[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] In a golden generation of young stars led by Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it’s easy to overlook Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, but he has been just as influential, leading Arsenal to first place in the English Premier League and past defending champion AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.
Tag: european championship
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Euro 2008 Countdown: The New Wave
A new generation of stars is set to take over European soccer. Here’s a look at some of the young players who could play key roles at the 2008 European Championship.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Russians mocked after narrow win over Andorra
Russia, the beneficiary of England’s collapse on the final day of qualifying for the 2008 European Championship, returned home to a muted reception. Indeed, the small group of fans who greeted Dick Advocaat‘s players at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport expressed their displeasure with their performance in a 1-0 win at tiny Andorra that was enough to see Russia through to the Euro ’08 finals.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Panucci ends Scotland’s fitba dream
[SCOTLAND-ITALY] They call it the Hampden Roar. In the old days, when the capacity of Glasgow’s Hampden Park exceeded 100,000, it was said the roar of the crowd could be heard for miles. The capacity of Hampden has been cut to a more modest 52,000, but the Hampden Roar was supposed to be Scotland’s home-field advantage when it took the field Saturday night in its decisive Euro ’08 qualifier against Italy.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
English hopes brighten thanks to Israeli win
[ISRAEL-RUSSIA] There was gloom and doom last month when England fell to Russia, 2-1, compromising its chances of reaching the Euro ’08 finals. It was all but conceded that England wouldn’t be going — one report calculated the cost to the FA of not making the Euro ’08 finals at tens of millions of dollars — but it was based on the assumption Russia would beat Israel in Tel Aviv. A mistaken assumption, indeed.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Henry dedicates record goals to ill father
[MAKING A LIST] Thierry Henry broke the French record of 41 goals he shared with Michel Platini when he scored twice in two minutes to lead the Bleus to a 2-0 win over Lithuania in Euro 2008 qualifying on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
England and Scotland crack on the road
[EURO 2008 QUALIFYING] England was 21 minutes away from clinching a berth in the 2008 European Championship when it collapsed in “five minutes of madness” and lost to Russia, 2-1, in Moscow. The loss took England’s chances of qualifying out of its hands. Scotland was rolling after wins over France and Ukraine, but it lost at Georgia, 2-0, and will probably need to beat Italy on Nov. 17 to have any chance of qualifying.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Euro ’08 Qualifying TV Schedule
Euro ’08 qualifying continues Wednesday with several teams in line to clinch berths in next year’s finals. Russia-England, Georgia-Scotland, Greece-Turkey and Germany-Czech Republic highlight some of the big games available on U.S. TV. For the complete schedule and television listings …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Coach insists Germany still has work to do
[EURO 2008 QUALIFYING] Germany became the first team to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals when it clinched one of the top two spots in Group D with a 0-0 tie with Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. The Czech Republic is in line to capture the second berth in Group D, while several other groups are almost decided. Croatia and England both can wrap up berths in Wednesday. Romania, Croatia, Spain and Sweden are all in good shape.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Euro ’08 Qualifying TV Schedule
With four games to play, action heats up in Euro ’08 qualifying. Of the 21 games scheduled for Saturday, 11 are available live or on delay on cable or pay-per-view.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Euro ’08 qualifying moves into home stretch
[PREVIEW] The first of the two remaining double fixture weekends in Euro ’08 qualifying begins on Saturday. Here’s a look at seven key matches …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
AC Milan opens European defense against Freddy-less Benfica
[MARQUEE MATCHUP] AC Milan begins the defense of its UEFA Champions League title at home on Tuesday against Portuguese club Benfica. American Freddy Adu isn’t in the Benfica traveling party to San Siro, where Milan will look to regain its form after a lackluster start to the 2007-08 season (one win and two ties in Serie A).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Scots pull Euro upset
Scotland beat France for the second time in European Championship qualifying with a stunning 1-0 win Wednesday night in Paris. Other key results: England picked up its second 3-0 victory in four days, beating Russia at Wembley. The Czech Republic’s 1-0 win over Ireland all but ended the suspense in Group D. Poland and Finland remained 1-2 in Group A after their 0-0 tie in Helsinki. Portugal and Serbia tied, 1-1, in an ill-tempered affair in Lisbon.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spain eyes rebound against Latvia
[TV PREVIEW] Spain, which was held to a scoreless tie by Iceland on Saturday and is tied for third in Group F of 2008 European Championship qualifying, needs a win over Latvia in what is one of 21 qualifiers on Wednesday. France, coming off a scoreless tie with Italy and atop Group B, hosts Scotland. England hosts Russia, which sits a point above it in second place of Group E. Croatia leads the group.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Couch potato soccer
[VIDEO] The European Commission and UEFA have created an anti-obesity public-service commercial to air more than 2,000 times during halftime of Champions League games. The ad featuring armchair-bound soccer players is expected to reach up to 100 million viewers.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Posh special on NBC takes time slot
NBC’s special “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America” won its time slot, according to Nielsen overnights, and beat out the previous week’s programming in the same time slot. The Monday show averaged a 2.2 adults 18-49 rating for 8-9 pm, 16 percent better than NBC’s summer-to-date primetime average of 1.9.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham is happy to be with the lads
David Beckham set up two goals in his first competitive game for England since the 2006 World Cup and his 96th international appearance. Beckham’s promising comeback set the stage for more England appearances late in the summer and into the fall — just as the Galaxy moves into the stretch drive of the MLS regular season. With England still fourth in Group E, Coach Steve McClaren will be counting upon Beckham to play for England in its five remaining qualifiers.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tiny Liechtenstein is on a roll
With a population of 33,000, Liechtenstein does not even have its own pro league — its top club, FC Vaduz, was tied for eighth in the Swiss Second Division — and has never finished anywhere other than last in its group of a major qualifying tournament, but it finds itself on a roll going into Wednesday’s Euro ’08 qualifier against Spain in Vaduz. Liechtenstein has earned four points in its last two games: a 1-0 win over Latvia — only its second win in European Championship qualifying — followed up by a 1-1 draw away to Iceland on Saturday that left Latvia last in the group.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Inzaghi saves Italy from embarrassment
[EURO ’08 QUALIFYING WRAPUP] Filippo Inzaghi, the hero of AC Milan’s recent UEFA Champions League triumph, saved world champion Italy from embarrassment as his two first-half goals were barely enough to give the Azzurri a 2-1 victory over the Faeroe Islands in Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifier. The win was good enough to move Italy into second place in Group B behind France, which beat Ukraine 2-0, but the Azzurri came in for harsh criticism in the Italian press. For complete Euro ’08 qualifying results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Copenhagen soccer party ends in madness
So much for Scandinavian calm! A wild Euro ’08 qualifier between Scandinavian neighbors Denmark and Sweden ended in confusion as the game was abandoned in the 89th minute when a fan attacked German referee Herbert Fandel after he awarded the visiting Swedes a penalty when Dane Christian Poulsen punched Markus Rosenberg in the penalty area. Fandel didn’t see the incident but awarded the penalty kick and red carded Poulsen after consulting his assistant. Before the Swedes could take the penalty to break the 3-3 tie, a fan attacked the German referee, who also handled the UEFA Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool. Several Danish players stepped in between the attacker and Fandel, who immediately blew the whistle and walked off the field. The fan, only identified as a 23-year-old man from Ostebro, was arrested.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
England holds Brazil to tie with assist from Beckham
David Beckham celebrated his return to the England national team with an assist on a patented cross as England played to a 1-1 tie with Brazil Friday in the first full international match at the new Wembley Stadium.
The return of Beckham 10 months after being dropped from the England team by Coach Steve McClaren was the highlight of a subdued game that saw both goals come in the second half.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
England welcomes back Beckham and Owen for Brazil friendly
[TV PREVIEW] David Beckham will play for England for the first time since being dropped nearly a year ago by Coach Steve McClaren on Friday when England faces Brazil in a friendly game at Wembley Stadium. Some experts will argue that more important than the return of Beckham is the comeback of Michael Owen, who is set to start for England for the first time since suffering a knee injury at the 2006 World Cup that sidelined him for most of the EPL season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Powers limp into key Euro 2008 qualifiers
[TV PREVIEW] Saturday is a key day for powers Italy, Spain and Portugal, who are all fighting to stay in contention in Euro 2008 qualifying. Unfortunately, they find themselves depleted of firepower at the end of a long season. Italy is fourth in Group B with 10 points, two points behind leaders Ukraine, Scotland and France, and it will be missing many key strikers for its trip to the Faeroe Islands on Saturday and Lithuania on Wednesday. Spain is third in Group F, four points behind leaders Northern Ireland and three behind Sweden, and also has problems up front. With Atletico Madrid’s Fernando Torres injured, uncapped Osasuna striker Roberto Soldado may start up front with David Villa against Latvia on Saturday. Portugal is second in Group A, five points behind Poland, going into its game at Belgium on Saturday, but Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is suspended and Benfica attackers Simao Sabrosa and Nuno Gomes are injured. The biggest clash takes place at the Stade de France, where 2006 World Cup runner-up France hosts quarterfinalist Ukraine. Both teams will be without their scoring aces. Nicolas Anelka should fill in for Thierry Henry, out with a groin injury, in the Bleus’ attack. Andriy Voronin will be the main Ukraine threat in the absence of Andriy Shevchenko, who underwent hernia surgery last month.