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The arrival of old adversaries Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola into the respective Manchester United and Manchester City hotseats has made Saturday&#39;s Old Trafford derby one of the most eagerly-anticipated for years. 
 
Unprecedented global viewing figures are expected for the lunchtime (5 pm India time) clash, 900 million by some estimates, while the starting line-ups are expected to be the most costly in the history of the sport. 
 
Despite all the hype, however, the match will do well to live up to some of the Manchester derby tussles down the years. 
 
Here are five of the most memorable: 
 
April 1974 - Man United 0 Man City 1 
 
One of the most talked-about derbies ever. Former United great Denis Law decided the match with a backheel but he refused to celebrate in front of the Old Trafford faithful, thinking his goal had condemned United to relegation from the top flight. 
 
A pitch invasion meant the game was not completed but the result stood, although as it turned out United would have gone down anyway. Law, who scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United, was draped in a United scarf by a fan soon after scoring and never played another league game for City. 
 
September 2009 - Man United 4 Man City 3 
 
Regarded as the most exciting derby ever, United were pegged back three times by big-spending City before Michael Owen scored a 96th-minute winner to spark delirium in the stands. 
 
City, with a 100 million pounds worth of summer signings including former United striker Carlos Tevez, in their ranks were upwardly mobile with the new Abu Dhabi owners&#39; investing heavily on dragging the club out of United&#39;s shadow. 
 
Wayne Rooney put United ahead inside two minutes before Gareth Barry levelled for Mark Hughes&#39;s side. Darren Fletcher then headed home but Craig Bellamy levelled again. 
 
Bellamy cancelled out another Fletcher goal in the final minute but as City searched for a winner United broke and Ryan Giggs&#39;s superb through ball found Owen who scored an unforgettable stoppage-time winner. 
 
Hughes was sacked two months later and replaced by Roberto Mancini who eventually delivered the Premier League title. 
 
October 2011 - Man United 1 Man City 6 
 
A landmark early-season victory for City who delivered the ultimate slap in the face to their rivals by inflicting their worst home defeat since 1955, leaving United manager Alex Ferguson to rue his &quot;worst ever day&quot; in charge. 
 
Mancini&#39;s side, who went on to snatch United&#39;s title on an epic final day of the season, were leading with Mario Balotelli goals either side of the interval and went on the rampage after United had Jonny Evans sent off. 
 
Edin Dzeko also scored twice as the club Ferguson derided as &quot;noisy neighbours&quot; offered emphatic evidence of a shift in power in Britain&#39;s north west. 
 
November 1993 - Man City 2 Man United 3 
 
United talisman Eric Cantona often proved a thorn in City&#39;s side, scoring eight times in seven meetings, and so it proved again in a topsy-turvy clash at Maine Road. 
 
United were smarting from a midweek Champions League exit against Galatasaray and things looked to be going from bad to worse when, against the run of play, Niall Quinn scored twice past Peter Schmeichel to give City a 2-0 halftime lead. 
 
Mark Hughes was lucky not to receive a red card for United but they hit back with Cantona halving the deficit and levelling from a Ryan Giggs cross after 78 minutes. 
 
Roy Keane arrived at the far post to turn in a late winner. 
 
April 2001 - Man United 1 Man City 1 
 
If any derby encapsulated the passions aroused by the fixture, this late-season offering was it. A messy game would not have stood out long in the memory but for an awful, and now infamous, knee-high assault by Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haaland. 
 
A long-running feud between the pair, stemming from when Haaland accused Keane of feigning injury while the Norwegian played for Leeds in 1997, boiled over when Keane produced a lunged in wildly with a tackle that left Haaland in a heap. 
 
Keane, who was banned for three games, later admitted in his autobiography it had been a pre-meditated attack, saying he had &quot;waited long enough&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

Saturday's Old Trafford derby is one of the most eagerly-anticipated, but before that we look back at five other memorable ManU-ManC clashes

The arrival of old adversaries Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola into the respective Manchester United and Manchester City hotseats has made Saturday's Old Trafford derby one of the most eagerly-anticipated for years. Unprecedented global viewing figures are expected for the lunchtime (5 pm India time) clash, 900 million by some estimates, while the starting line-ups are expected to be the most costly in the history of the sport. Despite all the hype, however, the match will do well to live up to some of the Manchester derby tussles down the years. Here are five of the most memorable: April 1974 - Man United 0 Man City 1 One of the most talked-about derbies ever. Former United great Denis Law decided the match with a backheel but he refused to celebrate in front of the Old Trafford faithful, thinking his goal had condemned United to relegation from the top flight. A pitch invasion meant the game was not completed but the result stood, although as it turned out United would have gone down anyway. Law, who scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United, was draped in a United scarf by a fan soon after scoring and never played another league game for City. September 2009 - Man United 4 Man City 3 Regarded as the most exciting derby ever, United were pegged back three times by big-spending City before Michael Owen scored a 96th-minute winner to spark delirium in the stands. City, with a 100 million pounds worth of summer signings including former United striker Carlos Tevez, in their ranks were upwardly mobile with the new Abu Dhabi owners' investing heavily on dragging the club out of United's shadow. Wayne Rooney put United ahead inside two minutes before Gareth Barry levelled for Mark Hughes's side. Darren Fletcher then headed home but Craig Bellamy levelled again. Bellamy cancelled out another Fletcher goal in the final minute but as City searched for a winner United broke and Ryan Giggs's superb through ball found Owen who scored an unforgettable stoppage-time winner. Hughes was sacked two months later and replaced by Roberto Mancini who eventually delivered the Premier League title. October 2011 - Man United 1 Man City 6 A landmark early-season victory for City who delivered the ultimate slap in the face to their rivals by inflicting their worst home defeat since 1955, leaving United manager Alex Ferguson to rue his "worst ever day" in charge. Mancini's side, who went on to snatch United's title on an epic final day of the season, were leading with Mario Balotelli goals either side of the interval and went on the rampage after United had Jonny Evans sent off. Edin Dzeko also scored twice as the club Ferguson derided as "noisy neighbours" offered emphatic evidence of a shift in power in Britain's north west. November 1993 - Man City 2 Man United 3 United talisman Eric Cantona often proved a thorn in City's side, scoring eight times in seven meetings, and so it proved again in a topsy-turvy clash at Maine Road. United were smarting from a midweek Champions League exit against Galatasaray and things looked to be going from bad to worse when, against the run of play, Niall Quinn scored twice past Peter Schmeichel to give City a 2-0 halftime lead. Mark Hughes was lucky not to receive a red card for United but they hit back with Cantona halving the deficit and levelling from a Ryan Giggs cross after 78 minutes. Roy Keane arrived at the far post to turn in a late winner. April 2001 - Man United 1 Man City 1 If any derby encapsulated the passions aroused by the fixture, this late-season offering was it. A messy game would not have stood out long in the memory but for an awful, and now infamous, knee-high assault by Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haaland. A long-running feud between the pair, stemming from when Haaland accused Keane of feigning injury while the Norwegian played for Leeds in 1997, boiled over when Keane produced a lunged in wildly with a tackle that left Haaland in a heap. Keane, who was banned for three games, later admitted in his autobiography it had been a pre-meditated attack, saying he had "waited long enough". (Reuters)

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Five memorable derbies

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

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. 
 
The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. 
 
Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
&quot;The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team,&quot; the CBF said in a short statement. 
 
&quot;National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. 
 
&quot;The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team.&quot; 
 
The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil&#39;s new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. 
 
The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. 
 
Tite led Sao Paulo&#39;s biggest club to Brazil&#39;s Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. 
 
Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. 
 
He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year&#39;s World Cup. 
 
After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil&#39;s humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. 
 
Dunga, who was captain of Brazil&#39;s 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. 
 
Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year&#39;s tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. 
 
The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time in 30 years that the South American powerhouse hasn't got past the first round

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. "The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team," the CBF said in a short statement. "National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. "The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team." The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil's new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. Tite led Sao Paulo's biggest club to Brazil's Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year's World Cup. After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil's humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Dunga, who was captain of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year's tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. (Reuters)

Dunga gets the sack after Brazil fail to get past group stage

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

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

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. 
 
Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. 
 
It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world,&quot; said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like &quot;an out of body&quot; experience. 
 
&quot;All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone.&quot; 
 
With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. 
 
The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. 
 
Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. 
 
In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady&#39;s outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. 
 
Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. 
 
Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O&#39;Neill incandescent with rage. 
 
Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. 
 
With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. 
 
The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. 
 
With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O&#39;Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland&#39;s 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. 
 
He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. 
 
Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. 
 
When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland&#39;s Euro dream still very much alive. 
 
&quot;We stuck at it and put in a great performance,&quot; Brady said. &quot;In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights, with the three points setting up a last-16 tie against France on Sunday

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. "It's what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world," said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like "an out of body" experience. "All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone." With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady's outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O'Neill incandescent with rage. Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O'Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland's 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland's Euro dream still very much alive. "We stuck at it and put in a great performance," Brady said. "In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!" (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Brady's late goal fires Ireland into last-16

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient&#39;s tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt&#39;s first woman in mainstream football punditry. 
 
Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men. 
 
&quot;I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love,&quot; Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist.&nbsp;&quot;I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn&#39;t find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it,&quot; she says, after examining a patient. 
 
Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek.&nbsp;Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes. 
 
By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night,&quot; Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments. 
 
&quot;The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower,&quot; she says.&nbsp;A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman. 
 
&quot;The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?&quot; says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players. 
 
&quot;I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me &#39;Girls belong in kitchens&#39;,&quot; she says.&nbsp;Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise. 
 
Dreams beyond Egypt&nbsp; 
 
Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field.&nbsp;Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was &quot;very strange&quot; in the beginning because she is &quot;a lady and a dentist&quot;.&nbsp;Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her. 
 
&quot;Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams&#39; plans and tactics surprised me,&quot; Fayek said. 
 
At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players&#39; movements.&nbsp;Nearby lies an old copy of Britain&#39;s World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid. 
 
&quot;I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis,&quot; she says. 
 
Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources.&nbsp;She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow.&nbsp;Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents.&nbsp;In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway. 
 
&quot;Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating,&quot; her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride. 
 
Sarhan&#39;s dream goes beyond Egypt&#39;s borders.&nbsp;&quot;My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'I chose dentistry as a career... but football is my passion and love,' says 27-year-old Sarhan

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient's tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt's first woman in mainstream football punditry. Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men. "I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love," Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist. "I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn't find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it," she says, after examining a patient. Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek. Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes. By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football. "I'm a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night," Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments. "The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower," she says. A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman. "The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?" says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players. "I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me 'Girls belong in kitchens'," she says. Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise. Dreams beyond Egypt Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field. Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was "very strange" in the beginning because she is "a lady and a dentist". Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her. "Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams' plans and tactics surprised me," Fayek said. At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players' movements. Nearby lies an old copy of Britain's World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid. "I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis," she says. Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources. She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow. Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents. In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway. "Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating," her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride. Sarhan's dream goes beyond Egypt's borders. "My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international." (AFP)

Egyptian dentist becomes country's first-ever female football pundit

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

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

Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk has joined Shanghai SIPG for a record 55.8 million euros, the Russian club said today.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Zenit and Shanghai SIPG have come to an agreement regarding the transfer of the Brazilian forward. Compensation for the player will total 55.8 million euros and there will be add-ons,&quot; Zenit said in a statement on the website www.fc-zenit.ru.&nbsp; 
 
The transfer deal is the biggest in Russian football history.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old Hulk, who has won 46 caps for Brazil and scored 11 goals, joined Zenit from Porto in 2012 for 40 million euros. He scored 56 goals for Zenit in 97 Russian Premier League matches and was the league&#39;s top scorer in the 2014-15 season with 15 goals. 
 
Zenit finished third last season. The club missed out on qualification for the Champions League and will play in the Europa League. 
 
Shanghai SIPG, fourth in the Chinese Super League, are coached by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. 
 
(Reuters)

The Zenit forward player has netted the biggest transfer deal in Russian football history

Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk has joined Shanghai SIPG for a record 55.8 million euros, the Russian club said today. "Zenit and Shanghai SIPG have come to an agreement regarding the transfer of the Brazilian forward. Compensation for the player will total 55.8 million euros and there will be add-ons," Zenit said in a statement on the website www.fc-zenit.ru. The transfer deal is the biggest in Russian football history. The 29-year-old Hulk, who has won 46 caps for Brazil and scored 11 goals, joined Zenit from Porto in 2012 for 40 million euros. He scored 56 goals for Zenit in 97 Russian Premier League matches and was the league's top scorer in the 2014-15 season with 15 goals. Zenit finished third last season. The club missed out on qualification for the Champions League and will play in the Europa League. Shanghai SIPG, fourth in the Chinese Super League, are coached by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. (Reuters)

Hulk signs Shanghai SIPG deal for a record 55.8 million euros

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. 
 
The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. 
 
&quot;I spoke in the heat of the moment,&quot; Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. &quot;We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. 
 
&quot;To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself.&quot; 
 
Simeone has won the Europa League, King&#39;s Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. 
 
The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have &quot;more resources&quot; are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t believe there are many teams better than us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve.&quot; 
 
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. 
 
French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. 
 
Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. 
 
&quot;The aim is to improve from last season,&quot; Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. &quot;I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011, is under contract for another four years, and wants to make the team better

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. "I spoke in the heat of the moment," Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. "We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. "To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself." Simeone has won the Europa League, King's Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have "more resources" are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. "I don't believe there are many teams better than us," he said. "We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve." Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. "The aim is to improve from last season," Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. "I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones." "We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here." (Reuters)

Simeone vows to stay on and improve Atletico

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

Mexico&#39;s Jesus Manuel Corona weaved his way past five players before firing home in the 80th minute to give his side a 1-1 draw with Venezuela. The draw assured Mexico of the top spot in Group C of the Copa America on Monday. 
 
By topping the group Mexico are likely to avoid Argentina in the quarter-finals. Argentina require just a point in their final game against Bolivia to be sure of top spot in Group D. 
 
Mexico and Venezuela each finished with seven points from their three matches but &#39;El Tri&#39; had a superior goal difference. 
 
Venezuela had seized the advantage in the 10th minute when Jose Manuel Velazquez silenced the pro-Mexico crown in Houston with a sensational overhead kick. 
 
Venezuela&rsquo;s Josef Martinez came close to scoring with a bicycle kick but Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona saved well. Venezuela keeper Daniel Hernandez also produced a string of saves before conceding his first goal of the tournament. 
 
In the group&#39;s other match, Uruguay finished thetournament on a high with a 3-0 victory over Jamaica in Santa Clara, California. 
 
With both teams already eliminated after losing their opening two games, Uruguay went ahead through Abel Hernandez in the 21st minute, doubled their lead on an own goal in the 66th minute before Mathias Corujo made it 3-0. 
 
Jamaica ended the tournament without picking up a point or scoring a goal.

Mexico are now top of group C at Copa America 2016

Mexico's Jesus Manuel Corona weaved his way past five players before firing home in the 80th minute to give his side a 1-1 draw with Venezuela. The draw assured Mexico of the top spot in Group C of the Copa America on Monday. By topping the group Mexico are likely to avoid Argentina in the quarter-finals. Argentina require just a point in their final game against Bolivia to be sure of top spot in Group D. Mexico and Venezuela each finished with seven points from their three matches but 'El Tri' had a superior goal difference. Venezuela had seized the advantage in the 10th minute when Jose Manuel Velazquez silenced the pro-Mexico crown in Houston with a sensational overhead kick. Venezuela’s Josef Martinez came close to scoring with a bicycle kick but Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona saved well. Venezuela keeper Daniel Hernandez also produced a string of saves before conceding his first goal of the tournament. In the group's other match, Uruguay finished thetournament on a high with a 3-0 victory over Jamaica in Santa Clara, California. With both teams already eliminated after losing their opening two games, Uruguay went ahead through Abel Hernandez in the 21st minute, doubled their lead on an own goal in the 66th minute before Mathias Corujo made it 3-0. Jamaica ended the tournament without picking up a point or scoring a goal.

Mexico draws with Venezuela, Uruguay beat Jamaica

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

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

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

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

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

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

Ireland manager Martin O&#39;Neill has warned his side to be prepared for a backlash when they take on a smarting Belgium in their European Championship match in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Belgium, who were at number one in the FIFA rankings for the first three months of 2016 and second since then, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group E. 
 
In contrast, a spirited Ireland side opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Sweden. 
 
&quot;Belgium are a really fine side, really fine,&quot; O&#39;Neill told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Individually they are as talented as any side in the competition. They are very dangerous anyway, but even more so now they are a bit of a wounded animal.&quot; 
 
&quot;They will cause us problems so we have to show the same spirit and determination again and try and play as strongly with the ball as we did the other night.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think overall they have the players (to hurt us). If they are disappointed themselves with not playing well against Italy, they will feel they can rectify it.&quot; 
 
Ireland will conclude their group stage campaign against Italy on June 22. 
(Reuters)

Belgium, who were number one in the FIFA rankings for a few months of 2016, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group

Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has warned his side to be prepared for a backlash when they take on a smarting Belgium in their European Championship match in Bordeaux on Saturday. Belgium, who were at number one in the FIFA rankings for the first three months of 2016 and second since then, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group E. In contrast, a spirited Ireland side opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Sweden. "Belgium are a really fine side, really fine," O'Neill told reporters in France. "Individually they are as talented as any side in the competition. They are very dangerous anyway, but even more so now they are a bit of a wounded animal." "They will cause us problems so we have to show the same spirit and determination again and try and play as strongly with the ball as we did the other night." "I think overall they have the players (to hurt us). If they are disappointed themselves with not playing well against Italy, they will feel they can rectify it." Ireland will conclude their group stage campaign against Italy on June 22. (Reuters)

O'Neill warns Ireland against 'wounded animal' Belgium

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation&#39;s famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. 
 
Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England&#39;s against Slovakia. 
 
If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman&#39;s side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. 
 
At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. 
 
A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. 
 
Russia&#39;s 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. 
 
In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. 
 
Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. 
 
Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. 
 
The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini&#39;s ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. 
 
Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. 
 
Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. 
 
(Reuters)

Wales is in second place in Group B with three points, and their fate depends on their result against Russia and England against Slovakia

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation's famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England's against Slovakia. If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman's side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. Russia's 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini's ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. (Reuters)

Wales could hit heights or depths in final countdown

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. 
 
Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. 
 
The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil&#39;s weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. 
 
Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. 
 
Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. 
 
Deflected volley 
 
Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. 
 
Ozil&#39;s weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. 
 
Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. 
 
Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik&#39;s cross toward the top corner. 
 
Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. 
 
Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. 
 
Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany&#39;s place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. 
 
(Reuters)

Slovakia were slightly better in the 2nd half, but when Draxler hooked a volley into top corner in the 63rd minute, there was no way back

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil's weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. Deflected volley Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. Ozil's weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik's cross toward the top corner. Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany's place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Germany cruise into last eight with sparkling 3-0 Slovakia win

Didier Deschamps talented France block the path of Germany&#39;s spluttering juggernaut in Thursday&#39;s Euro 2016 semi-final and the world champions have mounting personnel problems. 
 
With an element of revenge in the air, France can expect near-fanatical support from home fans in Marseille as they seek a place in Sunday&#39;s Paris final. 
 
The hosts are buoyed by a 5-2 quarter-final thumping of plucky minnows Iceland when Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet all netted at the Stade de France. 
 
Germany are also confident mood, despite missing key players with injury and suspension after their penalty shoot-out win over Italy in the last eight. 
 
France are unbeaten in their last nine games, while Germany have not lost in their last six. 
 
&quot;For us, there is no fear. We know that France are loaded with good individual players, but they are under pressure as hosts,&quot; said Germany forward Thomas Mueller. 
 
&quot;Iceland didn`t look so happy with the goals they conceded. 
 
&quot;They have our respect, but I am optimistic that we will find solutions (to the injury problems).&nbsp;For us there is no loss of quality.&quot; 
 
Germany&#39;s tense penalty shoot-out win in Bordeaux came at a high price. 
 
Centre-back Mats Hummels picked up a yellow card which sees him suspended in Marseille. 
 
Striker Mario Gomez and midfielder Sami Khedira picked up thigh and groin injuries respectively which rule them out of the semi-final. 
 
To compound their problems, Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger is highly doubtful with a knee strain. 
 
Germany coach Joachim Loew is set to resort to a 4-2-3-1 formation having used a 3-5-2 against Italy. 
 
With Gomez out, World Cup-winner Mario Goetze is set to start up front, but Loew said he may play his Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Mueller alongside him in attack. 
 
Gomez&#39;s thigh tear means he will also miss the final, should Germany progress. 
 
With Hummels suspended, Shkodran Mustafi or Benedikt Hoewedes will partner Jerome Boateng at centre-back with Joshua Kimmich at right-back and Jonas Hector on the left. 
 
Loew has said he expects to introduce a new face into the midfield with Liverpool`s Emre Can or Julian Weigl of Borussia Dortmund set to partner Toni Kroos in the defensive midfield. 
 
France striker Giroud has scored against Manuel Neuer in each of the last three games for France and Arsenal, a threat the Germans must counter.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He is a very dangerous poacher inside the box,&quot; said Neuer. 
 
&quot;He is strong in the air, he is dangerous for central defenders. 
 
&quot;But we know him and can prepare for him and they have a lot of other quality players.&quot; 
 
For France, defender Adil Rami and midfielder N`Golo Kante are back in contention after missing the win over Iceland through suspension. 
 
The French camp is full of praise for the world champions, but the message is clear. 
 
&quot;We&#39;d like to write another chapter in French football history,&quot; said Giroud while French sports daily L`Equipe ran the front-page headline `Thirsty for Revenge` on Tuesday. 
 
Just as it was for the Germans against Italy, the semi-final is a fixture steeped in history. 
 
Les Bleus lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro&#39;s Maracana, thanks to Hummels` first-half header. 
 
And France has never fully forgiven Germany for their penalty shoot-out defeat in a bitterly contested World Cup semi-final in Spain in 1982. 
 
An epic 3-3 draw, with four goals scored in extra-time, came down to a penalty shoot-out which Germany won 5-4, but the match in Seville is remembered for a brutal incident. 
 
France&#39;s Patrick Battiston was knocked unconscious, with two teeth missing and three cracked ribs, after a collision with the German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher. 
 
However, the German camp has been eager to play down the historical significance to focus on the here and now. 
 
&quot;The chance to win two titles back-to-back is not something you get everyday. We`re looking forward to it,&quot; said Mueller as Germany look to add the European crown to their world title. 
 
(AFP)

France has never fully forgiven Germany for their penalty shoot-out defeat in a bitterly contested World Cup semi-final in Spain in 1982

Didier Deschamps talented France block the path of Germany's spluttering juggernaut in Thursday's Euro 2016 semi-final and the world champions have mounting personnel problems. With an element of revenge in the air, France can expect near-fanatical support from home fans in Marseille as they seek a place in Sunday's Paris final. The hosts are buoyed by a 5-2 quarter-final thumping of plucky minnows Iceland when Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet all netted at the Stade de France. Germany are also confident mood, despite missing key players with injury and suspension after their penalty shoot-out win over Italy in the last eight. France are unbeaten in their last nine games, while Germany have not lost in their last six. "For us, there is no fear. We know that France are loaded with good individual players, but they are under pressure as hosts," said Germany forward Thomas Mueller. "Iceland didn`t look so happy with the goals they conceded. "They have our respect, but I am optimistic that we will find solutions (to the injury problems). For us there is no loss of quality." Germany's tense penalty shoot-out win in Bordeaux came at a high price. Centre-back Mats Hummels picked up a yellow card which sees him suspended in Marseille. Striker Mario Gomez and midfielder Sami Khedira picked up thigh and groin injuries respectively which rule them out of the semi-final. To compound their problems, Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger is highly doubtful with a knee strain. Germany coach Joachim Loew is set to resort to a 4-2-3-1 formation having used a 3-5-2 against Italy. With Gomez out, World Cup-winner Mario Goetze is set to start up front, but Loew said he may play his Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Mueller alongside him in attack. Gomez's thigh tear means he will also miss the final, should Germany progress. With Hummels suspended, Shkodran Mustafi or Benedikt Hoewedes will partner Jerome Boateng at centre-back with Joshua Kimmich at right-back and Jonas Hector on the left. Loew has said he expects to introduce a new face into the midfield with Liverpool`s Emre Can or Julian Weigl of Borussia Dortmund set to partner Toni Kroos in the defensive midfield. France striker Giroud has scored against Manuel Neuer in each of the last three games for France and Arsenal, a threat the Germans must counter. "He is a very dangerous poacher inside the box," said Neuer. "He is strong in the air, he is dangerous for central defenders. "But we know him and can prepare for him and they have a lot of other quality players." For France, defender Adil Rami and midfielder N`Golo Kante are back in contention after missing the win over Iceland through suspension. The French camp is full of praise for the world champions, but the message is clear. "We'd like to write another chapter in French football history," said Giroud while French sports daily L`Equipe ran the front-page headline `Thirsty for Revenge` on Tuesday. Just as it was for the Germans against Italy, the semi-final is a fixture steeped in history. Les Bleus lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana, thanks to Hummels` first-half header. And France has never fully forgiven Germany for their penalty shoot-out defeat in a bitterly contested World Cup semi-final in Spain in 1982. An epic 3-3 draw, with four goals scored in extra-time, came down to a penalty shoot-out which Germany won 5-4, but the match in Seville is remembered for a brutal incident. France's Patrick Battiston was knocked unconscious, with two teeth missing and three cracked ribs, after a collision with the German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher. However, the German camp has been eager to play down the historical significance to focus on the here and now. "The chance to win two titles back-to-back is not something you get everyday. We`re looking forward to it," said Mueller as Germany look to add the European crown to their world title. (AFP)

France take on Germany, thirsting for revenge

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque&#39;s champions may be lacking a killer instinct. 
 
Until defender Pique&#39;s crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. 
 
Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. 
 
By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique&#39;s 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. 
 
It left Spain&#39;s coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. &quot;It&#39;s true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal,&quot; he sighed afterwards. 
 
The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain&#39;s last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. 
 
They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva&#39;s cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. 
 
Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. 
 
Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. 
 
&quot;We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in,&quot; reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. 
 
Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. 
 
Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. 
 
&quot;This is who we are,&quot; the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. &quot;We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it&#39;s just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in.&quot; 
 
The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters&#39; nerves and patience.&nbsp;

Gerard Pique ensured a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque's champions may be lacking a killer instinct. Until defender Pique's crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique's 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. It left Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. "It's true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal," he sighed afterwards. The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain's last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva's cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. "We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in," reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. "This is who we are," the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. "We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it's just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in." The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters' nerves and patience.

Defending champs Spain seal last-gasp win

He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before, with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship. 
 
Two hours earlier, there had been very different tears after he had been taken out of the game on a stretcher, just 25 minutes into the final at the Stade de France, his night over and his team left to fight on without their talisman. 
 
Portugal&rsquo;s triumph, thanks to a long-range goal in the second period of extra time by substitute striker Eder, was their first major trophy and will ease the memory of their painful loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final, on home turf in Lisbon. 
 
A 19-year-old Ronaldo had played on the wing in that defeat and he must have wondered if he would ever get a chance to make amends. 
 
&quot;I am very happy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004. I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it,&rdquo; he told reporters. 
 
&ldquo;Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France,&quot; the Real madrid forward added. 
 
&quot;This is one of the happiest moments in my career, I always said I&#39;d like to win something with Portugal. For me this is an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese.&quot; 
 
Ronaldo&rsquo;s career has been a glittering combination of individual brilliance, multiple success at club level and constant comparisons with the other great player of his generation, Barcelona&rsquo;s Argentine forward Lionel Messi. 
 
Messi has famously never won a major trophy with his country and just a few weeks ago announced he was quitting his national team after their latest disappointment -- a Copa America defeat on penalties to Chile, with Messi missing his spot-kick. 
 
Now to add to three Premier League titles and a Champions League win from his time with Manchester United, a Spanish league crown and two Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has a major trophy with Portugal. 
 
He was right to credit his team mates and coach Fernando Santos&rsquo;s because while he may have been the man who got them to the final with his goal and assist in the last-four win over Wales, it was the squad who delivered his medal. 
 
&quot;It was tough to lose our main man,&rdquo; defender Pepe said. 
 
&ldquo;The man who could at any moment score a goal. He could make the difference but we were warriors on the pitch. We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that.&quot; &nbsp; 
 
Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact. 
 
&ldquo;Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal. He and all my team mates,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;He gave me strength and positive energy. And that goal was really important,&rdquo; he said. 
 
Ronaldo&rsquo;s critics have often pointed to his ego but Santos said his behaviour after suffering his injury had been exemplary.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Cristiano is an amazing example. Today he tried to remain on the pitch. He was very strong in the locker room, he helped all of the boys, that &#39;s the definition of teamwork.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

He cried as he was stretchered off 24 minutes into the game, and again when he lifted the trophy

He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before, with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship. Two hours earlier, there had been very different tears after he had been taken out of the game on a stretcher, just 25 minutes into the final at the Stade de France, his night over and his team left to fight on without their talisman. Portugal’s triumph, thanks to a long-range goal in the second period of extra time by substitute striker Eder, was their first major trophy and will ease the memory of their painful loss to Greece in the Euro 2004 final, on home turf in Lisbon. A 19-year-old Ronaldo had played on the wing in that defeat and he must have wondered if he would ever get a chance to make amends. "I am very happy. I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004. I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it,” he told reporters. “Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France," the Real madrid forward added. "This is one of the happiest moments in my career, I always said I'd like to win something with Portugal. For me this is an amazing unique moment for all Portuguese." Ronaldo’s career has been a glittering combination of individual brilliance, multiple success at club level and constant comparisons with the other great player of his generation, Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi. Messi has famously never won a major trophy with his country and just a few weeks ago announced he was quitting his national team after their latest disappointment -- a Copa America defeat on penalties to Chile, with Messi missing his spot-kick. Now to add to three Premier League titles and a Champions League win from his time with Manchester United, a Spanish league crown and two Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has a major trophy with Portugal. He was right to credit his team mates and coach Fernando Santos’s because while he may have been the man who got them to the final with his goal and assist in the last-four win over Wales, it was the squad who delivered his medal. "It was tough to lose our main man,” defender Pepe said. “The man who could at any moment score a goal. He could make the difference but we were warriors on the pitch. We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that." Ronaldo had been on the field before extra time encouraging his team mates and goalscorer Eder said had made an impact. “Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal. He and all my team mates," he said. "He gave me strength and positive energy. And that goal was really important,” he said. Ronaldo’s critics have often pointed to his ego but Santos said his behaviour after suffering his injury had been exemplary. "Cristiano is an amazing example. Today he tried to remain on the pitch. He was very strong in the locker room, he helped all of the boys, that 's the definition of teamwork.” (Reuters)

The agony and the ecstasy (of Cristiano)

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe&#39;s continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. 
 
Monday&#39;s 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. 
 
English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by &quot;a good team&quot; would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. 
 
&quot;We are here and we want to win it,&quot; England&#39;s all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. &quot;Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we&#39;re not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that.&quot; 
 
England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. 
 
&quot;If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried,&quot; he added. &quot;I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big.&quot; 
 
Manager Roy Hodgson&#39;s men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. 
 
Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. 
 
Despite the team&#39;s struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. 
 
&quot;I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don&#39;t play at my best I cannot see us winning it,&quot; said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. 
 
Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. 
 
&quot;I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Believes the gap between his team and Europe's footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe's continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. Monday's 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by "a good team" would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. "We are here and we want to win it," England's all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. "Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we're not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that." England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. "If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried," he added. "I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big." Manager Roy Hodgson's men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. Despite the team's struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. "I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don't play at my best I cannot see us winning it," said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. "I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that," he said. (Reuters)

England can win Euro 2016, says captain Rooney

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