PARIS: They are the men who will reap the plaudits and milk the applause -- the goal poachers who can grab glory for their nation in an instant.

And they will deserve the adulation if they can rise above the increasingly defensive fare of the modern international game and the fear of losing which hung heavy over the finals of both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

Although the 2.5 goals a game average of Euro 2004 bears comparison with earlier editions the sterile fare of the final, when Greece shocked hosts Portugal with a goal from Angelos Charisteas after seeing off the French and the Czechs in similar 1-0 smash-and-grab style.

Two years on from a similarly sterile World Cup final fans will be hoping for more effervescent stuff from the likes of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, fresh from being crowned English Premier League's Player of the Year and Spanish vulture Fernando Torres.

Four years ago, most of the fireworks came after the final whistle when organisers launched them from the roof of the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon to accompany a Greek lap of honour in front of a stunned Portuguese crowd.
Spain, perennial under-achievers at this level since they won their only major honour at Euro '64, will hope this time they will have the requisite firepower to stage a repeat.

Torres is Spain's golden boy after scoring 24 league goals in his debut season at Liverpool, eclipsing the previous 23 debut season mark for a foreign star of former Manchester United man Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Torres clearly enjoys the full confidence of coach Luis Aragones, who has seen fit to drop all-time leading Spanish scorer Raul from his squad despite the latter's iconic status and more importantly his good form for Primera Liga champions Real Madrid this season.

"There are many other players who, when you look at the number of minutes played, have scored more than Raul and they haven't made the squad either," was Aragones' defensive response -- while he also raised some eyebrows by saying Brazilian football was better than Spain and that the Italian and German national sides were also superior.

But with Torres and Valencia hotshot David Villa, who actually outscored his partner in the qualifiers, in his ranks, as well as up-and-coming Mallorca star Daniel Guiza the 'Wise Man of Hortaleza' clearly feels his squad have enough ammunition in its tank.

Germany will hope that Bayern Munich pair Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose can kick on from their Bundesliga title-winning exploits and that Mario Gomez, whose parents are Spanish, can also bring his shooting boots having managed six goals for his country in his first nine appearances.

Italy will rely heavily on their own Bayern star in the shape of Luca Toni, who helped secure qualification with vital goals in the Azzurri's tough matches against Scotland.

France coach Raymond Domenech, while he has the evergreen Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Sidney Govou and budding star Karim Benzema in his attacking ranks, has dispensed with David Trezeguet, despite his 20 goals for Juventus and his experience of the big stage.

Instead, Domenech has plumped for young St Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis, and Trezeguet joins a growing list of proven goal-getters who will not be on the Euro 2008 stage. -- AFP