Euro 2012 Scores: Teams in Great Shape to Advance After First Match

The importance of a convincing result in the opening match of a major tournament is nearly immeasurable.

If there are teams that haven't yet figured that out, they will in due time.

Some teams started the 2012 European Championships better than others. While there are plenty of squads that were left scrambling after disappointing first-match showings, there are some teams that have a leg up on the competition following their opening performances.

Here are three of those teams.

Russia (4-1 win over Czech Republic)

The Russians had the best opening match of any team in the tournament, as they stepped onto the pitch in Wroclaw and manhandled the Czech Republic.

No team enjoyed as comfortable as Dick Advocaat's squad, and now they are in perfect position to reach the knockout stages. They should have beaten the Czechs, but scoring four goals on Petr Cech is no easy feat.

They own the goal differential now, and it's unlikely that any team in Group A will be able to match that difference. 

Russia now looks ahead to its match against Poland, which shouldn't be that hard fought of a victory. The Polish team tied Greece in their opening match, a respectable result, but the Greeks spent the majority of the match playing with 10 men on the pitch.

Look for Andrey Arshavin and Alan Dzagoev to assert themselves on the offensive side of the field when they square off against Poland.

Denmark (1-0 win over Netherlands)

What a win this was for Morten Olsen's squad against a Netherlands team that was pegged as far superior.

The Danes got an early lead and never looked back. Of course, they spent the latter part of the match protecting their own goal and trying to play keep away from the Dutch, but they escaped with a victory nonetheless. 

They grabbed three points from the Oranje, giving them an advantage that is magnified even more so by the Germany victory over Portugal.

Denmark is set to play Portugal next. The Netherlands play Germany in its next match. If Holland loses and the Danes can grab a tie, they'd be in fantastic shape to advance to the next round. A win against the Portuguese would solidify a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Ukraine (2-1 win over Sweden)

This opening win for Ukraine is bigger than any win for any other team in the tournament. As co-host, the Ukrainians already have a huge advantage over the competition, but now that they have more than a realistic chance at getting out of the group stage, their home crowd will be more of a factor than ever.

Group D is among the most up in the air of the tournament. England and France played to a draw, which doesn't help Ukraine as much as a French victory would, but it serves them well either way.

If Andriy Shevchenko can build upon his huge first match, Ukraine could give some teams a problem in the later stages.

Nobody gave Ukraine much of a chance to escape group play, but with a match against France on the horizon, they would take control of the group for good with a victory.