Euro Cup 2012 Schedule: Predicting Who Will Survive Brutal Group B

In every tournament, there is the group of death, a compilation of strong teams that makes surviving the opening round a true test of a team's talent.

At this year's Euro Cup, that is Group B. In this case, the "B" might as well stand for "Brutal."

The group is composed of the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Denmark—all ranked in the top 10 of FIFA's world rankings. There are no gimmes in this group, and all four teams are capable of advancing.

But which countries actually will?

We'll answer that question below, along with providing the Euro Cup schedule in its entirety.

Denmark

If Denmark wants to do anything in this group, opening the tournament with at least a draw against the Netherlands will be key. They proved the are capable of beating Portugal when they did so October, and if they could enter the final game against Germany with four points, they would be in great shape.

The realistic goal for this team should be a win and two draws. Five points in this group will put them in an excellent position to advance.

Of course, I don't see that happening. Denmark is a strong squad, but it's one that is overmatched in this group.

Advance: No

Netherlands

Runners-up at the 2010 World Cup, the Netherlands are not only a favorite to advance out of this group, they are also one of the favorites to win the entire tournament.

They have two of the finest strikers in Europe at the moment in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie—a spoil of goal-scoring riches. And Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are elite midfielders.

Let's make a long story short: The Oranje are loaded. This group may be loaded, but the Netherlands should advance.

Advance: Yes

Portugal

When you have a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on your team, you've always got a shot. With the exception of that guy from Argentina, there isn't a deadlier player in the game today than Mr. Ronaldo.

But Portugal isn't a one-man show—far from it. They have a lot of talent, including Ronaldo's teammates Pepe and Fabio Coentrao, along with Nani, Raul Meireles and Bruno Alves.

Still, this Portugal squad has been marked by inconsistent play, and Group B will not allow for an off game at any moment. Portugal will be a pain for any team it plays, but ultimately, the team's healthy dose of talent will underachieve once again.

Advance: No

Germany

They basically have to advance by default, right? I mean, that's just what the German national team does, isn't it?

With consecutive third-place finishes at the World Cup and a second-place finish at the 2008 Euro Cup, the answer would seem to be yes.

And make no mistake about it, those close finishes have left this German squad hungry for a major tournament win.

The Germans are loaded from top to bottom and have few weaknesses. Like the Netherlands, they'll need to choose between elite attackers in Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez. It's a good problem to have.

Germany is as deep a team as you'll find in the tournament, and they traditionally play well on the in the big tournaments. They'll move on.

Advance: Yes

Without further ado, here's the entirety of the Euro Cup schedule. Television schedule to be determined.

Date	Match	Time	Stage
6/8/2012	Poland vs. Greece	12:00 p.m. ET	Group A
6/8/2012	Russia vs. Czech Republic	2:45 p.m. ET	Group A
6/9/2012	Netherlands vs. Denmark	12:00 p.m. ET	Group B
6/9/2012	Germany vs. Portugal	2:45 p.m. ET	Group B
6/10/2012	Spain vs. Italy	12:00 p.m. ET	Group C
6/10/2012	Ireland vs. Croatia	2:45 p.m. ET	Group C
6/11/2012	France vs. England	12:00 p.m. ET	Group D
6/11/2012	Ukraine vs. Sweden	2:45 p.m. ET	Group D
6/12/2012	Greece vs. Czech Republic	12:00 p.m. ET	Group A
6/12/2012	Poland vs. Russia	2:45 p.m. ET	Group A
6/13/2012	Denmark vs. Portugal	12:00 p.m. ET	Group B
6/13/2012	Netherlands vs. Germany	2:45 p.m. ET	Group B
6/14/2012	Italy vs. Croatia	12:00 p.m. ET	Group C
6/14/2012	Spain vs. Ireland	2:45 p.m. ET	Group C
6/15/2012	Sweden vs. England	12:00 p.m. ET	Group D
6/15/2012	Ukraine vs. France	2:45 p.m. ET	Group D
6/16/2012	Czech Republic vs. Poland	2:45 p.m. ET	Group A
6/16/2012	Greece vs. Russia	2:45 p.m. ET	Group A
6/17/2012	Denmark vs. Germany	2:45 p.m. ET	Group B
6/17/2012	Netherlands vs. Portugal	2:45 p.m. ET	Group B
6/18/2012	Croatia vs. Spain	2:45 p.m. ET	Group C
6/18/2012	Italy vs. Ireland	2:45 p.m. ET	Group C
6/19/2012	England vs. Ukraine	2:45 p.m. ET	Group D
6/19/2012	Sweden vs. France	2:45 p.m. ET	Group D
6/21/2012	Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals
6/22/2012	Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals
6/23/2012	Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals
6/24/2012	Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up	2:45 p.m. ET	Quarterfinals
6/27/2012	Quarterfinal 1 winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals
6/28/2012	Quarterfinal 2 winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals
7/1/2012	Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner	2:45 p.m. ET	Finals

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