Healy saves point for Northern Ireland
BELFAST, Northern Ireland ● Northern Ireland’s 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying campaign lies in tatters despite record goalscorer David Healy securing a last-gasp equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan at Windsor Park. Rauf Aliyev scored a screamer to give the Group F strugglers a fifth-minute lead and Northern Ireland conspired to [...]
Montenegro beat San Marino 3-0 to leapfrog England
PODGORICA, Montenegro ● Two goals from Andrija Delibasic and another by Elsad Zverotic gave Montenegro a 3-0 home win over San Marino in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday to send the tiny nation top of Europe’s Group H above England. Montenegro have 10 points from four matches, two more points than England [...]
England can’t get past Poland
WARSAW, Poland ● England were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland on Wednesday in a Group H qualifier that went ahead a day late after Tuesday’s scheduled match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. Wayne Rooney put England up fifteen minutes from half-time, heading in a corner from captain Steven Gerrard for [...]
Ukraine coach hospitalized, to miss qualifier
KIEV, Ukraine ● Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin has had surgery to remove a blood clot from a carotid artery and is expected to miss his team’s World Cup qualifying match in Moldova on Friday. The Ukrainian soccer federation says assistant coach Andriy Bal will take over in Blokhin’s absence. Blokhin has said he will step [...]
Ronaldo gets OK to join Portugal
MADRID, Spain ● Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoulder injury is not serious and he will join up with the Portugal squad later on Monday, his club Real Madrid said. Ronaldo hurt his left shoulder attempting an overhead kick in the second half of Sunday’s 2-2 La Liga draw at Barcelona and although he appeared in [...]
Jonjo Shelvey receives call from England boss Hodgson
LONDON, England ● Liverpool’s uncapped midfielder Jonjo Shelvey and Chelsea’s left-sided player Ryan Bertrand have been added to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Poland. The English FA said in a statement that left back Kieran Gibbs had been ruled out of the squad with injury, prompting [...]
Spain takes first step towards World Cup 2014
MADRID, Spain ● World Cup champion Spain defeated Georgia 1-0 on an 86th-minute goal by Roberto Soldado on Tuesday, the first step by the Spaniards on their road to the 2014 World Cup. This was the 23rd consecutive victory in qualifying matches for Spain, which has three points in Group I and is tied with [...]
Germany remains atop after Austria scare
WIEN, Austria ● Marco Reus scored his third international goal and Mesut Oezil added a penalty Tuesday to help Germany beat Austria 2-1. Reus found the net in the closing minute of the first half and Oezil doubled Germany’s lead in the 52nd before Zlatko Junuzovic reduced Austria’s deficit five minutes later. Germany’s defence looked [...]
Lampard’s late penalty spares England World Cup defeat
WEMBLEY, England ● Frank Lampard’s late equalizer spared Roy Hodgson from losing his first competitive home match as England coach on Tuesday, salvaging a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in 2014 World Cup qualifying. Lampard scored his 26th England goal in the 87th minute from the penalty spot after Yevhen Khacheridi handled the ball, cancelling out [...]
