WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 19 Belgium want to make Lille home territory for Wales clash TOULOUSE: Kevin De Bruyne wants Belgium’s larity. Belgium scored three goals in a purple 12- better as the underdog,” said Coleman. “We have Euro 2016 quarter-final clash with Wales to be like minute patch to close the game. The Chelsea star proved that-and people will expect Belgium to FAN FERVOR a home game-the Lille stadium is just 100 kilome- dribbled past two players to set up second-half win. They had some criticism coming into the tour- tres from the Belgian border. A huge wave of substitute Michy Batshuayi to score with his first nament and they lost the first game (against Italy). Belgians is expected to cross the frontier to invade touch of the game on 78 minutes. “But if you have a squad with that quality then the French city to watch their country take on any team you play against, apart from maybe two opponents that De Bruyne called “a technically and Nervous favourites or three, Belgium are favourites.” But after some defensively astute side.” Hazard scored his maiden goal of the tourna- topping their group ahead of England, and bril- Belgium are on a high after their 4-0 rout of ment after running across the edge of the area liantly beating Russia 3-0, Wales will fancy their Hungary on Sunday that saw Chelsea forward unchallenged to fire a shot that beat Gabor Kiraliy chances, and Belgian star Carrasco agrees. Eden Hazard produce an inspirational display as low at his far post. Belgium, who played Wales both in the 2014 captain. De Bruyne is counting on the Red Devils Late substitute Yannick Carrasco added the World Cup and Euro 2016 qualifying, failed to win to produce more of the same. “I can’t wait for this fourth in the first minute of added time when he any of their last three meetings against the British match, which will be like a home match for us powered down the middle on the counter to beat side. Wales also held Belgium twice in Brussels and because it’s right on the Belgian border. Kiraly. As plaudits poured down on Belgium, won 1-0 in Cardiff just over a year ago when “We’re expecting a lot of fans. We hope we can coach Marc Wilmots was quick to send a word of Gareth Bale’s winner all but booked their place at go all the way in this tournament.” The one-sided caution. “We’re into the quarter-finals, but we’ve the European Championship finals. performance against Hungary in Toulouse has done nothing yet,” said Wilmots, who will be with- As a striker with Atletico Madrid, Carrasco encouraged Belgian hopes that they can emulate out defender Thomas Vermaelen after he picked knows Real Madrid forward Bale well. their 1980 feat of reaching the final, when they lost up a yellow card to trigger a one-match suspen- Carrasco said Hungary was “a great result” for to West Germany. sion. But Belgium head to Lille as favourites-and Belgium “but we won’t be getting carried away-we Against Hungary, De Bruyne swung in a free Wales manager Chris Coleman is happy about that haven’t won the Euro yet.” “Every match is different. kick for Toby Alderweireld to give Belgium a 10th- after his side laboured to a 1-0 win over Northern Against the Welsh, we have to produce the same minute lead. Hazard dazzled fans with some mazy Ireland when they were favourites. performance. They’re a compact and well-drilled runs, dribbles, and sublime passes that carved “We were edgy going into the Northern Ireland side. “They’re not going to give us a lot of space. open the Hungarian defence with stunning regu- game as we were expected to win and we work And of course, they have Bale.” — AFP Southgate favourite to replace humiliated Hodgson LONDON: National Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the early favourite of a not very long list of mooted candidates to replace Roy Hodgson as coach of England following their embarrassing exit at Euro 2016. Having flirted with foreign coaches such as Sven-Goran Eriksson and then autocratic Italian Fabio Capello before bringing in the vastly-experi- enced Hodgson, the Football Association (FA) are like- ly to go for an Englishman if the bookies are to be believed. But none of the small list of leading English con- tenders have won a major trophy, something which does not augur well for their hopes of rebuilding the morale of a side beaten 2-1 in such abject fashion by Iceland on Monday. Southgate-perhaps best known for missing a spot-kick in the Euro 96 semi-final penal- ty shoot-out defeat against Germany at Wembley- restored some of his reputation with victory at the prestigious Toulon tournament in May having had a disappointing European Under-21 campaign last year. The 45-year-old-who has been in charge of the England Under-21 side since 2013 — has managed just one club, Middlesbrough. He kept them in the Premier League for two seasons before they were rel- egated in the 2008/09 campaign. Southgate is now 6/4 favourite with British book- makers, having been 6/1 on Monday night once Hodgson’s assistant, former Manchester United star CHANTILLY: England soccer coach Roy Hodgson leaves the team hotel in Chantilly, France, yesterday. Gary Neville, also resigned following the Iceland England’s soccer team was knocked out of the Euro 2016 by Iceland in a round of 16 match on Monday. — AP defeat. he suggested disabled people were being punished last term, losing 2-1 to Manchester United in extra- ‘PERFECT’ HODDLE for “sins in a former life”. time. The young hope is Eddie Howe, who has Former England captain Alan Shearer, who said Shearer, who played under Hoddle, 58, told BBC impressed at Bournemouth, the 38-year-old taking the team were “pretty pathetic” and “clueless” against Radio yesterday: “I would back Gareth Southgate if he them into the Premier League for the first time in Iceland, has indicated he would like a go but his sole was to go in there. But I would also look at getting their history and retaining their status last season. experience at managerial level is an unhappy spell at experience around him like Glenn Hoddle. “Glenn But his inexperience at the top level may mark him his beloved Newcastle United. was brilliant as a coach for England in my opinion, he out as an England manager of the future rather than But Shearer, who said “he hasn’t got a cat in hell’s has got so much to offer and is still young enough so I Hodgson’s immediate successor. Scotsman David chance” of getting the England job, subsequently would totally back Gareth and Glenn.” Moyes and Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers have called for Southgate to work under Glenn Hoddle, a Veteran manager Harry Redknapp, considered for also been mentioned, but the former has not flour- former England manager. the job before Hodgson was appointed in 2012, went ished since early promise at Everton while Rodgers Hoddle was in charge of England from 1996-1999, even further by telling talkSPORT radio: “Glenn is your has just taken over the reins at Scottish champions a spell that included the 1998 World Cup in France man. Why is Gareth the favourite and more suited? “I Celtic. Perhaps the man that a few years ago England where the team reached the second round before los- think we have got the perfect man, Glenn fits the bill and the FA would have yearned for, Arsenal’s long- ing on penalties to Argentina. for me. “He said something, but that was a long time serving Frenchman Arsene Wenger, still figures on the But the former Tottenham Hotspur and England ago. He deserves another chance.” bookies’ lists. midfielder lost the post in bizarre fashion after the FA Others in the frame include the combative Alan But would he, at 66, really want the extraordinary sacked him following a newspaper interview in which Pardew, who guided Crystal Palace to the FA Cup final pressure that the England job brings? —AFP It’s all starting to click for Portugal, says Nani MARCOUSSIS: Portugal’s experienced winger Nani “We know that Poland is a strong side, with experi- yesterday morning after missing Monday’s session, says team unity is a key asset for the national team enced players, and we will have to be at our best to while Raphael Guerreiro and Andre Gomes did gym ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2016 quarter-final against go through.” work for a second successive day after suffering Poland. Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho joined training knocks against Croatia. — Reuters The Portuguese have had their backs to the wall in the competition so far, with goals generally hard to come by, but the players have dug in and appear to be starting to come alive. “We have shown camaraderie and that we are all rowing in the same direction,” Nani said at Tuesday’s news conference. “I can certainly say that for me, this is the best time in the national team for the group that we have. “This has been one of the factors that has proved that we are much stronger than before and that we are in a good condition to go as far as possible.” Portugal have gone from a team who squeezed into the last 16 after three consecutive draws in Group F to one that upset in-form Croatia, 1-0, in the last round.