The European soccer championship EURO 2008 was started yesterday with a game between the hosting country of Switzerland and Czech Republic with the ladder winning the game 0:1 with a goal by a newcomer to the team Sverkos. Sverkos came in 56 minute as he replaced Jan Koller for whom the game was not going so well. In 71. minute Sverkos scored his first international goal in his only 3rd appearance in the national team. Switzerland was the better team, its attacks being much more dangerous then that of Czech Republic. The Swiss’s captain and the star of the team had to be subbed after he sustained an injury at the end of the first half to his knee. For him the Euro 2008 is over as his injury will take about 6 weeks to heal.
In the second game of Group A between Portugal and Turkey was won by Portugal 2:0. Portugal was the better team the whole game, with Turkey having virtually no chances to score a goal. Christiano Ronaldo was very clearly the player of the game, as he set-up most of the scoring chances for Portugal. The goals were scored by Pepe in 61. minute and by Meireles in injury time.

Day 2 of the championship brings two games, the cohosting country of Austria will play against Croatia and Germany will face Poland in a much heated match. There has already been reports of fan clashes of the countries. Germany and Croatia are favorites to advance to the next stage of the championship, but Poland is also very strong, having winned its qualifying group. According to bookmakers the chance that Poland wins its game against Germany is lower then Austria winning its game against Croatia….