England rolls without Beckham
David Beckham’s reaction to England’s 3-0 soccer victory over Israel in London on Saturday is likely to be somewhat muted.
On the one hand, the win kept England very much in the running to qualify for the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland next summer. On the other hand, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was filling in for the injured Beckham, made a valid claim to keep the job a while longer.
Wright-Phillips scored the first goal in the 19th minute, off a pass from Joe Cole, and was a lively presence throughout the match. Michael Owen and teenager Micah Richards scored England’s other two goals as it moved ahead of Israel into third place.
Only the top two teams qualify from each of seven groups, along with the two host nations.
Despite the victory, England, with 17 points, failed to make up ground on Russia, which shut out Macedonia, 3-0, in Moscow and has 18 points, or on Croatia, which defeated Estonia, 2-0, in Zagreb and leads the group with 20 points.
Croatia got two first-half goals by Brazilian-born Eduardo da Silva, and backup goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev came to Russia’s rescue, saving a penalty kick after starter Vladimir Gabulov had been ejected.
“There’s an unwritten law in football that says if you don’t make the score 2-0 or 3-0 before halftime, you’re going to have problems,” said Russia’s Dutch coach, Guus Hiddink. “We were almost punished with the penalty kick. Fortunately, Malafeyev saved the game for us.”
Two late goals secured the victory for Russia, which plays England in London on Wednesday in what looms as a vital qualifier for both teams.
Elsewhere, Germany all but assured itself of a spot in Euro 2008, to be played in eight Austrian and Swiss cities from June 7-29, when it strolled to a 2-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff, courtesy of a goal in each half by striker Miroslav Klose.
Poland also improved its chances with a 2-2 tie against Portugal in Lisbon.
Denmark’s failure to pick up maximum points in Stockholm, where it managed only a 0-0 tie against group leader Sweden, might have effectively ended its hopes.
In Reykjavik, Iceland came within four minutes of a momentous victory before Andres Iniesta’s 86th-minute goal salvaged a 1-1 tie for Spain, which played with 10 men for 70 minutes after the expulsion of Xabi Alonso for stamping on Iceland’s Arnar Vidarsson.
Goals by the Real Madrid pair of Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistelrooy earned the Netherlands a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in Amsterdam, thereby keeping the Dutch within sight of group leader Romania, which beat Belarus, 3-1, in Minsk.
The most interesting race is being waged by France, Scotland, Italy and Ukraine, the four teams at the head of their pack. The Scots stayed in the thick of it Saturday by rolling over Lithuania, 3-1, behind goals in Glasgow by Kris Boyd, Stephen McManus and James McFadden.
In Milan, world champion Italy had threatened to cut France apart -- “We will fight with knives between our teeth,” warned forward Fillipo Inzaghi -- but the nailbiting game in front of a sellout crowd of 80,000 San Siro stadium ended 0-0, leaving only two points separating the French, Scots and Italians with four games to play.
Ukraine’s prospects dipped when it gave up a late goal and was tied, 1-1, by Georgia in Tbilisi.
Jones reported from Los Angeles.
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