to sneak out of their group if they start well against Sweden, but if that does happen, they should deem it a successful tournament.

Netherlands team guide

How did they get there: Qualified automatically as a CSA Europe Elite member.

Manager: Dick van Scheeden. The aging Dutchman is in his second spell as Holland CSA coach having been appointed in 2006. The last time he was boss was 1995-98.

Captain: Martijn Beerendonk.

Euro highlights: The 1996 "Miracle Game" against Sweden, where Netherlands were 3-0 down at half-time but ended up winning 5-3. Also the 2000 "Day of Death" game where Netherlands sent hosts Germany out with a 2-1 win.

Euro legend: Joey Koolkamp. The maestro Dutch winger starred in the '96 and 2K campaigns scoring vital goals in both the Miracle and Day of Death games.

Star player: Tim van den Bergh. The Middlesbrough Monsters striker has scored 21 goals in his 38 appearances in the orange jersey.

Strengths: Total football. When the Dutch go forward, they are dangerous. Van den Bergh, Phillip van der Vuuren and Diego van den Struijk have made a dangerous three-man strike force. Also the Dutch defence look as comfortable as the attack.

Weaknesses: Fatigue. While the Dutch have wonderful attack, midfield and defence, they would usually tire out near the end of the game and they usually concede late goals.

World ranking: 3rd. Only England and Brazil are better.

Our verdict: It is said that with the Dutch being the "hosts" of Group D, they will have the whole Oranje Army behind them in the Alps and they could well go all the way.

Italy team guide

How did they get there: CSA Europe Elite League member.

Manager: Giovanni Sonovalli. The youngest coach in the tournament at the age of only 35. The defender played in two EuroCups in 2000 and 2004.

Captain: Emiliano Tournetti. Appointed captain after the retirement of legendary centre-back Gianni Terlizzi after the 2006 CSA World Cup.

Euro highlights: Their 1996 run in England, that ended with a 3-1 defeat to the hosts in the final. Highlights from that campaign include stunning 5-2 scalp of the Netherlands and a 3-0 sweep of Spain.

Euro legend: Gianni Terlizzi. He had brilliant centre-back quality. Appeared in three EuroCups in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Unusually for a centre-back, he also excelled at free-kicks and penalties.

Star player: Niccolò Milanese. The Sheffield Strikers striker is a quality Italian striker.

Strengths: Attack. The Milanese brothers, Niccolò and Marco are a dangerous strike force together.

Weaknesses: Technique. The Italian players lack technique and that's something they'll never improve on.

World ranking: 5th.

Our verdict: With them being in a very tough group with Netherlands and Spain in it, Italy may struggle with both their rivals' quality. But if they can get results against them, they could get to the semi-finals at least.

Switzerland team guide

How did they get there: Along with Austria, they are the joint hosts of EuroCup 08.

Manager: Fat Tony Schmidt. The openly gay 42-year-old from Basle was appointed after the untimely sacking of evil Rutgers.

Captain: Martin Machler.

Euro highlights: None. They were totally crap in their last EuroCup in 1996.

Euro legend: The only bright spot in '96 was the unbelievable pace of their overweight winger Tony Schmidt who stunned the footballing world once again in 2000 after announcing he was homosexual.

Star boy: César Escobar. The controversial winger will bring colour to the competition. Originally known as César Wurns, he changed his name to César Wurns-Herrera after marrying a Spanish singer in 2006, but once again changed his name to Escobar in May 2008. Once shot a football with a .44 Magnum after being dropped for the Swiss squad in the 2006 CSA World Cup.

Strengths: Defence. Machler and Danny Muller provide the brick wall in central defence.

Weaknesses: Temperament. Muller loses his temper often and is prone to red cards. Also César is always whining and is a buffoon for it.

World ranking: 27th. Not bad considering they were 206th at one point in 2001.

Our verdict: If the wonder of César shows brilliantly in this tournament, and especially with the home crowd behind them, Switzerland could get to the quarter-finals.

England team guide

How did they get there: As a member of CSA's Europe Elite League, England qualified automatically.

Manager: Marco Garibaldi. The 52-year-old Italian was made England boss in January 2008 after the shocking resignation of Iain Greenwood-Smith. Has managed MLF Europe sides Madrid Cosmos in 1998-2000 and Rome Rage 2005-2007 as well as managing CSA Italia League side AC Cusini from 1994-1997.

Captain: Mark Strickland. The 24-year-old London United defender from Smethwick was part of the side that won the CSA World Cup two years ago. England just cannot afford to be without him.

Euro highlights: The 1996 win on home soil. England beat Italy in the final 3-1 with two goals from Mike Barry and another from Kevin Kennedy.

Euro legend: Mike Barry. Starred in the campaigns in 1996 and the poor 2000 competition.

Star player: Edward Redwood. Introduced as a fresh-faced 18-year-old four years ago, the London United wunderkind is current CSA World Player of the Year. Defenders sweat everytime they hear his name. He can score from the whole 30 yards, and is completely two-footed. The redheaded striker is only second in England CSA all-time scoring leader with 28 compared to Mike Barry's 34. All that at the age of only 22!

Strengths: Long balls. With Redwood and Brian Nixon up front, Craig Cohen "CraiCo", James Douglas and Kevin Warhurst can make dangerous long passes from the midfield.

Weaknesses: Experience. Defenders John Macdonald and Steven Tweedy, at a combined age of only 40, are only in their first MLF season. Also veteran 'keeper Simon Herding sometimes makes horrendous gaffes.

World ranking: 1st.

Our verdict: They could go all the way with they quality.

Austria team guide

How did they get there: Joint hosts with Switzerland.

Manager: Wolfgang Wienmayer.

Captain: Otto Griechel.

Euro highlights: None. First tournament.

Euro legend: Ditto as above.

Star player: Peter Pfertzl.

Strengths: ???

Weaknesses: ???

World ranking: 33rd.

Our verdict: With Germany, Croatia and Portugal in their group, they have no real chance of progressing, so the best thing for the Austrians is to give their rivals a run for their money.

Home Nations Round-Up

England, Scotland and Ireland all won their friendlies a couple of weeks before their Group A matches in two weeks time.

England beat Greece 4-1, Scotland beat Czech Republic 2-1 and Ireland beat Romania 3-0.

Welcome to the official blog of CSA EuroCup 08!

Welcome to the official blog of the 2008 Continental Soccer Association European Cup of Nations! Or EuroCup 08 if you like.