Julian Finney/Getty Images There are a few teams that surprised me by advancing to the quarterfinals in the 2012 European Championships. I didn't see Greece beating Russia, but they did. I didn't expect Portugal to advance out of the Group of Death, but they survived it.
But for all of the pleasant surprises, there were just as many disappointments in the first two groups. Be it a world-class team that looked like a lethargic shell of itself or a host nation that failed to move on, there were several teams that left a lot to be desired.
Let's take a look at the letdowns.
Netherlands
Julian Finney/Getty Images There was no team at this tournament as disappointing as the Dutch. They blew countless chances in a loss to Denmark, often looked over-matched against Germany and played listless and uninspired in a must-win game against Portugal.
Sure, they needed to win by two against Portugal, but you would have never known they had any reason to play at all. After scoring an early goal and dominating the first 10 minutes of play, the Dutch disappeared the rest of the way.
Frankly, the 2-1 score wasn't at all indicative of how soundly they were dominated.
On a side with so much talent, a flimsy back line and what appeared to be an inability to function as a team doomed the talented individuals comprising this Netherlands team. To lose three straight matches is unacceptable for this team, even in the Group of Death.
Goodbye, Oranje—you couldn't have choked harder at the Euros.
Russia
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images All they needed against Greece was a tie and they were set to move on. Instead, they couldn't solve the Greek defense and fell 1-0, ending the tournament for a Russian side I was convinced would win this group.
So much for that prediction.
Despite 25 shots, the Russians failed to net a single goal against the stout Greeks. That's simply unacceptable for this veteran unit that will probably see major changes in the roster once the 2014 World Cup rolls around.
Poland
Christof Koepsel/Getty Images It's not just disappointing given that Poland was a host team and you always like to see a host advance.
No, what's so heart-wrenching about the Polish failure to advance is that I thought they should have won the first two games against Greece and Russia.
Which team was the biggest disappointment?
Netherlands
Russia
Poland
Against the Greeks, Poland dominated most of the first half and easily could have led by a larger margin. Things got sketchy when Greece tied the game, nearly netted a penalty kick and controlled the game in the second half, but early on Poland looked destined to dominate.
Against Russia, Poland looked sharp early again, though Russia took the momentum later in the half with a goal. But throughout, I thought Poland was the better side even if the game ultimately ended in a tie.
I didn't pick Poland to advance out of this group, but after watching them early against Greece was convinced I had underestimated them. I guess not.
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