EURO 2020 ROUND OF 16 GAME PREVIEW

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

28 JUNE 2021 | Angelo Ziovas

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Croatia v Spain

Two nations that were expected to do more than they have shown so far now face each other in the last 16. Spain and Croatia have had a bit of a mixed run so far in the group stage. Spain struggled to beat Sweden and Poland, only achieving a 0-0 draw and a 1-1 draw respectively, only to absolutely dominate Slovakia by putting 5 past them in an encouraging 5-0 victory. It would not be a stretch to say that Spain have been disappointing thus far, they have shown their quality but in the two draws they suffered their finishing and overall quality in front of goal was very lacking.

While Spain do not have the amazing calibre of team that won them three major tournaments in a row between 2008 and 2012. They have a squad that is more than capable of ending up in the latter stages. While not having the brilliant Puyol and Pique pairing at the back, Spain have only conceded the one goal so far, and with Aymeric Laporte finally getting the chance to play at international level, he will be looking to make sure the defence holds up along with Pau Torres who has played in two of the three group games, with Eric Garcia playing they other game. Their midfield is a strong unit with the likes of Koke, Thiago, Rodri, Sergio Busquets looking to fashion chances for the attack. Alvaro Morata who while has not been on scoring form for the Spaniards, works hard on the pitch, but with Ferran Torres scoring against Slovakia he may start for them.

Croatia, like Spain have been slightly below expectations, their opening game ended in a 1-0 defeat to England, then drawing against a determined Czech Republic 1-1, then they finished off needing a win against Scotland and that is what they did coming out as 3-1 winners to get to the knockouts in second.

The Croats have a number of great players among the squad, with the biggest name being Luka Modric, but even with him comes several quality players to potentially make a difference. Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, Marcelo Brozovic and up front with Ante Rebic and Andrej Kramaric. They certainly have enough quality to challenge the Spanish, especially through the midfield which is easily Croatia’s strong point.

The last time these two sides met in the Euros was in the last Euros in 2016 in the group stage, Croatia came out 2-1 winners on that day, and even in more recent encounters, Spain came away with a 6-0 rampage win in September of 2018, but Croatia have won their last meeting which came in November of 2018 where the Croats won 3-2. France or Switzerland awaits in the quarter finals.

France v Switzerland

Probably a game where France expects to win on paper, but the Swiss are never an easy opponent. The world champions will be keen to win this game and progress, but France have not been as impressive as maybe they were expected to be. Switzerland knows however, that knocking out France would be a huge statement and really put questions on this French team. Especially considering France have a lot of expectations after their disappointment losing in the final of Euro 2016.

The French squad shows just why they are favourites for the Euros once again, the world champions boast an incredible side. Quality up and down the pitch, with names such as Lucas Hernandez and Raphael Varane keeping out attacks, N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba running the show through the center of the park, and a front trio of Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

However even with an incredible team, they were a little underwhelming in the group stages. A 1-0 win over Germany which started things off well but they didn’t look at their best, a 1-1 draw against a highly spirited Hungary, who France struggled to break down, and a 2-2 draw against Portugal where they gave away two penalties. While group stage games are not an indicator of how well a team plays in the knockout stages, there are signs for France that they need to step it up starting in this game against the Swiss.

Switzerland have been good so far in the tournament, playing out a 1-1 draw against Wales, then were beaten by Italy 3-0, but bounced back with a 3-1 over Turkey. They have looked good and will show no fear against France, and Austria and Czech Republic’s performances will definitely give them the belief that they can go on and bet France.

Breel Embolo, Xherdan Shaqiri, Haris Seferovic and Granit Xhaka will all be key for Switzerland as they attempt to pull off the win against France and make their way to the quarter finals. Shaqiri who has been there for Switzerland, scoring 2 goals and assisting 1 goal, but the whole team will need to be a well maintained unit if they want to progress.

The last time these two played each other at a Euros tournament was back in 2016, and it ended in a draw, and was in the group stage. This time it is knockout football, and there can only be one winner. The winner will go on to face either Croatia or Spain.

EURO 2020 ROUND OF 16 GAME PREVIEW

27 JUNE 2021 | EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

Netherlands v Czech Republic

In the second day of round of 16 match ups is group C winners the Netherlands against the Czech Republic. The Dutch have progressed through to knockout stages with a perfect 9 points out of 9 in the group stage. A 3-2 win over Ukraine, then followed up by wins against Austria and North Macedonia, with the scores being 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.

Players like Georginio Wijnaldum and Frenkie de Jong will be crucial for them in the heart of midfield, while Matthijs de Ligt will look to keep the solidity at the back, with Memphis Depay aiming to show his attacking quality that we have only seen in glimpses thus far. And with Denzel Dumfries making an excellent account of himself on the right flank, they have the quality to trouble defences.

This will be the first time since the World cup in 2014 that the Dutch will be represented in the knockout stages of a major tournament. After not qualifying for the Euros last time out and missing out on the World cup in 2018. Like Italy, they will be looking to make a statement by getting to the latter stages of the tournament.

The Czech Republic have had a rather good showing in the Euros so far, they got out of their group by finishing as one of the best third placed teams. Finishing behind both England and Croatia. They started out by beating a determined Scotland side 2-0, which included an amazing goal from near the halfway line, a 1-1 draw against Croatia, then suffering a 1-0 defeat to England.

While not boasting some of the exceptional talent that the Netherlands have, there are a couple of players who can be difference makers. Patrik Schick and Jakub Jankto are two such players who could play a part, Schick has scored all 3 goals for the Czech’s and will certainly being looking to add to that tally against the Netherlands. Jankto can be another player that could drive things forward for them, the Sampdoria man has potential to make something happen.

Their squad of players will have enough belief they can take on the Netherlands and win. Just as we seen with Italy’s win over Austria. The Czech’s will fight for that place in the quarter final. Denmark will be the team that is waiting in the quarter final for one of these two. This game has the potential to go into extra time, with both sides being solid at the back only conceding two goals each in their group games.

From Soccer Star To Successful Entrepreneur.

Frank Ziovas 10 November 2020

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Roberto Linck may be most known for his time playing professional soccer, but since retiring he is focusing on his long-term legacy in business.  During his few years off from soccer, he has already launched and acquired ten companies.  Each of his ventures is distinctly different and allows him to tap into a wide range of business verticals.

As a 28-year-old serial entrepreneur, he has achieved more than most do during long careers.  I sat down with him to hear more about his story and what lessons he has learned along the way.  These are the biggest things he learned that have helped him grow his business empire in a relatively short period of time.

1. Find your unique advantages.

Due to his background in soccer, Linck has an understanding of the industry and a brand value in the sport that allow him to excel in the business of soccer.  Of his ten companies, he owns a soccer team, two soccer software companies, a shoe factory, and a soccer league.  Obviously, his unique advantage to execute soccer-related ventures and spot great ideas in that industry has helped him be successful with those five ventures.

For those looking to get into entrepreneurship or become serial entrepreneurs, he states it is important to figure out what unique advantages you have before starting out.  If you know what your strengths are and what you are able to do better than anyone else, you can begin to execute on a number of ideas centered around that advantage.  This lets you grow rapidly and add value without needing to slave away hoping success comes.

2. Leverage business synergies.

While launching a number of businesses, it best to pick businesses that can synergize with each other.  This means that the businesses can either work with one another, such as owning both the factory and the retail chain, or businesses that can share resources, such as two retail chains negotiating for cheaper manufacturing in a larger group deal.  Through his vast business holdings, it is clear he has worked diligently to find these synergies and leverage them for maximum value.

Besides his numerous soccer brands that can all benefit one another, he also a talent agency, video and event production, and model software which can help keep as much of the business logistics in-house.  When looking for synergies think about vertical and horizontal synergies.  Namely, how can you avoid paying someone to do work for you and how can you use your assets in other ways.

3. Always be building.

It is important to ensure you do not stretch yourself too thin and that what you begin, you can execute.  That being said, complacency leads to failure down the line.  “In order to combat against complacency, you need to always be building,” says Linck.  He never likes to sit idle and so has worked to develop a diverse and aggressive portfolio of ventures to keep him busy and growing.

Balancing your expansion requires you to figure out what resources you need to execute.  Linck is fortunate enough to have an all-star team and competent partners, such as Emerson Rosa and Roberto Carlos, working alongside him, so expansion is more doable through delegation of work.  While looking at your own portfolio of companies and work, ensure you do not stretch yourself thin and over commit.  Over promising and under delivering along with simply biting off more than you can chew are sure fire ways to set yourself up for failure.

4. Know where the future is going.

One of the things Linck pays the most attention to is where future trends are pointing.  As new technologies and industries emerge, opportunities for vast fortunes open up.  For instance, with the emergence of innovative software applications, Linck has been able to apply cutting-edge technology to a somewhat outdated system of soccer management.  

Also, seeing the rise of influencer management, Linck was quick to enter that industry and begin signing some of the top Instagram influencers, including Claudia Alende. Understanding emerging trends is critical for evading disruption and constantly capturing value.  Furthermore, he knows the long-term value of real estate and owns a soccer stadium and is building an 8-story commercial building.

Successful trend forecasting requires constant education according to Linck.  He works diligently to always be aware of what is out there and learn about industries as they pop-up.  Taking the steps to be well-read and exposed to a number of backgrounds can help in your pursuit of valuable business opportunities.  As you explore the business world and see these chances to make a niche, begin to add them to your portfolio and this will lead to serial entrepreneurship.

With entrepreneurship as a goal of most young people today, Linck is an example of how to execute a variety of businesses well and quickly become a serial entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio.  No matter what type of companies you are interested in or what your skill sets hold, the lessons of building businesses from Linck’s journey hold true for all aspiring entrepreneurs.