TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016 19 swoons for comeback king Schweinsteiger

LYON: Both the German press and Germany’s Euro 2016 onships finals overtook ’s previous record. shirt soon. “I hope that he can play from the start as soon as squad poured praise on ‘bloodied-fighter and come-back The Manchester United star later admitted he was out of possible and show what a class player he is,” said Germany’s FAN FERVOR king’ yesterday following his breath from his long sprint towards the German bench to stand-in captain. “Everyone knows his qualities, he brings goalscoring heroics off the bench against . celebrate the goal with his team-mates. “It’s unbelievable, order to our game.” Loew was also delighted for his captain: Despite having previous played just 245 minutes of foot- that something like that happened, you can only dream “I think the goal gives Bastian personally, and all of us, a ball in 2016 due to a torn knee ligament in March, about it,” he told reporters. boost”. This is not the first time Schweinsteiger has excelled Germany’s captain dismissed any doubts about his fitness “I only had around 300 playing minutes under my belt in the comeback role at a major tournament. with an electric goal. After Shkodran Mustafi’s header gave this year, and then that happens... “I still haven’t got the He only made his first appearance four years ago in Germany an early lead, Schweinsteiger scored his first inter- strength for 90 or 120 minutes. I’m okay for a half, but I feel Brazil off the bench late in Germany’s second group game, a national goal for nearly five years to seal a 2-0 win in their really good.” German fans are particularly delighted to have 2-2 draw with Ghana, after an ankle injury hampered his Group C opener on Sunday. their skipper back after Schweinsteiger was left bloodied by World Cup preparations. “This goal delights the whole of Germany!”, wrote a battling display in the 2014 World Cup final to help win It remains to be seen whether the Man Utd star will start German daily Bild as Joachim ‘Jogi’ Loew’s world champions the Brazil 2014 title. Germany’s next crunch game against neighbours Poland at got off to a winning start. “Everyone enjoys his success and “Bloodied fighter and comeback king! Why we’re all the Stade de France today. is pleased for him, especially Jogi’s boys!” behind ‘Schweini’ now,” screamed the Bild headline. But Germany’s midfield general is back. “Too old! Too Schweinsteiger scored in the 92nd minute with just his There was also plenty of praise from his teammates. “It’s heavy! Too slow! You’ve exceeded yourself!,” wrote his older third touch of the ball having been on the pitch for just two super. Crazy. What a story! I’m delighted for him,” said for- brother Tobias Schweinsteiger, a former pro footballer and minutes. The 31-year-old’s brief cameo made German foot- ward Thomas Mueller. Goalkeeper said he now Under-17 coach at Bayern Munich, on Twitter. “Never ball history as his 14th appearance at European champi- hopes Schweinsteiger can make a full return to the white write B. Schweinsteiger off. Congratulations, brother.” — AFP

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ: Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (C) catches the ball during the Euro 2016 group C football match between Germany and Ukraine at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq near Lille on Sunday. — AFP Mustafi helps Germany to nervy win over Ukraine

LILLE: Stand-in centre back Shkodran Mustafi headed equaliser. In a breakneck first half, Ukraine’s Yevhen relying on hopeful long balls forward, while their keeper his first goal for Germany and Bastian Schweinsteiger Konoplyanka forced Germany keeper Neuer to make a was forced into action to save a long-range scored in stoppage time as the world champions sur- flying save in the fourth minute before the Germans effort from Khedira, a low drive from Thomas Mueller and vived several scares to beat Ukraine 2-0 in their opening steadily took control, with orchestrating most from Mesut Ozil, when he was through on goal. Germany Euro 2016 Group C match on Sunday. of their attacks. suffered one final fright when Mustafi headed back over Mustafi, who started in the absence of regular centre It was from his free kick, that Mustafi, who last fea- Neuer’s head, leaving the goalkeeper to scramble back back , rifled home a header after 19 min- tured for Germany in March and only made the side towards his own net, while appearing to body check sub- utes to give Germany the lead, which was not extended because Hummels was recovering from a muscle injury, stitute striker in the process. Then, in until Schweinsteiger, a 90th-minute substitute, swept leapt behind to power in a header. the final seconds, with Ukraine pushing up, Germany home from close range. Germany, bidding for a fourth Ten minutes later had the chance to countered and Schweinsteiger slammed in an Ozil cross Euro triumph but first since 1996, dominated possession, double Germany’s lead as Kroos floated a ball beyond to score. The result extended Germany’s unbeaten run but also relied on three top saves from keeper Manuel the defence, but he shot straight at the keeper. against Ukraine to six matches and maintained their Neuer and a goal-line clearance by Jerome Boateng to By then though, the Ukrainians had woken up and, record of never having lost their opening match in a come out on top. driving their full backs higher up the pitch, forced Neuer European Championship. Germany will play joint group Ukraine, playing in their second European champi- to punch over a strong header from . leaders Poland at the Stade de France on Thursday, when onship, harried and hustled their opponents and their Boateng was then forced into a dramatic clearance, hav- Ukraine take on Northern Ireland in Lyon. tight defence offered few clear sights of goal to the ing first lost the ball before hacking it clear while back- Several hours before the match, German and Germans. Yet lone striker was unable to pedalling into the net. Lone striker Zozulya also had an Ukrainian supporters scuffled briefly in the centre of offer much threat, except at the very start and in the effort disallowed for offside as Germany hung on until Lille, though police quickly brought the situation under closing stages as Ukraine pushed on in search of an halftime. Ukraine posed less of a threat in the second half, control. — Reuters Bale comments ‘disrespectful’

CHANTILLY: England manager Roy Hodgson has branded Gareth Bale “disrespectful” after the Wales star said his country showed more “passion and pride” than their neighbours and Euro 2016 rivals. England and Wales face off in Lens on Thursday, with Bale’s team in the driving seat in Group B after they beat Slovakia 2-1 in their opening game and Hodgson’s men could only draw 1-1 against Russia. Speaking before the Slovakia game, in which he netted a spectacular free-kick, Bale had said of England: “I think we’ve got a lot more pas- sion and pride about us than them.” But in comments published by British media yester- day, Hodgson retorted: “Receiving disrespectful com- ments is part and parcel of being a footballer and a football coach. “I don’t ever comment on other people. I’ve been in the game sufficiently long to know every opponent has got an opinion. “The other day it was VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ: German supporters are pictured during the Euro 2016 group C football match (Russia goalkeeper Igor) Akinfeev saying we were the between Germany and Ukraine at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq near Lille on Sunday. — AFP worst seeded team and now it’s Gareth Bale. “They can have those opinions, but I don’t have any doubts personally about our patriotism or desire and that’s the important thing. “If he believes that that’s the Matches on TV case, he’s welcome to that opinion. But we know who we are, we know what we are. We don’t have any (Local Timings) doubts about ourselves in that respect.” UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Defeat by Wales would leave England in a perilous beIN MAX 2 HD position, but Hodgson has backed his players to Austria v Hungary 19:00 beIN MAX 3 HD EN bounce back from the blow of conceding a stoppage- beIN MAX 2 HD beIN MAX 4 HD FR time equaliser against Russia in Marseille. beIN MAX 3 HD EN Uruguay v Jamaica 5:00 “It is a tight dressing room, a passionate dressing beIN MAX 1 HD beIN SPORTS 1 HD FR room,” said the England manager, whose side are based beIN MAX 4 HD FR beIN MAX 2 HD in Chantilly outside Paris. “I would recommend any- Portugal v Iceland 22:00 beIN MAX 3 HD EN body who does have any doubts about players in that beIN MAX 2 HD beIN MAX 4 HD FR respect to watch the game and come to me afterwards beIN MAX 3 HD EN Tomorrow and show me where they’ve seen that lack of passion beIN MAX 1 HD Chile v Panama 3:00 and lack of patriotism because I certainly didn’t see it. beIN MAX 4 HD FR beIN MAX 2 HD “We’ll get over it, no question of that. We’ll bounce beIN MAX 3 HD EN COPA AMERICA CENTENARIO back. My hope is and my dream is that we’ll play as well Argentina v Bolivia 5:00 in the next two matches and go on to do well in the Mexico v Venezuela 3:00 beIN MAX 2 HD tournament.” — AFP beIN SPORTS 1 HD FR beIN MAX 3 HD EN