Portugal stuns France to win Euro 2016

PARIS - Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder's thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday.

The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute.

It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old, who plays for French club Lille after a largely unglamorous career, and a cruel blow for France and their coach Didier Deschamps.

His side had dominated the match, but squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown.

The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Portugal captain Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end after 24 minutes when he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury.

The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game's greats, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet's challenge left him in a heap on the floor.

So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware.

That was achieved, but, with Eder stealing the limelight and his own role reduced to that of a cajoling cheerleader, it was probably not how Ronaldo would have envisaged his evening panning out.

Yet having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his team mates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career," he said. "I've always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."

Coach Fernando Santos, whose side had won only one match inside 90 minutes out of seven at the tournament, hailed a perfectly executed tactical display.

"We were as simple as doves and as wise as serpents," he said.

"Wherever we've gone there have always been Portuguese fans. This lifted our souls. It's hard to describe the players' emotions -- it's incredible."

DEBILITATING DEFEAT

For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November's attacks in Paris.

"We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions," Deschamps said.

"Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home."

For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield.

His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents.

Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle.

They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman's cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament's top scorer to head a golden opportunity over.

Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw.

France's best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm's way.

While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder's header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder's moment of magic.

(Editing by Ed Osmond/Greg Stutchbury)

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'Dragon-slayer' Ronaldo shatters Wales big night

LYON -- Cristiano Ronaldo became the "Dragon-slayer" as his record-equaling ninth European Championship goal helped power Portugal past Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bales' Wales and into the Euro 2016 final.

Ronaldo brilliantly rose above the Wales' defense to score his country's first goal in the 2-0 win in front of 50,000 fans in the Stade de Lyon on Wednesday.

Nani deflected the Portugal hero's shot for the decisive second goal that saw their country into Sunday's final against tournament hosts France or world champions Germany.

Ronaldo and Bale had not spoken in the tournament before Wednesday's match. With victory sealed, Ronaldo embraced his club teammate at the end.

"The team did a marvelous job to reach the final. I hope on Sunday you'll see me crying with joy," said Ronaldo, who as a 19-year-old wept on the pitch after Portugal lost 1-0 to Greece as hosts of the Euro 2004 final.

"I have always dreamed of winning for Portugal -- I hope it is our time now.

"I am very confident. I deserve it, Portugal deserves it, all the Portuguese people deserve it."

Bale paid tribute to the three-time world player of the year with whom he has not always had an easy relationship in Madrid.

"He's a natural goal-scorer and he scored yet again," said Bale. "We're obviously massively disappointed. We've got to be proud of ourselves first and foremost."

Amazing run

"We gave everything, we have no regrets," he added, predicting Wales would be a force in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

"We've given everything, on the pitch, off the pitch," Bale said of Wales stunning campaign in their first major tournament since 1958 when it took a Pele goal to beat them in the World Cup quarter final.

British media called the 31-year-old Ronaldo the "Dragon-slayer" as they recounted how the sharpshooter had stunned Welsh fans brandishing flags and t-shirts with the national red dragon symbol.

Bale had the better of the first half showing off his pace and power to threaten the Portuguese goal.

But five minutes into the second period, Raphael Guerreiro curled a cross to the back post and Ronaldo leapt above James Chester to head past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Three minutes later, Nani, who has just completed a move from Turkey's Fenerbahce to Valencia in Spain, instinctively pushed out his leg to deflect a Ronaldo shot past Hennessy.

Tens of thousands of fans celebrated in Lisbon's Praca do Comercio. Heads dropped in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Ronaldo said he had congratulated Bale on Wales' "amazing run."

"They were the revelation team. I wished him good luck and as for the rest (of the conversation) I'd rather not say."

Ronaldo is desperate to win on Sunday at the Stade de France in what could be his last big chance of winning a Euro or world title.

Portugal did not win a match in regulation 90 minutes before the semi-final.

"Maybe it didn't start as we wanted, but this is not a 100 metre dash, it is a marathon," said the captain.

'My flag, my fatherland'

Portugal coach Fernando Santos, 61, said the final will be the highlight of his long and much-traveled career.

Santos said he would be closely analyzing Thursday's game between France and Germany for potential weaknesses.

"It is my country, my flag, my fatherland, so from a personal point of view it is very important for me.

"Two very strong teams face off tomorrow. I will watch the game very attentively to analyse our opponent."

Germany were boosted ahead of the Marseille game by the news that captain Bastian Schweinsteiger had recovered from injury and would start the match.

But they will still be missing centre-back Mats Hummels through suspension and striker Mario Gomez and midfielder Sami Khedira through injury.

France, like Portugal, have become stronger as the tournament has progressed and hammered Iceland 5-2 in the quarter-final while Germany needed a penalty shootout to beat Italy.

There is an air of revenge for France, whose fans have never forgotten a 1982 defeat in a World Cup semi-final when Patrick Battiston suffered serious injuries.

French coach Didier Deschamps wants a win to end a run of three defeats in major competitions -- including 1982 -- against their neighbours and rivals.

"We can't change past history, but we've got our own page to write," said Deschamps. "We're facing the best team in the world, but the lads have to believe."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Iceland stun England as Euro dream continues

NICE, France - Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France.

Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance.

After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably.

"It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way," said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager.

Pundits were quick to rank England's defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place.

It also fails to take into account England's miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996.

Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters.

"Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement.

"They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them," he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament.

Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions

SHORT LEAD

It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham's outfield record.

The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home.

If England's defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line.

England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans.

England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team's passing was awful and their movement sluggish.

Harry Kane, the Premier League's leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball.

The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans.

They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy.

"Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely," said Ragnar Sigurdsson.

"This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don't know how big it is, but it's damn big."

In contrast England's players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of "You're not fit to wear the shirt."

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Schweinsteiger is back as Germany start with win

PARIS, France -- Bastian Schweinsteiger had time for three touches of the ball and scored with one as world champions Germany started their European Championship campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukraine.

The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder came on in the 90th minute and quickly put away a perfect pass from Mesut Ozil for the deciding goal.

With fan violence again tainting the tournament, Germany's win followed 1-0 victories for Poland over Northern Ireland and Croatia over Turkey.

Schweinsteiger is coming back from a three month knee ligament layoff and the the joy of his first international goal in five years apparently took a toll.

"I ran so hard in the celebrations that I'm a bit out of breath still.

"It was amazing for that to happen, it's the kind of thing you can only wish for, but the most important thing is the team wins," he said of his quickfire goal in the Group C match.

Defender Shkodran Mustafi headed the opener in the first half but goalkeeper Manuel Neus had to make several key saves and Jerome Boateng made a spectacular goalline clearance to block a sure equaliser.

Germany coach Joachim Loew hailed Boateng, who was the target of right-wing German politician Alexander Gauland this month. Gauland said Germans would not want Boateng as their neighbour and that the national team was no longer "German in the classical sense."

"It is good to have Jerome Boateng as your neighbour in the defence," countered Loew.

"He sees dangerous situations, he reacted and very clearly the ball was not behind the line."

The evening was only blemished by fighting between German and Ukraine supporters in Lille before the game. German police said they arrested 21 known hooligans who tried to get across the border. Another 50 leading suspects took part in the skirmishes which followed the major battles between Russia and England fans in Marseille.

- Fan gatecrasher -

A fan gatecrashed Luka Modric's celebrations after he scored Croatia's Group D winner over Turkey with a brilliant volley.

The Real Madrid playmaker performed an equally spectacular knee dive into the corner of the Parc des Princes, where he was joined by team-mates but also a fan in a Croatia replica shirt and red and white painted head.

Stewards led the man away after the security breach.

"It could have been also a supporter from Turkey, but thank God it was our supporter! After scoring this kind of goal, I didn't even notice," Modric said.

Croatia coach Ante Cacic said the goal had been "magical".

It was Modric's 11th goal for his country and they have never lost when he has scored.

"Luka really deserves to be talked about, especially after this match," said Cacic. "It was one of his best matches in Croatia's history. He was really playing well. He was really our leader."

Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik rifled home the only goal in his country's Group C win over Northern Ireland in Nice -- his country's first ever at a European Championship final.

Poland had three draws and three losses over two appearances in 2008 and 2012.

Coach Adam Nawalka is now looking forward to playing Germany at the Stade de France on June 16 with a spot in the last 16 likely to be at stake.

"We have been preparing for them for a long time, we prepare to win against Gemany," said Nawalka.

For Michael O'Neill's Northern Ireland, it was a disappointing end to their first ever European Championship match. It was also 30-years to the day since their last game in a major tournament -- a 3-0 defeat by Brazil at the 1986 World Cup.

Northern Ireland kept the lid on Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski, but still needed some spectacular saves by Michael McGovern in goal to stay in the game.
"It was a difficult match. Poland were excellent," said O'Neill.

"At times early on we were almost overpowered by their physical strength. We tried to get something out of it, but didn't manage to create anything of significance. In all honesty, the best team won on the day."

Northern Ireland now play Ukraine in Lyon on Thursday with both sides needing a win to stay in the hunt for the knockout stages.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com