U-21 European Football Championship 2007

U-21 European Football Championship 2007
UEFA Under-21 Championship
Number of nations	8  (of 51 applicants)
European champion	Netherlands (2nd title)
venue	Netherlands
Opening game	June 10, 2007
Endgame	June 23, 2007
Games	16
Gates	34  (⌀: 2.13 per game)
spectator	192,186  (⌀: 12,012 per game)
Top scorer	Maceo Riggers (4)

The 19th European Under-21 Football Championship was held from June 10 to 23, 2007 in the Netherlands . It was the first final round, the venue of which had already been determined before qualifying. Thus, the Netherlands did not have to participate in the qualification, but were set as hosts.

Host Netherlands successfully defended their title from last year.

The tournament also served as the European qualifier for the men's soccer tournament at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games .

qualification

→ Main article : U-21 European Football Championship 2007 / Qualification

mode

The qualification for the U-21 European Football Championship 2007 contested a total of 50 national teams. Due to the change from the 2-year mode to odd years, a shortened version of the qualification for the final round of the European Championship was held.

First of all, the 16 weakest teams had to go to a pre-qualification, a knockout round with a round trip. The eight winners qualified for the group stage, where they met the 34 seeded teams. The 42 teams determined the group winners in 14 groups of three teams each. The group stage took place without a return game, instead each team had a game at home and one away.

The 14 group winners then played playoffs for entry into the final round. The seven winning teams from the first and second legs and the organizer Netherlands were eligible to participate in the final round.

These eight selection teams were drawn into two groups of four teams each. Within the groups, each team played once against each other team. The group winners and the runners-up reached the semi-finals.

The semi-final winners played the European champions in the final. The four semi-finalists will also qualify for the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing.

Performance of the German-speaking teams

Germany

Germany took first place relatively confidently in qualification group 10. A 3-2 away win against Northern Ireland was followed by a 5-1 win against Romania and thus qualified for the decision-making round. There Germany was drawn to the strong English team, which won the duel 1-0 in the first leg and 2-0 in the second leg and thus made it to the finals.

Austria

Austria met Iceland and Italy in qualification group 5. After a 0-0 home win against Iceland and a 0-1 defeat in Italy, Austria was eliminated in qualifying as second in the group.

Switzerland

Switzerland started in qualifying group 8 with a 3-1 victory in Moldova. However, the home game against England was lost 3-2, so that Switzerland only finished second in the group and had to retire at the end of the qualification.

Preliminary round

For the preliminary round matches that were played in the stadiums of Groningen ( Euroborg , 20,000 places), Heerenveen ( Abe-Lenstra-Stadion , 26,000 places), Arnhem ( GelreDome , 28,000 places) and Nijmegen ( Goffertstadion , 12,000 places), the winners of the playoffs were qualified. These were drawn into two groups.

Group A

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Netherlands	3	2	1	0	005: 300	+2	07th
2.	Belgium	3	1	2	0	003: 200	+1	05
3.	Portugal	3	1	1	1	005: 200	+3	04th
4th	Israel	3	0	0	3	000: 600	−6	00

June 10, 2007 in Heerenveen
Netherlands	-	Israel	1-0
Goals: 1-0 Maduro (10th)
June 10, 2007 in Groningen
Portugal	-	Belgium	0-0
June 13, 2007 in Heerenveen
Israel	-	Belgium	0: 1
Goals: 0: 1 Mirallas (82nd)
June 13, 2007 in Groningen
Netherlands	-	Portugal	2: 1
Goals: 1-0 Babel (33rd, Penalty), 2-0 Rigters (75th), 2-1 Miguel Veloso (77th)
June 16, 2007 in Heerenveen
Belgium	-	Netherlands	2: 2
Goals: 1-0 Mirallas (9th), 1: 1 Rigters (13th), 1: 2 Drenthe (37th), 2: 2 Pocognoli (70th)
June 16, 2007 in Groningen
Israel	-	Portugal	0: 4
Goals: 0: 1 Manuel Fernandes (37th), 0: 2 Ricardo Vaz Té (45th), 0: 3 Miguel Veloso (49th), 0: 4 Nani (50th)

Group B

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Serbia	3	2	0	1	002: 200	± 0	06th
2.	England	3	1	2	0	004: 200	+2	05
3.	Italy	3	1	1	1	005: 400	+1	04th
4th	Czech Republic	3	0	1	2	001: 400	−3	01

June 11, 2007 in Arnhem
Czech Republic	-	England	0-0
June 11, 2007 in Nijmegen
Serbia	-	Italy	1-0
Goals: 1-0 D. Milovanović (63.)
June 14, 2007 in Nijmegen
Czech Republic	-	Serbia	0: 1
Goals: 0: 1 Janković (90 '+ 3')
June 14, 2007 in Arnhem
England	-	Italy	2: 2
Goals: 1: 0 Nugent (24th), 2: 0 Lita (26th), 2: 1 Chiellini (35th), 2: 2 Aquilani (69th)
June 17, 2007 in Arnhem
Italy	-	Czech Republic	3: 1
Goals: 1: 0 Aquilani (4th), 1: 1 Papadopulos (14th), 2: 1 Chiellini (29th), 3: 1 Rossi (45th + 1 ')
June 17, 2007 in Nijmegen
England	-	Serbia	2-0
Goals: 1-0 Lita (5th), 2-0 Derbyshire (77th)

Final round

Semifinals

The semifinals between the hosts and England were hard to beat in terms of drama. One minute before the end of regular time, the guests had to accept the equalizer with a spectacular overhead kick and - after Nedum Onuoha had injured himself and the exchange quota had already been fulfilled - deny the following extra time with only ten players. After the extra time did not bring a decision either, a penalty shoot-out followed, which was only decided on the 32nd penalty kick. In the 16th round, Anton Ferdinand forgave the English, while Gianni Zuiverloon kept his nerve and transformed with the Dutch. This set a new record for UEFA competition matches.

June 20, 2007 in Heerenveen
Netherlands	-	England	1: 1 a.d. 13:12 i. E.
Goals: 0: 1 (39th) Lita, 1: 1 (89th) Rigters
June 20, 2007 in Arnhem
Serbia	-	Belgium	2-0
Goals: 1-0 (4th) Kolarov, 2-0 (87th) Mrdja

Playoff game for the Olympic Games

Since the English team could not qualify for the Olympic Games, the third-placed group in the preliminary round had to play for the fourth European starting place for the Olympic football tournament in Beijing .

Although Giuseppe Rossi had to leave the field with a yellow-red after 75 minutes, the Italians were able to save themselves in extra time. Portugal did not manage to bring about the decision there either, so a penalty shoot-out had to decide. While Manuel Fernandes and Vitorino Antunes awarded on the Portuguese side, the Italians converted all of their penalties and thus secured themselves participation in the Olympics.

June 21, 2007 in Nijmegen
Portugal	-	Italy	0: 0 n.v. 3: 4 i. E.

final

pairing	Netherlands - Serbia
Result	4: 1 (1: 0)
date	June 23, 2007
Stadion	Euroborg , Groningen 20,000 spectators
referee	Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Gates	1-0 Otman Bakkal (17th) 2-0 Ryan Babel (60th) 3-0 Maceo Rigters (67th) 3-1 Dragan Mrđa (79th) 4-1 Luigi Bruins (87th)
References	Aleksandar Kolarov (62.)
Netherlands	Boy Waterman , Gianni Zuiverloon , Arnold Kruiswijk , Erik Pieters (89th Calvin Jong-a-Pin ), Hedwiges Maduro , Royston Drenthe (78th Roy Beerens ), Ryan Babel , Daniël de Ridder , Maceo Rigters (69th Luigi Bruins ), Ryan Donk , Otman Bakkal Trainer: Foppe de Haan
Serbia	Damir Kahriman , Branislav Ivanović , Antonio Rukavina , Aleksandar Kolarov , Milan Smiljanić , Boško Jankovic , đorđe rakić (73. Dragan Mrđa ), Dejan Milovanovic , duško tošić (65. Zoran Tošić ), Nikola Drinčić , Dusan Basta (73. Stefan Babović ) Coach: Miroslav Đukić

Team of the tournament

goalkeeper	Defense	midfield	striker	Best player
Scott Carson Paulo Ribeiro	Branislav Ivanović Duško Tošić Giorgio Chiellini Leighton Baines Steven Taylor Manuel da Costa Gianni Zuiverloon	Royston Drenthe Otman Bakkal Nigel Reo-Coker Miguel Veloso Manuel Fernandes Jan Vertonghen Alberto Aquilani	Kevin Mirallas Maceo Riggers Ryan Babel Leroy Lita David Nugent Ashley Young Alessandro Rosina	Royston Drenthe

Best goal scorers

space	player	Gates
1	Maceo Rigters	4th
2	Leroy Lita	3
3	Dragan Mrđa	2
	Kevin Mirallas	2
	Alberto Aquilani	2
	Giorgio Chiellini	2
	Miguel Veloso	2
	Ryan Babel	2

Web links

• U21 Euro 2007 on uefa.com
• Details about the 2007 tournament on rsssf.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ UEFA.com: 2007 European Under-21 Championship - Group stage finals, Group A (accessed 4 December 2008)
2. ↑ UEFA.com: 2007 European Under-21 Championship - Group Stage Finals, Group B (accessed 4 December 2008)
3. ↑ UEFA.com: Netherlands win penalty crime thriller (accessed 6 December 2008)