The qualification process for the 2016 European Championship got underway this past week.

A number of teams overcame the first hurdle while some others, surprising ones at that, faltered.

Here are some observations and takeaways from the European championship qualifications:

Spain Makes Statement

Spain needed some sort of victory to regain the confidence of fans. After a dismal World Cup and disappointing performance against the French, the team not only needed to beat Macedonia, but do it with a huge goal differential.

Mission accomplished.

Spain dominated possession, pressed high up the pitch and locked Macedonia in their own third, created of chances, scored five goals and did it possession and transition soccer. David Silva, who did not feature against the French until late in the game and is probably still kicking himself for the era-defining miss against the Dutch, was the star of the show. He scored a goal and created one. He also made the Spanish engine run with his decisive passing, relentless pressing and speed.

But all was not perfect. Spain looked a bit weak at times on the backend, and keeper Iker Casillas was forced into make six saves, four of the great variety. It was a solid performance from the netminder who has come under tremendous fire in recent weeks.

Spain still has a long way to go to regaining credibility. But a 5-1 win (the goal against came on a penalty) is a strong step forward.

Gareth Bale Shines

Gareth Bale is one of the top players in the world. There can be no doubt about that. But he also has a penchant for shining in big moments. Just ask Real Madrid fans about the joy he gave them during the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals.

At Madrid, he has a number of other superstars to help him out. But on his national side, he is alone alongside Aaron Ramsey. Bale proved his worth by leading his nation to a 2-1 comeback win over Andorra on the road. He scored both goals and has situated Wales in pole position to finish among the top three in the group.

Portugal Struggles Without Ronaldo

The biggest shock of the qualifiers thus far was Portugal's 2-1 loss against Albania at home. The Portuguese are expected to win Group I (their greatest competition comes from Denmark), but in their current form they may struggle to do that.

The team was admittedly without Cristiano Ronaldo and could get a huge boost from the superstar in the October qualifiers. However, with Ronaldo's recent injury problems, there is concern that Portugal may not be able to compete on the biggest stage. The team's World Cup was a testament to its lack of quality on the roster besides Ronaldo. If he is unable to continue his best play, Portugal may miss the Euro.

Germany Struggles

A few months ago, Germany made a deep run to conquer the World Cup. There was talk of a new dynasty and era and some were audacious enough to claim that the new champs could repeat Spain's unprecedented run of three straight tournaments. The Germans can still have the last word, but on evidence of their first performance, they could struggle.

Scotland was not expected to provide much of a challenge, and yet there they were, tied 1-1 with the World Champs after 66 minutes. They went on to lose, but the performance was a defiant one from the visitors. Germany dominated possession and had tons of shots on goal, but they needed Thomas Müller to come up huge to pick up the vital three points. It speaks volumes that Scotland not only held its nerve, but also tied the game deep into the second half.

This might not be such an easy qualifier for the World Champs.

Netherlands Starts off Poorly

The Dutch are in trouble. Days after losing against Italy in Guus Hiddink's debut, the Oranje did it again against the Czech Republic. The Dutch were away, but this was a game against arguably the other top team in the group and the one most likely to compete with them for a top spot.

The Dutch have simply not looked like the team that dominated Spain 5-1 and took down Brazil 3-0 at the World Cup. This team lacks that level of precision and looks a bit sloppy under its new coach. It could take some time, but it could also be a sign of things to come. Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are aging (Robben was not in this match). The new generation may not be ready to take over.

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