Poland and Ukraine are abuzz as they host Europe's top international squads over the next month. One round of games are officially in the books and (arguably) the most competitive tournament in the world has been full of enticing story lines. Let's get right into it.

Group A

Poland: This is a gritty team who came out on fire with the home crowd at their backs.Robert Lewandowski's first half goal, along with a Greek red card in the first half, seemed to put Poland on its way to victory. But Greece rebounded fiercely, and after a missed penalty, Poland was lucky to escape with a draw. Grade: B-

Greece: European champions in 2004 and embarrassed in the last World Cup, Greece has something to prov3e this time around. Some key halftime substitutions brought them back from the dead in their opening match with Poland. Grade: C+

Czech Republic: The Czechs were never in this game from the start. Ball chasing and turnovers are not going to win you any games, even in what many are calling the weakest group in the tournament. No support was given to star goalkeeper Petr Cech. The back line crumbled under the Russian pressure. Grade: D

Russia: You couldn't ask for better from a talented Russia side who came into this tournament on a bit of a roll. The combination play of Andrei Arshavin and Alan Dzagoev proved too much for the Czech Republic. I look for them to keep rolling through Group A. Grade: A

Group B

Denmark: The "Group of Death" consists of 4 teams, all in the top 10 of FIFA's world rankings. Of the four, Denmark is unlikely to be anyone's choice to come out of the group. Yet, an astounding performance puts them in prime position to advance. An impressive display of possession and skill caught a talented Dutch team off guard. Look for Denmark to bring some confidence into their next match against Portugal. Grade: A-

Netherlands: Coming off their finals appearance in the World Cup, expectations were high coming in for powerhouse Netherlands. But Denmark had none of it, dominating play from the opening whistle. Robin Van Persie couldn't get freed up for a chance at goal. Arjen Robben made some nice forays through the middle, but was always closed down when he needed to be. Grade: C

Germany: My personal favorite to win the title, Germany ran into a tough Portugal team who gave them all they could handle. Despite looking sluggish at times, the defense held strong against a relentless attack. Don't expect the Germans to take Denmark lightly in their next match. Grade: B

Portugal: Perhaps they deserved a tie against Germany, but the simple fact is they lost. Portugal showed some attacking strength behind superstar striker Christiano Ronaldo. They'll need to find a way to put one in the back of the net if they want to squeeze into the elimination rounds. The road doesn't get any easier from here. Grade: C+

Group C

Spain: Defending champions of the Euros, the World Cup, and the top ranked team in the world, you don';t need me to tell you about this team's expectations. Yet, facing an Italy team which allowed the fewest goals in qualifying, Spain fell behind early. As expected, they dominated possession, but you can bet they're disappointed with the tie. Expect Spain to be back in true form as it faces weaker defenses in Croatia and Ireland. Grade: B

Italy: With Serie A swathed in the latest match-fixing scandal, this team had no lack of distractions coming in. Yet, we can't ignore that Italy allowed the fewest goals of any team in qualifying. Their defensive form showed as they held off Spain's furious attack, and nearly pulled off the upset. Grade: B+

Croatia: This talented team flexed its muscles against the over matched Ireland squad in their first outing. After scoring a goal with lightening speed - in just the 3rd minute - it seemed they would slow down and let the opposition back into it. But Croatia were able to finish their chances, and finish the job. I expect their next match against Italy to be tightly contested. Grade: A-

Ireland: One of the last teams to qualify for the tournament, Ireland is one of the true underdogs in Poland/Ukraine. After Croatia scored early, they seemed to recover. But the siege on their goal proved too much in the end. One positive, Ireland looked strong in the air and on set pieces, which they'll certainly need when they face Spain. Grade: C-

Group D

England: Without Wayne Rooney, England seemed content to sit back and absorb France's attack. The strategy seemed to be working as Joleon Lescott put them ahead in the first half off of a perfectly placed cross by Steven Gerrard on a set piece. The defensive approach would not carry them to victory however, as France broke through shortly after. England should bounce back and advance here as they get their star striker back in game 3. Grade: B-

France: Frank Ribery and Samir Nasri dominated play in the offensive third. Despite generating chance after chance, England goalkeeper Joe Hart did a fantastic job of keeping his composure and keeping the ball out of the net. France is one of the most technically skilled teams in the tournament, and to me are a dark horse to go deep into the elimination rounds. Grade: B+

Sweden: They're tall, they have Ibrahimovic. That's about all you can say about Sweden. If they want to make some noise, they're going to have to find some support for their captain. I saw far too many wasted crosses and long balls against a Ukraine team who, honestly, shouldn't have dominated the way they did. Grade: C-

Ukraine: The co-host of this tournament played in their first ever European Championship match, with a raucous home crowd at their backs. The energy lifted them, as two second half goals in quick succession put them ahead for good. My hat has to go off to Andriy Shevchenko, who scored both goals off his head. He wasn't even sure his manager was going to give him the start. I guess this settles that debate. Grade: A-