Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#England
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=39/squad/index.html
Captain: Wayne Rooney
Key Players: Wayne Rooney; Joe Hart; Harry Kane
Potential Breakout Player: Dele Alli
Notable Absentees: Danny Welbeck (injury); Phil Jagielka (non-selection)
Best Historical Finish: Semifinals (1996)
Minimum Expectation: Second Round
How Far Could They Go: Quarterfinals
England enters the tournament with a very young team with only four players having celebrated their 30th birthdays (i.e. Milner, Rooney, Cahill and Heaton). England absolutely blitzed through qualifying with a perfect record, ten wins from ten games scoring an impressive thirty-one goals whilst conceding a mere three. Confidence within Hodgson's group will be sky high entering the tournament.
England realistically lacks any truly world class players at moment with Rooney on the decline, but in Kane, Alli, Stones, Barkley and Dier they have a number of players primed to continue to stake their claim to be world class. In Hart they have a very good goalkeeper, but questions about the centre of defense will arise. Rashford is the latest youngster thrust into the limelight prior to a big tournament for England - like Owen, Rooney, Walcott and Sterling before him - but up front they already boast three strikers in Kane, Vardy and Sturridge who have been phenomenal in the recently concluded domestic campaign.
The midfield will have an unsettled look about it and the inclusion of Wilshere who has played only a handful of games all season seems a big risk, he may be fresher than most but will he be able to slot into a leading role immediately? Interestingly, the converted defender turned midfielder Dier may be the most integral part of the midfield, being asked to cover for the more attack minded players. The hype is there, but another underwhelming tournament cannot be ruled out even if they are clear favourites in their group.
Team: RUSSIA
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#Russia
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=57451/squad/index.html
Captain: Roman Shirokov
Key Players: Igor Akinfeev; Artem Dzyuba; Sergei Ignashevich
Potential Breakout Player: Aleksandr Kokorin
Notable Absentees: Alan Dzagoev (injury); Yuri Zhirkov (injury)
Best Historical Finish: Winners (1960 as the USSR); Semifinals (2008)
Minimum Expectation: Second Round
How Far Could They Go: Quarterfinals
The Russians will enter the tournament with one of the oldest teams at the tournament and seeking a strong showing, in preparation for hosting the 2018 World Cup. A number of their key players are veterans of the 2008 tournament which saw the team advance to the semifinals playing an attractive brand of football, even if the man most synonymous with the Russian success in that edition (Arshavin) will not be at this event.
Dzagoev will be a key missing piece given the goalscoring threat he provides from midfield as evidenced by the three goals scored at Euro 2012. In Dzyuba and Kokorin, the Russians will have two forwards capable of getting goals in front of a defence which has significant experience playing together not only at national team level but also at club level with CSKA Moscow - with the coach of CSKA Moscow also now at the helm.
The Russians will fancy their chances of qualifying from this group and would certainly be a favourite to, but they will not have it all their own way. The team will have nothing handed to them as the other teams in the group will all fancy their own chances of taking points off Russia.
Team: WALES
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#Wales
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=144/squad/index.html
Captain: Ashley Williams
Key Players: Gareth Bale; Aaron Ramsey; Ashley Williams
Potential Breakout Player: Ben Davies
Notable Absentee: Paul Dummett (non-selection)
Best Historical Finish: N/A
Minimum Expectation: Qualifying (Already achieved)
How Far Could They Go: Second Round
With only an appearance at the 1958 World Cup as a major tournament experience for the Welsh, qualification certainly must feel like a dream come through. Having advanced ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, finishing in 2nd place behind Belgium in their qualifying section, Wales on the face of it looks like yet another limited team built on a solid defensive foundation (conceding only four goals in ten qualifying games).
The difference for Wales is they have a truly world-class player in Bale entering his prime, they have an all-action midfield dynamo who can score goals in Ramsey and they have an uncompromising central defender who is dominant in the air in Williams. Add to that trio a squad with a solid goalkeeper (Hennessey), a group of experienced Premier League defenders (Collins, Chester, Taylor and Davies) and a serviceable midfield (Allen, King and Ledley) - a solid starting XI can be played.
The Welsh may lack depth beyond their starting XI, but they could pull a surprise in what appears on the face of it a wide open group - they did beat the mighty Belgians in qualifying. Although probably the weakest team of the group, they still boast the best player in the group and as a team they will certainly be up for their second group game against England, with all but two currently playing their club football in England and quite a few actually having been born in England.
Team: SLOVAKIA
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#Slovakia
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=58836/squad/index.html
Captain: Martin Skrtel
Key Players: Marek Hamsik; Martin Skrtel; Juraj Kucka
Potential Breakout Player: Robert Mak
Notable Absentee: Robert Vittek (non-selection)
Best Historical Finish: Winner (1976 as Czechoslovakia); N/A
Minimum Expectation: Qualifying (Already achieved)
How Far Could They Go: Second Round
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#Wales
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=144/squad/index.html
Captain: Ashley Williams
Key Players: Gareth Bale; Aaron Ramsey; Ashley Williams
Potential Breakout Player: Ben Davies
Notable Absentee: Paul Dummett (non-selection)
Best Historical Finish: N/A
Minimum Expectation: Qualifying (Already achieved)
How Far Could They Go: Second Round
With only an appearance at the 1958 World Cup as a major tournament experience for the Welsh, qualification certainly must feel like a dream come through. Having advanced ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, finishing in 2nd place behind Belgium in their qualifying section, Wales on the face of it looks like yet another limited team built on a solid defensive foundation (conceding only four goals in ten qualifying games).
The difference for Wales is they have a truly world-class player in Bale entering his prime, they have an all-action midfield dynamo who can score goals in Ramsey and they have an uncompromising central defender who is dominant in the air in Williams. Add to that trio a squad with a solid goalkeeper (Hennessey), a group of experienced Premier League defenders (Collins, Chester, Taylor and Davies) and a serviceable midfield (Allen, King and Ledley) - a solid starting XI can be played.
The Welsh may lack depth beyond their starting XI, but they could pull a surprise in what appears on the face of it a wide open group - they did beat the mighty Belgians in qualifying. Although probably the weakest team of the group, they still boast the best player in the group and as a team they will certainly be up for their second group game against England, with all but two currently playing their club football in England and quite a few actually having been born in England.
Team: SLOVAKIA
Squad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_squads#Slovakia
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/teams/team=58836/squad/index.html
Captain: Martin Skrtel
Key Players: Marek Hamsik; Martin Skrtel; Juraj Kucka
Potential Breakout Player: Robert Mak
Notable Absentee: Robert Vittek (non-selection)
Best Historical Finish: Winner (1976 as Czechoslovakia); N/A
Minimum Expectation: Qualifying (Already achieved)
How Far Could They Go: Second Round
As the thus far less successful of the former Czechoslovakian countries, Slovakia will make their debut at the Euros but much of the squad played in the country's finest football moments at the World Cup in 2010 where they advanced to the second round while eliminating the then defending World Champion Italians.
The strength of this Slovakian team lies in their midfield which boasts a world class playmaker in Hamsik, a true midfield workhorse in Kucka plus some goal scoring threats in Weiss and Mak. Slovakia qualified based on the strength of a perfect start to qualifying winning their first six games including a hard earned win against the double defending Euro champions Spain.
With a solid and experienced defensive line (Pekarik/Skrtel/Durica/Hubocan), Slovakia has enough quality to advance from this group even if there is no forward of note to lead the line. The form of Hamsik will be key. Skrtel may be the captain, but Hamsik is the leader, he can dictate the game from midfield and the Napoli legend has a great goal scoring record from midfield.
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