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Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. 
 
Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. 
 
After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. 
 
A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. 
 
&ldquo;It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way,&quot; said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. 
 
Pundits were quick to rank England&#39;s defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. 
 
It also fails to take into account England&#39;s miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. 
 
Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. 
 
&quot;Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,&quot; Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. 
 
&quot;They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them,&quot; he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. 
 
Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions 
 
 
Short lead 
It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham&#39;s outfield record. 
 
The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. 
 
If England&#39;s defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. 
 
England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. 
 
England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team&#39;s passing was awful and their movement sluggish. 
 
Harry Kane, the Premier League&#39;s leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. 
 
The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. 
 
They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. 
 
&quot;Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely,&quot; said Ragnar Sigurdsson. 
 
&quot;This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don&rsquo;t know how big it is, but it&rsquo;s damn big.&quot; 
 
In contrast England&#39;s players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of &quot;You&#39;re not fit to wear the shirt.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Hodgson quits, Iceland will go on to play hosts France in the quarter-final

Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. “It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way," said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. Pundits were quick to rank England's defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. It also fails to take into account England's miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. "Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. "They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them," he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions Short lead It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham's outfield record. The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. If England's defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team's passing was awful and their movement sluggish. Harry Kane, the Premier League's leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. "Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely," said Ragnar Sigurdsson. "This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s damn big." In contrast England's players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of "You're not fit to wear the shirt." (Reuters)

England exit another Euro after they lose 2-1 to Iceland

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. 
 
British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. 
 
&ldquo;I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho,&quot; Pogba said in a statement on United&#39;s official wesbite (www.manutd.com). 
 
&quot;I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. 
 
&quot;I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can&rsquo;t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.&rdquo; 
 
Pogba is the latest of Mourinho&#39;s new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. 
 
&quot;Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future,&quot; added Mourinho. 
 
&quot;He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. 
 
&quot;At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond.&quot; 
 
Great footballer 
 
The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. 
 
&quot;Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. 
 
Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre&#39;s youth system before moving to United&#39;s academy in 2009. 
 
He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France&#39;s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. 
 
Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. 
 
The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. &quot;Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I&#39;d made my decision to leave,&quot; Pogba has said. 
 
He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club&#39;s world record investment in the Frenchman. 
 
United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. 
 
(Reuters)

According to British media, Manchester United splashed out a record fee of 89 million pounds on Paul Pogba

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. “I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho," Pogba said in a statement on United's official wesbite (www.manutd.com). "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. "I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can’t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.” Pogba is the latest of Mourinho's new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. "Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future," added Mourinho. "He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. "At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond." Great footballer The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. "Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best," Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre's youth system before moving to United's academy in 2009. He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France's Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. "Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I'd made my decision to leave," Pogba has said. He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club's world record investment in the Frenchman. United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. (Reuters)

Pogba joins United from Juventus for world record fee

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. 
 
After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. 
 
They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. 
 
Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. 
 
Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe&#39;s premier club competition for 20 years. 
 
Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. 
 
Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday&#39;s group-stage draw. 
 
Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday&#39;s game would unfold. 
 
Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio&#39;s cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. 
 
Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. 
 
Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue&#39;s gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto&#39;s second into an empty net. 
 
Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. 
 
Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. 
 
The Irish side were given further hope when Legia&#39;s Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. 
 
(Reuters)

Roma suffered another European humiliation when they had two players sent off

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe's premier club competition for 20 years. Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday's group-stage draw. Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday's game would unfold. Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio's cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue's gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto's second into an empty net. Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. The Irish side were given further hope when Legia's Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. (Reuters)

Champions League: Roma loses 0-3 to Porto, miss group stage

Antoine Griezmann&#39;s double for France in Thursday&#39;s 2-0 semi-final win over Germany at Euro 2016 broke die Mannschaft&#39;s 50-year winning streak against host nations at major tournaments. 
 
The French victory in Marseille was the first time Germany had lost to the hosts at a major finals since their famous 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. 
 
Germany had enjoyed half a century of ending host nations&#39; involvement in their own tournament until their defeat at the Stade Velodrome. 
 
Germany knocked Brazil out of the 2014 World Cup in emphatic style with a 7-1 thrashing in the semi-finals. 
 
And six years before that, Germany beat co-hosts Austria 1-0 in the group stages of Euro 2008 to end their opponents&#39; chances of reaching the knockout stages. 
 
Previous to that, the Germans dumped out South Korea after the co-hosts&#39; surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. 
 
It was also Germany who dashed England&#39;s dreams at Wembley in the semi-finals of Euro &#39;96 - the last time Germany won the European Championship - in a nail-biting penalty shootout. 
 
At the 1992 European Championship in Sweden, the home nation was beaten 3-2 by the Germans in the semi-finals before Denmark pulled off a shock 2-0 win in the final. 
 
At the 1982 World Cup, a 2-1 win by Germany against hosts Spain in the second round ended the Spaniards&#39; hopes of progressing. 
 
Likewise, Mexico&rsquo;s party at the 1986 World Cup was over in the quarter-finals on penalties as Germany went on to lose the final to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. 
 
At the European Championship in 1972, Germany beat Belgium 2-1 in the Antwerp semi-final, following that up four years later with a 4-2 extra-time victory against Yugoslavia in Belgrade in the last four of the 1976 tournament. 
 
(AFP)

This is the first time Germany has lost to the hosts at a major finals since their 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup at Wembley

Antoine Griezmann's double for France in Thursday's 2-0 semi-final win over Germany at Euro 2016 broke die Mannschaft's 50-year winning streak against host nations at major tournaments. The French victory in Marseille was the first time Germany had lost to the hosts at a major finals since their famous 4-2 defeat to England in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. Germany had enjoyed half a century of ending host nations' involvement in their own tournament until their defeat at the Stade Velodrome. Germany knocked Brazil out of the 2014 World Cup in emphatic style with a 7-1 thrashing in the semi-finals. And six years before that, Germany beat co-hosts Austria 1-0 in the group stages of Euro 2008 to end their opponents' chances of reaching the knockout stages. Previous to that, the Germans dumped out South Korea after the co-hosts' surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. It was also Germany who dashed England's dreams at Wembley in the semi-finals of Euro '96 - the last time Germany won the European Championship - in a nail-biting penalty shootout. At the 1992 European Championship in Sweden, the home nation was beaten 3-2 by the Germans in the semi-finals before Denmark pulled off a shock 2-0 win in the final. At the 1982 World Cup, a 2-1 win by Germany against hosts Spain in the second round ended the Spaniards' hopes of progressing. Likewise, Mexico’s party at the 1986 World Cup was over in the quarter-finals on penalties as Germany went on to lose the final to a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. At the European Championship in 1972, Germany beat Belgium 2-1 in the Antwerp semi-final, following that up four years later with a 4-2 extra-time victory against Yugoslavia in Belgrade in the last four of the 1976 tournament. (AFP)

France break Germany's 50-year trend of beating host teams

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar said he plans to seek re-election to his country&#39;s governing body later this year if he fails in a bid to become UEFA president. 
 
Villar has been acting head of the European soccer federation since October 2015, when Michel Platini was suspended from all football-related activities for six years, later reduced to four, for ethics violations. 
 
Last week the Spaniard announced his intention to stand in the UEFA elections on September 14 to replace Platini. Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag will also contest the presidency. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m standing for UEFA president because the majority of the European federations have asked me to,&quot; Villar, who has been president of the RFEF since 1988, said today following a meeting with referees.&nbsp;&quot;If I don&#39;t win or I pull out, which I don&#39;t believe will happen, I will stand for re-election of the RFEF.&quot; 
 
RFEF general secretary Jorge Perez is among other candidates for the Spanish vote, which is expected to take place after the UEFA election. 
 
Villar, also a FIFA vice-president, was fined 25,000 Swiss francs by FIFA&#39;s Ethics Committee in 2015 for failing to cooperate with their investigation into the contests to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. 
 
Villar said he was confident of winning the UEFA election. &quot;I have taken this step (to run) because I have sufficient support to win,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag to also contest UEFA presidency

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar said he plans to seek re-election to his country's governing body later this year if he fails in a bid to become UEFA president. Villar has been acting head of the European soccer federation since October 2015, when Michel Platini was suspended from all football-related activities for six years, later reduced to four, for ethics violations. Last week the Spaniard announced his intention to stand in the UEFA elections on September 14 to replace Platini. Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag will also contest the presidency. "I'm standing for UEFA president because the majority of the European federations have asked me to," Villar, who has been president of the RFEF since 1988, said today following a meeting with referees. "If I don't win or I pull out, which I don't believe will happen, I will stand for re-election of the RFEF." RFEF general secretary Jorge Perez is among other candidates for the Spanish vote, which is expected to take place after the UEFA election. Villar, also a FIFA vice-president, was fined 25,000 Swiss francs by FIFA's Ethics Committee in 2015 for failing to cooperate with their investigation into the contests to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Villar said he was confident of winning the UEFA election. "I have taken this step (to run) because I have sufficient support to win," he said. (Reuters)

Spanish football federation chief Villar to seek re-election if UEFA bid fails

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. 
 
Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season&#39;s beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. 
 
Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. 
 
&quot;This was a very serious, professional display from our side,&quot; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. 
 
&quot;There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that&#39;s important. Some only got minutes in pre-season.&quot; 
 
Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. 
 
Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton&#39;s Pirelli Stadium. 
 
Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors&#39; second goal. 
 
A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner&#39;s cross and slamming home from Mane&#39;s pass. 
 
At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic&#39;s cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. 
 
Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek&#39;s cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte&#39;s men on their toes until the final whistle. 
 
Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. 
 
Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. 
 
(AFP)

Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season's beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. "This was a very serious, professional display from our side," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that's important. Some only got minutes in pre-season." Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton's Pirelli Stadium. Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors' second goal. A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner's cross and slamming home from Mane's pass. At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic's cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte's men on their toes until the final whistle. Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. (AFP)

Liverpool cruise, Chelsea squeeze in League Cup

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has become the&nbsp;world&#39;s&nbsp;third most expensive player after the 28-year-old signed a five-year deal at Juventus Football Club, and moved to Napoli, an Italian Champions club,&nbsp;for $99 million.&nbsp;

&quot;Juventus can confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain for &euro;90 million, payable in two financial years,&quot; said a statement on the Juventus website.&nbsp; 
 
Higuain&#39;s transfer fee is the third highest paid, after Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for 100 million euros in 2013,&nbsp;and Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Spaniards from Manchester United for 94 million euros in 2009. 
 
Higuain&#39;s move could create a ripple effect in the market amid speculation that Paul Pogma may be on his way out to Manchester United from Juventus.&nbsp;The 23-year-old Pogba left United on a free transfer in 2012, but is likely to make&nbsp;the move back to the Premier League this summer. 
 
Higuain won the Capocannoniere - Serie A&#39;s golden boot - last season after scoring a league record-equalling 36 goals as Napoli finished runners-up to his new club. 
 
The news that he was poised to join Juventus caused anguish among Napoli fans, who gathered in Naples city centre on Saturday to tear up pictures of the Argentine and set fire to replicas of his number nine shirt.

The former Napoli player has become the third most expensive player after Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has become the world's third most expensive player after the 28-year-old signed a five-year deal at Juventus Football Club, and moved to Napoli, an Italian Champions club, for $99 million. "Juventus can confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain for €90 million, payable in two financial years," said a statement on the Juventus website. Higuain's transfer fee is the third highest paid, after Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for 100 million euros in 2013, and Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Spaniards from Manchester United for 94 million euros in 2009. Higuain's move could create a ripple effect in the market amid speculation that Paul Pogma may be on his way out to Manchester United from Juventus. The 23-year-old Pogba left United on a free transfer in 2012, but is likely to make the move back to the Premier League this summer. Higuain won the Capocannoniere - Serie A's golden boot - last season after scoring a league record-equalling 36 goals as Napoli finished runners-up to his new club. The news that he was poised to join Juventus caused anguish among Napoli fans, who gathered in Naples city centre on Saturday to tear up pictures of the Argentine and set fire to replicas of his number nine shirt.

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain joins Juventus for $99 million

Erik Lamela&#39;s second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur and denied new Everton manager Ronald Koeman a winning start at Goodison Park today. 
 
Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley&#39;s early goal. 
 
Everton had the better of the first half but Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side came back well after the interval and Argentine midfielder Lamela ensured their pressure paid off. 
 
Only two fine saves late on from debutant Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg denied Spurs an opening day victory as the north Londoners look to emulate last season&#39;s title challenge. 
 
Everton went ahead in just the fifth minute. 
 
Tottenham&#39;s Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama, signed from Southampton in the close-season, was penalised as he tripped Kevin Mirallas to halt the Belgian&#39;s progress towards goal. 
 
Barkley delivered a free-kick that eluded everyone, including Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, who delayed his dive anticipating a touch from an Everton head and watched the ball nestle inside his left-hand post. 
 
The goal brought the game to life and Everton might have doubled their lead when makeshift centre forward Gerard Deulofeu skipped past two challenges but saw his shot from the edge of the Spurs box held low down by Lloris. 
 
Everton went close again on 15 minutes when Barkley lofted a free-kick into the penalty area and a looping header by Phil Jagielka forced a scrambling Lloris to push the ball over his crossbar. 
 
The hosts continued to dominate and threatened once more when Deulofeu linked up neatly with Mirallas on 21 minutes but Lloris made a comfortable save at his near post. 
 
Crucial interventions 
 
Stekelenburg had been a spectator early on but the Dutchman displayed solid handling on 28 minutes to hold a Christian Eriksen shot after a rare moment of promise from the visitors. 
 
And there was a further blow for Tottenham 10 minutes before half-time when captain Lloris was forced off by a hamstring injury and replaced by Michel Vorm. 
 
Tottenham began to escape their half more frequently as half-time approached, but they were unable to force Stekelenburg into action. 
 
The hosts ought to have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage-time, when Deulofeu seized on a poor backpass from Danny Rose and raced clear of Jan Vertonghen, but was denied by a smart save from Vorm. 
 
Everton started the second half on the front foot and Tottenham&#39;s Eric Dier had to make two crucial interventions, first to block Deulofeu&#39;s path to goal with a sliding tackle and then to head the resulting corner over his own crossbar. 
 
Pochettino introduced pre-season signing Vincent Janssen to the fray 13 minutes into the second half and the striker created an opening immediately when he drifted out wide, collected possession and crossed for Dele Alli. 
 
But the England midfielder curled a shot well wide from the edge of the area. 
 
There was no stopping Spurs just before the hour-mark, however, as Kyle Walker found room on the right and Lamela got the better of Everton debutant Mason Holgate to head past a helpless Stekelenburg. 
 
That goal rocked Everton, who were forced back for a spell, but they caused a moment of concern for Tottenham when the impressive Idrissa Gueye exchanged passes with substitute Arouna Kone but had his progress halted by Toby Alderweireld. 
 
However, with 10 minutes remaining Everton needed a superb save from Stekelenburg to prevent the visitors taking the lead. 
 
A shot from Rose was blocked by James McCarthy but fell for Janssen, whose crisp strike was clawed away one-handed by his fellow Dutchman at full stretch. 
 
And the keeper made another fine stop moments later to divert a Lamela shot over the crossbar after it deflected off Holgate. 
 
(AFP)

Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley's early goal

Erik Lamela's second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur and denied new Everton manager Ronald Koeman a winning start at Goodison Park today. Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley's early goal. Everton had the better of the first half but Mauricio Pochettino's side came back well after the interval and Argentine midfielder Lamela ensured their pressure paid off. Only two fine saves late on from debutant Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg denied Spurs an opening day victory as the north Londoners look to emulate last season's title challenge. Everton went ahead in just the fifth minute. Tottenham's Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama, signed from Southampton in the close-season, was penalised as he tripped Kevin Mirallas to halt the Belgian's progress towards goal. Barkley delivered a free-kick that eluded everyone, including Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, who delayed his dive anticipating a touch from an Everton head and watched the ball nestle inside his left-hand post. The goal brought the game to life and Everton might have doubled their lead when makeshift centre forward Gerard Deulofeu skipped past two challenges but saw his shot from the edge of the Spurs box held low down by Lloris. Everton went close again on 15 minutes when Barkley lofted a free-kick into the penalty area and a looping header by Phil Jagielka forced a scrambling Lloris to push the ball over his crossbar. The hosts continued to dominate and threatened once more when Deulofeu linked up neatly with Mirallas on 21 minutes but Lloris made a comfortable save at his near post. Crucial interventions Stekelenburg had been a spectator early on but the Dutchman displayed solid handling on 28 minutes to hold a Christian Eriksen shot after a rare moment of promise from the visitors. And there was a further blow for Tottenham 10 minutes before half-time when captain Lloris was forced off by a hamstring injury and replaced by Michel Vorm. Tottenham began to escape their half more frequently as half-time approached, but they were unable to force Stekelenburg into action. The hosts ought to have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage-time, when Deulofeu seized on a poor backpass from Danny Rose and raced clear of Jan Vertonghen, but was denied by a smart save from Vorm. Everton started the second half on the front foot and Tottenham's Eric Dier had to make two crucial interventions, first to block Deulofeu's path to goal with a sliding tackle and then to head the resulting corner over his own crossbar. Pochettino introduced pre-season signing Vincent Janssen to the fray 13 minutes into the second half and the striker created an opening immediately when he drifted out wide, collected possession and crossed for Dele Alli. But the England midfielder curled a shot well wide from the edge of the area. There was no stopping Spurs just before the hour-mark, however, as Kyle Walker found room on the right and Lamela got the better of Everton debutant Mason Holgate to head past a helpless Stekelenburg. That goal rocked Everton, who were forced back for a spell, but they caused a moment of concern for Tottenham when the impressive Idrissa Gueye exchanged passes with substitute Arouna Kone but had his progress halted by Toby Alderweireld. However, with 10 minutes remaining Everton needed a superb save from Stekelenburg to prevent the visitors taking the lead. A shot from Rose was blocked by James McCarthy but fell for Janssen, whose crisp strike was clawed away one-handed by his fellow Dutchman at full stretch. And the keeper made another fine stop moments later to divert a Lamela shot over the crossbar after it deflected off Holgate. (AFP)

Premier League: Spurs hold Everton to 1-1 draw

Germany winger Leroy Sane has signed a five-year deal for Manchester City, both the Premier League side and his now former Bundesliga club Schalke 04 confirmed Tuesday. 
 
City tweeted a picture of the 20-year-old Sane signing a contract, which is reportedly worth $37 million plus add-ons, after he completed the medical examination in Manchester on Monday. 
 
&quot;One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress,&quot; said Sane on the Man City website. 
 
&quot;I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career.&quot; If the figure is confirmed, it will make Sane the most expensive German signing of all time. &quot;We have given the green light for the transfer.&nbsp;Those in charge of Manchester City behaved professionally at all times. There were difficult, but fair discussions,&quot; said Schalke&#39;s director of sport Christian Heidel. 
 
Sane is a rising star in the Germany squad and has already posed for pictures with City fans in Manchester. 
 
The reported transfer figure seems astronomical given that Sane has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 11 goals and creating seven more, since his debut in Germany&#39;s top flight in April 2014. 
 
The fleet-footed forward made the last of his four international appearances for the world champions as a late replacement in last month&#39;s 2-0 defeat to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals. 
 
Sane, who scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season, was missing when Schalke flew to their pre-season training camp in Austria on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

The $37 million figure seems astronomical given that he has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances since his debut with Germany in 2014

Germany winger Leroy Sane has signed a five-year deal for Manchester City, both the Premier League side and his now former Bundesliga club Schalke 04 confirmed Tuesday. City tweeted a picture of the 20-year-old Sane signing a contract, which is reportedly worth $37 million plus add-ons, after he completed the medical examination in Manchester on Monday. "One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress," said Sane on the Man City website. "I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career." If the figure is confirmed, it will make Sane the most expensive German signing of all time. "We have given the green light for the transfer. Those in charge of Manchester City behaved professionally at all times. There were difficult, but fair discussions," said Schalke's director of sport Christian Heidel. Sane is a rising star in the Germany squad and has already posed for pictures with City fans in Manchester. The reported transfer figure seems astronomical given that Sane has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 11 goals and creating seven more, since his debut in Germany's top flight in April 2014. The fleet-footed forward made the last of his four international appearances for the world champions as a late replacement in last month's 2-0 defeat to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Sane, who scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season, was missing when Schalke flew to their pre-season training camp in Austria on Monday. (AFP)

Leroy Sane leaves Schalke to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City

FIFA today named Tomaz Vesel, head of the Slovenian government&#39;s main auditing body, to lead world football&#39;s anti-corruption watchdog. 
 
FIFA leader Gianni Infantino said Vesel&#39;s appointment was an important move in the body&#39;s bid to &quot;restore trust&quot; after a series of football corruption scandals. 
 
The former head of FIFA&#39;s independent audit committee, Domenico Scala, quit in May in protest at what he called attacks on reforms by its new leadership. 
 
Vesel has been president of Slovenia&#39;s Court of Auditors, supervising state accounts, since 2013. He has also been an advisor for the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 
 
Football&#39;s governing body remains under investigation by Swiss authorities while a number of former top officials face trials in the United States over more than $200 million in bribes paid for marketing and television contracts. 
 
Longtime FIFA leader Sepp Blatter is serving a six year suspension over a suspect two million dollar payment to former vice president Michel Platini who is also suspended. 
 
Infantino took charge of FIFA in February vowing a new era of trust and transparency but has faced a challenging time since with acting general secretary Markus Kattner suspended over millions of dollars of suspicious payments made to himself. 
 
&quot;The appointment of Mr Vesel as independent chairman of FIFA&#39;s audit and compliance committee is an important development in the ongoing effort to strengthen FIFA&#39;s governance and compliance systems,&quot; said Infantino. 
 
&quot;This is a vital role within the organization and Mr Vesel&#39;s audit expertise and international experience will help reassure stakeholders and restore trust in FIFA.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The former head of FIFA's independent audit committee, Domenico Scala, quit in May in protest at what he called attacks on reforms by its new leadership

FIFA today named Tomaz Vesel, head of the Slovenian government's main auditing body, to lead world football's anti-corruption watchdog. FIFA leader Gianni Infantino said Vesel's appointment was an important move in the body's bid to "restore trust" after a series of football corruption scandals. The former head of FIFA's independent audit committee, Domenico Scala, quit in May in protest at what he called attacks on reforms by its new leadership. Vesel has been president of Slovenia's Court of Auditors, supervising state accounts, since 2013. He has also been an advisor for the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Football's governing body remains under investigation by Swiss authorities while a number of former top officials face trials in the United States over more than $200 million in bribes paid for marketing and television contracts. Longtime FIFA leader Sepp Blatter is serving a six year suspension over a suspect two million dollar payment to former vice president Michel Platini who is also suspended. Infantino took charge of FIFA in February vowing a new era of trust and transparency but has faced a challenging time since with acting general secretary Markus Kattner suspended over millions of dollars of suspicious payments made to himself. "The appointment of Mr Vesel as independent chairman of FIFA's audit and compliance committee is an important development in the ongoing effort to strengthen FIFA's governance and compliance systems," said Infantino. "This is a vital role within the organization and Mr Vesel's audit expertise and international experience will help reassure stakeholders and restore trust in FIFA." (AFP)

Slovenian Vesel takes charge of FIFA corruption watchdog

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. 
 
The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. 
 
The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. 
 
&quot;I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It&#39;s not just the new signings, we&#39;ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact,&quot; Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. 
 
Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester,&quot; Rooney added. &quot;I know it&#39;s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that&#39;s an important event for us.&quot; 
 
United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. 
 
(Reuters)

The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Henrikh Mkhityaran, and defender Eric Bailly

Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top-flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League. The 20-times English title winners have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, midfielder Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Eric Bailly and according to local media reports, have been negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Paul Pogba. "I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It's not just the new signings, we've got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact," Rooney told the Daily Mail in an interview. Rooney, who will line up against boyhood club Everton in his testimonial at Old Trafford on Wednesday, also hopes United can secure the annual Community Shield against English champions Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday. "We're in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester," Rooney added. "I know it's a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on. We feel that's an important event for us." United, who thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly on Saturday, open their league campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. (Reuters)

Rooney expects rejuvenated ManU to challenge for Premier League title

Real Madrid have no intention of making a quick profit on striker Alvaro Morata after the Champions League winners opted to take him back to the Bernabeu from Juventus last month, the Spanish side&#39;s manager Zinedine Zidane has said. 
 
Real sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract, which they exercised in July after the forward scored 27 goals in 93 games in Italy and three for Spain during the European Championship. 
 
Media reports in Spain and Britain suggested that Real would cash-in on the 23-year-old by selling him immediately, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be vying for his signature, but Zidane insisted Morata was part of his plans. 
 
&quot;Yes, Morata is a Real Madrid player,&quot; he told reporters in Michigan following his team&#39;s 3-2 win over Chelsea in the International Champions Cup at the weekend. &quot;We&#39;re delighted to have him back, back to his original home. He&#39;s going to remain a Real Madrid player.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Real Madrid had sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract

Real Madrid have no intention of making a quick profit on striker Alvaro Morata after the Champions League winners opted to take him back to the Bernabeu from Juventus last month, the Spanish side's manager Zinedine Zidane has said. Real sold Morata to Juventus two seasons ago but included a buy-back clause in his contract, which they exercised in July after the forward scored 27 goals in 93 games in Italy and three for Spain during the European Championship. Media reports in Spain and Britain suggested that Real would cash-in on the 23-year-old by selling him immediately, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be vying for his signature, but Zidane insisted Morata was part of his plans. "Yes, Morata is a Real Madrid player," he told reporters in Michigan following his team's 3-2 win over Chelsea in the International Champions Cup at the weekend. "We're delighted to have him back, back to his original home. He's going to remain a Real Madrid player." (Reuters)

Zidane insists Alvaro Morata is staying with Real Madrid

The United States survived a late onslaught to beat Ecuador 2-1 and advance to the semi-finals of the Copa America for the first time since 1995 after a pulsating and sometime fractious match in Seattle on Thursday. 
 
Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes scored for the US either side of half time and Michael Arroyo got one back for Ecuador in a game that saw one player from each side sent off and the Ecuador coach banished to the stands. 
 
Ecuador came into the game more after Antonio Valencia and Jermaine Jones were shown red cards in the 51st minute but the hosts prevailed to set up a semi-final against either Argentina or Venezuela in Houston next Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve come so far now and now we get even hungrier for the next step,&quot; said US coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 
 
&quot;The team performance was outstanding. They were helping each other all over the field.&quot; 
 
Dempsey, a striker who plays for local club Seattle Sounders, got the opener for the US after 21 minutes when he rose to head home a deft cross from Jones. 
 
He almost got a second four minutes later but his angled-drive was well saved and Alejandro Bedoya should have done better when Dempsey&#39;s pass left him with a shot on goal that Alexander Dominguez got down well to smother. 
 
At the other end, Brad Guzan did well to turn an Enner Valencia shot round the post as he honed in on goal. 
 
Then came the dismissals with Antonio Valencia sent off for a second yellow after hacking down Bedoya and his fellow midfielder Jones harshly shown a straight red for raising his hand in the ensuing scuffle. 
 
Zardes doubled the home side&#39;s lead when he poked home from inches out after Dempsey had beaten the goalie but the goal roused Ecuador and they took control of the game. 
 
Enner Valencia should have scored at least twice from close range headers but it was Arroyo who cut the lead after 73 minutes when he found the net with a low drive from the edge of the box after the defence had given him too much space. 
 
The South Americans threw everything at the hosts in the final quarter but they could not find a second goal and the U.S. advanced to the last four. 
(Reuters)

Both sides had one player sent off. The US will play either Argentina or Venezuela on Tuesday

The United States survived a late onslaught to beat Ecuador 2-1 and advance to the semi-finals of the Copa America for the first time since 1995 after a pulsating and sometime fractious match in Seattle on Thursday. Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes scored for the US either side of half time and Michael Arroyo got one back for Ecuador in a game that saw one player from each side sent off and the Ecuador coach banished to the stands. Ecuador came into the game more after Antonio Valencia and Jermaine Jones were shown red cards in the 51st minute but the hosts prevailed to set up a semi-final against either Argentina or Venezuela in Houston next Tuesday. "We've come so far now and now we get even hungrier for the next step," said US coach Jurgen Klinsmann. "The team performance was outstanding. They were helping each other all over the field." Dempsey, a striker who plays for local club Seattle Sounders, got the opener for the US after 21 minutes when he rose to head home a deft cross from Jones. He almost got a second four minutes later but his angled-drive was well saved and Alejandro Bedoya should have done better when Dempsey's pass left him with a shot on goal that Alexander Dominguez got down well to smother. At the other end, Brad Guzan did well to turn an Enner Valencia shot round the post as he honed in on goal. Then came the dismissals with Antonio Valencia sent off for a second yellow after hacking down Bedoya and his fellow midfielder Jones harshly shown a straight red for raising his hand in the ensuing scuffle. Zardes doubled the home side's lead when he poked home from inches out after Dempsey had beaten the goalie but the goal roused Ecuador and they took control of the game. Enner Valencia should have scored at least twice from close range headers but it was Arroyo who cut the lead after 73 minutes when he found the net with a low drive from the edge of the box after the defence had given him too much space. The South Americans threw everything at the hosts in the final quarter but they could not find a second goal and the U.S. advanced to the last four. (Reuters)

After scrappy game and beating Ecuador 2-1, America advance to Copa semis

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. 
 
&quot;The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him,&quot; a PSNI statement said. 
 
The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. 
 
The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; by the news of the latest death. 
 
&quot;The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective,&quot; said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. 
 
&quot;The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time.&quot; 
 
The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country&#39;s first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. 
 
The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers&#39; memory during the 24th minute of Thursday&#39;s match. 
 
Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday&#39;s opening. 
 
Northern Ireland coach Michael O&#39;Neill had said Rodgers&#39; death put his side&#39;s 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. 
(Reuters)

This is the second death of a supporter from the country. The first died after he scaled a seafront railing and fell on his head

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. "The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him," a PSNI statement said. The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" by the news of the latest death. "The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective," said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. "The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time." The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country's first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers' memory during the 24th minute of Thursday's match. Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday's opening. Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill had said Rodgers' death put his side's 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. (Reuters)

Northern Ireland's win over Ukraine marred by fan's death

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday&#39;s final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. 
 
Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. 
 
The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. 
 
&quot;We played well but Chile are a very strong side,&quot; Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. 
 
&quot;We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don&#39;t work out like you want.&quot; 
 
The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year&#39;s final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. 
 
The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. 
 
Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. 
 
Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. 
 
With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. 
 
Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. 
 
Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. 
 
However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. 
 
Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. 
 
Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. 
 
The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. 
 
Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. 
 
(Reuters)

Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. "We played well but Chile are a very strong side," Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. "We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don't work out like you want." The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year's final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. (Reuters)

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. 
 
&quot;UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control,&quot; said UEFA, European soccer&#39;s governing body,in their statement. 
 
It made no reference to any action it might take. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. 
 
England&#39;s match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. 
 
One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. 
 
&quot;This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What&#39;s happening is the police are trying to enclose people,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It&#39;s not hooliganism at all, it&#39;s just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that&#39;s it.&quot; 
 
Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. 
 
Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. 
 
France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday&#39;s games. 
 
Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. 
(Reuters)

After violence in Marseille, UEFA warned English fans that repetition of hooliganism can disqualify England from the event

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. "UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control," said UEFA, European soccer's governing body,in their statement. It made no reference to any action it might take. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. England's match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. "This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What's happening is the police are trying to enclose people," he told Reuters. "It's not hooliganism at all, it's just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that's it." Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday's games. Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. (Reuters)

UEFA "regrets" overnight soccer violence ahead of England-Wales match

The German company Goal Control has questioned UEFA&#39;s decision to award the goal-line technology contract for the Euro 2016 soccer championships to Hawk-Eye, a Sony subsidiary, citing it as a breach of antitrust regulations. 
 
&quot;The awarding (of the contract) to Sony Hawk-Eye for Euro 2016 and other European club tournaments, i.e. Champions League and Europa League mean that in most stadiums of the major leagues in Europe the system Sony Hawk-Eye can be found. That means that they monopolise the market,&quot; the lawyer for the German company Goal Control, Wolfgang Kau, told Reuters on Tuesday. 
 
Ligue 1 chose the Goal Control system back in 2015, so with it already installed in all the stadiums being used for Euro 2016, Kau said that it would have been better and cheaper to use Goal Control rather than Hawk-Eye. 
 
&quot;And we know from the world championship and the use in the French league that the Goal Control System works at least as well as the Sony Hawk-Eye System. And both are licensed by FIFA. So that cannot be the problem.&quot; 
 
Kau hinted that there might be some other influences in the decision by the UEFA, like the &quot;sponsorship contract between Sony and UEFA&quot; and that the other two competitors had no equal chance. 
 
In April, UEFA decided to use Hawk-Eye technology for its Euro 2016 goal-line technology to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal-line. The British company&#39;s camera-based system, used in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 World Cup final, is installed in all 10 stadiums hosting the tournament in France and also used in the Premier League and Bundesliga. 
 
The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee&#39;s radio-controlled watch within one second with a vibration and visual signal whether a goal has been scored. Referees are still be helped by additional assistant referees. 
 
UEFA&#39;s cooperation with Hawk-Eye will continue, as goal-line technology is to be used in the UEFA Super Cup match in Trondheim and the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League, from the play-offs onwards. A decision concerning its implementation in the UEFA Europa League, from the group stage onwards in 2017/18, will be made at a later stage. 
 
(Reuters)

UEFA's cooperation with Hawk-Eye will continue and the technology is to be used in the UEFA Super Cup and the 2016//17 UEFA Champions League

The German company Goal Control has questioned UEFA's decision to award the goal-line technology contract for the Euro 2016 soccer championships to Hawk-Eye, a Sony subsidiary, citing it as a breach of antitrust regulations. "The awarding (of the contract) to Sony Hawk-Eye for Euro 2016 and other European club tournaments, i.e. Champions League and Europa League mean that in most stadiums of the major leagues in Europe the system Sony Hawk-Eye can be found. That means that they monopolise the market," the lawyer for the German company Goal Control, Wolfgang Kau, told Reuters on Tuesday. Ligue 1 chose the Goal Control system back in 2015, so with it already installed in all the stadiums being used for Euro 2016, Kau said that it would have been better and cheaper to use Goal Control rather than Hawk-Eye. "And we know from the world championship and the use in the French league that the Goal Control System works at least as well as the Sony Hawk-Eye System. And both are licensed by FIFA. So that cannot be the problem." Kau hinted that there might be some other influences in the decision by the UEFA, like the "sponsorship contract between Sony and UEFA" and that the other two competitors had no equal chance. In April, UEFA decided to use Hawk-Eye technology for its Euro 2016 goal-line technology to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal-line. The British company's camera-based system, used in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 World Cup final, is installed in all 10 stadiums hosting the tournament in France and also used in the Premier League and Bundesliga. The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee's radio-controlled watch within one second with a vibration and visual signal whether a goal has been scored. Referees are still be helped by additional assistant referees. UEFA's cooperation with Hawk-Eye will continue, as goal-line technology is to be used in the UEFA Super Cup match in Trondheim and the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League, from the play-offs onwards. A decision concerning its implementation in the UEFA Europa League, from the group stage onwards in 2017/18, will be made at a later stage. (Reuters)

Goal Control complain to UEFA for using Hawk-Eye for goal-line technology at Euro 2016

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said allegations that he had helped cover up a top footballer&#39;s positive doping test were silly. Mutko added that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 
 
Mutko, who is battling to end a doping scandal that has placed a question mark over Russian athletes&#39; right to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was responding to allegations against him made by German public broadcaster ARD/WDR. 
 
The German broadcaster, whose reports led to the suspension of Russia&#39;s track-and-field athletes, said an alleged internal sports ministry e-mail exchange discussing a footballer&#39;s failed test said the matter should be forwarded to &#39;VL&#39;.&nbsp;That, it said, referred to Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko. 
 
&quot;Initials could be interpreted in a different way,&quot; Mutko was quoted as saying today by the TASS news agency. &quot;How could I help to hide this? Destroy it myself? This is silly stuff, unconvincing.&quot; 
 
After being suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last year, Russia is trying to convince sports authorities that it is serious about rooting out cheats in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. 
 
The IAAF will decide whether Russia has done enough to have that ban overturned at a meeting in Vienna on June 17. 
 
&quot;One of the reasons for the doping scandal with Russian sportspeople is the desire to dredge for compromising information with regard to the 2018 World Cup,&quot; he was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency. 
 
&quot;First they tried through FIFA but didn&#39;t succeed,&quot; he said. &quot;Now they are investigating the laundering of bribes, they are trying to get in from the other side.&quot;

German public broadcaster ARD/WDR's report had led to the suspension of Russia's track-and-field athletes

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said allegations that he had helped cover up a top footballer's positive doping test were silly. Mutko added that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Mutko, who is battling to end a doping scandal that has placed a question mark over Russian athletes' right to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was responding to allegations against him made by German public broadcaster ARD/WDR. The German broadcaster, whose reports led to the suspension of Russia's track-and-field athletes, said an alleged internal sports ministry e-mail exchange discussing a footballer's failed test said the matter should be forwarded to 'VL'. That, it said, referred to Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko. "Initials could be interpreted in a different way," Mutko was quoted as saying today by the TASS news agency. "How could I help to hide this? Destroy it myself? This is silly stuff, unconvincing." After being suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last year, Russia is trying to convince sports authorities that it is serious about rooting out cheats in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. The IAAF will decide whether Russia has done enough to have that ban overturned at a meeting in Vienna on June 17. "One of the reasons for the doping scandal with Russian sportspeople is the desire to dredge for compromising information with regard to the 2018 World Cup," he was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency. "First they tried through FIFA but didn't succeed," he said. "Now they are investigating the laundering of bribes, they are trying to get in from the other side."

Russian sports minister says doping cover-up stories are silly revenge

Two goals from Antoine Griezmann helped hosts France overcome world champions Germany 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of Euro 2016, the first competitive victory over their old rivals in 58 years. 
 
Twice winners France will face Portugal in Sunday&#39;s final in Paris after defending stoutly against a Germany side who dominated possession but conceded a needless first-half penalty before being picked off on the break in the second period. 
 
The opening goal arrived in stoppage time when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli spotted Bastian Schweinsteiger had handled as he challenged Patrice Evra in the air and the tournament&#39;s top scorer Griezmann stepped up to blast the ball home. 
 
Griezmann then poked in his sixth goal of the competition with 18 minutes remaining, after keeper Manuel Neuer flapped at a cross, as France wrapped up their first win over Germany at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. 
 
(Reuters)

France will now face Portugal in Sunday's championship match

Two goals from Antoine Griezmann helped hosts France overcome world champions Germany 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of Euro 2016, the first competitive victory over their old rivals in 58 years. Twice winners France will face Portugal in Sunday's final in Paris after defending stoutly against a Germany side who dominated possession but conceded a needless first-half penalty before being picked off on the break in the second period. The opening goal arrived in stoppage time when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli spotted Bastian Schweinsteiger had handled as he challenged Patrice Evra in the air and the tournament's top scorer Griezmann stepped up to blast the ball home. Griezmann then poked in his sixth goal of the competition with 18 minutes remaining, after keeper Manuel Neuer flapped at a cross, as France wrapped up their first win over Germany at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. (Reuters)

France beat Germany 2-0 to reach Euro final

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. 
 
It was a miserable evening for Portugal&#39;s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo&#39;s record of 127 caps for his country. 
 
Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani&#39;s first-half opener. 
 
Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. 
 
&quot;We should have scored more goals but we didn&#39;t and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage,&quot; Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. 
 
&quot;Considering today&#39;s results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen,&quot; added Santos. 
 
With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. 
 
A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo&#39;s wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. 
 
They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder&#39;s first effort. 
 
Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland&#39;s back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. 
 
PERFECT CROSS 
 
The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. 
 
Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. 
 
Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. 
 
Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. 
 
It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal&#39;s sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. 
 
Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. 
 
Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker&#39;s stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team&#39;s hopes of reaching the last 16. 
 
&quot;With a win against Hungary we&#39;d probably be almost there and holding the group&#39;s strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It&#39;s difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game,&quot; said Hallgrimsson. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his team, but that was pretty much it

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. It was a miserable evening for Portugal's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his country. Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani's first-half opener. Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. "We should have scored more goals but we didn't and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. "It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. "Considering today's results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen," added Santos. With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo's wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder's first effort. Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland's back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. PERFECT CROSS The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal's sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker's stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team's hopes of reaching the last 16. "With a win against Hungary we'd probably be almost there and holding the group's strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost," he explained. "Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It's difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. "It's really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game," said Hallgrimsson. (Reuters)

Debutants Iceland hold Portugal to shock 1-1 draw

England&#39;s under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side&#39;s Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is,&quot; the Daily Telegraph said. 
 
A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England&#39;s humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is &quot;such an important decision&quot;, meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. 
 
British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. 
 
The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. 
 
Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England&#39;s football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. 
 
Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City&#39;s Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. 
 
The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. 
 
Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: &quot;We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George&#39;s Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. 
 
&quot;That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

It is unlikely that the Football Association will have a new man in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia

England's under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side's Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. "Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is," the Daily Telegraph said. A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is "such an important decision", meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England's football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City's Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: "We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George's Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. "That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.” (Reuters)

Reports say Southgate may be England's temporary manager

Premier League giants Liverpool are the target of an 800 million pound ($1 billion) takeover bid backed by the Chinese government, British newspaper the Sunday Times reported. 
 
China Everbright, a state-backed financial firm, are leading the bid, backed by the country&#39;s main sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation (CIC), the paper said. 
 
Talks between the Chinese group and Liverpool&#39;s American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are ongoing, the Sunday Times said. 
 
But a senior Liverpool source told AFP that although the club was open to outside investment, FSG was not in talks and the club was not the subject of a bid. 
 
On Friday, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said the club was &quot;not for sale&quot;, but admitted FSG were open to the idea of selling a stake. 
 
FSG bought Liverpool for around 300 million pounds in 2010. 
 
China has been making inroads in English football in recent months. 
 
Earlier this month, Liverpool&#39;s Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion announced a deal to sell the club to a Chinese investment group headed by entrepreneur Guochuan Lai. 
 
Second-tier clubs Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, both of whom play in the same Midlands region as West Brom, have both been taken over by Chinese investors. 
 
Wolves were bought by Fosun International, while Chinese businessman Tony Xia took charge of Villa. 
 
Birmingham City, another Midlands clubs, are currently in talks with Asian investors seeking to buy the club from Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, who was jailed for money-laundering in 2014. 
 
Meanwhile, Manchester City announced a 265 million pounds investment deal with Chinese consortium CMC last December. 
 
Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp, were beaten 2-0 at Burnley in their second league game of the season on Saturday, having won 4-3 at Arsenal in their opening fixture. 
 
(AFP)

State-backed financial firm China Everbright is leading the bid, the Sunday Times reported

Premier League giants Liverpool are the target of an 800 million pound ($1 billion) takeover bid backed by the Chinese government, British newspaper the Sunday Times reported. China Everbright, a state-backed financial firm, are leading the bid, backed by the country's main sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation (CIC), the paper said. Talks between the Chinese group and Liverpool's American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are ongoing, the Sunday Times said. But a senior Liverpool source told AFP that although the club was open to outside investment, FSG was not in talks and the club was not the subject of a bid. On Friday, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said the club was "not for sale", but admitted FSG were open to the idea of selling a stake. FSG bought Liverpool for around 300 million pounds in 2010. China has been making inroads in English football in recent months. Earlier this month, Liverpool's Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion announced a deal to sell the club to a Chinese investment group headed by entrepreneur Guochuan Lai. Second-tier clubs Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, both of whom play in the same Midlands region as West Brom, have both been taken over by Chinese investors. Wolves were bought by Fosun International, while Chinese businessman Tony Xia took charge of Villa. Birmingham City, another Midlands clubs, are currently in talks with Asian investors seeking to buy the club from Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, who was jailed for money-laundering in 2014. Meanwhile, Manchester City announced a 265 million pounds investment deal with Chinese consortium CMC last December. Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp, were beaten 2-0 at Burnley in their second league game of the season on Saturday, having won 4-3 at Arsenal in their opening fixture. (AFP)

Liverpool target of $1 billion takeover bid backed by Chinese govt: Report

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. 
 
Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). 
 
Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. 
 
The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. 
 
Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

They scuffle in Lille despite UEFA warning that they will be disqualified if they do so

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said. (Reuters)

Never mind the warning, Russia and England fans go at it again

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. 
 
Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. 
 
Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. 
 
Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. 
(Reuters)

Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. (Reuters)

Robson-Kanu starts as Wales make three changes for England clash

&nbsp;FIFA has reduced the ban on two senior officials, including its former secretary general, who were barred from soccer-related activities following a corruption probe, the global soccer body said today. 
 
The FIFA Appeal Committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden, has partially confirmed the decisions taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee regarding Jerome Valcke, but reduced his ban from 12 to 10 years. 
 
Chung Mong-joon, another official, had his ban reduced from six to five years. 
 
The pair had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA after being found guilty of breaching its code of conduct. 
 
(Reuters)

Jerome Valcke and Chung Mong-joon had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA following a corruption probe

FIFA has reduced the ban on two senior officials, including its former secretary general, who were barred from soccer-related activities following a corruption probe, the global soccer body said today. The FIFA Appeal Committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden, has partially confirmed the decisions taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee regarding Jerome Valcke, but reduced his ban from 12 to 10 years. Chung Mong-joon, another official, had his ban reduced from six to five years. The pair had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA after being found guilty of breaching its code of conduct. (Reuters)

FIFA appeal committee reduces Valcke ban from 12 to 10 years

Lionel Messi has announced that he will play on for Argentina, reversing his decision in June to retire from international football. 
 
The Barcelona forward said he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America in the United States. 
 
However, in a statement on Friday, Messi explained that he wanted to continue representing his country as he preferred &quot;to help from within&quot;. 
 
&quot;I consider there to be a lot of problems in Argentine football and it&#39;s not my intention to create another one,&quot; the 29-year-old said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in Argentine football but I prefer to help from within and not to criticise from the outside. 
 
&quot;A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting but my love for my country and this shirt is too great,&quot; the player said. 
 
A few hours later Messi was named in new coach Edgardo Bauza`s squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela in 2018 World Cup, South American qualifiers to be held in the first week of September. 
 
Bauza, who replaced Gerardo Martino after he quit in July over the FA`s failure to prepare a strong under-23 team for the Rio Olympics, was in Barcelona on Thursday for a meeting with his team captain. 
 
Messi, who has scored a national record 55 goals in 113 appearances, has lost four major finals with Argentina, three in the last two years including the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil. 
 
The June reverse in New Jersey was the second successive Copa America penalty shootout defeat by Chile in 12 months. 
 
Messi, unhappy with the Argentine FA`s running of the team, planned to speak out after the Copa final but felt he could not after they were beaten. 
 
His return will be a relief for the FA, mired in an economic and management crisis and administered by a so-called regularisation committee appointed by world football`s governing body FIFA. 
 
Messi`s decision in June sparked demonstrations in Buenos Aires and calls for him to change his mind. 
 
Something to cheer 
 
&quot;I send my thanks to all who want me to continue playing for Argentina, I hope we`ll be able to give them something to cheer about soon&quot;, he said.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two behind Uruguay and Ecuador. 
 
The top four after 18 games advance to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. 
 
Bauza included two uncapped strikers in a 27-man squad, Lucas Alario of River Plate and Lucas Pratto of Brazil`s Atletico Mineiro. 
 
He surprisingly omitted Gonzalo Higuain, a player he praised at the beginning of the month for his club form in Italy but who missed chances in Argentina`s last three final defeats. 
 
Squad: 
 
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes), Nahuel Guzman (UANL Tigres)&nbsp; 
 
Defenders: Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Emmanuel Mas (San Lorenzo), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Martin Demichelis (Espanyol), Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi (both Manchester City), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla) 
 
Midfielders: Matias Kranevitter (Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Augusto Fernandez, Nicolas Gaitan (both Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Inter Milan), Javier Pastore, Angel Di Maria (both Paris St Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) 
 
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Pratto (Atletico Mineiro), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lucas Alario (River Plate). 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

'My love for country and shirt is too great,' says Barcelona forward on his comeback

Lionel Messi has announced that he will play on for Argentina, reversing his decision in June to retire from international football. The Barcelona forward said he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America in the United States. However, in a statement on Friday, Messi explained that he wanted to continue representing his country as he preferred "to help from within". "I consider there to be a lot of problems in Argentine football and it's not my intention to create another one," the 29-year-old said. "There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in Argentine football but I prefer to help from within and not to criticise from the outside. "A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting but my love for my country and this shirt is too great," the player said. A few hours later Messi was named in new coach Edgardo Bauza`s squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela in 2018 World Cup, South American qualifiers to be held in the first week of September. Bauza, who replaced Gerardo Martino after he quit in July over the FA`s failure to prepare a strong under-23 team for the Rio Olympics, was in Barcelona on Thursday for a meeting with his team captain. Messi, who has scored a national record 55 goals in 113 appearances, has lost four major finals with Argentina, three in the last two years including the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil. The June reverse in New Jersey was the second successive Copa America penalty shootout defeat by Chile in 12 months. Messi, unhappy with the Argentine FA`s running of the team, planned to speak out after the Copa final but felt he could not after they were beaten. His return will be a relief for the FA, mired in an economic and management crisis and administered by a so-called regularisation committee appointed by world football`s governing body FIFA. Messi`s decision in June sparked demonstrations in Buenos Aires and calls for him to change his mind. Something to cheer "I send my thanks to all who want me to continue playing for Argentina, I hope we`ll be able to give them something to cheer about soon", he said. Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two behind Uruguay and Ecuador. The top four after 18 games advance to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. Bauza included two uncapped strikers in a 27-man squad, Lucas Alario of River Plate and Lucas Pratto of Brazil`s Atletico Mineiro. He surprisingly omitted Gonzalo Higuain, a player he praised at the beginning of the month for his club form in Italy but who missed chances in Argentina`s last three final defeats. Squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes), Nahuel Guzman (UANL Tigres) Defenders: Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Emmanuel Mas (San Lorenzo), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Martin Demichelis (Espanyol), Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi (both Manchester City), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla) Midfielders: Matias Kranevitter (Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Augusto Fernandez, Nicolas Gaitan (both Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Inter Milan), Javier Pastore, Angel Di Maria (both Paris St Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Pratto (Atletico Mineiro), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lucas Alario (River Plate). (Reuters)

Lionel Messi? ?reverses decision to retire from Argentina national football team?

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