Friendly internationals in the final couple of weeks before major tournaments are seen by coaches as an ideal way to solve tactical glitches and harden their players for battle.
Too often, all teams manage to achieve in such matches is to play themselves out of form, as half-hearted players concentrate on avoiding injury and coaches prove unable to resist a bit of last-minute tinkering.
Of the Euro 2004 finalists in action recently, only Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy and Sweden have emerged with any real credit on the playing side while remaining unscathed in terms of injuries.
Germany, with a 7-0 victory over Malta and a 2-0 success against fellow finalists Switzerland, seem to be finding form at the perfect time and look increasingly likely candidates with a few days to go before the tournament begins on June 12.
Holders France, 4-0 victors against Andorra, and hosts Portugal, who beat Luxembourg 3-0, could also be satisfied, if hardly ecstatic, about their performances.
England, the Netherlands and Greece have taken backward steps, however, and their coaches must be debating the worth of these run-outs.
The Dutch were dreadful in a 1-0 defeat against Belgium and scarcely any better in beating the Faroe Islands 3-0.
Coach Dick Advocaat tried out several different formations in those games and the result has been disquiet in the squad, with Clarence Seedorf warning that he would stay on the bench unless given his favourite role behind the front players.
CAUSING CONFUSION
England coach Sven Goran Eriksson seemed intent on causing confusion among his players when they played Japan in Manchester this week.
A new midfield formation, which saw all four players taking unfamiliar roles, led to a disjointed performance and a Japanese victory would have been deserved.
To cap it all, David Beckham revealed after his latest disappointing performance that he had aggravated an ankle injury, although he said he would have no problems being fit for the side's Group B opener against France on June 13.
Greek fans will hold little hope of that after seeing their side in truly dispiriting form in a 1-0 defeat by Poland and a 2-0
Greece are in Group A with Spain, Portugal and Russia and will need to be at their best to gain a place in the quarter-finals.
Losing form in the build-up to a major tournament can be costly, as France found when they lost 2-1 to Belgium before flying out to the 2002 World Cup as holders and favourites.
Zinedine Zidane was then injured in another largely pointless friendly against South Korea in Suwon and France duly made a first-round exit.
Spain also suffered a striking dip when they were well fancied for the title at Euro 2000.
They played spectacularly well in qualifying only for their attacking form to desert them in a 1-1 draw against Sweden and a 1-0 win over Luxembourg.
CONFIDENCE DRAINED
Their confidence was drained and they began the tournament with a 1-0 defeat against Norway, squeezed through to the quarter-finals with two fortunate wins over Slovenia and Yugoslavia before going out to France.
This time, coach Inaki Saez has tried to reduce risks of a similar outcome by lining up just one friendly international against a limited Andorra side on Saturday.
Otherwise, Spain have played one other practice match between Saez's probable first team and his likely substitutes at the squad's training camp on the outskirts of Madrid.
Without the pressure of expectation from fans and media, and with no heavy tackles flying in, the 'A' team turned in a thoroughly convincing performance to beat the 'B' team 6-1.
Spain's likely starting team will thus go into Euro 2004 full of goals and bristling with confidence -- as long as Andorra do not cause an upset, or an injury or two, on Saturday.
