TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015 SPORTS

WARSAW: Poland’s players celebrate after they won the Euro 2016 Group D qualifying soccer match against Ireland at the National Stadium. —AP Poland defeat Ireland to secure Euro spot

WARSAW: Striker Robert Lewandowski scored qualifying campaign with 13 goals. er after defender Michal Pazdan brought fying round,” he told Polsat TV. coach Martin O’Neill said. “The win with the winner to secure Poland a place at Euro Ireland, who finished with 10 men after down Shane Long. Poland co-hosted the 2012 tournament Germany gave us a lift, but we didn’t have the 2016 with a 2-1 victory in Warsaw on Sunday captain John O’Shea was shown a second yel- “I have to tell you I’m so proud,” with Ukraine and will be playing in their third same intensity. Players were ready, but it was that consigned a battling Ireland side to the low card, needed to win or draw by at least 2-2 Lewandowski shouted through a microphone straight Euro finals. Ireland, who finished third hard to replicate it away against a good Polish playoffs. to steal second spot behind world champions to fans wearing a red and white “Vive la on 18 points behind Poland with 21 and side.” Asked if Lewandowski could win the Lewandowski’s header just before halftime Germany. Pologne 2016” T-shirt while his team mates Germany on 22, head for the playoffs hoping Ballon D’or world footballer of the year award, in the Group D match was his 15th goal in the Poland went ahead in the 13th minute as uncorked champagne on the pitch. to replicate the form they showed in beating he said: “Yeah, very possibly. A very fine player. last six games for his club Bayern Munich and midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak fired home “The Irish team did not create any real Germany 1-0 earlier this week. I say that he is a world class player and he country. He also equalled Northern Ireland for- from outside the area after a corner. Jon opportunities. We deserved to advance, we “I think the message is still pretty clear. knows the game. Poland must be delighted to ward David Healy’s scoring record for a Euro Walters equalised for Ireland three minutes lat- were the better team and played a good quali- We’re still there but we have two games to go,” have him.”—Reuters Romania claim Euro ticket with victory over Faroes FAROE ISLAND: Romania qualified for the for a better start, going ahead thanks to Euro 2016 finals when they comfortably Budescu’s first international goal after a won 3-0 in the Faroe Islands on Sunday to well-worked free kick in the fourth minute. clinch the second automatic qualifying Budescu then scored an astonishing place in Group F. goal from a seemingly impossible angle on The victory left unbeaten Romania with the right touchline with his shot looping 20 points, one behind already-qualified over goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen on the Northern Ireland, who ended their cam- stroke of halftime. paign with a 1-1 draw in Finland. Budescu’s strike revived memories of Hungary remained in third place on 16 former great Gheorghe Hagi’s amazing goal after losing 4-3 in Greece and will try to against Colombia at the 1994 World Cup reach the finals via the playoffs. Constantin when Romania, under Iordanescu, reached Budescu, who replaced the ineffective the quarter-finals for their biggest achieve- Claudio Keseru in Romania’s starting lineup, ment. Maxim wrapped up the victory when scored twice before the break and almost he played a one-two with Bogdan Stancu grabbed a hat-trick in the second half. before sliding the ball into the net. Alexandru Maxim put the result beyond Romania, criticised by some pundits for doubt with their third goal eight minutes their defensive approach, conceded only from time. “It was a difficult campaign but two goals in the campaign, fewer than any we expected that because it was a bal- of the 53 teams in the qualifying competi- anced group,” said manager Anghel tion in Europe. Iordanescu. “We deserve to qualify. “I think the boys deserve congratula- “We’re very happy though I wanted to tions for what they’ve done throughout the secure qualification against Finland in whole campaign and I don’t want to miss (on Thursday) because I wanted (former coach) Victor Piturca, who has to share the joy with our fans,” he added. made a huge contribution, Iordanescu said. “It is a success Romanian football was The coach, who guided Romania to Euro 96 looking for. Our guys played really well and the 1998 World Cup, began his third from a tactical point of view. We should spell in charge last October, replacing have qualified earlier, not to keep our sup- Piturca who quit after agreeing to join porters under pressure.” Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad on a lucrative con- LEIPZIG: Germany’s Max Kruse (left) celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Euro 2016 Group D qualifying soccer match Iordanescu’s side could not have wished tract.—Reuters against Georgia. —AP Germany edge Georgia

LEIPZIG: Three-times European champions Joachim Loew told reporters. “Usually we cruised Tornike Okriashvili’s shot in the 28th denied the Germany needed a 79th minute goal from sub- through but this time we kept dropping points. visitors in their only attack from the opening 45 stitute Max Kruse to edge past Georgia 2-1 on “We sang the same song as in Ireland. Three, minutes. Sunday and book their spot at the Euro 2016 four huge chances early on and then the mis- The Germans, without the injured Bastian finals after another wasteful performance in takes start creeping in. First of all, we are satis- Schweinsteiger and Mario Goetze, went ahead their final Group D qualifier. fied with the qualification but not satisfied with through Mueller’s penalty, his ninth goal in the World Cup winners Germany, who needed our last two games. That is not our standard. We qualifiers, but the joy was short-lived due to 29- only a draw, squandered over a dozen clear have work ahead of us.” year-old Kankava’s spectacular equaliser. chances in the first half alone before Thomas The hosts, eager to bounce back from the Buoyed by the goal, Georgia became more Mueller’s 50th minute penalty finally put them Ireland defeat and finish their campaign on a daring and twice more tested Neuer as the ahead. Georgia, already out of the running to high, made a bright start with Mueller’s power- home fans grew impatient with the whistles and qualify, levelled three minutes later with captain ful drive forcing Nukri Revishvili into a good save jeers becoming louder. Jaba Kankava’s superb 20-metre volley. Kruse in the third minute. However, the Germans regained control and came to the rescue three minutes after coming The keeper topped that with a superb one- substitute Kruse, who had come on for Andre on by slotting home from a Mesut Ozil pass to handed save to deny Marco Reus, who squan- Schuerrle, settled their nerves with a fine low make sure the world champions, who had to put dered another golden chance when he fired drive in the 79th. “The coach told me to step on celebrations on hold after Thursday’s shock 1-0 over from three metres out with the hosts piling the gas,” Kruse said. “Georgia did it very well and loss in Ireland, finished top on 22 points. on the pressure and the game mostly in the it was not easy for us. We don’t want to make it : Hungary’s Roland Juhasz (right) is challenged by Greece’s “We have never had such a difficult qualifica- Georgian half. too big a deal but the coach has also said we during the Group F Euro 2016 qualifying match between Greece and Hungary. —AP tion in the last 10 to 12 years,” Germany coach Manuel Neuer’s reflex save to keep out need to be more efficient.” —Reuters Hungary head for playoffs Wales, N Ireland emerge from England’s shadow

ATHENS: Hungary will battle for a spot at utes when Kitsiou’s low cross found LONDON: In the week that the campaigns for the Northern Ireland finished top of their group, on the success of his predecessors John Toshack- Euro 2016 via the playoffs following a 4-3 Stafylidis at the back post for Greece’s first United Kingdom’s referendum on European Union while Wales were leading Group B-ahead of the who blooded players like Bale, Aaron Ramsey and defeat against Greece in a highly entertain- home goal of the campaign. membership were launched, the nation’s represen- heavyweights of Belgium-until the captain, Ashley Williams-and the late Gary ing duel in Athens on Sunday which gave Hungary were almost level in the 22nd tative football teams have given a resounding ‘yes’ Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Bosnia and Speed, who laid the foundations for Wales’ resur- the former European champions their first minute but Bal·zs Dzsudzs·k’s deflected to European participation. Herzegovina. gence before his death in an apparent suicide in win in their final match. shot was directed just wide by striker D·niel Wales and Northern Ireland have joined The loss in Zenica was Wales’ first of the qualify- November 2011. “When Gary Speed took over, I Substitute won it for Bˆde’s outstretched right boot. England in securing a place at next year’s European ing campaign, but Cyprus’ 2-1 win over Israel in think he realised that standards had dropped off Greece four minutes from time with a But after Pelkas blazed a shot over the Championship in France, meaning the UK will send Jerusalem meant that Chris Coleman’s side quali- the field,” former captain Kevin Ratcliffe wrote in thumping header, some consolation for a bar for Greece, Hungary drew level in the three teams to a major tournament for the first fied for their first major tournament since the 1958 The Observer.  campaign which the 2004 champions finish 26th minute when Gerg Lovrencsics beat time in 30 years. World Cup. Gareth Bale, who described the result “He added preparation and put the right people at the bottom of Group F on just six points. Stafylidis to head past Greek goalkeeper Scotland have missed out, but should the as “the best defeat of my life”, has been central to in place, and Coleman has carried that on. We are a Hungary had already been assured of at . Republic of Ireland prevail via the play-offs, there Wales’ success, top-scoring with six goals and play- proper international country now, not-as we used least a playoff place before the game, and Greece began the second half in the will be four teams from the British Isles at a major ing a part in eight of the nine goals his side have to call it-’Rag-ass Rovers’.” finish third in Group F behind Northern same attacking vein, but it was Hungary competition for only the second time after the scored. Given a free role akin to his new, central Northern Ireland were handed a relatively Ireland and Romania. who went ahead against the run of play, 1958 World Cup. It is part of a wider pattern of positioning under Rafael Benitez at Real Madrid, benign draw, but they were nonetheless the fifth Greece’s interim boss Kostas Tsanas had Kriszti·n NÈmeth prodding home from breakthroughs by smaller nations, with Northern the 26-year-old responded with decisive strikes in seeds in Group F and, like Wales, had never previ- given youth a chance by starting PAOK barely a metre out after Dzsudzs·k’s corner Ireland (population 1.85 million) and Wales (3.06 wins over Andorra, Belgium and Cyprus. ously qualified for a European Championship. Thessaloniki midfielder and was flicked on by ¡kos Elek. million) qualifying alongside Iceland (329,000) and But he would not have been in a position to set- Expectations were low after a World Cup quali- AEK Athens FC’ forward Kostas Mantalos, as Greece’s response was instantaneous, (2.89 million). But while the tournament’s tle matches were it not for a new-found defensive fying campaign that had seen them finish second- well as young PAOK full-backs Stelios and sprinting through expansion from 16 teams to 24 was always going robustness-the fruit of an innovative 3-5-1-1 forma- bottom of their group and which featured a humili- Kostas Stafylidis. onto Mantalos’ pass to score just two min- to allow the lesser lights to shine, neither Wales nor tion-that has seen Wales concede only four times in ating 3-2 loss to Luxembourg in September That paid dividends after just five min- utes later.—Reuters Northern Ireland qualified through the back door. nine matches. Coleman has also been able to build 2013.—AFP