2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 to 23 June 2007. It was the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Championship.

2007 UEFA Under-21 Championship
Europees kampioenschap voetbal onder 21 - 2007
Tournament details
Host country Netherlands
Dates10–23 June
Teams8 (finals)
51 (qualifying) (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)4 (in 4 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Netherlands (2nd title)
Runners-up Serbia
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored34 (2.27 per match)
Attendance211,999 (14,133 per match)
Top scorer(s)Netherlands Maceo Rigters (4 goals)
Best player(s)Netherlands Royston Drenthe
2006
2009

Summary

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For the first time, a host nation was chosen ahead of the competition – the Netherlands, who were also the defending champions, were exempt from qualifying. The host nation was chosen on 15 December 2005. England, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Sweden also submitted bids. Of UEFA's 52 member countries, only the Faroe Islands did not compete in the qualification round for the tournament. That left 50 nations attempting to qualify for the seven remaining spots at the finals.

This was the first time that the competition's final matches took place in an odd-numbered year. UEFA took this decision with the will to give more visibility to the tournament, since during even-numbered years the competition was clouded by the approaching FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship.

The tournament also served as the European qualifying tournament for the 2008 Summer Olympics, with a place for the four semi-finalists of the tournament.[1][2] However, as England is not an Olympic nation, their team was ineligible for the Olympics; since England reached the semi-finals, a fifth-place playoff was necessary.

In this competition, a new UEFA penalty shoot-out record was established.[3] The semi final between The Netherlands U21 and England U21 finished 1–1. Thirty-two penalties had to be taken before the tie was decided. The Netherlands U21 won 13–12,[4] and went on to win the tournament by defeating Serbia U21 4–1 in the final.[5]

After the final, some commotion arose in the Netherlands because several Dutch internationals with Surinamese roots carried the flag of Suriname with them during the trophy presentation.[citation needed] Dutch coach Foppe de Haan expressed the actions of these players as "inappropriate".[citation needed]

Qualification

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Steward outfit displaying the logo of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2007

In order to make the switch from even to odd-numbered years, the 2007 edition was a shortened version, condensed from a two-year campaign into a one-year campaign. Therefore, a completely new qualification format was devised to eliminate the weaker nations early, and saw a decrease in the size and duration of qualification groups.

Finals tournament

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Draw

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The Dutch team celebrating their victory after the final

The draw for the finals took place in Arnhem on 24 November 2006, putting the eight qualifying nations into two groups. The provisional dates for the group games are 10 June to 17 June 2007, with Heerenveen and Arnhem each staging a semi-final on 20 June. The final took place on Saturday 23 June at Euroborg in Groningen.

The opening game was between the Netherlands and Israel at 10 June.

Venues

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City Stadium Capacity
Arnhem Gelredome 25,000
Heerenveen Abe Lenstra Stadion 26,100
Groningen Euroborg 20,000
Nijmegen De Goffert 13,000

Squads

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Group stage

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The final, NetherlandsSerbia, in the rain
Team qualified for the knockout stage
Team went to play-off for Olympics

Group A

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Netherlands 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
  Belgium 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
  Portugal 3 1 1 1 5 2 +3 4
  Israel 3 0 0 3 0 6 −6 0
Source: [citation needed]
Netherlands  1–0  Israel
Maduro   10' Report
Portugal  0–0  Belgium
Report
Attendance: 7,197

Israel  0–1  Belgium
Report Mirallas   82'
Netherlands  2–1  Portugal
Babel   33' (pen.)
Rigters   75'
Report Veloso   77'
Attendance: 19,498

Netherlands  2–2  Belgium
Rigters   13'
Drenthe   37'
Report Mirallas   9'
Pocognoli   70'
Israel  0–4  Portugal
Report Fernandes   37'
Vaz Tê   45'
Veloso   49'
Nani   50'
Attendance: 10,833

Group B

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Serbia 3 2 0 1 2 2 0 6
  England 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
  Italy 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
  Czech Republic 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
Source: [citation needed]
Czech Republic  0–0  England
Report
Attendance: 9,382
Serbia  1–0  Italy
Milovanović   63' Report
Attendance: 8,347

Czech Republic  0–1  Serbia
Report Janković   90+3'
Attendance: 6,109
England  2–2  Italy
Nugent   24'
Lita   26'
Report Chiellini   36'
Aquilani   69'
Attendance: 17,103

Italy  3–1  Czech Republic
Aquilani   4'
Chiellini   29'
Rossi   45+1'
Report Papadopulos   14'
Attendance: 7,167
England  2–0  Serbia
Lita   5'
Derbyshire   77'
Report
Attendance: 9,133

Knockout stage

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
20 June – Heerenveen
 
 
  Netherlands1 (13)
 
23 June – Groningen
 
  England1 (12)
 
  Netherlands4
 
20 June – Arnhem
 
  Serbia1
 
  Serbia2
 
 
  Belgium0
 

Semi-finals

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Serbia  2–0  Belgium
Kolarov   4'
Mrđa   87'
Report
Attendance: 17,438

Final

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The teams enter the field for the final
Netherlands  4–1  Serbia
Bakkal   17'
Babel   60'
Rigters   67'
Bruins   87'
Report Mrđa   79'
Attendance: 19,813
GK 1 Boy Waterman
RB 4 Arnold Kruiswijk
CB 2 Gianni Zuiverloon
CB 18 Ryan Donk
LB 5 Erik Pieters   89'
DM 6 Hedwiges Maduro (c)
RM 11 Daniël de Ridder
LM 8 Royston Drenthe   9'   78'
AM 10 Otman Bakkal
CF 13 Maceo Rigters   69'
CF 9 Ryan Babel
Substitutes:
MF 12 Luigi Bruins   69'
FW 14 Roy Beerens   89'   78'
DF 19 Calvin Jong-a-Pin   89'
Coach:
  Foppe de Haan
GK 1 Damir Kahriman
RB 3 Antonio Rukavina   89'
CB 2 Branislav Ivanović (c)   62'
CB 11 Duško Tošić   43'
LB 6 Aleksandar Kolarov   28'   62'
CM 7 Milan Smiljanić
CM 13 Nikola Drinčić   65'
CM 10 Dejan Milovanović
RF 19 Dušan Basta   73'
CF 9 Đorđe Rakić   73'
LF 8 Boško Janković
Substitutes:
MF 21 Zoran Tošić   65'
MF 14 Stefan Babović   73'
FW 18 Dragan Mrđa   82'   73'
Coach:
  Miroslav Đukić

Man of the Match:
Ryan Babel (Netherlands)

Assistant referees:
Manuel Navarro (Switzerland)
Tomáš Mokoš (Slovakia)
Fourth official:
Stéphane Lannoy (France)

Awards

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Best player

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Team of the tournament

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Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards

  Scott Carson
  Paulo Ribeiro

  Branislav Ivanović
  Giorgio Chiellini
  Leighton Baines
  Steven Taylor
  Manuel da Costa
  Gianni Zuiverloon
  Duško Tošić
  Jan Vertonghen
  Ashley Young

  Royston Drenthe
  Otman Bakkal
  Nigel Reo-Coker
  Miguel Veloso
  Manuel Fernandes
  Alessandro Rosina
  Alberto Aquilani

  Kevin Mirallas
  Maceo Rigters
  Leroy Lita
  David Nugent
  Ryan Babel

Goalscorers

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4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Medal table and Olympic qualifiers

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Final result
    Netherlands (H) 5 3 2 0 10 5 +5 11 Champions
    Serbia 5 3 0 2 5 6 −1 9 Runners-up
    England 4 1 3 0 5 3 +2 6 Eliminated in
semi-finals
    Belgium 4 1 2 1 3 4 −1 5
5   Portugal 3 1 1 1 5 2 +3 4 Eliminated in
group stage
6   Italy 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
7   Czech Republic 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
8   Israel 3 0 0 3 0 6 −6 0
Source: UEFA
(H) Hosts

Olympic qualifying play-off

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The 2007 European Under-21 Championship also served as the European qualifying round for the 2008 Olympic football tournament. Europe's four places at the Olympics were to be filled by the four semi-finalists; however, because England, one of the semi-finalists, cannot compete independently at the Olympics, a play-off match between Portugal and Italy, the two third-placed teams in each group, was arranged to identify the fourth European team to go to Beijing. Italy defeated Portugal through a penalty shoot-out.

Portugal  0–0 (a.e.t.)  Italy
Report
Penalties
Moutinho  
Nani  
Fernandes  
Veloso  
Antunes  
3–4   Pellè
  Montolivo
  Criscito
  Palladino
Attendance: 5,161

References

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  1. ^ "De Sart wants Belgium's backing". David Bano & Michael Harrold. Archived from the original on 21 September 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  2. ^ "Match schedule". UEFA. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  3. ^ "Netherlands News". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  4. ^ "Holland U21 1-1 Eng U21 (aet)". BBC Sport. 20 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
  5. ^ "Holland U21 4-1 Serbia U21". BBC Sport. 23 June 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
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