The GAME Euro 2012 Replay has kicked off with a very surprising group round. With the draw mixing around the quality teams and the quality players, it was never going to be easy predict. But we certainly never saw some results coming!
Exciting, intense and occassionally hilarious, here's how the groups fared, compared to the real thing...
Group A
Czech Republic - Aaron / Greece - Sam / Poland - George / Russia - James
Poland 0 - Russia 3
Russia 7 - Greece 0
Poland 0 - Czech R. 0
Czech R. 3 - Greece 0
Poland 2 - Greece 0
Russia and Poland qualify
Russia were undoubtedly the stars of this group, and of the group stage in general - James decided to play - and win - all his games and proceeded to go on about his 16 goals for the rest of the week. Greece were quite the opposite end of the spectrum, but Sam never lost faith. And in what turned out to be a very tense competition, Poland narrowly got through ahead of the Czech Republic thanks to goal difference.
And the real thing?
Well, the qualifiying teams were the exact opposite of the real tournament, with only Russia's real-world 4-1 defeat of the Czech Republic coming anywhere close to the James' dominating scores.
Group B
Germany - Nick / Denmark - Ollie / Portugal - Marc / Netherlands - Jamie
Denmark 1 Germany 1
Portugal 1 Denmark 0
Netherlands 2 Portugal 1
Denmark 0 Netherlands 1
Netherlands 1 Germany 1
Netherlands and Denmark qualify
This was our 'group of death' and the one where it really could've gone either way, with four experienced and talented FIFA players, and with the strengths of the teams really balancing things out. A lot of draws and barely-there victories made it difficult to single any team out for victory as the matches went on, and it really came down to the last match between Germany and Netherlands to settle it.
And the real thing?
Another opposite-teams-qualify scenario, although the scores did more closely mirror those of the real-life games with Netherlands-Denmark matching things perfectly.
Group C
Rep. of Ireland - Iain / Croatia - Louis / Italy - Ali / Spain - Mandip
Croatia 1 Spain 1
Italy 0 Spain 7
Croatia 3 Rep. of Ireland 1
Italy 0 Rep. of Ireland 9
Spain 0 Rep. of Ireland 2
Croatia and Republic of Ireland qualify
Yet again, the topsy-turvy world of GAME's Euro Replay saw the opposite two teams qualify, with real-life finalists Spain and Italy eliminated at this first hurdle. Spain did valiantly, mind, but Ital. Oh, Italy. Conceding 23 goals in three games. Check out the video for Ali's reaction to this, and for iain proving to be amongst the most... vocal players in the whole tournament!
And the real thing?
Well, Italy certainly conceded less goals in the real tournament, and no other results came close to the scores our players were bashing through.
Group D
France - Joe / England - Andy H / Sweden - Andy G / Ukraine - Neil
Sweden 0 France 0
England 0 Sweden 0
France 2 Ukraine 0
Ukraine 0 England 0
France 1 England 1
France and England qualify
The only group to see the same teams qualify as the real thing - including England! A real mix of player skills and team strength, FIFA-rookie Neil didn't stand much of a chance as Ukraine unfortunately. And while France dominated the group to some extent, England qualified on three draws, which doesn't bode overly well for the next round.
And the real thing?
France-England shared the same 1-1 score, and France shared their real-life victory over Ukraine, but otherwise the draw-heavy group had little in common.
Next up - the quarter finals!
Russia vs Denmark
Netherlands vs Poland
Croatia vs England
France vs Republic of Ireland
Check back and see how they got on!