tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post6392045963948584510..comments2023-11-05T11:08:39.920+00:00Comments on Twohundredpercent: Austria 0-1 Croatia200percenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14645801159434664430noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10399764.post-38561327379138188882008-06-09T07:39:00.000+01:002008-06-09T07:39:00.000+01:00I think this is likely to be the first European Ch...I think this is likely to be the first European Championships that would not be seriously affected by the early elimination of the hosts.<BR/><BR/>Neither Switzerland nor Austria are football hotbeds; Alpine skiing is definitely more popular than football in Austria and probably at least of equal importance in Switzerland (which also has a serious ice hockey league). Austrian expectations are also reasonably low, though the Swiss will be gutted if they don't make it out of the group.<BR/><BR/>In any event, the reports I am getting from people who are there consistently focus on all of the atmosphere being created by visiting fans (and expats), and I think that the combination of relatively small grounds, excellent transport links and (most importantly) a strong performance by countries that border on one or both of the hosts may well overcome any elimination effect.<BR/><BR/>Vienna reportedly looked as if it had been invaded by legions of jovial, tablecloth-wearing Croatians yesterday, and if countries like Germany, Croatia, Italy, the Czech Republic and Poland progress, that kind of phenomenon will only become more common.ursus arctoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17341666158627733792noreply@blogger.com