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Written by: Patrick He, Alikhan Mukhamedi, and Brian Koh
Compared to the World Cup, the European Championship allows for many more European teams to play in the international scene. As a result, there are several teams that people tend to know much less about and are consequently underrated. Thus, we have selected one team from each group that we believe has the ability to make it out of the group stages and potentially have a deep run in the tournament. Some of them are true “underdogs,” with few recent successes at major international tournaments, while others are more of the “dark horse” type. Regardless, we believe that all of the teams listed below have the potential to make a big impact this summer.
For each team, we will examine their history in international competitions, particularly in past European Championships. We will also look at their road to qualification to get a better sense of their strengths, weaknesses, and potential lineups. This will lead to a discussion of each team’s style of play and their match-ups with the rest of the group; in this, we will also briefly discuss the style of play of their opponents. Analyzing the teams’ managers will also help in better understanding how each team will play. Finally, we will discuss key players for each team and the impacts we believe they will have on their respective national teams.
Group A: Switzerland – Patrick He
Group B: Russia – Alikhan Mukhamedi
Group C: Ukraine – Alikhan Mukhamedi
Group D: Croatia – Patrick He
Group E: Sweden – Brian Koh
Group F: Iceland – Brian Koh
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How to cite this page: “Underrated Teams of Euro 2016”, Written by Patrick He, Alikhan Mukhamedi, and Brian Koh(2016). European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/underrated-teams-of-euro-2016/ (accessed on (date)).
