|
|
|
|
|
Four-star Germans blast Greeks
|
|
|
Merkel impressed by German win
Ronaldo is just like Ali — without the laughs
Tennis impasse likely to continue for a few days
Sangakkara’s unbeaten 199 puts Sri Lanka in control
Kaneria to appeal ‘unfair’ ban
Himalayan bike odyssey from Delhi
|
|
England out to finish Italian job
Krakow, June 23 Clashing for the first time in more than a decade, England have met Italy only twice at major tournaments with the Italians winning a 1980 European Championship group game 1-0 in Turin and a 1990 World Cup third-place playoff 2-1 in Bari. Both teams, enjoying unbeaten runs in competitive fixtures lasting 11 and 13 games respectively, are built on sound defence and counter-attack. Both use flexible versions of 4-4-2 and have thoughtful and pragmatic managers in Roy Hodgson and Cesare Prandelli. For England, where the Premier League has ushered in a financial boom, cosmopolitan coaching and many world class players, it is a chance to prove their game has progressed since they lost 2-1 to Italy at Leeds, in March, 2002. Italian coaches have heavily influenced the English domestic boom. Men like Gianluca Vialli, Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Di Matteo at Chelsea and Manchester City's Roberto Mancini have stamped their style on their teams and have been successful, with Di Matteo winning the Champions League and Mancini the Premier League title in 2012. Yet, as English football has embraced the Italian way, Italy has moved in the other direction, seeking to instill more dynamic and open attacking play into a tradition of slow, defensive asphyxiation. This sense of flux will be embodied on Sunday by teams with sound defences and outstanding goalkeepers - a relative newcomer for England in Joe Hart, 25, and a seasoned veteran for Italy in Gianluigi Buffon, 34, set to make his 118th international appearance. Both teams also have Manchester-based potential firecrackers in Wayne Rooney, of United, who came back from suspension to score England's winner against Ukraine. and Mario Balotelli, of City, who scored as a substitute against Ireland. Rooney's return has added threat to England's attack without disturbing a smothering system that has earned Hodgson - whose peripatetic career has included two spells at Inter Milan - the soubriquet 'the English Italian', after he was praised as “intelligent, clever, experienced and cunning” by Mancini in La Gazzetta dello Sport. Prandelli, like Hodgson, has kept his cards close to his chest on whether he will retain the 4-3-1-2 system used to defeat Ireland or revert to a three-man defence adopted in the previous group games. He must also decide whether to continue with Antonio Di Natale as the main striker or recall Balotelli to face his club-mates Joleon Lescott and Hart. Midfielder Thiago Motta is a slight doubt with a hamstring strain. Fullbacks Ignazio Abate and Federico Balzaretti are expected to keep their places while central defender Leonardo Bonucci is set to start in place of the injured Giorgio Chiellini. England are expected to be unchanged. “From our point of view, there is an understanding that we are a good team,” said Bonucci. “But we know that to go all the way, we also need luck. We've got to be careful against this England, who are increasingly playing like Italy, focusing on details in defence.” In the only previous meeting of the two teams at a European Championship finals, Italy won 1-0 on home soil in Turin in 1980. Like many of their confrontations, it was cagey, dramatic and physical. This should be no different. — Reuters
|
|
Four-star Germans blast Greeks
Germany will now play England or Italy, who meet in tomorrow's Kiev quarter-final, in the semi-final at Warsaw's National Stadium on Thursday as they inflicted Greece's heaviest defeat at a European championships. It eclipsed the Greeks' 3-1 defeat at the hands of Czechoslovakia in 1980. The Germans dominated at Arena Gdansk with 700 first-half passes completed compared to the Greeks 70 and the Germans' ball possession never dropped below 60 per cent. "That was a class performance from the team to reach the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row," said Loew with the Germans having reached the semi-finals at both the last two World Cups and lost the Euro 2008 final. "We can be proud of the team, it was clear that the Greeks could make something out of nothing. We failed to take an early lead, but we did not panic. There were a few changes and I thought I had to change things after three wins." Loew pulled off a pre-match triple surprise by leaving out striker Mario Gomez, plus forwards Lukas Podolski and Thomas Mueller in a bold move. Klose won his 120th cap to come in for Gomez to claim his 64th international goal leaving him just four short of Gerd Mueller's all-time Germany record. Borussia Dortmund-bound Reus capped his first Euro 2012 appearance with a goal at Mueller's expense to win only his seventh cap while Bayer Leverkusen's Andre Schuerrle took Lukas Podolski's place on the left wing. — AFP
|
|
Merkel impressed by German win
Gdansk, June 23 The heckling came in a highly-charged atmosphere, the match played out against a backdrop of economic crisis in the Eurozone with Germany seen as pressurising cash-strapped Greece to choose a programme of tough austerity to rein in ballooning debts. "It was a great match," beamed Merkel yesterday as she basked in a win courtesy of goals by Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus lifted Die Mannschaft through to a match against either England or Italy. Merkel admitted that she was nervous at the start but once Germany settled "I had the impression we dominated. It was a great match," smiled Merkel. — AFP |
|
Ronaldo is just like Ali — without the laughs
If Ronaldo wasn't pleased with himself, whoever would be? However, there is a certain shortfall in his arrogance. It lacks the full-blown authority Ali displayed right from the start. In training once at Madison Square Garden, he told the assembled ringsiders that his sparring partner, and former world champion Jimmy Ellis, had admitted to dreaming he put the great man on the floor. “When he came to work this morning,” Ali said with satisfaction “the first thing he did was apologise.”
There has been no such verbal splendour yet from the man who is so riveting at the European Championship, but perhaps we should give him a little time. Ali also said “a rooster crows when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he’ll never crow. I’ve seen the light and I’m crowing.” Maybe we should give Ronaldo another week or so. — By arrangement with The Independent
|
|
Tennis impasse likely to continue for a few days
New Delhi, June 23 Despite Paes' reservations, All India Tennis Association (AITA) had partnered him with 206th ranked Vishnu Vardhan for the men's doubles but he was assured of a pairing with Sania for the mixed doubles event. The AITA was forced to give in to the demand of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna that they be sent as a team to London after initially selecting Paes and Bhupathi as the lone Indian entry. Sania, on the back of her recent French Open victory, is likely to get a wild card entry either in the singles or the women's doubles draw with Rushmi Chakravarthy. In case she does not get it, Paes' chances of winning a medal at Olympics will diminish since his combination with Vardhan may not survive long in the tough men's doubles field. So, if Sania misses out on getting a wild card entry, Paes may decide against competing in the Games as realistically he stands a medal chance only in mixed doubles. AITA had made the team announcement on Thursday but Paes has not yet made it clear if he will boycott or accept the compromise deal. "So he perhaps is waiting for June 28 before revealing what he intends to do," according an AITA source. — PTI
|
|
Sangakkara’s unbeaten 199 puts Sri Lanka in control
Galle, June 23 Pakistan were tottering at 48 for five in reply at stumps with seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and off-spinner Suraj Randiv both taking two wickets each off successive deliveries. Kulasekara removed opener Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali, while Randiv dismissed skipper Mohammad Hafeez (20) and nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal in gloomy conditions. Shafiq fell to Herath, leaving Younis Khan on 15 with Pakistan still 225 runs away from saving the follow-on. — AFP
|
|
Kaneria to appeal ‘unfair’ ban
London, June 23 "They (ECB) don't have any proof against me. I don't know why they are saying this ("grave danger to cricket", etc). I will definitely be doing an appeal," he told 'Sky Sports News'. Earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board banned Kaneria for his involvement in the Mervyn Westfield spot-fixing case. Apart from Kaneria, the ECB also imposed a five-year ban on Westfield but he will be able to play in the final two years of his punishment. — PTI
|
|
|
Himalayan bike odyssey from Delhi
New Delhi: The 9th edition of the Royal Enfield Himalayan Bike Odyssey was flagged off from India Gate here today. The 16-day adventure will have 67 riders from India and abroad, who will cover a distance of 2700 km from Delhi to Khardung La. This year, the riders will venture into the Spiti Valley first and cover the Rohtang Pass, on their way back. The seasoned riders will pass through Parwanoo, Narkhanda, Keylong, Sarchu via Kalpa and Karza region. After a rest day on July 1, the bikers will set out for the sand dunes of Hunder, and then journey back, tracing Leh, Debring, Keylong, Manali and Chandigarh, before heading back to Delhi on July 8. — TNS |
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
England and Italy, two teams packed with experience but spiced by youth and some volatility, meet in Kiev on Sunday in probably the most intriguing of the Euro 2012 quarter-final ties.
Clashing for the first time in more than a decade, England have met Italy only twice at major tournaments with the Italians winning a 1980 European Championship group game 1-0 in Turin and a 1990 World Cup third-place playoff 2-1 in
Bari.
Germany booked their place in the last four of Euro 2012 as Joachim Loew's side hammered Greece 4-2 after dominating their quarterfinal.
Gdansk, June 23
The more you see Cristiano Ronaldo in his pomp here the more you are reminded of the young Muhammad Ali. With the looks, and the sheer athletic beauty of how he plays, you have to pardon - at least to some degree - the scale of his narcissism.
Ali also claimed to be so fast that when he switched off the light he was in bed before it was dark.
