Donetsk, June 24
Holders Spain strolled into the Euro 2012 semifinals after two goals from Xabi Alonso on his 100th appearance secured a 2-0 victory over a listless France team on Saturday.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani will surely give Spain more to think about than a limp France did in a match which, despite being between two of the powerhouses of European soccer, produced little incident or excitement.

Spain again played without a recognised striker with Fernando Torres left on the bench, and their patient ‘Tiki Taka’ football at times became little more than negative possession designed to cajole the French into opening up.

At the other end, Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas had just one attempt on goal to save as the world champions completed their eighth successive knockout game in a major tournament without conceding a goal.

“It is very difficult to create danger for them, they are so tough to beat, you have to be very clinical when you only get 30-35 per cent of the possession,” said France coach Laurent Blanc.

The win was the first for Spain in a competitive match against France at the seventh attempt and avenged their loss in the second round of the 2006 World Cup.

Alonso gave Spain the lead in the 19th minute with a powerful header and made sure of the win with a stoppage-time penalty. In between, the world champions were content to keep the ball, often with little attacking purpose.

“We controlled the match well from start to finish and Iker hardly had a save to make. The important thing now is that we recuperate for the next game,” said Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque.

France came into this tournament having apparently resolved the internal disputes which wrecked their 2010 World Cup campaign but they leave with just a solitary win over Ukraine and they bowed out with a strange lack of determination.

Blanc set up his team in a defensive fashion, bolstering the right flank to try to contain Andres Iniesta. Right back Mathieu Debuchy was moved forward into midfield ahead of full back Anthony Reveillere and the defensive-minded Florent Malouda started in midfield in preference to Samir Nasri and Alou Diarra.

It was a logical, if negative, approach for Blanc to take but it was only going to work if the French succeeded in frustrating Spain for a long stretch.

Instead, however, Spain got ahead in the 19th minute and exactly from the side which Blanc had tried to lock down. “We had analysed the Spanish line-up well because they had two very strong players on the left but what is the most frustrating thing is that we conceded the goal from that side,” said Blanc.

Iniesta fed the overlapping Jordi Alba who got to the line and put in a deep cross which Alonso met with a powerful downward header.

France needed to find an attacking response but they went in at halftime having managed only a curling free kick from Yohan Cabaye which Casillas pushed around the post.

Spain now have an all-Iberian clash to look forward to back in Donetsk where the fans can at least expect Portugal’s aggressive counter-attacking style to provide some moments to raise them from their seats. — Reuters

Donetsk, June 24
France coach Laurent Blanc pointed to Xabi Alonso’s early goal as the key moment in his side’s 2-0 loss to Spain in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals, but stood by his tactical choices.

Blanc unexpectedly introduced a fresh tactical formula in a bid to stifle Spain at Donetsk’s Donbass Arena yesterday, with a five-man midfield deployed in a bid to stifle the reigning world and European champions.

Mathieu Debuchy lined up ahead of fellow right-back Anthony Reveillere in an unfamiliar right-wing role, as Blanc sought to nullify the influence of Jordi Alba and Andres Iniesta on the Spanish left.

However, it was from that side of the pitch that Spain broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, with Iniesta freeing Alba to cross for Xabi Alonso to head home on his 100th international appearance.

France improved after half-time, until Alonso’s injury-time penalty put the game to bed, but Blanc said he was more frustrated by the early goal than by his side’s failure to capitalise on their chances.

“If you look at our team, we knew Spain’s left side was very strong,” he said. “In Alba and Iniesta, they have two players who overlap constantly. And what’s frustating is that we conceded a goal from that side.

“If you look at the first half, it’s the only time Alba was able to put a cross in. Even though we covered the front post, Xabi Alonso scored at the back post.

“It’s a frustrating feeling. We knew they were dangerous on that side, we changed our team to compensate, and they score from that side.” He added: “In my belief, they are better than us. But my regrets are about conceding in the first half. Even though they dominated the match, I think they feared us a bit, particularly in attack.

“Even at 1-0 down, our second half was much better technically. We had a few openings, even though we didn’t create any clear-cut chances.

“The big regret is the fact we let in the first goal from their first chance. In the second half, the players gave everything. Technically it was better, but it’s very hard to cause Spain problems,” Blanc said. — AFP

Donetsk, June 24
Vicente Del Bosque said Spain’s team performance, rather than France’s defensive approach, was chiefly responsible for their 2-0 win over the French in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals.

The reigning world and European champions set up a last-four meeting with neighbours Portugal after a brace of goals from Xabi Alonso, on his 100th international appearance, gave them victory at Donetsk’s Donbass Arena yesterday.

France coach Laurent Blanc’s plan to align two right-backs on the right flank back-fired in the 14th minute when Jordi Alba got away from both Mathieu Debuchy and Anthony Reveillere before crossing for Alonso to put Spain ahead.

Spain weathered periods of France pressure in the second half before Alonso sealed the win from the penalty spot in injury time, and Spanish coach Del Bosque said his team were deserved victors. “I don’t want to talk about the opposition coach,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“We were strong on the left through Jordi and (Andres) Iniesta, and that’s where the goal came from. I don’t think they were short in attack. They had (Franck) Ribery and (Karim) Benzema. They went forward and made chances, and then (Olivier) Giroud and (Samir) Nasri came on.

With Ronaldo in match-winning form for the Portuguese, Del Bosque knows his side will have to recover as quickly as possible. — AFP

Gdansk, June 24
A nagging ankle problem for Bastian Schweinsteiger and the continuing issue of a mole in the camp have cast a small shadow over Germany’s preparations for their Euro 2012 semifinal in Warsaw on Thursday.

Experienced holding midfielder Schweinsteiger has missed some training sessions in the past few days due to an ankle injury picked up earlier in the year and his performance in the tournament has so far been below expectations.

“He has a problem and obviously it is best when no playerhas a problem,” captain Philipp Lahm told reporters on Sunday. “It is ok when you miss a training session but when you need to sit out several then it is not that easy.”

“But I am not too concerned. Bastian knows his body inside out, he is experienced and he will be able to deliver on Thursday.”

Three-time European champions Germany will meet either England or Italy, who play later on Sunday, for a place in the final on July 1 in Kiev.

“We need fit players, so much is clear,” said Lahm when asked whether Schweinsteiger would play even if not fully fit. “We cannot have three or four percent missing. We have depth in the squad and that gives you peace of mind. But clearly it would be good if Bastian Schweinsteiger could play on Thursday,” said Lahm.

Germany made four changes to their lineup in their 4-2 quarterfinal win over Greece compared to their last group game against Denmark but looked even sharper. Preparations for their fourth straight semi-final in a major tournament have also been hit by revelations that a mole has been leaking the lineups for group games and their quarterfinal match against Greece to media hours before the start.

Coach Joachim Loew has said it was none of his players but did not rule out the possibility that the ‘Deep Throat’ could be someone they talked to, from friends and wives to maybe agents. Lahm said the issue had again been raised with the players and that the culprit was causing some damage.

“Everyone should be aware that it is normal for a player to tell his wife, girlfriend or agent whether they will play once they find out but you cannot reveal the lineup. You cannot do that.”

“It is sad when this thing comes out. The whole nation is behind us and it is not an advantage when it is leaked hours before. The one who released it has a problem. He has not understood how this works.” “But we will not deploy a spy,” he said. — Reuters

London, June 24
For almost a decade it seemed Roger Federer was guest of honour on finals day at nearly every grand slam event but over the past 12 months Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal have conspired to strike him off the list.

Between winning his first major at Wimbledon in 2003 and a record 16th slam at the Australian Open in 2010, Federer failed to reach the showpiece match in one of the big four tournaments just five times and contested an astonishing 22 finals.

So regular were his appearances in the finals that, when he was absent, it felt a little like attending a Madonna concert where the Queen of Pop failed to show up.

Unfortunately for Federer, considered the most gifted player to have swung a tennis racket, his run of success has dried up and he is not happy being just one of the crowd. Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion Djokovic and Nadal have split the last nine major trophies between them and they have also contested the last four slam finals.

Federer feels it is time someone gatecrashes their party and winning a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon crown would be a good start. "It's my time of the year now," said Federer who was kitted out in a collared, long-sleeved cream jumper complete with purple trim and a green 'RF' logo embossed on the upper right arm.

"I fancy my chances here and at the US Open. It's exciting times ahead," he told reporters at Wimbledon. The rivalry between the top three has electrified not just the tennis community but the whole sporting world.

It seems each time one of the trio reaches a final, a host of records are on the line. Over the next 43 days they will be chasing not only a Wimbledon crown but the number one ranking is also up for grabs, as is the Olympic gold medal when the All England Club hosts the tennis event during the London Games.

It is no wonder that Nadal, who has already bagged 11 majors, relishes the challenge of playing in this era. "I feel very lucky to be part of these two rivalries. It's something that brings special motivation to my game, the motivation to keep improving my tennis," said Nadal who won a record seventh French Open title two weeks ago.

Federer is aware many people have written his tennis obituary over the past two years, especially after being knocked out in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011, and he is determined to show he can rise from the ashes.

"I want to do better. I have to do better in this event," said the Swiss who was beaten here by Tomas Berdych in 2010 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year. — Reuters

London, June 24
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has adopted new regulations for determining whether an athlete should or should not be allowed to compete as a woman. South African runner Caster Semenya was accused by competitors of being too masculine when she won the world championship in the 800 meters in 2009.

It has been three years since international sports officials drew widespread criticism over the handling of the case of a female athlete who was accused of being unfairly masculine.

In addressing one of the most vexing and personal issues in sports - how to draw a line between male and female, when human anatomy is often mixed - the organisation decided to use testosterone levels as the determining factor, the New York Times reported. The IOC no longer deems its screening a sex-verification test, which in the past presented a uniquely awkward and embarrassing situation for the parties involved.

The organisation said the new regulations involved a test to see whether a woman's natural testosterone levels fall within the normal range of a man, though the IOC does not reveal what a man's normal levels might be.

If a female athlete is found through a blood test to have a condition known as hyperandrogenism, which involves an excessive production of androgens, she will not be allowed to compete as a woman. — ANI

Valencia, June 24
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso thrilled home fans by winning an incident-packed European Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday to take the overall championship lead and become Formula One's first repeat winner of the season. The Spaniard was joined on the podium by two former Ferrari champions — Kimi Raikkonen second for Lotus and Michael Schumacher third for Mercedes.

The victory lifted Alonso, who had started 11th on the grid, to the top of the standings with 111 points, 20 clear of Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber, after eight of 20 races.

It was the 29th career win for Alonso, who won his two titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Alonso was helped by the mechanical problems that forced pole starter Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean out of the race, while McLaren's previous championship leader Lewis Hamilton crashed out in the closing laps. — Reuters