Euro 2012 Results: Closely Contested Matches Prove Group B Is Wide Open

After the first day of action in the Group of Death, no team clearly separated itself from the competition.

Germany’s Mario Gomez headed in a goal in the 73^rd minute to give his country a 1-0 win in a tightly contested match.

The Portuguese side played extremely well and showed that it could compete with the Germans, who are considered to be one of the favorites to win the tournament, along with Spain.

The Germans had the advantage in possession, holding the ball 57 percent of the time. However, the two sides created a nearly identical amount of chances, with Portugal outshooting the Germans 12-11, as both sides had three shots on goal. 

Portugal unleashed a late attacking flurry and had several quality opportunities. It was terribly unfortunate not to grab an equalizer.

In the early game, the Netherlands looked poised for a victory in the beginning stages, but Denmark shocked its opponents as winger Michael Krohn-Dehli pushed the ball passed the Dutch defense and cracked a shot between Maarten Stekelenburg’s legs in the 24^th minute.

The Netherlands had more than enough chances to yield a goal with 28 shots, but its potent attack came up empty.

In both games, there were moments that could have easily changed everything. For the match between Germany and Portugal, it was Pepe’s strike at the end of the first half. This shot ricocheted off the bottom of the crossbar and came down directly on the goal line.

Had this touched the ground a few inches closer to the crowd, the Portuguese would have had a 1-0 lead at the half, and given their defensive discipline, could very well have won the match.

In the other match, it was a handball in the box by Danish defender Lars Jacobsen. Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar popped the ball up in the air, and it collided with the defender’s outstretched arm.

Whether his handling of the ball was intentional can certainly be debated, but given how far away Jacobsen’s arm was from his body, the Danes were fortunate not to have given up a penalty kick. 

These results were both closely contested matches and while each provided a victor, no team clearly established itself as better than its opponent.

The next round of games on June 13 will feature Netherlands vs. Germany and Denmark vs. Portugal.

It is entirely possible that the entire group will be tied at three points each at the end of the second round of games. 

If any team has the quality to get a decisive victory over Germany, it is the Netherlands.

Denmark showed that it is capable of beating any team in the tournament with organization and discipline. 

As for Portugal, its defense was as advertised, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Nani are more than capable of creating goals from the wings.

There is no clear favorite from this group as of now, and anything could happen in the Group of Death.