Soccer - Euro 2008 qualifying matches roundup (6th Jun '07)

It was the last chance for teams to either consolidate their positions at the top or to catch up before the qualifiers resume in three months time.

Tired legs after a long season may lead to surprises in results, which many managers would want to avoid, especially for one particular England manager...

McClaren awaiting his fate...

Group A

Armenia 1 – 0 Poland
Poland suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Armenia, where Hamlet Mkhitaryan scored with a 70th minute freekick.


Finland 2-0 Belgium
Finland kept up their slim hopes of qualifying with a convincing 2-0 win at home against Belgium. The goals were scored by former Charlton Athletic striker Jonatan Johansson in the 27th minute and Aleksei Eremenko sealed the game in the 71st minute.


However, the game was more noted for an incredibly peculiar incident when an owl landed on the pitch and refused to move, stalling the match for a couple of minutes!

Poland still leads Group A with 19 points after their defeat, five points ahead of both Portugal and Serbia, but they still have two games in hand each. Finland has 14 points too but they have played one more game.


Group B

Faroe Islands 0 – 2 Scotland
Scotland kept up the pressure on group leaders France and second placed Italy with a comfortable 2-0 at tiny Faroe Islands. Scotland was expected to win against a side with a goal difference of -23 at the start of the game.

But memories of two previous draw games in 1999 and 2002 (especially in 2002 when they had to comeback from two goals down) meant nothing can be taken for granted by the Scotland players.

Fortunately, a superb curling freekick by Shaun Maloney in the 31st minute and a Garry O'Connor finish from Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher’s cross in the 35th minute ensured the points.


Lithuania 0 – 2 Italy
23 year old Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella repaid Italy coach Roberto Donadoni faith in giving him his first start by scoring both goals against a Lithuania side which had given the Italian media plenty to write about when they drew 1-1 at Italy.

The young striker first scored with a fierce left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 31st minute and then rounded up a personally memorable night with a fantastic dipping strike just before halftime.


France 1 – 0 Georgia
France ensured they remained on top of Group B ahead of their crunch match against Italy 3 months later with a comfortable 1 nil victory at home against Georgia.

In an entirely one-sided game, exciting young star Samir Nasri kept up his previously promising performance in a friendly against Ukraine by scoring the only goal in the 33rd minute.


France remained top with 18 points, two ahead of second placed Italy, with Scotland just a little further behind with 15 points.


Group C

Norway 4 – 0 Hungary
Norway scored another crushing 4-0 win at home, this time against Hungary with big Aston Villa striker John Carew as the main instigator. First he shrugged off the opposing goalkeeper and supplied Daniel Braaten the ball to finish in the 57th minute.

Then he proceeded to scored a brace in the 60th and 78th minute to cap off a fantastic personal performance. Earlier on Steffen Iversen had given Norway the lead with a header in the 21st minute.


Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 – 0 Malta
Bosnia scored their third successive win with a nervous 1 nil win against Malta in a game overshadowed by Bosnia’s coach Fuad Muzurovic’s sudden trip to hospital after suffering from a heart condition.

Muzurovic’s condition was announced stable and Zlatan Muslimovic gave his coach a further boost, scoring the only goal in the 6th minute.


Greece 2 – 1 Moldova
Greece extended their lead in Group C in dramatic finish against Moldova when they had to score in the 3rd minute of stoppage time through Nikos Liberopoulos, cueing rapturous scenes of celebration after the referee blew his whistle.

Earlier on, Moldova’s Viorel Frunza’s strike in the 80th minute had cancelled out the greek’s lead gained from Angelos Charisteas’s strike in the 30th minute.


Greece maintained their lead with 18 points, 5 points clear of Bosnia, Turkey and Norway. Turkey still have a game in hand though.


Group D

Germany 2 – 1 Slovakia
A tired looking german side just managed to scrape past Slovakia at home in an uninspiring match that was settled in the first half.

Two own goals by each side - Slovakia’s Jan Durica in the 10th minute and Germany’s Christoph Metzelder in the 20th minute cancelled each other out before Thomas Hitzlsperger popped out with the winner with a header in the 43rd minute.


Germany remained top with 19 points, 5 points clear of nearest rivals Czech Republic.


Group E

Andorra 0 – 2 Israel
Horrendous playing conditions helped Israel to score their first goal in their 2 nil away win against Andorra. Andorra goalkeeper Koldo came out to grab the ball but failed as it did not bulge after being caught in a puddle.

Israel’s Roberto Colautti then seized the chance by crossing the ball for Toto Tamuz to score with a header in the 37th minute. Colautti scored himself with another header in the 53rd minute.


Croatia 0 – 0 Russia
In this clash of the top teams in group E, Russia played out a cautious game against a Croatian side who have never lost a single European Championship or World Cup qualifying match at home before.

Croatia had the lion share of possession but were unable to crave out lots of clear cut chances against a Russian side set out to defend. Though they did come close near the hour mark when Eduardo da Silva had his shot cleared off the line and Josip Simunic headed against the crossbar.


Estonia 0 – 3 England
The English papers were prepared to feast on McClaren’s head if England got anything less than a victory against the lowly Estonians. But a wonderful solo effort by the gifted Chelsea player Joe Cole, who controlled the ball at his chest, then turn and volleyed in one swift movement gave Mart Poom no chance at all in the 37th minute.

David Beckham then stepped up once again by serving two precise arrowing crosses, first for the Lankly Peter Crouch to score a looping header in the 54th minute and then for Michael Owen, to sneak a shot in at the far post in the 62nd minute.

This showed how much McClaren and his team have missed his ability to swerve crosses in with unerring accuracy. And the fans too, when Beckham was given a standing ovation by them when he came off in the 68th minute.


Croatia are top, having the same points with Israel with 17 points each but the latter playing a game more. Russia are third with 15 points with England catching up with only a point behind.


Group F

Sweden 5 – 0 Iceland
Sweden swept aside any thoughts on last Saturday’s fiasco against Denmark by demolishing Iceland 5 nil at home. Anders Svensson (42nd minute), Olof Melberg (45th minute), Markus Rosenberg (50th minute) were among the scorers.

Marcus Allback contributed two goals, first scoring the lead in the 11th minute but his second in the 51st minute was a controversial one.Iceland players thought the referee had given a penalty to Sweden, but he instead allowed play to go on, which Allback gleefully accepted, scoring unmarked past Arason.


Latvia 0 – 2 Denmark
Denmark, too kept their minds off Saturday’s ugly scenes as winger Dennis Rommedahl scored both goals in the 15th and 17th minute to keep their fading hopes of qualifying alive. UEFA’s decision on Saturday’s results may decide their fate once and for all.


Liechtenstein 0 – 2 Spain
Spain remained in the hunt for top two finish in Group F, with on form Valencia striker David Villa scoring both goals in a 2 nil away against Liechtenstein.

Villa first scored in the 8th minute after rounding the keeper and then added a second soon after in the 14th minute with a spectacular overhead kick. He could have completed his hat-trick in the last minute of normal time with penalty kick, but contrived to strike his shot against the post.


Spain are now equal on 15 points with Sweden, but that may change after UEFA’s ruling on the match between Sweden and Denmark last Saturday, abandoned after a Denmark supporter stormed onto the pitch and unsuccessfully tried to punch the referee. Denmark are only fourth but they still have two games in hand.


Group G

Bulgaria 2 – 1 Belarus.
Bulgaria kept up the pressure on leaders Romania with a tight 2-1 win over Belarus in home soil. Belarus had taken a shock early lead through Roman Vasiluk’s penalty in the 5th minute after a woeful blunder by Bulgarian keeper Dimitar Ivankov.

But Martin Petrov soon equalized for Bulgaria five minutes later with a well strucked freekick. Chavdar Yankov completed the comeback in the 40th minute.


Romania 2 – 0 Slovenia
Romania ensured they remained top for at least three months with a convincing 2 nil win against Slovenia at home.

Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu gave the home side a half time lead with a 40th minute header and Cosmin Contra then connected perfectly with a cross to volley home in the 70th minute.

The home side could have scored more goals but were kept out by the outstanding Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.


Romania are top with 17 points, followed by Bulgaria with 2 points less and the Netherlands with 14 points who did not play on Wednesday.