Vieira controls games though. And he's really calmed down a lot of late.
It's interesting because honestly this is an impossibly tough tournament to call. France and Italy are probably the two teams with the least question marks over them, but I'd hardly label both outright favourites. France have worries in defence (sorry, but Desailly is crap, Thuram's had an awful season and Silvestre is error-prone) and you can never really count on them after that inexplicable collapse of historic proportions at the World Cup. The Italians have no width whatsoever and rely solely on Francesco Totti for all their creative needs, and also have a history of either going all the way or collapsing at the first hurdle. Still, those two are in my "top tier" of favourites, if you will.
In the second tier, I have Holland, Spain, Portugal and England. These four are teams that, with a bit of luck, a few breaks, and some star performances, could go all the way.
Holland as always have one of the more talented squads in the tournament, but Advocaat still hasn't found the right lineup (and they're currently duelling with the Germans to see which Group D side can self-destruct first). Kluivert is a legend and carries too much weight to be dropped, but equally he's totally out of form and just doesn't get along with the in-form Van Nistelrooy.
Spain have the same problem with Raul -- he's captain, the country's record goalscorer and arguably its greatest player. But he's been out of form all year long. Spain have a good squad too, but it's probably a notch below the Dutch, French or Italian squads and they're also creaky at the back... that and they have serious belief issues. Still, I expect big things from Fernando Torres -- he's my pick for Young Breakout Performer of the Tournament.
Depending on your viewpoint, it's either too early, too late, or just the right time for Portugal. The Golden Generation (Figo, Rui Costa, etc) have just passed their prime, and only Figo is in any outstanding form. The young guns (Cristiano Ronaldo, Quaresma) are probably just a little too young. If Scolari can find the right mix of experience and youth and if Pauleta and Nuno Gomes can put their chances away (a traditional problem with the Portuguese) Portugal are in with a chance, especially with the home crowd behind them.
And finally, England. They might be sneered at by the likes of France and Holland, but I think they're more talented than most give them credit for. Sven is a canny coach and the squad is strong overall, but assuming John Terry is fit England don't so much have major question marks as a lot of little problems. Like in attack: Who will partner Michael Owen? Rooney is better than Heskey, but Heskey is a better fit for Owen. Who does Sven pick? In midfield, has Sven finally found the answer with Scholes on the left of a flat four-man formation? And can the defence cut out the silly little mistakes they've become known for? I think the tournament is open enough and the other teams are flawed enough that, again, assuming the breaks go their way and that they get top performances from more than just Beckham, Owen and Gerrard (in particular the defence, Lampard and Rooney) then they could easily win it.
Either way, I can't wait
