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9/5/11

Euro Soccer 2012 -- group favorites are nearing qualification in group play

Germany (via math), Spain (via stats) and the Netherlands (via domination) moved closer to the final tournament last weekend as 2012 Euro qualification was back in full swing. There are many more key matches Tuesday.

As we mentioned in last Friday's post, Euro qualifying is a bit complicated, but the easiest thing to remember is all group winners automatically qualify for the final tournament. This is the only way to guarantee a spot in next summer's championship. This should be the goal of all contending squads entering the tournament.

Group A was mathematically decided Friday when Germany defeated Austria 6-2 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Turkey has a great chance to finish second in the group -- 96 percent to be exact, according to ESPN's Soccer Power Index (SPI). It is very unlikely to finish as the best second-place finisher, however, so Turkey is almost assured of entering into a two-legged playoff for one spot in the final tournament later this year.

Soccer Euro 2012 -- group favorites are nearing qualification in group play -- soccer - ESPN

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