Sweden 2-1 Latvia
Kim Källström's second-half strike ensured Sweden sealed their place at UEFA EURO 2008™ with victory against Latvia in Solna.
Perfect start
A Northern Ireland win in Spain in the night's other Group F match coupled with a Sweden defeat would have cost Lars Lagerbäck's side a place in Austria and Switzerland, but there was little chance of that as Sweden pressed forward from the start. Marcus Allbäck opened the scoring within a minute of kick-off, and though Swedish hearts were in mouths when Jurijs Laizans equalised after 26 minutes, Källström made sure of the points 12 minutes into the second half.
Laizans equaliser
Sweden enjoyed the perfect opening when Zlatan Ibrahimović crossed from the right for Allbäck to head in from close range. Latvia were being pinned back in their own half and Källström came close again before Ibrahimović fired wide. At the other end, Laizans twice served notice of his danger, first shooting wide from 20 metres, then bringing a fine save from Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson. Sweden would be breached before the half-hour though, as Laizans' deflected effort gave the sprawling Isaksson no chance.
Missed chances
The hosts hit back, subjecting Latvia's defence to wave after wave of attacks, but Mikael Nilsson and Källström both missed when presented with good opportunities. Sweden picked up where they had left off after the restart, continuing to squander presentable chances, with Ibrahimović and Allbäck both wayward from close range in quick succession.
Källström winner
The pressure finally told on 57 minutes. Fredrik Ljungberg on the right passed to Källström, who swept the ball in left-footed from 20 metres. Sweden had further invitations to add to their advantage, but two goals would be enough to make sure of a place in Austria and Switzerland.
Spain 1-0 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's faint UEFA EURO 2008™ qualification hopes fizzled out as a deflected Spain goal condemned them to defeat in Gran Canaria.
Spain finish first
Xavi Hernández's second-half strike settled the contest although Sweden's 2-1 win against Latvia meant Nigel Worthington's team would not have progressed even had they won. The goal came when Xavi's long-range drive clipped off Sammy Clinghan's head to wrongfoot Maik Taylor and was enough to secure Spain first place in Group F, two points ahead of the Swedes. Northern Ireland, after a remarkable campaign, finished in third place.
Pressure
Spain started brightly and Xavi cracked a shot wide of Taylor's post after two minutes. The home side had claims for a penalty waved away by referee Herbert Fandel in the seventh minute after David Silva went to ground following a challenge from Stephen Craigan. Sergio Ramos found the side-netting in the 21st minute following a neat through-ball from Cesc Fabregas and as Spain stepped up the pressure, Taylor had to get down quickly to smother a shot from Daniel Güiza.
Taylor saves
A minute later Ramos came within a whisker of making the breakthrough, only for Clingan to clear off the line. Fabregas was next to threaten, the Arsenal FC midfielder stinging Taylor's fingers with a rasping drive from distance after 38 minutes. Spain kept coming, however, Taylor clawing away Andrés Iniesta’s deflected cross and then denying Marcos Senna and Silva.
Cursing their luck
Having stood firm for 53 minutes, Northern Ireland were cursing their luck when Spain went in front. Taylor seemed to have Xavi's 25-metre effort covered but he was left wrong-footed after it took a deflection of Craigan. Spain should have extended their lead when substitute Joaquín pulled the ball back from the byline. It looked a tap-in for Silva but he somehow managed to steer his shot wide of Taylor's post.
Denmark 3-0 Iceland
Denmark rounded off in style a mixed UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying campaign as goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Thomas Kahlenberg earned a 3-0 triumph against Iceland in Copenhagen.
Bendtner opener
With only pride to play for, this Group F dead rubber could have seen both teams going through the motions, but Denmark instilled early urgency and got their reward with three goals in a 25-minute period either side of half-time. Bendtner broke the deadlock on 34 minutes as he collected a Christian Poulsen pass and fired beyond Árni Arason and Tomasson made it 2-0 just before half-time. There was no way back for Iceland, whose disappointing campaign was compounded by Kahlenberg's strike seconds before the hour.
Killer blow
It sealed a victory that had always seemed likely as the hosts drove forward from kick-off. Poulsen and Bendtner both went close before Daniel Jensen forced an Arason save as Morten Olsen's charges displayed greater purpose. Bendtner finally made the breakthrough eleven minutes before the interval and although Iceland rallied, with Veigar Páll Gunnarsson firing over, Tomasson hit a killer blow from close range on 44 minutes. Kahlenberg made it three following good work from Bendtner and the winning margin could have been more emphatic had Ulrik Laursen and substitute Simon Poulsen not been denied.
No comments:
Post a Comment