Euro Semi Final Predictions

 

Mario Gomez comes into the match after being rested last week.

Euro Semi Final Predictions

By: Henry Whitfield

And then there were four.

The quarterfinals were all too predictable, the right teams won and only one match was forced into the cruel end that is penalty kicks

We went 3/4 with our predictions last round, predicting England would sneak a very lucky win but the luck was with the Italians as they won in extra kicks after a huge save by Buffon and an audacious chip by Pirlo.

That leaves us our Semi-final matchups, here we go:

Spain v Portugal

The heavy favourite is Spain; defending World Cup and European Cup champions, a team locked and loaded with world-class players top to bottom.

The underdog, the plucky Portuguese led by their talismanic stud Christiano Ronaldo; it is unfair to stick the hopes on just one player, but that is the fate of this team from Portugal.

Almost everywhere I look people are predicting 2-1 or 2-0 wins for Spain, but they forget that this is European football and anything can happen.

Spain have lost before (Switzerland anyone?), and will lose again, but Portugal will need a lot of luck and a perfectly tactical approach to take this one.

Maybe it’s the English in me, maybe it’s my love of an underdog story but…

My Prediction: Spain 1 – 2 Portugal

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Germany v Italy

One team comes into this match off a dominant display, while the other was unable to break down their opponents and were stuck taking a win off penalty kicks.

Germany absolutely picked apart Greece, while resting three starting players no less, and the Italians for all their talk were forced into penalties against England.

I think it’s hard to look past Germany; quick, skilled, powerful on the ball and crafty .

The Italians have said that England played like Chelsea and that they were the better team, but still they failed to score against England, leaving questions up front about Mario Balotelli. Balotelli deserves credit for making himself chances, but unable to finish against England just adds more doubt.

Italy has failed to impress in front of net and will need ‘Super’ Mario to make his mark if they are to take something from this match.

Unfortunately, Germany are just too strong in every department and have had no lack of goals from each area of the park.

My Prediction: Germany 3 – 1 Italy

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

Euro 2012, Quarterfinal Predictions

Ronaldo will look to book his team into the Semi-finals

Euro 2012, Quartfinal Predictions!

By: Henry Whitfield

Just when you think you can rest up after a crazy two weeks of Football, Euro 2012 throw’s the knockout rounds at you.

Surprise pick Greece squeaked into the round, but the match up of Spain v France and England v Italy will have fans of the beautiful game licking their lips.

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Czech Republic v Portugal

Portugal will be buoyed by the resurgence of Christiano Ronaldo, who picked his game up and showed the footballing world he’s still here with a masterclass display against the Netherlands.

But will it be enough?

The Czech’s have used sturdy defence, after their 4-1 demolishing by Russia of course, and tough work ethic to break down opponents and seal their spot in the next round.

It will be Petr Cech vs Ronaldo to determine this one, throw in a dash of Nani and a sprinkle of Postiga and you’ll have a win for Portugal and a spot in the semi-finals.

Prediction: Portugal 3 – 1 Czech Republic

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Rain or shine, Mario Gomez will score Friday.

Germany v Greece

 This isn’t 2004 and this isn’t a Germany team to be taken lightly.

Greece parked the bus, rode the biggest lucky horseshoe they could find and plumped themselves against tournament favourite Germany in the Semi-finals.

Even the most die-hard of the Greek faithful must see this one as a hopeless cause, we’ve seen bigger upsets, but this is a Germany team locked and loaded from to top to bottom.

Rain or shine, expect Mario Gomez to score and continue his red hot form this season.

Sorry Greece, better luck next time but congratulations on getting this far with Samaras up front.

Prediction: Germany 4 – 0 Greece

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Spain v France

The current holders of the Jules Rimet Trophy and Henri Delaunay Trophy respectively, Spain come into this game without a convincing display in the tournament, (yes they beat Republic of Ireland 4-0, but did they have to do much to do it?)

France started off slow, won then lost in a 2-0 match against Sweden and despite the effort of forgetting the 2010 implosion of this team there were once again reports of a bust-up between players.

Players fighting and arguing isn’t exactly what France want’s heading into a match against the world’s best.

Spain have yet to look like that of 2008 and 2010, but will still be favourites to win this one.

Look no further than Fernando Torres as the answer for Spain, if he can get his shooting boots working then it’s a win but if they toil and find themselves unable to get in gear, don’t think that France will be afraid to pounce.

This game looks far more even on paper or form than any other, but Spain edges this and books themselves into the semi-finals.

Prediction: Spain 2 – 1 France

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Which Mario Balotelli will show up for Italy?

England v Italy

Oh England, what have you gone and done now? They forgot to read the script and instead of crashing out of the group stage have pushed through to the knock-out rounds and face a resilient Italian squad.

Regardless of the controversy at home and the scandals abound in Italian football, this Italian squad has been solid in all three displays and the ageless Gianluigi Buffon has continued his dominance of opponents forwards.

While some may see two draws and a solitary win as weak, the Italians drew Spain and a difficult to break down Croatia, finally putting Ireland away in their final match.

England had stumbled into the tournament but after a draw against France, they were able to scramble and pick up wins against Sweden and Ukraine; shockingly finishing top of their group.

This match up is as dead even as it gets, from keeper to midfield to the strikers up front, my heart says England will win and the realist in me says that England can sneak this with a tough Roy Hodgson tactical display.

Will Joe Hart stand tall? Can Pirlo bend it enough? Will Balotelli stay on the pitch? Can Terry’s body hold up?

If England can sneak this, it may truly be a Great Escape.

Prediction: England 2 – 1 Italy

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Batting 6/8 in the first round, let’s hope the luck can continue:

Predicted Semi Final match-ups: England vs Germany, Spain vs Portugal

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

Euro 2012 Group Predictions, how did we do?

Wayne Rooney returned for England, heading them to top of Group D

Euro 2012 Group Predictions, how did we do?

By: Henry Whitfield

The wild roller coaster of the Group Stage is over, but the ride is far from over for the eight teams who have made it through to the knockout rounds.

Greece and Czech Republic are unlikely members of the final eight,  while Germany dominated the Group of Death and the Dutch were unable to get a single point out of their three matches.

England were surprise winners of Group D, turning a poor performance in their final game against Ukraine into a vital three points.

With the opening round of the tournament complete, here’s a wrap up of where everyone sits and how our predictions went:

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Group A

My Prediction – Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece

Actual Standings – Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Poland

Who saw this one coming? Russia dominated the Czech Republic in their opener 4-1, sending waves through the tournament but they were unable to replicate that performance and crashed out. Greece snuck into the final rounds, using their defensive nature to scratch out results.

Group B

My Prediction – Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Denmark

Actual Standings – Germany, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands

What went wrong for the Netherlands you ask? Everything. After losing their opener against Denmark, the Dutch were in tough and never seemed to get started. Germany rolled through the group, picking up all nine points, while Portuguese star Ronaldo finally showed up against the Dutch and booked his team a place in the final eight.

 

Torres will need to start firing on all cylinders to help push Spain forward.

Group C

My Prediction – Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia

Actual Standings – Spain, Italy, Croatia, Republic of Ireland

Spain and Italy made short work of the Republic of Ireland and Croatia, Spain did however look questionable in their final match against Croatia. Italy looked strong defensively and were able to get the points needed to progress.

Group D

My Prediction – France, England, Ukraine, Sweden

Actual Results – England, France, Ukraine, Sweden

England clawed and scratched their way through, it wasn’t pretty and it was often ugly, but they drew France and picked up vital wins over Ukraine and Sweden. France were frustrated by England on opening day but were able to beat Ukraine to ensure their progression, but concern will be abound after a convincing 2 – 0 loss to Sweden in their final match.

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Correctly predicting 6 of the 8 teams to progress wasn’t too shabby, but i’d have to question anyone’s sanity who was able to correctly put the Czech Republic and Greece through. Insanity indeed.

Predictions for the Quarterfinals will be coming soon! 

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

TZONE Hockey Night in Halifax: June 18th Replay

TZONE Hockey Night in Halifax: June 18th Replay

The Citadels rode a three goal outbreak to down the Killicks 7-4, with Jason Tibbert, Craig Fizzle and Tyler Rodgers scoring to seal the win.

While the Storm outlasted the Fog, ending the night still undefeated after shutting down high-scoring forward Rob Rideout for just one goal and riding solid defence to a 5 – 2 win.

The last game of the triple header featured the Generals and the Battalion, where a goaltending battle saw Peter Kelly and Bryan Esbaugh hold both teams scoreless until midway through the second period. The Generals edged the win on a last minute goal by Todd Waite, taking a 2-1 decision.

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Citadels 7 – 4 Killicks

Chris Ryder and Craig Fizzle traded goals early, while Matt Ryder gave his team a 2-1 lead going into the second period after a nice breakaway goal when he was sent in clean on goal.

All the action was left for the second period though, with the teams combining for 8 goals and some great end to end action.

Killicks Captain Mark Keating scored his first of the year to give his team a 3-1 lead, with Scott Drake turning in a set of huge saves moments later to preserve the two goal lead.

However, the Citadels kept knocking and a pair of goals by Shawn Corbett and Tyler Rodgers tied the game up, before a John MacDonald tip in front was redirected past Drake in front to give the Citadels a 4-3 lead.

Matt Ryder tied the game back up after a break away goal, going upstairs on the backhand before taking a penalty seconds later.

That penalty set off a 3-goal in the spam of just over a minute, with Jason Tibbert, Frizzle and Rodgers all scoring and there was no turning back for the Killicks.

Player of the Game: Craig Frizzle – 2 goals

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Storm 5 – 2 Fog

It was touted as a two giants battling off, but the Storm got the better of the Fog on Monday night, using a responsible defensive game to keep the Fog at bay.

Brad Manley opened the scoring, but the lead was short lived with Mike Sack tying it up less than a minute later for the Fog.

Brent Powers let off a weak shot that handcuffed Murray Cutler, giving the storm a 2-1 lead before a typical Rob Rideout goal on a fast break tied the game up just before the end of the first period.

A flurry of penalties to start the second period saw the Fog and Storm both face extended 5-on-3 situations, but both teams were able to stand tall on the backs of solid goaltending.

Manley gave the Storm the lead midway through the second half, a big slap shot from the right of Cutler beat him high blocker and James Giffen would double the lead on the powerplay moments later.

Brad Manley added a later empty netter, completing the hat-trick and the 5 – 2 rout.

Player of the Game: Brad Manley – 3 goals

Mike Pappas and his Generals were able to steal the win Monday night

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Both the Battalion and Generals were looking to build momentum moving forward and found it in the form of outstanding goaltending.

Bryan Esbaugh and Peter Kelly stood on their heads, keeping both teams scoreless through the first period and halfway through the second, the longest a game has gone scoreless on a Sportstream broadcast.

Bob Sacre finally solved Peter Kelly, a powerplay goal that game off a tip in front and giving the Generals a 2 – 1 lead with nine minutes left.

The lead was short-lived, with Jason Budgell breaking Esbaugh’s shutout attempt and tying the game on a hot shot from the top of the face-off circle.

Todd Waite and the Generals would have the last laugh, with Waite coming off the right wing and slapping home the eventual winner over the shoulder of Kelly short side and knocking the water bottle off.

A frenzy of chances at the end of the game saw Esbaugh stand tall, a last ditch glove save preserving the 2-1 scoreline for his Generals.

Player of the Game: Bryan Esbaugh

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TZONE Hockey Night In Halifax Player of the Night:  Brad Manley (Storm)

– A hat-trick of goals, including a game winner and an empty netter, capped an outstanding two-way effort by Manley and the Storm.

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*Replays will be added to the article as they become available, coding may sometimes be delayed.

Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , where he live tweets his thoughts during each Mooseheads game.

Euro 2012: Group B Wrap-Up

Christiano Ronaldo decided to show up, putting his team through to the Quarterfinals

Euro 2012: Group B Wrap-Up

The Dutch Masters were sent packing by a dominant Portuguese performance, one where star Christiano Ronaldo finally showed up, while Germany scored late to finish with three wins out of three.

Dutch fans will be wondering how everything went so horribly wrong, their team a heavy favourite and crashing out without so much as a point to show for it.

Portugal 2 – 1 Netherlands

Silencing his critics and putting his team through to the next round, Christiano Ronaldo delivered an inspired performance and scored twice to beat the Dutch 2-1.

Rafael van deer Vaart scored early and gave his team hope, knowing that a win was their only way through to the quarterfinals.

Despite the high-stakes, the Dutch failed to impress themselves upon the match and were second best to a high-intensity Portugal.

Ronaldo was all over the pitch for much of the 90 minutes and showed the pace and keen scoring instinct that has made him a star.

He slotted home Joao Pereira’s pinpoint pass late in the first half, before scoring a sensational goal with 15 minutes left in the game; a dagger to the hearts of the Dutch.

The win sets up a quarterfinal matchup with the Czech Republic, the unlikely winners of Group A.

Man of the Match: Christiano Ronaldo

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Germany 2 – 1 Denmark

While being pegged as the ultimate underdogs in the “Group of Death,” Denmark were able to battle through the group stage and it was a late goal in the 80th minute from defender Lars Bender who sent the Danes out.

Germany took the lead off a Lukas Podolski strike, but the plucky Danish equalized off the boot of Michael Krohn-Dehli just six minutes later.

A dominant German performance from start to finish was almost ruined by Nicklas Bendtner who had a chance wasted late in the game, before Bender broke down the wing and scored a brilliant goal.

The Germans will match up with Greece in the next round, heavily favoured to reach the semi-finals.

Man of the Match: Lars Bender

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Final Group Standings: Germany 9pts | Portugal 6pts | Denmark 3pts | Netherlands 0pts

Group B – Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Denmark

The Portuguese snuck through on the back of Christiano Ronaldo, while the predictably dominant Germans swept through with ease. How many people predicted the Dutch would finish with no points in this one? Ridiculous.

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

Euro 2012: Group A Wrap-Up

Greece showed glimpses of their 2004 form

Euro 2012: Group A Wrap-Up

By: Henry Whitfield

Euro 2012 has been full of action and the last day of Group A continued the trend, with Poland and Russia crashing out of the tournament while underdogs Greece and Czech Republic live to play another day.

While Poland and Russia will be heartbroken at their early exits, the future for Greece and Czech Republic isn’t exactly bright, with their next round opponents emerging from the Group of Death.

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Greece 1  – 0 Russia

Greece struggled in both their opening matches, but took advantage of a first half strike by Giorgos Karagounis on the brink of half time to steal a spot in the knockout rounds.

Russia dominated play early on and the lone strike was completely against the run of play, with Karagounis taking advantage of a mistake by Russian defender Sergei Ignashevich.

The unlikely leaders held on after the break, being outshot 29-7 and having just 40% possession, but channelling the defensive mindset that shook the Euro’s of 2004, the Greeks were able to snatch the most unlikely of wins.

The lone black mark for the Greeks will be the suspension of Captain Karagounis for their next match, who was shown a yellow in the second half for what the referee deemed a dive.

Man of the Match: Giorgos Karagounis

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Petr Jiracek saved the day for the Czech’s

Czech Republic 1 – 0 Poland

Hosts Poland were unable to get the win they so desperately seeked, knocking the co-hosts out of the tournament while sending the Czechs through to the quarterfinals.

After a 4-1 drubbing by Russia in their opening match, the Czech Republic bounced back with a narrow 2 – 1 over Greece and after beating Poland they snuck up to top spot in Group A.

Both teams needed a win and they both fought for it in the first half, however,  it was a tale of two halves as the Czechs imprinted their dominance in the second half and the Polish team slowly faded away.

It was Petr Jiracek who sealed the Poles fate, slotting home a shot after being found wide open by former Liverpool frontman Milan Baros.

Petr Cech finally found his groove, stopping 9 shots on target and picking up a much needed clean sheet; the Czech keeper had allowed 5 goals in the first two matches.

Man of the Match:  Petr Cech

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Final Group A Standings: Czech Republic – 6 points | Greece – 4 Points | Russia – 4 Points | Poland – 2 Points

Our Group A Predictions:  Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece

 

Greece went on to ruin our predictions, but with a 50% start to the tournament we can’t be too upset. Not many thought the Czech’s could go through but our 2012 Darkhorse was able to seal top spot in the group.

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

 

Euro 2012 – Day 6, As It Happened

Germany continues to win at the Euro’s

Euro 2012 – Day 6, As It Happened

Super Mario took over Group B, giving Germany a 2-1 win over the Dutch, while Portugal outlasted a resilient Denmark 3-2.

The results leave the Group wide open, with Germany through, while Portugal and Denmark both sit on 3 points each, leaving plenty of drama for the last day of matches.

– – –

Portugal 3 – 2 Denmark

Pepe gave his team an early lead off a header, with Helder Postiga doubling the lead off a shot from six yards out.

Silvestre Valera saved the day for Portugal

Denmark pulled one back before half time off the head of Bendtner, but trailed 2-1 despite controlling the possession.

After a trio of terrible misses by Christiano Ronaldo in the second half, Nicklas Bendtner pulled the two teams even on a header that snuck by the keeper.

In the most cruel way, Portugal snatched the win in the final moments as a substitute Silvestre Valera struck the back of the net.

Man of the Match: Nicklas Bendtner

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Germany 2 – 1 Netherlands

Mario Gomez scored a pair of brilliant goals, pacing his German team to a dominant 2-1 win over a Dutch team that never seemed interested in the game.

Mario Gomez is on fire for Club and Country

Manager Bert van Marwijk will be left wondering what went wrong, his side failing to imprint themselves in the match and played off the pitch by a dominant German team.

Mark van Bommel had an early chance, but it was the Germans who would strike first.

Gomez was sent in alone on a perfect pass by Bastian Schweinsteiger, turning on the ball and slotting the shot under a helpless  Maarten Stekelenburg.

Unfortunately for the Dutch, Gomez was far from finished.

The Bayern Munich forward doubled the lead before half-time, smashing a shot across the face of the net and just inside the far post; a perfectly placed shot.

The Dutch tried to liven things up at halftime, bringing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael Van deer Vaart on but the changes failed to make the impact they wanted.

Robin Van Persie pulled a goal back on a great individual effort late in the game, but that was all that the Netherlands could muster as they fell to two losses in the tournament.

The loss means the Dutch must beat Portugal on their final day, while hoping for a German win against the plucky Danish.

Man of the Match: Mario Gomez

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

BREAKING: Russia slapped with Fine, point deduction

Stewards attacked after Russia’s 4-1 win

Russia slapped with Fine, point deduction

By: Henry Whitfield

UEFA has taken swift action against Russia after their unruly fans attacked stadium stewards after their opening day match.

They were given a  suspended 6-point deduction, which will apply to the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, and were slapped with a 120,000 euro fine.

Video was released of the attack in the stadium, we wrote about the incident early this week right here.

These sanctions come on the back of huge unrest shown between Russian and Polish fans on Monday night, which may give further reproduction to the 2018 World Cup hosts.

Current numbers show 120 people arrested and at least 10 injured in yesterday’s fighting.

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

Euro 2012 – Day 5, As It Happened

Veteran Petr Cech has struggled to find his form

Euro 2012 – Day 5, As It Happened

By: Henry Whitfield

The Czech Republic rebounded from their thrashing at the hands of Russia to beat Greece 2-1 and Poland stunned Russia with a late equalizer in Group A action.

Both results leave the group wide open heading into the last round of matches next week, with all four teams able to qualify for the knockout rounds.

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Czech Republic 2 – 1 Greece

The Czech Republic wasted no time putting their tournament back on track, scoring two goals in the first six minutes of play to take a 2 – 0 lead.

Before Greece knew what had happened, they were on the back foot and trailing. A disastrous start to a game that they needed a result in.

Petr Jiracek scored the first, tucking away  inch-perfect pass by Tomas Hubschman.

Then Vaclav Pilar followed it up with a goal from a few yards out, giving the Czech’s a lead they would hold onto for the entire game.

Pilar continued to boss the midfield and the 23-year-old continues to impress.

Fanis Gekas was able to claw a goal back just after half-time, but the Greeks were unable to draw even.

The only mark on this win for the Czech’s will be the play of veteran Keeper Petr Cech, who allowed his fifth goal of the tournament and has looked shaky in net.

Man of the Match: Vaclav Pilar

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Blaszczykowski was mobbed by teammates after his second-half goal

Poland 1 – 1 Russia

Host Poland kept it’s dream of quarterfinal action alive after Captain Jakub Blaszczykowski scored a crucial tying goal in the second half and draw 1 – 1 with Russia.

Rob Lewandowski shone through for Poland, scoring a goal 17 minutes in but was flagged for offside, disallowing the high-light real goal.

Andrey Arshavin was again the spark for Russia in the midfield, working tirelessly and showing the form that made Arsenal splash out on a £15m move in 2009.

It was the Arsenal man who set up the opening goal, his free-kick being redirected home by Alan Dzagoev in the 37th minute.

Poland continued to press, but couldn’t find the goal they so desperately sought, with Lewandowski testing the Russian keeper time and time again.

It was the Polish Captain who found a way through, scoring a screamer past Malafeev and into the top corner, a top class finish.

The result means Russia needs just one point from their final game against Greece to move on in the tournament

Man of the Match: Rob Lewandowski

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.

Euro 2012 – Day 4, As It Happened

Lescott opened the scoring for England

Euro 2012 – Day 4, As It Happened

By: Henry Whitfield

The much anticipated match between England and France failed to produce an exciting display of football, ending in a 1-1 draw. With France unable to turn their dominance into a result to be happy with.

The surprise catalyst for excitement in Group D was Andriy Shevchenko, as the 35-year old scored two headers in six minutes to steal win for the Hosts.

– – –

England 1 – 1 France

The pre-game talk was all whether England would be able to stop the 21-game unbeaten streak by France, but the match ended a bore 1-1 draw.

France dominated for much of the match, with 60% of the possession and a whopping 15 shots on target, compared to the just one by England.

James Milner had an excellent chance to score early on, beating the keeper but hitting the side netting instead of the wide open goal.

England were saved the embarrassment, with Joleon Lescott heading a sublime free-kick into the back of the net and sending the England fans into celebration.

Despite their positive start, England were guilty of sitting back for much of the game and at times seemed content to sit with ten men behind the ball, void of all attacking intent.

The tactic was their downfall, with Samir Nasri scoring a long-ranged shot past keeper Hart, with three England players unable to close down the Manchester City midfielder.

France will be disappointed that their superior control in the second half was unable to secure them a vital three points as Karim Benzema came close to sneaking a win.

Man Of the Match: Samir Nasri

– – –

 

Shevchenko turned back time with a splendid brace for Ukraine

Ukraine 2 – 1 Sweden

A battle of two aging strikers lived up the billing as both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andriy Shevchenko scored, showing the skill that has cemented the two in their countries respect lore.

After a tightly contested first half, Ibrahimovic put his Swedish team ahead off a cross from Kim Kallstrom, making no mistake from six yards out.

The excitement was short-lived, with the Ukraine talismanic forward turning the game on it’s head with a quick fire double.

His first goal came from a killer header off a short cross, the second was an even more spectacular header at the near post off a corner kick, turning the match around in a mere matter of moments.

The 35-year old sent the stadium into delirium, turning back the years and showing why he is regarded as nothing short of a National Hero.

Man Of the Match: Andriy Shevchenko

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Henry is a writer for Sportstream.ca  and part of the Bill McLean Sports Show on 88.1 CKDU  every Thursday Morning at 9am. You can follow him on twitter at @HenryWhitfield , he’ll be bringing daily updates throughout the entire European Championships.