Euro 2012 Scores: Playmakers Who Must Improve for Teams to Advance

If some teams are going to advance to the quarterfinals, their stars are going to have to play much better. 

Yes, football is a team game and it takes a full effort from all 11 players, but this is the Euro Cup we are talking about. These are the best teams in the world, and sometimes a complete team effort just isn't enough.

Sometimes the star playmaker simply has to take over. 

The following players were expected to take over at Euro 2012, but have yet to do so. If they want their squads to advance from the Group of Death, they will have to. Immediately.

Note: For a complete look at the updated group tables, click here. Wednesday's scores can be found below.

Arjen Robben: Netherlands (Lost 2-1 to Germany)

The Bayern Munich star certainly had a good year in the Bundesliga, scoring 12 goals and booting out five assists in just 18 starts.

But that hasn't even come close to translating to international success.

Robben is simply playing with blinders on. He makes things happen in the middle of the field, but once he gets in the final third, his decision making has been painfully bad. 

His passes are off and his shots come at the most selfish times. It wouldn't surprise me to see him hit the bench against Portugal, but if he does start, Robben needs to be much better in a must-win against Portugal.

Otherwise, the World Cup runner-ups will be going home early. 

Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal (Beat Denmark 3-2)

As it turns out, scoring 64 goals across all competition in the 2011-12 season hasn't made finding the back of the net any easier for Ronaldo while wearing his Portugal kit. 

His squad may have won and moved one step closer to the quarterfinals, but it was no thanks to him. 

The £80 million man wasn't nearly involved in the attack as much as Portugal would have hoped, but he did get two genuinely perfect looks at the goal.

And blew them.

Ronaldo found himself one-on-one with keeper Stephan Anderson twice, but shot one right into his hands and look uninterested on the second, firing it extremely far wide. 

CR7 will likely get plenty more looks against Netherlands' porous back line. He must find a way to finish. 

Robin van Persie: Netherlands (Lost 2-1 to Germany)

Unlike the first two playmakers on this list, I have hope for RVP, mostly because he put together a very good second half against Germany in which he scored Holland's only goal of the tournament. 

It was a great strike, but it didn't take away all his mistake from the previous three halves. 

Van Persie was terrible against Denmark in the first match of the tournament, and he blew a few more terrific opportunities in the first half against Germany. 

If Netherlands is going to beat Portugal, the "good" van Persie is going to have to show up. His teammates will create chances for him, but if he doesn't finish them, Holland is in trouble. 

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