Maturing Rooney no longer carrying burden for England

Blaszczykowski goal cements Poland’s place in last 16 (The Associated Press)

Poland will play Switzerland in the last 16 of the European Championship with a big question hanging over its head: Has star striker Robert Lewandowski left his goal-scoring boots at home? Poland cemented its first appearance in the tournament’s knockout stage with a 1-0 win in Marseille on Tuesday against already eliminated Group C opponent Ukraine. Usually so clinical for Bayern Munich, and the top scorer in Euro 2016 qualifying with 13 goals, Lewandowski not only failed to find the net in Poland’s three group-stage matches, he also failed to have a single shot on target.

 

French police break up fights among Polish fans in Marseille (Reuters)
By Wolfgang Rattay and Bate Felix MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) – Police using tear gas, pepper spray and batons broke up fights between Polish soccer fans in the southern French city of Marseille on Tuesday, detaining at least 12 of them ahead of Poland’s final Euro 2016 group stage match against Ukraine. Fighting erupted suddenly among a group of hardcore Polish fans and was swiftly quelled by police deployed around the waterfront. A police official said the fights involved rival Polish hooligan groups.

Turkey beat Czechs 2-0 to stay in last-16 contention (Reuters)

LENS, France (Reuters) – Goals by Burak Yilmaz and Ozan Tufan gave Turkey a 2-0 win over Czech Republic in Euro 2016 on Tuesday that secured third place in Group D and kept alive their hopes of reaching the tournament’s knockout stages. The result left Turkey on three points from as many games, behind Croatia and Spain. They must now wait for the group stage to finish and hope they go through as one of the best four third-placed teams. …

 

Croatia win group by beating holders Spain (Reuters)

By Steve Tongue BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) – Holders Spain lost for the first time in 15 matches at the European Championship finals on Tuesday when Croatia beat them 2-1 to win Group D at Euro 2016. Ivan Perisic scored the winner with three minutes left after Croatia keeper Danijel Subasic had saved a penalty from Spain captain Sergio Ramos with 20 minutes remaining. Croatia’s Nikola Kalinic had canceled out an early goal from Spain striker Alvaro Morata in the first half.

 

The Latest: Northern Ireland through to last 16 of Euro 2016 (The Associated Press)

Northern Ireland will play in the round of 16 at the European Championship. Three hours after its 1-0 loss to Germany finished, Northern Ireland advanced when the final whistle blew on Turkey’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic. Northern Ireland will finish among the four best third-placed teams, who will join the top two teams from each group in the knockout stages.

 

Hungary coach to team: don’t obsess over Ronaldo (The Associated Press)

Hungary coach Bernd Storck has a clear message for his players heading into their decisive match against Portugal: Don’t obsess over Cristiano Ronaldo. Having not scored in Portugal’s first two games at the European Championship, the pressure is on Ronaldo to deliver against Hungary in their final Group F match on Wednesday. ”Everybody is always asking about Cristiano Ronaldo,” Storck said through a translator at Stade de Lyon on Tuesday.

 

Germany beat Northern Ireland 1-0 to win group (Reuters)

Germany’s Mario Gomez scored in the first half to secure a 1-0 win over a stubborn Northern Ireland side and a place in the last 16 of Euro 2016 as Group C winners on Tuesday. The world champions dominated the game at Parc des Princes and had created several chances when Gomez, starting his first match in the tournament, earned the points with a deflected effort from inside the box on the half-hour. Germany advance from the section with seven points from three games and a better goal difference than Poland, who beat already-eliminated Ukraine 1-0 to qualify in second place.

 

Belgium told that playing for a draw is not an option (The Associated Press)
Wilmots has ordered his team, which includes a wealth of attacking talent such as Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, to ignore the group table when it plays Sweden on Wednesday in the French Riviera city of Nice. Fresh from a convincing 3-0 victory over Ireland, Belgium knows that a point will be enough for it to progress to the round of 16 at Euro 2016. Wilmots said he’s told his players to take no notice of the complex system that’s in use at Euro 2016 for the first time.

Poland beat Ukraine to advance for first time (Reuters)

By Mitch Phillips MARSEILLE, France (Reuters)- – Poland reached the knockout stage of the European Championship for the first time when Jakub Blaszczykowski’s second-half goal beat already-eliminated Ukraine 1-0 on Tuesday and secured second place in Group C and a last-16 meeting with Switzerland. Poland had started strongly but appeared to be settling for the draw that would also have guaranteed their progress until Blaszczykowski struck nine minutes after joining the fray as a halftime substitute. The result left them on seven points, second in the group on goal difference to Germany, who beat Northern Ireland 1-0, and left their huge following in the Stade Velodrome celebrating long and loud after the humiliation of four years ago when they finished bottom of their group when co-hosting the tournament.

 

Germany beats Northern Ireland 1-0, tops Euro 2016 group (The Canadian Press)

Germany pounded Northern Ireland on Tuesday but could only manage a 1-0 win that still ensured the world champion topped its group at the European Championship and advanced to the round of 16. Defied by the woodwork and standout Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern, Germany had only Mario Gomez’s 30th-minute goal to show for its dominance. Germany topped Group C with seven points and will now meet a third-place team in the next round.

 

Leicester starts to strengthen squad ahead of title defense (The Associated Press)
LEICESTER, England (AP) — Leicester has made defender Luis Hernandez its first signing ahead of its Premier League title defense and first Champions League campaign.

English seek less stubborn opponent to show attacking threat (The Associated Press)

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — England seems sure that facing more attack-minded sides in the knockout stages of the European Championship will work to its advantage. Headlines back home Tuesday say the team is ”second rate” for finishing behind Wales in Group B. England failed to top the group after a pair of draws against Russian and Slovakia.

 

Payet stays relaxed at Euro 2016, despite rising expectation (The Associated Press)

The burden of bailing out France’s misfiring attack at the European Championship has yet to affect Dimitri Payet. With forwards Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial managing just one goal in three games between them, France is relying too heavily on Payet.

 

Ibrahimovic says he will retire from international soccer after the Euros (The Canadian Press)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he will retire from international football after the European Championship. The 34-year-old striker says ahead of Sweden’s final group game on Wednesday with Belgium that it would be his last for his country if the team gets eliminated.

Irish fans win admirers at Euro 2016 (The Associated Press)

While fans from other countries have damaged their reputations amid ugly scenes at the European Championship, Irish supporters have been winning friends across France with their antics and goodwill. Both Northern Ireland and Ireland face tough final group games as they bid to remain in the tournament, against Germany in Paris on Tuesday and against Italy in Lille the following day, respectively.

 

Ibrahimovic to quit international football after Euro 2016 (The Associated Press)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Tuesday that he will retire from international football after the European Championship. The 34-year-old striker said ahead of Sweden’s final Group E game on Wednesday against Belgium that it would be his last for his country if the team gets eliminated. ”The last game for Sweden in Euro will be my last game with Sweden, so I hope it will not be tomorrow,” he said.

 

Clement reunited with Ancelotti at Bayern (The Associated Press)
MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich has hired Paul Clement as assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti, bringing the two men together again at their fourth major club.

Russia lacks talent and desire, minister says (The Associated Press)

The head of Russia’s football federation has blasted the country’s players for a lack of talent and desire as they exited the European Championship in the group stage. Vitaly Mutko, who is also Russia’s Sports Minister, says fourth place in Group B with defeats to Wales and Slovakia ”shows the real level of our football” ahead of a home World Cup in 2018.

 

The Latest: UEFA to use different ball at Euro 2016 (The Associated Press)

UEFA will use a different match ball for the knockout rounds at the European Championship. UEFA says the switch was planned and follows a marketing plan for the Champions League where a new ball design is unveiled for the competition’s later stages. Rory McIlroy is flying in to watch his home country Northern Ireland in a European Championship game against Germany later Tuesday.

 

Euro exit shows Russia’s soccer crisis ahead of World Cup (The Associated Press)

Going out in the group stage to a 3-0 defeat to Wales capped a disastrous European Championship for 2018 World Cup host Russia, which has been better known in France for its hooligans than its footballers. When it won the right to host the World Cup in December 2010, Russia seemed to be a rising power in world football, having reached the semifinals of the European Championship two years before. Three major tournaments and three early exits later, Russia is in crisis with an elderly squad, little young talent and a coach who has signaled he wants out.

 

Russian fan union chief being deported from France – again (The Associated Press)

A Russian fan group leader is being kicked out of France again – days after he was deported for alleged involvement in hooliganism and slipped back in to the country illegally. Shprygin left France on Saturday, then returned Monday for Russia’s match against Wales in Toulouse, apparently traveling overland from a neighboring country to avoid airport border controls.

 

David Beckham voting for Britain to remain in European Union (The Associated Press)
Former England captain David Beckham is voting for Britain to remain in the European Union in Thursday’s referendum. The 41-year-old Beckham started his soccer career at Manchester United and he wrote on Facebook ”we were a better and more successful team” because of the players from outside Britain in the squad. Beckham also played for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

Russia’s pass-the-armband sums up problems ahead of World Cup (Reuters)
By Ed Dove TOULOUSE (Reuters) – The sight of Russian players passing around the captain’s armband after Roman Shirokov went off early in the second half spoke volumes about their performance at Euro 2016. Shirokov was substituted in the 52nd minute of the embarrassing 3-0 capitulation to Wales but nobody appeared to want to replace him as captain. The armband was initially handed to Sergei Ignashevich, but he did not put it on, and eventually it found its way back to goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev who half-heartedly accepted it.

England reaches round of 16 after 0-0 draw with Slovakia (The Associated Press)

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — A gamble by coach Roy Hodgson failed to pay off on Monday as his reshuffled England side drew 0-0 with Slovakia and failed to top its group at the European Championship. England still qualified for the knockout stages. Hodgson made six changes from the 2-1 victory over Wales and left captain Wayne Rooney on the bench.