UEFA EURO 2012

Man u Goalkeeper steal donut at tesco

2011-10-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

Super-rich Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was given a yellow card by Tesco — for pinching a £1.19 DOUGHNUT.

The Spaniard, 20, was quizzed by security staff after he scoffed an Original Glazed ring treat from a Krispy Kreme cabinet at a store in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.

De Gea was hauled up after being captured on CCTV helping himself to the treat — but escaped a penalty.

The sticky-fingered stopper — thought to be on £70,000 a week — wolfed down the doughnut in the magazine aisle.

But as he headed for the exit without paying, he was tackled by security staff — one of whom spoke fluent Spanish.

They took the keeper, signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer in an £18.3million deal, to the store's "stop and search" room.

And they made it clear he had made a right howler by giving him a hairdryer treatment that would have made Man U boss Sir Alex Ferguson proud.

De Gea strode into the Tesco Extra with two Spanish pals.

A source said: "They weren't very subtle. They swaggered in chatting loudly in Spanish.

"The security guards who monitor the CCTV watched two of them take a doughnut each out of the Krispy Kreme cabinet.

"Incredibly, they then appeared to try to leave without paying — or buying anything else for that matter."

The source said that when challenged and ushered into the search room, de Gea did not seem to know what was going on and "looked pretty embarrassed".

Last night a Tesco spokesman said: "A customer was spoken to by our security team and the issue was resolved."

Police were not called and no further action was taken.

Tesco has a strict policy of a three-month store ban for alleged shoplifters.

De Gea is regarded as the best young goalkeeper in Europe and was part of the Spain Under-21 team that won this year's European Championship.

His United career got off to a shaky start but he has recently begun to impress with some fine saves.

Sir Alex is fully behind his star signing. He said of de Gea earlier this month: "He's 20 years of age and doesn't know the culture of the country.

"That's a lot to deal with but he has shown great composure about the whole thing.

"He's not got himself flapping about the goalmouth. I think he's absolutely outstanding. The boy is tremendous." - www.thesun.co.uk

Serbian thugs worst than English thugs are possible banned for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

2010-10-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

The match at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was called off after only six minutes as travelling fans threw flares and fireworks onto the pitch. The kick-off had already been delayed by 35 minutes when, after pre-match clashes between visiting supporters and Italian police, Serbian fans threw flares in the direction of the north stand where Italian supporters were seated.

UEFA, who were waiting on the receipt of the official UEFA delegate's match report before deciding whether to open a disciplinary case, issued a statement around 1200 CET on Wednesday confirming the matter was being looked into.

It read: "Following the abandonment of Tuesday's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match between Italy and Serbia at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa after only six minutes of play, UEFA has confirmed that it has immediately opened a full and thorough disciplinary investigation into the incidents of serious disorder witnessed at the match and the circumstances surrounding it.

"Once the full dossier is completed, with the assistance of both the referee and delegate reports, the matter will be put before the independent UEFA control and disciplinary body for further review and possible sanctions.

"The sanctions that are available to the control and disciplinary body can be found in the UEFA disciplinary regulations, edition 2008, article 14, and range from a reprimand or fine, up to a stadium closure or 'disqualification from competitions in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions'.

"The proposed date for the meeting of the control and disciplinary body to hear this case is Thursday 28 October."

Has the curse of England still Not broken yet in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

2010-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

ENGLAND’S recovery from their summer of turmoil has been stifled just as it appeared to be gathering pace. Instead, they go into the winter break disconcerted and discontented.

For the first time in 12 matches at Wembley, England failed to post the victory required to lift their spirits and, worryingly for coach Fabio Capello, his players only ever occasionally looked like doing so.It is Montenegro who will top Group G until hostilities resume next March and England who are left to stew on a performance that lacked wit and guile for longer than the majority of the crowd of 73,451 would care to remember.

Just when Capello might have thought his squad was beginning to gloss over their failings at the World Cup, the first cracks duly appeared. Not even the referee’s failure to punish a blatant handball by Milan Jovanovic late on could disguise that.

And had Jovanovic’s sweetly-struck left-foot volley soon after dipped under the crossbar, rather than cannoning off it with Joe Hart beaten, then a night of frustration would have turned sinister.

As it was, Montenegro, ranked 40th in the world, were still celebrating one of the most famous results in their short history on the pitch long after England had slunk off to their dressing room.

Matters become more complicated now for Capello, the goodwill the wins over Bulgaria and Switzerland brought him lost amid a listless display which was greeted with a chorus of boos at the final whistle.

Wayne Rooney squandered two chances, or was denied by smart saves from goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic depending on your point of view, but while England prompted and probed they could not land the blow of a champion. “This is football,” said Capello ruefully afterwards. “It’s not boxing where you win by punching the opponent more.”

England’s trip to Wales next March is now crucial as they look to re-establish their credentials in a group from which only the winners are guaranteed to progress.

The intervening friendlies with France at Wembley next month and Argentina, on neutral soil in February, have extra significance attached.

It is four years since England failed to score on home soil, the last time being at Old Trafford in October 2006 when Macedonia secured a goalless stalemate in a result that severely undermined Steve McClaren’s tenure.

Capello must hope that this is not so costly. Signs that this was going to be difficult evening against opponents who have now not conceded in four games, were soon apparent.

Any disappointment Steven Gerrard felt about not retaining the captaincy was not detectable and his performance was arguably one of the few that rose above the general lethargy that gripped the rest of his team-mates. He almost chiselled out opportunities for Peter Crouch and Ashley Young when a clever free-kick played wide to Glen Johnson resulted in the clearest opening of a turgid opening passage.

The centre was aimed towards Crouch and the striker, under slight pressure from Marko Basa, was right to chide himself as his header flew wastefully over.

It was a miss that denied England the fillip of an early goal and also allowed Montenegro the luxury of sticking to their blueprint and sitting deep.

The visitors focused on containment first and foremost rather than summoning the courage to break forward and test Rio Ferdinand, whose comeback as skipper was both a genteel and, ultimately, dispiriting affair.

In response, England struggled to function at a tempo that stretched Montenegro and Ashley Young and Adam Johnson, who were so crucial to Capello’s masterplan, suffered as a result.

They offered flashes of inspiration, Adam Johnson more than Young, but the build-up play around them was, more often than not, so slow that the duo seldom found themselves one on one against their markers.

When Young did in the second half, he dived to try to win a penalty and was rightly booked by German official Manuel Grafe. It was disappointing that with England dominating possession, Capello did not send on Jack Wilshere and ask him to replicate the angled, clever passing he has showcased for Arsenal.

In the end, Wilshere’s withdrawal from the Under-21s served no purpose and the sight of Shaun Wright-Phillips coming on for another of those forgettable cameos summed up the lack of ideas.

“I thought a lot about bringing Wilshere on, but physically they were really strong,” said Capello. “I needed someone strong in the box so that is why I brought on Kevin Davies.”

At 33, Davies became England’s oldest debutant since 1950 when he replaced Crouch with 20 minutes remaining. Enough time for him to collect a booking rather than lay down a marker that he should be included again.

Yet, rather than the likes of Young, Adam Johnson and Davies providing inspiration, Capello is entitled to have expected more from his senior players – Gerrard apart.

Gareth Barry found the red shirts of Montenegro with more precision than his team-mates and Rooney, cautioned for a crude foul on Elsad Zverotic, continues to struggle to hit the heights.

If Sir Alex Ferguson was hoping representing his country would pep his confidence then, not for the first time, England duly disappointed him. It proved that type of night all round.

Czech Republic showed they had learned from their losing start against Lithuania

2010-10-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

Michal Bílek's men missed a penalty when they produced a lukewarm display in slipping to a 1-0 loss at home to Lithuania last month. That result lent added importance to Friday's encounter with Scotland in Prague, where Roman Hubník's first competitive goal for his country hoisted the Czechs back into contention.

"We were under pressure before this game because we lost our opening game against Lithuania," said Čech. "We needed to win. Everybody was putting us under pressure because we knew that it was one of the most important games in the group stage. I think we did really well to win it."

Enjoying one of his quietest outings in his nation's colours against a timid Scottish attack, the Chelsea FC goalkeeper joined an increasingly anxious crowd in watching his team-mates fail to convert a number of opportunities. Hubník's 69th-minute header finally relieved the tension in the Czech capital, and eased fears their opening-game disappointment would be repeated.

"I think we put a lot of expectations on ourselves before that first game as we desperately wanted to start well," Čech said. "The last 15 to 20 minutes were very tough for us. We weren't patient, we started forcing things through and we didn't manage to score. This time the experience of the first game made a difference.

"We knew we were playing really well in the first half, creating chances, and we knew if we continued in the same way in the second half that we would have chances. The chance came; perhaps it was the fifth one we'd had, but it went in."

Victory leaves the Czechs three points behind leaders Spain and within touching distance of both Scotland and Lithuania, who are a point ahead of them in second and third spots. With a trip to face section minnows Liechtenstein next up on Tuesday, Čech is now looking for another maximum haul.

"We have to win that game. We are in the group of five, and already the first game didn't go as we would have liked and we dropped three points," he said. "When you play in the group of five, you can't afford to lose more than one game if you want to qualify. We did that in the first game, so we have to keep on winning."

Spain's flawless start to UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group I

2010-10-12T18:52:00.001-07:00

Substitute Fernando Llorente scored with 11 minutes left to keep up Spain's flawless start to UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group I after Scotland had fought back from two goals down.

David Villa equalled Raúl González's record of 44 goals for Spain with a penalty just before the break and Andrés Iniesta looked to have put the result beyond doubt when he added a second soon after half-time. However, Steven Naismith with his first for Scotland and an own goal from Gerard Piqué threatened to give the home side a point until Llorente – left out of the starting lineup despite scoring twice in Friday's 3-1 defeat of Lithuania – claimed the winner within three minutes of his introduction.

Having taken a cautious approach in the 1-0 loss in the Czech Republic on Friday, Scotland manager Craig Levein brought back striker Kenny Miller and gave defender Phil Bardsley his debut with Alan Hutton injured. In front of a capacity crowd Scotland sought to exert some early pressure but the visitors were the first to threaten through Villa, shooting over after being picked out by Iniesta.

Within two minutes Villa tested Allan McGregor with a header from a Sergio Ramos cross and the keeper then rushed from his line to block David Silva's goal-bound effort. Scotland broke and it took the combined efforts of Carles Puyol and Piqué to clear James Morrison's effort off the line from Darren Fletcher's cross. However, it proved to be a temporary respite and on the half-hour McGregor again denied Villa from point-blank range.

The opening goal seemed inevitable and a minute before the break Spain were awarded a penalty after Whittaker handled Ramos's shot in the box. Villa stepped up and although McGregor got fingertips to the ball, the away side were ahead.

Ten minutes after the restart Spain doubled their advantage when Iniesta slotted in from close range after Santiago Cazorla's shot had rebounced off Stephen McManus. Scotland, however, had hope three minutes later, Naismith turning in Miller's cross, and Hampden erupted when Piqué diverted Morrison's centre past Iker Casillas.

However Llorente, whose starting place had gone to Xabi Alonso, was brought on and swiftly side-footed in Joan Capdevila's cross from the left. Scotland ended with ten men when Whittaker picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Ramos and they are back in third, two points behind the Czech Republic and five adrift of Spain having played a game more than both.

Cristiano Ronaldo helped ensure Portugal's revival in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group H

2010-10-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

An early free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo helped ensure Portugal's revival in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group H continued apace against point-less Iceland.

The Real Madrid CF forward's third-minute strike after a foul on Carlos Martins was cancelled out by Heidar Helguson after 17 minutes. Raúl Meireles restored the visitors' lead just before the half-hour, though it was not until 18 minutes from time that Paulo Bento's team confirmed their second victory in five days when substitute Hélder Postiga struck.

Ronaldo's third-minute set piece was not as powerful as his usual trademark efforts, but goalkeeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson could not prevent the ball going into his right-hand corner. Iceland constantly sought to use their aerial advantage, a policy from which they gained reward when Helguson headed in Indridi Sigurdsson's corner.

Portugal were ahead again ten minutes later, however, as Meireles unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 metres. With Iceland preventing the visitors from deploying their passing game Portugal frequently tried their luck from distance, Meireles almost scoring again with a curling shot that hit the crossbar on 53 minutes.

Postiga could have scored five minutes after coming on for Hugo Almeida but failed to make the most of a fine lay-off from Ronaldo by allowing Gunnleifsson to block. He was not so profligate soon after, though, taking advantage of Gunnleifsson's fumble from Ronaldo's cross to tap in a simple third. Portugal, who defeated Denmark 3-1 on Friday, are in second place in Group H on seven points, two adrift of a Norway team they face when their campaign resumes in June.

Morten Rasmussen and Kasper Lorentzen helped the hosts celebrate their 100th EURO qualifier with victory.

2010-10-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Denmark were able to mark their 100th UEFA European Championship qualifier with victory as they overcame Cyprus 2-0 in Copenhagen.

Morten Olsen's side were on top throughout, but the contest was still goalless at the break and it needed second-half strikes from substitute Morten Rasmussen – who scored within three minutes of his introduction – and Kasper Lorentzen to secure the win. Following Friday's 3-1 loss to Portugal, Denmark now possess six points from three outings in Group H, while Cyprus are languishing on one.

Chances came and went for the hosts in the opening 45 minutes, with Daniel Agger spurning the first opportunity when he headed over from close range early on. Soon after, Nicklas Pedersen also missed the target and the same player then had his shot saved by visiting goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides. The Cyprus No1 was in action again midway through the half, denying Michael Krohn-Dehli who had found space in the area.

Agger and Krohn-Dehli both passed up decent chances before the interval, when Olsen decided to shake things up by bringing on Rasmussen. It did not take long for the 1. FSV Mainz 05 forward to make his mark as he converted Lars Jacobsen's cross from the right on 48 minutes. The goal sparked Cyprus into life, but it was still the home side creating the danger, with Rasmussen soon going close again with a back-heel and Pedersen failing to keep another effort down.

Denmark were pressing to finish the job and, after Simon Kjær threatened with a header, Rasmussen nearly pounced following a Georgallides save. However, with nine minutes remaining, they finally put the outcome beyond reach, Lorentzen hammering in a left-footed shot from just outside the area.

Switzerland finally got their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying up

2010-10-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

Switzerland finally got their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying up and running with a convincing victory against Wales, whose third consecutive Group G defeat leaves them bottom of the section without a point.

Marco Streller's 21st-minute strike sent the hosts in at the break in front after Gareth Bale's equaliser had cancelled out an early opener from Valentin Stocker. Gökhan Inler's 82nd-minute spot kick and a late second from Stocker means Ottmar Hitzfeld's team can now begin their pursuit of England and Montenegro in earnest, while Wales will seek to get off the mark when they resume their campaign in March.

Eight minutes had elapsed when Hitzfeld was up celebrating his side's opener. Stocker was the scorer, nodding in after Streller unselfishly headed across the rebound from Tranquillo Barnetta's initial strike. The Nati coach was soon back in the dugout, however, as Bale raced on to Andrew Crofts' through ball and finished confidently past Marco Wölfli, who had replaced the injured Diego Benaglio early on.

With Wales buoyant Wölfli made an impressive save from James Collins' header soon afterwards, a stop which proved to be crucial as Switzerland restored their lead on 21 minutes. Inler chipped to the lurking Streller, who sliced his volley into the corner. The FC Basel 1893 striker could have had his second before the break but for a challenge from Wales captain Ashley Williams.

Wales produced the opening chance of the second period when Darcy Blake's delivery was headed narrowly over by Andy King, but Blake almost cost his team a goal soon afterwards when he failed to react to Alex Frei's cross. Stocker did, but his powerful header was beaten away by Wayne Hennessey.

The visitors' determination was never in question in what was an open encounter throughout. Bale persistently foraged for an opening on the left and nearly forced in an equaliser on the back of a slaloming run as the game entered the closing stages. However, Inler's penalty following Christian Ribeiro's foul on Barnetta and Stocker's simple fourth ensured Brian Flynn's final game as caretaker boss ended in another disappointment.

England and Montenegro remain unbeaten in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

2010-10-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

England and Montenegro remain unbeaten in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying but neither side can claim absolute authority over Group G following a goalless draw at Wembley.

Zlatko Kranjčar's visitors started and finished the day top of the section by three points after a disciplined display in London, albeit having played a game more than England. Three successive 1-0 wins had catapulted them to the summit and, despite enjoying scant possession, they so nearly made it four in a row when Milan Jovanović struck the bar late on during a frustrating evening for their hosts.

Steven Gerrard was one of only a few of Fabio Capello's players to try livening up proceedings during the opening period, twice injecting early verve to no avail. The first occasion, a raking pass from deep in midfield, ended in Peter Crouch stretching but failing to make contact, while the second – a quickly-taken free-kick – finished with the Tottenham Hotspur FC striker heading Glen Johnson's cross over from close range.

Though Montenegro could muster only tame shots from Radomir Djalović and Simon Vukčević, it was not until first-half added time that the hosts, for all of their possession, hit the target themselves. Wayne Rooney's deflected effort was comfortably held by Mladen Božović, who had earlier breathed a sigh of relief when Adam Johnson's free-kick whistled wide.

In charge, but out of ideas, it was Gerrard who once again provided the first sign of second-half spark, threading a pass to Rooney which Božović smothered at the second attempt. Not until the 73rd minute, though, did England's gusto test the visiting keeper once more. Rooney's instinctive shot was only parried after disruptive work from substitute, and debutant, Kevin Davies, and Gerrard's ensuing volley was well held by the Montenegrin custodian.

Just as England's lack of penetration looked set to limit them to a point, Jovanović so nearly took all three off them with a 25-metre shot which crashed off Joe Hart's crossbar. Božović again denied Adam Johnson late on to ensure it was not England's night.

Lothar Matthäus a winning start as Ivelin Popov scored the only goal in Cardiff to bring their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

2010-10-12T18:40:00.001-07:00

Bulgaria gave new coach Lothar Matthäus a winning start as Ivelin Popov scored the only goal in Cardiff to bring their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying campaign to life after defeats in their first two Group G games.

Popov struck three minutes after half-time to put a smile on the face of a Bulgarian team showing five changes to the XI who started last month's home game with Montenegro. The tall striker showed a sure touch, skilfully guiding a right-wing cross away from James Collins before firing in off the right-hand post.

It was a devastating blow to Wales who were also under new management, with Brian Flynn beginning a two-match spell as caretaker boss following the departure of John Toshack. That switch followed their own defeat to Montenegro in the opening fixture; a second reverse with games against Switzerland and England next on the agenda, casts Wales' qualifying prospects in a poor light.

In a lacklustre first-half only a handful of chances were created at either end of the field. Wales almost scored after seven minutes when Gareth Bale and Joe Ledley combined down the left. Steve Morison cleverly left the ball for the onrushing Chris Gunter whose shot flew hard and true but centimetres the wrong side of the post.

The visitors retaliated when a mistake allowed Martin Petrov a clear sight of goal. The response from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was exemplary as he palmed the ball over.

Following Popov's goal, Wales' search for an equaliser foundered on a well-drilled defence though Morison did force a fine save from Nikolay Mihaylov. With a minute of normal time remaining, debutant Hal Robson-Kanu got on the end of Bale's inswinging cross but could not keep his header down. In added time Gunter capped a miserable night for the Welsh by receiving a straight red card following a foul on Dimitar Rangelov.

Giorgos Karagounis kept his nerve from the penalty spot to send Greece to the top of Group F UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

2010-10-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Greece replaced Croatia at the top of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group F after a hard-earned 2-1 victory against Israel in Athens.

Dimitris Salpingidis put Fernando Santos's team men ahead in the 22nd minute with a neat lofted finish but Israel levelled 14 minutes after half-time when Greek defender Nikos Spyropoulos turned Roberto Colautti's cross past his own goalkeeper, Michalis Sifakis. However, Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis slotted home from the penalty spot just after the hour mark to clinch three points for the hosts, who now lead Croatia by a single point at the section summit.

Greece were forced into a change after just 15 minutes due to an injury to Sotiris Ninis, with Olympiacos FC teenager Giannis Fetfatzidis coming on for his second international appearance. However, that did not affect the hosts' gameplan as PAOK FC striker Salpingidis broke the deadlock, outpacing the Israel defence to control Pantelis Kafes's threaded pass before lifting the ball over Dudu Aouate and into the net.

Karagounis then tested Aouate's reflexes with a stinging shot from distance as the hosts sought to turn the screw. Israel's best chance to level came five minutes before half-time, but Lior Refaelov blazed his free-kick over. Fetfatzidis proved a constant threat in the second half for Greece with his superb dribbling and direct running, but he could not prevent Israel drawing level when Spyropoulos accidentally turned in Colautti's low cross under pressure from Etey Shechter.

That prompted a near-immediate response from Greece, Salpingidis surging into the penalty area before being upended by Aouate in the 63rd minute. From the resulting spot kick, Karagounis stroked the ball into the bottom right corner to put the home side back in front, and they held on to their lead comfortably.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored twice to take his qualifying tally their perfect record in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group E

2010-10-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands maintained their perfect record in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group E with a convincing win against Sweden.

Two goals each from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ibrahim Afellay put the game beyond the visitors to Amsterdam, who did at least manage a consolation through Andreas Granqvist. The Netherlands, who have now won their last 12 qualifying fixtures, are three points ahead of Hungary with Sweden a similar distance further back, holding a game in hand.

Missing the injured Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, the Netherlands started with the same side that won 1-0 in Moldova on Friday and they made their first attack after four minutes count, a combination move that cut through the heart of the Sweden team. Joris Mathijsen's reverse pass was met by a Wesley Sneijder back-heel to Rafael van der Vaart, who sent Huntelaar free to shoot hard and low past Andreas Isaksson.

Straight from the restart, the Netherlands pushed forward again and Sneijder's shot hit the side netting before he then forced Isaksson to save at full stretch. Ola Toivonen had a chance to equalise in the 23rd minute but his chip over the onrushing Maarten Stekelenburg fell just wide of the post.

Dirk Kuyt was forced off with an ankle injury after landing awkwardly just before the half-hour but eight minutes before the break it was 2-0, the Oranje again finding a route through a visiting back line missing the suspended Olof Mellberg. Sneijder intercepted a Sweden throw and his precise pass was finished off by Afellay at full speed, his first international goal in 30 appearances.

Afellay did not have to wait long to double that tally though first, ten minutes into the second half, he turned provider as he tricked Mikael Lustig on the left and crossed for Huntelaar to head in his eighth goal in qualifying. Four minutes later Huntelaar returned the compliment, setting up Afellay to make it four.

Granqvist pulled one back from Sebastian Larsson's free-kick and Stekelenburg saved from Zlatan Ibrahimović and Marcus Berg but victory was secure and the FIFA World Cup finalists will go to Hungary on 25 March knowing another win would put them in sight of qualification.

Belarus ended Albania's unbeaten run with a dominant performance that earned them a valuable victory in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying Group D.

2010-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Belarus ended Albania's unbeaten run with a dominant performance that earned them a valuable victory in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying Group D.

Albania had not been defeated in eight games before their trip to Minsk, including their first three qualifiers, but goals from Vitali Rodionov and Sergei Krivets ensured Belarus put Friday's 0-0 draw in Luxembourg behind them. The result moves Belarus three points ahead of third-placed Albania, with the return fixture scheduled for 26 March next year.

Bernd Stange's home side made a bright start and went ahead within ten minutes. Arjan Beqaj could only parry Aleksandr Kulchiy's powerful shot and that allowed Rodionov to turn in the rebound. Belarus continued to press and went close to doubling their advantage when Igor Shitov's lob rebounded off the crossbar.

The hosts' dominance continued after the break but it was only after Krivets was introduced on 75 minutes that they increased their lead. Within two minutes of arriving on the pitch, the KKS Lech Poznań midfielder headed a Timofei Kalachev cross into the far corner. Albania then ended the game with ten men after Armend Dallku received a second yellow card in the last minute.

France recorded their third consecutive UEFA EURO 2012 win

2010-10-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

France recorded their third consecutive UEFA EURO 2012 win and a second in three days as goals from Karim Benzema and Yoann Gourcuff accounted for ten-man Luxembourg.

Having secured a confidence-boosting victory against Romania at the weekend, Laurent Blanc's team consolidated their position at the top of qualifying Group D with a comfortable triumph over the bottom team. The outcome rarely seemed in doubt from the moment Benzema struck midway through the first half and, after the visitors lost captain René Peters to a red card, Gourcuff made sure of the points on 76 minutes.

Playing in Metz, just 50 kilometres from Luxembourg, Luc Holtz's charges may momentarily have felt like the home side, yet they were quickly pushed on to the back foot by the former world champions. Gaël Clichy and Abou Diaby fired shots off target before Jonathan Joubert pushed a Philippe Mexès strike wide. From the resulting corner, the F91 Dudelange goalkeeper was beaten, Benzema brilliantly controlling Gourcuff's cross at the far post and volleying in left-footed.

Joubert, formerly of Metz, was otherwise impressing on his return to Lorraine. The 31-year-old twice clung on to long-range efforts from Diaby before the break and made a sharp intervention moments after the restart, saving at Guillaume Hoarau's feet as the striker burst through.

There appeared to be a danger of Les Bleus running away with proceedings when Peters was shown a second yellow card in the 54th minute, but Joubert kept his side in touch by pulling off a stunning point-blank stop to deny Gourcuff. Having drawn with Belarus in their previous game, Luxembourg threatened to equalise on 75 minutes, Guy Blaise directing an audacious overhead kick straight at Hugo Lloris.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed seconds later, however, when Gourcuff struck his second goal in the space of three days. The Olympique Lyonnais playmaker collected Dimitri Payet's quickly-taken free-kick and beat Joubert with a low, swerving shot from 20 metres.

Northern Ireland to claim their first point in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying

2010-10-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

The Faroe Islands withstood a prolonged period of pressure from Northern Ireland to claim their first point in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group C.

Having lost their four previous group fixtures, the Faroe Islands were grateful for the agility of 40-year-old goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen before Christian Lamhauge Holst shocked the visitors on the hour. Kyle Lafferty equalised 14 minutes from time but despite a late onslaught, Northern Ireland had to settle for a draw which leaves them on five points from three matches.

Lafferty, one of two changes to the team which held Italy on Friday, drew the first of two impressive saves from Mikkelsen on 18 minutes with a dipping long-range shot. The Faroe Islands' only first-half effort of note came when Símun Samuelsen shot straight at Maik Taylor, after which Jonny Evans went close twice. Gareth McAuley then headed into the side netting as Northern Ireland finished the half in the ascendancy. The visitors were soon forcing the issue after the restart as well, and Steven Davis's measured pass enabled McGinn to round Mikkelsen only to hit the wrong side of the net.

David Healy, on as a substitute, span on the edge of the area and drew another save from Mikkelsen, before Lafferty resumed his private battle with the keeper, who somehow clawed a powerful header away from the top corner. Northern Ireland were punished on the hour when Stephen Craigan's heavy touch allowed Daniel Udsen to steal in and feed Holst, who turned past Aaron Hughes and beat Taylor.

Cue a period of sustained Northern Ireland pressure which paid off 14 minutes from time, Lafferty traversing across the face of the penalty area before his low shot went in off Mikkelsen's left-hand upright. Northern Ireland were unable to force a winner, though, and resume their campaign in Serbia on 25 March while the Faroe Islands do not play again until Slovenia and Estonia visit in June.

UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying match between Italy and Serbia in Genoa was abandoned due to crowd trouble.

2010-10-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

The UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying match between Italy and Serbia in Genoa was abandoned due to crowd trouble.

Only six minutes of play were possible at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, the kick-off of which had been delayed by 35 minutes due to crowd disturbances. It was subsequently decided to abandon the match in order to ensure the safety and security of all parties involved due to the disturbances and flares thrown by the Serbian fans.

UEFA now awaits the receipt of the official UEFA delegate's match report before deciding whether to open a disciplinary case.

Republic of Ireland will head into next year with their UEFA EURO 2012 ambitions very much alive after sharing the Group B

2010-10-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland will head into next year with their UEFA EURO 2012 ambitions very much alive after sharing the Group B spoils.

Sean St Ledger put the visitors in front on 16 minutes though the half went downhill from then on for Giovanni Trapattoni's men. Another defender, Ján Ďurica, equalised following a corner and then Robbie Keane spurned a golden chance to restore the advantage when his spot kick was saved by Ján Mucha on the cusp of half-time.

The sides therefore head into the winter level with Armenia on seven points, two behind Russia – though both had chances to pull level with the leaders. Slovakia had already spurned two presentable openings through Kornel Saláta and Juraj Kucka when St Ledger broke the deadlock, jabbing in after Keith Fahey's free-kick caused problems in the penalty area.

The hosts were rocked, but regained their composure when Aiden McGeady's mistake allowed Radoslav Zabavník to drill in a cross that Eric Jendrišek just failed to convert. Ďurica got more than enough purchase on his header on 36 minutes, however, powering in after Marek Hamšík's corner had been flicked on at the near post by Saláta. Ďurica was only playing because Martin Škrtel was ruled out through suspension.

The sold-out Štadión MŠK Žilina was euphoric, even if they were briefly silenced when Mucha brought down McGeady. The goalkeeper made amends by denying Keane and Slovakia began to sense it was their night. Tomáš Hubočan forced Shay Given into action from distance though, as the hosts pushed forward, Ireland almost punished them on the counter 12 minutes from time only for substitute Darron Gibson's lack of conviction to allow Miroslav Karhan to clear the danger. Karhan himself almost grabbed a winner on a night where he became the first player to reach 100 caps for Slovakia but Given denied him while Tomáš Oravec and Keane both wasted golden opportunities late on as it ended 1-1.

Russia moved to the top of UEFA EURO 2012 Group B

2010-10-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

Aleksandr Kerzhakov scored the only goal in Skopje as Russia moved to the top of UEFA EURO 2012 Group B with a 1-0 win against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Aleksandr Anyukov played his FC Zenit St. Petersburg team-mate in with a ball from the right after eight minutes, and Kerzhakov did the rest, holding off a defender to deliver a brilliant angled shot past Edin Nuredinovski in the FYROM goal. However, Russia had Igor Akinfeev to thank for their third away victory in the section as he saved a second-half penalty.

Kerzhakov's early goal got Dick Advocaat's visitors off to a great start, and the game might have been all over by the 25th minute, but Alan Dzagoev sent his shot wide from a good position. Mirsad Jonuz's side were in mean mood in defence, and – barring a Konstantin Zyryanov shot that went straight to Nuredinovski – gave Russia few other chances.

With the game played at a slow tempo on a heavy pitch, Russia's creative midfield play seemed subdued, and FYROM ground out more opportunities after the break. Filip Despotovski and substitute Stevica Ristic both failed to connect with a teasing Ivan Trickovski cross after 58 minutes, and Ristic then hit the crossbar following a corner.

The home side's big chance arrived with a penalty awarded in the 72nd minute for Sergei Ignashevich's challenge on Ilco Naumoski, but Akinfeev dived low to his left to deny the wronged player from the spot. Suitably chastened, Russia raised their game and penned FYROM back in the latter stages. Nuredinovski came up for a late corner, but his side's opportunity had already passe

Austria remain second in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A

2010-10-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

Martin Harnik's equaliser three minutes into added time ensured Austria remain second in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A after an astonishing match against Belgium in Brussels.

It could have been so much better for the ten-man visitors, who had Paul Scharner dismissed midway through the second half but were nonetheless leading 3-2 until Marvin Ogunjimi struck an 87th-minute equaliser. Having twice been behind, Belgium remarkably looked to have secured victory when Nicolas Lombaerts headed past Jürgen Macho in the final minute of normal time, only for Harnik to restore parity with the eighth goal of the night seconds from the end.

Clearly not dwelling on losing Daniel Van Buyten to injury in the warm-up, Belgium opened the scoring after 11 minutes, Jelle Vossen dispatching Ogunjimi's square ball into the top corner. Franz Schiemer, who had been caught out of position for the opener, made amends soon after, however, by rising highest to head in Zlatko Junuzović's corner.

Belgium continued to retain a degree of control on proceedings but fell behind close to the half-hour when Marko Arnautović played a one-two with Junuzović and struck a powerful shot inside the near post. Macho began the second half by parrying an effort from Axel Witsel, yet he was powerless to prevent Marouane Fellaini nodding in Jan Vertonghen's cross within two minutes of the restart.

It was now an open game yielding chances for both sides and Austria were next to strike, Schiemer forcing the ball in following a scramble inside the area on 62 minutes. Scharner departed six minutes later for violent conduct, yet it was not until the closing stages that Belgium began to make their numerical advantage tell.

In a frantic finale, Ogunjimi restored parity for Belgium, who then found themselves ahead when Lombaerts headed in Eden Hazard's corner. A goal and a man to the good, Belgium seemed destined to build on Friday's 2-0 win in Kazakhstan. Harnik had other ideas, however, and ran on to Julian Baumgartlinger's pass before beating Logan Bailly via a low shot.

Lukas Podolski helped Germany to a fourth successive victory in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A and left Kazakhstan still seeking their first point.

2010-10-12T18:03:00.001-07:00

Second-half goals from Miroslav Klose, Mario Gómez and Lukas Podolski helped Germany to a fourth successive victory in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group A and left Kazakhstan still seeking their first point.

Klose broke the resistance of the well-organised, disciplined home side three minutes after half-time with his sixth goal of what is shaping up to be another prolific campaign. The FC Bayern München striker suffered a thigh injury soon after, however, and was replaced by club-mate Gómez, who doubled the lead before Podolski added a third five minutes from time.

Joachim Löw's visitors – unchanged from Friday's win against Turkey fashioned the first chance after six minutes when Klose's solo run resulted in the ball falling for Podolski, who shot over. Thomas Müller then failed to score from a tight angle and Klose's header cleared the crossbar as Kazakhstan seemed content to concede territory and possession to their opponents.

Toni Kroos's effort which was parried by Andrei Sidelnikov was the best the visitors could muster until shortly before the break when Sami Khedira threatened with two headers, the second of which hit the top of the crossbar. The breakthrough arrived after 48 minutes, however, as Mesut Özil's pass inside from the left found Podolski, who set up Klose for his 58th international goal.

Kazakhstan responded with the lively Heinrich Schmidtgal narrowly missing the top corner, and then forcing Manuel Neuer into his only save of the night with a fierce left-footed drive. Müller then fired over after being set clear by Özil, a miss which almost proved costly when Schmidtgal set up Sergei Khizhnichenko, who failed to connect cleanly when well placed on the penalty spot.

Gómez quelled any hopes Kazakhstan had of claiming a famous result when he finished off Podolski's through ball on 76 minutes. Provider turned scorer late on by surging past several defenders and beating Sidelnikov with a low shot.

John Terry was ruled out with a back injury England have suffered a blow ahead of their Euro 2012 qualifier

2010-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

England have suffered a blow ahead of their Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro after John Terry was ruled out with a back injury.

Terry had been struggling in recent weeks with a rib problem, but now he appears to have picked up a fresh injury whilst with England.

The Football Association has confirmed that Terry has returned to Chelsea for treatment and will not be involved at Wembley on Tuesday.

The news is a huge blow to coach Fabio Capello, who has already lost Phil Jagielka from his original squad.

Gary Cahill was called up to replace Jagielka, and he will now compete with Joleon Lescott to play in central defence alongside Rio Ferdinand as there will be no new call-ups at this time.

Terry is the third player to withdraw from the initial squad after Aaron Lennon also pulled out to be replaced by Stewart Downing.

Rio Ferdinand will captain side for Euro 2012 qualifier

2010-10-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Manchester United centre-back will take over the captaincy from Steven Gerrard, who assumed the role for the World Cup after a knee injury forced Ferdinand out of the competition.
Capello said that the rules of the England captaincy led him to reinstate Ferdinand, despite England's wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland under Gerrard's captaincy.
"I spoke with Steven yesterday evening," Capello said. "I explained Rio will be the captain against Montenegro. He understood everything because he knows the rules - there is one captain and one vice-captain.
"I told Steven he was a fantastic captain. I said 'you have to play tomorrow like a captain. You have to be a leader tomorrow on the pitch.'"
Ferdinand has missed 16 of England's last 22 fixtures thanks to injury, but asked about his fitness Capello said that Ferdinand's recent performances for Manchester United convinced him that the defender was ready to rejoin the national side.
"He is fit completely," Capello said.
"I watched the game he played against Valencia and the other game he played. He played every game better and now he's 100 percent fit."
A spate of injuries has forced Capello to change England's centre-back partnership for five consecutive games. Although Ferdinand has never played alongside Joleon Lescott, who will start against Montenegro, Capello denied that England face an injury crisis in defence.

Joleon Lescott played well against Switzerland. There's no problem for the defenders. I worked with the back four these last two days. I think they'll be OK for tomorrow."
Capello also confirmed that a groin injury incurred today by Darren Bent will prevent the Sunderland striker from making his first full England start. Peter Crouch will instead partner Wayne Rooney up front.

Robert Green are surprise inclusions in England's squad to face after missing the FIFA World Cup through injury

2010-10-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Fabio Capello has welcomed back Rio Ferdinand and Robert Green while calling up uncapped Bolton Wanderers FC forward Kevin Davies as England look to continue their perfect start in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group G at home to Montenegro on 12 October.

Manchester United FC centre-back Ferdinand returns for the first time since injuring knee ligaments ahead of the FIFA World Cup and could resume his partnership with John Terry who also missed England's first two qualifiers, victories against Bulgaria and Switzerland, because of injury. Davies is the one uncapped player in the squad, the powerful centre-forward getting his chance to impress at the age of 33, in part because of injuries to Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora.

West Ham United FC goalkeeper Green is rewarded for his recent good form in the Premier League. The 30-year-old is recalled for the first time since the World Cup, after being dropped as first-choice goalkeeper following England's first game in South Africa, a 1-1 draw with the United States.

Also back in the squad are Aston Villa FC full-back Stephen Warnock, who made his one and only international appearance on 1 June 2008 and Liverpool FC midfielder Joe Cole. Another to be called up is Arsenal FC prospect Jack Wilshere, 18, who is also included in England's Under-21 squad for their 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off against Romania.

Peter Crouch returns after a back problem and is joined by Tottenham Hotspur FC team-mates Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon. Forward Wayne Rooney is named despite missing Manchester United's past two matches with an ankle injury. England are level at the top of the section with Montenegro who also have six points from their opening two games.

Netherlands plays Sweden on Tuesday in a Euro 2012 qualifier between the remaining sides with perfect records in Group E.

2010-10-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

An Injury-depleted Netherlands plays Sweden on Tuesday in a European Championship qualifier between the remaining sides with perfect records in Group E.The match in Amsterdam will be a homecoming of sorts for Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played for Ajax before moving to Italy, Spain and back to Italy.The Netherlands knows that controlling the tall striker, who has already scored five goals in seven matches for AC Milan this season, will be key to making it four wins in as many qualifiers.Centre back John Heitinga, who played with Ibrahimovic at Ajax, said defenders must be "strong, but also smart" to keep him at bay and preventing Sweden making it three wins out of three."Zlatan is a big, strong striker, but also an athletic and skilful striker," he said. "He's no longer the Zlatan I played with at Ajax, he has developed his game in Italy and can now be decisive for teams."The Netherlands, meanwhile, boasts its own decisive striker in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is the top scorer so far in Euro 2012 qualification with six goals from three games.Huntelaar moved to Schalke this season and is playing regularly after frustrating spells at Real Madrid and AC Milan where he spent most of his time on the bench.He now has 22 goals in 39 internationals, just two short of Marco van Basten's tally of 24. Patrick Kluivert is the all-time top Dutch scorer with 40 goals."I'm feeling good," Huntelaar said. "I'm playing the full 90 minutes and that boosts your confidence."Huntelaar has been coach Bert van Marwijk's first-choice striker since Arsenal forward Robin van Persie injured his left ankle early in the season. Van Perise was the starting striker during the Netherlands' run to the World Cup final, even though he struggled to find his scoring touch in South Africa.Van Persie and Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben lead a list of six injured players for the Netherlands. Defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong also is out of the team, dropped by Van Marwijk a week ago after his tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa broke the Newcastle winger's left leg in two places.Captain Mark van Bommel missed training Sunday with a sore knee, but was expected to be fit to lead his team Tuesday.Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart slotted into De Jong's spot in midfield on Friday night in the Netherlands' 1-0 win in Moldova and provided the pass for Huntelaar to score the game's only goal."It's very important that we beat Sweden," Huntelaar said. "It won't be easy at all because in Ibrahimovic, they have someone who can decide matches."Sweden winger Emir Bajrami will miss the match after injuring his foot during FC Twente's Champions League game at Tottenham two weeks ago.Andreas Granqvist is likely to take Olof Mellberg's place in the Swedish defence. Mellberg will be suspended following his red card in Sweden's 6-0 win against San Marino.

Scotland men who wear skirt Banned from playing back pipe in Euro 2012 qualifier

2010-10-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

Scot fans were warned they would not be let into the crunch Euro 2012 qualifier with the instruments.

It meant our team played without the backing of the pipes for the first time ever. The SFA announced the ban in leaflets handed out before supporters travelled to the Synot Tip Arena for the game gainst the Czech Republic which Scotland lost 1-0.

Caledonian Brewery Pipe Band member Craig Steven, 41, of Edinburgh, said: "I've been to 70 Scotland games and this is the first time bagpipes have been banned. The SFA told us they were baffled."

Pal Alasdair Laurie, 36, said: "It's shocking - we've been bounced by the Czechs."

Drummer Craig Shepherd, 39, of Edinburgh, added: "It's not as if it's the vuvuzela."

Bob Bell, 24, of Thurso, Caithness, said: "It's crazy. I've never heard of anyone being killed by bagpipes."