Soccer News
Greece pray for injury relief
Greece are sweating on whether inspirational midfielder Stylianos Giannakopoulos will recover from his calf injury in time for Friday's quarter-final with France.
The Bolton midfielder missed the 2-1 defeat by Russia and is now in a race against time to be ready.
"The team doctor said he will try to return to full training tomorrow," a team spokesman said.
More worrying for the Greeks is that their star central defender Traianos Dellas is struggling with an unspecified problem, though the 28-year-old AS Roma star is said to be on course to make the match.
Zisis Vryzas is definitely out with suspension.
Holland squeeze into quarters
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| Latvian goalkeeper Aleksandrs Kolinko (R) misses the first goal of Dutch forward Ruud Van Nistelrooij (L), 23 June 2004 at Braga's stadium, during the Euro 2004 group D football match between The Netherlands and Latvia at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Francois GUILLOT |
Two goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and a third from his substitute Roy Makaay fired Holland into a quarter-final with Sweden as the Dutch beat Latvia 3-0 on Wednesday to end second in Group D.
The Dutch owe their qualification to Germany's failure to take their own destiny in hand when they lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic in the other Group D match.
Van Nistelrooy converted a penalty after 27 minutes and nodded in a second from close range after 35. His 70th minute replacement Makaay hammered home a third after 84 minutes while most of the stadium listened to the other match on radios.
Czechs end German campaign
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| Czech Republic forward Marek Heinz (R) celebrates with Jaroslav Plasil after scoring against Germany, 23 June 2004 during their Euro 2004 group D football match at the Jose De Alvalade stadium in Lisbon. AFP PHOTO Joe KLAMAR |
Germany crashed out of the European championships at the first hurdle for the second straight tournament as the Czech Republic earned a 2-1 win to send Holland through courtesy of their 3-0 win over Latvia.
It was a dreadful performance by the World Cup finalists who despite taking a 21st minute lead with a Mickael Ballack strike fell to pieces and gave up goals by Marek Heinze after 30 minutes and Milan Baros who struck the killer blow with 13 minutes left.
The Czech Republic win the group and meet Denmark on Sunday, while Holland sneak through and take on Sweden on Saturday.
Becks: my best is yet to come
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| England's David Beckham plays with the ball during a training session with his team, 11 June 2004, at the Estadio Nacional, in Lisbon in preparation for the European Nations championship. England will play 13 June its opening game at the Euro 2004 vs title-holder France. |
Ahead of England's quarter-final against Portugal David Beckham has responded to critics suggesting his Euro performances so far have lacked punch.
"I feel my best is still to come in this tournament. I always want to get better in games and I feel that I can. I can improve in every aspect but even if I'm not having a good game then, as long as I keep working, that's the main thing," said Beckham, whose trademark free-kick set up England's goal against France.
Eriksson sees England peaking
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| England's football jogs, 23 June 2004, during a team training at the Estadio de Luz in Lisbon, a day prior England's quarter final match against Portugal at the Euro 2004. Despite playing Thursday's Euro 2004 quarter-final with hosts Portugal in the lions' den of the Stadium of Light, England will feel almost as if they are playing at home with more fans than their rivals, media reports said Today. AFP PHOTO PAUL BARKER |
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes England could be running into form just when it matters most.
"I think we did rather well against France and played good football," he said ahead of the quarter-final with Portugal on Wednesday.
"Against Croatia, in the first-half, I think we played extremely well, very good football. We will see tomorrow.
"The belief among the players is very big. They are confident, they know that it's difficult to beat us. It could happen, of course, but the confidence is very high."
Mourinho backs England-Portugal winner
New Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has said he hopes the winner of the quarter-final match between Portugal and England on Thursday will go on to win the championship.
"The players are among the best, the two nations enjoy tremendous football prestige and the ambitions which both teams brought to the tournament are huge," he wrote in a Portuguese sports daily.
"It is not the final but it might as well be.
"I sincerely hope whoever wins will become champions of Europe," said the Portuguese born coach.
Rooney no Pele says Big Phil
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| Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari gestures during a press conference, 23 June 2004, at the Academia Sporting, near Lisbon during the European Nations Championship. Portugal will play against England 24 June in Lisbon for the Euro 2004. AFP PHOTO/Lluis GENE |
Portugal coach Liuiz Felipe Scolari says Pele is peerless and that those on England comparing Wayne Rooney to the former great are sadly mistaken.
"In 1,000 years you won't have another Pele, not even in a computer game.
"Rooney has turned in some fine performances. But he is just one cog in a great team," Scolari told reporters at Portugal's training camp south of Lisbon.
"He is a great player and we admire him. But Pele was unique," said Scolari.
Pele hails wonderkid Rooney
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| England forward Wayne Rooney (R) runs with the ball past Croatia's midfielder Niko Kovac, 21 June 2004 during their European Nations football championships match at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Croatia and England are competing in Group B with France and Switzerland. AFP PHOTO PAUL BARKER |
Pele agrees with England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson that Wayne Rooney has made a bigger impact on a major tournament than any young player since Pele himself.
"Wayne Rooney has already emerged as one of the best players at the European Championships," Pele told The Sun newspaper.
"He's a very exciting talent, who shows maturity and composure beyond his young years."
Pele was an unknown 17-year-old when he helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and went on to become the greatest ever player.
Tigana and Blanc chase France job
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| French coach Jacques Santini arrives at a press conference, 22 June 2004 in Santo Tirso during the Euro 2004. Jacques Santini expressed relief here Monday that he and his players could face their sternest critics - their wives - with qualification for the Euro 2004 quarter-finals safely accomplished. The France coach gave his defending champions a C+ mark after they once again left it late, two second-half goals from Thierry Henry securing a 3-1 win against rank outsiders Switzerland. AFP PHOTO FRANCK FIFE |
France have a short-list of three candidates to replace Jacques Santini who quits as coach after Euro 2004.
French federation president Claude Simonet told l'Equipe sports daily they would not open official talks as long as France are in Euro 2004.
But he added: "Three out of half a dozen merit our consideration."
He refused to respond to L'Equipe's suggestion that Laurent Blanc and Jean Tigana were two candidates on the short-list.
But added: "I've seen Jean Tigana and Laurent Blanc because we met at the Euro but we did not talk about the post."
Chelsea go public on Gerrard
Chelsea have admitted for the first time they are ready to make a swoop for England's Euro 2004 midfield star Steven Gerrard.
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| England's midfielder Steven Gerrard (R) jubilates after his goal next to Switzerland's midfielder Christoph Spycher, 17 June 2004 at Coimbra's stadium, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. England won 3-0. AFP PHOTO Aris MESSINIS |
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon told Chelsea TV: "Steven Gerrard is recognised as one of the best midfielders around and were it possible (to sign him) we would be extremely interested.
"It's great to see how Frank Lampard and Steven have played together and Steven certainly comes into the Lampard class."
Manchester United are also chasing Gerrard but the player is likely to reject such a move because of regional rivalry.